Reading & Chesapeake Layout (Perpetually Under Construction)

November 28, 2004 - The Third Anniversary of R&C Construction Start

Description:

A fantasy, freelance railroad set in the latter part of 20th century. The railroad comprises two division: the Blue division of the Reading railroad serves Pennsylvania from Philadelphia through Harrisburg to Pittsburgh. The Gray Division of the Chesapeake railroad serves parts of Maryland, Virginia and West Virginia from Baltimore to Wheeling. The Blue and Gray divisions interchange on the mason dixon line below Gettysburg, PA.

The railroad supports about 900 feet of N scale track, 120 switches (turnouts), 40 on-layout industries, 80 off-layout industries. A large yard, Louis Anthony, serves the Blue Division while two small yards (Soozee Junction and Dehart) serve the Gray Division. The Blue Division interchanges with foreign railroads at Pittsburgh and Harrisburg. The Gray Division interchanges with foreign railroads at Baltimore.

Local trains are run from each yard several times a day. Way freights move full and empty rolling stock between the Dehart and Soozee Junction yards. Fast freights ( aka Through or Manifest freights) move full and empty rolling stock among the three yards and four interchanges.

Specifications

The railroad's Digital Command Control (DCC) uses a Digitrax Chief with radio cabs. Four power districts are supported. A reversal track in the Gray Division uses a controller from Loys Toys and a reversal track in the Blue Division and a reversing crossover section use controllers from Tonys Train Exchange. The current roster comprises almost 50 locomotives with decoders (Digitrax and Lenz) and over 300 mostly freight cars. The railroad can be switched from running in circles to primarily point to point by imposing three 'cuts' on the mainline.

Naturally, we use Model Railroad Manager to generate traffic for operations. We currently use the batch mode with printouts of Yardmaster and Conductor switchlists. We are evolving to online sessions with computer displays of dispatcher activities, train schedules, conductor switchlists and yardmaster switchlists.

We are now installing BODs, Signals and more Tortoise and Peco turnout machines. To facilitate operations and troubleshooting, we use signage for our turnouts, signals and sensors. We are currently installing Team Digital SRC8 and SMD8, Digitrax SE8c, RR CirKits BOD, JJabour LocoIO and Locobuffer electronics. We have two micro wireless color cameras suitable for N scale rolling stock as well as several fixed location cameras for viewing sections of the layout. One pan and tilt web cam is operational at this time.

Layout Overview

Track Plan

Main Control Panel

Video Clips