The oil leaked from plain bearing journal boxes. Not a lot of oil in the track centers but along the rail. Most likely the ties would be hidden by weeds and whatever commodity was being unloaded and subject to spillage.
There's a yard that served a grain elevator nearby. Those tracks were submerged in greenery, oats, rye, wheat, corn, you name it, and the local birds, especially crows, had a daily feast all year long. So consider what commodities your customers are transporting. All railcars leak!!!!
Nah, not complicated. Merely reduce emphasis on railroading and raise emphasis on the environment, much as you have done with your cityscapes.
Think self propelled electric boxcar that can pull other cars as well. Also do maintenance on the power wires as well as plow snow and act as an office and storeroom/ locker room for the crew ... There were hundreds of these types of vehicles at one time including the ones from the Connecticut Company that ran until the 50s on the East Hartford branch. Here is one I am building in N scale:
The railroad was a "quiet" neighbor compared to the trucks on the highway in front of the house. Old Elm Street heading west out of Milford was designated US Highway 101. Back then, the trucks did not use Jake Brakes but did down-shift on the hill in front of the house making the engine roar. The nearest railroad grade crossing was at West Street about half a mile away and over the hill so the train blowing the crossing was not that loud. If I heard it, I had plenty of time to run to my brother's bedroom window up stairs to watch the train go by. Last time I visited, our old house that was "out in the countryside" was gone and replaced by urban sprawl. The field that was between the highway and the railroad is all developed. In this photo of our house, the tracks ran along the back yard of the house in the distance on the left and just in front of the tree line seen on the right.
Well, how's it going? At this time of year, I try to put a different train under the tree each day. So here are a couple of shots of the trains I have had in the past fifteen days.
Here's a couple more. I have a Roundhouse 2-6-0 painted up for the D&RGW in the Bumblebee scheme, and I went from hauling paying passenger on two legs, to hauling passengers that pay on four legs!
I have been doing some more LokSound decoder installs. Here's my latest consist, pulling through the JACALAR's underground station
I think it looks great Candy. Those ties can be all kind of shades and still look good. Once in a while they will even throw a couple new ties in on these tracks too. I think the painted rail and ties look good.
