dbl post
Feeling reckless again, big changes in the works, no major change to the layout, but a big change in geography
Here is the Master Plan, I am repurposing the layout as an full-on urban harbor terminal type line,
I have been fighting doing this for a long time, mostly just being pigheaded about keeping the desert theme, but I just could not make it work in my mind all the while the layout plan just screamed urban waterfront, I finally realized that most of my big stuff is not decaled for the Borracho line, just numbered. and that I had alot of stuff than would with very little effort, be convertable to the urban theme layout. what finally did it was reading this site one too many times:
http://www.trainweb.org/bedt/IndustrialLocos.html
One day my mind just clicked (or is that snapped) “yeah, I could do this without any major surgery” so there it is…
The boats will all be movable, just sitting on the surface, the aisleway water will be a fold down section that during ops will be kept down for layout access, and up for photo taking, the biggest single change will be switching from link/pins back to knuckle couplers, probably Bachmann’s
Haven’t decided on a name yet, but the era will likely be post-war 1950’s just before these lines were beginning to disappear.
No name yet, not really worrying about that, some ideas:
Brooklyn South Rwy - keeps the BSR already on some engines
or maybe something a little more unique:
Gotham District Transfer
Gotham Harbor Transfer
As I said, I’m really not in a sweat over the name. So here we go
And where is the airport going, A DC-3 would work or maybe a Plane that just landed in the river…
Have fun
Dave
you could have the best of both worlds up here in maine we have a DC-3 on floats.
moosehead lake to be exact.
Ed
I would love a Picture of that DC-3. I worked on the Military vershion during The ( my ) war.
Dave
I will see what i can find it belongs to folsoms air service on moosehead lake in greenville maine.
I saw it in the water and it was impressive I saw it out of the water and its monsterous and im not unacostome to the dc-3 as thats what i got my multi eng. cert in.
Ok i went into my serch(which is bing) and typed in folsoms air service DC-3 and found still pics and even a you tube video
Vic, as usual your work is inspiring. I am loving it my friend.
Rob
After some feedback from the smaller scale guys familiar with dockside type railroads, track plan has been revised a tad to include a holding spur next to the transfer barge and a run around at the gantry crane spur
I should consider calling this the Spaghetti Central
Plenty of operating room. how’s the track layout working and some new picthres??
Dave
My indoor layout had a small accident with a loco & carriages falling to the floor which is a 3 ft drop causing some fixable damage. What would be a suggestion as the best way of fixing some siding to the edge of the layout to prevent this happening again, as well as looking good?
The reason why I raise this here is that it was this plan & photos that inspired me to biuld up a better indoor layout.
Andrew
Sandbar & Mudcrab Railway
ooh, that’s a hard one to answer, I have the same risk especially on my peninsula. The best first line of defense is keep the speeds down, second is to keep the track away from the edges, I know thats not easy if you are really tight for space but depending on how your layout looks the best may be to simply place a low wall, like a retaining wall or similar along that edge particularly at turnouts, which is where I have had the most derailment issues.
When space along the edge is at a premium, and not enough room for a built feature retaining wall consider a short piece of plexiglass with a graphic scene glued on the inside face. I did this back in my N days where a 3 ft fall was “life ending”.
That is a good idea for the edging.
Next question is about the construction of the harbour, etc. Will it be a lift out so you can reach over to the back? Also I am very interested in this part of the construction phase.
Andrew
Sandbar & Mudcrab Railway
I was planning a hinged drop down section at that harbor inlet, so when its in operation I can easily access the inner parts of the layout by simply dropping it then securing it back up to take photos when the layout is not in use.
Any pics of your layout, track plan? always curious how others approach the Great Indoors [;)]
Here is some photos from an old post on another website.
http://www.cgtrains.com/t476-new-photos-of-sandbar-and-mudcrab-railways
Inside layout has been modified a bit. As you will see I like 0-4-0 locos, all are battery powered with Hobbyking remote, except for the Aristo Lil critter in which I gutted , squeezed in a 5000 milliamp Li-Po battery and revolution eqiupment. I like the revolution system, but to have each of my locos converted is not financial possible at the moment. I iike my locos to be individually operated so all visitors can operate a loco.Each loco can be parked on a siding, wires fromt he battery charger hook on to the battery to charge up.
Once I converted to battery power I realized I could make my own turnouts, so there are no troubles with locos triping the power on the frogs and low speed is really much better than what I had.
One trouble I found was that when a number of people are running the trains, they have to watch where they drive if they are traveling in opposite directions. - Yes there has been head ons!
The trouble is they are used to track power, where they set and forget, thinking the trains will follow each other.
If you want to sit and relax, or have a loco running in the background while working in the shed, then we run in same direction.
A couple of experienced operators using passing sidings makes great enjoyment, working out speed, train positions and direction of travel.
Andrew
Sandbar & Mudcrab Railways
Vic, how’s the railroad coming? I guess that you got sidetracked (PUN!) by the LBH from Bachmann. Have to admit, those li’l trains have great kitbashing potential! But…any new pix of the railroad?
SandyR
Nope nothing new to report. Started moving the track by the lift bridge to add in the three way turnout then got piled on by the holidays. Now I am just hoping for temps to warm up and get back to it. Hard to work when its in the 50s in the daytime and the 30s at night.
I’m trying to place a turnout on the bridge, so when the bridge is lifted out the turn out is removed. Not to hard to do, but lining up to rails can be a pain when bridge is replaced.
Today is 91. Tomorrow is 104 . Last week went to 109. As I get older it becomes just to hot & windy to do anything outside.
Andrew
Sandbar & Mudcrab Railway
I go to bed dreaming of 50s in the day 30s at night -10 -20 at night to maybe 8 to 10 at day time here.