It won’t be too much longer before I start working on my engine service area, the turntable, roundhouse etc. It struck me that I’ve never had the opportunity to visit the real thing, to walk around and see what the ground looks like. I don’t think I’d use regular HO scale ballast all around the area, that would make for some difficult walking for my workers. Probably it would be bare ground (1950 ish), oil stained etc. but I’m not at all sure. What did you do in this area, and if you have photos of your modeling or links to online pictures, that would be a great help. What type stuff and equipment would be found stacked, laying around the roundhouse? Any information will help me along!
First of all I it would be pretty flat, no ditches between tracks. If it is or used to be a steam facility, cinders for ballast. Yes, oil spills, if you have an oil storage area it would be well soaked, EPA not around in the 50’s. As for stuff in the area, a junk pile of old parts, blocking, extra wheels, maybe a track with a dead loco being used for parts, 55 gal drums. If the locos are serviced with sand and coal in the area, spilled product on the ground around the facilities. If the MOW area is nearby, extra rails and ties, barrels of spikes. Old freight and passenger cars used for storage and offices, an old tank car up on cribbing for an oil supply for those new diesels. Small roundhouse? Extension on the back of one bay for newer, longer engines (straight in track off the turntable if the engine is too long to be turned).
here is pic from my personal collection of the Garrett,In ready track 1955-(ish) pretty cool pic, and should answer all of your questions. yeah, that is my grandpa watering the tender[:D]
Wheeler, not to get off topic but, that’s pretty neat to see those pictures because i worked out of Garret in '98- '99 as a conductor on CSX. There was a wye when i worked there do you know if it was there back then?
I think there was some articles on locomotive facilities of past and present in one of MRs in '07. That may help provide some info too.
I am pretty sure the Wye was put in when they tore down the roundhouse and scrapped the turn table sometime around 1960. so the wye has been there a while, but is further west of where these pics were taken from. (reference the water tower)
I am glad you enjoy the pics, they are special to me and I like to show them off!
Yeah, the water tower was the first thing i noticed. When we were there we lived in Huntertown. We really enjoyed it up there, but we had a couple deaths in the family that year and i was starting to miss my sons growing up ( Garret was an extremely busy place to work , I was constantly getting called right back out on rest) so we decided to head back home.
The large, well used yards on the club layout were done by placing a base layer of silica and play sand first, staining and weathering the sand, then cinder and ballast done last. The type of construction and roadbed in the yards required a substantial amount of the product. Using the sand made the expensive scenery products stretch.
The member that ballasted the yard, did quite a bit of research and took many photos to use as a prototype.
The mains and yard leads/ turnouts were kept to a newer fresh ballast to show updating and maintainence.
Just a couple of money saving and work saving ideas. For fine ballast, I used a coffee bean grinder to grind up “kitty litter” (whiich is of the proper color to start with). Slice open some greased “cocktail straws” to cover the rails, before spreading on the ballast. Straws, not only keeps the spray adhesive away from the rails, but allows the proper clearance for train wheel flanges. If the ballast is to be as high as the rail tops, (except around switch points),you may wish to use a thin layer of Hydrocal Sculpting Plaster, before applying the ballast. Quiite often, the ties are covered in the “yards”. Be sure to remove the straws before the adhesive hardens! Be sure to vacuum up any loose particles before running trains over the newly ballasted tracks. Use diluted stain, applied with an eye dropper, to simulate grease spots. I use dabs of “faux fur” for weeds. Bob
Thanks for all the pictures and the tips on how to do this area. It looks like it’s going to be dirt, very fine ballast in areas, cinders and oily stain most everywhere. I’ll remember to keep the main and leads lookin’ better though. Thanks Bob for the tip on the straws.
Craig, all of those TH&B pictures were taken at the Chatham St. roundhouse area, in Hamilton, Ontario. The first picture is from Oct. '79, and the others I’m not sure. I’d guess the second picture is from the early-to-mid '80s, and the B&O diesels probably late '70s. The last one has me stumped, though: I took a lot of pictures of the 76 and 403 together, including an entire roll of b&w, in 1979, for an article in MR’s Paint Shop, but this picture strikes me as being more recent. I’ll hazard another guess at early-to-mid '80s. [swg]
