Layout Pictures

[foulrift]

Hey guys-here are some shots of my layout.The first one shows most of the freight handling area. The bulkhead flatcar was done while taking a layout break.


The next shot is of the coal dealer.At first it had a coal tower for storage but wasn't happy with it. I re-did it using Walthers Bulk Transfer area as a guide. I added heavy timber walls with coal bunkers.A front-end loader moves the coal around and loads trucks. Conveyors unload the coal.


The last shows the overpass which I use as a view block to separate the yard/switchback tracks from the rest of the layout/The bottom track leads to a wood chip collector,while the bottom road leads to the main building.


While the ballast is done and ground cover in place there is still lots to do.More ground cover,details,vehicles,etc.
Enjoy-Bob

[nachoman]

The overpass is a good idea. i think I have asked this before, is that a kit?

[Trucklover]

Good to see your pictures again Bob

I love that overpass, and i think its a great spot for it on your layout and the freight handling area is looking good too

[foulrift]

Kevin-the overpass is a Rix Products kit. I needed 4 spans to make it long enough.
Josh-Thanks.Like I said I still have more details to add which should add a lot to the scenes. Bob

[Herc Driver]

That overpass is a good idea...one I've got to add to my layout to break up the sight line from one end to the other. It looks pretty easy to build...any special tricks to the construction of the overpass? Is everything included in one kit or do you need to buy multiple kits to get all the needed parts?

[foulrift]

Herc-Thanks for the reply.Rix sells two types of overpasses-early era (mine) and modern era.
On mine,the first kit I bought had enough parts to build three complete road sections and included the support piers which are ajustable in height.Each road section measures approx. 50' in HO.I fell short and had to buy an extra section. AS my overpass is on an angle I needed the extra length. The three pack runs about $40,but Walthers sometimes puts them on sale.
If you go to Rixproducts.com,they show all the overpass stuff they have,most of which can be bought in a bulk pack or separately.
Assembly is pretty straight forward.Just follow the directions,test fit everything and make sure all parts line up properly and are straight.Before you assemble the piers,determine how high you want the overpass,which is measured from the top of the rail to the bottom of the overpass.I messed up mine and had to redo the piers because they were too high.Look at the last photo in my post and you will see what I am talking about.
Although the kit is a concrete color I painted mine.
If you have any more questions feel free to ask. Bob

[Sumpter250]

Bob, I know I'm closing the windows after the big rain, but this coal tower used to serve the residents of Lindenhurst, L.I., N.Y.. I built this out of balsa, and had gotten to this point when the building was demolished. I modeled it pretty much exactly the way it looked at the time.
Coal was dumped in an under track pit, hoisted to the top of the building with a bucket hoist (the enclosure on the end), and loaded into trucks inside the two drivethrough openings. We'd get the coal dumped on a chute through the basement window. We'd then have to move it to an area near the furnace.
If you're looking for a project some time down the road, here's a possibility.....        

[eightyeightfan1]

Nice looking layout. Way better than mine, as I just finished completing a loop.
Good looking coal tower too Pete.


I have the modern bridge from Rix. If I knew the "older" one looked good I would of picked it up. I might still get one just to add some variety. As you can see, I under estimated the length. And I think it might be too high. Looks spindly at that height.

[upnick]

How long is that overpass 88 ?

[foulrift]

Nick-the overpass sections are approx 50' long. I needed 4 for my layout.
88-I had the same problem when I did mine.As I mentioned above,I managed to shorten mine. I have the same piers. Measure from the top of the rail to the bottom of the overpass beam to get the height you want.What I ended up doing was to cut the top part of the pier off,figure how much you need to remove and cut the posts to the new length,then re-cement to upper part. I know it sounds confusing but not really. Look at mine in picture 3 and you may be able to tell what I did. If you need more help let me know. Bob

Pete-I had something similar on mine before I removed it in favor of a conveyor system.

[upnick]

Hi Bob,

Thanks for the informationn i saw a few of the Rix kits the last time i was in LHS but didnt take note of their length .... been thinking of something similar here, your pics look superb

[Herc Driver]

The overpass by Rix looks like a good idea to add to my layout. I agree you almost need a good picture to get the overpass height correct. Of course, if you look around enough, you can probably find an overpass at any height you'd like to model. Something I'd like to see is a double decker overpass. I saw them quite a bit in the St Louis area crossing the Mississippi, and other larger cities, or around cities where there's many city buildings that encroche on the limited space near tracks and roadways.

[eightyeightfan1]

Thanks for the suggestion Bob, I was wondering how I was going to lower it.
I'll give it a shot. Let you know how it ends up.

[Tom]

How big is your layout overall? Got a track plan handy?

[foulrift]

Tom-the layout is 2'x8'. I'm not sure if I have a copy of the plan but I'll check.