02-09-2012, 04:19 AM
I know this is really getting old, but since all the track has been pulled from my layout to paint the foam a base earth color and still without a "final" plan; I was thinking about the occasional discussions on whether or not to include a team or transload track on the layout. I think you guys have talked me in to including that on my plan, so I did some looking around for something upon which to base a simple plan with a transload facility as a main industry.
Remembering a bulk transload facility located at the end of an industrial spur that I'd seen in good old Miami, Florida, I thought "If I wanted to keep things really simple, what could I do with an extended version of the Palmetto Spur and include some features of this location?" YIKES!! Haven't you already done something like that Ed old boy? Well yes, but that was more or less done just to get a feel for how much operation a simple plan like that would provide. Quite a bit in fact, especially with larger industries and longer tracks.
This is a Google aerial view of the location in Miami:
Here is what I came up with, designed to fit a lengthened version of the Palmetto Spur. Plan size is 18in X 20ft:
Of course the Florida Bulk Terminal would make for a complete ISL by itself and that could be a possibility too, as there are some warehouses on the west side of the terminal tracks that would fit against a backdrop if you were viewing the terminal looking westward. And there, in that sentence, is the idea of another possible track plan! Will have to see what I can do with that idea.
Having only a single long track for the transload terminal on my plan is really scaling things down; but you can find plenty of single track transload facilities around the country, so it is believable. I have considered having the transload consist of two parallel tracks, but that may crowd it too much as I'd want to have enough room by the tracks for a few trucks.
This location also interested me because there are two other industries close by that would fit in great for for my plan. Right across the street from the terminal is the Colmar Storage warehouse and just beyond Colmar is Entenmann's Bakery - perfect for my Walther's bakery kit that I'm going to lengthen and modify. Moving Colmar and Entenmann's to the same spur, fits pretty well and makes for a simple plan with three good sized customers on it.
I love the way that the spur leading to the bulk terminal runs between several structures - that good old concrete canyon look! On my transload, I'm showing a dock at the end of the track and a truck scale at the entrance to the facility. The dock could be replaced with a simple shed over the corn syrup unloading spots - might be more interesting since bulkhead flats and box cars of building materials or other products can be unloaded from street level. The storage warehouse would have a long open loading dock (like the prototype structure) with a couple of fork lifts, some pallets and sacks/boxes of products on it. The modified bakery structure will have a shed over the hopper unloading area and a truck or two at the end of the building.
Right now, we'll just consider this an experiment with what can be done with a lengthened version Palmetto Spur. Whether I go with this plan or not, perhaps it might inspire someone else. If this develops in to something workable, then I'll start a new thread. Have about worn this one out!
*** EDIT ***
Since I brought up the subject of a plan with a transload terminal as the main industry, I threw this plan together:
Roughly a mirror image of the prototype location, but of course with fewer tracks and included the bakery on this spur. Can't say that I'd be happy with a plan like this for my own layout, but will look around at some various locations and see if there could be a prototype track arrangement that might be more to my own liking and where the transload doesn't look so over powering. At this point, I actually prefer the simpler plan above.
Remembering a bulk transload facility located at the end of an industrial spur that I'd seen in good old Miami, Florida, I thought "If I wanted to keep things really simple, what could I do with an extended version of the Palmetto Spur and include some features of this location?" YIKES!! Haven't you already done something like that Ed old boy? Well yes, but that was more or less done just to get a feel for how much operation a simple plan like that would provide. Quite a bit in fact, especially with larger industries and longer tracks.
This is a Google aerial view of the location in Miami:
Having only a single long track for the transload terminal on my plan is really scaling things down; but you can find plenty of single track transload facilities around the country, so it is believable. I have considered having the transload consist of two parallel tracks, but that may crowd it too much as I'd want to have enough room by the tracks for a few trucks.
This location also interested me because there are two other industries close by that would fit in great for for my plan. Right across the street from the terminal is the Colmar Storage warehouse and just beyond Colmar is Entenmann's Bakery - perfect for my Walther's bakery kit that I'm going to lengthen and modify. Moving Colmar and Entenmann's to the same spur, fits pretty well and makes for a simple plan with three good sized customers on it.
I love the way that the spur leading to the bulk terminal runs between several structures - that good old concrete canyon look! On my transload, I'm showing a dock at the end of the track and a truck scale at the entrance to the facility. The dock could be replaced with a simple shed over the corn syrup unloading spots - might be more interesting since bulkhead flats and box cars of building materials or other products can be unloaded from street level. The storage warehouse would have a long open loading dock (like the prototype structure) with a couple of fork lifts, some pallets and sacks/boxes of products on it. The modified bakery structure will have a shed over the hopper unloading area and a truck or two at the end of the building.
Right now, we'll just consider this an experiment with what can be done with a lengthened version Palmetto Spur. Whether I go with this plan or not, perhaps it might inspire someone else. If this develops in to something workable, then I'll start a new thread. Have about worn this one out!
*** EDIT ***
Since I brought up the subject of a plan with a transload terminal as the main industry, I threw this plan together:
Ed
"Friends don't let friends build Timesavers"
"Friends don't let friends build Timesavers"