Southern California Locals Book

[jwb]

Since there are several people here who are interested in Southern California and industrial layouts, there's a new book out and available from Amazon: <!-- m --><a class="postlink" href="http://www.amazon.com/Southern-California-Locals-Railroad-Enthusiasts/dp/1475166788/ref=sr_1_5?ie=UTF8&qid=1338313494&sr=8-5">http://www.amazon.com/Southern-Californ ... 494&sr=8-5</a><!-- m --> I just picked up a copy at my LHS but haven't had a chance to look it over.

[faraway]

I have got that fine book. It is a compilation of the locals running in SoCal. It's primary purpose it to aid the local railroad fans to catch the trains for photography etc. But it is also a very good index into the locals with source, destination, formal name, nick name and some remarks like served main industries etc. No photos etc. Just a plain list of the locals.
A very short example (most are have more information). I hope not to violate copy right with a short quotation.
Heading:
(Fontana - 8827 Cerry Ave, Fontana CA, - viewable from Cherry overpass)
.
.
L-LAC1931 Kaiser Slab (empty) Mon - Fri
On duty 1900. Carries empty slab cars to Pasha in Wilmington. Won't run if there isn't a need).
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.
.

[jwb]

I've had a chance now to look it over, and it's as Reinhard says, basic railfan data on locations, times, photo opportunities (or not), access, etc -- but also, it's a very good source for additional modeling info. For example, if you want to operate halfway seriously, everything on your layout -- locations, tracks, industries, etc -- needs to be named, if only to tell yourself or others where to put things! Each train is a specfic job, with a name, a symbol, or a number. The book gives a great many examples of this. Also, each train has a specific set of tasks -- buiids train at X and switches industries as far as Y, or takes empties to A and returns to B with loads. Days of the week and times are often indicated as well. What's done with the power is also often indicated -- "power is left on main line behind Smith Warehouse".

If you do those things, you're a good way toward being able to implement some sort of operating scheme with car cards and waybills, or with a computer switchlist generator.

I'd have a ball looking at what a guy like Reinhard could come up with making those sorts of explanations for what he's showing on his layout! But also, when I was young and in graduate school with free time, I found very similar publications that explained where to find steam locos operating in Germany in the early 1970s. It got me so interested that I went over there (it didn't hurt that I had to polish my German for grad school anyhow). I need to scan those photos. . .

[faraway]

... I'd have a ball looking at what a guy like Reinhard could come up with making those sorts of explanations for what he's showing on his layout!...

That book is very helpful to understand the systematic how the locals are arranged in jobs.
The prototype oriented west cost forum ( <!-- m --><a class="postlink" href="http://www.westcoastrailforums.com/index.php">http://www.westcoastrailforums.com/index.php</a><!-- m --> ) deals a lot with the locals in the LA basin but most posters assumes you are either from that area or you have the information from the book at hand.

The book is updated in a blog http://socallocalfreight.blogspot.de/
ps. wonder why it is a German domain (.de)?

[jwb]

Based on the book, I went looking for some spots I'd neglected. J Yard:    
The BNSF gensets I saw at Malabar on Saturday, now at work:        
Reinhard, I think you need some coil cars:    
And another UP genset, right across the river from happenin' downtown LA:    

[faraway]

JWB, great shots

[jwb]

Just for fun, here's a copy of the J Yard office sign that I cropped from one of my photos:     Seems like it wouldn't be that hard to make up something like this using MS Word and print it out for a layout.

[faraway]

At Fruitland / Malabar Yard is a nice BNSF sign on the electric case I wanted to use but my photo is to dark and street view gets not close enough.

ps. Did you notice BNSF runs six axels Genset with dynamic breaks in SoCal. No model available...

[jwb]

I'll check that next time I go -- but there's lettering on almost every relay case, some you can see in photos I've posted. The lettering is pretty standard, too, so you can make stuff up for your own situation. You can make something like that up in MS Word and print it out on decal paper.

[jwb]

Charles Freericks, the author of the Southern California Locals book, has a blog with corrections and updates to the book at <!-- m --><a class="postlink" href="http://socallocalfreight.blogspot.com/">http://socallocalfreight.blogspot.com/</a><!-- m --> I've found the book itself so valuable that I print out the updates on the blog, cut them out of the paper, and paste them onto the relevant pages of the book -- it's that useful for a local railfan.

But then I realized that for guys who don't live in Southern California and don't want to buy the book itself, the blog with updates is free and also very useful in showing how trains actually operate, with typical numbers, schedules, and assignments. For instance,

YWC86 Riverside Local Mon-Fri (On duty 0900. On MWF it switches ConAgra at Ice Deck. On TuTh and sometimes Wed shoves down the Riverside Industrial Lead, street running about 1000 past the 9th Street wigwag. Heads to Cascade Lumber in the old Griffin Wheel complex, and Lehigh Cement and Sigma Stretch Film on either side of Atlanta Avenue by the Moreno Valley Freeway. Finishes between 1300 and 1600. Drops train at CP Sierra. Leaves power at Riverside Avenue for YWC80.)

I really like it when guys who are posting photos of their layouts tell what the jobs in the photos are actually doing, based on info like this.