021 The Utah Night Shift - AP Civil

AP Civil for the Utah Night Shift Railroad

I’m going to work on Electrical, Civil and Scenery all at the same time, and Civil will come second after Electrical because I need my layout running well and diagramed before I start scratchbuilding turnouts.  So we’ll focus on this with the intent to get it done by late August. 

My notes in BLUE

Steps I need to take in RED

Here is my check list:

Achievement Program

Model Railroad Engineer - Civil

To qualify for the Model Railroad Engineer - Civil certificate:

1.       Prepare one original scale drawing of a model railroad track plan, identifying overall size, scale, track elevations, curve radii, and turnout sizes.

Before you start drawing your layout plan, look at requirements B & C to see what features you are going to want to incorporate in your track plan. Remember: you do not need to build everything on this plan, just the minimum required part of it. The plan should be neat and legible, but it does not have to be in ink.

You should also consider the requirements for Model Railroad Engineer - Electrical, and Chief Dispatcher when planning your layout - it is much easier to include the requirements in the planning stage than to go back and add them later.

The track plan is about done.  All I have to do is to update it for Civil.  Curve radii need to be spelled out.  I’ll draw in the turntable for Civil and we’ll put it in temporarily. 

This plan must include:

A.      Adequate terminal facilities for handling freight and/or passenger cars

This will vary, depending on the nature of your layout. Keep in mind that a railroad needs to have a reason to exist, other than to provide modelers and railfans something to look at! There needs to be someone that will pay for it to haul something from one place to another, be it lumber, coal, fruit, passengers, etc. (and usually more than one thing). Your plan and your layout should reflect this. Remember, you don't necessarily have to build these facilities, just include them in your plan. This is to show that you know what the design of a logical terminal facility would look like.

The layout is designed around prototypical customers for freight, and a three track yard to handle the receiving of trains and the breaking them down for delivery to customers, as well as the return of the empties/loads.

B.      Adequate terminal facilities for storage and service of motive power

This doesn't mean you need a turntable with a twenty stall roundhouse. For a small operation, a simple engine house with a fueling track may be sufficient. It should be consistent with the theme of the rest of your plan. Again, remember that you don't necessarily have to build these facilities, just show that you know how to plan one.

There will be a single track in the yard for light maintenance and storage.  This will include fuel, office, sand, and tools.   My prototype does not have a covered building for locomotive work.

C.      A minimum of one mainline passing siding

The passing siding is next to the yard and main.

D.      Four switching locations, not counting yards, interchanges, wyes, and reversing loops

There are more than four spurs for industries on the layout.

E.       Provision for turning motive power (except for switchbacks, trolley lines, etc.)

A turntable will be drawn in to the plan, mostly for Civil, but will be removed after completion of Civil.

F.       Provision for simultaneous operation of at least two mainline trains in either direction.

The DCC system and its electrical propulsion drawing will satisfy this.

2.       Construct and demonstrate, the satisfactory operation of a completed section of the model railroad and track work described in #1. Containing at least 25 linear feet in Z, N, or TT scale, or 50 linear feet in HO or S scale, or seventy five linear feet in O scale, or 100 linear feet in G or #1 scale, or other scales in proportional relationship to HO scale, with appropriate ballast, drainage facilities, and roadbed profile, which may contain spurs, yards, etc.

Notice that last part - 50 feet of track, not 50 feet of main line - all operational track counts. While there is some element of scenery (appearance) to the track work and ballasting, the greatest number of points come from Construction and Conformity. In other words, what you need to show is that you know how to build track following prototype practice.

I need to do a final check on the 50 feet for this HO scale layout.  I’m sure I’m over it with the large yard, but I’m still moving track.  I have extension room if I need more.  The track will be built as per Trax manual guidelines and from actual photographs.  Stone ballast, drainage and shoulders, etc will be from prototype photos.

The track work must have examples of six of the following features:

Items not used or considered have been removed.

§  Passing Siding – one on main and yard area

§  Spur – several of them

§  Crossover – two of them

§  Simple Ladder (3 tracks) – in the yard

§  Super Elevation (add to drawing on Trax mainline curves)

§  Service Pit Track (need to add this to the drawing)

              Construct for Merit Judging, scratch built scale models of any three of the following, and demonstrate their satisfactory operation:

Items not used or considered have been removed.

§  Turnout (point type)

§  Crossover

§  Crossing

Commercial frogs are not permitted to be used in any of these items. These models may be built and demonstrated as part of the layout or separately.

              You must win a Merit Award (at least 87.5 points) with the items in section 3 above.

Notice that you only have to win a Merit Award with the items in section 3 - the trackwork items in section 2 don 't have to be judged at all, except to demonstrate that they work. They must be available for examination by the judges, however.

              You must submit a Statement of Qualification (SOQ - available from the Regional AP Manager) which includes the following:

 .         Attachment to the SOQ showing the track plan required in Section 1 above. The attachment should include:

§  Identification of all scratch built features Start a word file on all these items.  Mostly from the Blog.

§  All commercial components used

§  Materials used in building the model

A.      Description of the track work features, methods of construction and identification of commercial components used in Section 3. Start a word file on all these items. 

B.      Verification of the Merit Awards

C.      Witness Certification showing that each of the above models meets all applicable NMRA standards.