Central Alonzo (HO Cuban Sugar Mill)

[298]

[298]

[298]

I'm starting to think the Hershey 40' cars are too long as everything points to them being 36' (their age, arch-bar trucks and length). Of course there aren't many modelling choices, aside from the Accucraft 11xx, 17xx and 18xx ranges from five years ago and although these are nicer kits than previous they still have moulded on grabs. So the 40 footers will have to stay until decide on alternatives.

 

Something else that would be nice to have are a rake of Texaco Type 7 tank cars, and am currently weighing up whether to try to find the Funaro and Camerlengo kits or convert some of the readily available P2k type 21 cars. Thanks to Nick Burman for the information.

Edited April 20, 2022 by 298

[Nick_Burman]

13 hours ago, 298 said:

Some progress photos, I'll add captions later....

 All of a sudden the voices of Compay Segundo and Ibrahim Ferrer burst into my head... "Chan Chan" and "Pico y Pala"...

 

As for the Type 7s, order them directly from F&C if you want them, AFAIK they are available.

 

Cheers Nicholas

 

 

[Nick_Burman]

On 29/05/2020 at 20:29, 298 said:

such as the mention of a train ferry for the Hershey docking at Santa Cruz del Norte

 

I'm watching the film and it occurred to me, could Santa Cruz del Norte have once received Seatrain service?

 

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Seatrain_Lines

 

The first ship was launched in 1928, only a few years after Hershey had finished assembling its Cuban properties. At least the dates match.

 

Cheers NB

 

 

 

[doctor quinn]

5 hours ago, Nick_Burman said:

 

I'm watching the film and it occurred to me, could Santa Cruz del Norte have once received Seatrain service?

 

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Seatrain_Lines

 

The first ship was launched in 1928, only a few years after Hershey had finished assembling its Cuban properties. At least the dates match.

 

Cheers NB

 

 

 

It would seem so, along with West India Fruit & Steamship Co and FEC  https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/West_India_Fruit_and_Steamship_Company

Edited April 25, 2022 by doctor quinn

[Nick_Burman]

13 minutes ago, doctor quinn said:

It would seem so, along with West India Fruit & Steamship Co and FEC  https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/West_India_Fruit_and_Steamship_Company

 

The WIF ferries used Havana only and were RoRo vessels (same for FEC). Seatrain used loading and unloading via cradles and special cranes. Looking at Santa Cruz del Norte from Google Earth I can't find anywhere where a RoRo ferry could have docked. However, one can see a small inlet right next to what is today the Havana Club rum plant where a Seatrain vessel could have just squeezed in and there could have been a crane to load/unload the ferry there. If so, the ferry could have taken the cars to Edgewater, New Jersey (where Seatrain had its base and a terminal), where the cars would have been unloaded onto US rails, then forwarded to Hershey, PA.. But all this is just speculation.

 

Cheers Nicholas

 

 

 

 

 

[298]

1 hour ago, Nick_Burman said:

 

The WIF ferries used Havana only and were RoRo vessels (same for FEC). Seatrain used loading and unloading via cradles and special cranes. Looking at Santa Cruz del Norte from Google Earth I can't find anywhere where a RoRo ferry could have docked. However, one can see a small inlet right next to what is today the Havana Club rum plant where a Seatrain vessel could have just squeezed in and there could have been a crane to load/unload the ferry there. If so, the ferry could have taken the cars to Edgewater, New Jersey (where Seatrain had its base and a terminal), where the cars would have been unloaded onto US rails, then forwarded to Hershey, PA.. But all this is just speculation.

 

Cheers Nicholas

 

 

 

 

 

 

I'm pretty certain that's what would have happened, the only issue being I'm not sure which cars would have been used as there is no evidence of HERSHEY or H cars at work in the US and little evidence of US cars on the Hershey. But they did seem to have a large number of boxcars for their Cuban operation.

 

I did find a photo of H 752 today, a 9 ribbed hopper for sunflower seeds so that find has made my day.

[298]

Some progress this week with scenery and building placement what with the warmer weather down in the car-hole:

 

 

 

The best position for the hotel seems to be forwards of the corner, I'm not sure what to put in the black square at the front of the layout, possibly a small single story with a higher facade.

 

Another problem is the height of the proscenium arch, I'm nearly 6' and the temporary one seen here makes the viewing window between 48" (track level) and 58", so at normal viewing distances blocks the backscene and doesn't give the sense of big sky or big mill buildings. I could raise it by cutting the support down but it's only 12mm ply and I fear it being too weak and getting broken. 

 

Although viewers like leaning on barriers and that lowers their eyeline not every show has them and something I've learnt from building a variable height layout is its never the right height for everyone anyway...

 

[doctor quinn]

It’s looking great, I think you’re right about the vacant lot. Maybe a low-rise wooden building that’s startiyto sag in the tropical climate ( a cantina?).

Would “flying “ pelmet up and forward help to get the big plant/ big sky feel?

[PaulRhB]

On 06/05/2022 at 09:55, 298 said:

Another problem is the height of the proscenium arch, I'm nearly 6' and the temporary one seen here makes the viewing window between 48" (track level) and 58", so at normal viewing distances blocks the backscene and doesn't give the sense of big sky or big mill buildings. I could raise it by cutting the support down but it's only 12mm ply and I fear it being too weak and getting broken.

Higher will reveal the top of the backscene to shorter viewers so there’s no real suits all answer. Take photos at various levels for eyelines from kids to my own 6’4” and what works perfectly in the middle has compromises for the extremes. 
Can you use the lighting to emphasise the big sky, maybe adding a strip of cool white to give more bluest the top, a strip pointing back towards the operator so it’s bluer at the top might help? You’ll probably need some shielding for your eyes if you operate from the back though. 
I don’t see the mill buildings as an issue as disappearing into the facade is widely used on logging layouts to suggest giant trees, if anything it emphasises the size.  

[298]

Sarissa Precision 20mm scale colonial house from eBay, seems to work quite well to finish the vacant lot. The walls were too smooth so I added a coat of tile grout, and apart from the trackpins for door knobs is all from the kit. A single coat of Tamiya light blue gave a nice weathered effect on the cardboard used for the doors and shutters.

 

 

In addition I've been working on the gardens, pond and backscene, and playing with the collection of 1950s autos to see what colours and types work and how many is too many...

 

 

 

[298]

I've also found this cheap secondhand water tower on eBay, along with a few other buildings for future US ideas. Unfortunately it doesn't fit into the space in the loco servicing area without realigning the track, so am contemplating what to do next. Photos of steam and diesel servicing facilities are rare on the Hershey and by the 50's they were used sparingly out of the harvest season, and there was probably just a water crane fed from the Mill supply.

 

Edited May 15, 2022 by 298

[Vecchio]

On 02/01/2022 at 07:03, TEAMYAKIMA said:

I have only just seen this layout thread and TBH I haven't yet read every post, but I've just had a wild thought. 

 

If i was rich enough to subsidise it, wouldn't it be nice to have a two day 'foreign only' exhibition with as wide a range of concepts as possible, not just American HO switching layouts but all sorts of 'different' layouts which the average exhibition attendee never sees. 

 

If you ever hear about such an event give me a shout (ok, a PM would do as well)....

 

[PaulRhB]

14 hours ago, Vecchio said:

If you ever hear about such an event give me a shout (ok, a PM would do as well)....

 

 

Layout list

https://grs-uk.org/shows/2022-globalrail-2022/2022-globalrail-2022.html

 

 

On 15/05/2022 at 16:40, 298 said:

and playing with the collection of 1950s autos to see what colours and types work and how many is too many...

They look good and it’s worth taking out the front wheels and turning them 20° on a few to make it look a bit more natural. A small thing that really works in pics. Maybe an open trunk on one? You might need to carve up two vehicles but it looks great 😉 as if you don’t have enough jobs on the list 🤣
 

Edited May 26, 2022 by PaulRhB

[298]

4 hours ago, PaulRhB said:

 

Layout list

https://grs-uk.org/shows/2022-globalrail-2022/2022-globalrail-2022.html

 

 

They look good and it’s worth taking out the front wheels and turning them 20° on a few to make it look a bit more natural. A small thing that really works in pics. Maybe an open trunk on one? You might need to carve up two vehicles but it looks great 😉 as if you don’t have enough jobs on the list 🤣
 

 

I'll have a layout at Globalrail this year but will mention 2023 to Alan, assuming it doesn't get binned after its debut. 

 

Now you mention it I think I have a Woodland Scenics foibie with an open trunk. Most of those cars are diecast (MiniMetals/Oxford), but I do like the look of the squarer black car (OCO?) that'd work as a taxi outside the hotel.

[Vecchio]

5 hours ago, PaulRhB said:

 

Thanks Paul,

 

I contacted them. 

 

[PaulRhB]

2 hours ago, 298 said:

Now you mention it I think I have a Woodland Scenics foibie with an open trunk. Most of those cars are diecast (MiniMetals/Oxford), but I do like the look of the squarer black car (OCO?) that'd work as a taxi outside the hotel.

I’ve cut up a few Oxford vans to have open doors on the side and back and from that a friend has done open bonnets and boots. Usually you need a sacrificial one too if there are curved lines involved 🚗

[CloggyDog]

On 02/01/2022 at 07:03, TEAMYAKIMA said:

I have only just seen this layout thread and TBH I haven't yet read every post, but I've just had a wild thought. 

 

If i was rich enough to subsidise it, wouldn't it be nice to have a two day 'foreign only' exhibition with as wide a range of concepts as possible, not just American HO switching layouts but all sorts of 'different' layouts which the average exhibition attendee never sees. 

 

 

And it would need to be subsidised... I've considered making Globalrail a 2-days in the past, mainly to accommodate larger layouts such as your Chinese roundy-roundy Paul, but sadly the economics just don't make it viable for a society show (where at the very least it needs to break even). The 1 day format washes it's face comfortably, but in my experience (a dozen-plus shows, including a 'niche' one which went from 1 day to 2 day) the costs more than double but the punter income might increase by 25-33% if you are very, very lucky. More often you get the same overall number just spread across 2 days.

 

The sadly missed Eurotrack was that 2-day show. The ERA, likely for the same reasons as the GRS, only do 1-day exhibitions (their 2-dayer at Crewe earlier this month was more a trade show, I think?) 

 

A better/alternative option might be for a group of like-minded individuals to club together and hire a hall for a weekend for a more social/informal/invitational gathering (There's a hall opposite me some 60ft x 30ft in size that I can get for about £300 for a weekend and I guess add something for insurance). But that would be on a 'bring your layout for free' basis  (i.e. no expenses) and if you also opened the doors to the wider public you'd definitely need to factor in public liability, etc. 

 

Not saying it can't be done (indeed I know of and attend 2 or 3 gatherings annually of that nature) - it depends on whether that socially-driven gathering is what you want, or would you only attend a full public show? 

 

As for Globalrail... I'm stepping down after 2022 and as, to date, no other mug has stuck their head over the parapet, this year might be the last one.

 

That's not to say I couldn't be persuaded to help arrange a social gathering of trainsets in the future though... 

 

Anyway... that's a cracking layout Andy, and one that I would definitely invite to a show! 

Edited May 26, 2022 by CloggyDog

[298]

I seem to have managed to cut the supports down without breaking them and added a fascia, it'll eventually get treated so it doesn't look like a 70s knotted pine themed layout. The bottom of the fascia is ~5 foot high. It still shows alot of sky but ideally I would have liked it higher for my eye level. Nearly all of the line poles are in too...

 

Eye level at fascia/backscene height:

 

 

Bit lower:

 

Edited May 30, 2022 by 298

[doctor quinn]

That is looking really good, I like the transition from town to mill across the layout 

[298]

A couple of videos since I thought it about time to prove the layout is operable before the next step of fitting the catenary. The Cincinnati car is running on a DCC Concepts Zen black 21 pin decoder because the factory fitted Loksound supports abc but not the shuttle function.

 

 

 

 

Edited June 8, 2022 by 298
Trying to embed the links

[298]

I'm counting down the weeks to layouts debut in September, and have been progressing with the outstanding projects- working on everything at the same time means nothing seems finished but one area of progress is the stock and printing thereof, and have managed to bring enough parts together to assemble a 150 series car. To get it to fit in the print area of my Mars Pro I had to remove the roof and print it separately, and the body itself took up 2997 steps out of 3000 on the z-axis. The Clerestory roofed cars should fit with just one end dome removed. 

 

The side frame clearances look tight but seem ok on the layout's curves* and a 18" rad S curve and the unpowered trucks fit really well. The next step is to check the chassis dimensions and produce a motorised one, the plan being to power the centre car of a three car train of this, a 100 series clerestory roofed car, and the 400 baggage motor.

 

 

 

 

*Phase 2 might consist of a return loop on one end to allow through running of this and the Steeplecab and tank car rake without needing a second fiddle yard operator....

Edited June 24, 2022 by 298

[doctor quinn]

Looks good, I like the sound of phase 2

[298]

Progress today with the first test of the Interurban chassis. Apart from issues with cracked gears, it ran rather well and has proven a single powered car can shuttle with two trailers. The motor is a cheap 18x30 flat can, and uses Bachmann Underground Ernie bogies and drive/worms.