Reinhard,


II really like where you going with this. I wish I had the ability to move as fast as you when it comes to changing direction and then making great strides. Oddly enough, I am in no hurry to get my layout done or for that matter, run locomotives. Having a few freight cars parking on a siding without an engine in sight, satisfies me.
I'm looking forward to seeing your new additions.

Larry

The new mask for scuba diving was in a box of tinted plastic. The back of that box is flat. That is what I was looking for to do the more formal building entrance. This is the first shoe box with a color decoration. It is the red stripe company. They do all the red stripes all over the country

Very clever Reinhard - don't forget that you can achieve a similar effect with window tint film from the auto accessories store.
Jack

You've ceratinly been busy these past few weeks. Its starting look very convincing. I liked the buildings you built over the past few pages but the rearranging works too.

rgds
Dave

And some basics finish for the building on the left hand.
That puts this work session to an premature end because my "little boss" has a long list of things to do prior to our trip to the Read Sea.

I did very much enjoy creating the five buildings out of the Santa Fe Ave area in LA. I like at least three of them very much but they did just not really fit into the given environment. They need a longer street with sidewalk to sit on. The tracks prevent that in my center part and forced me to create something like a small shopping center populated with low profile industry. That is not what I was going for. I think it is one advantage of my quick and easy construction method to permit quick changes without burning to much bucks and time. And last not least I had a great time doing the now removed buildings. That is what counts most to me.

This working session was very successful. I did do all planned track work and did total restructure the operation of the ISL. The little classification yard is absolute great. I love it to have a source and destination for all my jobs. And I have very little interruptions of the operations. I did the track redesign in increments and had my daily operation fun.
Wish you all a good time. Will report back in about two weeks.

Wonderful work, Reinhard. Seems like each step in the progression suggests a direction or refinement of the next. I wouldn't have realized many of the possibilities, had you shown only the end result. Thanks for the sequential learning moments ! Bob C.

I do like the new arrangement. Very nice and modern.

I really like your simple construction of realistic industrial buildings.

They remind me of several places that I have switched on various railroads through the years. I especially like the contrast between the buildings which are still rail served and those which were, but the track has been neatly removed and they are now other businesses.

Keep up the good work.

Barry

We did return last night and I had an opportunity to run the very first train before midnight.
The US trip stats in less than three weeks. I could convince my wife that it is essential to visit Vernon, CA... So the trip will touch Las Vegas (flight destination), Yellow stone NP area, all way down through CA to the LA area and than eastwards to Houston and finally back to Las Vegas. I hope the Hertz car can do that in 30 days

Reinhard, I don't know what order you are going to follow on your trip, but I looked up some of the destinations on Yahoo maps starting in Las Vegas. Yellowstone is listed as 760 miles from Las Vegas with a travel time of 11hrs 38 minutes.

Remember that we don't have autobahns here. There are speed limits everywhere. Typically you can run 5 mph over the speed limit without the cops bothering you in the West. Much of the traffic will be travelling much faster than that, but over 5 mph above the speed limit risks a speeding ticket.

Yellowstone to Los Angeles is listed as 1049 miles and 15 hrs 41 minutes. In all of these times meal stops, gas stops, bathroom breaks, etc are additional. On the other hand I think their estimates are based on strict adherence to the speed limits, so if you are driving 5 mph over the speed limit, you might make up enough time to cover gas stops, etc.

Los Angeles to Houston is @1550 miles and 21 hrs 38 minutes. I don't know the speed limits between Vegas to Yellowstone to Los Angeles, but the speed limit in California out in the desert is 70 mph, Arizona and New Mexico outside of the cities is 75 mph and Texas is either 70 or 75 during daylight hours and 65 at night.

Houston back to Vegas is just under 1500 miles and about 21 hours. I think your itinerary is not bad for 30 days. If you have a bit of extra time returning from Houston to Vegas, I would suggest a stop over in Williams, Az with a side trip to the Grand Canyon. You can either drive from Williams to the Grand Canyon, or you can get a package deal that will include two nights at the old Harvey House in Williams that has been converted into a hotel, 5 meals, and a round trip to and from the Grand Canyon on the Grand Canyon Railway and a tour bus to 3 or 4 overlooks on the South rim of the canyon.

You going to stop by my house when in Houston?

Russ Bellinis Wrote:Reinhard, I don't know what order you are going to follow on your trip, but I looked up some of the destinations on Yahoo maps starting in Las Vegas.....

Russ, it will be a lot of driving but may be we take some short cuts. The global available infrastructure (Motel, gas station, restaurant) makes it very easy to follow a very broad planning but to do many short term changes. We had the most friendly stays far away from the touristic centers. One thing we want to see again is the Grand Teton NP in the early morning when the sun comes up in the east and the mountains in the west catch the first sun shine. There is a nice lodge to watch that spectacle with a mug of fresh coffee and I want to stay at the shores south of Houston again. The is also a simple Chinese buffet restaurant in Houston with the best lemon chicken and sweet and sour pink gravy we ever had. It is still on Google streetview. The new "fix point" became Vernon. I have to think about a "storage location" for my wife for some hours... Is there a save area with lots of antique shops in the LA area where I can "park" my wife for some time while looking at the LAJ tracks in Vernon? Dallas has (had?) the wonderful Forney to do so

Gary S Wrote:You going to stop by my house when in Houston?

Gary, I would be glad to do so I will send a mail for address, phone number etc.

The City of Orange has the most concentration of antique shops that I know of in the area. The antique shops are centered around the traffic circle for a few blocks in every direction. The area is called "Old Towne" and the traffic circle is at the intersection of East & West Chapman and North and South Glassell Street. It is pretty close to the 5 freeway which runs just to the North of Vernon, depending on traffic about 1/2 hour to an hour distant. One word of caution, there are two Chapman Avenues in Orange County. One is farther north in the city of Fullerton just North of the 91 freeway. The Chapman Avenue that you want is located in the city of Orange just about "dead center" between the 5 freeway, 57 freeway, 22 freeway, and the 55 freeway. If you listen to any traffic reports on local radio, that intersection of the 5,57, & 22 freeways is known as the "Orange Crush." The freeway interchange closest to Vernon and East L.A. is known as the 4 level. That is where the 710, 5, 60, & 10 meet.

About when are you going to be in So. California? I'll be gone working at a children's camp as a volunteer from June 26 to July 2, then my wife and I are driving North to Sacramento for the NMRA Convention that runs from July 3-July 9. We plan to be back on the 10th. If you are going to be in the area before the 26th or after July 9, let me know. We can exchange contact info via P.M. or email and I can act as chauffer and show you around the area. The freeway interchanges in Los Angeles can get confusing. Where I live in Lakewood is just about 1/2 between Orange and Vernon.

found it! :-)
I"ve got some catching up to do now. :-)

(some time later), Well Reinhard, that was quite an adventure, reading through this thread, and seeing all the changes of track and industries. It looks great to me. Have fun in the USA!
BTW, I've booked my first holiday for next year (2012) to Egypt too, Sharm El Sheik is where I'll be going, looking forward doing some snorkling etc there.


Koos