Chris Gilbert Posted April 1, 2013 Share Posted April 1, 2013 Well after a quiet Easter weekend watching the mighty Wolves win at home on Saturday and visiting family on Sunday,it was time to get started on the new layout which has been booked for Warley this year. After modeling the Florida panhandle I wanted something different, so it was time to move across the country to the state of California and the city of lost angels or more importantly the area called Vernon, which I'm sure most of you will know is or was the home of the LAJ. As I want to do something a little different, there will be no CF7's for me, but amour yellow gensets covered in street art.... Ever since Haston I've always like the idea of looking along the tracks of a layout, so i thought I'd give this track plan a go. The layout is viewed from the bottom looking up into the U and operated from around the outside There are three baseboards each four and a half feet long by twelve inches wide. So today while listening to the mighty Wolves on the radio I thought I'd start them. This was kick-off then it was one nil then two nil then three nil Didn't do much in the second half.... Any how I will keep you updated. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Supaned Posted April 1, 2013 Share Posted April 1, 2013 interesting concept - will you be attempting the run-down graffiti ridden feel of the area? Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Chris Gilbert Posted April 1, 2013 Author Share Posted April 1, 2013 It will be more like run-down rather than graffiti ridden. most of the area I want to model will look like this Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Supaned Posted April 1, 2013 Share Posted April 1, 2013 That's surprisingly free of graffiti. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
JWB Posted April 1, 2013 Share Posted April 1, 2013 Vernon is an industrial area with few residents, so they have less of a problem. BNSF is actually the dominant railroad in Vernon, since the Los Angeles Junction, while it provides a "neutral switching service" on behalf of both BNSF and UP, is a BNSF subsidiary. BNSF also has its own line on the west side of town, with a local yard called Malabar Yard. The UP runs between the two with its former San Pedro line down Downey Road. There are some UP spurs on the west side of Downey Avenue. My favorite scene from Vernon is the buildings facing the west side of BNSF's Malabar Yard: Another good Vernon scene is the crossing of the Los Angeles Junction and the UP line down Downey Road: When I was poor and in school, I didn't live too far away, and I had a small shelf layout, but at the time, I didn't know about Vernon. If I were doing a Vernon-based layout now, I would want to incorporate the street trackage, the various crossing signals, and some of the interesting buildings like the ones above. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
PhilM Posted April 1, 2013 Share Posted April 1, 2013 So what on eath will you build if they ever get promoted? Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Chris Gilbert Posted April 2, 2013 Author Share Posted April 2, 2013 So what on eath will you build if they ever get promoted? Thats a long way off, I'm more worried about getting relegated Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Chris Gilbert Posted April 2, 2013 Author Share Posted April 2, 2013 If I were doing a Vernon-based layout now, I would want to incorporate the street trackage, the various crossing signals, and some of the interesting buildings like the ones above. John the track plan doesn't show it ( I'll try and draw it tonight) but I am planing to have street running, a 90 degree crossing plus signals and all those poles seen in the photos, on the right hand leg. The left hand leg will be a single track spur serving a couple of customers will a gated customer at the end. This may well be a LPG unloading point. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
trisonic Posted April 2, 2013 Share Posted April 2, 2013 JWB: I love that collection of buildings in your first photo. What company is it and what did they do? Looks like a heavy duty user of electricity - some kind of furnace presumably? Nice idea, Chris. Best, Pete. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
298 Posted April 2, 2013 Share Posted April 2, 2013 Chris, are the baseboards from a kit...? And if so, who is the manufacturer...? Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Chris Gilbert Posted April 2, 2013 Author Share Posted April 2, 2013 Chris, are the baseboards from a kit...? And if so, who is the manufacturer...? Yes Andy, they are. They are made by Model Railway Solutions Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
JWB Posted April 2, 2013 Share Posted April 2, 2013 JWB: I love that collection of buildings in your first photo. What company is it and what did they do? Looks like a heavy duty user of electricity - some kind of furnace presumably? Nice idea, Chris. Best, Pete. Pete, it's currently a paper company, but beyond that, I can't say. The other day when I was down there, somebody was on the roof inspecting some of that stuff, so I assume it's still in use. Maybe someone else has enough industrial knowledge to fill in the blanks. A big regret I have is that I didn't drive the 5 miles or so over there in the 1970s when I was that close; the spur was probably in use then. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
F-UnitMad Posted April 3, 2013 Share Posted April 3, 2013 Chris if that's the influence you have on the Wolves, you should build a new layout every weekend...!! :D (from a long-suffering non-Wolves fan, brought up on "Billy Wright This" and "Billy Wright That" by a Dad who never lost the faith, bless him...) Just a question - will punters/viewers be allowed to stand inside the 'U'..? Probably not, I'd imagine. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Chris Gilbert Posted April 3, 2013 Author Share Posted April 3, 2013 They won't be allowed in at the NEC because of the fencing that is put around One advantage of operating it from the sides, is it shouldn't get knocked and leant on by my neighbours as Florida City did, at both the NEC and Glasgow Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
298 Posted April 3, 2013 Share Posted April 3, 2013 Yes Andy, they are. They are made by Model Railway Solutions I'm thinking of keeping a baseboard kit in stock, the difference being you build a new layout when Wolves win, but I build one when Coventry get relegated... Andy (Not a Cov fan). Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
lajrmdlr Posted January 11, 2015 Share Posted January 11, 2015 Hi All Just "tripped" over this site doing a search this AM for the Los Angeles Junction (LAJ) Ry. My modular layout is also based on the LAJ & a plan is attached below. If Seville Ave were shown it would be just above "12 Fruitland Team".. My plan is based on LAJ Switch Maps The maps were given to me by Charlie Slater retired conductor. He started w/ the LAJ then ent to ATSF (Santa Fe) & retired from BNSF. He's also a very good HO modeler! The LAJ is located in a 2mile by 5 mile ares SE of Los Angeles CA. When it started in 1922 it was all in LA but now it's in the cities of Commerce, Maywood & Vernon. Sevile Ave. is all in Vernon. The LAJ & ATSF tean tracks are at the corner of Fruitland Ave & Seville Ave. Use 2695 Fruitland Ave 90058 to see that area in Bing, Google &/or historicaerils.com. The LAJ has 65 miles of track made up by 22 Switch Leads & 3 yards (A,B &C). It used to interchange w/ ATSF, PE, SP & UP but now just BNSF & UP. My era will be from 1930-1990 but that will be devided up into 10 year eras. But plan on having others operate so theres no telling what we''ll run on any given session. The Switch Maps have Charlies notes on how each industry was switched & the car types/frequecy of switching. Also have the Jan. 1972 Industry List. LAJ moive power started w/ 4 ALCO 0-6-0s then 7 ALCO (5 S-2 2 S-4 diesels. 4 ATSF CF7s & now anything BNSF gives them. These days they're using some RCL Gensets. The used to oprate 24/7 but now are only running 16 hours 6 days aweek. And many of the Switch Leads don't see any use these days.Also attached The Horn Switch Map to give you all an idea of how complex LAJ switching ca be. Email me at lajrmdlr@gmail.com if you' like to see any of these items. As can be een there's a BIG difference between the original Horn & what's possible to model. LOL . Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
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