The Chicago (AC&Y) Layout Blog
by
, 9th Dec 2018 at 02:35 PM (1016 Views)
I'll give this a try---
I've been lurking and occasionally posting for a little while here at nScale.net, asked for and received some good advice along the way. I enjoy seeing what is happening with others as they work on layouts, models and such for their particular projects. Always something interesting going on here.
I figure I'm down to the last few sections of track to lay, with MILES of wire yet to hang, and thought I would get something going to share on the layout I wanted to run.
A diagram of the "bowl of spaghetti" I decided upon.
Some of the particulars-
DC with blocks and cabs
Sectional build that can be somewhat easily separated at the joints, both track and wiring
Not based on any one particular railroad, but upon vignettes of Chicago from photos I've seen
Up to seven independent routes possible at the same time
Not much freight, but LOTS of streamline action
Some of the 'rules' I broke to achieve this layout so far-
A duck-under (er, crawl under, something I will live to regret)
Reaches over 30 inches
Multiple layers or levels with limited access, including helix and storage tracks
Sections of Chicago that just aren't next to each other in real life
And the layout name-
Akron, Chicago and Yellowstone (or Yakima).
Why?
I was born in Akron, took my first train ride at age 7 in the Blue Bird car to the most eerie place I'd ever seen...Wadsworth, home of Ohio Blue Tip Match.
Chicago, because EVERY train went to Chicago!
Yellowstone (or Yakima), I needed a reason to run Northern Pacific, Great Northern and Spokane, Portland & Seattle equipment out of the terminals.
Well, that's a start.
Steve