Inspiration

[Gary S]

Reinhard, that looks terrific. I am just really impressed, and I can see that I will be copying yours and Kurt's models.

Tetters and DocWayne... I found a plastics supplier here in Houston that has various thicknesses of 4x8 sheets.

4 x 8 x .060 is $22 a sheet.

[faraway]

...Which is why I suggested the JUMBO sized boxes. That card board is noticeably thicker then the "standard" regular sized boxes and stiffer....

I'm sorry. I did not notice you are writing about another box than the one I have seen here and in the US so many times.

[Steve]

Reinhard...this thread was aptly named....YOU are an inspiration!

Great work all the way around....and it keeps on getting better!

[Russ Bellinis]

I think Robin used to use corrugated card board to reinforce some of his walls in his "cereal board" structures. As long as there are no openings where the thickness of the wall can be seen, that would really strengthen the walls.

[faraway]

I did replace this building


by this simpler one


It was not very practical to handle fixed cuts of three cars in the building. If it is less the cars are "lost" in the black hole and I had to lift the building to recover the cars.

[tetters]

Reinhard,

It's interesting you point out the difficulties operating when storing a string of box cars inside a building. I've been mulling over the idea of doing something like that myself, but considering your comments, I'm not sure I want to do it now.... hmmm... Ah, who am I kidding I'll probably still try for myself.

The new building looks great. Definitely some inspirational work going on here.

[Sumpter250]

One of the customers I used to service, had a siding that ran the length of their building, inside. It was always interesting to watch the switching of cars on that "hidden" siding.
If it was a case of knowing how many and where, inside, here's a thought; Overhead lights, and holes through the roadbed, with a mirror under the layout, set so you could see the lights through the holes. About as simple a "detector" as I can think of, and useful if there would be "less than three, or only one", in the siding.
......and interior lighting too!

[faraway]

One of the customers I used to service, had a siding that ran the length of their building, inside. It was always interesting to watch the switching of cars on that "hidden" siding.
If it was a case of knowing how many and where, inside, here's a thought; Overhead lights, and holes through the roadbed, with a mirror under the layout, set so you could see the lights through the holes. About as simple a "detector" as I can think of, and useful if there would be "less than three, or only one", in the siding.
......and interior lighting too!

The interesting things is the close functional relationship of the lamp in a refrigerator and a Kadee coupler in the building.
When ever you have the door open is the lamp bright shining. So is the coupler always functioning perfect when you look at it. But if you close the door of the refrigerator or push the cars in the building.... it's a mystery what happens in the darkness

[Sumpter250]

"The interesting things is the close functional relationship of the lamp in a refrigerator and a Kadee coupler in the building.
When ever you have the door open is the lamp bright shining. So is the coupler always functioning perfect when you look at it. But if you close the door of the refrigerator or push the cars in the building.... it's a mystery what happens in the darkness"

And the simple answer is?: Evict "murphy" !

I completely understand your problem now. It's not "knowing" where the cars are, it's getting them "out of the building", without raising the roof!

Whatever "Murphy's Law" doesn't cover, is left to the hands of Gremlins. There is no winning? Well, yes, some. We can't do much about Murphy, but Gremlins are "mortal". They, can be found and eliminated.

[faraway]

After adding some green and toning it down with the airbrush, adding some details and installing traffic signs it is time for some new photos. I put a new series on my homepage http://rubpeters.ru.funpic.de/h020091/index.html

Some selected views right here

[faraway]

I am a fan of the CF-7 and got some of them in the ATSF yellow bonnet colors. Together with some SP, ATSF and CB cares does it nice fit in the 1980 time frame.
But the beautiful Santa Fe CF-7 does not fit into Florida!
Question:
How good would my layout fit into ATSF county? Texas would be a bad fit with the palm trees and Galvaston has some palm trees but no industrial parks like mine. I have to much green for AZ and NM. How about south California in the spring after some rain? Somewhere in or south of LA?

It would be great if I could "switch" forth and back by exchanging engines, cars and some autos and trucks.

[Gary S]

I'm also a fan of the CF7.

One thought: Santa Fe sold off a bunch of those CF7s to various shortlines. You could do a patch job over the ATSF and create a new shortline. Just a thought.

[nachoman]

Southern California can be quite green in the early spring after a wet winter. If I recall soCal and Arizona experienced some very wet winters in the late 1970s and early 1980s. I see nothing about your layout that couldn't pass for a California industrial park - specifically around the Los Angeles area.

I am not a Santa Fe expert, but my understanding is that they started to sell off CF-7s by the mid 1980s, and had sold them all by about 1990. To be believable, you would probably want to pretend your California theme is set between 1978-1983. I know there are several Florida short lines that use them even today. Of course, you would have to repaint that perty locomotive!

edit - I see you already have another CF-7 painted for a florida short line!

[Russ Bellinis]

The other thing you could do is paint out the Santa Fe lettering and numbers and letter it for LAJ. The only problem you would have is lettering the "circle-cross" on the nose which says "Los Angeles" around the top of the circle, "Junction" around the bottom, and "Railway" down the vertical part of the cross. Your layout could easily pass for parts of the City of Commerce. The Cf7's were used well into the 1990's by the LAJ. They are still on the roster, but when the Santa Fe got the GE lpg powered switcher in the 1990's, they were supposed to be used at Hobart Yard, but at least one was put in service with the LAJ very early on. The Cf-7's continued in part time service through the 1990-'s, but in talking to a friend who is a conductor for the LAJ, I think they are pretty much "moth balled" now. They are still serviceable as far as I know, but due to smog control concerns the LPG units are used almost exclusively now.

[faraway]

Thank you for the fast responses. I will go ahead to have two scenarios on the same layout.

a. Florida 2002
Two CF-7 of Florida Central Railroad got A-Line motors last week. They will share the layout with CSX switcher.

b. LA 1980
The Santa Fe Cf-7 needed for the LA area are ready to roll with their original Athearn motors. I renumbered them this week.


ps. I have got a copy of "From Cleburne to Everywhere". A great book.