An engine facility with a variety of power and cabooses
| Layout Construction Photos I will keep adding photos as things progress. |
Click images to Enlarge:
| More actual construction photos exist and will be posted here soon. |
| Comstock Park Yard in Grand Rapids was the first to go in along the north wall of garage. The top picture is looking south, the engine facility is at the bottom and classification yard is at the top. |
| Comstock Park yard looking south |
| Comstock Park Yard looking north |
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Tracks will be ballasted according to importance (mainline will be well maintained white ballast and the yard will be cinders). Main track is laid on HO scale cork, siding is on N scale cork and all other tracks are laid directly on the bench work which is covered by black rolled roofing material. Rolled roofing makes a great foundation for scenery and in my opinion looks better than plywood or colored foam, at least until I get around to some scenery! |
| Here we are looking at the yard facing north, top. The mainline runs to the right or north to the City of Cadillac. |
| General Notes on Comstock Park Yard - 10 tracks in the yard. Looking north, from the right - 5 classification tracks, 2 arrival/ departure tracks, siding, mainline and the "0" track at far left. |
| Here are three shots of the basic benchwork for the central peninsula of the C&M. This peninsula is the key design/construction element of the entire railroad. The lowest lever will be the Fort Wayne Staging Yard. Above Fort Wayne will be the town of Cadillac and other mainline trackage on the middle layer. Finally above Cadillac will be the top layer which will contain the City of Petoskey along with other mainline trackage. On the above left photo, you will see the south end of Comstock Park Yard (CPY) in the background. There bottom corner of the photo, trackage in the Grand Rapids Industrial Area (GRI) which is between the Comstock Park Yard and Fort Wayne. CPY is at an elevation of approximately 50 inches from the floor and Fort Wayne is approximately 43 inches off the floor. Cadillac will be approximately 51 inches off the floor so there is approximately 8 inches of clearance for Fort Wayne. So far, that has proved to be more than adequate. The above middle photo, shows the peninsula and the south end of the Grand Rapids, CPY at the bottom left. The Comstock Park Yard continues to the right (south) to the peninsula, through the GRI. The elevation drops approximately 6 inches to get to the beginning of Fort Wayne. You will notice in the background the mainline out of Comstock Park Yard. It will continue north into Cadillac which will be above Fort Wayne. On the above right photo, you will see the peninsula with the north end of the Comstock Park Yard. That trackage continues to the right and will eventually connect to Cadillac, which will be above Fort Wayne, not yet build in this photo. |
you can see to
the 1st deck of
the peninsula.
The tall 2X4 in
picture is
attached firmly
to a joist in the
ceiling.
the 1st deck of
the peninsula.
The tall 2X4 in
picture is
attached firmly
to a joist in the
ceiling.
| The photos on the right show the peninsula with the rolled roofing applied. As mentioned, I believe this gives a good base in which to spike the track and it looks better than bare plywook. |
| Here is the peninsula with the rolled roofing installed and the bare plywood painted flat black. I find painting the exposed raw plywood looks much more finished when it is painted flat black - which is a very, very old theatrical trick. (the tall 2X4 in the pictures was eventually painted flat black!) |
Here is the start of the 2nd Layer of
Here is the start of the 2nd Layer of
already installed and tested. Note
the peninsula. Note that the six in
the photo at bottom left, the
mainline north of Comstock Park Yd
Here is the start of the 2nd Layer of
already installed and tested. Note
the peninsula. Note that the six in
the photo at bottom left, the
mainline north of Comstock Park Yd
has been extended. It will eventually loop around to join up with the City of
Cadillac on the 2nd deck that is going up here. Also note the extended 2X4's
all around the second deck. These 2X4's will be used to support the 2nd deck
as well as the 3rd deck. We are using the partial mushroom design approach
to squeeze the most model railroad operating area out of our room.
Cadillac on the 2nd deck that is going up here. Also note the extended 2X4's
all around the second deck. These 2X4's will be used to support the 2nd deck
as well as the 3rd deck. We are using the partial mushroom design approach
to squeeze the most model railroad operating area out of our room.
| The Peninsula: Lower Deck |
| The Peninsula: Second Deck |
| These two photos show the plywood going on the 2nd deck of the peninsula, which will be the City of Cadillac. In the left photo you can see the extended mainline getting close to connecting to this 2nd deck. |
| The first photo on the right is the south end of Cadillac looking north at the first train arriving in Cadillac. The second photo on the right is from the north side of Cadillac looking south. Cadillac Station has not yet been installed and the 3rd deck also has not yet been Operations started right away, as evidenced by the car card box filled with way bills! |
| construction coming soon. |