Introduction to the Union Project: Layout Planning & Design for a VIA Rail, Go Transit Layout.

Welcome to the introduction of my new N scale layout project titled Union. In this episode I want to go over the inspiration for this project, the history of the railroad, layout design, and next steps. Let's get started. I've always been interested in Canadian railway passenger services. My very first railway memory was riding a Via Rail passenger train and being given a paper LRC modeled by the attendant. I had never considered modeling Canadian passenger trains due to the scarcity of locomotives and rolling stock. That was until I met an individual selling GO Transit passenger equipment from a personal collection. I managed to purchase a GP40, an MP40PH, and 17 passenger cars, including 5 control cabs. Rapido's Canadian set will be released soon, so I've pre-ordered 2 FP40s and 10 stainless steel bud cars. With this I now have enough equipment to model some version of Toronto's Union Station. Let's take a brief look at the history of Via Rail and GO Transit. In the 1960s passenger service for the Canadian National Railway and the Canadian Pacific Railway were no longer economically viable. CP sought to divest themselves of passenger services, but the federal government required them to maintain operations. Almost a decade later the Canadian government implemented a nationwide carrier, and CN began branding their passenger services as Via or ViaCN. Shortly thereafter CN Passenger Services became a separate crown corporation, Via Rail Canada, assuming all CP Rail passenger operations. Via Rail Canada continues as a crown corporation, operating over 500 trains per week and over 4.5 million passenger voyages each year, including transcontinental, regional, and corridor services. Via Rail services span from Prince Rupert, British Columbia to Halifax, Nova Scotia, reaching as far north as Churchill, Manitoba and as south as Windsor, Ontario, with all routes passing through Toronto's Union Station. Toronto's Union Station is also the home of GO Transit. GO Transit is an integrated rail and bus commuter network centered in downtown Toronto. GO was created in 1967 by the provincial government, later becoming a crown agency under the Greater Toronto Transit Authority. The original GO train service ran along a single rail line on the shores of Lake Ontario. With the introduction of new routes and services, GO needed to increase ridership capacity, and in 1978 introduced the now iconic bi-level passenger cars, increasing ridership capacity by over 70%. With a roster of over 90 locomotives and 970 coaches, GO's bi-level passenger trains now carry over 55 million passengers a year across 8 regional rail lines, spanning from Kitchener to Oshawa and Barrie to Niagara Falls, with all trains passing through Toronto's Union Station. Knowing where and what I wanted to model, I listed some additional requirements for this project. I wanted a double mainline, and I wanted to keep benchwork construction to a single level. Hidden staging was fine, but I didn't want complicated benchwork like a helix. I needed the layout to be semi-portable, so in the event of a move it could be transported. I wanted to make sure I had lots of opportunity to create urban scenery, and I wanted to capture the fly-under at Bathurst Yard. Considering the space I had to build the layout, I had to place some restrictions on the design. First, passenger trains would be limited to 4 or 5 coaches. The average curve radius would be limited to 12 or 13 inches, and yards would need to be built using number 5 switches. Considering all this criteria, I present to you the track plan for Union 1.0. The plan is a very straightforward, elongated figure 8. There is a double track mainline that passes through Union Station and continues on to hidden staging. The layout is designed for DC operation, and the two mainlines operate on separate cabs. And despite first appearances, there are no reversing loops. Trains operate independently on the eastbound and westbound tracks, but can reverse their direction into hidden staging. Union Station has been compressed to 6 platforms, with 4 of the platforms dedicated to westbound trains, and the remaining 2 platforms dedicated to eastbound trains. Bathurst Yard has 3 sidings for staging, with one of the sidings extending past the edge of the layout to give the illusion of a double track mainline. The Bathurst fly-under allows trains to descend into hidden staging, while the tracks above allow trains to switch between east and westbound routes. The hidden staging allows eastbound trains leaving Union Station to take one of two paths. The first option allows the eastbound trains to enter into the hidden staging yard before reappearing via the Bathurst fly-under. The second option allows eastbound trains to enter into a time-wasting loop before reappearing westbound at Union Station. Conversely, westbound trains can either descend into hidden staging, or reverse routes at the Bathurst fly-under. In terms of scenic treatment, I've tried to capture as many landmarks as possible. Looking at the layout from east to west, we first start at Bathurst Street. This roadway features the Sir Isaac Brock Bridge, which helps to camouflage the loop at the Bathurst fly-under. Heading east, we arrive at Bathurst Yard, which sits below Front Street. Bathurst Yard serves as the staging area for all GO Transit passenger cars and locomotives. Directly south of the Bathurst Yard is the Bathurst fly-under, one of the signature scenic elements I wanted to include in this design. Spadina Avenue creates a visual break separating the layout into two halves, and features four lanes of automobile traffic and two streetcar lines. Before arriving at Union Station, I've made a point of featuring the UP Express. This is the Union Station, Pearson International Airport direct train, connected directly to the feature landmark of the layout, Union Station. At this time, the scenic treatment for the area just east of Union Station is unresolved. I've included the Don Valley Parkway as a way to disguise the return route, but this area could include landmarks like the Distillery District or the Toronto Railway Museum. So there you have it, a brief history of VIA Rail and GO Transit, a layout design, and the rationale for the track plant and scenic elements. Next time I'll be working on bench work construction and gathering supplies to hand lay some turnouts. Thanks for joining me for the introduction of this layout, and I'll see you next time.