Chicago Division - Pemberville Sub Layout

[rthornton]

Our family is putting together a layout based in the Toledo, Ohio area from the mid 60's to the mid 70's. We will be focusing on the Pemberville Subdivision which starts at Walbridge yard and runs south to Fostoria but we will only be modeling to Pemberville as that's where we reside. This will be a double main so the kids can run lots of trains.

This is a picture of the benchwork started a few weeks ago. The picture is taken from the Pemberville end of the layout. Grain elevator, housing, local businesses including warehousing, car dealership, fire & gas station will reside here.

http://i916.photobucket.com/albums/ad1/rnw422/Pemberville%20Sub%20track%20configuration/100_5163.jpg

This is the area that will be Luckey, Ohio. No sizeable industry here. Just an old elevator, houses & a couple local businesses. We will also have a scout camp here since we are involved in scouting. That's all.

http://i916.photobucket.com/albums/ad1/rnw422/Pemberville%20Sub%20track%20configuration/100_5165.jpg

This is the Lemoyne, Ohio area which will have a grain elevator with feedmill, post office, a few houses and a mobile home park. This will also be the area where we add Walbridge yard onto in the future.

http://i916.photobucket.com/albums/ad1/rnw422/Pemberville%20Sub%20track%20configuration/100_5166.jpg

Control system will obviously be DCC but haven't decided on which system to install. Any +'s or -'s on particular systems?

Still contemplating where the turnouts & crossovers will go as we do not have a computer program that can create a print for us. Just doin' it the old fashioned way. The green papers are printable turnouts so I could get a rough idea of where thinsg can go. Very tedious. Hoping to get some feedback from everyone on what looks good, bad or whatever.

Thanks,
Rob

[sstlaure]

Pick up a couple different turnouts/crossovers and photocopy a bunch of them on a copy machine. Lay them whereever you like for planning. If you want to run the longer more modern cars stick to minimum #6 turnouts although #4's will work if you're going slow.

[concretepumper]

Looks like your off to a great start! Keep us posted with pics!

[rthornton]

Already started copying the turnouts. Just haven't done it with the crossovers yet. As for the turnouts, I think we will be going with #6 on the mainline and #4 in the yard once that phase of the layout actually happens. As for the cars we will be using. They will be mostly 40's & 50's in the box car variety with some older style grain hoppers. Not gonna run any real modern stuff here. More throwback to the good ole days LOL. We will be going to the train show this weekend up by Ann Arbor so hopefully we can pick up some stuff for the layout. Thanks for the replies and rest assured I will be taking more pics.

[kursplat]

looks nice :thumbsup:
you could try xtrackcad (http://sourceforge.net/projects/xtrkcad-fork/), it's free and there are some good tutorials online that get you started pretty quick

[sstlaure]

Already started copying the turnouts. Just haven't done it with the crossovers yet. As for the turnouts, I think we will be going with #6 on the mainline and #4 in the yard once that phase of the layout actually happens. As for the cars we will be using. They will be mostly 40's & 50's in the box car variety with some older style grain hoppers. Not gonna run any real modern stuff here. More throwback to the good ole days LOL. We will be going to the train show this weekend up by Ann Arbor so hopefully we can pick up some stuff for the layout. Thanks for the replies and rest assured I will be taking more pics.

Where's the train show in Ann Arbor? That's only about 30 minutes from me. Hard for me to pass up going to a local show.

[rthornton]

Yeah, this Sunday, February 20th form 10:00a.m.-4:00p.m. at the Saline Middle School in Saline, Michigan. The event is sponsored by The Ann Arbor Model Railroad Club. Says over 400 tables. Should be a good one.

[sstlaure]

I might have to check that out...thanks for the heads up.