CR 1984 Detroit to Toledo (Detroit Pool)

[crdetroit]

Hi all. Still continuing towards FN. I have put in Conrail's interchange yard with the Wyandotte Southern railroad. Wyandotte Southern was a subsidiary of the Pennwalt Chemical Company, a decent sized chemical plant located in Riverview, Michigan. In my earlier posts I had mentioned the Wyandotte Terminal railroad, this will not be included as an independent railroad as it had became part of the GTW by '84 but the Wyandotte Southern was still around in '84 along with a centercab unit that I will try to create but it will more than likely be released as an addon. I will finish Pennwalt Chemical tomorrow and then start McLouth Steel. Conrail and GTW took turns delivering coal here and GTW dealt with the steel cars. I should be to FN on Thursday and in Toledo either that same day or Friday. I would say it's safe to say that by April I will begin tidying up models that I've started on and begin laying the road network. That will be just about exactly a year from when I laid my first track. About three years from when I created my first track but I had scrapped the first route due to RWDecal issues. I will be releasing my '97 version of this route shortly after this release and then if the SDK is easy to use and I can use Google Earth images, as this route is too complex to simply use just markers, I will do a Run8 version of this route. Imagine the operational possibilities with a live dispatcher(s). Can't wait!

[crdetroit]

Anytime there's a chemical plant and a steel plant involved one knows there will be complicated trackwork. lol Anyways, since Pennwalt was served by the Wyandotte Southern I have put in only the tracks seen from the mainline. I may either add or delete some tracks once scenery is in to see what all can be seen from the mainline. I have also started the trackwork for McLouth Steel, right on schedule. It should be finished tomorrow along with FN interlocking. If not tomorrow then FN will be in on Friday and then on to Alexis interlocking in Toledo. Take care all.

[crdetroit]

Hi all. FN interlocking is now in service. Today I will finish the tracks at McLouth Steel and hopefully continue the GTW Shore Line Sub towards Toledo. if not then tomorrow. FN was the next to last tower that my dad worked at before retiring. Take care all.

Note the "new" (it was in 1984 lol) connection track between GTW's Shore Line and River Subs. It was put in to connect the two subs when GTW took over the D&TSL. It was also the only power operated switches in the interlocking. The Conrail Connection track with the GTW River Sub, for coal trains to/from McLouth Steel, and the Greenway Track switch (Conrail's lead to Trenton Yard) were both electric locked switches released from FN tower. Also note that the GTW main from FN to Milwaukee Junction will "swap sides" with the Conrail main for the third time (FN, Beaubien and Milwaukee Junction). Don't get dizzy. lol:

[crdetroit]

Normally I don't try to post twice in the same day but I have hit a milestone earlier with putting in FN interlocking. Now, I've hit another one by finishing the GTW River Sub from just east of GTW's huge Flat Rock Yard to South Yard. The only thing on that sub left to do is to put in its South Yard, which parallels Conrail's Tecumseh Yard, but not until I tie up the loose ends in Toledo first. I will hopefully finish McLouth Steel tomorrow. I changed my plans once I put in FN since I was so close to finishing the River Sub. I could be a couple of days getting through Trenton with the GTW Shore Line Sub due to several industries and its Edison Yard. Which guess what it does? Yep, parallels Conrail's Detroit Edison Trenton Channel plant yard. I was looking at Conrail's Toledo Branch #2 main and I will only have to tweak it in Monroe, MI. Once past Edison Yard the Shore Line is fairly straight and open farmlands so I will be in Toledo next week. Take care all.

[crdetroit]

Hi all. I have six more locations to post then I will create a screenshot thread as I will then be ready for scenery. I will then use this thread for any update on release dates, etc. I have put in McLouth Steel. All these tracks for only five tracks that Conrail used. lol But as one will notice, all the tracks are either close to Conrail's delivery tracks or close to the mainline. Next stop, GTW Edison Yard. I will not post anymore updates after Edison Yard until I put in Alexis interlocking in Toledo. Take care all.

Note the track labeled McLouth Steel "Hi Line". That is the correct spelling. Though it is an elevated line:

[crdetroit]

Hi all. GTW's Edison Yard is now in. I have realigned Conrail's Toledo Branch #2 from Trenton to Monroe and I am now satisfied with it. I have reattached all associated switches to the Detroit Edison Trenton Channel plant. Tomorrow I will be installing GTW's "Denby" interlocking. This is where Conrail's McLouth Steel Gibraltar Lead crosses the GTW Shore Line Sub to McLouth Steel Gibraltar plant. Don't worry, this is a much smaller three track plant. lol. After this I will lay the paralleling GTW Shore Line Sub from "Denby" to just north of Toledo where it finally veers away from the Conrail mainline. I will then go back and realign Conrail's Toledo Branch #1 mainline from Newport, Michigan to Monroe. It too is slightly off. Then I will relay Warner Yard in Monroe. It's a small yard and will not take long and then finally on to Toledo to tie up loose ends. Take care all.

[crdetroit]

Hi all. The GTW Shore Line Sub is now in to its "Mileage 3.4" interlocking, the north end of its Lang Yard in Toledo. Talk about being "teased". lol Again, this is a "Conrail 1984" route but it just so happens that the GTW railroad "surrounds" much of Conrail's trackage from Detroit to Toledo. So both the GTW's Lang Yard and Flat Rock yards are just out of sight from Conrail's tracks. Anyways, today I start "tying up loose ends" beginning in Toledo, since that's where my "route marker" is the closest to. I will begin right after I order the Ann Arbor Railroad track chart so I can finish Alexis interlocking, where it crosses the Conrail mainline. While I'm waiting on that to arrive I will put in Stanley and Walbridge interlockings and Conrail's Stanley Yard and the northern end of C&O's Walbridge Yard as it can be seen from Conrail's Stanley Secondary at Walbridge interlocking. Conrail's Stanley Yard is the southern terminus point for the Detroit crews and therefor is the southern terminus for my route. Trains heading east towards Cleveland recrewed at the C.U.T. (Central Union Terminal) and trains heading west recrewed at Nasby. There were shorter "pools" in the mid 80's. My "'97" version will extend from Toledo to Elkhart, west, and Toledo to Cleveland east to represent the longer running "pool". It will also extend from Detroit to Kalamazoo and then south to Elkhart. But first things first, I have to finish the current route. Take care all.

[crdetroit]

Hi all. I have just put in Stanley interlocking and I will be working on its huge yard next. This is a massive, I'd guess a quarter of a mile long interlocking in each direction. Stanley Yard was Conrail's main classification yard in Toledo, Ohio. This is another busy interlocking as trains from the GTW, C&O and NS would interchange here and road trains to/from Chicago, Elkhart, Detroit, Cleveland, Pittsburgh and Columbus would originate/terminate at Stanley Yard just south of Stanley interlocking. Stanley's "E" Yard is just north of Stanley interlocking. I have to do some researching to see what that yard was used for as the ZTS labels it a "Departure Yard" yet the Stanley interlocking chart labels "Stanley 106 & Freight Wye" and an "inbound track for road trains to Yard "E"" which one would think would make Yard "E" a receiving yard. I will be working on Stanley Yard's "K" Yard (Class Yard) this afternoon. This is a huge 42 track classification yard! It is bigger than Livernois/Junction Yard's Westbound Class, which I believe had 37 tracks. I had fallen a little behind because I had to run to Toledo's Library to do some research. Yes, I am a stickler of details. I'm not perfect but I do my best. Take care all.

P.S. This is the southern terminus of the route.

[OTTODAD]

I am just wondering how TS-2013 will react once scenery of these huge track layouts has been filled with objects and vegetation.

I hope that you will no get a nasty surprise !

O t t o

[JackD]

Hi James,

Every time I think you're about out of pasta you hit us with another spaghetti bowl!

Great work, James! I look forward to getting thoroughly lost somewhere between Canada and Toledo.

JackD