Kendallville Terminal RR in HO

I was asked to do a small layout based on the 1.1 mile long Kendallville Terminal RR in Indiana (USA). And after reading up on the line, I thought it would make an excellent choice for a small layout. I wanted to include all major features of the line if I could, and decided as a minimum that I had to include the Rush Street Yard; the salt storage silos (used for water softening); the team track; the Kraft Plant (makes marshmallow); and also the crossing of both Rush and Ohio Streets.

I wanted to compress all that as much as possible, but I still wanted two distinct scenes on the layout separated by a backdrop. I felt that walking between the two sides of the layout would make it feel more like you're actually going somewhere.

To get the rolling stock between those scenes, I decided to use a sector plate. The one shown in the graphic is only 15" long, which is long enough for the motive power (an SW-8) and one 50-foot car. However, the sector plate can be lengthened to 30" if room is available. The pivot point will remain in the same spot, but another 15" will hanging outside the layout.

This will increase the capacity of the sector plate to the SW-8, plus three 50-foot cars, which will greatly enhance operations. I think switching only one car at a time will get tedious, so I strongly recommend the longer sector plate.

After completing my first draft, I wasn't too happy with the Rush Street yard side of the plan; it just didn't have enough visual appeal for me. So I decided to expand on the water softening traffic, and decided to add a plant that manufactured water softening units (I called it Culligan Manufacturing). This modern building becomes a nice backdrop for the yard side, and provide a bit more traffic for the line.

Incoming traffic on the line would include salt in covered hopped going to Culligan Manufacturing, and box cars of sheet metal, other components, and packaging material. Short tank cars of corn syrup (I realize the tanks cars shown on the graphics are too long), covered hoppers of bulk sugar, and the occasional box car of packaging material would go to the Kraft plant. The team track would probably serve as a transload track, so bulk cement, and other bulk commodities could come in. The only regular outgoing traffic would be the shipment of manufactured water softening units from Culligan Manufacturing in box cars.

The layout is basically 2 Inglenooks back-to-back, and there are only four turnouts used. To fit in the team track, I had to make that served from the sector plate. The layout squeezes a lot of action (and a complete railway) into a space only 18" x 60", and also has some structures that will be fun to build.

THE TRACK PLAN:




AND SOME 3D SCREEN CAPTURES:

 

I was asked to do the design by a member of another group that I'm in. I assume he will scratch build all structures, but I am not sure if he is using DC or DCC. Pretty much all my design are done for other people.

 

It took me nearly 20 years to come this far with doing designs in 3D ... not easy at times. But as you noted ... the results are worth it.

 

Apparently the labour laws only allows one crew working at a time. Although I show 2 locos, the line only has one, two were there for the 3D capture purposes. Thanks for the comments!