12-02-2014, 07:47 AM
So my last plan for a proto-freelance Central Florida HO layout has failed to ignite me. I think partly because I felt I was following a trend of that scene and repeating what others had done could be somehow easier as there were models to model. It's nice but I'm not sure it's for me.
Trawling my saved bookmarks and youtube favourites I found I really enjoyed those based on the CSAO lines in Southern New Jersey. Particularly trains out of Millville running mixed CSX, NS or even yet-to-be-painted old Conrail locomotives.
The traffic is low and slow, the trains haul small numbers of cars and I liked the New England area. There aren't a lot of businesses still taking rail services but I'm happy to mix industries that did at one point with those that do, in my layout time of 2007ish or currently. What I am struggling with is that I have the space for a shelf switching layout 9ft x 9ft x 18" wide on two walls and an extension of 5ft x 12" wide making a truncated C or U design. But the prototype industries are quite spaced out and typically a single spur off the "main" quite often ending up curving 90 degrees to the main.
So i feel my options are -
Imagine a small industrial park or industries that are in close proximity.
Pros: I can make them fit
Cons: although I can model each industry prototype together they wouldn't be prototypical. Would I loose the feel of the prototype? What design attributes would identify the layout as in South New Jersey? Street running or close by road, trees, semi-rural?
Model a single industry
Pros: prototypical and would fit my space
cons: most industries are single spur and the most varied of traffic seems to be lumber yards taking center beams and boxcars in single numbers. Wouldn't be best use of my space and I feel would not offer the amount of modelling and operation variety I'm after.
Look further afield.
Pros: unknown depending upon what I find:-)
Cons: analysis paralysis?
Other options?
I'm worried I'm trying to fit a prototype into my space that will not result in a satisfying build or layout to operate.
I'd really like some advice, thoughts or a reality check;-)
Here are some of the locations I've been investigating -
Collection of businesses
<!-- m --><a class="postlink" href="http://goo.gl/maps/O0lI9">http://goo.gl/maps/O0lI9</a><!-- m -->
Glass manufacturer, interesting to model the buildings but they seem to only take sand in covered hoppers.
537 Crystal Ave, Vineland, NJ 08360, USA
<!-- m --><a class="postlink" href="http://goo.gl/maps/DsDTw">http://goo.gl/maps/DsDTw</a><!-- m -->
RFC Container Co
30 Maple Ave, Cedarville, NJ 08311, United States
<!-- m --><a class="postlink" href="http://goo.gl/maps/RvnsL">http://goo.gl/maps/RvnsL</a><!-- m -->
Extech Building Materials
385 Asbury Rd, Farmingdale, NJ 07727, United States
<!-- m --><a class="postlink" href="http://goo.gl/maps/RiYzY">http://goo.gl/maps/RiYzY</a><!-- m -->
Builders General
222 Throckmorton St, Freehold, NJ 07728, United States
<!-- m --><a class="postlink" href="http://goo.gl/maps/i98pI">http://goo.gl/maps/i98pI</a><!-- m -->
Many thanks,
Steve.
Trawling my saved bookmarks and youtube favourites I found I really enjoyed those based on the CSAO lines in Southern New Jersey. Particularly trains out of Millville running mixed CSX, NS or even yet-to-be-painted old Conrail locomotives.
The traffic is low and slow, the trains haul small numbers of cars and I liked the New England area. There aren't a lot of businesses still taking rail services but I'm happy to mix industries that did at one point with those that do, in my layout time of 2007ish or currently. What I am struggling with is that I have the space for a shelf switching layout 9ft x 9ft x 18" wide on two walls and an extension of 5ft x 12" wide making a truncated C or U design. But the prototype industries are quite spaced out and typically a single spur off the "main" quite often ending up curving 90 degrees to the main.
So i feel my options are -
Imagine a small industrial park or industries that are in close proximity.
Pros: I can make them fit
Cons: although I can model each industry prototype together they wouldn't be prototypical. Would I loose the feel of the prototype? What design attributes would identify the layout as in South New Jersey? Street running or close by road, trees, semi-rural?
Model a single industry
Pros: prototypical and would fit my space
cons: most industries are single spur and the most varied of traffic seems to be lumber yards taking center beams and boxcars in single numbers. Wouldn't be best use of my space and I feel would not offer the amount of modelling and operation variety I'm after.
Look further afield.
Pros: unknown depending upon what I find:-)
Cons: analysis paralysis?
Other options?
I'm worried I'm trying to fit a prototype into my space that will not result in a satisfying build or layout to operate.
I'd really like some advice, thoughts or a reality check;-)
Here are some of the locations I've been investigating -
Collection of businesses
<!-- m --><a class="postlink" href="http://goo.gl/maps/O0lI9">http://goo.gl/maps/O0lI9</a><!-- m -->
Glass manufacturer, interesting to model the buildings but they seem to only take sand in covered hoppers.
537 Crystal Ave, Vineland, NJ 08360, USA
<!-- m --><a class="postlink" href="http://goo.gl/maps/DsDTw">http://goo.gl/maps/DsDTw</a><!-- m -->
RFC Container Co
30 Maple Ave, Cedarville, NJ 08311, United States
<!-- m --><a class="postlink" href="http://goo.gl/maps/RvnsL">http://goo.gl/maps/RvnsL</a><!-- m -->
Extech Building Materials
385 Asbury Rd, Farmingdale, NJ 07727, United States
<!-- m --><a class="postlink" href="http://goo.gl/maps/RiYzY">http://goo.gl/maps/RiYzY</a><!-- m -->
Builders General
222 Throckmorton St, Freehold, NJ 07728, United States
<!-- m --><a class="postlink" href="http://goo.gl/maps/i98pI">http://goo.gl/maps/i98pI</a><!-- m -->
Many thanks,
Steve.
UK Engineering fan, from the tiny artistically engineered to the huge and powerful