March 2025 Layout Update
The layout has undergone a number of physical and operational changes since the fall of 2024, when removal of the upper deck began.
Why did I remove the upper deck? Here are 2 of the main reasons it had to go.
- Portions of it were difficult to reach. This limited switching operations in those areas and made maintenance a chore.
- Two or more operators cannot work in the same place at the same time. In some areas, operations on the upper level were not compatible with operations at the same time on the lower deck, which often resulted in those upper level areas not being worked.
Enthusiasm-Sappers
I came across an old blog post by Lance Mindheim recently, and it made me realize just how important it is that “a layout must be comfortable to interact with. Multiple duck-unders, long stretches of track that are not reachable or accessible, etc. will gradually sap your enthusiasm.” Thanks, Lance, for inspiring me to eliminate both a duck-under and several areas that were not accessible.
The Main Thing
My layout is under continuous evaluation – many would say I overthink things, and fellow operators often chide me about the ever-present changes. If I don’t think something is working as well as it could, I’ve never been afraid to rip out a section and rebuild it.
“The main thing is to keep the main thing the main thing.” Like many model railroaders, I was guilty of trying to do too much in the space I had available, and needed to narrow my focus. The latest reincarnation of my operating scheme, and one I expect to stick with for the foreseeable future, focuses on the operations of the Missouri Pacific railroad in the Saint Louis area during the late nineteen-seventies. While not 100% true to the prototype, it incorporates the use of location names and industries typical of Saint Louis during this era. Missouri Pacific operations is now “the main thing”.
Besides the operational focus, other changes to the layout include replacing my old Lenz Command Station and booster with new state-of-the-art TCS components. This allows me to keep my XpressNet plus add an LCC network. Another major change was the relocation of the dispatcher’s desk and CTC panel into the area underneath the stairs, creating more of an office for the dispatcher, and providing for a little more separation from the layout.
After several misadventures, the area of the layout around the corner from the steel mill has finally become an extension of the steel mill plant. (It has been an industrial park, a car float operation, and a large Pillsbury plant in the past.) All of the past iterations have conflicted with steel mill operations in one way or another. By making this area part of the plant, I expect it will work more in concert with other mill operations. (Keep the main thing the main thing…)
Also, a number of track improvements have been made around the layout to improve traffic flow, reliability, and other operations. Scenery, details, and backdrops are now getting some attention.
I’m having a tough time keeping the farm scene in what is now supposed to be a municipal-based layout. I like city-based railroad operations, but really like looking at rural scenery. I know this is not in tune with keeping the main thing the main thing, however this is one scene that is going to stay for now.