"Lil’ Stump Junction" by Michael Denny
Lil’ Stump Junction © Michael Denny
A clever plan by Michael Denny uses a dummy track at a lower level to give the layout a third dimension. With a trestle to build as well, this layout could keep you off the streets for a while.
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December 21st, 2005 at 12:13 am
Potentially, a very beautiful micro layout . It would even be a a mangeable 2 x 5 in O scale. Any suggestions for how to design operations for it? I might build it if someone could suggest an operating scheme/switching puzzle etc.
March 9th, 2006 at 2:18 pm
Kevin,
Your comment set me to thinking, because I too have admired this plan.
One operation could be a coal dealer under the trestle, although with height for the tunnel, this could be an impressive drop for the load of coal. Yet that could introduce a “complication” for the shunting puzzle - whether there is a coal hopper on the trestle. The stub track could be any industry that ships by rail using a ‘flat’ for the main shop with a loading dock. I see the ‘main line’ as the more central of the trackage; a kick-back past the crew shed, where there’s always a pot of coffee ready while the cars are loaded/unloaded. Or the crew shed could become a third industry, but then you’re pushing the envelope on maneuvers.
These are just ideas I’ve had. I haven’t built anything yet. And as soon as I figure out a shunting puzzle, I’ll post it. First thoughts revolve around my thought of the use of the trestle as a holding track due to the length of the other tracks. We may need to think of adding just a few inches to the length of the layout for the puzzle?
March 31st, 2006 at 11:38 pm
In the O-scale version, how about a working oil pump (grasshopper) on the upper level? Then you could have empty tank cars to be filled, and full hopper cars to unload at the trestle?
The puzzle is looking like a version of Timesaver without the run-around or a really twisted Inglenook. I’m still ‘puzzling’ this part, but it will all become clear.
Also, if we add a stub switch off the lower track there could be a mine on the upper level which transfers the ore to the hopper cars on the lower level under the trestle.
January 30th, 2007 at 12:14 am
It could be operated very simply as an interchange between two railroads.
The dummy track could represent one railroad.
The trestle track can be the interchange track (using a removable cassette for one car and switcher to extend it).
The spur above the trestle track is the yard lead for the second railroad (via the same cassette).
The dead end spur is storage track for switcher.
In real life, the Maryland and Pennsylvania RR (Ma & Pa) had an interchange with the B&O at the Baltimore, MD terminal similar to this where the B&O went over the Ma & Pa with the interchange track having a grade of 4% down to the Ma & Pa, so this idea is not without a prototype example (a one track interchange between two railroads, one above the other).
June 18th, 2008 at 2:16 pm
Sorry for the delayed response [computer crash/change/recovery/etc.]. Great idea Tim! The tunnel could maybe then go to a hidden fiddle area/cassette restage/etc. (trying to keep the initial idea of “micro” in mind, myself!) Operation the would include two rail companies with goods of any type.
I fear that length will have to be added to the spurs to be able to get a shunting puzzle, per se. At least I am stymied on the puzzle aspect.
Jim
November 10th, 2008 at 6:47 pm
Your layout is really original and should be wonderfull to operate but I suppose that to be really fonctiunal the four sidings that vanish in the four corners of the photo lead towards a small station or a goods platform or a small industry or a harbourgh ; could you tell me what you have at the end of your sidings and the way you operate your layout? Thank you
Yours faithfully stéphane TRUC