I really should close this thread once and for all and start a new one, as believe it or not; I think I've finally hit on THE plan! After operating the plan as shown in my posting of April 3rd several times, it still just didn't feel right to me and didn't have the overall look that I was after. So after several days (and nights) of traveling around on Google/Bing maps and tossing around the various industries that I could have on the plan - I've come up with this:
As always, the bench work is 18 inches deep by 20 feet long. The plan is purely freelance and could be located most anywhere. The era modeled is 1978-1984.
I've actually managed to include one more spur/industry and have things spaced out a bit more by choosing prototype industries that only spot 1 or 2 cars, but still have at least one large industry as a center piece (our man Larry's term). I've found a lot of prototype industrial spurs that seem to be filled with structures that only spot one, two or three cars and that appeals to me for model railroading purposes.
I hope to start re-laying the track as shown in the next day or so as I'm more than eager to actually build the darn thing! I know everyone is tired of the constant changes, as am I, but I guess all this planning, re-planning and testing has been the way to go (and it kept me off the streets). Really just aren't too many options for this bench work footprint, but I think it does capture the look and feel of many industrial spurs.
Industries are pretty much the same as I've included on various other plans, but with a few minor changes here and there, based on prototypes that I've found. Also managed to not have a team/transload track on the plan.
*
Vegetable Oil Dealer - Based on the American Vegetable Oils facility that I found in Commerce, CA. A simple low shoebox type structure that receives 25,500-30,000 gal general service tanks of various cooking oils.
*
Pet Food Plant - Based on Higgins Premium Pet Foods in Hialeah, FL - receives covered hoppers and occasional box cars of feed grains for producing pet foods.
*
Building Products - Your typical Lowes, 84 Lumber, etc. - receives bulkhead flats of lumber and box cars of plywood and wallboard.
*
Distribution Warehouse - No particular prototype but will be based on one of several such facilities that I've seen - receives box cars of various commodities.
*
Food Products Warehouse - Again no particular prototype, but there are many such facilities around the country and I based the building footprint on a couple of warehouses that I've seen - like that angled look. Receives reefers of meat/produce and box cars of dry goods.
*
Soft Drink Bottler - based on G&J Bottling in nearby Lexington - receives corn syrup tanks.
*
Bakery - based on a couple of rail served bakeries that I've run across and receives Airslide hoppers of flour. This could be a small candy or confections plant which would then receive Airslide hoppers of sugar, but I think I'll go with the bakery so I can utilize the Walther's kit I got and those neat looking silos.
I've included several non rail served structures to continue the "concrete canyon" look through the length of the spur and also an out of service spur to a facility that no longer ships/receives by rail. These structures help to disguise the staging track/switching lead and the highway overpass at the end of the plan gives the feel that the spur goes on to connect with the "main".
Guess I'll start a new thread once I pick an appropriate sounding name for the plan and actually get construction under way. Although I worked for the L&N (and several other railroads over the years) and have several L&N locomotives, I also have a few other loco's from various roads, so I won't pin myself down to just the L&N.
That's it for now.
