Layout Specs

Today's blog post will be a bit technical, describing the layout specs and details.

Rail: Code 83
Concrete brand: PECO, painted to light gray
Wood brand: Atlas (still unconfirmed), painted to brown
Radius: 22" to 26"
Customers:10
Scale: HO Scale (1:87)
Host Railroad: CSX
Locale: Fort Lauderdale- Deerfield Beach, FL
Local Trains Represented: O717, O718
Signaled Grade Crossings in Layout: 2
Era: 2011-2012
Distance Represented: 17 Real Miles

The Layout Plan

Due to being informed of limitations in the room of choice, I revamped the plan to suit a smaller footprint. More storage than was anticipated is needed and the windows in the back need access - so I redesigned the layout. It is still from Fort Lauderdale to Deerfield and the switching will be a little modified.

Unlike the other layout S Dania would need to be accessed through a removable helix and the storage track north of DFB station is eliminated, plus I opted out of including Home Depot. However with the support of Google Maps, CSX has gained / regained three customers in Pompano Beach, FL. Boise Cascade is a frequent customer now and was shown to house two boxcars and two centerbeams in the 3/21/11 O/L; Fast Dry Courts had four tank cars; and Amerigas had seven (!) LPG tanks plus three waiting on the main track. The latter two "came from the dead" while Boise is new. Grace Construction is intact and included. I had a tossup between the Water Treatment Plant off of Powerline/Prospect and the Amerigas since I wanted one that was realistically located. Sun Sentinel and Publix are included as planned. Also, I added Allsteel and Gypsum, off of Sunrise Blvd, which was not in the original plan, a frequent recipient of coil cars. TRANSFLO, who receives dry bulk, granular, and ethanol loads, and the scrap metal team track, F05, and the spur track were not forgotten as well, in accordance to the old plan.

The pictures Mike M. graciously sent me before were a great help and support in deciding this plan, and I thank him.

So here is the rundown of customers by product:

• TRANSFLO: Cement, Plastics, Gravel, Ethanol, Corn Oil
• Team Track: Mainly Scrap Metal
• AllSteel: Coils of Metal *and lumber too! (Google Earth)
• Water Treatment Plant [Option A]: Chlorine and Soda Ash
• Amerigas [Option B]: LPG Gas
• Grace Construction: Um.... Oil?
• Fast-Dry Courts: Um... Chlorine? Bleach? 
• Boise: Lumber and Construction Products
• Publix: Plastic Pellets
• Sun-Sentinel: Newsprint

Homestead Sub Subject to Growth

I was talking it over with another railfan and came to realize that, despite the slowdown the Homestead Sub (HS) hit over the years, there is some growth potential left.

• Stock Building Supply in Homestead closed down in 2009. However, since 2010, that spur has seen the light of crushed stone gondolas, and even more recently, a covered hopper over several times. There is a spur track that runs parallel to a road that can serve as a team track.
• FPL's Turkey Point plant received a transformer last week through Homestead. In any event FPL does need something, they can turn to CSX.
• Florida Rock ran a rarity, a rock train from Krome Quarry. This shows that more rock is likely to be mined from there to add fuel to the Homestead Sub.
• Developments along the Lehigh Spur and Homestead Sub show a lot of railroad-ready buildings. Plus there are possibilities that warehouse tracks can be rebuilt at the neck of the Homestead wye.
• Coal ash output from Cemex grew in the past months.
• Orr W.T.P. carloads grew.

So hopefully this will be good news to railfans of the line, but we'll just leave it to whim.

This Saturday

My intent this weekend is to do a classic "South Florida Four Pack" Outing. I will and boy do I mean will post my findings and likely copy a trip report to this fine blog for the enjoyment of the community. This includes a classic trip to the Hobby Store, IKEA Fort Lauderdale, Aventura Mall, and more. This as a fun fact will be my first visit to Ready to Roll Trains AND Warrick's since January. Hope they have Miami Sub layout friendly assets. This layout is still on for a go!

The Homestead Sub Part 2

The Homestead Sub is presently my alternate choice. Now, there are so many industrial options there as well, and trains caught on Monday, May 9, 2011 stress this.

• On Monday Morning V157, the Corbin, KY-Miami, FL coal train arrived.
• O721 left for CYDX with empty hoppers and loaded cement tubs
• Y220 left for the Lehigh Spur with loaded coal hoppers, empty coal ash hoppers, and three boxcars.
• O721 returned with 2 presumably loaded rock hoppers for local distribution and two empty Covered Hoppers from Orr Water Treatmeny
• Y220 returned with those three boxcars since they go to a Hialeah industry.

You can see the last three bullet points with this video.









Unlike the current strategy for the Miami Sub which would have limited provisions, this idea also seems a bit attractive because of the variety. I can start from that West Rail industry, model the Lehigh a short bit, and model the Homestead's four industries. This also shows the first time there were two simultaneous jobs since January.

Alternates are good to explore in the event the Miami Sub may be a slightly overrated project. Hell, I didn't bench yet and will soon in one month.