Detroit Model Railroad Club Tour
Welcome to the virtual tour of the DETROIT MODEL RAILROAD CLUB LAYOUT. With this tour we hope to give you a better idea of our objectives and accomplishments. We have been working on this railroad since 1974. We never expect to get the railroad "finished" because we are continually changing it as we get experience operating it. Our major source of income is membership dues with help from the public open house. You can find the dates for this year by clicking on the open house dates link on the left side of the page.
Our Club's model railroad is called the DETROIT UNION RAILROAD and is being built in an exact scale of 1/4 inch to the foot. This is referred to as "O" Scale among model railroaders, and it means that the model of a forty (40) foot long box car is ten (10) inches long. The popular Lionel trains (which most of us started in model railroading) are the same size as our models but they are not exactly to scale.
The first section of our railroad you see when you enter the building is the city of Dorrance. The city is named after Perry Dorrance, the first president of our club, and is the western terminal of the DETROIT UNION RAILROAD. Many of the related structures are in place including a roundhouse, station, Railway Express Agency (REA), car repair building and the Duncan Junction switch tower. Operating facilities at Dorrance include a passenger coach yard, freight year and a self-aligning turntable. All these facilities and structures have been built in place "from scratch" by members of our Club. Many additional structures will be built in the town as time and budget permit.
The DETROIT UNION RAILROAD is patterned after the Union railroad of several midwest cities such as Cleveland, Cincinnati and St. Louis. The railroads serving the city organized a Union railroad, which was jointly owned and provided a single set of tracks into the city that all the owning railroads would share. Detroit never had a Union railroad, however several railroads serving Detroit used the old Fort Street Union Depot.
As the trains run east (to the right of the building) run on about 350 feet of double track mainline as they head towards Detroit. On the way to Detroit, the first thing the train passes is Duncan Junction, where the double track passenger mainline mergers with the double track mainline. In this area are some outstanding scenery features of our railroad, including rockwork, trees, stump and a hobo or two. One of the features is a bear that roams the area we call Bear Mountain.
After the curve around Bear Mountain, the train starts downgrade towards the valley and passes the Dorrance Signal Bridge. After passing the signal bridge, the train goes behind the mountain on the far side of the layout and emerges heading back through Nichols Crossing. The train then heads under Bear Mountain and come out of the tunnel to heading towards Pierson's Farm.
After passing Pierson's Farm, the train heads into a curved tunnel and comes out in the town of Hammondsport. Hammondsport is one of the two towns in the "Valley" (The other being Keatington). They are both serviced by the single track brach line. These towns provide "revenue traffic" for the railroad and allow for interchange of passengers and freight.
After leaving Hammondsport, the train then heads into yet another tunnel and enters Walkerville. In Walkerville, the three lines (The double track mainline, the single track and the branch line) run parallel for a short distance. From Walkerville, eastbound trains head into Detroit.
In Detroit there is an additional 200 feet of track under the floor. There are two five track storage yards and two reversing loops. We are currently working on plans to renovate Detroit and it will be the eastern terminal of the railroad. Detroit is in the lower level of our redesigned theatre.
In Detroit, the train has one of two options,first it can run the double track reverse loop and come up the west bound track of the double track mainline. The second option is the train can run through to the single track mainline.
After getting clearance, the train then heads out of Detroit and in to the valley. In the Valley is Mohan Mine. Clearing the valley the train heads into the first town in the Valley, Keatington. Keatington is the interchange between the single track and brach line. Goods and passengers can be unloading of trains on the single track and then be loaded or board trains on the brach line.
After leaving Keatington, the train heads into a tunnel and enters the tiny town of Smith's Creek. Once the train exits Smith's Creek it runs on the single track parrell to the double track in Walkerville. The train then makes several upgrade loops and heads over the Curved Trestle an into the Power Plant. Eventually, there will be a power plant that will use coal from Mohan Mine.
Once the train leaves the Power Plant, the train heads up the toughest grade on the mainline and into Maguire. In Maguire is a diamond interchange with the brach line as it heads into Millersburg. Once the train leaves Maguire it heads into the eight track storage yard called Summit.
During open houses up to sixteen (16) complete trains can be stored in Summit. They are dispatched almost randomly, so that visitors see a large variety of equipment in operation. Leaving Summit, the trains head into Ripper's Junction and back to Dorrance.
Above Summit is the newly constructed Beck. Two loops of track (called helix) have been constructed which will connect the towns of Maguire and Beck. When the track and all of the associated wiring is finished, a mountain will be built in this area which will go almost to the ceiling. Trackage in Williamsburg will be expanding service several industries and provide interchange with other railroads.
At the far end of the building is the town of Millersburg, which is the terminus of the brach line and serves a large coal mine in the area. Millersburg is also the interchange with the new narrow gauge line. There is also a dual gauge track and a coal processing area.
Above Millersburg, is the club meeting room, which contains our extensive model railroading library and our Dispatching center. The dispatcher runs the mainline. Traffic does not move onto or anywhere on the railroad with out permission of the dispatcher. This is they way the real railroads run.
In spring 2004, we switch over to Digital Command Control (DCC). Each engine has a computer chip that is programmed to a certain number (usually the road number of the engine). Each engineer has a throttle that can be programmed to the chip in the engine his is controlling and allows him to control the speed and direction of his train just like in the real world. The engineer communicates with the dispatcher by using FRS radios.
With the addition of DCC we have added sound to our layout as well. We look forward to you visiting our club.
