The Antioch branch

[stivesnick]

Hi 

 

A question about the track plan. If the passenger depot is at the run around track (my assumption) , would the railway company not want the team track  close by so that it is easier to manage and less walk for the staff? 

 

Just a thought, that may show my lack of knowledge of how these things operate. 

 

Have you got ideas about the scenery and town buildings? That might help support the track plan that you have. For example, a river or a cliff would lead to a narrow site for the railway so the plan becomes more linear.

 

Hope this is useful.

 

Nick 

[Guest Jack Benson]

Although not shown (I forgot) the team track will spur off at the far end of the RR loop. 
 

One of the many LDEs was street running or at least the track emerging between two mundane buildings. I have been busy collecting images of small towns of <1000 in upstate NY, they are remarkably similar to the nicer bits of Surrey except more bears. Both Walthers and DPM offer rows of two story ‘ma&pa’ shops that will do nicely as part of a backscene to the depot, the road will curve downwards so that the track run through a gap and across the road (see above) 

 

After leaving the town the track runs past three sidings to local businesses, the cold store has morphed into a cannery with the addition of a boiler house and chimney before bimbling past fields of local produce (and bears) before disappearing into the void of the FY. All this info was found by googling  ‘small town ‘50s upstate NY’, it was and still is the vegetable garden and dairy farm of New York city, however in the past twenty years it is the desirable suburb of NYC for long distance commuters and home workers. 
 

Btw, the images portray a rather nice place to live, no idea of the name, sorry.
 

 

 

 

[mdvle]

9 hours ago, Jack Benson said:

Btw, the images portray a rather nice place to live, no idea of the name, sorry.

 

Bored at the moment so spent some time on Google...

 

9 hours ago, Jack Benson said:

 

 

Cooperstown NY - Home of the Baseball Hall of Fame and Museum.  The pictured bakery was founded in 1887.

 

Town was founded by the father of James Fenimore Cooper, author of "Last of the Mohicans"

 

9 hours ago, Jack Benson said:

 

 

 

Ellicottville NY, almost due south of Buffalo NY.

[Guest Jack Benson]

Mdvle, Thank you, much appreciated 

 

Antioch will simply be an amalgam of all the features that are attractive. These are the Walthers ‘Merchants Row’ . 

 

 

As mentioned, the notion of a Main Street with a train passing through a gap in the buildings and across the street is to be found in the first five minutes of this video of the Arcade and Attica Railroad  and it will be modelled as such.

 

StaySafe

 

Edited September 17, 2022 by Jack Benson

[Guest Jack Benson]

Another 'oddity' to those used to British railways is the use of the 'wye' Railroad systems in North America have tended to have more wyes than railroads elsewhere. North American locomotives and cars are more likely to be directional than those found on other continents. In Canada and the United States, the railroad  builders had much more freedom to lay down tracks where they wished. Moreover turntables were expensive, skill was needed in their construction and use, issue of space were not particulary a problem in Canada and the United States moreover turnouts were simple and cheap.

 

Antioch will have a 'wye' immediately behind the facade Main Street, much like the Arcade and Attica RR, as seen here with #18 being turned, the curve is quite severe.

 

StaySafe

Edited September 17, 2022 by Jack Benson

[JZ]

7 hours ago, Jack Benson said:

These are the Walthers ‘Merchants Row’ . 

 

As mentioned, the notion of a Main Street with a train passing through a gap in the buildings and across the street is to be found in the first five minutes of this video of the Arcade and Attica Railroad  and it will be modelled as such.

 

StaySafe

 

The Walthers Merchants row kits are a one piece structure. You need to add partitions between the shops as they are not provided. This particular one I have in Lucyville.

[JZ]

This is Burke, in Idaho, about 1914.

[Guest Jack Benson]

14 hours ago, JZ said:

The Walthers Merchants row kits are a one piece structure. You need to add partitions between the shops as they are not provided. This particular one I have in Lucyville.

 

Julian,

 

The idea of a backdrop of the shops and houses on Main Street is central to the concept of the depot in the centre of the community. How to create this will be a challenge (and expensive) but ultimately worthwhile, the images of actual towns are essential guides. Maybe the the resin moulding course at evening classes might finally prove their worth?  
 

Today, the last of the baseboards to be recycled will be taken into the workshop and everything on the top will carefully removed, some bits for re-use, the rest for the recycling bin. The boards were made twenty+ years ago and are still in perfect order, a tribute to Richard Hooper, carpenter extraordinaire. 
 

Thankfully, only a couple of new turnouts and an extra two Tortoise motors are needed, all the old Peco track has survived being recycled without a single failure. 
 

As soon as the last board is attached, the top surface will be cleaned and sanded back to its pristine condition ready for its last role as Antioch.

 

StaySafe (The fifth inoculation next week)  

 

 

[long island jack]

might be worth giving Sophie a ring, think i seen some Walther building like the above the last time i was in.

 https://www.anoraksanonymous.net/

[Guest Jack Benson]

Dipping a toe

None, except the Baldwin V0-660, of the motive power is truly New York Central, they are generic however this elderly model from Gem, made in '75, should redress the situation. It was found in Des Plaines, Illinois.

 

 

 

Built in the early 1900’s, New York Central’s F-2 class of Ten-Wheelers spent much of their career hauling freight on the main line and secondary lines. In the mid - 1930’s these steam locomotives were superheated and reclassified as F-12 class. Painting and lettering the model should be a challenge.

 

StaySafe

[EmporiaSub]

7 hours ago, Jack Benson said:

Dipping a toe

None, except the Baldwin V0-660, of the motive power is truly New York Central, they are generic however this elderly model from Gem, made in '75, should redress the situation. It was found in Des Plaines, Illinois.

 

 

 

Built in the early 1900’s, New York Central’s F-2 class of Ten-Wheelers spent much of their career hauling freight on the main line and secondary lines. In the mid - 1930’s these steam locomotives were superheated and reclassified as F-12 class. Painting and lettering the model should be a challenge.

 

StaySafe

Painting a brass loco is sacrilege…..😉

But the end result is a ‘working’ model and not a collectors dust item….

[Guest Jack Benson]

15 hours ago, EmporiaSub said:

Painting a brass loco is sacrilege…..😉

But the end result is a ‘working’ model and not a collectors dust item….

But it has to be done, this should be the end result but lightly weathered.
 

 

James, of this parish, has agreed to the task, it will be superb. Just need to source the decals, no longer an easy or painless business

 

StaySafe

[Guest Jack Benson]

The badly scribbled plan did not survive the reality of Anyrail, this is the plan created by Brian W, to whom I am very grateful. There will be, no doubt, further tweaks but the concept will work rather well with lots of operating potential. 
 

StaySafe

 

Edited September 19, 2022 by Jack Benson
Spelling

[Guest Jack Benson]

My critical american chum has suggested that one of my posted LDEs should include the local fauna. As an infrequent traveller to a supplier near Buffalo, I must agree with his choice of ‘furry friend’ crossing the road when least expected, though this one is a little too brown. To date, we have only encountered the friendliest of Ursus, although we do keep the windows of the hire car closed and the doors locked but we do stop to watch them.

 

 

Layouts, need some humanity, even if it does have big teeth and claws. 
 

StaySafe

[Guest Jack Benson]

One of life's simple pleasures when making models is to replicate a moment and place.

 

 

 

 

 

 

The moment is the train crossing the street from between the buildings and the place is Arcade, NY. Not sure if that scene will be replicated exactly but there will be a 'between the buildings' and definitely a street to cross as there is no other image that is evocative of small town USA as a train in a street.

 

And for those who are aware of my peculiar preferences for 'tall chimeneys, big domes on small locos,' my very tiny roster of locos has just been increased by this:-

 

 

Like most of the others, it is not truly an NYCRR loco, just a generic Baldwin but it does tick all those boxes.

 

StaySafe

[Guest Jack Benson]

A ‘gotcha’ moment occurred when I realised that a TT was needed in the FY…….a couple of days were spent trying to solve the issue until a response on the MRH forum confirmed that tender-first running was an acceptable practice. That had the unforeseen consequence of ‘why is a ‘wye’ needed’ which resulted in its removal from the track plan and a slightly more prosaic scheme, see below:- 

 

It still needs the odd tweak but it works for me, especially as I have a weird obsession with feed mills (there will be two) 

 

Tender first, normally restricted to locations which did not have turning facilities mostly but not exclusively due to topography. And there are rules:- speed restrictions, visibility for footplate crew, extra light mounted on the tender, etc. this image is a loco equipped for tender-first operation. 
 

Most of the Antioch locos are rather tiny and perfectly suited to the branch, which is why they survived. The exception is the USRA light mike but in order to prove the rule there must be an exception.  

 

 

Track laying will commence in a couple of weeks time, then the boards depart for the installation of turnout motors and wiring. Back sometime before Christmas……maybe. 
 

In the meantime, there are buildings and rolling stock kits to build.

 

Finally, the brass loco has just passed through Heathrow customs, the duty wasn’t too bad.

 

StaySafe

 

[pH]

Some great detail in that photo - leaning poles, re-railing ramps, poling pockets …

[Guest Jack Benson]

If asked ‘what style epitomises Antioch’ it would be The Waltons albeit set in the ‘40s, whilst these two gentlemen appear to be at the feed mill near Walton’s Mountain. 
 

 

StaySafe

[Guest Jack Benson]

Just getting ready to lay the track and translating the excellent Anyrail render to reality by starting with the fiddleyard. The length is dictated by the longest train, which in turn is based on the prototype and the perception of US outline is monstrous locos pulling mile+ long trains across impossible distances. Antioch is the opposite, small locos, short trains, on a local journey. Thankfully images such as this show that three cars+ caboose are plausible on a local service on the Wilbur Bridge near Kingston, NY in June '48

 

 

Although only 32.75" long train, once the headshunt and turnouts are added, it would need at least 69” of track, quite a size in a layout just 192” long. Care is need to ensure that trains do not exceed this length.

 

 

Another view of the bridge, it still stands today.

 

StaySafe

[Guest Jack Benson]

 

 

The process of getting the track ready for laying has started, I began by painting a small section of track as a sample. Rather than re-invent the wheel, I looked at the work of other modellers who were using flex track . 

 

 First a light dust of rattlecan grey plastic primer if only to give the sleepers a robust grey base coat. 

 

Then three coats of wash were applied to the sleepers using either thinned Vallejo Air 042 Cam Black Brown, alternatively two coats of 042 Cam Black Brown and a coat of 041 Tank Brown wash for a slightly warmer appearance. 

 

 To be continued.....

[Guest Jack Benson]

Setting the scene, finding figures for the late 1940s is proving to be a challenge, it seems Preiser has withdrawn much of its specialist US steam era range of HO people.

 

It would be relatively easy to search for late 1940s US street scenes but rural people don’t tend to follow city fashions except for younger folk being the exception that proves the rule and Antioch is most definitely rural smalltown USA.

 

However by looking at archive images we can delve back into the past and recreate their appearance. The overall (dungarees) seems to be the standard workwear for men of the late 1940s together with hats, whilst, if finances permitted, there was a ‘sunday church suit’ for more formal occasions.

 

 

 

 

 

The last two images are Getty Images to whom I am indebted, they are included as perfect examples of rural attire in the 1940s.

On a personal note, fashions changed slowly in rural, if at all for men, there were folk wearing much the same in the early 1970s when we drove via the Skyline Drive en route to Abingdon to see the Virginia Creeper before closure.

 

Stay Safe

[GW Jim]

Perhaps you may find something of help from this wonderful collection of US photos.

 

https://thetracksidephotographer.com/coal-country/erhaps

 

I find them very rewarding. Love your project and keeping a close eye on it!

 

James.

 

[Guest Jack Benson]

Traffic - serves the local industries/customers dairy produce, lumber, light industry, no bulk loads for heavy industry.

The only cars purchased to date serve the needs of the local community, the cars are predominately NYC with a few cars from adjacent roads.

 

Chicago and Eastern Illinois Railroad 40' boxcar Athearn upgrade

 

New York Central 40' boxcar Tichy #4028

 

New York Central 40' boxcar BLI

 

New York Central 50' boxcar Athearn

 

Baltimore and Ohio PS-1 40' boxcar Kadee

 

Pennsylvania RR 1944 AAR 40' boxcar C&BT Shops

 

New York Central Two-bay hopper Ulrich Models

 

New York Central 41'6" Gondola Accurail

 

To be continued

Edited October 9, 2022 by Jack Benson
Updated

[dave1905]

The C&EI car is Athearn. 

 

NYC 165298 is a model of a rebuilt USRA single sheathed car.  You can see the bottoms of the steel truss framework below the car sides.

[2996 Victor]

Nice selection of cars there, Tim - looking forward to seeing them running!

 

Cheers,

Mark