Mike Kieran Wrote:Jack, I'm missing something. The address that you gave put me in Columbia, SC.

It worked OK for me.

Mike Kieran Wrote:Jack, I'm missing something. The address that you gave put me in Columbia, SC.

I think Olympia is a suburb of Columbia - it is actualy just northwest of the area you are looking for

I got it. I think Olympia is a neighborhood in Columbia. The lines themselves would make great ISLs. You are on the money with the 3 way turnouts.

If you go and stand the little streetview man on the crossings, you can see abandoned spurs that are almost buried. IIRC Bing mapping has some birdseye with cars on some of the spurs in the yard - a lot of it looks as though rail service is discontinued with some of the buildings looking semi-derelict , but it does prove that there was a prototype for that soprt of layout. The big plant on the corner by the yard has some Tanks on its spurs

Mike Kieran Wrote:Nice, I always loved that L&N gray. Kato or BLI NW2?

Mike;
BLI NW-2. It is without a doubt the best running of the two switchers although the engine sounds don't match the prototype very well - specifically how the engine revs up. You can adjust that, but I haven't had much luck. Still it's a great locomotive. The Atlas C-420 is an outstanding runner as is the MP15dc, which I tend to use about 80% of the time when I'm switching. I'm eagerly waiting for BLI to release their SW-1500 which will be available in L&N paint with two numbers.

shortliner Wrote:Go to Google Maps and put in "Brookwood Drive, Olympia SC"
Jack

Thanks Jack! More locations to look at

Columbia, SC is one location that I've never checked out on Google/Bing, probably lot's more that I should have looked around. The use of 3-way turnouts on an industrial spur is something I haven't run in to before, but sure wouldn't want to go that route on my layout.

I certainly don't have the room or the energy to build anything larger than what I'm doing, but that's an interesting concept. If I'd gotten involved in the industrial switching thing some years ago, perhaps I could have come up with something on the order of Lance's Downtown spur, but I'm happy with a much smaller layout.

And yet another slight variation to my current plan! Being able to test this out and see what needs to be changed or what can be changed is fun![attachment=8037]As you can tell, the arrangement of the tracks is the same, but now I have eliminated the trans-load track and replaced it with Bloomer Chocolates and put Lowes Lumber where Peerless Confections was located. Only need to adjust the distance from the lead track slightly on both of those tracks.

Looking at the prototype Bloomer facility in Union City, CA, it's a low structure so that's a plus for easy uncoupling of the cars on spot and I need only model a very shallow portion of the structure and include some storage tanks at the end. Bloomer receives gravity discharge covered hoppers of cocoa beans, Airslide's of sugar and tank cars of HFCS; so that takes care of 3 of my car types. Putting Lowes lumber in the other location takes care of the bulkhead flats and some box cars and I need only model a gravel or concrete unloading area and a small shed for that.

Still have that one little issue of not being able to see the cars on spot at Bloomer, other than by looking down the track or over the top of the structure, but I was not happy with the common place team track so I'll throw together a mock up from Bloomer tonight and test out this variation of the plan. I do so like the look of having industries on both sides of the lead track, so maybe this will work out better for me.

Well let's get to work!

Ed - just a suggestion but could your aisle-side buildings, eg. Blommer Chocolate, be made as a clear acrylic box, then covered in a couple of layers of window tint film, with the aisle side, and windows and doorways cut out of the film and left clear? That would make see-thru "shadow" buildings which would be indicated as being there, but make switching life easier - just a possibility. I also wonder if the clear acrylic box idea would work with printed vinyl overlays as used on vehicles, with the aisle side left transparent.

Ed,

This thread has been so interesting to me over the past several months. Your depth of knowledge is quite impressive and you have been feeding me ideas for my own shelf layout for quite a while now.

Thanks for taking the time to make your posts here on Big Blue.

Mark

shortliner Wrote:Ed - just a suggestion but could your aisle-side buildings, eg. Blommer Chocolate, be made as a clear acrylic box, then covered in a couple of layers of window tint film, with the aisle side, and windows and doorways cut out of the film and left clear? That would make see-thru "shadow" buildings which would be indicated as being there, but make switching life easier - just a possibility. I also wonder if the clear acrylic box idea would work with printed vinyl overlays as used on vehicles, with the aisle side left transparent.

That's certainly a possibility and has been talked about in another thread. Will have to look in to that for sure. When I get a chance (who knows when?) I may give that a try and if it looks plausible, then I might relocate the warehouse to the front edge, since it will not have the roof details like Bloomer will require. Could also bring back the idea of having a detailed interior for the warehouse.

Right now, nothing is set in stone and I'm still subject to change or rearrange things if needed.

Hi Ed,

How high is the finished layout going to be?

I would think that the height would create problems for a structure if you decided to build it at a good viewing level for standing or eliminate accessibility issues if you built it low which could be a good viewing level if you used a roll around chair. Either way, I see that you will have to make some compromises.

Thinking outside of the box here, would it be possible to place the Bloomer building on a removable or maybe a hinged extension so you could have it there for the canyon effect and photographs, yet move it to easily to facilitate switching if needed?

On my own design, I decided to represent the foreground building with just a loading dock which will have crates, pallets and forklifts on it. This also allowed me to get the track very close to the front of the layout without worrying about cars falling off the edge. But now you have got me thinking…

Mark

Mark;

The bench work that I'm using right now for testing and experimenting is 50 inches high. I'm thinking about tearing it down and putting a shelf along the only open wall in the basement and it would then be only about 44 inches high. I always stand when I operate and walk along with the train; only sit down if my feet get sore LOL. Viewing at eye level has never been a big issue with me; just that it isn't too low.

Right now, I don't see any problem with the arrangement of Bloomer Chocolates on the layout and having operated this version of the plan a couple of times so far, I'm pretty well pleased with it. I can easily look over the top of the building and use my uncoupling tool when spotting the cars; which incidentally aren't spotted at doors, just along side the building at specific locations. Only thing will be that I'll have to be careful of any roof detail that might be located where a car spots. No need to make the structure removable that I can see, as I can easily reach across to work the Durkee Foods track.

Funny you mentioned just modeling the loading dock for one of your industries. I had considered doing something on the same order, but it would have a roof over it with the support bracing modeled and perhaps a little bit of a structure wall on either end to enhance the illusion of the structure being off the layout. Something like the open/covered dock you see in this Bing view: http://www.bing.com/maps/?v=2&cp=n9c73y8...orm=LMLTCC Might give you another idea or two.

Aahhhh.... I like it.... MOMENTUM!!!!!!!

Ed,

You said,

Quote:Funny you mentioned just modeling the loading dock for one of your industries. I had considered doing something on the same order, but it would have a roof over it with the support bracing modeled and perhaps a little bit of a structure wall on either end to enhance the illusion of the structure being off the layout. Something like the open/covered dock you see in this Bing view: <!-- m --><a class="postlink" href="http://www.bing.com/maps/?v=2&cp=n9c73y89bq4g&lvl=20.049886764155737&dir=182.8161676657165&sty=o&form=LMLTCC">http://www.bing.com/maps/?v=2&cp=n9c73y ... orm=LMLTCC</a><!-- m --> Might give you another idea or two.

This is good stuff. Thanks for the link as it will give me some more to think about. Although, I pretty sure that I would be the bonehead who would accidently break that roof off while reaching in to un-couple a car. I do, however, like the idea of the canyon effect.

Mark

Ed, have you downloaded the July issue of Model Railroad Hobbyist? There is an article in there about cutting out wood blocks from 1/2 inch plywood to simulate lumber loads on bulkhead flats, and the article includes artwork for wrappers from various lumber companies done in an Excel file that can be sized for whatever scale you wish to model in. I downloaded the artwork, and there must be a dozen different lumber companies from the U.S. and Canada.