01-29-2013, 09:44 AM
Ed, it's always nice to have input from someone who worked the real thing. It gives perspective to what we do. One of our club member works for the CN, mainly switching industries and yard work. Each time he describes a job, it feels like he did "nothing", but in fact, it took hours and hours to spot a few cars to one place.
When you check up how an industry works, you find out there's often much more than what may seems to be. For a long time, I thought a coal dealer was necessary to explain why coal hoppers where on the layout. When you check up old photographs and maps, you just find out that any industry with a boiler back then received such shipment.
And, as you said, interchangeable industries à la Faraway are the best way to use these rolling stock bought on impulse!
@Postman: I think we overlook siding lenght on an ISL. Your proportion right, even if they seems very generous. We often just make it long enough to hold the cars, but with a slimmed down track plan like yours, siding are long enough to give room for the train to actually travel the layout. That's a large part of the fun when you don't have continuous run or very long main line. That makes room for more little interesting scenery details and trackwork without crowding the place...
Matt, who is still debating what it next ISL should be.
When you check up how an industry works, you find out there's often much more than what may seems to be. For a long time, I thought a coal dealer was necessary to explain why coal hoppers where on the layout. When you check up old photographs and maps, you just find out that any industry with a boiler back then received such shipment.
And, as you said, interchangeable industries à la Faraway are the best way to use these rolling stock bought on impulse!
@Postman: I think we overlook siding lenght on an ISL. Your proportion right, even if they seems very generous. We often just make it long enough to hold the cars, but with a slimmed down track plan like yours, siding are long enough to give room for the train to actually travel the layout. That's a large part of the fun when you don't have continuous run or very long main line. That makes room for more little interesting scenery details and trackwork without crowding the place...
Matt, who is still debating what it next ISL should be.
Proudly modelling Quebec Railway Light & Power Company since 1997.
Hedley-Junction Club Layout: http://www.hedley-junction.blogspot.com/
Erie 149th Street Harlem Station http://www.harlem-station.blogspot.com/
Hedley-Junction Club Layout: http://www.hedley-junction.blogspot.com/
Erie 149th Street Harlem Station http://www.harlem-station.blogspot.com/