03-14-2014, 10:33 AM
Here's a shot of Malabar looking north from the south (less interesting) end. A couple of points are the station sign, the relay case for the crossing signals, and the old tire:
Here's a shot looking toward the left or west:
What's interesting here is that the industrial building on the left is one of the big clichés of ISLs: Hey, all you need is a piece of foamcore with a couple of doors in it, and wow! Instant scenery, instant operation! And there's an example of just that thing!! I'm gonna get my 1 x 6 and start right to work!
The problem is that this is one of the spurs on the diagram (2797) that hasn't been used in many, many years. If you want to model it, be my guest, except that if you're going to run BNSF or CSX or NS equipment, you'd better leave that track empty. These sorts of industries have very, very little carload traffic. Some of them may have container loadings off a street door, but the firms that originally occupied these places are by and large gone, and now they're either empty or occupied by some company importing party decorations from China.
No question, if you want to research the ATSF Harbor District in the 1960s and 70s and put cars of that period on the spur, that's great. My impression of the guys that build a lot of ISLs, though, is that research isn't their forte, and they want to stick with stuff they see.
Here's a shot looking toward the left or west:
What's interesting here is that the industrial building on the left is one of the big clichés of ISLs: Hey, all you need is a piece of foamcore with a couple of doors in it, and wow! Instant scenery, instant operation! And there's an example of just that thing!! I'm gonna get my 1 x 6 and start right to work!
The problem is that this is one of the spurs on the diagram (2797) that hasn't been used in many, many years. If you want to model it, be my guest, except that if you're going to run BNSF or CSX or NS equipment, you'd better leave that track empty. These sorts of industries have very, very little carload traffic. Some of them may have container loadings off a street door, but the firms that originally occupied these places are by and large gone, and now they're either empty or occupied by some company importing party decorations from China.
No question, if you want to research the ATSF Harbor District in the 1960s and 70s and put cars of that period on the spur, that's great. My impression of the guys that build a lot of ISLs, though, is that research isn't their forte, and they want to stick with stuff they see.