The New Wagner Lines Layout

The New Wagner Lines Layout

Pictures

These are the Proto Power West HobbyTote cases that I got when still living in Mansfield. Prior to getting the cases, most of my train cars and locomotives were stored in long flat boxes that computer accessories had come in. I'd used cardboard strips to separate the cars inside each box, similar to the HobbyTote system. Getting these cases makes moving lots of model railroad equipment much easier, and most of my train cars and locomotives now are kept in these when not on the layout.
The first shipment of Sievers benchwork arrives and is unpacked. Each shipment comes with the lumber bundled and carefully packed with the bolts, nuts, washers, screws, and leg feet for your order. Here's a view of the basement when it was still bare after the arrival of the benchwork for the first section of the layout.

Here is how I constructed my first of four corner modules. I used two 2445A sections (24 inches on the two short sides) and two 1630 sections (16 inches by 30 inches) to create the corner. One of the 1630 sections was bolted to the 2445A sections. The other was positioned, and it's holes were used to mark where to drill new holes on the 2445A sections so it would mirror the position of the other 1630 section. Once that assembly was finished, I then attached a L16 leg assembly (48 inches long and 16 inches wide) to what would be the outside corner of the section. The other side would be supported by the adjoining sections of the layout. The corner sections are almost at the NMRA modular standards of 48 inches by 48 inches. Mine are 46 inches by 46 inches.
A 2448 section (24 inches by 48 inches) connects the first corner section (on the far side) with a second corner section that I built. The three sections were temporarily taken apart to allow me to put down new carpetting on the basement floor, which improved the area for the layout.
Another side of the layout is completed. The two side sections are either 4.5 or five feet long and 24 inches wide. The shorter section is made from 2430 and 2424 sections. The longer section is made from 2436 and 2424 sections. A third corner section has also been constructed. A third side of the layout is completed. The two side sections are the same as on the other side of the layout. The five-foot sections are selected and put into the layout where the interlockings will be located.
A fourth corner section and another 2448 section complete the main oval of the layout. Using a couple Atlas turnouts and photocopies of the Walthers curved turnout I selected, I mock up the MF Tower interchange area to make sure it would fit before proceeding.
This is the scale mockup I made of the full layout prior to any construction began. While some slight modifications were made with the track, this made the construction of the layout go very smoothly. A 1824 section and a third leg assembly was attached to the 2448 section to create one T-shaped section for the MF Tower interchange.
Two five-foot sections (each created from 1824 and 1836 sections) complete the benchwork for the Cleveland staging yard. Two more five-foot sections form the benchwork for the Columbus staging yard. At this point, the benchwork was completed. I'd also installed flourescent lights from Lowes, which greatly improved the lighting in the basement.
A couple views of the completed benchwork.
The first of two loads of 2-inch foam board are brought into the basement for making the scenery base of the layout. The first two pieces of foam board are cut and placed in position.
More foam board was purchased as work progressed Another view of the work progressing on the scenery base.
Here are a couple views of the foam board being glued down with foam board adhesive. I used magazine holders of issues of Model Railroader to hold down the foam board while the adhesive dried.
Here's an overview of the layout with the finished scenery base. I had used photocopies of my turnouts in the planning of where my switches would be located. Here's the back of the largest of my six control panels, made out of marker board material from Lowes with Radio Shack rotary and DPDT toggle switches. At this point, all of the wires had been soldered on the backs of the rotary switches.
Here's a view of my worktable where I did the soldering on my control panels. The largest (16 switches) was done about three or four at a time. The others I was able to do each one in one sitting as they only had three or five switches on each. This is an overview of the layout as work progressed on the control panels.
Here's a view of the one side of the aisleway with the east yard and MF Tower control panels in place. Shelf boards were put on the crossmembers of the leg assemblies, making for some convenient shelves. I also converted two plastic shelving units into a stand for the controls and two portable stands for setting the train cases on for transferring cars and locomotives between the layout and storage. This is the front of the large east yard control panel. The switches on all of my control panels have matching labels on their backs, making it easy to wire them and trace my wiring.
The east end of the Mansfield yard with track lines drawn for the centers of each track. Supplies from The Train Station are neatly laid out on the layout as work is about to proceed on the track.
Roadbed started going down at the east end of the Mansfield yard. Roadbed work continued around to the MF Tower section.
Track was then put down on the three sections of the layout. I used three Walthers autoracks to test the curves to check for clearance between the tracks. Work continued around the next corner section and into the Interstate 71 area.
An overview of the MF Tower area as work progressed. This is a view of the wiring connections between two of the layout sections. All wiring on my new layout was labeled as work progressed.
Work progresses as cork roadbed goes down in the Fourth Street area. Trackwork continues through the Fourth Street area.
The trackwork continues into the west end of the Mansfield yard. What do you do at 2AM on a Sunday morning? For me, I get the first track finished and wired. The first train completes its first trip around the layout.
Once the mainline and first track in the north yard were finished, I ran a couple trains of autoracks to test the trackage. An eastbound on main 1 waits as a westbound pulls out of the yard and onto track 2. Of course, once trains began rolling, any problems with either track or the rolling stock began getting found. On the day the mainline was completed and trains began rolling, one autorack derailed, got caught on the ties, and then pulled the five cars ahead of it onto their sides.
Two trains of autoracks pass through the Fourth Street area. A westbound freight on main 1 passes an eastbound Triple Crown on main 2.
Two views of the aisleway inside the layout. A westbound intermodal on main 1 passes an eastbound Triple Crown train just east of the Mansfield yards.
Taking Triple Crown trailers out of storage and getting them ready to add to a train. Amtrak, Triple Crown, and freight meet at the east end of the Mansfield yards.
An overview of the layout with a long freight stretching about 75% of the way around the layout. This is a cleaning and testing track that I built. The slots in two rerailers were opened up to allow a strip of cleaning cloth to be slipped over the rails. One is left dry while the other has Goo Gone put on it. Locomotive wheels are spun on the strips to then remove dirt build up.
Two freights meet at various locations around the layout: the area of Interstate 71, the crossovers at the east end of the Mansfield yards, and again near Interstate 71.
Three freights meet at the east end of the Mansfield yards. Two freights pass at MF Tower.
An eastbound freight approaches MF Tower. A westbound freight pulls out onto main 1 as a westbound Amtrak passes on main 2.
Two freights and Amtrak meet at the east end of the Mansfield yards. A westbound Amtrak is stopped on main 2 where the passenger station will be as a freight passes.
Two freights and a westbound Amtrak meet at Fourth Street. A freight sits on the yard lead at Fourth Street as a westbound Amtrak approaches.
A westbound Amtrak approaches what will be Interstate 71 A westbound 18-car Amtrak passenger train circles the layout.

A look at some of the Walthers Budd passenger cars that I have. I handpainted the interiors. Pictured are the diner, two coaches, the vestibule gate on the end of one of the coaches, and the lounge car. The 48-seat coach has the same number of an identical car that I saw on the Broadway Limited in Fostoria, Ohio, in 1994.

The north side of the Mansfield yards was completed.
Two freights meet at the west end of the yard. Two locomotives switch cars at the east end of the yard on the yard lead.
Continuing my pursuit into realistic operations, I'm integrating a car-card forwarding system from Micro-Mark. Each car and locomotive that goes on the layout has a card, and the four-cycle waybills that go into the card pockets tell operators where the cars need to be routed. The pockets on the layout have since been labelled with their corresponding track numbers in the yards.
This is the onboard camera that I got from Micro-Mark. I mounted it onto an old unused flatcar to get an engineer's view of the layout. Another view of the onboard camera and the view from the camera on the TV below.

The south yard is constructed.
Walthers track bumpers were installed on the deadend tracks of the south yard. I also installed these on each of the staging yard tracks to prevent trains from rolling off the end of the tracks and off the layout. Looking eastward over the Mansfield yard area.
A couple more overviews of the Mansfield yard area.

Constructing the Cleveland staging yard.
A couple views of the completed Cleveland staging yard.
Building the Columbus staging yard.
Looking southward from the Cleveland staging yard towards the main part of the layout. These are the PC power splitters that I modified for use as the connectors between the sections of the layout. With these, I can now simply unplug the wiring rather than unscrew the connections when I go to move.
A couple views of my controls for the layout. Cab 3 for a while had a remote control unit attached that allowed me to use a remote to control trains from anywhere in the basement. The track diagrams are for the corresponding control panels to allow operators to see what switch corresponds with which track.
Some views of the new staging yards.
An Amtrak passenger train heads north from Columbus to Cleveland.

	These are the Proto Power West HobbyTote cases that I got when still living in Mansfield. Prior to getting the cases, most of my train cars and locomotives were stored in long flat boxes that computer accessories had come in. I'd used cardboard strips to separate the cars inside each box, similar to the HobbyTote system. Getting these cases makes moving lots of model railroad equipment much easier, and most of my train cars and locomotives now are kept in these when not on the layout.
	The first shipment of Sievers benchwork arrives and is unpacked. Each shipment comes with the lumber bundled and carefully packed with the bolts, nuts, washers, screws, and leg feet for your order.		Here's a view of the basement when it was still bare after the arrival of the benchwork for the first section of the layout.

Here is how I constructed my first of four corner modules. I used two 2445A sections (24 inches on the two short sides) and two 1630 sections (16 inches by 30 inches) to create the corner. One of the 1630 sections was bolted to the 2445A sections. The other was positioned, and it's holes were used to mark where to drill new holes on the 2445A sections so it would mirror the position of the other 1630 section. Once that assembly was finished, I then attached a L16 leg assembly (48 inches long and 16 inches wide) to what would be the outside corner of the section. The other side would be supported by the adjoining sections of the layout. The corner sections are almost at the NMRA modular standards of 48 inches by 48 inches. Mine are 46 inches by 46 inches.
	A 2448 section (24 inches by 48 inches) connects the first corner section (on the far side) with a second corner section that I built.		The three sections were temporarily taken apart to allow me to put down new carpetting on the basement floor, which improved the area for the layout.
	Another side of the layout is completed. The two side sections are either 4.5 or five feet long and 24 inches wide. The shorter section is made from 2430 and 2424 sections. The longer section is made from 2436 and 2424 sections. A third corner section has also been constructed.		A third side of the layout is completed. The two side sections are the same as on the other side of the layout. The five-foot sections are selected and put into the layout where the interlockings will be located.
	A fourth corner section and another 2448 section complete the main oval of the layout.		Using a couple Atlas turnouts and photocopies of the Walthers curved turnout I selected, I mock up the MF Tower interchange area to make sure it would fit before proceeding.
	This is the scale mockup I made of the full layout prior to any construction began. While some slight modifications were made with the track, this made the construction of the layout go very smoothly.		A 1824 section and a third leg assembly was attached to the 2448 section to create one T-shaped section for the MF Tower interchange.
	Two five-foot sections (each created from 1824 and 1836 sections) complete the benchwork for the Cleveland staging yard.		Two more five-foot sections form the benchwork for the Columbus staging yard. At this point, the benchwork was completed. I'd also installed flourescent lights from Lowes, which greatly improved the lighting in the basement.
		A couple views of the completed benchwork.
	The first of two loads of 2-inch foam board are brought into the basement for making the scenery base of the layout.		The first two pieces of foam board are cut and placed in position.
	More foam board was purchased as work progressed		Another view of the work progressing on the scenery base.
		Here are a couple views of the foam board being glued down with foam board adhesive. I used magazine holders of issues of Model Railroader to hold down the foam board while the adhesive dried.
	Here's an overview of the layout with the finished scenery base. I had used photocopies of my turnouts in the planning of where my switches would be located.		Here's the back of the largest of my six control panels, made out of marker board material from Lowes with Radio Shack rotary and DPDT toggle switches. At this point, all of the wires had been soldered on the backs of the rotary switches.
	Here's a view of my worktable where I did the soldering on my control panels. The largest (16 switches) was done about three or four at a time. The others I was able to do each one in one sitting as they only had three or five switches on each.		This is an overview of the layout as work progressed on the control panels.
	Here's a view of the one side of the aisleway with the east yard and MF Tower control panels in place. Shelf boards were put on the crossmembers of the leg assemblies, making for some convenient shelves. I also converted two plastic shelving units into a stand for the controls and two portable stands for setting the train cases on for transferring cars and locomotives between the layout and storage.		This is the front of the large east yard control panel. The switches on all of my control panels have matching labels on their backs, making it easy to wire them and trace my wiring.
	The east end of the Mansfield yard with track lines drawn for the centers of each track.		Supplies from The Train Station are neatly laid out on the layout as work is about to proceed on the track.
	Roadbed started going down at the east end of the Mansfield yard.		Roadbed work continued around to the MF Tower section.
	Track was then put down on the three sections of the layout. I used three Walthers autoracks to test the curves to check for clearance between the tracks.		Work continued around the next corner section and into the Interstate 71 area.
	An overview of the MF Tower area as work progressed.		This is a view of the wiring connections between two of the layout sections. All wiring on my new layout was labeled as work progressed.
	Work progresses as cork roadbed goes down in the Fourth Street area.		Trackwork continues through the Fourth Street area.
	The trackwork continues into the west end of the Mansfield yard.		What do you do at 2AM on a Sunday morning? For me, I get the first track finished and wired. The first train completes its first trip around the layout.
	Once the mainline and first track in the north yard were finished, I ran a couple trains of autoracks to test the trackage. An eastbound on main 1 waits as a westbound pulls out of the yard and onto track 2.		Of course, once trains began rolling, any problems with either track or the rolling stock began getting found. On the day the mainline was completed and trains began rolling, one autorack derailed, got caught on the ties, and then pulled the five cars ahead of it onto their sides.
	Two trains of autoracks pass through the Fourth Street area.		A westbound freight on main 1 passes an eastbound Triple Crown on main 2.
	Two views of the aisleway inside the layout.		A westbound intermodal on main 1 passes an eastbound Triple Crown train just east of the Mansfield yards.
	Taking Triple Crown trailers out of storage and getting them ready to add to a train.		Amtrak, Triple Crown, and freight meet at the east end of the Mansfield yards.
	An overview of the layout with a long freight stretching about 75% of the way around the layout.		This is a cleaning and testing track that I built. The slots in two rerailers were opened up to allow a strip of cleaning cloth to be slipped over the rails. One is left dry while the other has Goo Gone put on it. Locomotive wheels are spun on the strips to then remove dirt build up.
			Two freights meet at various locations around the layout: the area of Interstate 71, the crossovers at the east end of the Mansfield yards, and again near Interstate 71.
	Three freights meet at the east end of the Mansfield yards.		Two freights pass at MF Tower.
	An eastbound freight approaches MF Tower.		A westbound freight pulls out onto main 1 as a westbound Amtrak passes on main 2.
	Two freights and Amtrak meet at the east end of the Mansfield yards.		A westbound Amtrak is stopped on main 2 where the passenger station will be as a freight passes.
	Two freights and a westbound Amtrak meet at Fourth Street.		A freight sits on the yard lead at Fourth Street as a westbound Amtrak approaches.
	A westbound Amtrak approaches what will be Interstate 71		A westbound 18-car Amtrak passenger train circles the layout.

	A look at some of the Walthers Budd passenger cars that I have. I handpainted the interiors. Pictured are the diner, two coaches, the vestibule gate on the end of one of the coaches, and the lounge car. The 48-seat coach has the same number of an identical car that I saw on the Broadway Limited in Fostoria, Ohio, in 1994.

The north side of the Mansfield yards was completed.
	Two freights meet at the west end of the yard.		Two locomotives switch cars at the east end of the yard on the yard lead.
	Continuing my pursuit into realistic operations, I'm integrating a car-card forwarding system from Micro-Mark. Each car and locomotive that goes on the layout has a card, and the four-cycle waybills that go into the card pockets tell operators where the cars need to be routed. The pockets on the layout have since been labelled with their corresponding track numbers in the yards.
	This is the onboard camera that I got from Micro-Mark. I mounted it onto an old unused flatcar to get an engineer's view of the layout.		Another view of the onboard camera and the view from the camera on the TV below.

The south yard is constructed.
	Walthers track bumpers were installed on the deadend tracks of the south yard. I also installed these on each of the staging yard tracks to prevent trains from rolling off the end of the tracks and off the layout.		Looking eastward over the Mansfield yard area.
		A couple more overviews of the Mansfield yard area.

Constructing the Cleveland staging yard.
		A couple views of the completed Cleveland staging yard.
			Building the Columbus staging yard.
	Looking southward from the Cleveland staging yard towards the main part of the layout.		These are the PC power splitters that I modified for use as the connectors between the sections of the layout. With these, I can now simply unplug the wiring rather than unscrew the connections when I go to move.
		A couple views of my controls for the layout. Cab 3 for a while had a remote control unit attached that allowed me to use a remote to control trains from anywhere in the basement. The track diagrams are for the corresponding control panels to allow operators to see what switch corresponds with which track.
			Some views of the new staging yards.
			An Amtrak passenger train heads north from Columbus to Cleveland.