My layout area isn’t too big. An L-shaped shelf layout, 10 x 11.5 feet in size (9’ 10" x 11’ 5.5" by the numbers) with a possibility of an addition 6 foot leg added to the 11 foot section, opposite side of 9 foot leg but parallel (limited by the bedroom door). I would like layout depth to be 18", but I’m sure I could handle getting a little wider. Staging is limited to hidden staging on the 10’ leg, hidden by either scenery, backdrop, industry or a combination of those. I could also possibly knock a small hole in the drywall seperating the closet from the room and gain about 2 feet of staging. I figure that could get me up to about 8-10 cars plus locomotive. In the end I’m lost on what to model. Time era would be modern times, but most likely running older locomotives like GP30’s, 35’s, 38’s, maybe even some chop-nose rebuilt 7’s and 9’s.
There are two industries I know I want to model, a builders supply and corn syrup transloading facility (thank you MRP for running that article). I know these can be modeled nicely on the narrow benchwork.
So what other more modern industries could I model that would lend itself nicely to narrow shelf benchwork?
Answer: most any industry if flats are used and the modeled portion of the industry concentrates on the loading and unloading of railroad cars. For instance, a petroleum-loading platform modeled along the track(s) with the refinery pictured on the backdrop (or imagined “just off” the layout). Also, various model structure manufacturers produce “flat” industrial buildings.
In addition to what Mark said, a cement plant would make a nice foreground industry. as to everything else, I’m not sure, depends on the area you’re modeling.
I have the same thing on my shelf layout, trying to find industires I thought about it and quickly ran out of space.
Wharehouses are nice as they can be done easliy in a “flat” structure. And with that in mind, you have lots of options regardless of eras.
Paper for printing, distrubation centers for parts, beer, freight center, reefers for prouce/food. Possibly a food plant so a tank car of corn syrup and box car for out going. Could also do grain silos or plastic pellet for some covered hoppers.
Take some advice from someone who’s been building his dream shelf layout for the last few years, make the shelf deeper than 18". I would go with somewhere around 26"-28". Any deeper and it will start to become difficult to reach the back.(depending on the height) Any less, and you will be limiting yourself. As soon as you put a two lane road with sidewalks on either side, you will quickly see why you need more than 18"
While many model railroaders have probably seen or visted this website, I have gone ahead and attached a string from Kurt who has done a beautiful job on his shelf layout. His is a version of Lance Mindheim’s Miami East Rail layout. Kurt has also graciously explained how he did what he did. While it is not necessary to go to the level of detail that he has, however it’s important to know that it is probably a maxium of 18" deep. I strive for the type of detail that Kurt exhibits in this forum string.
I wasn’t too worried about modeling streets and sidewalks, and other non rail-ated business’ for that matter. I can use the full 18" though, I’ve come up with an idea of using some sort of removable piece that clamps onto the edge of the layout and aligns with tracks for staging so no hidden staging is needed. This also lets me run this new staging idea out the bed room door so I could literally have about 30 feet (the length of our apartment) of staging. It’s way better. So far I have a lumber yard, scrap yard, cement transloading, and one or two paper converting companies. If modeled after the local prototype that also runs all these (the paper convertors are no longer rail served) and assuming every session would equal 1 day, the lumber could be switched every few sessions, the scrap yard every 3-4 sessions, and the cement every 3-4 sessions. However even operating the paper convertors on compressed scheme I would still need up to 8 cars a day (using 50’ cars). And this isn’t even very accurate. One day at the old paper converting job I had I actually had time to figure it out and the small machine we had would have needed about 8 rail cars of paper to opperate a single 12 hour shift. They had 6 of these machines although only 3 of them were usually running. This was also a slower job. And there were also…5 other very much larger machines which would run about this same amount, so even my assumed 8 cars a session would be greeeeeeeeeeatly under estimated, even assuming they recieved some paper by truck.
I too have a small shelf layout. I elected to have just one industry occupying about 1/3 of the layout, or about 8-1/2 feet in length. My shelf is mostly 18" wide. I have a cereal plant in the making right now for that space, which will take covered hoppers and plenty of box cars, and a tank car or two.
The interesting feature for me will be the fact that I can change the industry, leaving the same track plan when I want to do so. I’m also planning on converting the industrial area to an automobile stamping plant, and later, a steel melt shop.
Each of the three industries make use of different type of freight cars, so changing industry every now and then will add to the diversity this small layout can offer.
While many industries make good backdrops, one not often used is the cotton mill. These are long, tall, relatively narrow structures. In fact, on was basically a background “flat” for my hometown. Everything was perfectly laid out for a linear shelf layout from front to back, with the track in parallel lines (though a little separation. Starting from the front was:
a. Store block. Typical small town brick block of stores- grocery, barbershop, post office, cafe, drug store.
b. Street
c. Wooden Depot & spur
d. Mill Race (water flow from the dam to the mill)
e. Mill spurs (long, linear tracks along the front of the mill)
f. Mill itself (long, linear brick building)
g. Steam Plant at the end of a switchback from the mill
h. River
All this was packed in a couple hundred yards of linear space between the river and the hills out of the valley. If modeled, it would appear exactly like a shelf layout with the mill as the backdrop.
why not just a designated interchange track with a real or imaginary foreign connection? if you only have room for a single track, they must pull the connection before they can deliver anything to you and visa versa. maybe a small phone booth sized shanty or just a phone on a pole and a box for the waybills.
Here is an idea. It is in Westfield MA on Union Street along side the CSX mainline. It is a two track siding that could be reduced to single track. We call it Salt City. It is for rock salt distribution for winter snow covered roads. Might not work for your area though.
Salt comes in via covered rusty looking hoppers from New York salt mines. The aerial view show it without the salt piles. The street views show what I see. They use good size old tires to hold down the tarps. Some salt is stored in the buildings. No idea why. Never stopped to ask.
You could use a bucket loader or maybe conveyors for loading trucks. A lot of salt is hauled out before the bad heather ever hits so not a totally winter scene.
I use Google maps and some cities, Google has sent the camera vehicle for street level pictures. With my Linux PC, I take Screen Shots of the website display and modify them. With a Windows PC, use the Print Screen key.
OK, here’s a few of mine. These pix were shot on layout surfaces no wider than 15 inches; I painted-on a background of trees and foliage using different shades of green latex, applied with a sea sponge. For the scene with the Heritage Furniture building in it, I threw some lichen over the place where it butts up against the background wall, to add a little “depth”.
Very nice job on the structures and backdrop. I had to look twice to see that the back drop trees were painted on. I have never seen trees painted on that well. I am considering incorporating that method into my layout. Do you place regular trees and folige in front of the painted backdrop?
That’s my goal, I’ve torn down this layout to make way for an improved version [without duck-unders]. As soon as I get to this point on the new layout, I’ll try to put at least a teensy bit of lichen or WS foliage along the bottom. One weakness with painted-on trees is that I can’t take sharp-angle photos without betraying the flat surface - a smattering of 3D foliage will make it look more credible!
Go figure now I can’t find it just to do a reply, but somewheres I remember seeing a post about how the plant was switched. First I’ll say that the trains come from the right of the Bing maps, making the plant a facing point switch. If you go tot he map and scan over to the left, on the other side of the highway is an area with multiple tracks including a run-around. Presumably the crew pulls past the cement place to hear, does a run around, then goes ahead and drops off the cars for the cement place. The business itself has a Trackmobile to spot cars. The unloading shed is only big enough for one car, but the track after looks to be big enough for 2 or 3 cars plus trackmobile. I hope to be able to emulate this. I will look around, I know I have a pic somewheres either in my files from my old digi cam or on the wifes, but it shows the trackmobile in the unloading shed spotting a car. I will look for it and get it on here soon as I can.
To canazar, good choice on your RR’s paint scheme. I may just use it. If that would be ok anyways. I won’t use the same name, I just really like that paint scheme.
Larry, I wish I could share photos of my layout, but my lovely Cannon Power Shot SX100 IS does not take flash photos any longer (It lasted all of a year and 4 months). I need to get another camera…not a Cannon.
