Rock Island v.2.0 - Silica Dreams (cont'd)

It's been a while since we have talked.  So Steven, what's up with the ROCK?

Well, nothing major has been completed on the layout since the last operating session.  Earlier this week I did complete the weight project where we added up to a 1/2oz of weight to nearly every car on the railroad.

The layout is staged in preparation for the op session next weekend.  Starting Saturday or so, I will start cleaning locomotive wheels and track.  I'm looking forward to operating with good friends.

We have heard numerous rumors about a ROCK v2.0?  The rumor mill seems to have intensified over the last few weeks.  Do you care to comment on this?

I can not deny the rumors surrounding the ROCK v.2.0.  It started off innocently enough with an article on Ottawa Silica operations provided by Steve Holzheimer.  Upon reading the article, I found myself hungry for more information.  Hours upon hours of extensive research was performed.  The idea of modeling the 16-mile stretch between Peru and Ottawa, IL seemed plausible as well as intoxicating!!  It's a very interesting section of railroad full of industry and operational interest.  The fact that the layout would actually represent the ROCK is very appealing.  The current layout was designed first with research on the ROCK second.  There is no discernible feature on the layout today that screams the ROCK.  I'm also very interested in not only operations, but the modeling aspect of trying to re-create the scenes as close to the prototype as possible.

What research have you done on the prototype?

I have found Bing Maps to be a great source of information for track arrangements and structures.  Some might think that most of these buildings are gone, but on the contrary much of the ROCK is still present even 30+ years later.  I have also found numerous magazine articles and forum posts on operations in the area.  I have compiled all my notes, drawings and plans into a bound notebook.

To fuel the need for information, just today, I received an out of print book from the sixties outlining operations at the Ottawa Silica mine.  It includes numerous photos as well as a history of the operations.  I have been searching for some time for just this information.

If you decide to build the ROCK v.2.0, what is your plan?

If a decision was to come down from the corporate office in the near future, operating session #11 on v.1.0 would be the last.  The layout would be disassembled preserving as much track and scenery items as possible.  Approximately 50-75 cars would be sold off as well as 6-8 locomotives.  Numerous structures would be sold as well.

I would estimate it would take roughly six months to tear down the existing layout and build back up to the basic benchwork with track and wiring.  I would schedule my first op session to be right before Thanksgiving 2013.

Wow!  That's a quick turnaround.  Do you think you can meet those goals?

Absolutely!  The first layout was constructed in the same time frame.  There is no overly complicated benchwork involved in v.2.0.  Only the slightest of grades will be added to the mainline for added interest in train handling.

Do you have any plans drawn for the future layout?

Below are some plans that were previously released as well as a third plan outlining a possible Peru-LaSalle arrangement.

Very nice!  What about operations?

I would convert from a Car Card and Waybill system to using Switchlists.  Crews on the Ottawa Local would be responsible for weighing all loads out of Ottawa Silica using an electronic scale track provided by Boulder Creek Engineering.

The layout has a potential of operating anywhere from 1 to 5 people.  Jobs could be run during solo operations or all-at-once.  Possible jobs on the layout could include: #217 Ottawa Local (1-2 man job), #118 LaSalle Local, Ottawa Yardmaster, CB&Q Local (being considered) and Dispatcher.

Have you tested some of your operational plans?

Yes!  Just recently, I took the sample switchlists I created and followed the moves on the drawings I made.  These jobs will be quite busy.  At first, I thought the Ottawa Local would be easier as it has less distance to cover.  Wrong!  In my test scenario, I found it to be quite complex.

For example, I was to pull 10 loads from the north end of the plant.  Five were being delivered to LOF, five to Ottawa Yard for destinations elsewhere.  To simulate the random weights generated by Boulder Creek Engineering's scale, I created a formula in Excel to generate random weights between 250,000 and 270,000 lbs.  The sand hoppers max gross weight is 263,000 lbs.  Not to leave cars strewn all over the plan, I only pulled the five cars for LOF at first.  I had a loaded box car of bagged sand that I picked up earlier as a buffer car.  I shoved the five cars onto the scale.  3 of the 5 were overweight.  Sadness!  I marked those on my switchlist and set them off on a track behind the sorting building.  I notified the plant manager and continued with my work.  Since  I had other cars to set off at LOF, I decided to perform that work while I waited for the three cars to be reduced.

I performed my work at LOF along with picking up seven empty sand hoppers for the (Ottawa Silica) mine.  Traveled back up to Ottawa Silica, spotted the empties on the south end of the plant in Track 2.

I went back up to the north end of the plant, picked up the five cars destined for points beyond Ottawa Yard as well as the three hoppers reduced by plant workers.  I weighed the 8 cars.  The three previously over tonnage were all fine now.  I did have one more over tonnage.  That car had to be set off to be reduced.  Wow!  Another one!  Contacted the plant and continued with my work...

Steven?  Steven?  

Sorry, I got a little excited talking about the operational potential of these jobs.  In summary, numerous trips were made between the Ottawa Silica plant and LOF before the job returned to Ottawa Yard for classification.  Both jobs are very involved.  It's not that I made them artificially overcomplicated.  It's simply modeling the prototype!  It's a wonder the ROCK ever made money.  Oh wait, never mind.

So, Steven, when can we expect the big announcement?

I'm still pondering the idea.  It would be an extremely large undertaking to dismantle the layout and rebuild.  The question is just how bad do I want to really model the ROCK.  Stay tuned for an official announcement.