It has been a while since I have done much in the way of posting anything other than comments, and virtually no pictures, the reason has been a massive re-do of a large portion of my layout. This began when I decided to use all I had learned to build a new Ft. Lauderdale intermodal yard set of modules for the FEC one-trak group. Those photos are elsewhere. But once completed I had to redo a chunk of my home layout to integrate the new modules and no longer had a need for the old modules leaving me 8' of length to work with. I decided I wanted a switching area so that I would have activities even when I do not put up the two modules that block the door. This is still very much a work in progress but the track is in, ballasted, wired, operating and many of the custom buildings framework is complete. This is going to be my fictional "South Street Subdivision" of the Canadian Pacific's D&H subdivision in Philadelphia. Rail served businesses will be Tri-State Pipe and Steel, South Jersey building supply, South Seventh Scrap metals, Smith brothers Food Products, and Delaware Valley Cement. I will also have a two track engine shed representing CP's East Binghamton Yard. Here are some photos: This is the view "north" from a roofless Tri-State pipe, to South Seeventh street scrap, south jersey supply will be by the centerbeam, Tioga Blvd. You can see the line wrap to the left in the distance, into the East Binghamton stub. The mainline runs behind the removable backdrop, entering this "tunnel" behind Tri-Stated Pipe and re-emerging where Delaware Valley Cement ends, so I can have continuous running at the same time as switching. This is the view "South" from Smith Brothers and Delaware Valley Cement past "Tioga Blvd." (Fictional overpass into the container port of Philadelphia) with Tri-State Pipe and Steel at the "north end." Each business has a color coded nameplate- Red is served only by CP, Black only by NS, and Blue by both. Tri-State Pipe is blue (NS and CP bring loads in from the midwest, and CP tows loads in from the nearby port of Philadelphia), South 7th Scrap is served only by NS, South Jersey, and the cement distributor are served only by CP with loads from New England and Canada, and Smith Brothers is served by both. thats it for now, my best, Jan
Jan I have always been a fan of your intermodal photos and the FEC but man your trackwork is awesome.Keep the photos coming.
Neat Jan. I was wondering what you've been up to. Do you have a master trackplan posted anywhere? Are all of your one-trak modules incorporated into this layout? Cheers, Gary P.S. No trains for me in the last month - instead I'm finishing my basement for Tehachapi in MD.
Ah, clever trick doing double duty like that. I had vague memories that I'd seen the intermodal yard in both contexts. That concept works especially well when the scenery is mostly concrete & steel. I don't quite get the rationale for the mainline behind the backdrop. Does this give you a longer (twice around) run, or is the industrial district supposed to be away from the main? I really like the track flow in that district. Cheers, Gary
I don't know what it is but just about every layout I have seen has the track work seen in the first photo with the crossover. I always thought it loooked kinda of hokey but over time I have seen this same track work out in the real world too, so I guess it is not so bad. Nice work eh.
Thanks Gary! By the way I forgot to add last time, if your custom well car work is any indication of what is to come in your Tehachapi (sic?) in Maryland, I am excited to see it! As for the intermodal yard, knowing that it would do double duty is what kept me from putting palm trees on it- don't see many of those in South Philadelphia! The main goes behind the backdrop to solve the debth of field problem. The businesses on the backdrop side would be too shallow with the main right there so I hid it there and will work the backdrops to create a false deeper debth of field. The main can be nearby but it would have created businesses that are isolated entirely between track. thanks again, my best, Jan
I finally got some more work done and took some photos from an operations session, these are of my Fort Lauderdale intermodal yard doing double duty as an intermodal yard on my home NS/CP layout. This is the "east wall" of the layout. The yard can be anything I need it to be location wise as I made it somewhat generic: this is a long shot with the intermodal ramp, storage track 1 and passing track loaded up: this is a close up of the road power for the NS TOFC train thats been assembled, a pair of GP60's and a leased SD40-2 at the yard in Philadelphia: my best, Jan
Excellent! Did you paint the Larry's Truck Electric unit? How about a roll-by video of that intermodal train for the new YouTube thread? -Gary
Good idea Gary! here is the first video I've shot (the lack of quality shows!) [ame="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OcGQf9Mg1QI&feature=channel_page"]YouTube - CP video N scale[/ame] my best! Jan
Very nice. I see you have a good collection of spine cars, in addition to wells. I also notice that you're not running double stacks. Is that because of clearance restrictions on your layout, or is it to match the prototype in Philly? (or both) Best, Gary
Hi Jan - would you please be able to tell me the width of the layout and the intermodal yard in this photo? Doing some planning for an intermodal yard at the moment and I'd like to get a feel for the space... Thanks!
Gary, thanks for the comments, I am excited to see your updates soon! As for the lack of wells or stacks, no there is no clearance issue. I tend to run my GP60's with TOFC loads, I'm not really sure why except that CP does so little TOFC in the Northeast, and none in Philadelphia, that I would otherwise not get to run my TOFC loads! James, the yard modules (2 of them each 4' long) start at 12" wide, per the FEC one-trak group's requirements. for the next 25.5" the front side of the modules "bumps out" until an 18" width is achieved for the center section of the modules. The intermodal loading and unloading area of the yard itself is 6.75" wide for almost its entire length (and very close to that for the ends). Hope that helps, my best, Jan
