RMweb Gold PhilH Posted October 28, 2011 RMweb Gold Share Posted October 28, 2011 There must be some pretty hefty propelling moves to switch that lot. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
modelmaker87 Posted November 5, 2011 Share Posted November 5, 2011 In the picture on the original link the spur that kicksback over the diamond goes right through the long building at right angles. In the original on the far side of the building in the yard there is what looks like a loaded centre beam and if you rotate there is what could be an empty bulk head flat car. Anyway the point is this could make the ultimate in prototypical micro layouts with a single track emerging from a staging area in a building! Phil, here's the view from the road looking into the building. I have panned from left to right. Often there is a centre beam parked by the dock. The hundreds of times I drive past there, to and from CSX's Pinoca yard, I have never seen a car inside the building. Cheers, Tony Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
modelmaker87 Posted November 5, 2011 Share Posted November 5, 2011 You have follow some of the lines for a while, follow the track heading NE until you get to a fan of tracks/sidings and follow each track there's atleast half a dozen that appear active. Including a cocacola warehouse (look at all the red trcuks) . Would there be something flamable/explosive in these tank cars for them to be out all on their own? http://www.bing.com/...0NC&form=LMLTCC Dave, using your Bing URL as the starting point are you looking at those tank cars if you navigate a tad to the NW. If so, this is a Transflo facility and the tank cars would not be loaded with flammables. And the view from Lawton Rd. Cheers, Tony Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
PhilM Posted November 6, 2011 Share Posted November 6, 2011 Great shots of the building Tony! That is such a modelable little scene. I must try and incorporate it somewhere in my layout. I assume that it is some kind of factory rather than a retail or trade sales outlet? Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
dave_long Posted November 6, 2011 Share Posted November 6, 2011 Dave, using your Bing URL as the starting point are you looking at those tank cars if you navigate a tad to the NW. If so, this is a Transflo facility and the tank cars would not be loaded with flammables. Cheers, Tony My original thought was regarding the single white tank thats on the track thats parallel to N Hoskins Rd, on the spur to the industry south of the Url starting point. There's also the 2 tanks nr the pylons to the right. Dave Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
modelmaker87 Posted November 6, 2011 Share Posted November 6, 2011 Great shots of the building Tony! That is such a modelable little scene. I must try and incorporate it somewhere in my layout. I assume that it is some kind of factory rather than a retail or trade sales outlet? Phil, when I saw that I wanted to incorporate it into a layout too. The place is a heating and air conditioner firm. http://www.rossandwitmer.com/ I would suspect then that the center beams I see getting unloaded there are carrying insulation materials, that's one thought anyway. I can do more shots for you if you like, just say the word, no sweat. Cheers, Tony Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
trisonic Posted November 6, 2011 Share Posted November 6, 2011 Not Phil but: Yes, please! I assume you are feeling A1 now, Tony? Best, Pete. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
modelmaker87 Posted November 6, 2011 Share Posted November 6, 2011 <p> </p><p> </p> <p>My original thought was regarding the single white tank thats on the track thats parallel to N Hoskins Rd, on the spur to the industry south of the Url starting point. There's also the 2 tanks nr the pylons to the right.</p> <p> </p> <p>Dave </p><p> </p> <p>See those tanks now, thanks for the directions Dave. <img alt="" class="bbc_emoticon" src="http://www.rmweb.co.uk/community/public/style_emoticons/default/yes.gif" title="" /> Here's my thoughts. I wouldn't think that flammable/explosive tanks would be permitted to stand out in the open, (un-fenced) like that. In fact with the country as paranoid about a terrorist attack as it is, I'd say no way do these tanks contain anything nasty. That is pure opinion based I admit, but you have to consider these strange times we live in nowadays and the amazing lengths firms go as far as security. </p> <p> </p> <p>I think these tanks have been shoved along these spurs for later delivery or pick up. If left there for pick up they probably have been left ready for building a train in Pinoca Yard in blocks, rather than being picked up any old time and having to be blocked later in the yard. In other words there is a sequence in play. But I am often wrong.</p> <p> </p> <p>Cheers, Tony</p> <p> </p> <div id="myEventWatcherDiv" style="display:none;"> </div> Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
br2975 Posted November 6, 2011 Share Posted November 6, 2011 Why don't we? How does wagonload work in the US, but not in the UK? Remember 'Speedlink' ? Remember 'Tiger Rail' Too much shunting & trip working and too short a distance between customers. Sorry to say, the days of wagonload frieght in the UK are over, unless a government is elected that makes it financially appealing, probably only the 'Green Party' in that case - and with their electoral chances, we may as well forget it Brian R Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
F-UnitMad Posted November 6, 2011 Share Posted November 6, 2011 Remember 'Speedlink' ? Remember 'Tiger Rail' Too much shunting & trip working and too short a distance between customers. Sorry to say, the days of wagonload frieght in the UK are over... On today's UK rail network there's a complete absence of an equivalent to the US Short Lines that often do the "switching and tripping" for the Class 1 Railroads, but I think the real problem goes back to Steam days in the UK..... Tthis may be a big generalisation, but freight was mostly handled in Goods Yards by the Railways; private sidings such as we see in the US were a lot less common. So the freight had to get to and from the Goods Yard by road - i.e. horse'n'cart, and later motor lorry, so goods were transhipped three times in transit. Once the motor lorry became bigger, reliable, and capable of long distance journeys (in UK terms), then loading freight on it at the manufacturer's and unloading it at the destination cut out two lots of transhipping, and so effectively cut out the 'middle man' - the Railway. Not only was the handling cut down, so was the time taken to actually move the goods - the Railway Marshalling Yards were notoriously slow and wagons on even very short journeys could get stuck there for days - there's a story in the book "Behind The Lines" (pub 1979) about life on the Black Country railways that told of a coal wagon from Cannock, destined for West Bromwich (a distance of about 16miles) getting stuck at Wednesbury for several days, and the rising blood pressure of the Coal Merchant waiting for his truck of coal... DAYS to travel 16 miles!?!?! - it's really no wonder the Railway lost so much freight business to the roads. Finally as has been said before, there's the issue of distance. Britain is a compact place, and with the Motorway network, a truck in the Midlands can comfortable reach the South Coast of England or the Scottish Border and return in one shift (9 or 10 hours driving time). The only freight rail can really compete on is bulk flows such as coal, steel, oil, containers (which still involve road transport at either end) and so forth. Wagonload freight is truly dead here. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Pugsley Posted November 6, 2011 Share Posted November 6, 2011 Wagonload freight is truly dead here. At the moment, it is completely uneconomic due to all the points you raise above. However, if you imagine a time where petroleum fuels are prohibitively expensive then there is a chance that trucks as we know them today could be restricted to the last 30-40 miles of the journey through purely economic reasons. I've often been a bit disappointed that the use of rail for shipments to and from continental Europe never really took off, and is quite possibly less now through the tunnel than when the ferries were still in use,. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
oldknotty Posted November 6, 2011 Share Posted November 6, 2011 There is a really nice yard right down the road from me here in Norwood USA I wanted to post a pic from google maps but I no clue how to do it :-) Martin Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
F-UnitMad Posted November 7, 2011 Share Posted November 7, 2011 I've often been a bit disappointed that the use of rail for shipments to and from continental Europe never really took off, and is quite possibly less now through the tunnel than when the ferries were still in use,. Absolutely true... I used to live near a big Chemical Works that had an internal railway, and BR regularly delivered chemical tankers there... the Tunnel doesn't accept hazardous loads, so once it opened and the rail ferries stopped operating, yet another traffic went on the roads. The BR line from Langley Green to Albrights & Wilson at Oldbury, West Mids, has now long been removed... Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Prof Klyzlr Posted November 7, 2011 Share Posted November 7, 2011 There is a really nice yard right down the road from me here in Norwood USA I wanted to post a pic from google maps but I no clue how to do it :-) Martin Dear Martin. Give this posting a read http://www.rmweb.co.uk/community/index.php?/topic/45895-layout-plans-with-s-curves-and-prototypes/page__view__findpost__p__505386 should allow you to post a link to a specific GoogleMaps location... Happy Modelling, Aim to Improve, Prof Klyzlr Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Steve Williams Posted November 7, 2011 Share Posted November 7, 2011 Absolutely true... I used to live near a big Chemical Works that had an internal railway, and BR regularly delivered chemical tankers there... the Tunnel doesn't accept hazardous loads, so once it opened and the rail ferries stopped operating, yet another traffic went on the roads. The BR line from Langley Green to Albrights & Wilson at Oldbury, West Mids, has now long been removed... Actually, most of the track is still in situ for that branch http://www.flickr.com/photos/stevewilliams7/sets/72157626669588269/) Steve Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
F-UnitMad Posted November 8, 2011 Share Posted November 8, 2011 Actually, most of the track is still in situ for that branch .... ... yes, except the track through the 'old' platforms at Langley Green and through to Rood End Yard - totally lifted and trackbed fenced off... Interesting pics, though, thanks for sharing! It was always an interesting trip working to watch, especially as the BR loco propelled the train back from A&W to the yard... I'm sure we discussed it back on RMweb3 somewhere.... It was probably as close to the sort of American workings the OP is on about (desperately trying to get back On Topic here!!) as we would ever see in the UK.... Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
PhilM Posted November 8, 2011 Share Posted November 8, 2011 Getting back on track, do we think that the raised area with the container is/was a loading dock for the spur? The spur seems to slope down as the dock changes height - and not being very familiar with US loading guage, to me the dock looks to be slightly too far from the track? Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
modelmaker87 Posted November 8, 2011 Share Posted November 8, 2011 Getting back on track, do we think that the raised area with the container is/was a loading dock for the spur? The spur seems to slope down as the dock changes height - and not being very familiar with US loading guage, to me the dock looks to be slightly too far from the track? Phil, the dock is used for loading/unloading. Its also true that it is set a little further back due to the fact the spur is on a curve. Any closer and the corner of a long car such as a centerbeam would foul the edge of the dock. You are correct, the track does slope downward toward the building. I can't give you a sound reason why. Cheers, Tony Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
oldknotty Posted November 11, 2011 Share Posted November 11, 2011 http://g.co/maps/9r3mz Ok tried it Prof Klyzir let's see what happens EUREKA !!! Thanks Prof :-) Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
TotalLamer Posted March 18, 2013 Share Posted March 18, 2013 I know this is a long-dead thread, but I happened upon it and felt like I should offer... I actually work for CSX out of the yard in question, so if anyone has questions about that industrial park, the industries we work there, which tracks are in service/out of service, etc... feel free. On and for the record, the place you guys are discussing is NOT Ross & Whitimer. That's only the blue, brick building. The car is actually being delivered to Colonial Materials, which is the larger, steel building with the door in the side the rail goes through. The cars are loaded with drywall. Oh and here's a set of images of the place being switched taken by a railfan... who also incorrectly identifies the industry as Ross & Whitimer. http://wvncrails.weebly.com/charlotte-old-time-switching.html Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
TotalLamer Posted March 18, 2013 Share Posted March 18, 2013 Oh and if you'd like to see a nearby industry that has a crazy switching setup... I imagine this would be hilarious to model. The lead down into the plant is on a steep hill too. https://maps.google.com/maps?q=28202&hl=en&ll=35.295624,-81.006462&spn=0.002134,0.004128&safe=off&hnear=Charlotte,+North+Carolina+28202&gl=us&t=h&z=19 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
shortliner Posted March 18, 2013 Share Posted March 18, 2013 Oh and if you'd like to see a nearby industry that has a crazy switching setup... I imagine this would be hilarious to model. The lead down into the plant is on a steep hill too. https://maps.google.com/maps?q=28202&hl=en&ll=35.295624,-81.006462&spn=0.002134,0.004128&safe=off&hnear=Charlotte,+North+Carolina+28202&gl=us&t=h&z=19 That looks like it is a fun job! Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
TotalLamer Posted March 18, 2013 Share Posted March 18, 2013 That looks like it is a fun job! It's a huge pain because that's the first place you come to after leaving the yard on that job so you've got cars for a bunch of other industries too... and there's not much room in the runaround to work with, plus there's that crossing so you can't even use all of it anyway. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
shortliner Posted March 18, 2013 Share Posted March 18, 2013 You are very welcome on the area as there are a lot of us guys on this side of the pond (and around the world) interested in switching on small layouts - its often that its all we have room for Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Adrian Wintle Posted March 18, 2013 Share Posted March 18, 2013 Oh and if you'd like to see a nearby industry that has a crazy switching setup... I imagine this would be hilarious to model. The lead down into the plant is on a steep hill too. https://maps.google.com/maps?q=28202&hl=en&ll=35.295624,-81.006462&spn=0.002134,0.004128&safe=off&hnear=Charlotte,+North+Carolina+28202&gl=us&t=h&z=19 That looks like a fun area to model. In N you could get most of it onto a C-shaped board 6'x6' without much compression. Adrian Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
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