Freelance 2012

[faraway]

Yes, my "yard" is by far to small for one of the LAJ yards. But Malabar is also much larger. If my yard needs a prototype I would choose Downey yard. It has three tracks and runs parallel to a road (Downey Rd). However, I read some where it is not really a "yard" because the center track is UP and the other two are LAJ or BNSF. But it looks somewhat similar.
The yard at 25th St in the sense of function, tracks etc. is not what attracts me but the plain field and the yard office may be used as prototype for the west side of my yard at the road crossing. The yard office has a large sign facing the the 25th St. I would like to copy on my layout. Did you do a photo of it with a good zoom?

[jwb]

This is the best I could come up with from public property. (While making photos there last month, I was chatting with a crew member, who complained that another railfan had been trespassing. I'm much more careful these days.)    

[faraway]

This is the best I could come up with from public property. (While making photos there last month, I was chatting with a crew member, who complained that another railfan had been trespassing. I'm much more careful these days.)[ATTACHMENT NOT FOUND]

I ment the larger sign on top of the small brown building. It is white only on this photo but has some schemata drawn on it. I found it very unique and wondered for what audience it has been mounted at that place. UP professionals should know where they are and where they go.


and did some details on the east industry today. The light weathering is almost invisible on the photos.



ps. looks like the warped cardboards decides to get flat again.

[jwb]

This is the best I could come up with, given what I'd photographed. I may go back down there later this week and see if I can zoom in closer:     This appears to be a schematic of all UP trackage in the area. The three tracks in the center of the diagram are presumably the Alameda Corridor, and the trackage in the upper part is probably ex-SP as well as UP trackage on the other side of the LA River. We may assume the audience is not casual thieves looking to break into freight cars!

[faraway]

This is the best ...

Yes! that is what I meant. I found it quite interesting and wanted to do a closeup photo with my iPod but my LA guides warned me serious about trespassing and possible consequences.

Update:
The purpose of the schema is explained in the west coast forum http://www.westcoastrailforums.com/thread-1431.html. Did post a friendly question if an UP employee can do a close up photo.

Posted by Ham Radio 07.08.2009, 05:29
The new signage was put in by the area UPRR director. It's really identifiers for local emergency response personnel, especially non-railroad responders like LAPD or fire.
The "R" in a circle refers to Rally Point for employees in case of an evacuation of personnel. There is an identical one on the north end of the yard by the lead that runs up to City Fibers.
It's part of the RR safety plan along with the new federal guidelines on handling placarded railcars with hazmat.

[jwb]

By the way, who makes that semi model on the right in your east industry photos?

[faraway]

By the way, who makes that semi model on the right in your east industry photos?

It is from SceneMaster. I understood Walthers bought/got Boley and sells that models with a new name. This link http://www.rd-hobby.de/shopping/catalog.php?id=2030 shows some of that trucks.

[faraway]

Here we go with a shrunk version of the Fontana team track as recommended by jwb and shortliner.


Last thing to do for this rebuild session is the yard in the foreground.

I want to replace the paved area, the green and the bushes with a plain area and add a yard office etc. like the installation found at the UP J yard, south side at 25th St.

Have to hurry now. "Someone" decided we will go to the zoo visiting a bunch of little gorilla babies

[shortliner]

Reinhard - I gotta sy that that team track area looks REALLY good!

[Sven]

Hi Reinhard,

I am always amazed how quickly change the look of your layout.
Every week there are new buildings. Where do you take the time to do?
But it makes it great fun to watch as it develops! Great Job!

Sven

[Russ Bellinis]

Reinhard, I've been away for the past month except to be home on weekends. I just noticed your question about a small industry near Vernon that is rail served. BNSF has a team track with a small cross dock facility where loads can be transferred directly from freight car to truck by fork lift. I don't know if they unload hoppers or tanks there. It is along Washington Blvd just to the South of the Street, and just East of Alameda Street in South Central L.A.

There also used to be a spur across the street from Berth 131 on Terminal Island in the L.A. Harbor with a tank unloading facility. The tank cars were loaded/unloaded to a manifold system, but the storage tanks were a ways away from the unloading/loading facility so that all that would need to be modeled on the layout would be the piping and valves between the tracks. The pipes to/from the storage tanks were underground. I think there was a small office building there, but it has been over 20 years since I worked in that area, so the memory is a bit "foggy."

[faraway]

Reinhard, I've been away for the past month....

Hi Russ, too late This round of rebuild is near to completion. I did the ground cover for J yard this morning and the yard office is the last structure to be built probable tomorrow.
ps. I missed your appends

[Tyson Rayles]

The team track area looks great Reinhard.

[faraway]

Thanks for the kind words
We have a nice summer day and the ground cover of the yard did set faster than expected. A small Pikestuff building removed no more than three weeks ago made a nice yard office and with some paint it become quite close to J yard's office.
But... I have now a building cut at the front rim of the layout and look against a white dummy wall. I have to think about it... ...until I proceed with more details and temper with the ground cover.

[jwb]

Note that the J yard office has a porta-potty adjoining (BLMA), although many yard offices in fact do have indoor plumbing (or maybe just indoor plumbing that actually works). Another interesting challenge is what kind of vehicles to park outside.
UP pickups are ubiquitous:     UP and other railroads use Renzenberger to pick up and deliver crews -- I think this is a Chevy van, I don't know if anyone makes a model:     Seems like this would be a drop-dead detail if anyone could come up with something close. However, the railroads use their own vans     And also unmarked white SUVs     Which are also used by security. Another issue is figures for workers, passers-by, and railfans.     Rail workers these days all seem to wear reflective green or orange vests, and the supervisors wear white hard hats. Bachmann has had a set of modern rail workers 160-33106 out for a year or so, and Walthers has a set 949-6013 coming in September, though I'm not sure if I like either the colors or the poses.