Freelance 2013-3

[faraway]

Reinhard
Your SW9 is missing the handrail near top of hood above the dividing line between blue (?) & grey colors. FRA maybe after your MR if you don't add them. LOL

I did paint it gray like the top of the hood following the prototype (The P2K CBQ model has black handrails). That is the reason why you may have missed it. Anyhow the FRA makes trouble because the handrails at the steps are not white or yellow painted now. The engine will be back in the paint shop this night.

[lajry]

Reinhard
Here's your "missing" handrail. The RED is only to show where it's supposed to be & not to suggest the prototype color.

   

[faraway]

May be we have a misunderstanding.
Lets have a look at this photo:
http://www.rrpicturearchives.net/picture...0376_2.JPG
I see a light gray handrail like it is on my model. And three of the handrails supports have an additional ear. Probable for a pole. That is where you draw the red line.
Here is my model. I use the paper to demonstrate the handrail.

What is wrong with my model?

[lajry]

All is OK then for those handrails. Guess they didn't show up for me in your first SW9 image.

[doctorwayne]

Those additional "ears" are lift rings, for removing the hood:



Wayne

[faraway]

Those additional "ears" are lift rings, for removing the hood:...

Thank you. Did not know that

[Brakie]

To my mind the Central Illinois is a ideal railroad for a modern ISL such as yours since CI served the older style urban industries that is still found just a few blocks from downtown instead of industrial parks..

Your urban decay leads into your older industrial buildings and IMHO it shows a once flourishing area near these remaining industries..Your layout also suggest at one time this was the industrialized heart of the city.

What makes me think that?

That little three track yard speaks volumes of a bygone era..You still see a lot of these small yards today but,most lay dormant since they're a relic of the past since the industrial area downsized by the closure of industries and those that quit rail service over the years..

Your layout is filled with atmosphere that speaks of its former glory.

[faraway]

This web page http://casr.dhke.com/casr204.htm contains a lot of information about the CIRY. The operation #2 is where the SW9 1206 was used and Brakie refers in part to. The track between 26th and 31st street can still be tracked with Google Streetview.
The tracks are very easy accessible and I had no problems to find tons of photos of the 1206.
I am afraid we must hurry up. In 10 years are all traces gone.

[lajry]

Reinhard
That link has a wealth of information on industrial switching RRs in the Chicago area. The RR in Elk Grove Village (Operation #3) sure looks like it could have been the precursor to the Los Angeles Junction Ry. The LAJ was started as the Central Manufacturing District by Chicago businessmen who had built the Central Manufacturing District of Chicago. More research to do!
Googling "Central Manufacturing District of Chicago" gives plenty of links to pursue & their RR was known as the Chicago Junction Railway.

Here's another loco you can to do Reinhard. It's a GP38-2 that's "heavily ballasted". Wondering if the Belt Ry of Chicago came from CMD of Chicago?
   

[Brakie]

Atlas makes a very nice BRC GP38-2 and Athearn?

[faraway]

I made my own BRC SW1500, RS2 and NW2 with Microscale decals some years ago. The BRC sound and looked so good to me for a switching layout....
A closer look teaches that BRC is only marginal serving small industry but is running huge classification yards and runs loooong transfer trains between all the large yards of the class I railroads. That is their business model.
There are several other much smaller RR in the Chicago area (like CIRY until 2010) doing the base jobs. And last not least do the class I RR still run their locals serving clients (e.g. UP and Morton Salt).

Update. I did not do my own GP38-2 but switchers. My three GP38-2 are Athearn shells on two Athern drive with a new motor and one Trainman drive. I will bring them back down in the cellar. BRC does not serve small industries like mine or it would be a big exception to their primary business.

[lajry]

Here's a link to Wiki on BRC: <!-- m --><a class="postlink" href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Belt_Railway_of_Chicago">http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Belt_Railway_of_Chicago</a><!-- m -->
Their roster used include some big ALCOs but now using rebuilt EMD SDs & GPs. They also have a big hump yard they use to make up interchange trains w/ the other Chicago RRs.

[Brakie]

Here's a list of current industries BRC serves.

Not many for sure.


<!-- m --><a class="postlink" href="http://www2.beltrailway.com/customers/industries/">http://www2.beltrailway.com/customers/industries/</a><!-- m -->

[faraway]

Here's a list of current industries BRC serves.

Not many for sure.


<!-- m --><a class="postlink" href="http://www2.beltrailway.com/customers/industries/">http://www2.beltrailway.com/customers/industries/</a><!-- m -->

Most of them (65.th and 66th St) are at Bedford Park. Have a look at the size of the yard ;-) BRC serves most direct customers only because they are directly at a yard located. I assume they do not serve those customers with dedicated jobs but the yard switcher make short trip over the street.

Chicago must be a perfect prototype for all of you modeling the transition period or earlier. I have a thin book from the MILW historic society about the MILW switching in Chicago. Goose island and the feeder have been a very interesting place. There is another excellent web side devoted to switching in Chicago http://chicagoswitching.com

This is an Athern shell on a Trainman drive built some years ago. Some details are flat wrong. The road number is a problem for me. The 49x series did not make it into the new century. The ex Conrail GP38-2 with road number 58x are used in this century. I do not know why BRC swapped their GP38-2 engines.

[Mike Kieran]

Reinhard,
Are you switching to a generic inner city industrial railroad. I would put the reporting marks inside the Burlington Route herald like SCIR (South Chicago Industrial Railroad) or ISL (Industrial Short Line).

Great job on the layout. You are building my dream layout. Is that a three way turnout on the right end of the yard? I'm trying to work a three way into a track plan.