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"Model Railroad Engineer - Civil"

I have no idea why "Model Railroad Engineer - Civil" was the second Certificate I went for. Perhaps it was because my layout already had many of the elements required for this certificate.

I had used "3D Railroad Concept and Design" software to design my layout, so generating a track plan with the appropriate features identified was fairly simple. As I mentioned, the layout already contained all six of the required physical features. The hardest part of this for me, then, was scratchbuilding the trackwork.

I earned this certificate on July 30, 2002.

The requirements are (again, edited for this website; visit www.nmra.org for the complete wording):

Prepare one original scale drawing of a model railroad track plan, identifying size, scale, elevations, curve radii, and turnout sizes. This plan must include terminal facilities for handling freight cars, for storage of motive power. It must have a minimum of one mainline passing siding, four switching locations, a way to turn motive power, and a way to operate at least two mainline trains in either direction.

In addition, construct a completed section of the model railroad and track work described above, containing at least 50 feet in HO, with appropriate ballast, drainage facilities, and roadbed profile. The track work must have six of the following features (those that I had on my layout are indicated in red):

1. Passing Siding
2. Spur
3. Crossover
4. Reversing Loop
5. Wye
6. Simple Ladder
7. Compound Ladder
8. Turntable
9. Transfer Table
10. Super Elevation
11. Simple Overhead Wire
12. Compound Overhead Wire (catenary)
13. Scale Track
14. Cog Railway Track
15. Coal Dump Track
16. Ash Pit
17. Service Pit Track
18. Grade Elevation

Finally scratchbuild models of any three of the following. and demonstrate their satisfactory operation (those I constructed are indicated in red, and are shown below):

1. Turnout
2. Crossover
3. Double Crossover
4. Single Slip Switch
5. Double Slip Switch
6. Crossing
7. Gauntlet Track
8. Gauntlet Turnout
9. Dual Gauge Turnout
10. Gauge Separation Turnout
11. Double Junction Turnout
12. Three-Way Turnout
13. Spring Switch
14. Operating Switch in Overhead Wire
15. Other ___________

 

The following is what I submitted to the judge as my trackplan.

The second requirement above is to construct at least a 50-foot section of this layout plan. If you've visited the "Finished Scenes" or "Scenery" pages of this website, you know I've done that, so, rather than waste server space and repeat those shots, I'll just ask you to take a look at those pages.

The following are some construction shots of the scratchbuilt trackwork I made for this certificate.

	The first scratchbuilt trackage I built was a #6 turnout. I used Campbell Switch Ties and MicroEngineering spikes, and assembled it on a piece of Homosote (painted white). I learned later that I should have stained the ties first. You can see that I'm using a Walthers #6 as a guide.
	The next piece of track I attempted was the crossover. Again, I used Campbell Switch Ties (prestained!!), and this time also ballasted it before I laid the tracks. That's the completed #6 turnout in the back.
	Same crossover, except here I've built one of the two frogs.
	To me, the biggest challenge was the crossing. Because this had to be a working model, the electrical gaps had to be properly placed, which was a challenge working with such small pieces of track. Here you can see I'm in the middle of building the diamond. According to the research I did, that's the proper tie placement for a crossing like this.
	Here's the finished crossing. You can see that I opted to put 4 spikes on every tie -- something the judge was impressed with!
	And here are all three track models. Although the requirements doesn't ask for this, I decided to fully ballast and scenic each. I had to demonstrate to the judge that each of these track sections actually worked. So I mounted two 3-foot sections of flextrack to some Homosote and used rail joiners to plug them on to each side of each section of these tracks, then ran some electricity to the flextrack.

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