Between RAILS WIRE REALISTIC CATENARY and WORKING SIGNALS &LET JAMIE HAISLIP RUN LIKE the PROTOTYPE on HIS 18 X 18-FOOT O GAUGE LAYOUT

COVER STORY Between RAILS WIRE REALISTIC CATENARY AND WORKING SIGNALS &LET JAMIE HAISLIP RUN LIKE THE PROTOTYPE ON HIS 18 X 18-FOOT O GAUGE LAYOUT

by Jamie Haislip • photos by Paul Dolkos

ike most Classic Toy Trains readers, build a layout. At first I attempted to my interest in railroading devel- revive my old HO trains, but when I oped early in life. Growing up in remembered how much fun I had at Virginia near the main line of the my neighbor’s house running all those Southern Ry., I loved watch- great accessories I knew I had to build ing trains. Summer days my new model railroad in O gauge. Lwould often find me riding my bike With that in mind, I started work on down to the tracks just to see those a basic postwar-style layout. I had just long freight trains roll by. one requirement, and that was to have My first train set was HO scale, but I an operating milk car. Most CTT read- had a neighbor that had a Lionel lay- ers can guess what happened next. In out packed with postwar operating no time at all, I was buying more and accessories. During my teenage years I more Lionel postwar accessories to fea- lost interest in model railroading about ture on my layout. It got to the point the same time I learned that the trains were to drive. I packed my reduced to a supporting HO trains away, but that role, but my sons loved neighbor’s layout had all the action and they before it was completed, and years planted a seed that years played endlessly with that would pass before I could start my later would grow into my crowded layout. dream layout. Fortunately for the kids, present 18 x 18-foot O A move to a newly the old layout was at my mother’s gauge railroad. built house with an house. While I dreamed of the future, expansive basement the kids kept on playing. Rekindling a flame finally gave me the neces- I started to renew my sary space to design and Benchwork, free for the taking interest in model rail- build a truly large O Luckily, my house was one of the first roading after my second ▲ Jamie Haislip is an electri- gauge layout, one that in a new neighborhood. As other houses son was born. By the cal contractor. He lives with would have plenty of were added I was able to gather most of time my kids were old his wife and two sons in room for accessories and the lumber for my new layout by picking enough to express an Virginia. One of his hobbies eye-catching scenic through carpenters’ discard piles. interest in trains I was is restoring and operating effects. The house I built the benchwork for my layout ready to jump in and track speeders. needed a lot of work in a modular arrangement. It can be

46 Classic Toy Trains© 2014 • October Kalmbach 2009 Publishing Co. This material may not be reproduced in any form without permission from the publisher. www.ClassicToyTrains.com ▲ 1. A freight-hauling P5a from MTH Electric Trains meets a Pennsylvania RR passenger train under the meticulously detailed overhead catenary on Jamie Haislip’s 18 x 18-foot moved and reassembled if necessary. O gauge layout. The Hell Gate Bridge is a Lionel reissue of a prewar accessory. One of the highlights of the layout is a mountain scene nearly 20 feet long. sections are simply nailed together and joined the Train Collectors Association. Even this area is modular; I designed it joined with bolts. I quickly began to see that there was in such a way that it can be sliced and a lot more to the hobby than postwar moved in sections. A large truss bridge, A new world of trains trains and accessories. About this same another signature item on my layout, is At the time, I was not familiar with time, I discovered that a co-worker, Bill mounted on its own module, and can any of the new products that had Fosbrook, had been the head electri- be removed in less than five minutes appeared on the market in the modern cian for Tony Lash’s amazing layout. after I disconnect the track. era so I purchased some magazines, After seeing Tony’s O gauge layout in Being made from 2 x 4 lumber and Classic Toy Trains in particular, and the July 2000 CTT, I arranged a visit and ¾-inch sections of plywood, the layout began to develop an understanding of immediately knew that I wanted to table is exceptionally sturdy and – since what could be done in O gauge. I also build a hi-rail layout that would com- it was scrap wood – essentially free. I researched actual railroad locations bine the accessories I enjoy with the kept the table design simple. The seeking inspiration for my layout, and realistic scenery I prefer.

www.ClassicToyTrains.com 47 ▲ 2. A pair of P5a electrics growl along the high line. The industrial area in the back- ground is home to a few of the layout’s many Lionel, MTH, and Gilbert American Flyer operating accessories. Jamie credits childhood memories of accessories with sparking Tony, in turn, led me to Bob and Shar- his interest in returning to the hobby as an adult. lain Chapman of BC Rails, who special- ize in designing and installing scenery. I started seeking out other layouts Va., said, “Take this TMCC system and Although I had built the benchwork, through local clubs, people I met in the go install it on your layout. If you don’t installed the wiring, and laid the tracks, TCA, and various railroad events. Not like it, bring it back and you won’t have I knew I needed a true modeling profes- only did I meet some great people, I to pay for it.” sional to make my layout come to life. soon had a firm idea of what my future I took it thinking that I’d be return- Bob was a tremendous help in getting layout would look like. ing it within a day or two, but, as adver- me organized on the scenery side, espe- tised, the system was very easy – basically cially given the limited amount of space Leaping into the computer age plug and play. I quickly fell in love with not devoted to track, and Sharlain did a I knew what I wanted, but I wasn’t the added features that TMCC offers. great job of landscaping and painting sure how to make everything fit. Track Shortly thereafter, I began seeing the layout. planning software was fairly new at the advertisements for MTH Electric Trains’ Feeling that my wiring was sound, I time, but I purchased a copy of RR- Digital Command System (DCS). The decided it was time to move ahead with Track [rrtrack.com] and discovered it ability to control large numbers of ballasting track. I sent for samples from allowed me to swiftly translate my ideas accessories through MTH’s Auxiliary almost every vendor advertising in my into a workable plan. My track plan Interface Unit (AIU) digital relay box magazines, and one in particular seemed to just fall into place with mini- was an appealing feature of DCS. Doing quickly got my attention. CTT contribu- mal adjustment. the same with the TMCC system seemed tor Dennis Brennan provided samples My layout spotlights operating acces- rather complex. that were the size and color I wanted sories, but I also gave a great deal of After evaluating the competing sys- and offered help when I sought advice thought to the track plan. Watching tems, I decided to switch to DCS, partly on preparing the track for ballast [bren- trains go ’round and ’round seemed because I liked the detail of MTH’s nansmodelrr.com]. like it would quickly lose its appeal, so I products at the time and partly because Dennis recommended a two-step made sure to work in plenty of switch- the system could also control TMCC- weathering process using spray paint. ing opportunities and diversity on the equipped locomotives. While awaiting Although I was reluctant to paint new direction and control of my trains. the arrival of DCS, I laid all the tracks, track, after I did a sample piece I real- Although I was purchasing mostly installed several accessories, and pre- ized that his method was sound. The Lionel locomotives, I was hesitant to pulled all the AIU cable. finished track looks spectacular, and it make the jump to Lionel’s TrainMaster Once that work was accomplished, I was an extremely labor-saving process. Command Control (TMCC) until Steve finally had time to meet with Tony Lash While Bob and Sharlain worked on Fortes from KMA Junction in Manassas, and ask his advice about layout scenery. the mountains and other layout scenery,

48 Classic Toy Trains • October 2009 LAYOUT AT A GLANCE 6 Name: Jamie Haislip’s O gauge layout Dimensions: 18 x 18 feet 18'-0" Track: GarGraves O (O-42 minimum radius local track, O-72 minimum radius main line) Switches: Ross 2 Motive power: Lionel and MTH Rolling stock: Lionel and MTH Controls: Lionel TMCC 5 1 7 4 and MTH DCS Illustration by Kellie Jaeger Accessories: Lionel and MTH Structures: Atlas, AmeriTown, Korber, Lionel, MTH, scratchbuilt Vehicles: Maisto and 3 18'-0" Road Champs ▲ Jamie Haislip combines modern trains, great scenery, and operating accessories from Lionel, MTH, Backdrop: Backdrop and Gilbert American Flyer on his 18 x 18-foot O gauge layout. The numbered arrows correspond to Warehouse each of the captioned photos taken by Paul Dolkos.

▲ 3. Jamie’s early experience with Lionel’s TrainMaster Command Control (TMCC) sold him on the wonders of modern control systems and led to his becoming one of the first to install MTH’s Digital Command System (DCS) on a large O gauge layout. He still serves as a beta tester for new versions of DCS’ software.

www.ClassicToyTrains.com 49 take to make the DCS system work on my entire layout. I rewired the layout permanently with high-end stranded, twisted low- capacitance data cable. The layout started behaving better, but still wasn’t perfect. Cleaning the rails helped, and I greatly improved the signal strength by cutting loops of track into electrical blocks. Despite a few other issues, I was finally headed in the right direction. In the meantime, MTH was issuing DCS software upgrades. Soon I was serv- ing as a beta tester for MTH, which led me down a whole different path of playing with trains. I became very proficient with the DCS’s capabilities and was soon enjoying the wide range of possibilities it unlocked. To this day, I still beta-test DCS, most recently on the new version 4 software series.

Catenary dreams When I was young and would visit my grandparents’ house in Washington, D.C., we would pass the Richmond, Fredericksburg & Potomac yard, the 14th Street Bridge, and Union Station. All three of these sites had a feature in common – the Pennsylvania RR’s overhead catenary electrification system. Those high-speed trains leaving Union Station under wire made a big impres- sion on me. Naturally, I wanted to feature catenary on my new layout. I purchased House of Duddy poles, insulators, and blueprints of catenary systems but a great deal of research was still required. Fortunately, my sons’ hockey games had me traveling up and down Amtrak’s ▲ 4. A Pennsylvania RR E8 passes the end of a freight train as it bursts out of a tunnel electrified Northeast Corridor so I was onto a 36-inch-high scratchbuilt wood trestle. The curving timber trestle is one of the able to take detailed photographs of the scenic highlights of Jamie’s layout. catenary system and its many intricate components. I started by working with I concentrated on ballasting the track. to come back the next day and I’d have House of Duddy catenary support tow- In the next two years, Bob and Sharlain it ready to test. ers, but the more I learned about the would make several return visits. In the I quickly installed a temporary but prototype the more I decided I liked process, Bob taught me several tech- functional twisted wire network. When the appearance of freight-style K-beam niques, but most importantly he Gary returned he brought with him an catenary. In this system the wire is sus- encouraged me to just dive in and not AIU control box, one of the first off the pended below frames of steel beams be afraid to make a mistake. production line, and set me to work instead of running between towers My DCS finally arrived; unfortu- hooking up a few accessories while he under web of supporting wires. nately, my very early production system looked over the wiring. Don Silberbauer of Model Memories had some programming issues. After Gary and I discovered that a small agreed to make O scale K-beam cate- trying and failing to get my DCS up and loop of track was working well, and he nary for me. It took him a bit of time to running, I attended a DCS demonstra- used my DCS to set up a sequence of design and build a prototype and then tion held at the National Capital Track- commands and record them. Triggering make all the K-beams. I believe my lay- ers O gauge modular railroad club and the recorded sequence made an MTH out contains 18 different types of voiced my concerns to Gary Lavinus, RS-3 switcher shuttle a coal car back beams, ranging from single-track-width then an MTH representative. and forth between my Lionel no. 97 beams to a 10-track span that crosses Gary, a former national president of coal elevator, dumping the car and right through the heart of my layout the TCA, kindly offered to take a look refilling it in a continuous loop process. into the turntable area. at my layout and recommended that I It was an impressive demonstration of Don shipped me catenary wires in replace the grid wiring system I had the power of command control, and I straight sections, and we worked installed with paired wiring. I told him was determined to do whatever it would together to solve the puzzle of forming

50 Classic Toy Trains • October 2009 SIGNALING A RAILROAD FOR REALISTIC OPERATION Recently I installed an Atlas O/Custom Signaling system on I really enjoyed the entire process from the first, joining my layout. I’d waited a long time for production of a Pennsyl- the TCA in the 1990s and meeting Terry at York, following his vania RR-style system. I’m happy to say it was worth the wait. progress through the years, then teaming up with the Atlas O I really wanted to know the status of my trains via the sig- family and finally getting my own PRR signal system. nals. What I got was a system that allows that – and much The installation process is a simple series of repetitive more. I can even operate trains with a train-mounted video tasks. The first step is to create a track plan of your layout. You camera and my DCS remote without looking at the layout. then design the signal system (locations, signal types, switch Terry Christopher of Custom Signals [customsignals.com] numbers, and blocks) by adding an overlay on top of your and Steve Novak at Atlas O [atlaso.com] plan. Overlays are a breeze if you’re using teamed up to create a beautiful system. track planning software. Not only do the signals report train loca- Custom Signals’ Web site has instruc- tions via block occupancy, they can indi- tions that walk you through the process, cate trains running in either direction by and I’ve found Terry to be very responsive adding a module, a feature that puts to questions I’ve had. Pre-made signal Custom Signals above and beyond the plans are available, or you can even ask rest of the systems currently offered. Terry to design a system that meets your Custom Signals takes the standard exact needs. Once the design is settled, Atlas O signal system, creates prototypi- you order the signals and other products cal signal masts and multiple types of you want and start building. signal targets, and adds a circuit board ▲ The signals governing the move- The network wiring looks pretty intim- to sense switch position. The result is ment of this engine are not just for idating at first glance, but if you can fol- proper signal indications on prototypi- show – they operate in the same man- low the step-by-step diagrams, you’ll be cal-style light heads. ner as real railroad signals. fine. I found it rather enjoyable. Adding a single wire allows approach Finally, if you just don’t feel up to the lighting – a given signal remains dark until a train task, Custom Signals can do the wiring for you. approaches. Adding one more jumper wire groups signals In my case, I have a PRR catenary system, which required a together to form a prototypical approach lighting pattern. little more specialization. Custom Signals makes a bridge- Intermediate permissive signaling (needed for Centralized mount model that works with my signal bridges and K-beam Traffic Control operation) can be added by installing yet catenary supports, and I was able to adapt the MTH signal another jumper wire. bridge for the Custom Signals targets. These features make it possible for a dispatcher to com- The prototypical signal system was a long time in coming, pletely control the system from a remote CTC board using but they have added a remarkable new dimension to operat- the same rules that govern movement of real trains. ing trains on my layout. – Jamie Haislip

them into O scale curves. It sounds simple enough, but I found that it takes extreme patience and is guaranteed to make a soldering expert out of anyone! Making matters worse, I’d unknow- ingly chosen the most difficult part of my layout as a starting point – an S curve where the catenary wire must roll gracefully from inside to outside, while maintaining a realistic appearance and functioning properly. I almost felt like giving up, but the photo of the Lionel Acela that appeared in a 2004 catalog inspired me to push the project through to completion. I soon finished what I refer to as Phase I, about 60 linear feet of two-track catenary. It was at this point that I discovered, to my dismay, that every engine’s pantograph tracks a little differently. I’d originally built the system to work with a Lionel GG1, which requires a considerable outward reach on curves. Conversely, the Acela is a very tight- radius tracking engine, as is MTH’s ▲ 5. An Amtrak Acela high-speed trainset glides along the main line under Pennsylvania BB1, which has pantographs centered RR-style K-beam catenary. A photograph of this O gauge model in the 2004 Lionel cata- over the trucks. After a lot of trial and log inspired the author to continue building the intricate catenary structure. The train is passing the engine terminal area of Jamie’s 18 x 18-foot layout. www.ClassicToyTrains.com 51 ▲ 6. An MTH 4-6-2 Premier line Pennsylvania RR K4 passes a Lionel water tower just before passing under the Hell Gate Bridge. A Lionel rotary dump accessory can be seen error, I found that placing the main to the left, while a Lionel track speeder holds the siding at right. messenger wire approximately 1⁄8 inch from the outside of the center rail worked well with every engine type. Model Memories recently delivered the final poles for the layout, and I should have them installed by the time this article is printed. What’s next? I’ve opted to delay layout completion yet again to allow the purchase and installation of Atlas O’s new PRR-style signals. MTH has also re-run its PRR signal bridges, and I’ve installed several in place of some of the Phase I K-beams. I’ve begun to solder other signals to K-beams, as was the Pennsy’s practice on its electrified freight lines. I’ve also completed work on my central signal control board [see the “Signaling a railroad for realistic operation” sidebar – Editor.]

The reward One of my favorite places to railfan is along the Northeast Corridor, watching modern electrics fly by with the old PRR signals keeping me informed. In the near future, I’ll be able to stay at home and do the same; watching the latest ▲ 7. Jamie features two railroads on his layout, the Pennsylvania and Baltimore & Ohio. technology and going back in time with Here a B&O local switches industries in the valley. Above a PRR 0-6-0 picks up an empty the old PRR Standard of the World. dump car on the Bridge Solutions trestle.

52 Classic Toy Trains • October 2009