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Jack's in, or "Shortliners shortline"


shortliner

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The baseboard and external frame are cut out and awaiting warmth and time to start assembly. SWMBO says garden has to be tidied first (Monk, Monk!) - but although today has actually been warmer [not sure if that should be qualified by SLIGHTLY or RELATIVELY!] winter is still here in the Highlands. Bought a couple more bits of wood this morning, during a sidetrack to B&Q off a trip to Aldi - well, I was passing so it would have been rude not to!rolleyes.gif

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Do you know looking at this is making want to do some thing with my traction stuff again - All those lovely sharp corners.....

 

I've got several of those round ended CERA box cars to make up, a few box motors and a couple of those lovely 16 wheeled Illinois Traction Class C locos. These are probably unique in that the model version needs a larger ( to scale) radius than the Prototype - they was designed to go around 35 ft radius curves - a whole 4 inch in HO - where as the model needs all of 6 inches.

 

Now just how much can I fit in 2010 sq ins?????

 

Tom

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Yes - that is the basis for my layout, and that is a much better map than most I have seen. One of the problems is that every map seems to show a different number and arangement of sidings, Though since the Army Corps of Engineers drew that one it might be correct! unsure.gif Unfortunately I have had to lose one or two sidings in order to use RTR track. It really is a TINY yard, as you can see from the scale - you can get a good Google street level view by going to east 149th Street and the Major Deegan Expressway, and look right across the yard and the river - the O/H gantry crane is still there in the street view, but I believe it has now all been replaced by new buildings (Shopping Mall?). I understand that, when built, the freight house was between the long track and the triple siding by the float-bridge, being moved later into the curve by Cromwell Ave.

A recent "CSI New York" featured the E149th Street Bridge and a "Law & Order" featuring Chris Noth had the crime scene under the Major Deegan Expressway.

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That is impresive measuring - http://members.trainweb.com/bedt/indloco/errhs.html gives the approximate measurements as 487' x 350' which is 148.5m x 106.75m. In theory, and building your own track, it could be built exactly to scale in 66" x 48" in HO - out of the question for me as I simply do not have the space, but certainly within the bounds of a club project. My dimensions will JUST fit it into the back of my Ford Ka, as I hope to be able to take it to exhibition(s)

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Yes - along with most of the others on that side of the river - everything was "floated" in - before they started using carfloats, boxcars were unloaded (by hand) on the western dockside onto barges - floated across and the goods then reloaded (again by hand)on the eastern side ! Manufactured goods ( and there was a lot of manufacturing done in Brooklyn and the Bronx) heading westward followed the same proceedure - talk about labour intensive! blink.gif The link I posted earlier gives a very clear picture of the traffic and work involved, and covers all the NY maritime yards

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So at lunchtime today the postie delivered a note saying that the Sorting Office is holding a parcel for customs charge, which should be some ebay 40' cars - such a shame that the Sorting Office closing time is 10 minutes after he called, and it takes 15 minutes to get the car out and get there! - I shall knock on their door in the morning, money in hot sticky hand.......

rolleyes.gif

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So at lunchtime today the postie delivered a note saying that the Sorting Office is holding a parcel for customs charge, which should be some ebay 40' cars - such a shame that the Sorting Office closing time is 10 minutes after he called, and it takes 15 minutes to get the car out and get there! - I shall knock on their door in the morning, money in hot sticky hand.......

rolleyes.gif

 

I really hate it when that happens.

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Today was actually fairly pleasant in the Lands of the Northern Haggis - work has started on the baseboard - the next job will be to connect some turnouts together, to decide where the hole for the plug-in extension support (for the Locolifts that will be the simulated car float) needs to fit - because that baseboard edge can't be fitted till the support hole is cut! ARRRGHHH!!. I may possibly have to build Pratt trusses for the visible part of the float bridge, and I'm NOT looking forward to that at all - but it all depends on space availabilty and I shan't be able to confirm how much of that there is, until the extension is sited! I have a nasty feeling that having to do stage x+1 before stage x can be completed is one of those things that is going to happen several times whilst building this. The air may develop a decidedly blue colour in this part of the world unsure.gif

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So, having more or less assembled the baseboard, I thought that, having carefully measured the space inside my Ka, it would be a really good idea to make sure it fitted in there, before I went any further. What a good thing I did! Yes, it would fit beautifully, if I could actually get it through the boot door!!!!!sad.gif icon_mutter.gif icon_mutter.gif So this afternoon I have removed a triangular section and the layout is now 39" x 46" at the widest, rather than 42" x 46". Tomorrow, when the glue has thoroughly set we'll try again! huh.gif Wot a pillock! rolleyes.gif Need to adjust some angles for the sidings, but it shouldn't affect operations too much. Also need to get a few more track sections.

Today was a "Blue Air "day ohmy.gif blush.gif

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Collected the package this morning - looks like some wagon building is in my future! I fact it was an expensive trip - RM and Model Railroad Planning 2010 were both in at the newsagents!wink.gif

 

hi Jack

picked my 2010 copy from Scarbrough still to open it might do it tonight?if there is nothing on telly.

And in MR article on power plant just happen to have one sat in box.MMMM

Hugh

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So today we tried the "Let's put the baseboard into the Ka" thingie again - and it goes in - it is tight, but it goes in! Now have to wait for some extra track pieces to make their way to the Highlands from the other end of UK, and then we can sort out the angle for the removable Locolift support - more news later

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The backscenes will be removable - for that very reason! - Part of the problem with the backscenes for this one, will be tryng to discover what scenes around the yard looked like way back when! I might resort to "vague grey shapes looming out of the mist" - as I did with Fiddlestick Yard

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That is my other thought - the intention is to walk around it to throw switches and uncouple - it is a small layout and acting as the switchman will help to "increase time during switching", as would simulating "pumping up the air" before moving off. It will need a backscene along the edge with the float-bridge to hide the locolifts - there simply isn't space available to have carfloats there in reality (much as I would like to!)

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Jack - I don't know if you have ever visited this site - Historical Aerials - New York is covered - 1954 thru 2006.

 

Here's the 149th Street Yard in 1954, and a shortcut to get to that Aerial Photo - 1954 - 149th Street in the Bronx

 

You can zoom in and move around - if you want to save the image, you must either buy it, or, I don't know, use a screen capture facility of some kind :D

 

Hope this helps. In 1954, the surrounding land side background appears to be warehouses - by 1966, an elevated 6-lane highway had been constructed.

 

Gil, known as Bill somedays ... B)

 

And there is a carfloat present in 1954 and 1966 :)

 

The imbedded thumb doesn't seem to work as the forum software is preventing it. So you must visit their website.

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Gil - thanks for that - I hadn't seen it before, nor had I realised the the right hand side of the property actually had the Major Deegan Expressway built over it - I'd been under the impression that it was clear of the track than runs down that side of the building - what a shame the definition isn't better!

Cheers

Jack

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