Some finishing details...

[tetters]

Thanks Greg! I hope to have this done today. I'll be stringing the cables for the last time today. As much as I wanted to correct certain things. I think there also comes a time when one has to say, "good enough".

Pictures to follow later tonight.

[tetters]

Some touch ups and maybe some a tad more "weathering"... but I'm calling this one done.






Next step is to install it on the layout. Then its on to the car float.

[Steamtrains]

That's one beautiful structure..!! Well done..!!

Now...Please 'splain for us ignoramii what the purpose of it is..... :oops:

[doctorwayne]

Gus, it all started over here, although it's on page 15 where it's first mentioned.

Wayne

[modelsof1900]

...

Very fine modeling job done in wood! I love this material - and a really fine thing. Congratulation!

I love these harbor scenes - aand this website Industrial & Offline Terminal Railroads ... is one of my favorite site!
100 different harbor terminals and switching without an end! Fantastic themes there and a good layout under construction here, Tetters!

[SP1]

Turned out really great!

[tetters]

As Greg pointed out earlier my resident Lord of the Sith took a personal interest in my goings on. He expressed his displeasure at my "current lack of progress".

(He also mentioned something about an Emperor visiting , but I wasn't really listening when he began to ramble about me, "not knowing the power of the Dark Side!" yadda yadda...)

Regardless he ordered a clean up of the lake area and the immediate installation of the Transfer Slip.

I also managed to wire up the electrical underneath, got my final Switch It wired up and programmed ( which means all Torts are now run through the cab! Yippie! ).

Work is steadily progressing on my car float. The simple 1'x4'x6" pine board was cut and shaped last week, track lines were plotted on it and track has been attached to the deck. I may have jumped the gun (again) however I also wired up the float to track power and successfully parked an entire string of 8 40' Box Cars, plus a van and loco on the deck. I found a couple of great photos which will help me model a reasonable representation of the float as well, so I am super stoked about how this is going to turn out.

All in all, Turns out Vader is a bit of rail fan who after frightening all the LPB's away, (due to his enormous size!) actually sat down and watched the Float Operations.

[cnw1961]

HOLY MOLY! Does that look good!

[Schraddel]

Tetters!
Oh the float, i see the shape of things to come and i believe the float will become a very fine detailed counterpart for the apron.

Lutz

[tetters]

Thanks guys. I appreciate the compliments, although I still think the scene as a whole has a long way to go. To do list.

1) Complete Car Float - add details, bollards, track bumpers, tie offs, Gas powered winch, etc... on top of that paint and weather as well.

2) Build Tug Model - I am thinking about scratch building the tug. I found a couple of good photos of the "Iris G" a tug used on Slocan Lake (I think?) Regardless, the hull configuration and pilot box etc do not match the Sylvan kit I purchased a year or so ago. To modify it would require more work then necessary, so I think the best option would be to start from scratch... not the easiest option though. However, I'm confident that I can scratch build one.

3) Fix up the back drop in the corner and install the facia.

....then I can think about pouring the water.

I made a cheesy little 5 minute video with my digi cam of the car float operation last night. There is no sound mostly because I have a couple of "animals" in the house who were jumping around like mad last night and making a heck of a racket! ...man I need to get a real video camera... :?

[doctorwayne]

This is lookin' good, Shane, but it's probably a good thing that you haven't yet added the "water": I think that placing that many cars at one time on the same track would cause the carfloat to capsize. The usual practice, I think, was one (or perhaps two) cars at a time, on alternating tracks. Perhaps someone who's seen a real one at work can provide more insight on the procedure.

Wayne

[tetters]

Your probably right about that Wayne. I shot the video mainly to show the angles and pitches negotiated by the rolling stock and loco. ...and to demonstrate that it actually works!

I'll have to see if I can find more info on how exactly they did it. I suspect a lot of how they loaded the floats took into consideration the total tonnage of each car (incl what was in them!) or whether of not if they were just empties. I suspect that they may have blocked the cars according to weight in each train into order to facilitate loading as quickly as possible. The turnout to switch the two approach tracks on my layout is located much closer then the prototype. It certainly was not like the tight track work of an industrial line like those in the NY Harbor areas. Not argue a point, I've also come across several photos like this one...



...and scratch my head and think, "That can't be right? That has to be too much weight on one side!"

In the Nov 2010 issue of MRC the first picture for the article Floating Branch Lines, Sternwheelers, Tugs and Barges, it shows a FM 16 - 44 pushing an entire string of flat cars loaded with poles onto one side of the float! Then there is photo I "borrowed" from another site which shows a GP9 pushing some box cars and two wide vision vans onto the same track. The only thing I'm missing, that I dare not try to model, is the float listing to each side as each track is loaded or the appearance of the slip "twisting" due to the weight of... well everything getting pushed or pulled across it.

I have a couple of books on order about the region which may go into greater detail on the actual transfer slip float operations which I am eager to get my hands on. I may adjust my operating scheme according to loads that are in or on each car. So there may be those times when cars are loaded two at a time on alternating tracks.

I'll say one thing is for sure, the CP boys in BC sure liked to live dangerously.

**That photo is my desk top right now.

[Green_Elite_Cab]

I rebuild diesel tug parts on weekends (in Staten Island, New York), and occaisionally i'll talk some old guys who know their stuff.

I suspect that they may have blocked the cars according to weight in each train into order to facilitate loading as quickly as possible.

That is correct, everything is planned out in advanced. there are often small classification yards on either end so that cars can be sorted properly. Depending on what the barge can handle, small cuts are placed on the barge on one side, then the other, then the center (if applicable), repeating this pattern until all cars are loaded. The barge is going to list, but the goal is to keep the listing to a minimum, as the float bridge can only handle so much.

Not argue a point, I've also come across several photos like this one...



...and scratch my head and think, "That can't be right? That has to be too much weight on one side!"

In this case, not really. its a very small barge, and the cars might be empty. You'll also notice that its only two tracks on the center of the barge. Some barges have three, four, or even 5 tracks on board. If you look at, say, the Walthers Cornerstone Rail barge, that one would be more prone to listing issues, since the side tracks are practically off the edge.

If you're curious, i can bring this picture with me to work next saturday and see if i can't find out more. Though they'd all be veterans of New York- New Jersey float operations, i can't imagine its to different.

The only thing I'm missing, that I dare not try to model, is the float listing to each side as each track is loaded or the appearance of the slip "twisting" due to the weight of... well everything getting pushed or pulled across it.

Actually, you do need one more thing to prevent twisting... Idler cars!

I recognize your video was just a test run to show that it works, but i did not see any in your consist. You'll notice in the above photo three flat cars used as idlers. These were used to "reach" onto the barge to place cars. At the very least, this kept the excessive weight of the locomotive off the barge and float bridge, reducing listing.

Idler cars were often OLD flat cars that would otherwise be retired. Some railroads outfitted the ends with handrails for the switch crew to hold onto, and i remember seeing at least one example with a port-a-potty on it! Of course, your average ratty steam era flat car will do the job just fine.

[Green_Elite_Cab]

Sorry for the quick double post, but I found something interesting. The page itself is a MILE long, so rather than have you scroll down to it, i'll quote it, but here is the link to the original site. It involves a float bridge like yours (gantry), rather than the floating type.

<!-- m --><a class="postlink" href="http://members.trainweb.com/bedt/indloco/nynjr.html#Pinning">http://members.trainweb.com/bedt/indloc ... ml#Pinning</a><!-- m -->

Greenville Floatbridge Operations:

Unlike Bush Terminal, Greenville operations are quite different, and utilized a completely different kind of float bridge.

The float bridge utilized at Greenville is a design that is completely suspended over the water by means of a gantry system, unlike the pontoon type used at Bush Terminal. Since Greenville is of Pennsylvania RR heritage, so are the floatbridges.


To pin (attach) the carfloat to the apron in Greenville: 1. The tugboat would bring in a loaded carfloat and it would be moored to finger pier on the sides.

2. The float bridge operator would raise or lower the apron depending on the tide to get the correct matching height between the carfloat and the apron.

3. A deckhand would attach a line from an electric power winch to a cleat on the carfloat, to pull it in and bring it into alignment to the apron.

4. The apron would then be pinned to the carfloat. This is done by driving the toggles on the apron into corresponding hole on the carfloat with a crowbar and then the toggle would be choked to prevent them from slipping out.

5. A secondary line would be attached from a manually operated winch to the carfloat and this would also be drawn tight.

6. A deckhand would then put the rails into final alignment using a ratcheting hand jack (sort of like a binder).

7. The locomotive would then approach the carfloat on the left track, and pull that cut of cars back to about the crossover.

8. The locomotive would then go to the right most track and pull that cut of cars all the way back into the yard.

9. The locomotive would go back to the left track and finish pulling that cut of cars off just to clear the switch on the apron. The switch would be thrown and the cut of cars still coupled up would shove onto the center track and pull off the remaining cars back into the yard.

Note: While all of this is taking place the operator in the cabin would be constantly raising and lowering the aprons
to match the tides and weight distribution on the carfloat.

Reacher Cars

While predecessor railroads used a dedicated reacher car (made out of an old gondola), today any empty gondola or spine car is used if it is warranted.

[doctorwayne]

Not argue a point, I've also come across several photos like this one...



...and scratch my head and think, "That can't be right? That has to be too much weight on one side!"

In this case, not really. its a very small barge, and the cars might be empty. You'll also notice that its only two tracks on the center of the barge. Some barges have three, four, or even 5 tracks on board. If you look at, say, the Walthers Cornerstone Rail barge, that one would be more prone to listing issues, since the side tracks are practically off the edge.

You're right: both tetters' model and the prototype are quite narrow and have the tracks toward the centre. That would lessen the chance of tipping.

The only thing I'm missing, that I dare not try to model, is the float listing to each side as each track is loaded or the appearance of the slip "twisting" due to the weight of... well everything getting pushed or pulled across it.

Actually, you do need one more thing to prevent twisting... Idler cars!

I recognize your video was just a test run to show that it works, but i did not see any in your consist. You'll notice in the above photo three flat cars used as idlers. These were used to "reach" onto the barge to place cars. At the very least, this kept the excessive weight of the locomotive off the barge and float bridge, reducing listing.

If I'm not mistaken, the operation shown, or another part of it, transported the train and the loco on the barge. That particular branch was a series of track sections connected by lakes (or lakes connected by track sections.

Wayne