07-05-2015, 10:52 AM
I studied the various railroads covered in this outstanding web site <!-- m --><a class="postlink" href="http://www.trainweb.org/bedt/IndustrialLocos.html">http://www.trainweb.org/bedt/IndustrialLocos.html</a><!-- m --> .
The transportation business model is quite different from my expectation. I assumed there would be tones of small and medium manufacturing companies served by the terminal railroads. Lots of street running etc. to connect the customers 2 - 5 block away from the waterfront with the yards at the car floats.
That is simply not the case. The terminal railroads usually (there are always some exceptions) served the property of one dedicated company. The companies business were the warehouses for short, medium and long time storage and freight handling for LCL and team tracks etc. They did not serve their clients on site via rail but is was the business of the clients to get with carts and early trucks to the team tracks, warehouse and LCL terminal to drop and pick their freight.
Exceptions did I find at the NY Cross Harbor and the EBDT. They serve some meat processing that might subject to modeling. Problem is that smaller industries served are not covered with photos on the web page.
Another interesting think I learned how the freight has been moved. That was real hard labor work. Sophisticated loading docks are sparse. Frequent is the boxcar "parked" on the street and the freight must be carried to the next door. The rails were usually not street running but buried in dirt covering the ties and have the rails elevated over street level. Cobblestone was the preferred pavement if simple dirt was not good enough.
I am very serious thinking how I can build a layout inspired by NY/NJ terminal railroads with that give facts.
Do you know industrial areas in the northeast more like the West Bottoms KCM or the Rat Hole LA? The business model would be a better fit for an ISL. And last not least is the location well documented with lots of photos in the 30s and 40s?
The transportation business model is quite different from my expectation. I assumed there would be tones of small and medium manufacturing companies served by the terminal railroads. Lots of street running etc. to connect the customers 2 - 5 block away from the waterfront with the yards at the car floats.
That is simply not the case. The terminal railroads usually (there are always some exceptions) served the property of one dedicated company. The companies business were the warehouses for short, medium and long time storage and freight handling for LCL and team tracks etc. They did not serve their clients on site via rail but is was the business of the clients to get with carts and early trucks to the team tracks, warehouse and LCL terminal to drop and pick their freight.
Exceptions did I find at the NY Cross Harbor and the EBDT. They serve some meat processing that might subject to modeling. Problem is that smaller industries served are not covered with photos on the web page.
Another interesting think I learned how the freight has been moved. That was real hard labor work. Sophisticated loading docks are sparse. Frequent is the boxcar "parked" on the street and the freight must be carried to the next door. The rails were usually not street running but buried in dirt covering the ties and have the rails elevated over street level. Cobblestone was the preferred pavement if simple dirt was not good enough.
I am very serious thinking how I can build a layout inspired by NY/NJ terminal railroads with that give facts.
Do you know industrial areas in the northeast more like the West Bottoms KCM or the Rat Hole LA? The business model would be a better fit for an ISL. And last not least is the location well documented with lots of photos in the 30s and 40s?
Reinhard