La Mirada, CA Industrial Switching Layout Progress

[Trucklover]

A great plan and layout I would like to build and operate.
I would like to make a remark about the newly added rolling mill. It is not so much the very sparse tracks devoted to such an industry or the lack of storage tracks for empty and full coil cars. It is the psychological break of feeling between light and friendly ala Lance Mindenheim spirit all over the layout and than a harsh break into the almost depressing world of dark and more than serious iron business. That is much more than the color and impression of buildings. It is also ballast, ground cover and everything else. It is the emotional bridge to be spanned between southern California and Gary Indiana. To be frankly I am not convinced that is a change to the better.
However, I feel with you. I have a bunch of coil cars and other IHB cars unused on storage. Some time they will find a home on a very different layout than the current one.

Thanks Reinhard!

The addition of the rolling mill was only because I have the extra coil and gondola cars and I had a little extra room with making the modules smaller to fit one in there. Like I said, it has nothing to do with La Mirada, but it will give me a chance to spot 2 more different types of rolling stock since most of the rolling stock on this layout is Boxcars, Covered Hoppers, shorty 2-Bay Covered Hoppers, and Tank Cars. I think the rolling mill will be a nice addition to the layout, and ill weather it and make it look right at home. I did also get a small storage track for additional cars above the rolling mill which would hold 4-5 cars...

[faraway]

Josh, this was my attempt to model a rolling mill at the end of my small layout in November last year.


I stopped it because I could not find a nice transition to the other part


May be it is helpful for you to see a not successful example. My rolling mill was modeled after the huge works in Gary, Indiana. At least the color of the buildings and roofs should be a little bit more friendly than the depressing dark boxcar red with a lot of dirt added. You should also find a matching ballast. The light gray is not suitable for a rolling mill but a dark gray does not match California.
May be you can find a more friendly prototype than the Gary works that fits easier into your other layout. Is there a rolling mill in California?

[cnw1961]

Guys! I must publish this warning!
On Jun 30th, '10, 19:05 Trucklover said, "Here is an article you may find interesting. It shows a different approach to making molds. <!-- m --><a class="postlink" href="http://trainweb.org/crocon/pcoquet/scratchbuild_article.html">http://trainweb.org/crocon/pcoquet/scra ... ticle.html</a><!-- m -->"

I went there when that was first posted and then again this morning, having an unfortunately short memory these days, and my ever-present Norton Internet Security alerted me immediately with a big red X

Norton Rating
WARNING
Threats found: 4
Here is a complete list:
Threat Name: HTTP Malicious Javascript Encoder 5
Location: <!-- m --><a class="postlink" href="http://trainweb.org/usarail/">http://trainweb.org/usarail/</a><!-- m -->
Threat Name: HTTP Malicious Javascript Encoder 5
Location: <!-- m --><a class="postlink" href="http://www.trainweb.org/usarail/index.html">http://www.trainweb.org/usarail/index.html</a><!-- m -->
Threat Name: HTTP Malicious Javascript Encoder 5
Location: <!-- m --><a class="postlink" href="http://www.trainweb.org/usarail/">http://www.trainweb.org/usarail/</a><!-- m -->
Threat Name: Direct link to HTTP Malicious Javascript Encoder 5
Location: <!-- m --><a class="postlink" href="http://www.trainweb.org/usarail/massachusetts.htm">http://www.trainweb.org/usarail/massachusetts.htm</a><!-- m -->

I don't want to be perceived as an alarmist, but my machine was really screwed up for a while after my first visit to that site ... I had to run several "Sweep for Virus and Worm" programs and then re-install Java to get back to normal!!!

Hi Bil,

Kurt was the one that had posted that link in one of his replies, not me lol. Im on a MAC, and I just clicked the link again, page loaded a-okay for me this second time around and nothing seemed out of the ordinary for me. I cant speak for those who have PC's, so I would be cautious when visiting that site with what Bil has just mentioned...

BiL,
sorry to hear that ou ran into problems when visiting the site I posted the link of. I am on a PC and I just visited this site as I already did several times before and it never caused any problems. I even checked my machine for viruses and worms after I red your post in case anything might have slipped through, but it is clean. That’s strange!

Josh, I like the changes you made to your track plan. Though it is some really complicated track work, I especially like the solution you came up with for the runaround at the yard ladder and the spurs leading to the industries from there. Looks much better than your first version .

[P5se Camelback]

For what it's worth ...
Where my post says ...

"Norton Rating
WARNING
Threats found: 4
Here is a complete list:
Threat Name: HTTP Malicious Javascript Encoder 5
Location: <!-- m --><a class="postlink" href="http://trainweb.org/usarail/">http://trainweb.org/usarail/</a><!-- m --> ... " ...

I would tell you that I merely copied that list from the window that popped up centerscreen from Norton Internet Security, which I have set at MAX protection ... it even blocks all pop-ups and alerts me it has done so, etc.

Due to all the time I spent working for computer companies, added to my time in the Army Security Agency, I am always on the alert for covert activity (one of my primary tasks in the Agency) ... My daughter always gives me crap about being a conspiracy freak, but being a Mac user, she sees no need to assign a password other than the default one when she gave me one of her old (brand new) wireless routers. She had complained about it not working well, that she supposed that it didn't talk "Mac" ... my guess is she had a half-dozen neighbors in her apartment complex "climbing on" the Internet using her essentially unsecured router. Service slows way down and sometimes drops when that happens. And for the record, default passwords are available easily over the 'Net from the Manufacturers' Web sites!

Security is the very serious business that not many people take seriously.

[Trucklover]

Josh, this was my attempt to model a rolling mill at the end of my small layout in November last year.

May be it is helpful for you to see a not successful example. My rolling mill was modeled after the huge works in Gary, Indiana. At least the color of the buildings and roofs should be a little bit more friendly than the depressing dark boxcar red with a lot of dirt added. You should also find a matching ballast. The light gray is not suitable for a rolling mill but a dark gray does not match California.
May be you can find a more friendly prototype than the Gary works that fits easier into your other layout. Is there a rolling mill in California?

Thanks for posting those pictures Reinhard! While I love what you did with that Rolling Mill, I see what you are talking about with the harsh transition from heavy industry to light industry...

Im not sure how mine will work out, but the Rolling Mill will be painted to match its surrounds and I dont think it will stick out like a sore thumb... Im not sure if there is any Rolling Mill facilities out here in Cali, I will have to research that, but that would be a neat idea to model it after one here if there is one

[Trucklover]

Josh, I like the changes you made to your track plan. Though it is some really complicated track work, I especially like the solution you came up with for the runaround at the yard ladder and the spurs leading to the industries from there. Looks much better than your first version .

Thanks Kurt! Im moving right along with this first module, and before I know it ill be on the next one lol

I too like the addition of the run around in there for the yard. I also added another run around in over by the rolling mill, which can serve that whole side over there...

[Trucklover]

Got the Micro Engineering Code 70 Rail in yesterday and laid them down on the Central Valley Tie Strips last night. Then set some trains down in the yard to get a feel for how its going to look. Here are some pictures... Where you see the 60' BNSF Boxcars is where the large long structure will be (refer to the latest picture of the plan on page 3)

[mountaingoatgreg]

LOOKING BUSY....

I am very glad to see your sucess with the CVMW stips. I have been really happy with my choice to use this product and think it looks really really good.

Keep up the great work...when is your first operation session??

[radivil]

You gotta mix up those hoods on your coil cars. Having lived a few miles from a rolling mill most of my life, the best thing I can tell you about them is that you almost never see matched hoods on them.

Although it seems theres entire types of coil cars and hood sizes and shapes no one makes models of too. But seeing two CSX hoods on a CSX car is pretty rare. There's a jade green NYC car in captive service here that seemingly always has a totally rust brown round corrugated hood with a round GT hood. Love that one.

[Trucklover]

LOOKING BUSY....

I am very glad to see your sucess with the CVMW stips. I have been really happy with my choice to use this product and think it looks really really good.

Keep up the great work...when is your first operation session??

Thanks Greg!

The CV Tie Strips are great, and they have nice detail in them as well!

First OP session is probably a ways out, I will have to get at least a few of the modules at least with their trackwork laid on them to be able to run some trains lol

[Trucklover]

You gotta mix up those hoods on your coil cars. Having lived a few miles from a rolling mill most of my life, the best thing I can tell you about them is that you almost never see matched hoods on them.

Although it seems theres entire types of coil cars and hood sizes and shapes no one makes models of too. But seeing two CSX hoods on a CSX car is pretty rare. There's a jade green NYC car in captive service here that seemingly always has a totally rust brown round corrugated hood with a round GT hood. Love that one.

Thanks Rad,

I went ahead and sold all 9 of the Walthers Gold Line Cushion Coil Cars that I had in the pictures to make room for the 9 Red Caboose BNSF Cushion Coil Cars im going to get. This way ill have all the cars for the road im modeling and they will all be different numbers.

<!-- m --><a class="postlink" href="http://www.imrcmodels.com/distrib/redcaboose/html/RR-32548.htm">http://www.imrcmodels.com/distrib/redca ... -32548.htm</a><!-- m -->

i know ill get at least 9 of them but may suck it up and just get all 12 and do a bit of modifying to the hoods to mix it up a little bit to get some different paint schemes in the mix as you suggested in your post. They should look good spotted at the Rolling Mill and in the yard

[Trucklover]

Made another change to the trackplan...

My intentions are to have an Intermodal train parked next to the mainline. I want to have do this because I see from Bing there was a Empty Spine Car Train and when I was there a few weeks ago there was a stack train parked in the passing siding which also serves as the inbound/outbound track i think. It would be a cool thing to have, and ill mix up a Spine and Well Car train. This train wont be permanently parked on the layout, just gives me an excuse to break out some of my intermodal equipment I have stored away from time to time for picture purposes....

Looking at the picture below, the white tracks that run next to the mainline is the passing siding. Not only will this allow me to put an Intermodal Train on it, but when there is no Intermodal Train, parts of it can be used as a run around, parts as another yard track, and allows mainline access which can also be used as a run around or even more car storage for the yard.

Here is the revised plan. The changes require me to make some slight changes to the module im working on now, so ill have to order 2 more #6 turnouts to make that crossover on the left end of Module #5 between white and yellow tracks.

[mountaingoatgreg]

Josh,

I really like the addition of the siding as it gives you lots of opprotunity to make moves easier but at the same time can make things more confusing when planning moves

I wouldn't leave those spinecars sittng to long as YOU GOT FREIGHT TO MOVE :mrgreen:

[Trucklover]

Thanks Greg

And yes, I DO have freight to move!


Well crud, I just ordered the Red Caboose BNSF Coil Cars this morning from Intermountain and well there were only 7 left in stock, and they wont be getting anymore in.... Thats a bummer, but at least I got 7 lol. Im not sure if there all different roadnumbers or not, but if there are duplicates, I will just have to renumber them... I guess ill try and pick a couple more up on ebay when these come in so I can see what roadnumbers I got so i dont get even more duplicates LOL

[Trucklover]

Got some Caboose Industries Ground Throws in yesterday. Next time I bring the module down ill mate the with the switches

Going on Vacation with my family, leaving for a week to Mammouth, CA on this coming Saturday so wont be back till August 7th, and that means no more progress on this module for a little while.

When I come back, the Red Caboose Coil Cars should be in and waiting for me