Orange continues at a good pace

I've used this holiday weekend to get as much as I can done on the lower level at Orange.  It a weird setup, like a "L" shadow box, so I have to make sure I get everything done before I cannot reach certain areas.  This includes soldering feeder wires, painting the background blue and other small tasks.  The Norfolk Southern interchange can hold 4-5 cars and the VMID interchange can hold 3 cars.  These car lengths are 50' based.

Here is the entrance to Orange.  The spur to the left goes to the NS interchange and a untreated tie loading facility.  The trackless turnout will lead to the edge of the layout and a cassette for the VMID interchange.  The toggles on the right are for the signals at City Junction above.  

The interchange track is the closest and the tie place has the gondola on it's track. 

The track the gon is on is not glued down in case I need to move it.  

Here is the hidden trackage that leads to Orange.  Had to make sure that trackage was good to go before proceeding.  

The good thing about working on this lower level is that I've done it in a chair.  By the way, operating the lower level is strictly done in the chair! 

The interchanges will be an easy reach  for operators.  This view is right by the door.  

Did I mention my office is a total wreck!  This items in the middle of the room were under the area I'm working in.

Future expansion?  Might extend this area towards the me about 2-3 feet and take out the creek and bridge scene.  This would make the aggregate area a lot bigger.  But would require another crossing of the Midland.  Stay tuned.

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Orange decisions

The town of Orange on the end of the lower level is a tough nut to crack.  The area is in a T shape and that is not ideal for a whole lot.  I believe I have the track plan down and have finally started to figure out what I want to do with the left side.  The town has a tie loading spur, and the two tracks on the left that was going to be the interchange tracks with Norfolk Southern.  Instead of the interchange I have decided to add another industry to the tracks.  I decided to go with a small grain elevator.  Here is the small elevator.    This will be a perfect add to the rural town of Orange.  The interchange will then be moved to a hinged cassette or a removable cassette.

Here is the town of Orange.  The trains come from the center part of completed part.

On the right were the interchange tracks with this mocked up scene, now they will become a storage and grain elevator track

Now ready for a new industry.

The other side with have the tie loading spur with the town in the back ground.  The background building here will be be there.  The straight track will be the interchange track with some type of cassette for the rest of the track.

VMID #299 GP40 leads a train into Orange.

 

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Construction starts on West to Orange trackage project

Yesterday, I finally got started on my replacement of the Mine run branch or the area on the lower level below Battlefield Yard.  I ripped up the track and sub-roadbed to make way for my new trackage.  The new track plan will include a wye, a new entrance from the helix, continuous running on the lower level, a removable bridge and and new industries.  There also will be staging near the helix in the garage.  That's alot of stuff but only minor track changes.  Most of the track changes will be what I tore out yesterday.  Stay tuned!

The new trackage will come from the helix and out the wall behind the propane tanks in the pic.

Clean slate to start planning.

Here's the layout for the new trackage.  I have to contend with the canal which will be minimized by filling it in.  I will still need a bridge.  A siding will extend down to the cars in the distance.  The woodchip loader and possibly another industry will be located there.

This where the removable bridge will be located to span the isle.  The track shows appropriate placement.  This bridge will be the hardest part of the project.  

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VMID op session 2 The BY to Orange Turn

In this video, you will chase VM200W from BY west to the town of Orange.  Enjoy!

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uDzCeH42AGo

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Scenery is complete at Orange Video

Been in a scenery rush to get the lower level done at Orange.  The scene is like a upside down "T" when viewed.  I had to do the scenery in the back because it was unreachable unless you access it from the access hatch behind the fascia on the right.  It turned out better than I thought.  It has a building and road crossing.  You will see the building about halfway through the video.  Enjoy!

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Orange tie loading The Prototype

I traveled through the town of Orange, VA today and I always travel by the station and through the tie loading area that I am trying to model on the Midland.  It's seems to always have a few interesting gons there and since the sun was out, I grapped some shots to hope help me complete this area.
This area is also the prototypical end of the actual Virginia Central Railroad line that started in Fredericksburg, VA and ends in Orange.  My Virginia Midland model railroad is based on this line that was ripped up in the 1930's (except the 1 mile line in Fredericksburg).  Yes, the Virginia Central still lives on my layout, but just a branch line.  If I could start it all over, I would have just had the Virginia Central.   This post will start off with tie loading spur.  The second installment will show the line as it appears now.

Typical untreated tie bundle.  They are unbundled when they are loaded in the gons.

Not your typical setup.  The spur of loaded ties, with the Town of Orange public works dept. on the the right.  The Buckingham Branch Railroad switches this on Ex- C&O tracks from Gordonsville.

A string of loaded gons.

This is looking the other way from the above pic.  This the last of the old VC trackage.  Some rails from the 1930's have been photographed here.

Old SCL gon

SCL herald

Typical CSXT gon.

This actually might be original VC trackage interchange with the C&O railroad.

An old railroad building by the gons.

No ties left here.

The ties are literally dumped right in.

Another view

The tie "loader"

Impressive tie stack.  Public Works dept in the back.

Another view of the loader.

Office of the tie loading facility

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