It's time to layout the Coal Grove section. The layout design given and druthers of this section is identified in Station 16 Coal Grove.
Layout Design Elements
The Coal Grove section adjoins the Reload section to the
north and the Basalt Sand and Gravel section to the south. It has five scenic
elements (from backdrop to fascia):
- A clear sky suggesting sunny weather.
- A ridge paralleling the main line.
- A coal processing plant.
- A diamond shaped coal yard with north and south leads.
- A scale track serving the coal and sand and gravel industry.
Section Construction
Coal Grove is a standard 2-foot by 8-foot section.
See the WWSL section construction
reference page for the construction technique.
ROW Design Considerations
One of my major considerations in the WWSL layout design was the location of Coal Grove. I considered putting Coal Grove at the end-of-track (present location
of Reload). The mine located at the end of track and a multi-track stub loading layout would have been easy to construct and operate. I had some misgivings.
1) I did stub yards in my pre-WWSL days, but was never really enthused about it. Set outs and pick up at smaller industries tracks is one thing - a similar design at a larger industry just doesn't make sense to me.
2) Putting Coal Grove at the end of the line conflicts with other layout design decisions. I have shown OPLC growth: constant harvesting of new
sections of forest. Camp 1 is modeled, and the location of abandoned Camp 3, Camp 5, Camp 7, and Camp 9 are located along the right-of-way. Reload needed to be end-of-line so it gives the OPLC a future without the need for additional logging lines.
So Coal Grove's location gets swapped. With 8 feet of space and industries on either side, the design possibilities are narrowed. The
most critical design
considerations on this module are: 1) the location of the coal processing plant, 2) the number of cars to be processed per train load, 3) the shape of the load/empty yard, and 4) the location of yard turnouts.
3. If you've ever researched coal mines in the east, you will find that the coal loading facilities are parallel to the terrain, with the loading tipple smack dab in the middle of the spur track(s). My favorite coal mining tipple and loading facilities were always multi-track affairs.
Working with only 24 inches in width (including terrain) puts a damper on 4- or 5-track loading facilities. A main line at 7-inches doesn't give much room for a hillside and a loading facility. Selective compression suggested a small facility: a two-loading tracks and a supply track at best. That puts the loading tracks at 10- and 12.5-inches, the supply track at 15-inches (a half-inch clearance for the tipple posts for each track). A scale track can be located on the fascia side of the main track at the 4-inch line.
In my initial WWSL concepts phase I determined that the longest WWSL train would be no more than 8-50
foot boxcars, with no more than 75% of the cars being delivered to any
single industry. using that standard, there would be no more than 5-6 cars being set up or pulled, (three cars per loading track). On a stub track that's 18 to 24 inches, on a double-end yard you have to figure one empty.one under the tipple, one load and two spaces - that's 30 inches.
4. Three-yard tracks coming off a main line at a total width of 17.5 inches is beyond my calculating best. I had to create a #5 yard template (WWSL Common Standard yard turnout), Its a lot longer footprint than you would think - a normal ladder track occupies xx inches from main line points to third yard track clearance point.
Because you can't put xxx linear inches in a 96 linear inch space, the yard design became a simple decision - a diamond yard! A diamond yard has two ladder tracks that are parallel to each other. one of its normal ladder tracks flipped. Yes, there is at least one prototype: the Deer Lodge yard on the Milwaukee Road. The Basalt - Coal Grove Main track is the south yard lead, and the north yard lead is located along the back ground of the Reload module.
4. The
industrial complex must be accessed from the main track. Off the main line is the O.K. Coal yard lead.
The lead services three loading tracks: two processed coal loading tracks and
one supply track. In
this case, the industrial lead is approximately x feet in length, the
industry sidings a minimum of x feet (coal) and x feet
(supplies) respectively.
5. The scale track is a more than a scenic element. It can be located closest to the
fascia. The WWSL technical specification requires a minimum of 4 inches
from the fascia. There is no specific length required, but it should be at
least 3
feet in length to allow for one 'shift' of coal cars to be located there for weighing, and an unload site for any coal or gravel cars exceeding weight limits.
Lay out the structures
The modeled portion includes a coal tipple, a supply building and a two-track coal loader. The remainder of the facility is not modeled. I created
structural footprints for all the structures anticipated to be used on
the section. Once I have placed the tipple and 2 track coal loader footprint along the empty / loading yard I can finalize
the yard leads. There will be some fiddling.
Essentially you're going to follow this process:
- Lay out the Tipple Wood
- Lay out the Tipple Corrugated
- Lay out the Storage Building
- Lay out the Conveyor Frame
Laying out the Right of Way
I am not going to go into great detail about putting down the roadbed lines. See the Right of Way Reference Page for the details if you haven't had the fun of doing it before.
Essentially you're going to follow this process:
- Lay out the main line at the 7-inch line.
- Lay out the #1 load track at the 10-inch line.
- Lay out the scale track at the 4-inch line.
- Lay out the transition template for the yard lead turnouts - north and south leads switch. This is going to be the greatest challenge, you don't want to have part of a turnout on the section break.
Because
this section ties into both the Reload - Section 17 and the Basalt Sand and Gravel -
Section 15, some layout of those sections will need to be done
at the same time, primarily the main line locators and the turnout positions vis-a-vis section and bridge placements etc.
Lay out the turnouts
I have WWSL common standard #5 turnouts throughout the Coal Grove section. The O. K. Coal Company owns its
own trackage, the WWSL maintains it, and uses the WWSL Common Standard #5
turnout.
Laying out the yard lead turnouts - north and
south leads switch is going to be the greatest challenge. Successful yard operations require smooth yard leads, and placing part of a turnout on the section break will always be troublesome.
Roadway.
- The
WWSL 1st Division is designated Class B main line. See See 4.2.11.2
Modeling Technique for Medium Profile Roadway for details.
- The WWSL scale track is designated a Low Profile Yard track. See 4.2.11.5 Modeling Technique for Low Profile Yard Track for details.
- The O. K. Coal trackage is
designated a Non-Profile Yard track. See
4.2.11.6 Modeling Technique for No Profile Yard Track for details.
- Main line to yard and industry turnouts are Common Standard #5.
Layout Drainage. See 4.1.8 Ditches, Drains and Culverts
Track Details.
- O. K. Coal track will use 4 bolt rail joiners on the industrial tracks.
- O. K. Coal will have capstan car moving devices servicing all three yard tracks.
- All turnouts will have low mount switch stands.
- There will be lift type derails on all yard ladders.
See 4.2.12 Track Details for additional information and construction techniques.
In the next blog (Section 16 - Coal Grove - Part 2) I will discuss the Landform Design Considerations.
1. Ridge. The ridge is modeled with 2 inch x 4 inch x 8
foot styrofoam panels. The ridge will have some rock faces that show traces of coal seams. See 5.5.5 Rock Faces for
additional information. 
