Average

Going forward it looks like I'm going to start working on the Average end of the layout. Didn't necessarily plan it that way, it just kinda happened. Today I found myself laying track for the yard and engine facilities. This small yard is a lot more believable than Juniata Yard on the previous version of the layout...

Average

The track is being laid directly on the foam slab without ballast strip. I also let the track follow the topography. It's basically flat in this area, but not absolutely. The layer of paper towels/drywall compound leaves an uneven surface. The track will eventually be buried in cinders. The idea is to recreate the rough appearance found in many railroad yards.

While I had thought of not using one, I decided to keep the turnatable shown on the plan. The turntable is kinda useless. Since there no way to turn engines anywhere else on the line, there really isn't any reason to turn them here. I'm imagining that there was some other place to turn locomotives some time in the past when the AE extended past East End. Today motive power runs backward from East End and the turntable's only purpose is access to the three enginehouse stalls...

Future Engine Facilities

I had plans to build my own turnouts, but for now I'm using Atlas #7 switches I have on hand. Most of them are left hand. The plan calls for more right handed turnouts. I'm checking E-Bay to see if I get a few deals...

Average Yard Looking East

Average Yard Looking West

The test trains on the four track are now "real" trains with consists and cabeese. Had to sort through a host of cars finding ones that would run for hours without derailing. There is passenger train made up of a hodgepodge of different road names and pulled by an Erie E7. There's a Lackawanna freight behind a Geep. There were two Pennsy freights pulled by steamers but the 2-10-0 doesn't run as well as I would like. It was replaced by an A-B set wearing Erie Lackawanna livery. Took more videos with the cell phone. Hopefully you'll understand why I absolutely had to have a four track section of mainline on the Average Eastern. Growing up along the Northeast Corridor gives you a taste for big time railroading.

Precarious perched on the side of Clark's Summit our intrepid cameraman records the drama in the valley below...

Standing on the south bank of the Split, recording the parade through Clark's Summit curve...

Short video taken trackside at the east end of the curve...

Finally, a giant railfan watches from the depths of the Split River...

Regards,

Frank Musick

Building a dream layout on a nightmare budget

The Average Eastern Railroad