17 – Linden Avenue Terminal

Brett Ballard
Owensboro, Kentucky, USA


Linden Avenue Terminal is a slightly different concept. I decided to use the Trackmobile not only as a switcher, but also as a road engine — on a passenger-oriented railroad to boot! The layout is 4 square feet and attempts to recreate the typical functions of turning a passenger consist.

The cars are the ultra-short Piker and Oscar passenger cars that Walthers re-released about 6-7 years ago. They’re not currently on the market, but may be available at swap meets. Scratchbuilders could assemble cars using parts from Bethlehem Car Works. Several manufacturers make 6-wheel trucks.

A typical session would be this: the line’s premier train, The Extremely Limited, enters from the staging track consisting of the Trackmobile, an express car, coach and observation. It pulls into track 1, leaving enough room for the Trackmobile to uncouple, pull forward, drop the tires and drive around the train. It re-rails, pulls the observation over the turntable (the CD turntable on this site would work great), and then pushes it into track 2. Next it pulls the coach from 1 and couples it to the observation. Then it drops the tires, runs around to the front of the express car, re-rails, and pushes it into the REA track. After refueling, it pulls the express car onto 1, runs around, attaches it to the other cars on 2 and heads out. Day is done!

(NOTE: The author does not explain how he intends to simulate rubber-tired running with the rails-only Factory Direct Trackmobile. I believe he plans to physically pick up the unit and place it on the rails elsewhere, and so no alterations would be required to the stock Trackmobile model.)