A New Layout?

This does not, in any way, mean that I've abandoned the North Toronto Team Tracks layout. However, I've run into a bit of a problem as I can't move forward on construction for the layout until I can purchase more styrene strip in order to make curbs for the streets on the layout. Until then, though, I plan to work on a project that is feasible with materials I have on hand.

Recently, I've been looking through the old posts of Chris Mears' excellent Prince Street blog. While looking through his blog, I came across his ideas for a model railway with tightly controlled viewpoints, showing only small scenes within a very large overall fascia. My explanation doesn't do the idea justice, but here is the link to his original post on the concept. At the time, I was quite intrigued by the idea, and as I had no layout at the time, I considered building a version of it. However, I was unable to come with a viable prototype for such a layout, and I eventually moved on from that concept.

Looking at the concept again more recently, I found a prototype that I think would form a viable basis for a model railway - CP Rail near the Parkdale yard and King Street in Toronto. This sticks with a similar theme as my main layout, but at the same time it has a more urban feel to it, with old brick warehouses, an urban street and road underpass, and an active streetcar line.

 You can view an aerial photo of the area here. The main focus of the layout will be the four story warehouse/factory that can be seen in the upper left hand corner. At one point this was home to the Hinde and Dauch paper company, but this ended in the late 1970s. I plan on setting the layout slightly before closure of the plant, so that the layout requires both less intensive operation and allows me to use my existing collection of CP Rail late 1970s stock. The aesthetic of a little used industrial spur in a downtown area also appeals to me, and this prototype is a good example of such a scenario.

The writing on the plan is a bit cramped and hard to read, and I apologize for that. Four squares represent one foot, so one square represents three inches. The thick lines represent fascia viewblocks and/or the layouts backdrop. To save you from having to count, the dimensions of the model railway are four feet long by nine inches (later changed to eleven inches, but this plan does not reflect that), with a separate 21 inch long detachable staging section.

A sketch of what the front of the layout would look like when completed. The resolution isn't great, as the photo was taken with a smartphone camera.

I took a few liberties with the prototype on this layout design, mostly in that the paper plant (seen on the right hand side of the sketch above) is flipped 180 degrees from its prototype position. If it was in the proper position, one would not be able to see the track (or the building, for that matter). Besides this, the rest of the plan is fairly accurate, though with a few sidings eliminated in order to both fit the layout in the allotted space and to simplify the trackage.

Starting from the left of the model railway, there is a 21 inch long staging area, which is concealed from the front by a full-height fascia panel. Behind the panel there is a traverser between the two main tracks and the siding to the paper company.

Moving into the main area of the layout, there is a small hole in the fascia, meant to evoke the appearance of looking down an alley towards the tracks. One would be able to see both main tracks and the spur, with the condition of the spur in stark contrast to the mainline. There would also be a small railway-owned storage shed, visible in part.

In the center section, the focus is on the bridge, where the spur is slowly curving away from the main, and King Street, which crosses under the tracks. There is a substantial girder bridge for the railway, and the street begins curving upward near the fascia. The visual interest of King Street is added to by the fact that there are active streetcar tracks, with service provided by the Toronto Transit Commission. This service is a rarity by the modelled era of the late 1970's, making the streetcar tracks stand out all the more. King Street is bounded by concrete retaining walls, which also form the boundary of the scene.

Between the center section and the right-hand section there is a turnout behind the fascia, (which represents, in a way, an additional industrial building). I chose to conceal the turnout as I plan to use a sharp-radius turnout, which would detract from the layout's appearance if visible.

In the final scene, one can see the bottom two stories of the old brick Hinde and Dauch paper plant. The spur splits just beforehand, with one siding serving the plant and the other continuing on to serve other industries. The plant siding is heavily overgrown, emphasizing the declining nature of rail traffic there, though at least one boxcar is usually spotted at the plant's concrete dock.

At this point, the layout ends. Behind the paper plant, however, there is a hidden staging area from which the train to switch the plant originates.

The appeal of this plan, I think, lies in the fact that the trains do not dominate the space. Despite the fact that one only views the areas immediately around the track, this suggest that the trains themselves are dominated by the large, if decaying, urban industrial structures around them.