Layout Design - 2 - Theme

In Layout Design Process 4 - Railroad Modeling I identified that the layout design process can be broken down into three primary functional areas: Concept, Structure and Layout Detail.

Layout Detail. Layout Detail identifies the parameters within which the layout must be designed. It is broken down into two main elements: 5) Layout Design, and 6) Construction to build the railroad.

  

Under the element Layout Design, the following area is considered: Layout Theme.

 

In Layout Design 0 I discuss the strategic decision of placing the WWSL in Montesano Washington. 

 

Era. In Selecting an Era I discussed my thought process on choosing Summer 1955 as my operational era. Here I am considering the Western Washington Short Line's physical location in Gray's Harbor County and its interaction with other railroad's in the area.

Concept.  In Choosing a Locale The Western Washington Short Line ('Whistle') is a small class 3 railroad located in the Olympic Peninsula region of Washington State. I found that the cities of Aberdeen and Hoquiam were huge in the lumber industry. I chose to orient on a smaller town just east of the cities - Montesano Washington.

 

Type of Railroad. The WWSL is going to be a Short Line - a relatively small, general purpose railroad hauling both passengers and mixed freight, usually generating and terminating its own traffic.

 

Class of Railroad. The WWSL is going to be a Class III railroad - with low operating revenues.

Railroad operations. The WWSL is going to replicate the following: 

• Passenger operations. 1) scheduled excursions such as the Pacific Logging Conference trips to lumber companies, 2) a pacific railroad historical society railfan trip, or as some logging companies did in the late 1050's 3) weekend excursion for the public to points of interest in the Olympic Peninsula National Park using steam driven passenger equipment.

• Freight operations will be conducted along the local freight model - starting at a yard, moving along the main line switching industries along the way and returning to the yard at the end of the business day. Trains will operate as Extras, rather than Time freights listed on a timetable.
  

• The WWSL will have a yard in the vicinity of Montesano. It will do classification of inbound freight by train type to industries along the WWSL main line, and classification of outbound freight to the appropriate Class 1 (Northern Pacific, Milwaukee Road or Union Pacific interchange.

• The WWSL will interchange with the three Class 1 railroads in the area (Northern Pacific at Montesano WA, the Milwaukee Road and Union Pacific at Preachers Slough WA, and with two Class III railroad, the Olympic Peninsula Logging Company in Headquarters WA, and the Saginaw Timber Company in Wickwood WA.
  

• The WWSL will have a short line era appropriate MOW operation to include a MOW train run as necessary to good operations. 

Industries. The Pacific Northwest is a large producer of wood products such as lumber, pulp, paper and specialized building products. Most of the industries on this layout are based on actual industries located on the Olympic Peninsula, which hopefully will provide an authentic feel. Industries are sized based on square footage of layout space allocated and number of carloads transacted.

 

Large sized industry. The WWSL will have two large sized industries:

• Olympic Peninsula Lumber Company, Dimensional lumber is produced at this mill and shipped in boxcars and flat cars. Peelers are shipped to veneer and plywood plants located in Aberdeen, Hoquiam, Centralia and Olympia Washington. The OPLC will have its own railroad operations, employing steam locomotives for log train operations and industrial switching.
  

• American Mill Company. This mill produces corrugated paper for paper bag and corrugated box manufacturing operations. The paper, both rolls and bales, are shipped by boxcars. The mill requires chemicals in tank cars and covered hoppers and wood chips in boxcars gondolas and hoppers. The Mill will be serviced by the Saginaw Timber Company, employing first generation diesel locomotives for chip train operations and industrial switching.
  

Medium sized industry. The WWSL will have two medium sized industries:

• O. King Coal Company.  Coal is mined and shipped in hopper and gondola cars to power plants and major industries located in Aberdeen, Hoquiam, Centralia and Olympia Washington.

• Basalt Sand and Gravel Company. Sand and gravel is quarried crushed and shipped in hoppers, covered hoppers, gondolas and boxcars to the cement plant in Tacoma, Washington and distributors in the Northwest. Basalt S&G will have a self propelled locomotive crane providing switching operations.
  

Small industries. The WWSL will have three small sized industries:

• Cascade Pole Company. Large timbers and poles shipped in gondolas and flat cars.

• Y. Knott Lumber Company. Gondolas and flat cars will carry dimensional lumber and poles from this mill for wood preservation treatment. Tank cars will deliver wood treatment chemicals.

• Western Washington Power Company. Gondolas and hopper cars will carry coal for delivery and carry ash away from the power generating plants in Coal Grove WA, and Wickwood WA.
  

Switching locations. The WWSL will have four switching locations in Montesano:

• Burn-Moore Coal Company. Coal will be delivered in hopper cars for distribution locally by truck.

• Planck Lumber Company. Boxcars and flat cars will carry the dimensional lumber to this local distributor.

• Caster Oil Company. Fuels delivered in tank cars and lubricants in boxcars for distribution locally by truck.

• Buyher Propane Gas.  Propane delivered in tank cars for distribution locally by truck.

Traffic.  The WWSL will replicate a variety of freight and interchange traffic as follows:

• WWSL operates 5 days per week, and moves about 50 carloads a day. Yard switchers, Transfers and Way freights (Turns).

• OPLC operates 5 days per week and moves 30 carloads a day. Yard switcher and logging trains.

• STC operates 5 days per week and moves about 30 carloads a day. Yard switcher.

• NP, MILW, and UP operate 6 days per week and move about 50 carloads a day. Transfer runs.

Traffic Patterns.

• 1^st Subdivision. Traffic pattern is primarily empties in and loads out for coal, lumber and stone. Some lumber moves northbound from Headquarters to Coal Grove for weighing. OPLC logging trains have been granted based on trackage rights.between Headquarters and Camp 4 reload site.
  

• 2^nd Subdivision. Traffic pattern is primarily loads in and empties out for paper mill and power plant. STC switcher for plant servicing, chip train from STC main line to chip spur.

• Interchange yard. Transfer runs from SM yard to NP, MILW and UP interchange tracks and vice versa. 

Locomotives. The Northern Pacific Railway, the Milwaukee road and the Union Pacific Railroad utilize first generation diesel-electric locomotives. The WWSL uses electric locomotives. The Olympic Peninsula Logging Company continues to operate steam locomotives. The Saginaw Timber Company uses first generation diesel-electric locomotives.

 

Rolling stock of interest to the modeler.