I got given to me this nice 5’8" by 8’ layout… Obviously has a coal hauling or Pacific NW look once I get more trees installed. I started going a C&O route with a pair of RSD5’s but am having issues with them stuttering and stalling on the cast metal Atlas custom line turnout frogs. They only use 8 of the 12 wheels for power pickup, the axles closest to the fuel tank do not pick up power, just like the older kato drive versions. I use NCE DCC for control of the layout. I also like the early BN years when thier Alcos ran in the Pacific NW on the old SP&S lines. So I could also go that route with a pair of older yellow box era RS11’s and maybe a pair of Centurys. Do others think this layout, as it looks now, has the looks of that area of the country, or am I better off going with a eastern coal line? Having never been out west, I dont have a good feel for that area of the country. I do want to stay with Alco motive power over EMD or GE. I am wondering if I can power the turnout frogs with the power contacters you can get for the caboose industries ground throws. I know I can do that with the main line turnouts that will have Tortise switch machines soon. Powering the frogs would solve the issues with the RSD series Alcos stalling on the turnouts I think. Anyhow, enjoy the pics. Mike
I also have a sizeable collection of BN stuff other than engines. So that is one consideration as well as the fact I like having working roof beacons on my engines. The C&O stuff can be a tad plain with just headlights. Of coarse, I could do dual prototypes and switch out from C&O to BN from time to time. Both areas, atleast in my books do look a bit similar with lots of trees and hilly railroading.
Except for those 2 round puffy looking tress on the top it looks like out west in many areas. Wyoming, Montana, parts of the Dakotas, Oregon, Washington and even places here in Northern California.
Just don’t use eastern deciduous trees. Oaks are OK
So what do I want, lots of pine and various oaks? I know colorado gets the aspen trees from my narrow gauge modeling days. I think a fictious BN branch line in the mid 70’s would be awsome. I actualy have the flasher beacon and number glass from a BN GP10 in my collection. So some various BN Alcos are right up my alley. I did power up the frogs with a jumper wire as a test, it does solve the stalling issues with the RSD’s Now the question is can I flip/flop the polarity of the frog using the contacts that caboose industries ground throws so the frog has the correct polarity when I change the turnout alignment. Anybody have some Atlas BN RS11’s that need a new home?
