59th AND RUST ( NOW retired 2021)

[trisonic]

Ray, it just keeps getting better, mo' beautiful...

 

Best, Pete.

[Baby Deltic]

Absolutely superb modelling. Urban grot and atmosphere on a grand scale.

[john flann]

Ray, I cannot say that 'urban grot' is my scene, but I do admire the manner in which you catch its atmosphere.

[long island jack]

Thanks for all the kind comment chaps, i've enjoyed building "59th and rust",i suppose i'll have to start running it now to see if it all works as i have planned it!!!!!!!!

 

 

Ray

[long island jack]

Just for a bit of daftness,i'm at a lost end this morning so took a photo of the Erie local!!!!

 

 

Ray

[long island jack]

For the past week i've been playing trains testing out my operational procedure using scenario style cards (switch list) so far it seems to work ok,just a bit of fine tune of some couplers and standardizing

on Kadee #5/148 (hate those Backmann/Mchenrys).

 

First thing i have is a setup card, this tells me where every car goes before we start.

 

 

Once thats done we have a set of operational rules which we must try to follow ( we'll get use to using the horn and bell).

 

 

Then i have a set of 8 cards which tells me which cars to drop off,pick up.

 

 

We start at card 1, putting the cars that are to drop off on the fiddle yard track,in any order (engine on front,caboose on back),this way each card can be different each time,where it say 40' boxcar and there's more than one in the train,it's up to the operator to choose which one goes where,and so on, there will be bad order cards, mainly broken couplers/brake hose which have to be move to off spot locations,once we have delivered/pickup we head back to the fiddle yard.

 

 

Next we pick card 2 and go through the same procedure,to add a bit of variety, cards 2,4,6,8 are different on both sides.

 

 

Each odd numbered card 1,3,5,7 takes about 45-55 minutes, cards 2,4,6,8 take about 15-20 minutes,the plan is the first operator does card 1-2, then sets up card 3,which the second operator does then card 4,and so on, this will give each operator about 60-75 minutes break to have lunch and a look around the exhibitions or sit on his butt(layout will only need 2 people all weekend), be time we get to card 8 everything should be back in place for the next day.

 

With most exhibitions being about 7 hours,and everything goes to plan, we should just be finishing about 4-ish,then allow a little time for talking to the punters,we shouldn't be far of by the end of the day.

Will have to get my fellow operators around while were off, for some dummy runs (with some beer in of coarse).

I'm sure there will be some fine tuning to do,but won't know that till we've run it!

 

PHEW!!!

Ray

Edited December 20, 2012 by long island jack

[Mike Boucher]

For the past week i've been playing trains testing out my operational procedure using scenario style cards (switch list) so far it seems to work ok,just a bit of fine tune of some couplers and standardizing

on Kadee #5/148 (hate those Backmann/Mchenrys).

 

First thing i have is a setup card, this tells me where every car goes before we start.

 

 

Once thats done we have a set of operational rules which we must try to follow ( we'll get use to using the horn and bell).

 

 

Then i have a set of 8 cards which tells me which cars to drop off,pick up.

 

 

We start at card 1, putting the cars that are to drop off on the fiddle yard track,in any order (engine on front,caboose on back),this way each card can be different each time,where it say 40' boxcar and there's more than one in the train,it's up to the operator to choose which one goes where,and so on, there will be bad order cards, mainly broken couplers/brake hose which have to be move to off spot locations,once we have delivered/pickup we head back to the fiddle yard.

 

 

Next we pick card 2 and go through the same procedure,to add a bit of variety, card 2 is different on both sides.

 

 

Each odd numbered card 1,3,5,7 takes about 45-55 minutes, cards 2,4,6,8 take about 15-20 minutes,the plan is the first operator does card 1-2, then sets up card 3,which the second operator does then card 4,and so on, this will give each operator about 60-75 minutes break to have lunch and a look around the exhibitions or sit on his butt(layout will only need 2 people all weekend), be time we get to card 8 everything should be back in place for the next day.

 

With most exhibitions being about 7 hours,and everything goes to plan, we should just be finishing about 4-ish,then allow a little time for talking to the punters,we shouldn't be far of by the end of the day.

Will have to get my fellow operators around while were off, for some dummy runs (with some beer in of coarse).

I'm sure there will be some fine tuning to do,but won't know that till we've run it!

 

PHEW!!!

Ray

 

Looks interesting. What does the last column designate?

[shortliner]

at a guess, siding capacity?

[long island jack]

The numbers in the left hand side are operational procedures,which are at the bottom of the operational notes,

eg 3 next to off spots,means cars must go behind caboose,due to broken coupler/brake hose

 

Ray

Edited December 20, 2012 by long island jack

[shortliner]

I thought my guess would be wrong!

Edited December 21, 2012 by shortliner

[Prof Klyzlr]

Dear Ray,

 

OK, I have to ask, at a show, while you're staring at the switch-list making sure the sequence runs,

 

who's talking/interacting/encouraging/handing-questions-from the crowd?

 

Happy Modelling,

Aim to Improve,

Prof Klyzlr

[long island jack]

Prof klyzir

I've got a cunning plan for that,we are both going to dress up as women, they can multi task!!!!!!!!.

 

Seriously,at British exhibition you don't get many people asking that many questions about American layouts (hope this layout proves me wrong),and the speeds that i'm going to be switching at i should be able to answer most questions,if we don't get to the last card by the end of the show,it's just a couple of minutes job to set it up for the next day.

 

Ray

[Prof Klyzlr]

Dear Ray,

 

I'll be very interested to hear how the show goes. I have every confidence that "59th" will present and work a treat.

I guess, without sounding too cynical, I'm soo used to the average exhibition viewer having the attention span of a goldfish,

and if a train doesn't move within 30 seconds

(very possible if the operator is distracted answering a question, and the layout is not capable of "running itself", even with a basic shuttle circuit or similar),

the viewer tends to loose interest and walk off...

 

Happy Modelling,

Aim to Improve,

Prof Klyzlr

[roundhouse]

I have had people walk off the second the train goes off scene complaining that nothing is happening and that was an enthusiast so getting some to stand there for 30 seconds isn't so bad.

 

Of course many will stand there much longer if they are interested in American layouts.

 

Looking forward to seeing the layout in action.

 

Ian

[long island jack]

Got to agree with you about the "attention of a goldfish",there's more to layouts than the trains,wonder if this happens at exhibition/meets in America,when there's a British layout there,and the cry goes up "it's only another British layout"!!!

 

Caught up on a few of things on my "to do list" over the last week or so,i've modified the scenario cards  (they where to big) and installed some magnets to hold them.

 

 

 

Got some vechicles at the weekend at the American meet at Hampthwaite (still need a couple more), just a coat of paint on the front of the layout and some legs to build then she's done.

 

Had a couple of inquires for shows for 2014-15,so my see some of you's about.

 

Ray

PS May do the one day exhibition at Hampthwaite in July if it goes a head

[roundhouse]

Must be lunchtime on 49th and Rust, or someone forgot the keys to that padlocked boxcar with all those workers hanging around!!

 

I must give the waybill type of operating a try one day.

 

Ian

[Barry Ten]

Got to agree with you about the "attention of a goldfish",there's more to layouts than the trains,wonder if this happens at exhibition/meets in America,when there's a British layout there,and the cry goes up "it's only another British layout"!!!

 

 

 

 

I exhibited at a show in a small market town in England last year. It was in a lovely venue in the town center and well promoted, so there was a lot of walk-in traffic, including an American couple who were on holiday and saw a sign for a train show so decided to pop in. They were looking forward to seeing some typical British layouts but after walking around a bit they realised that all the models were American! By the time they got to mine, they were relieved to see a non-American model. "At last, a British layout!" the guy said, presumably noticing the double-ended diesels with buffers and so on. I had to break it to him that they were French! He seemed happy enough, though - I guess by the time you're over the Atlantic, the difference between SNCF and BR isn't that big a deal...

 

 

 

[roundhouse]

I exhibited at a show in a small market town in England last year. It was in a lovely venue in the town center and well promoted, so there was a lot of walk-in traffic, including an American couple who were on holiday and saw a sign for a train show so decided to pop in. They were looking forward to seeing some typical British layouts but after walking around a bit they realised that all the models were American! By the time they got to mine, they were relieved to see a non-American model. "At last, a British layout!" the guy said, presumably noticing the double-ended diesels with buffers and so on. I had to break it to him that they were French! He seemed happy enough, though - I guess by the time you're over the Atlantic, the difference between SNCF and BR isn't that big a deal...

 

Actually there was quite a large group of North Americans that came in (whether they were with the couple you mentioned I am not sure). Yes they also commented as to why everyhting was American and didnt stay very long!

 

As you say it was a fantastic venue and well organised for such a small show.. we all had too many cakes!!

[Barry Ten]

Actually there was quite a large group of North Americans that came in (whether they were with the couple you mentioned I am not sure). Yes they also commented as to why everyhting was American and didnt stay very long!

 

As you say it was a fantastic venue and well organised for such a small show.. we all had too many cakes!!

 

Silly of me to forget you were there as well - doh! It was fun, though, wasn't it?

[roundhouse]

Silly of me to forget you were there as well - doh! It was fun, though, wasn't it?

 

Yes very good and looking forward to going back again with any luck at some future year..

 

ian

[Mike Boucher]

Got to agree with you about the "attention of a goldfish",there's more to layouts than the trains,wonder if this happens at exhibition/meets in America,when there's a British layout there,and the cry goes up "it's only another British layout"!!!

 

Not sure you have to worry about that.  I can't say I've ever seen a British prototype layout exhibiting over here, other that the LA buffers 0 gauge layout at O Scale West.  You'll occasionally see people running British prototype on an N-trak layout, and an occasional module, but entire layouts are rarer than chickens teeth.  There is a New England group modeling continental Europe, but everything else is US prototype in my experience.

[Barry Ten]

 There is a New England group modeling continental Europe, but everything else is US prototype in my experience.

 

MR's David Popp has mentioned an interest in building a UK-themed layout, so perhaps something will come of that. TBH when I look at American trains, I have a hard time wondering why anyone would ever want to model anything else...

[Adrian Wintle]

There are a number of British prototype layouts around here, but they usually only come out for very specific shows. Ours only comes out every two years for the Great British Train Show.

 

I did see a modular layout at Timonium (nr. Baltimore, MD) that had a Hogwarts Station and Hogwarts Castle modules - that was the closest anything came to British outline there.

 

Adrian.

[trisonic]

I hate closed minds (thinking of "Oh, it's only a whatever...)      One of the big kicks I get out of travel is seeking railways in odd places - South America is very ripe if you lot get down there, Buenos Aires once had an amazing commuter system and over the water in Uruguay too is worth checking out as is Brazil.

 

I'm hoping that the interesting  lines in Syria survive....

 

Part of what we do should be to open minds, er, not literally, please.

 

Cheers, Pete.

[long island jack]

So does that mean us British have a broader out look in modelling,or is it something to do with the way we exhibit our layouts over here,with the different vatiety of scales and countries modelled or is it just to try and do something different, in stead of the run of the mill British outline (no offence meant).

 

It's nice to go to a exhibition and see something different what ever scale or country,i do get a bit fedup seeing the same old,same old,when i'm not exhibiting i like to go to different show,but that's getting less and less,there's nothing much new and unusual (on the Northern circuit) most exhibition tend to cater for the British outline modeller,unless it's a specialist show,which tend to be in the south of England (south of Manchester).

 

I'll just have to keep on promoting American railroads over here the best i can,and hope i can convert a few.

 

Ray