Holland Southwest Building 4

[Gary S]

   

   

   

   

   

   

   

   

   

   

[MountainMan]

So - where is it and what does it do? :?

[Gary S]

Holland southwest is a lumber supplier. Google them for more info. This building is #4 of 4 buildings in an industrial park south of Houston. This particular building looks to be primarily for storage. The spur has been abandoned, but was obviously used at some point. Would be a good building for someone modeling the boring old shoeboxes of the 1990s to present.

[MountainMan]

Yes, it would. I don't model them myself, precisely because they are "boring", but the slightly delapidated and abandoned feel of the trackage is great.

[Gary S]

Yes, it would. I don't model them myself, precisely because they are "boring",

That's one of the things that make this hobby so fun. Some people see a boring contemporary building and find it to be very interesting. Others see an interesting old-timey craftsman kit and find it completely boring. I'm glad that we have the variety and that we don't all have to model the same thing.

[faraway]

...they are "boring"....

I fully agree but it is the challenge to take the boring as a prototype for a fantastic part of a layout. But the best of all is the free choice to take that challenge or take another one. We are really free to model what ever we want. That is great!

[MountainMan]

...they are "boring"....

I fully agree but it is the challenge to take the boring as a prototype for a fantastic part of a layout. But the best of all is the free choice to take that challenge or take another one. We are really free to model what ever we want. That is great!

Quite true, but that being the case, why not model something with a little more character?

[Gary S]

Quite true, but that being the case, why not model something with a little more character?

Why model Appalacian coal instead of Los Angeles Surf? Why model 1940 Chicago rather than 1950 Boston? Why model freight instead of passenger? Diesel instead of steam? Winter instead of spring? Mountains instead of desert? Logging instead of industrial? Harbor scene or deep woods? Character comes in many forms. Modeling contemporary freight with its industries is just as legit as modeling, for example, Colorado in the 1900s.

[Brakie]

Those old small buildings with character is a relic of the past or truck served if they still exist as operating industries..

To my mind when I see yet another mountainous layout with coal mines I become bored simply because nobody can model a mine due to the lack of space.
You see most mine loadouts have enough tail track to hold several cars instead of 1 or 2 cars-even a truck to rail transfer point will hold several cars.

IMHO nothing looks as silly has a small industry that a 53' trailer or 50' boxcar would overwhelm the receiving area.

[faraway]

Those box buildings with little architectural extras are the small industry of today. They are the smallest realistic possible buildings that might be served by rail. The large industries of today that are served by rail are far out of proportion for the space I have available. But I admit I did also fall in love with those white boxes... don't know why
The space requirements are even worse for todays layouts. Compare the the length of good old S1,2,3,4 SW... switchers with todays SD40, Genset etc. Even SW1500 and MP15 are out in some areas (e.g. LA). I did run two Genset together (UP likes to do that). That is an tremendous space killer. Give it a try. You will be astound how short your tracks become.
No chance for a cute brick building with an S1 and two 40' boxcars...

[MountainMan]

Those box buildings with little architectural extras are the small industry of today. They are the smallest realistic possible buildings that might be served by rail. The large industries of today that are served by rail are far out of proportion for the space I have available. But I admit I did also fall in love with those white boxes... don't know why
The space requirements are even worse for todays layouts. Compare the the length of good old S1,2,3,4 SW... switchers with todays SD40, Genset etc. Even SW1500 and MP15 are out in some areas (e.g. LA). I did run two Genset together (UP likes to do that). That is an tremendous space killer. Give it a try. You will be astound how short your tracks become.
No chance for a cute brick building with an S1 and two 40' boxcars...

Not on a modern layout, no...but plenty of opportunity in other eras.

To each his own. I just think it's a shame to model beautifully detailed locomotives and rolling stock and set them against a background of generic box buildings with no character. Then again, the trains of today are as generic as the buildings.

[Brakie]

Those box buildings with little architectural extras are the small industry of today. They are the smallest realistic possible buildings that might be served by rail. The large industries of today that are served by rail are far out of proportion for the space I have available. But I admit I did also fall in love with those white boxes... don't know why
The space requirements are even worse for todays layouts. Compare the the length of good old S1,2,3,4 SW... switchers with todays SD40, Genset etc. Even SW1500 and MP15 are out in some areas (e.g. LA). I did run two Genset together (UP likes to do that). That is an tremendous space killer. Give it a try. You will be astound how short your tracks become.
No chance for a cute brick building with an S1 and two 40' boxcars...

One way to have large industries is by using background buildings along the backdrop.



Evan at the Bucyrus club we had to use buildings along the backdrop.





This steel mill uses one large corner section of the layout as you can see..




Of course IMHO 3-4 large industries that looks like they need rail service beats a dozen smaller one that look like a 40' boxcar would overwhelm the dock area.

[faraway]

... One way to have large industries is by using background buildings along the backdrop....

No Sir, those examples are no good... The space should be not more than I have or even better the often used door. The modern industry should be something like an intermodal terminal where 10 wellcars are switched with two Gensets. That is the problem I described.

However, I fully agree if space is available one larger industry is better than five small ones that look somewhat like toys. That is the reason why I do utilize the entire north side of my room with one pier storage building only. But I have an entire, even small, room to be used by the layout and that is not enough to run wellcars or switch with two Gensets.

[Brakie]

As far as intermodal terminals you could model a satellite terminal ..

If one studies this performance chart one sees intermodal isn't very high on the list for several railroads as far as number of car types handled during the week..

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Designing a fully functional layout base on prototype operation is a journey into case study research based on one's goal..

Even my planned Slate Creek Industrial was a case study of several different railroads and locations-to include a small municipal power plant found on the Columbia Terminal Railroad.. hock:

[Gary S]

I just think it's a shame to model beautifully detailed locomotives and rolling stock and set them against a background of generic box buildings with no character. Then again, the trains of today are as generic as the buildings.

Then shame on me. :oops: I hate it when that happens.