Adding Staging

After thinking about adding an interchange siding, I set of on a conquest to add hidden staging.  I should have planned this from day one, but thankfully there were a few good spots to add tracks without too much trouble.  Better yet, I had a few spare turnouts, all of which were the correct size and orientation!!  

On the main, approaching Jonestown I have added two turnouts.  The one going towards the wall gives me about 3m in length, and will be hidden by a low backdrop panel.  The one facing the yard will sneak down and around the layout, before splitting a a set of points and hiding under the elevated section, giving two 4m long staging roads.  I am also extending the head shunt at the end of the photo and this will lead to staging also (single 4m track). 

Looking the other way.  I laid this siding this afternoon so will post some more updates soon.

The other staging track (and original interchange idea) was from Heidiville.  This track will go through the backdrop and sneak long the raised section and wrap around the back of the layout, giving another 4m long staging siding.  I did this siding in concrete sleepers so it looks like it is a different network connection.  

So, after a week of thinking, I have ended up with 4 x 4m staging tracks and a 3m staging track, making it seem like there are lots of different connections to my little train world.

Enjoy!

A bit of a tidy up, and getting things ready

After running my US outline stuff the last few weeks (mainly Wisconsin Central), I have been really torn about going back to Aussie outline, especially with the wide variety of US freight cars and the ability to have a lot of small industries, and even large industries (ie paper mill) that receive a lot of different freight cars.  I may still go back to that space, but I thought it be best to get out the real models and start planning an operating session.

The rural container terminal located at the terminus Nathans Point.  I had a pair of SCTs on the layout from the other day, so they did the honours of running a 15 wagon container train.

A pair of SSRs on a mill wheat train at Heidiville.  A normal sized grain train cannot load without a shuffle of wagons.  Also at Heidiville I am looking at installing another turnout which leads to a single hidden track/staging/interchange.  This will give the feel of a branch line not modelled.  

The container terminal at Jonestown has had a kick along over the last few weeks and especially today.  I painted the ply, extended the sidings slightly, set up the containers, and put containers on a second intermodal train, ready to depart.  The container block the two long grain intake roads.

Jonestown Yard with a Graincorp grain train waiting for the next turn of duty, plus quit a few steel wagons needing some sorting.  Jumbo coil and butter boxes will be the main freight on the layout. 

The other end of the yard with a pair of Graincorp 48200s on a short string of NGPF/KF hoppers.  

I'm still torn with if I want/need off layout staging.  I initially didn't build anything as I know that a second level or deck would take a lot more time and I ran the risk of never actually getting anything finished.  The option now is to put a deck over Nathans Point, but it will kill the scene, but there isn't enough space underneath (which is where is originally should have gone).  

I've also been busy filling in the track joints with sleepers and brushing a bit of brown paint around to get rid of that unbuilt look.

Enjoy!