Freelance 2015-1

[bdw9535]

Reinhard,

You have my interests peaked in this version of your layout, looking forward too your updates.

Bruce

[Mike Kieran]

.... Are you getting the layout boredom blues? ......

That is a great expression and so awfully true ....
The conflict is that I like the old brick buildings very much but I love contemporary automobiles, engines and rail cars too. The buildings I like are still existing in some places but they are usually not used by rail served business anymore.

Youtube has a clip of the NYNJ GP38-2 2200 https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sNgGTUbaBfc and a bunch of photos http://www.rrpicturearchives.net/locoPic...?id=191010
Looks like local Brooklyn law enforces daily engine washing. Correct weathering is a layer of gloss

I read somewhere the tracks are not totally isolated. They connect somewhere with the NYC Metro system. That is also the way the GP38-2 come in. It did not come on a barge.
This http://members.trainweb.com/bedt/indloco/nynjr.html is a nice source of information about the NYNJ

I guess the engine is still owned by GATX/GMTX and leased to NYNJ. Part of that leasing contract is some custom paint modifications to give the customer (NYNJ) a better feeling.

The tracks aren't isolated at all. There is a small 3 track double ended interchange yard with the New York & Atlantic Railway at 65th Street between 5th & 8th Avenues, then there is the main yards with the car float bridges at 65th Street and 2nd Avenue (where the old New Haven float bridges were), and then the 1st Avenue yard between 58th Street and 40th Street which was washed out with Super Storm Sandy that was used for transloading (Lumber and Pipe for Davidson Pipe) and serving the local industries. The line continued up 41st Street where it passed through the loft building on the corner of 41st Street and 2nd Avenue and then along 2nd Avenue to the interchange with the South Brooklyn Railway, a freight railroad owned by New York City Transit. The South Brooklyn Railway goes around the Costco warehouse to connect to the rest of the transit system at 39th Street and 3rd Avenue on the "D" Line.

   

[faraway]

....The tracks aren't isolated at all.....

I learned that when I read the referenced text in detail. But that raises the question why the barges are used at all if it could be done via rail. I know the next Hudson bridge was upstate in Poughkeepsie. But that is a minor detour for lumber from Montana etc. Looks like there was/is a lot of traffic local traffic between south NY and NJ.
Your map is great. It provides a great overview.

[faraway]

I would like to make a remark about a simple LED installation in Athearn locomotives with the Athearn standard PCB:

The standard electronic has a fixed voltage suitable for Athearns 1.5 Volt bulbs. "Usually" is that not suitable for LEDs.
There is a simple solution if you are comfortable with not to bright lights.

1. Position a very bright LED behind the holes in the shell. I use LEDs with this specifications: LED Sunny White Rund 3 mm 4500 mcd 60 ° 20 mA 3.2 V
2. Apply a small amount of Micro Kristal Klear in the hole
3. Stick a fiber optic in the hole and cut it to length. Stick it deep enough through the Kristal Klear until is touches the LED and cut it flush fit
4. Cover the hole with the fiber optic with a small amount if Kristal Klear from the outside.

The direct contact of the fiber optic with the very bright 3.2 Volt LED operated with 1.5 Volt is good enough to result in a nice head light. You save the hassle of replacing the electronic. Pay attention to the polarity. It is printed on the PCB P (positive) / long wire on LED and N (negative) / short wire on LED.

[Rscott417]

....The tracks aren't isolated at all.....

I learned that when I read the referenced text in detail. But that raises the question why the barges are used at all if it could be done via rail. I know the next Hudson bridge was upstate in Poughkeepsie. But that is a minor detour for lumber from Montana etc. Looks like there was/is a lot of traffic local traffic between south NY and NJ.
Your map is great. It provides a great overview.

Reinhard it's actually not a minor detour at all, the carfloat cuts travel time down at least 2-3 days and theres no sharing of track with passenger trains.

[Mike Kieran]

Hey Reinhard,

The nearest point to cross the Hudson River is actually in the Albany/Troy area. If it's a 3 hour trip from Jersey City to Albany. So if you have to deliver freight to Long Island or Connecticut, a few days travel time is added. The bridge at Poughkeepsie caught fire in 1974 and is only able to handle pedestrian traffic.

[doctorwayne]

Reinhard, you can make a very nice lense on the end of the fibre optic material simply by bringing it next to a heat source - a soldering iron does a nice job. but don't let the fibre touch the heat source. The longer the exposure, the larger the lense will become (up to a point, of course). Form the lense first, then trim the other end to length. You can use the Kristal Klear or ca to secure it in place.

Wayne

[faraway]

The Highball decals arrived today (ordered 1/18!). There are no decals to do the NYNJ customized GATX paint scheme but the generic GATX/GMTX decals are just fine with me. They permit a very universal use of the GP38-2.

ps. What is UP doing with their GP38-2? I found a lot of them in the GMTX roster but running MU'ed with other UP engines all over the country. Are they sold and leased back? That is a favorite method of book dressing to get rid of assets and get simple short term cost. But I assume old GP38-2 have an accounting value of $1 (fully depreciated). Why is it done?

[faraway]

It is hard to find a NYPD patrol car and the very few sold at ebay have usually a shocking price. Got a small parcel with this used gem today.
This is a 1992 Chevrolet Caprice sedan. Not perfect for a contemporary layout but the best I could get....

[bdw9535]

Reinhard,

Try this, <!-- m --><a class="postlink" href="http://www.code3firetrucks.com">http://www.code3firetrucks.com</a><!-- m --> ,they have a 2005 NYPD cruiser from Model Power listed. Shipping would most likely be more than the price they have listed.

Bruce

[faraway]

....Shipping would most likely be more than the price they have listed.....

Bruce, that is a nice site and I found what I am looking for but ...... $55 shipping :o
I passed the link to my (not so local) LHS and asked him if he could stock the model and sell with the local shipping cost.

Thanks for the pointer

[Twist]

Hi Reinhard,

Nice timeshift.The conversion on the Downtown Deco building looks good..

Cheers,Chris

[bdw9535]

Reinhard,

I have ordered from a company called American Excellence in the past, their European distributor is <!-- m --><a class="postlink" href="http://www.ModelCarWorld.com">http://www.ModelCarWorld.com</a><!-- m -->. I checked the site and they did not have what your looking for but it might be useful for future use. When I ordered last year from American Excellence the company had a Florida mailing address but the package came from Germany and the shipping was only $12.95.

Bruce

[faraway]

That is a nice German link. I will save it. My LHS told me the new NYPD car is not on stack at his contact.

ps. Just became a member of the CRHS. May be I am back to blue soon, and my 92 NYPD patrol car would fit even better ;-)

[shortliner]

Reinhard - don't know the cost of shipping <!-- m --><a class="postlink" href="http://www.modeltrainstuff.com/Model-Power-HO-Die-Cast-2005-Crown-Victoria-p/mdp-19394.htm">http://www.modeltrainstuff.com/Model-Po ... -19394.htm</a><!-- m -->