Building and operating the Atlantic Inland

 I “War-gamed” my helper operations. My problem is two fold. First, how to consist the helpers, EASILY, into the power consists of trains needing helpers. Second, how to bring helper locomotives back down grade so that they can be positioned to help another train. It is the consensus of opinion that because the helper grade is inside a helix, the hidden track makes it difficult for an independent helper engineer to see what he is doing. The remedy for this was to place the helpers on the head end, as opposed to pushing.  Because of the fact that there are two helix’s it was thought that leaving the helper engines with the train until the SECOND helix had been surmounted was the best plan.  Operationally it just seemed better to have the helper engines MU’d with the road engines.  How do we consist these engines quickly and easily. With NCE this requires a so called “Hammerhead throttle”. With Easy DCC it can be done easily with any throttle -BUT- it requires that so ...

 On AIR1 I build a spray booth out of plywood. I purchased a blower motor with a sealed motor, to reduce the chance of fire. I brought that motor with me.  I’m planning to build another spray booth and install it in the basement.  I looked for a compressor on line that was smallish and quiet. I did not want a hobby compressor because I want it to run a nail or staple gun during layout construction. I found a compressor from California Air Tools https://www.amazon.com/California-Air-Tools-CAT-1P1060S-Compressor/dp/B01LYHYHEA/ref=pd_ci_mcx_mh_mcx_views_0?pd_rd_w=h1b2a&content-id=amzn1.sym.225b4624-972d-4629-9040-f1bf9923dd95%3Aamzn1.symc.40e6a10e-cbc4-4fa5-81e3-4435ff64d03b&pf_rd_p=225b4624-972d-4629-9040-f1bf9923dd95&pf_rd_r=MAE4KWKE3ANQ1VJV7Y40&pd_rd_wg=KZkMm&pd_rd_r=6fe3a471-3ac3-4d85-accf-48f42cff8d15&pd_rd_i=B01LYHYHEA&th=1 It’s very quiet, and not terribly expensive.  The spray booth at AIR1 was just a box of 3/4” plywood with a large ...

 These are nothing to write home about but I assembled roughly seven Stewart FT undec shells. If you haven’t built any, the UNDEC version has multiple variations you can choose to make. I wanted a fairly stock version, but I did add steam generator details to the B-Units, and I used brass Nathan M5 Five-Chime horns, ala the Western Maryland, with five bells facing forward and five to the rear(!)*, for the A-Units. My next “modeling” project is going to be the construction of a spray booth. Stay tuned. *Apparently the WM wanted everyone in the counties surrounding its F-units to hear them when they blew their horns!

 I have two helix’s on AIR2 (I have chosen to refer to multiple helix’s as “Helix’s” as opposed to “ Helixi”, although “Helis” might be appropriate). The first connects the first level with the second level, and the second connects the second level with the third level. Trains negotiating the entire layout will get helpers at a pocket/yard just before ascending the first helix. I believe these helpers will keep their helpers all the way across the second deck on up to the third deck where upon reaching summit they will remove these helpers. Trains originating out of Pettigrew Yard (On the second deck) will get helpers direct from Pettigrew engine service, and these helpers will ride with their train on up to the Summit on the third deck where they will be cut out and dropped. What I am hoping to do is allow the train crews to consist and de-consist the helpers as needed. i will have to see what is possible with Command control systems. My plan for returning helpers back down grade ...

 I adopted TTTO just a few days BEFORE mailing a $2500 deposit check to the guy that was going to build and install a CTC system on AIR1. Whew! The seven train order signal installations were themselves about $100 EACH. The Tomar train order semaphores were $52 each and then there was the TWO tortoise switch machines for each signal: the signals had two blades, one for eastward traffic and one for westward traffic. Additionally I began to use the Circuitron remote actuator (Or whatever it’s called), because this GREATLY reduced the need to squeeze two tortoise switch machines directly under the train order signal. I was pretty well worn out by the train order signal installation, the remote actuator really helped here, and thought I’d scrap the semaphores and go with lights. After reflection, and the passing years fogging the memory of lying under the benchwork, on my back, struggling to install these damn things, I’m going with the semaphores once again. At this moment I have no i...

 I am using transfers from some switch jobs to various connecting railroads in an effort to tailor the work load to the individual. If one operator can switch 10 cars in four hours and another operator can switch 110 cars in the same four hours, how does the job accommodate this drastic difference in productivity (And yes on AIR1 I experienced situations like this). I thought that giving each job the ability to call for a transfer from a connecting road,  each operator could dial his work load up and down to suit. With these transfers running regularly I wondered about the paperwork for the Dispatcher? Does each transfer need a clearance and or orders? Well thanks in part to a discussion with Al Daumann and then consulting the dispatching guru’s on the OPSIG, thank you Dave Husman and Dave Sprau, it turns out that a transfer from a foreign line, yard to yard, on secondary tracks or with-in yard limits requires NO dispatcher intervention. Only the directions from the YM are nee...

 I found a non-descript brown cardboard three days ago. It was stuffed into a cubby amongst a pile of other cubic storage boxes. It said “Assorted China”, nothing else. This was not unusual because my wife and I collect various patterns and manufacturers of China. I opened it.  One dozed new in box, undecorated, Stewart/Bowser F-units. 4 B-Units, 8 A-Units.  Seven F-7’s, Five F-3’s. I never cease to amaze myself…

 We were talking about waybills today and colors came up. These “colors” we discussed are the color of the PAPER the waybill is printed on. General waybills, your run of the mill, every day waybill for BOTH car load lots and less than car load shipments  are printed on white paper. Expedited shipments, know as “Preferred Movement Bills” or simply “Preferred Bill”, of nearly any type are printed on pink paper. It can be Auto Parts or Apples. LCL or perishable meat. If a customer paid for Preferred movement, that waybill was printed on pink paper. Empty movement paperwork was printed on yellow paper. I’m not sure this was a waybill, but rather a form directing that a car be moved, by return routing, to its originating road: Route home empty. The use of the white waybill is fairly self explanatory for our purposes. Whenever you want to route a car from A to B across your layout you probably would use a waybill printed on white paper. If you wanted to simulate a LCL bill of lading...

 AIR2 will be populated with staging yards. At present most will be hidden. My solution will be pretty run of the mill with some exceptions. The vast majority of these hidden staging yards will be yards that will contain, and conceal, strings of cars from industries that are “Implied” to be located off layout. On the fascia adjacent to these yards will be card boxes labeled for the hidden track or tracks. Turnouts for most will be on the visible portion. When these hidden cuts of cars are worked the crewman will consult the card boxes for the box with the car cards in it.  Compare it to the track schematic nearby and line the appropriate turnouts. I know, I envision this process with gloomy foreboding.  Some of these smaller “Industry Service Staging Yards” may have tortoise switch machines with LED’s to indicate turnout direction. The car cards will be the same process. The gloomy foreboding will, likewise, be the same. My major staging yards representing EAST, WEST, WES...

 At both ends of AIR 2 are two yards and associated urban switching areas. On the East end of the layout it is decidedly less busy than on the west side. Also on the east end of the layout we connect end to end with our main interchange partner, the Western Maryland. My plan for dealing with the differing skill levels of various operators is that each main switch job will have TWO (2) outlets to send its cars. 1) the Atlantic Inland, and 2) a foreign connecting road. The switch jobs at both ends of the layout will first transfer cars between the AIR yard located at each end of the layout. The footboard yardmasters or these two main yards will (1) keep their yards organized, (2) switch some minor local industries, and (3) they will classify cars going to or coming from the switch jobs.  Additionally the switch jobs at both ends of the layout will transfer cars to and from foreign connecting roads as needed. On the east end of the layout we will connect first and foremost with t...