The Los Angeles Terminal Railroad
#1
Last week I realized that I had not worked on my layout for about 2 1/2 months and though I wanted to do some modeling, there was nothing I would like to do on that layout. So I decided that it was not the right layout for me and spontaneously tore it down. A while ago I had seen some old pics showing Palmetto Street in LA and I realized it has all I want from a layout: urban, a real location, lots of structures and street trackage. Doing a trackplan was quite easy and I only had to tweak Palmetto Street a bit here and there to make it suitable for my layout.

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After building mock-ups for all the structures I knew that I wanted to build this layout, because it has all that I missed in my previous layouts: a tight urban location, lots of big (different) structures and street trackage. So I started building it right away ...

It has been a long time since the last train ran on Palmetto Street and most tracks in the Patch have been removed. I want to build a modern era layout and so I thought that if some customers in downtown LA were still served by rail, it would be most likely that a shortline was doing the job nowadays. So here is the story of my freelance shortline: The Los Angeles Terminal Railroadoperates a few miles of track in Downton LA. They took over the switching district known as "The Patch" from ATSF when it was no longer profitable for the big carrier to serve the few customers left. Though it lived through hard times, the LA Terminal managed to survive and now (2003) the times are changing for the better. Tracks in the Patch are being rebuilt and the number of custumers of the LAT is increasing. The LAT even purchased a second engine recently, a MP15DC that will help their aged SW9 doing the job.

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Kurt
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#2
Kurt,

Glad to see you are back to model railroading. I had a similar thing with my Redmond shelf and am much happier with my new layout. I like the plausability of your layout and am glad you were able to find something that meets your requirements without having to bend the truth to much. I hope you are going to put your older structures to good use soemwhere?
Be Wise Beware Be Safe
"Mountain Goat" Greg


https://www.facebook.com/mountaingoatgreg/
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#3
To tell you the truth, I am glad you are going back to this theme. I just have this "thang" for the modern structures. Great to see you back at it. Thumbsup

And.... do you need any of your buildings back? :?
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#4
Kurt, that will be very interesting. You can mix and blend old and new structures in that area 2003.
Reinhard
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#5
Good start, but it makes me a little bit sad. I liked your previous layout very much.
Jens
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#6
Hmmmm.... was thinking.... there must be something in the water in Germany that triggers the desire to build, tear out, build, tear out, build...
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#7
Gary S Wrote:Hmmmm.... was thinking.... there must be something in the water in Germany that triggers the desire to build, tear out, build, tear out, build...
That is the German implementation of the US solution to erect another building in the back yard when the house is full.. Wink
Reinhard
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#8
Icon_lol Icon_lol
Jens
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#9
Kurt;

Stop this rebuilding now!!! It's driving us nuts!!! 35

Seriously, this is a really interesting layout plan and very inspiring. Very plausible too and there are some similar operations scattered around the country. Ballard Terminal in Seattle, WA, is one that comes to mind. Should provide some very interesting switching operations and I really like the rail served structures with the track behind them. Causing me to have a second look at a couple of my track plans.

Can't wait to see how things progress.
Ed
"Friends don't let friends build Timesavers"
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#10
Greg, these two old redbrick structures are from Plymouth Street in New York, a scene I like very much. Though building a layout featuring Plymouth Street did not work out, I will definitely build a diorama some day. So these structures won’t be wasted.

Gary, though I want to model the modern era, only my rolling stock will be modern. The buildings along Palmetto Street are old, but there is a nice variety of concrete and redbrick structures that will make building them very interesting … and no, I don’t need any of my buildings back Wink .

Jens, there was nothing wrong with the last layout, only that is was not the right layout for me. I am more into building strutures than into running trains and that layout definitely did not have enough strutures to keep me happy.

faraway Wrote:
Gary S Wrote:Hmmmm.... was thinking.... there must be something in the water in Germany that triggers the desire to build, tear out, build, tear out, build...
That is the German implementation of the US solution to erect another building in the back yard when the house is full.. Wink

Good point! Thumbsup Icon_lol
Kurt
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#11
Ed, I like shortlines, especially if they operate old urban switching districts. The Chicago Terminal Railroad convinced me that a shortline in Downtown LA would be plausible. Don’t know the Ballard Terminal – will have to look it up.

Yeah, I agree, I have to stop this rebuilding ... I am starting to lose count Icon_lol .
Kurt
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#12
cnw1961 Wrote:... a shortline in Downtown LA would be plausible....
I agree. With a little more luck the industry in south LA might have survived with trackage required like the industry in Vernon and kept their railroad loading docks. Who knows if SP/UP would have established a subsidiary short line to serve that area like ATSF/BNSF did with the LAJ. Or one of the global players (e.g. http://www.gwrr.com/ ) in US short lines would have seen the opportunity and ran the short line.
Reinhard
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#13
cnw1961 Wrote:Ed, I like shortlines, especially if they operate old urban switching districts. The Chicago Terminal Railroad convinced me that a shortline in Downtown LA would be plausible.
Yep, the Chicago Terminal is a perfect example of the type of operation you've chosen to model! Not sure why that one slipped my mind, but it is an interesting operation.

Ballard Terminal popped in to mind because it is a short industrial branch line taken over by a short line operation, but I have to say your plan is much more interesting. BTRR doesn't have a very interesting traffic base, but does have some interesting features. Some information about it can be found on the 'Net.
Ed
"Friends don't let friends build Timesavers"
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#14
Kurt - looking good - what size is it, please?
Jack
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#15
shortliner Wrote:Kurt - looking good - what size is it, please?
Jack

Judged from the picture of the switcher on the track in the lower right hand corner, that track is about 2 feet long, making the whole layout (except for the section at the left) roughly 10 x 2 feet.

Looks great, btw!

Smile,
Stein
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