Chicago North Shore and Milwaukee Railway (56k warning)

[NSL Fan]

Oh my, it has been a while. Seems like work on the route picks up only on school breaks. No matter, the route still exists, and I have been doing some work, like that shown below...



I would show the other stations, but the whole 17 miles looks exactly like that shot above. !*roll-laugh*! (That's Sheridan Elms for the North Shore savvy.)

I am currently working up courage to start trackage south of Howard Street on the CTA, that may start next week. I'm also considering releasing the bit of route once all the platforms and sidings are in on the Skokie Valley bit, for those who may want to take a spin through the green desert.

Zach

[OTTODAD]

I like the trolley but you will have to do something about lowering the overhead wire and clearing the blocked frogs in crossover switches.

O t t o

[NSL Fan]

The cars are a temporary measure, (as noted on the previous page), and I'm working with someone to have a car built to Railworks standard. As such, it will be easier to raise the pole to the wire height, (which happens to be NEC default).

As for the frogs, yes, that is something I've been fighting since day one. I'm figuring out the quicks and anomalies of track laying slowly, and for the most part I've been successful in eliminating them. However, there are a few spots where the crossovers/diamonds refuse to cooperate due to the layout. I'll try my best to weed them all out by the end.

[OTTODAD]

As for the frogs, yes, that is something I've been fighting since day one.

Below is my fix for that problem I have applied to routes like the WCML, NEC and others, is used by my route building friends I am beta testing their routes and release them from my web site and now also by RS.com.

You may have to move the Split point in order to get perfection !

O t t o

[NSL Fan]

Duly noted, and I just fixed about 2 dozen that I managed to find. Thanks for that tidbit Otto.

[nryans34express]

A little from the question, but that route looks nice. Is it available, for download still somewhere?

David

[OTTODAD]

A little from the question, but that route looks nice. Is it available, for download still somewhere?

If you mean the one I have shown above it is the WCML.

O t t o

[nryans34express]

I am talking about the Chicago North Shore and Milwaukee Railway that this thread is about. never seen this one anywhere.

David

[OTTODAD]

I am talking about the Chicago North Shore and Milwaukee Railway that this thread is about. never seen this one anywhere.

Did you read all the creator's posts and does it look like it is ready for release, having no scenery ?

O t t o

[NSL Fan]

There currently isn't a public release out. HOWEVER, I am considering releasing what I have in terms of track when I reach the halfway mark on the railroad, (actually reached, just need to add appropriate sidings on about 10 miles of track), for those who are privy to running through the green desert that the railroad is right now. That is, no scenery, no siding markers, no activities, no proper speed limits, no signals, etc.

That being said, you may get a kick out of running the existing track, as I will admit I have!

Zach

[NSL Fan]

Small update. I started laying track south on the L, and reached the point where it goes from an Embankment to Elevated structure at Wilson Ave. After much deliberation, I have decided to use the wooden trestle Scalerail for the structure. Switches and crossovers are going to look a bit odd, (it's either no frogs or ballasted switches), but that is a compromise I'm willing to make.



As of now, the railroad stretches from Addison, (Wrigley Field) on the L to approximately Waukegan, IL on the North Shore. I judge that I'm between 1/3 and halfway there in terms of track.

[sniper297]

Try PON_APRW.ZIP in the file library, it has a girder bridge track designed for the L.

[NSL Fan]

Ah yes, I have looked into that L structure. After a bit of experimentation, I find that Scalerail deck bridge was the best match for the top of the elevated structure, matching color and construction of the 1950's-1960's L relatively well, as seen in the below image:

http://www.davesrailpix.com/cta/htm/cta0052.htm

That being said, I'll probably be using the supporting structure from PON-Chicago Metro underneath.

[NSL Fan]

More progress has been made. I decided to take the leap and lay some Elevated track. The entire length of the CTA used by the North Shore is now in place.

I've for all intents and purposes completed Howard Street, with the extensive-ish yard and return loop. for North-South L trains.



Continuing South on an embankment for about 5 miles, (with a lot of tangent track for fast running), Wilson Ave is reached, where trains start running over the elevated structure. The train in the picture is coming off a separate structure built in the late 1950's for North Shore trains at Wilson Ave to force inbound North Shore passengers alighting at Wilson to pay the CTA fare. To the left a track will continue down a ramp to an interchange with the Milwaukee Road. Until 1973, CTA had a small freight business with local customers between Wilson and Howard. I fully intend to model it here, (since the route is ca. 1962).



Continuing south the trains encounter various S-curves and kinks in the track where the initial builders attempted to find the cheapest ROW, (at the expense of speed). This is Sheridan, a few blocks North of the Addison stop, where passengers could, (and still can), alight for Wrigley Field and Cubs baseball games.



A bit further south of Addison is Belmont, where the Ravenswood line splits off to the north and west. And south of Belmont a lot of blocks is the point where the State Street subway line goes underground. We however continue downtown to the Loop. the train has just passed over the interlocking of Tower 18 heading south. Tower 18 was once billed as the busiest rail intersection in the world, seeing a train every couple of seconds at it's peak. The "North Shore" train will go around the west and south legs of the Loop, before heading south to Roosevelt Road where it terminates.



After leaving the Loop at Tower 12, one more reverse curve is encountered before the Roosevelt Road Station, about 10 blocks further south. The track to the upper left goes to a stub end terminal that at this point is used as a Baggage Terminal for North Shore trains.



And that's about it for now. In my current spurt of work, I hope to flesh out the L and surrounding area with sidings and platforms. And I have decided that under the deck, I shall be using the PON-CM elevated structure. Then attention may be made to Wisconsin. Now that I've reached one end of the line, I shall have to go for the other!

In parting, a map of everything. I would judge it at about 45 miles or so, give or take.



(Sharp eyed viewers may notice that the rolling stock is very British. I'm still looking for someone to construct appropriate rolling stock. I can supply plans and copious amounts of reference photos. Just saying...)

[SurflinerKid2012]

Hi say how is the % of the Route coming along any scenery as of yet?