07-02-2015, 02:16 PM
I have made up my mind and will build an urban freelance switching layout in the northeast in the timeframe 1930s - 1940s. Where I prefer the earlier times depending an the material I can get on the market. My expectation is to build very dense urban industry where the size of the individual rail served industry fits nice on my small layout without to much compression.
This old GE44ton switcher is from my very first US layout. It is a nice runner and has Loksound Micro 3.5 installed. This engine is built since 1940 shall be the starting point of the new layout. Some HH660 are waiting too. I have some uneasy feeling because the amount of information is much less than on contemporary railroads. No Google street view, no tons of photos taken with cell phones.... and last but not least it all happened before I was born.
Anyhow I will not start tearing down the present layout until my fuzzy plans have been substantiated. I am afraid a major rework with a heavy modified track plan can not be avoided. I may stop Freelance 2015-2 if I fail to get sufficient information rail served industry in the northeast in the 1930s and 1940s.
There will be two "layouts" for the next time in parallel. A real one to play with and an imaginary one in planning stage.
![[Image: IMG_4234_zpscobogzzu.jpg]](http://i966.photobucket.com/albums/ae149/faraway52/FL2015-2/IMG_4234_zpscobogzzu.jpg)
Do you have suggestions (internet links) where to find photos of urban industry in that timeframe? Are NYC, NJC, Chicago and Boston a good starting point? Are there other good locations to look after for inspiration?
This is a great source: <!-- m --><a class="postlink" href="http://www.trainweb.org/bedt/IndustrialLocos.html">http://www.trainweb.org/bedt/IndustrialLocos.html</a><!-- m -->
This old GE44ton switcher is from my very first US layout. It is a nice runner and has Loksound Micro 3.5 installed. This engine is built since 1940 shall be the starting point of the new layout. Some HH660 are waiting too. I have some uneasy feeling because the amount of information is much less than on contemporary railroads. No Google street view, no tons of photos taken with cell phones.... and last but not least it all happened before I was born.
Anyhow I will not start tearing down the present layout until my fuzzy plans have been substantiated. I am afraid a major rework with a heavy modified track plan can not be avoided. I may stop Freelance 2015-2 if I fail to get sufficient information rail served industry in the northeast in the 1930s and 1940s.
There will be two "layouts" for the next time in parallel. A real one to play with and an imaginary one in planning stage.
Do you have suggestions (internet links) where to find photos of urban industry in that timeframe? Are NYC, NJC, Chicago and Boston a good starting point? Are there other good locations to look after for inspiration?
This is a great source: <!-- m --><a class="postlink" href="http://www.trainweb.org/bedt/IndustrialLocos.html">http://www.trainweb.org/bedt/IndustrialLocos.html</a><!-- m -->
Reinhard