Interesting track config for produce terminal

[steinjr]

Hi gang --

Just stumbled upon this and wanted to share. Here is an interesting track/loading dock configuration for a produce terminal;

http://www.flickr.com/photos/emd111/3516761933/


As one of the people commenting on the picture notes - it was a pretty flexible track configuration, since you could spot three cars per track - one at the loading dock, with the next two really being spotted so they could be unloaded at the *neighbouring* loading docks (through the cars spotted at the neighboring docks).

Here is a picture with RR cars at the unloading docks:

http://digitallibrary.usc.edu/assetserve.../CHS-35132

A concept sketch for a fairly big such facility which can unload up to 13 cars on 4 tracks at 6 unloading docks in H0 scale:


Smile,
Stein

[MasonJar]

Could you do four cars each at Doors A & B? The curve might make things a little difficult for Door A...

I recall an article about kitbashing an L.A. warehouse that noted the prototype unloading in a similar manner. They had special "plates" that were used to bridge the gap between cars so people (and forklifts?) could move across.

Andrew

[faraway]

... They had special "plates" that were used to bridge the gap between cars so people (and forklifts?) could move across.

I understood that has been a widely used method at larger terminal to speedup loading and unloading of boxcars. There are some nice pictures 1) of boxcars lined up in several rows for unloading at huge LCL terminals.

1) It is a general law of Google never to find a picture you need urgently

[BR60103]

Canadian Pacific had a straight version of that in Parkdale (Toronto). Just a flat warehouse with 2 or 3 parallel tracks.

[steinjr]

Canadian Pacific had a straight version of that in Parkdale (Toronto). Just a flat warehouse with 2 or 3 parallel tracks.

Sure - it was pretty common having several parallel tracks in front of freight houses and produce terminals and places like that - where you would need to load or unload a bunch of cars through other cars. Can give interesting switching on a model railroad by e.g. the simple expedient of requiring e.g. that cars on track 2 be re-spotted to track 1 (i.e. by the dock) if you have to pull the car on track 1.

The interesting (IMO) thing about the track config I stumbled upon above is the way the loading/unloading docks are put in at an angle, with tracks branching off and curving in. Gives you a visually interesting structure which won't be an obvious flat, the flexibility of switching e.g dock 3 independent of the other docks when traffic was low or moderate, and still the option, when things were pretty busy, of spotting several cars in such a way that cars could be unloaded through cars closer to a specific dock.

Grin,
Stein

[Brakie]

Guys,Thankfully for use modern modelers there are several produce terminals that is still rail served..

I don't recall seeing a produce terminal with that type of trackage.

[Russ Bellinis]

That type of produce terminal was set up for 40 foot reefers and boxcars. In some cases they might have even been set up for 36 footers. I think they have found better methods for designing loading docks and unloading freight cars now. Also that sort of trackage and dock set up presupposed a lot of rail cars to be unloaded. I suspect that most of the modern produce docks that are served by train still receive more freight by truck. The one exception to that rule would be the terminal in the NYC metro area that receives the Tropicana Juice Train. I'm not sure how that warehouse looks or how they unload it, but my understanding is that they ship 4 or 5 100 car trains a week loaded with orange juice.

[steinjr]

Guys,Thankfully for use modern modelers there are several produce terminals that is still rail served..

I don't recall seeing a produce terminal with that type of trackage.

Possibly because the picture was pre-1960. Back in those days manpower was cheaper, so you could have a small army of people loading or unloading boxcars or reefers by hand, and many cars were loaded in such a way that you kept the center (by the door) open - you needed to get in there to add or remove bracing etc. Loading or unloading a car would take quite a while back then. So it was very doable to load or unload by going through the center of one car to get to another car beyond it.

Not so sure that loading or unloading through another care is done so much today, when stuff in boxcars probably is on pallets, covered in plastic, and you use a forklift to load and unload?

Smile,
Stein

[conrailmike]

Here's the one in Detroit, you can see where there used to be more tracks into the facility. It gets switched a couple times a week by CSX.

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[Brakie]

Guys,Thankfully for use modern modelers there are several produce terminals that is still rail served..

I don't recall seeing a produce terminal with that type of trackage.

Possibly because the picture was pre-1960. Back in those days manpower was cheaper, so you could have a small army of people loading or unloading boxcars or reefers by hand, and many cars were loaded in such a way that you kept the center (by the door) open - you needed to get in there to add or remove bracing etc. Loading or unloading a car would take quite a while back then. So it was very doable to load or unload by going through the center of one car to get to another car beyond it.

Not so sure that loading or unloading through another care is done so much today, when stuff in boxcars probably is on pallets, covered in plastic, and you use a forklift to load and unload?

Smile,
Stein

Stein,I not so sure the labor was cheaper because a lot of produce terminals was Union back then.A item that is overlooked when talking about wages way back then..Even as a 15 year old teenager I got paid good money for unloading boxcars.

As a side note even today you will find non palletized loads that must be unloaded by hand.At the warehouse where I was working before being medically retired had a 3 man "Gin" crew that did that..

[lajry]

The Los Angeles Produce Terminal had spur tracks arranged like steinjr's plan. It was located on the Los Angeles Junction Ry & had 12 tracks (each held 3 cars). The tracks were close enough that 3 cars could be loaded w/ bridge plates between them.. Know an old head UP conductor who worked for the J in '79 and the produce terminal was still there. There are 2 pix off it on page 13 of the 10/03 Warbonnet issue. So going to add it to my version of the J! Added a picture of this terminal from Historic Aerials (1972) here. It's that long building running horizontally. You can sort of see the reefers on the top side of the building. That's Exchange Ave above it & the UP San Pedro Sub./Downey Rd. to the left.

[lajry]

Added a picture of the Los Angeles Produce Terminal to my previous reply.

[lajry]

Here's a ground level pic of the Los Angeles Produce Terminal from emd111 on flickr. And it has very close track spacing!

[deckroid]

I am going to take a shot at this industry.

I really like the building and the funky way the cars are loaded is a plus for me. Not to mention I have a corner on my new layout that needs filling in. I couldn't think of what to put there until I found this post.

Here is a mock up before I get some Walther's building blocks.



The track is just there for height. A friend from my club is helping me with this... I dont know if I am going to kitbash a dock or scratch build out of bass and balsa.

George

[faraway]

I think the spacing of the ramps and doors to match your angle of tracks might be tested with the mock up too. That is hard to correct if the tracks do not meet the building at the ramps and the ramps do not lead to doors.