Anyone modeling the Long Island RR?

[simon b]

Hi all,  I've recently taken an interest in the LIRR commuter trains of a few years ago. Seems like a great subject for a small layout with their short push pull trains, a gp38 and an old FA unit sandwiching a few coaches.

 

Has anyone here modelled these services?

 

Cheers.

[long island jack]

not passenger train, but lots of info here  

http://www.trainsarefun.com/lirr/lirrcontents.htm

[Joseph_Pestell]

I did quite a lot of internet research on LIRR a few months ago. A very interesting project as a model.

 

What if it had kept its original passenger terminal on the East River?

[simon b]

On 27/01/2021 at 13:36, long island jack said:

not passenger train, but lots of info here  

http://www.trainsarefun.com/lirr/lirrcontents.htm

Thanks for the link, that website is quite a rabbit hole.

[barkingdigger]

Not sure if this counts as a dead thread yet, but I model the LIRR because I grew up with the Montauk Branch running at the bottom of my back yard!  There's a lot of interesting equipment and paint schemes available these days, although I still prefer detailing and painting old locos like the Athearn GP38-2 rather than buying pre-painted...

[Javier L]

Dead threads tell no tales... luckily I don't think we've hit the statute of limitations on reviving this one yet.

 

I may take up the small layout idea for LIRR, currently working several pre 1920's equipment projects related to the road in AutoCAD. That was a time before the population took off, and you could still spot regular two coach consists. Currently printing one of my wood coaches for it, a Jackson & sharp 56', bogies need some workshopping before they're ready.

 

Javier

 

Edited May 15, 2022 by Javier L

[barkingdigger]

Looks like a thunderstorm brewing - raise the kite, Igor!

 

That's some nifty CAD-work!  A tad early for my interests, but still very good to see.  What are you planning for locos?

[Javier L]

Throw the third switch..! - Throw it I say!

 

These engines certainly predate Tichy or Goodfellow eras. I have a few more coaches I want to do for variety, but I intend to take a bit of time identifying each, as the early rosters seem to be missing some info to my understanding.

 

At the moment I’m reverse engineering a glass plate negative for dimensions of an appropriate engine; The railroad ordered 16 4-4-0’s they designated as class D-52. With the last of engines delivered by Rogers in May 1883. (I believe this to be a retroactively imposed designation by Pennsylvania Railroad to conform to their identification system. The book series The Long Island Railroad: A Comprehensive History records previous engine rosters simply by the number each engine was designated at the mass engine renumbering on October 1st, 1898.)

 

Cheers!

 

Javier

[barkingdigger]

Sounds like you need a copy of Steel Rails to the Sunrise, by Ron Ziel!  The early chapters show loads of wacky loco designs from the 1800s...  Sadly there's nothing ready-to-run out there, so you'd have to do a lot of engineering, maybe to fit an existing chassis?

[Javier L]

The copy I have is currently in shambles, I recieved it in fairly poor condition. I think it will be scanner fodder for personal use at the least. 
 

I could actually use a copy of Ron Ziels The Long Island Railroad in Early Photographs. Fairly easy to acquire, I just haven’t gotten about it. Some very good shots in there as well at the least!

 

I hope to use my own 3D printed chassis’ depending on how well they come together, the trick being the thin bar frame which makes up the front end of most <American> 4-4-0’s. RTR is not out of the question, I was just hoping to take advantage of motor kits like those from HighLevel or Gibson.

Javier

 

 

 

[barkingdigger]

Yep, that's a very good book - I just had a look through my copy!  Plenty of early locos shown side-on in posed shots ideal for CAD-reconstruction.  Of course if you're designing from "scratch" you ought to do a camel-back...

[Javier L]

:)

 

 

[Ian Simpson]

That is very nice, Javier! 

Is there a commercial chassis that could be bashed for this loco?

[barkingdigger]

Very nice indeed!  What scale are you working in?

[Javier L]

Custom 3D chassis for these, although this once again does not preclude the use of RTR. All of these models are in HO of course.

 

This engine model serves use as three different engines: two freight consolidations, an H-51 & H-51a, and the passenger type G-53, all three having been delivered by Brooks. A nice builders photo from the Dave Keller collection is attached, though both the Passenger & Freight locos seem to be rarer to find photos of.

 

Javier

 

 

 

Edited June 5, 2022 by Javier L

[Javier L]

It has been a good minute since ive been online, as work hinders a good portion of my modelling these days. Nevertheless I have managed a few prints in the previous months that I am quite happy with. Along with that I have completed printing parts for one of my Long Island Coaches, assembled as seen here.

 

Some fiddling with the cad file has been undertake to address the roof supports overhang since this print, as they proved somewhat fragile and tended to curl downward post print. For this particular model though I must remain satisfied with having broken them off and cementing them in place at the roofline.

I have not found in my studies any identifying classes for Long Island Wood Cars, although one such surviving roster in the Long Island Comprehensive History Book series documents this coach series to be numbered 51-66 at the time of delivery. One such coach was used in a Publicity Stunt by the route for the record of speed cycling behind the draft of a train, undertaken by the American Sport Cyclist Charles M Murphy.

I hope to have at least one or two more such coaches added to the stock list for a short train. This number may expand at the advent of a new printer, which I may be in the running for soon. As far as I am aware im the only such person to be modelling pre-Pennsy Long Island, although I would love for someone to prove me wrong :)

 

Best

 

Javier
 

Edited April 28, 2023 by Javier L

[barkingdigger]

That looks great!  Could you solve the end curves with a bit of lateral thinking?  Maybe making the letter board part of the roof, with a corresponding rebate in the top of the car side for it to fit into?

[Javier L]

Super late response, but that makes sense, and I have since updated my model entirely.
 

Looking to update on some of my modelling on this front, I do have a fair bit I’ve now covered since last post.

 

 

I’ve about completed one consist, which represents among the earliest engine the route acquired, a Baldwin product by the name of Post Boy. This has since been updated from this photo, the engine is of my own Cad, with the rest of the consist having been made available from Iron Genesis Works on 3DPTrain. The tender is motorized, so I’ll eventually want to solve the DCC end of it.

 

 

Another one i’ve been particularly proud of is the D52, which utilizes the newer Bachmann 4-4-0 as a base model, with some conversion details which I’ve printed for it. Still a ways to go, but im happy with the results thus far. Will eventually be numbered 50, I intend on sleuthing some decals for it in the near future. 
 

 

The tender for this also utilizes some authentic engine coals which have been glued in place with some Rocket Hot. I will be looking to eventually swap out the archbars for something period appropriate.. a fluke from the factory I suppose, as these are not the default for the 119 model that was ordered.

 

Thats as much as I’ll be covering for the moment, though I’ll have a few coaches to showcase once those are closer to completion.

 

Cheers!

 

Javier