Layout Plan

The layout room is 16x22, with a staging yard in cabinets on the left side and top side of the drawing - these cabinet are accessed from other parts of the basement.

Let me take you on a tour from east to west. On the top and left side of the drawing, you can see the staging yard in the cabinet. This is 48" off the ground.

The eastern end of the railroad starts at the top where the main exits the staging cabinet. At this point the track is under the Akron Hill Yard. The track remains hidden until it emerges from under the siding for F. W. Albrecht Grocery Co (upper right on the plan). Here we enter the town of Ravenna. I included a Milk Siding that was mentioned on the form 6. I also included a spur to the Ravenna Ordnance Plant. This was a huge facility (10 miles long by a few miles wide). I choose to add this as a spur that disappears under the line from Cuyahoga Falls to Akron. Also, this is the terminus for the Akron Ravenna turn. Since there is no room for a passing siding, I put two crossovers in so the engine could runaround for the return trip. The interesting thing about this turn is that on the prototype the engine ran reverse on its way back to Akron (I saw that in one of the videos).

Leaving Ravenna, we go underneath a Truss bridge and along the wall and up the grade into Cuyahoga Falls. This will probably be a 1.4% grade. The 180+ degree curve is the tightest radius on the main line at 27.5" on the inside track. I did that to keep the aisle from becoming too narrow. Cuyahoga Falls will be at 54" from the ground and the highest point on the layout. All of the industries here along with the PRR interchange will be handled by the Akron Ravenna turn. I chose industries here from the Form 6 that had lots of traffic or sounded interesting. Modelers license comes in here as I've moved stuff around to suite operation and layout needs.

Out of Cuyahoga Falls we have a 1.5 % grade down to Akron Junction. I've also included the F. W. Albrecht Grocery Co since the B & O delivered 88 loads per month to it. I put it here in the corner since I thought it was a good place for a siding. This will also be handled by the Akron Ravenna turn.

This brings us to the Akron Junction Hill Yard. There is also the line down to the CT&V (More on that later). The Hill Yard will be at 52".

Leaving the Hill Yard, we start a 1.4 % fall into Akron Union Station. In real life, the line rose, but that does not suit my purposes. I remember looking at this area when I was a kid as we crossed the route 8 bridge. There was a big hill side covered with trees with rail lines going across at three different levels. Pretty cool (Click here to see what this looks like today). Also notice the double sided back drop that separates this scene from the Akron Union Station. I've included a spur for the AC&Y interchange (over 1000 cars per month were delivered or received). I hope to have this disappear behind a cut. The Akron Hill Yard switcher can work this interchange.

Finally, we enter Akron Union Station The track will be back at 48" again. I have the setout tracks and the REA siding like the prototype had (See page 73 of Harry Stegmaier's 'Baltimore and Ohio Passenger Service, 1945-1971 - Volume 2'). Then the line disappears into the staging cabinet.

On the CT&V leaving the Akron Main before the Hill Yard, we descend a 2.5% grade (the prototype was really steep) to the CT&V. I've included the enginehouse, but there is no way to put the wye in. Fortunately, I have other means to turn engines. More on that later. I took a lot of Modelers License with the CT&V. First of all, I had it go through Akron Union Station, which the prototype did not do. In real life, the Erie passed this side of the B&O Main. I do not plan on having CT&V Passenger trains stop here. I just did it because it was the best fit. Also, there is a crossover with the Main Line that I added for the purpose of turning trains.

The B & O switched on the Akron Belt Line which on the prototype was after the Akron Valley Yard. I put it before since it fit. I've included the Quaker Oats facility for two reasons: 1) It had a lot of traffic and 2) It is a signature building on the Akron Skyline (can be seen in the background of the Stegmaier picture I referred to above). I've also decided this is where my brewery should go - I like beer, therefore I need a brewery. The Belt Line will continue around the curve and disappear into something. The Belt Line will be switched by the Akron Valley Yard Switcher.

Back on the CT&V, we will head downgrade at 2.5% as we leave Akron Union Station. The track will go under the Akron Main and Emerge into the Akron Valley Yard at 44". Finally, we have the Akron Howard Street Station for the Cleveland bound passenger trains.

From the Howard Street Station, we enter the CT&V staging which will go down grade at 1.5% under the Akron Hill Yard, finally reaching 40" at the duckunder. This will be the lowest part of the layout. I had it go down to 41" so there would be easy access under the layout to fix any issues. Here I will have a five track 8' 8" transfer table which will be underneath Ravenna. From the transfer table, there will be a return loop under Cuyahoga Falls. This will allow me to turn my CT&V trains