Overall Layout Theme

So, I'll start with some of my goals for this model railroad.  I've always loved the absolutely unique nature of the Trinity Railway Express rolling stock.  From the sleek trapezoidal Bombardier cars and the boxy, bulldog-ish look of the F59PH locomotives, to the bulbous modern-yet-quirky look of its younger sibling the F59PHI, to the crown jewels of the fleet: the beautiful, sleek, retro-art-deco RDC1's.

Combine that variety with the almost infinite array of freight cars and modern diesels that could show up on any given day, and it really is an excellent choice for a fun and interesting modern model railroad.   So my recent decision to try my hand at z-scale--almost exclusively a result of AZL running the Bombardier/F59 sets on fire sale--left very little doubt as to the What, When, and Where.

 OK, well that last one did present a challenge of sorts.  Even though the entire line is only 34 miles long, it would be impossible to effectively model even a very compressed version of the entire line.  To complicate things further, I really just wanted to build a very small, "glorified test loop" of sorts...something that would allow me to run the TRE equipment and maybe a few spurs to give an impression of some freight activity.  My initial focus was on TRE's Rock Island yard and nearby South Irving station, home to a wye where BNSF's line from Tulsa ties in.  But to effectively model them in a small space was a lesson in frustration, and a lot of expensive trackwork that really was mostly for static looks versus actual operations.   So, I trudged forward with attempting to come up with other ideas.

As time marched on, I was able to begin running trains "tabletop style" and I was also seeing the legitimacy of actually being able to do some switching in Z.  The current scheme developed as I was thinking about the industrial area that would have been the eastern terminus of the "Rock Island/South Irving" plan, which included a Frito Lay plant and another rail served warehouse.  So as I moved further east from there, past the river crossing is Mockingbird yard and an industrial branchline that juts to the northeast and ultimately includes just enough industry to make it manageable.   And, includes one of my FAVORITE industries, the Dallas Coca-Cola plant.

The other thought I was having through all this is...."how do I model the TRE stations?".  And not just the physical platforms and parking lots, but operationally.    But I came up with an absolutely bulletproof plan....I eliminated them!   I decided what I REALLY wanted to do was watch the TRE trains run, all the while doing some switching here and there.   SO, I am modeling the line between South Irving station and Medical Market station, but stopping just short of actually modeling the stations themselves.   That way, no need for constant awkward commuter train stops--or worse, trains blowing past stations--when they're just cruising around the layout.

I will post the plan shortly, in a followup post, but in a space of roughly 24x54 inches I have a complete doubletrack mainline, a very compact version of Mockingbird yard, the Trinity River crossing, Nine industrial spots, and one hidden interchange track that depicts the part of the branchline that zags back to the northwest away from the Coca-Cola plant.     I think it will be a fun layout, in a very small space, that will allow me the ability to actually participate in the layout building aspect of the hobby for a bit, even though my available space is minimal.   Only in Z...  ;-)