Lineas Cubanas

Thanks for your comment My initial thoughts were the same as yours: that I envisaged the Interchange Track as extending into the fiddle yard so I could cycle wagons on/off etc but this proved impossible as fiddle yard baseboard is just not wide enough...... Another reason .....next time, why I would not re use baseboards (from a previous layout).....and as mentioned before the baseboard join in the layout would have been better where the fiddle yard begins rather some just random point in the scenic board! But I guess thats what you get from being brought up in the North! I am aiming for the curve track at Orient Pipe to be around 22" so I am hoping that this precludes any problems for couplings!

Some more photos of building positioning and also test fitting the track plan : This is the initial track plan that I am working from: Any feedback is welcome........

Thanks Simon Yes, Beirut before the war was often referred to as the "Paris of the Middle East" Not sure if its a little too eclectic choice for RMweb though...... Yes, I had a chat with Jerry at LARKRAIL 2023 and promised I would have something ready for next year!

Thank you I would like to include a representation of the narrow gauge railway from Beirut to Damascus but realistically, I think I may be trying to cram too much into my small space (Layout is 75 inches by 21.5 inches) .....the track was shut down 2 years after the start of the civil war 1975-1990 so would only need to include a short stretch of destroyed track....but even so......TBC

Here’s some early construction photos: - Test Fitting the backscene - Checking some early building placements at the back of the layout - Deciding on the lighting The blue tape is the base board join and the connects the second board which will have the staging on it (far right out of shot) Warm LEDs I decided in the end that they are just too orange....... Daylight LEDs I decided that these are my best option for the time being but I am going to revisit when the layout is finished as I am not 100% happy with them. A few of things to address: - Curve at the front on the layout needs to be more gentle - Lights are causing shadow at the front of the layout - More light to be added when layout finished? - Baseboard join is going to be a pain

Yes, well I will let you be the judge of that when I present the finished layout.......

Dora (Dowra) present day:

Now, hopefully we are at the stage where we can focus in on the area of Dora and lift some kind of prototype track plan to use…. If only……as you can imagine information is fairly limited and difficult to get hold of, mainly due to the 15 year Civil War and subsequent abandonment of the railway system. The best I could do is this section taken from a map of Beirut made by the Central Intelligence Agency around 1978: These are the industries I hope to include but will obviously need to be finalised during the build: PN Dora – Passenger Stop Orient Pipe Factory Oil Company – CalTex (TBC) Cortas Manufacturing Company (Canning & Refrigeration) Oil Company - Total (TBC) Almaza Brewery & Malt Company (TBC) Exchange Spur for Port Traffic including Cement I am going to be using Switch List to operate the Layout and the above translates to the following in that app: I haven’t finalised the rolling stock yet hence the vague names for each wagon etc Switch List: https://apps.apple.com/dk/app/switchlist/id550383737?mt=12

Ok so for a bit of context: the map below shows the railway system in Lebanon as it existed before the Civil War As we can see there was both standard gauge lines and a narrow-gauge line (which had a rack section) Beirut had essentially 2 main stations: - Mar Mikhael station (Gare St Michel) was the western terminus of the Beirut - Riyaq - Damascus narrow gauge (1.05m) rack line over the mountains. This line to Syria was shut down 2 years into the 1975-1990 Civil War. - The NBT (Nakoura- Beirut- Tripoli) station at Furn el Shebback with its yard maintained the standard gauge rolling stock used on the coastal Beirut to Nakoura and Beirut to Tripoli lines including the commuter service between Dora and Jbei. Point of Interest on the coastal NBT line included: Line North from Beirut Dora - Petrol terminals Jbeil - Commuter Service Jounieh - Zouk Mkayel power plant Chekka - Cement Factories Line South from Beirut Jiyeh - Ra’s en-Nabi Younés power plant Zahraini - ARAMCO Refinery I will be modelling part of the standard gauge NBT Line in and around Dora (or Dowra as it’s sometimes called) in the Eastern Suburbs of Beirut The Map below gives a better over view of where the layout is situated: Arret PN Dora There was a station at the Port too and the line from Gare NBT (Furn El Shebback) was dual gauge to the port. The standard gauge line being connected to the port with a side line that passed through Mar Mikhael Station, narrow gauge shops and yard.

Yes, thanks for posting....... I do have the excellent book by Eddie Choueiry: "Liban Sur Rail" which was actually purchased from the Virgin Megastore in Beirut. Obviously renovated and rebuilt, it is in Martyrs square : the 3rd photo above of the destroyed buildings (the one with the chairs and umbrellas).......

From Cuba to Lebanon..........my new layout topic here:

This is to introduce my new layout that I am currently in the process of building and document some information on the Railways of Lebanon, primarily in Beirut during the Lebanese Civil War during the 1980s. Railroad Name: "Les Caves Du Roy" or "Banlieue Est, Beyrouth" (TBD) Scale: HO Scale Gauge: Standard Prototype: C.E.L. Chemin de Fer de l'Etat Libanais Region: Beirut, Lebanon Locale: Dora, Eastern Suburb of Beirut Era: 1980s I have chosen the time period of the 1980s in order to try include most of the following: 1) Trains moved 1,000 tonnes of fuel a day - Petrol trains moved north between Beirut NBT and the petrol terminals at Dora (North East Beirut) and Zouk Mkayel power plant (south of Jounieh) - On the southern part of the NBT line, petrol trains were operated between Zahraini Refinery (ARAMCO), near Saïda and Ra’s en-Nabi Younés power plant north to the electricity plants of Beirut & refineries in Tripoli until 1983/84. 2) Cement came daily from Chekka to Beirut - A mixed train between Beirut and the Chekka cement factory (km 208.5), south of Tripoli continued to operate from February 1985 until February 16th, 1994 after which the railway bridge at Nahr el-Khelb (km 155), south of Jounieh was dismantled in March 1995 to allow an extension of the coastal motorway. 3) There was a very profitable line between Beirut port and Baghdad 4) There were daily passenger trains from Beirut to Aleppo (Syria) - The CEL operated a passenger service between Beirut and Tripoli, with a weekly sleeping car that connected to the Taurus Express at Aleppo in Syria. - Commuter Service from Dora in Beirut to Jbeil with MAN German Railcars (1982/83) Closed 1993 In fact, until the end of 1989 there was always some traffic on Lebanese tracks despite the on-going Civil War (1975-1990) When starting with a new project/concept/layout I like to get together what I call “inspirational” photos that illustrate the atmosphere and scenes that I would like to convey: The Green Line dividing West and East Beirut "The Bread Seller" Beirut Port Martyrs Square/Rivoli Theatre C.E.L Polish SP45 Diesels Burnt Out Wagons Ashrafieh, suburb of Beirut

Hi Guys I hope you will forgive the shameless plug and self promotion but I am thinning the herd of a number of Cuban Rolling Stock items in my possession. I have far too much and there's no point keeping them packed away..... Hopefully, someone else will be encouraged to start modelling Cuba in HO Scale with the help of some of these. Here is the link to Ebay: https://www.ebay.co.uk/sch/lineascubanas/m.html?_nkw=&_armrs=1&_ipg=&_from= Or just search "Lineas Cubanas" or "Cuban Railways" on eBay Rolling stock for sale includes: - Locos (DCC with Sound) - Caboose - Box Cars - Tanks Cars - Gondolas - Container Flats - Flat Cars - Hoppers - Stock Car - Express Box Car - Cement Wagons - Water Tank Car - Maintenance of Way Cars If anyone needs any additional or prototype info, just drop me a line

I did a bit of work on the railroad this weekend. Just changed a couple of things I wasn't happy with. I came to the conclusion that I need a staging/fiddle yard to operate the layout effectively and that's not going to be possible in my office where the layout is situated. So I am thinking I may move the layout to the garage which will enable said fiddle yard to be implemented and the layout stored until future exhibitions, for when life begins again. Obviously, if I move it from my office it frees up some space for a new layout/project! I also took some photos with my iPhone:

Thanks Andy I may keep it, I am undecided at the moment. Thinking if I move it on I might get my modelling mojo back and be inspired to get on with my next project. But I think the demand for HO Cuban Layouts is pretty small. Where does one even sell a layout nowadays and for how much? I am tempted to have a go at Continental N but kind of finer standards using Code 40 track, finer wheels but tbh I am not sure building 2mm turnouts is within my skillset and seems pretty daunting........

Hi Everyone I am considering parting ways with "La Noche de la Iguana" in order to make room for my next project I would like it to go to a good home, hopefully someone who will be prepared to exhibit it if that's their bag etc Its 105 inches long by about 22 inches at the widest point All my Cuban Motive Power/Rolling Stock will be included. If you are interested, please contact via PM Thanks for your interest Matt

Here it is in visual form which I find more inspiring. You are probably thinking where the hell is the railway ??? You'd be right ...I tend to take my inspiration from other sources. (All said in a non pretentious way......hopefully) Riddle of the Sands La Brouillard au Pont de Tolbiac

In no particular order, one of the following: Riddle of the Sands La brouillard au pont de Tolbiac Sin El Fil Answers on postcard please if you have any preferences or even know what I am going on about..... Do you need any Mill Buildings? I am pretty sure I have some that Peter gave me that he used on an old layout of his. If you do, let me know and I will dig them out and post a photo. You can let me know if they are suitable/will help and I will get them to you once the local post office stops their ridiculous one in one out policy......

Thanks both for your support and contribution towards the next project.......

Hi Andy, Thanks for the kind words and the Ebay Promotion! It is indeed me: having sorted through my rolling stock, I have far too much to run so I'd rather it give someone a head start in modelling Cuban Railways than stay packed away! There are some books on there too on Cuban Railways Commercial break over.....

Thanks for this Paul TBH, I hadn't really thought beyond including some of The Buena Vista Social Club soundtrack You got me thinking......so I have been putting together some ambient sounds Managed to even find a recording of a Cuban Numbers Station that is still active......... called "Voce De La Chica," believed to be operated by the Cuban intelligence directorate, Dirección de Inteligencia (DI). https://www.vice.com/en_us/article/ezvyyj/cubas-mysterious-numbers-station-is-still-on-the-air

Hi Everyone Hope you are all staying safe and well in these peculiar times, more importantly I hope you are getting some modelling done! La Noche de la Iguana is pretty much finished now. Just need to sort through teething problems with the locos and rolling stock and maybe add some people....

The wall at the back reads "En Cada Barrio Revolución" "In every neighbourhood Revolution" Well in Larkhall at least

Apologies for my tardiness in replying. Just met up with Simon and Jerry to discuss my contract and appearance fee for Larkrail 2020. The good news is we came to an agreement so Lineas Cubanas will be indeed be attending Obviously, the exact details of the contract and fee are confidential but it basically involves Jerry agreeing to cut the tracks at the baseboard join for me so we can dismantle the layout and get it out of the house. See you all then

I take it you will both be available to sort my lack of operators problem?