41st Street & 2nd Avenue Brooklyn NY (NYCHRR)

[Rscott417]

I've started some work on my 4' x 1' 8"...I guess you could call module (maybe diorama) of Bush Terminal Building 20 of the New York Cross Harbor RR. For those who don't know this stretch of track runs down the center of city streets and has a sharp curve from 41st Street onto 2nd Avenue and cuts through the corner of the building, but unfortunately no longer in service. Although there were 2 parallel tracks in the street and 2 separate openings in the building I only did 1 track and 1 opening. I have some extra track and thought about doing some of the dead lines in the street but we'll see. I used proto87 electric avenue track <!-- m --><a class="postlink" href="http://www.proto87.com/easy-street-track-system.html">http://www.proto87.com/easy-street-track-system.html</a><!-- m --> and the Walthers Hardwood Furniture building <!-- m --><a class="postlink" href="http://www.walthers.com/exec/productinfo/933-3044">http://www.walthers.com/exec/productinfo/933-3044</a><!-- m --> that I will be rebuilding with a few kits and will be about 3' 8" long. I still have to solder the track and feed wires and test it but this is what I have so far...






I'll post any more progress I make.

[sailormatlac]

So far so good! NYC has such appeal in term of small operation. I'm curious to see how you will handle this interesting project! Good luck!

Matt

[steinjr]

Looks like a great start on a very iconic scene, but why is the herald on the model going from bottom left to top right instead of top left to bottom right as on the prototype photo ?

Smile,
Stein

[Rscott417]

why is the herald on the model going from bottom left to top right instead of top left to bottom right as on the prototype photo ?

Smile,
Stein

There's different versions of the herald like on #25 and the M.O.W. boxcar

I had the decals made and that's how they were sent to me. I know it's not correct for #11 & #22, it's works for #25 and plan on doing the boxcar. There might be a new batch of decals in the works so I can live with it for now.

[steinjr]

Ah, that would explain it.

Anyways - Bush Terminal (and later NY Cross Harbor) are very cool railroads. And apart from the very iconic corner of 41st and 2nd, you could also pose a train with NYC subway car on a flatcar for photo ops - although I suppose they probably weren't pulled through the sharp curve on that corner on their way from the car floats to the subway?

Smile,
Stein

[Rscott417]

They actually were, they interchanged subway cars at 39th Street yard via South Brooklyn Railway with new cars or for repairs and scrapping.
This car would be going out for scrap

I've looked into the HO Scale subway cars but they're a bit pricey for the ones i'd like but you never know

[Mike Kieran]

They actually were, they interchanged subway cars at 39th Street yard via South Brooklyn Railway with new cars or for repairs and scrapping.
This car would be going out for scrap

I've looked into the HO Scale subway cars but they're a bit pricey for the ones i'd like but you never know

In fact, the Kawasaki subway cars were assembled in the Brooklyn Army Terminal.

[Mr Fixit]

Looking good. Your model has captured the flavour of the prototype really well.

On the subject of New York and its cross harbour railroad s, I remember reading up about one car float/transfer operation that had a Transition era circular freight shed inside a tightly radiused circle and tight curved yard tracks all in the space of 8 x 4 or less.

A real spaghetti trackwork with heaps of curved switches and curved trackwork but with great operating potential.

Mark

[steinjr]

Looking good. Your model has captured the flavour of the prototype really well.

On the subject of New York and its cross harbour railroad s, I remember reading up about one car float/transfer operation that had a Transition era circular freight shed inside a tightly radiused circle and tight curved yard tracks all in the space of 8 x 4 or less.

A real spaghetti trackwork with heaps of curved switches and curved trackwork but with great operating potential.

CNJ's Brox terminal - Tim Warris (who makes the Fasttrack templates) has a famous layout based on this: http://www.bronx-terminal.com/

Our own Shortliner Jack Trollope has another nice float yard - Erie Railroad's Harlem Station Yard: http://www.the-gauge.net/forum/viewtopic...=46&t=2675

Rail-marine operations in NYC is a extremely cool subject, and I am looking forward to seeing more of this NYCHRR layout !

Smile,
Stein

[Mr Fixit]

Thanks for the links Stein.

It was the Bronx Terminal I was thinking of and I was right about the spaghetti comment.

Mark

[Ralph]

Great start! I've seen that prototype photo many times. Looking forward to updates!
Ralph

[Rscott417]

Thank you everyone for the kind words, I just finished soldering all the track together and just have to run to radio shack for some wire and connectors. I was also wondering if anyone here has used the Woodland Scenics Smooth-it what number sand paper do you use to sand it down? The sanding will be for the crosswalks in the sidewalk and where the rail goes from the street across the sidewalk.

[Mike Kieran]

Boy, talk about memories!!! My old mechanic was right there on 41st Street off of 2nd Avenue. We used to watch the trains whenever we had the car worked on (75 Dodge Coronet, very often!!!).

[Tyson Rayles]

Urban layout scenery has it's own set of challenges, looking forward to following this thread.

[Rscott417]

The track is all wired up, here's a video of the first test run.
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