Turning attention on Traction

Today a majority of railroad modelers live in apartments or slab floor condominiums, where hobby space for O-scale trains is at a premium. In such a situation modeling Traction as the layouts Theme offers great potential, especially for the way freight enthusiast, because you can prototypically run shorter trains on tighter radius. Although in the past the majority of traction modelers focused mainly on the Prohibition Era, many new 3-rail R-T-R models are actually of the more contemporary traction that you might currently be riding yourself.

Traction layouts are perfect for the Freelance modeler who loves variety, as pretty much any unconventional solution that you might imagine was tried on a prototype traction railway somewhere. Custom orders/modifications, used equipment trading, and running cars decades old is very common on the prototype, so within a broad Era boundary it is okay to mix-n-match differing traction models (even those still sporting their old owners monicker).

The vertical space which is wasted on most layouts becomes useable on a Traction layout. It is prototypical for urban traction to run on street level, subway, and elevated tracks in the same location simultaneously, which effectively increases model layout real estate by up to 200%. While there are normally no issues if only subway, street level, or elevated tracks are modeled, or if multiple levels of trains always stay on their assigned level, be cognizant that the minimum height clearances beneath a structure for them to be classified as "unrestrictive" is 14 feet for automobiles and 22 feet for trains.

A long grade to change levels is prototypical, although the length can be mitigated somewhat if both the incline rises and the ground falls away concurrently. 3-rail modelers should never exceed an uphill grade of 6% on a curve (and not much more on a tangent), and always make an effort to ease vertical curves [EXPLANATION]. When train level change must occur in the same model scene (a situation you should try to avoid), a hidden helix (or perhaps a switchback with pantograph streetcars) is a space saving way to allow the same train to exit, then return on a different height level. An elegant solution that eliminates the need for any sort of incline, is to use a pass-through view block where the scenery on the other side of the view block is vertically shifted to be higher or lower as appropriate.

Hauling Freight with Traction (*.pdf)
Indiana's Interurban Operations (*.pdf)


Heavy Electric

Drawing power from an external power source has been a part of Conventional railroading in North America for over a century. Amtrak's Acela is merely the latest in a long chain of electrified trains. Many people think of Heavy Electric Locomotives [EXPLANATION] as only pulling Commuter trains, when in fact they pull freight just as often. One interesting use of Heavy Electrics is by Passenger Terminal Railroads. If a station's platforms are underground, or if the station must be accessed by a long tunnel, then steam locomotives (and often diesels as well) cannot be used. Some distance from the station the polluting locomotives are swapped with Heavy Electric locomotives [EXPLANATION] of the Terminal Railroad, which then pull the trains into the station. Due to their superior climbing ability, Heavy Electric engine swapping is also not uncommon on freight railroads in areas plagued with steep grades [EXPLANATION].

Theming a model layout around a Terminal Railroad locomotive changing area for a Union Station would form a good layout for a modeler who enjoys locomotive hostling and/or who needs to justify their overly large locomotive roster. The layout can be as simple as a single-siding shelf vignette with staging track on each end, or as complex as a fully fledged locomotive servicing scene (have your turntable, passenger cars, and traction too...).

Traction Freight Railways are direct competitors to conventional railroads in the same manner as any other railroad, although they tend to appear more often in urban settings due to their ability to negotiate sharper curves, and to operate in tunnels or on elevated right-of-way. As they are built to the same gauge as conventional railroads, they are common carriers that directly Interchange freight cars like any other railroad.

A possible conventional railroad layout scene could be a normal dummy interchange track, but equipped with dummy overhead wire to suggest a Traction interchange.


Rapid Transit

The bi-directional Rapid Transit lines serve the same customer base as short conventional railroad Commuter lines or long county bus lines, typically connecting edge of city airports with the downtown (like the Cleveland Rapid). Due to their use of an electrified third rail, their tracks are laid on exclusive right-of-way. While this tends to isolate the Rapid Transit lines, it also allows them to operate at high speeds. They typically operate only within metropolitan limits (although not always, like the BART), and are common as Subways. Passenger cars are shorter (sometimes run in off-peak trains only 2 cars long), which allows them to negotiate tight curvature. Some systems use elevated track (like the Chicago "L") that may be shared with streetcars, interurbans, or even some interchanged freight (although a bypassing track may possibly be necessary for freight to clear passenger platforms).

Interaction with conventional passenger railroads will only occur at a cities major passenger train terminal (such as the Cleveland Terminal Tower station), where passengers and their luggage must change trains. A possible Rapid Transit layout could feature the interior of a Union Station, with a rapid transit platform on the far side (or even on a level below) the conventional railroad platforms. This could either be a scenery element on a conventional passenger layout, or merely a small portion of a large Rapid Transit Themed layout with closely spaced working signals.


Interurban

An Interurban car is simply an electrified version of the Rail Cars used by conventional railroad commuter lines during off-peak hours, or to service low traffic intercity lines. They operate on the same type of track as conventional railroads (often using the same signal systems), but strung with overhead wire. Most cars can negotiate slightly sharper curves than conventional passenger cars (allowing them to travel down town streets), and some have the ability to pull an interchanged passenger car. Many Interurban railways focus on rural customers (like intercity bus lines), servicing the small towns often bypassed by conventional passenger railroads.

While primarily in the passenger transport business (including providing lounging, sleeping, and dining services), most Interurban Railways are also express freight carriers. They mostly use their own captured service express freight carrying equipment (combine cars or short LCL freight trailers), but will also employ a heavy electric locomotive (or occasionally even an EMD NW2 sized switcher) to haul a little interchanged freight.

Interurban cars run on frequent schedules, and often travel at rapid speeds in open country. Although usually run as a single car in length, they can be coupled together into longer trains. Zephyr-like articulated units (i.e., the Electroliners [EXPLANATION]) are not unheard of. Unlike many intercity bus lines [EXPLANATION] (Greyhound, Trailways, etc.), most Interurban lines are direct railroad competetors. Interaction with conventional railroads typically occurs at a towns railroad station, where passengers will change trains (normally) or a passenger car will be interchanged (very rarely). Interurbans will either share the railroads train station, or make use of a large nearby streetcar depot.

Note that conventional railroads (and very rarely Interurbans) will operate their own intercity bus line (as does Amtrak [EXAMPLE]) as feeder, which they place on their railroad system map and timetable. Conventional railroads also have good relationships with independent intercity bus lines, who in cities will typically situate a substantial bus depot [EXAMPLE] (often featuring a restaurant) across the street from their train station.

In the right market, there is no reason why an Interurban Railway could not be profitably functioning in modern times, especially as truck replacing express carrier. An excellent layout (and due to tight curvature one that will better fit a limited train space) would be a model of a busy Interurban Railway, which includes a dummy interchange to a conventional railroad.


Light Rail Vehicle

The bi-directional articulated LRVs fill the gap between Rapid Transit and Streetcars. Operating on similar routes as articulated city busses, they will often travel over both public streets and dedicated right-of-way during their run. They only interact with conventional railroads at Commuter stations, functioning as commuting passenger feeders (such as between Caltrain and the VTA).

A possible layout might be a micro shelf layout, representing a LRV stub-end turnaround at a (shallow structure) commuter station.


Streetcar

Streetcars run on a timetable, and are the tracked equivalent of local fixed route busses (both conventional and trolley-busses). They only interact with conventional railroads in the same way as city busses do (meaning merely a "stop" at the door of a railroad passenger station). Taxicabs/limos and Taxivans/shuttles are essentially local busses without a timetable or fixed route. Stations will provide a "taxi stand" for their use. Before they left for near exclusive location at airports, car rental companies would sometimes operate beside a train station.

Streetcars being used as scenery should never be allowed to run amok. Examine a timetable from a large city bus system (especially a city with a commuter line or ferry system bus stop), and adapt it to make your streetcars move more logically, and in tune with train schedules.

The Theme of a streetcar layout would be Streetcars exclusively, perhaps also sharing a little track with an Interurban Railway. Fancy street trackage (and perhaps even some subway) would be a highlight.