My "Givens and Druthers" list includes the following (subject to modification or editing at any time, although wholesale changes are unlikely).
Givens
- Industrial Theme heavy on switching
- Based on B&O operations in Baltimore, MD
- Chessie System era (Specifically the seven days between July 11 and July 17, 1984)
- Proto-freelanced, replicating some features of Baltimore relatively faithfully, while other features are an attempt to capture the flavor of the area.
- 30" minimum radius (mainline)
24" minimum radius (industrial)
- Street running
- Code 100 rail on the Wicomico St. Module (since it will all be "under the pavement" anyway)
- Code 83 rail on visible portions, Code 100 in staging
- Peco Turnouts
- Maximum Grade: 2%
- Point-to-point operation
- Continuous running option for breaking in locomotives and open houses
- Coal branch to have a place to use some of the Craftsman-style kits that I've been acquiring over the last couple years.
- LDE-style representation of Wicomico St. in Baltimore
- Control System: Digitrax DCC
- No duckunders
Druthers
- Specific Industries to Model:
- Ellicott Engineering (Wicomico St.)
- GM Auto plant
- Brewery
- Coal Mine
- Coal Dock
- Paper Mill
- TOFC Ramp
- Interchange with at least one other railroad (in order of preference):
- Conrail
- N&W (yes, I'm taking some license with the timeline and the location)
- Wachusett & Erie (my original free-lanced road)
- Phased construction
- Phase 1: Wicomico St module
- Phase 2: Black Lick Coal Branch
- Phase 3/4: Halethorpe Industrial Area
- Phase 3/4: Sparrow's Point Branch
- Layout Height: On average 53" - 56" (With some staging below)
- Minimum Aisle width: 30" (36" preferred)
- A minimum of legs
- Operating scheme controlled by car cards and waybills.
The reason for the "Phase 3/4" designation in the druthers list is that I'm not sure which section I would tackle first.
