Its all in the details

The things that make a great layout is the attention to the little things. As seen in the previous post I knew the best way to give a true C&O fashion signal was to find and adapt a signal box for all my searchlights. Well some of the other details that are defiantly not going to be easy are the little things. Mileposts along the division were marked from Saginaw (Potter St. depot MP 0.0) all the way to Ludington docks (MP 137.7) Now no manufacture makes these listed so I am currently making my own from Plastruct triangular styrene. Along the ROW there were all makes and models and sizes of signal boxes but a good handful are of the one seen above. Again no manufacturer makes these so I am constructing them from styrene as close as I can (minus the bullet holes)

Making real life in Minature

One of the hardest things about building a railroad that you fondly remember is not re creating the whole division, but just the things that make it important for you. One of the things I remember is the classic searchlight signals that lined the right of way from Saginaw to Midland into late 2000. One thing that was unique about he Ludington Division was that the searchlights were of a common manufacturer and an electrical box at the base of each signal. Most grade crossings had these as well in a smaller form but the vast majority along the division had these boxes. Unfortunately I never expected the signals to ever fall they did the summer of my senior year and I failed to obtain good pictures for documentation. Although I was able to track down a former signal and get accurate measurements (the Sanford MI historical society has a donated signal from the former ROW) finding a reproduced replica in HO scale was going to be hard. But I was able to find a close by dimension electrical box from details west (TB-912) which seemed to work well.

Things that make you wonder

When Designing a layout sometimes you have to decide the certain things about a railroad that makes it THE railroad. For me I have always been a fan of the C&O especially in the late years of the Chessie System and the beginning of the CSX era. Nothing says C&O than the the signal system and pole line, granted the Michigan division was run separately than the C&O until the merger between them and the Pere Marquette became formal. But as the sun sets on the old C&O at CP Onion on the Columbus sub just south of Fostoria OH, the Sun isn't setting on this spring night only, but on the the one thing that made this the heart of the C&O. The pole line is on borrowed time and in the background the new SAFETRAN signals are up and in service and soon the sun will set on the cantilever signal and it will become a uniform cookie cutter railroad like the rest of the lines of CSX and NS. So years from now what will replace the SAFETRAN signal and how long will it take for the future become a thing of the past?....


Phot taken by myself on Feb 21st 2011

Latest Update

I know its been a loooongtTime since I have posted and update but a lot of work has been completed.

-The roundhouse construction was completed and assembled
-The locomotive service area was built, track was painted and the area ballasted (finishing details are still being added)

 Overview of Yard and service area

 SD40 8365 awaits its next assignment

 The caboose track and fuel/sand pad

 ready for service

 Ground view of the new service area (main line is immediatly to the right)

 Finished product

The Roundhouse is loosely based on the C&O ex M&NE roundhouse in Manistee MI

- The river scene is coming along slowly but its looking good pics to follow

Scenery and roads

 Layout progression has been moving slowly but steadily as most of the layouts scenery will e grass mats from Faller it makes scovering the scene so much easier.... the trees and trackside brush on the other hand might be a little more time consuming.

One of the major changes to the siding was the relocation of the siding around the main line absolute CTC signal. The Pere Marquette and early C&O commonly did this in the northern division with dwarf signals governing the siding and the searchlights governing the main line. 

the roadways have been poured and as it was my first time working with the Woodland Scenics "Smooth it" I slowly learned how to pour and eliminate most of the small air bubbles that seemed to appear after being dried. The roadway was then sprayed with Testors Light aircraft grey paint which closely resembled bleache concrete. Granted the roadways still need weathering and the crossing pannels need to be glued and laid in the over all basics of the scene is coming along.

Layout progression

Track work progressed through out the summer and when availible until the mainline was completed july 1st 2010. Track work was Atlas code 100 flextrak with number 8 turnouts on the mains and CTC sidings and number 4 and 6 turouts for various yard tracks.



 The river crossing was loosely mocked up as the first few trains began to test out the layout and streach their feet

 Switch locomotives in Saginaw/Ludington staging areas idle as they eagerly await switiching the loads of cars coming thru to the freey docks

Construction begins!

Construction began on a much smaller division than I have planned (apartment living will do that) but none the less the layout was constructed to be A) taken apart and integrated into a larger layout and B) a fun operating layout with a good C&O feel to it.

Benchwork is an open grid on standard 2x2 and some 2x4's 4" of pink foam is layed on top for a good base for the mostly flat terrain of northern central Michigan.