Projects - On30 Layout

by Paul Norton

Ottawa Valley GRS members Doug Matheson, Gord Bellamy, Bud Nelson, Ralph Dipple and I are building an indoor On30 layout for winter operations.

Although a large-scale railroad was removed from my basement many years ago, a 2 by 29 foot shelf remains along one wall. The shelf is adjacent to southward facing patio doors that provide lots of sunshine even during our long winter months.

The other end of the shelf has a 3 by 10 foot recess that could be accessed by making a short tunnel in the gyprock wall. The recess will probably be used for an interchange yard.

There is also the potential for a 2 1/2 foot wide peninsula in the middle of the layout. Talk of a shipping pier and a railcar barge have been discussed.

Track plans from a number of magazines were searched for ideas to include in an urban switching layout with lots of industry and a waterfront. As early cars and trucks rather than horses and buggies would be preferred, the era of 1920 to 1930 is being considered.

After months of discussion, it has been decided to build the Key Harbour terminal of the LAKE NIPISSING RAILWAY (LNR). The railway is to link its two long established sister companies: the Georgian Bay Navigation Company and the Lake Nipissing Navigation Company.

LNR HISTORY and CHARTER

The GEORGIAN BAY NAVIGATION COMPANY (GBNC) has a daily ferry service from Key Harbour on Georgian Bay to South Baymouth on Manitoulin Island, South Baymouth to Tobermory on the Bruce Peninsula, and home to Key Harbour. The ferry carries passengers and packaged goods.

The company’s lake freighter handles large shipments of bulk commodities on the Great Lakes. Tugs and barges transport smaller shipments of bulk commodities and railcars on Georgian Bay and Lake Huron

The LAKE NIPISSING NAVIGATION COMPANY (LNNC), during navigation season, has a twice daily ferry service between Dokis on the French River and North Bay on Lake Nipissing. It carries passengers and packaged freight.

Tugs and barges handle bulk commodities on Lake Nipissing to and from the LNR's interchange facilities with other railways in North Bay.

The charter of the LAKE NIPISSING RAILWAY allows it run freight and passenger services to all points on it right of way between Key Harbour on Georgian Bay, Dokis on the French River and North Bay on Lake Nipissing.

The line runs east from Key Harbour along the northern shore of the Key River, crossing the Canadian Northern Ontario Railway and Canadian Pacific Railway near Ludgate, northeast across the Pickerel, Memesagamesing and Restoule Rivers to Dokis, southeast to Nipissing, northeast and north to North Bay.

Although the Canadian Northern Ontario, Canadian Pacific and Northern Pacific Railways originally opposed the Lake Nipissing Railway’s charter, they later withdrew realizing that the short haul revenues generated would not cover the expense of building and staffing facilities near Ludgate and Powassan to interchange with the narrow gauge LNR.

PASSENGER SERVICES during the busy summer tourist season are provided by regularly scheduled passenger trains to all points on the LNR. During the winter service will be provided by mixed trains.

MOTIVE POWER NUMBERING

The following numbering system has been developed for motive power.
x-4-x class locomotives - numbers 40 to 59
x-6-x class locomotives - numbers 60 to 79
x-8-x class locomotives - numbers 80 to 99
other locomotives - numbers 01 to 39

As the LNR interchanges with several other railways, foreign motive power is not an uncommon sight on the LNR.

FREIGHT CAR NUMBERING

The following numbering system has been developed for freight cars.
Box Cars - numbers 100 to 199
Flat Cars - numbers 200 to 299
Gondolas, low sided - numbers 300 to 399
Gondolas, high sided - numbers 400 to 499
Hopper Cars - numbers 500 to 599
Logging Cars - numbers 600 to 699
Mining Cars - numbers 700 - 799
MOW Equipment - numbers 800 to 899
Vans (Cabooses) - 900 to 999

The LNR does not own tank cars or refrigerated cars, however, as the LNR interchanges with several other railways, foreign rolling stock is not an uncommon sight on the LNR.

PASSENGER CAR ROSTER

Although the LNR presently has no passenger equipment of its own, several peices of borrowed equipment are available for service.

The large tables of motive power, freight and passenger car rosters previously posted have been removed. This information will be gathered and entered in the software used to run rail operations on the LNR. Car ownership will be recorded as the motive power or rolling stock reporting marks are entered.

CONSTRUCTION OF KEY HARBOUR

Laying roadbed and track has commenced. While Doug and Gord attended to that task, I built the bench work for the "Mother of all Piers". It was originally called this because of its size, however, after a few days of frustrating woodworking, it has now taken on a new meaning.


TRACKS LOOKING SOUTH	TRACKS LOOKING NORTH

TRACKS ON THE PIER	GRAIN HANDLING FACILITY MOCK-UP

SILOS FROM THE REAR	LNR Boxcar 126 in new paint

The following photos show how to remove the dummy pilot coupler on a Broadway Limited 2-8-0 and install a Kadee #5.


Start by turning the locomotive over and cutting the tabs on the end of the dummy coupler with a large X-Acto chisel blade.	Draw the dummy coupler out with a pair of pliers.

File the bottom of the dummy coupler bracket flush with the bottom of the pilot frame.	Glue an assembled Kadee #5 coupler to the bracket and frame with super glue.

The Key Harbour Hotel and passenger station at the south end of town.


LNR number 80 hauling a cut of coal cars out of the freight yard through the newly constructed tunel.	The revenue end of the freight yard which is expected handle up to sixty freight cars.

The operator's panel and shelf for the freight yard. All the turnouts are operated with Tortoise switch machines thrown by DPDT toggle swiches on the panel. Red/green LEDs indicate the position of the switch.


A small panel for a crossover on the mainline showing green for parallel tracks and red for the cross over.	The same panel showing red for parallel tracks and green for the cross over.

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Last Modified 2/8/08 11:13 AM