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"Hammertown" Steel Mills - Big Freight and Commuter

Hamilton Harbour Big Freight and Commuter Lines

My inspiration for this came from Hammaneggs posting his partially finished Industrial Layout a few weeks ago. I took it and made it MUCH larger to model the Hamilton, Ontario harbour and some of the surrounding areas including big freight yards that service the Dofasco Steel works and three GO Train stations. Hamilton and the surrounding scenery can be dramatic with the stark contrast of heavy industry and natural beauty. My kids used to call it “Mordor” when we drove over the Burlington Skyway. I hope you enjoy this version of “Hammertown”.

The main line through Hamilton is one of the busiest in North America with approx 75 daily trains. Given the position on the tip of Lake Ontario, it handles a large percentage of the trade between the US and Canada. This a legitimate place where you will spot trains from Canadian National (CN), VIA Rail, Canadian Pacific Rail (CPR), GO Transit, Amtrak and other US and Canada freight and passenger carriers. I used Google earth extensively to inspire some of the features.

Comments and feedback welcome. Thanks again to Hammaneggs for the inspiration.

Many challenges to test your Operator Skills (Clockwise main line is most common): Have Fun!

1 – Take the GO Train from Aldershot Station towards Toronto for a tour of the layout and leave it back on Track 1 at Aldershot
2- Assemble a GO train from the marshalling yard and take it on its normal route from West Harbour Station to Aldershot and then around again, by-pass the main line through Hamilton to leave it on Track 2 in Aldershot
3 - Dispatch any two locos from CN Yard, spot 8 mixed tank cars at Dofasco and bring them back to the CN Freight Yard
4- Dispatch 2 locos with 4 mixed boxcars from CN yard to Dofasco ship loading area
5-Dispatch 2 CPR Locos with 6 mixed CPR box cars from Kinnear Yard to CN Yard for exchange
6- With the 2 CPR locos marshal a train with 8 empty well cars at CN Yard, spot 8 full well cars at Dofasco 4 with pipes, 4 with beams. Exchange empty cars for full and bring full cars back to CN yard for shipping later
7 – CPR Retrieve 6 CPR box cars from CN yard and return to Kinnear yard
8- Spot Amtrack passenger train and dispatch to Toronto, return train to Kinnear Yard
9-Spot CPR Royal Hudson and 5 vintage passenger cars, assemble train, dispatch to Toronto and return train to Kinnear Yard
10-Spot CPR F7 passenger train, dispatch to upper deck of Hamilton station, dispatch to Aldershot but return via counter clockwise loop
11- Spot very rusty tank cars on sidings at Dofasco, assemble them and deliver to scrap processing yard for recycling
12-Exchange full coal cars from CN yard for empty 3 hopper cars at Dofasco ship docks
13-Locate repair sheds and retrieve repaired livery for use in operations later

Then for a real challenge, send two passenger trains in a continuous loop at speed level 4 on both main lines clockwise and counter clockwise and then repeat freight operations without a collision. That is what it is really like in Hamilton!

Here are some of the mod locations:
3 Bay Hoppers - Canada Collection
https://www.rollinglinemodding.com/viewtopic.php?f=8&t=457&p=1441&hilit=3+bay#p1441
Bombardier Bi Level Coaches (For Go Train)
https://rollinglinemodding.com/viewtopic.php?f=10&t=271
Use with this GO Transit skin for the cabs only:
https://www.rollinglinemodding.com/viewtopic.php?f=8&t=571&p=1959&hilit=go+transit#p1959
Still waiting for a good new GO Train Loco mod/skin
Braced Flat Beds for Pipes and Beams:
https://rollinglinemodding.com/viewtopic.php?f=10&t=215&p=2541&hilit=braced#p2541
Pain Train’s Great SD70ACE Model:
https://www.rollinglinemodding.com/viewtopic.php?f=10&t=60
Some CP Skins including SD70ACE:
https://rollinglinemodding.com/viewtopic.php?f=8&t=94
A-Train’s great SD70m-2 CN:
https://rollinglinemodding.com/viewtopic.php?f=10&t=172

Please let me know if I am missing any mods.