Sailormatlac 2012 Resolution Challenge
#1
Oh well, this challenge thing is just a good reason to do what I never really did in my life time since I was 7-8 year-old, I mean starting and "completing" a layout. Since I bought my house 3 years ago, there was a wall on my office room that wanted to be turned into a switching layout. I once bought the material, installed shelf bracket and benchwork but never went farther. FInally, I scrapped everything, so back to case number 0.

For the last 3 days, I've been revisiting my previous work and designs. My main goal is to have a operating shelf layout, rather simple, that will work mainly as a place to showcase my work.

THE GIVENS:

9' x 18" available space with a possibility to lay a switching lead against one wall. THe main issue is the fact the layout is located in a room with a sloped roof. Layout won't be very high, something like 42" from the floor. It's not a problem for me since my desk is near and I like to see my model at this height when sitting. My actual shelf layout is quite high and I don't like it this way.

[Image: Salle.jpg]

THE CHALLENGE:

I want to try things I've never done and go as far as I can to improve my modelling skills. I'm thinking about trying my hand on code 55 track and other fancy things like that. Since the layout is small and track plan rather simple, that could be a feasible way to learn more.

THE PROTOTYPE

The Industrial Avenue (French : Avenue Industrielle) was a small road that serviced Canadian Northern roundhouse in Limoilou Yard, Québec City. It started to be developed in the mid-30’s but really expanded during the WW2. It became an important oil distribution center when this area was still a booming suburb. During the late 50’s, the place was at its best and one could find 4 oil dealers, a large lumber yard and few others small businesses, all rail-served by two parallel branchline. Industrial avenue slowly faded away in the late 70’s when many petroleum companies merged or disappeared. The overall borough is now a heavily polluted industrial wasteland.

[Image: IndustrialAvenue-1.jpg]

Near this spot were also other industries, mainly on Conway Avenue and Des Capucins Boulevard. It included a coal dealer, a farm implement store, few food and beverage warehouses, buildings supplies warehouses and a scrap yard.

Here are 1957 Insurance Maps from Bibliothèque et Archives nationales du Québec:

[Image: 1957_British-AmericanOilCo.jpg]
[Image: 1957_ChamplainOilProducts.jpg]


THE LAYOUT

My space is limited, about 9’ x 18” with a possibility for a long switching lead along the gable. This industrial park is interesting because it’s small, full of industries, need little trackage and fits perfectly for a switching layout without too much effort. Someone with more space could easily model it completely.

I must admit many industries are duplicated. It’s why I think it is appropriated to merge Conway Avenue with Industrial Avenue together. This way, you can add more diversity to the rolling stock and still keep all major players in the game.

The industries sequence was also designed in such a way that more urban clients are located, like the prototype, on Canardière Road. Disorganized industrial activities are kept near the yard and the roundhouse.

A storage track wraps gently around the roundhouse just like the prototype. It will be used as a storage device but also as a place to build and break consists.

I felt there was no need for a runaround. Each track has enough car spots to make it hard enough to switch. It’s more prototypical and helps to stay away from a “Tymesaver” look.

THE FIRST DRAFT

I started with a lot of idea, finally to remember Coco Chanel's iconic catchphrase: "Always remove the last accessory you put on." That way, I stripped thing to a bare minimum. In fact, it's closer to prototype this way IMO.

BTW, someone here will recognize that I vampirized his own artwork for my plan! I must admit his excellent industrial layout was what forced me revisit this old project that was laying in my drawers...

[Image: IndustrialAvenue-Layout12-1.jpg]

Matt
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/
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#2
Very nice but think how much you go do if you built it in the Normal scale! Thumbsup
Mike

Sent from my pocket calculator using two tin cans and a string
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#3
Tyson Rayles Wrote:Very nice but think how much you go do if you built it in the Normal scale! Thumbsup

Nice try! It won't work with me! ;-) Born and educated in HO... I like my trains when I can put my eye at track level and feels its the real thing. Icon_lol

Matt
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/
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#4
Looks like you have a well thought out plan, something that has some operational challenges but still has the "FUN" aspect. I wish you the best of luck in "completing" your challenge in the alloted time frame.

Also glad you are staying with the HOnorable scale
Be Wise Beware Be Safe
"Mountain Goat" Greg


https://www.facebook.com/mountaingoatgreg/
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#5
mountaingoatgreg Wrote:Looks like you have a well thought out plan, something that has some operational challenges but still has the "FUN" aspect. I wish you the best of luck in "completing" your challenge in the alloted time frame.

Also glad you are staying with the HOnorable scale

Thanks Greg,

It took me 2 years at least to digest the Insurance Maps into this small layout. Keeping the right feeling of the place, retaining the most remarkable features and dealing with almost no place made me start over a lot of times... This is probable the 50-something plan I made!! The real objective is to build the benchwork and get a functionnal semi-handlaid trackage by the due time. Sometimes, as said Dave in his own challenge, you need a deadline to work. We share the same philosophy!

Matt
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/
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#6
Cleaned the room and moved the book shelf higher. Track will be at approximatly 42 1/2" high.

[Image: Salle001b.jpg]
[Image: Salle002b.jpg]

I found enough hollow core door in the basement to make everything. The layout will be built in three section. However, I'm thinking about fastening together permanently the main shelf and the corner parts. A gap were 3 track meets at angle isn't the wisest idea out there. The switching lead / fiddle track will be a separate part. I'll make it larger. It will accommodate a second track, mainly esthetic, that will serve as backdrop to showcase other freight cars and hide the roof angle.

[Image: Systmeconstructif.jpg]

The next step will be installing the shelfs brackets and built the lighting valence. I'm not too sure how I will build it though. At least, I want it to blend well with the actual book shelf.

For the trackage, I'll most likely work with Central Valley ties strips, still need to decide if I go with code 55 or code 70... I'm leaning toward code 55, but maybe that's a little bit too far fetched for me. I'll probably settle on code 70 to save myself unwanted issues.

Matt
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/
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#7
Updated the layout plan.

[Image: IndustrialAvenue-Layout14.jpg]

Mainly, I was annoyed by the planning mill. My local sawmill have the saw dust collector on the main road side with the planning mill open to the yard... Feel more better this way. I also felt that I needed to separate the low density industries from the brick warehouses just like the real prototype. I moved Canardière Road to act as a scenic divider between both different part of the layout.

I also removed the coal dealer. The real one used a 10' high trestle. I felt like everything was cramped here. For this reason, coal will be handled in team track. I converted the shanty there into a scale. Could be useful for many bulk goods. Anyway, there was a building there on the prototype, I just couldn't find information about its purpose.

Also, I'm think about moving the lumber yard "south" part more to the right to get place for a service station on the street corner. I would help to capture the real nature of Canardière Road. Anyway, the team track is pretty large right now (6 x 40' cars), it could easily loose about 80' without problem...

That will have to be verified with a real size mock up thought. I also modelized the layout with Google SketchUp. So far, so good. It's my first time using this for modelling purpose. I must say you quickly see what doesn't work!!!

On the left side, I modified the industries a little bit. I decided to add the Farm Implement and Bottling Plant that existed on the south side. I feel like it wouldn't be bad to have buildings on each side to make up a real street facade.

Near the leading track, I also added a dummy storage track to serve as a scenic element (storing cars to be fiddled). The reason is because the roof slope is low on this spot. I prefer to get enough place to move my hands around the train consist.

Feel free to comment!

***EDIT*** Updated the track plan to fit what I was saying.

Matt
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/
Reply
#8
Looks fine to me, if you can build as nice a layout as you do a trackplan it's going to be an awesome layout! Thumbsup
Mike

Sent from my pocket calculator using two tin cans and a string
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#9
Tyson Rayles Wrote:Looks fine to me, if you can build as nice a layout as you do a trackplan it's going to be an awesome layout! Thumbsup

Well said! That's the challenge! Will my pride suffer by April? Who knows! Icon_lol

Matt
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/
Reply
#10
Looks like a great idea for a layout! I like your choice of industries and the way you are fitting this into a room.

Btw - just curious about a street name - I know that "canard" (as in Canard wings on an airplane) means "duck" in French, and "Chemin de la" means "street of the". Google translate knew canard, but not canardière. Does Chemin de la Canardière mean street of the duck-breeder(s), street of the duck-hunter(s), street of the duck-seller(s) or something like that ?

Smile,
Stein, whose knowledge of French is regrettably weak
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#11
steinjr Wrote:Btw - just curious about a street name - I know that "canard" (as in Canard wings on an airplane) means "duck" in French, and "Chemin de la" means "street of the". Google translate knew canard, but not canardière. Does Chemin de la Canardière mean street of the duck-breeder(s), street of the duck-hunter(s), street of the duck-seller(s) or something like that ?

Smile,
Stein, whose knowledge of French is regrettably weak

Perhaps it's a duck-under? Icon_lol

Wayne
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#12
steinjr Wrote:Looks like a great idea for a layout! I like your choice of industries and the way you are fitting this into a room.

Btw - just curious about a street name - I know that "canard" (as in Canard wings on an airplane) means "duck" in French, and "Chemin de la" means "street of the". Google translate knew canard, but not canardière. Does Chemin de la Canardière mean street of the duck-breeder(s), street of the duck-hunter(s), street of the duck-seller(s) or something like that ?

Smile,
Stein, whose knowledge of French is regrettably weak

Stein, you weren't that far from the real meaning. Canardière is a old french word to mean a place were ducks gather together, habitually a marsh. But to qualify as a Canardière, the place must be used for hunting. A common nidification area wouldn't qualify. In fact, this street is among the oldest in Canada, the first path appeared circa 1634. Until the place was developped into an industrial and railway district around 1880, this place was dwelled by rich merchants that had built palladian villas all over the place.

Canadière was a reknown hunting spot until the early 1970's when they filled up the duck marsh to build a highway. But Nature is a strong one and ducks still gather in umbers near the railway right of way, on the shores of a small brook called "Rivière de la cabane aux Taupinières" which is a corruption of "Taupier", a man whom work is to kill moles!! Looks like is cabin was near this place...

Just about a mile east to my prototype was an old industrial district from the 17th and 18th century. Circa 1900, it was rail-served by electric traction, the site was crossed by a street car right of way. Most buildings were between 100 and 150 years old, built in stone in French style. They included various mills, a large brewery, a nail factory and a limestone quarry, all surrounded by old French urban houses. I've seen a color bird view used as a publicity by the brewery. It was quite stunning to see the various colored reefers and sail boats! I always thought this was a unique prototype of North American railroad history that could be turned into a fine looking layout.

Matt
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/
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#13
Thank you, Matt! It is always fun learning a little more about other places!

And a good one from Doc Wayne, too - street of the duck-under, eh? :-)

Smile,
Stein
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#14
steinjr Wrote:Thank you, Matt! It is always fun learning a little more about other places!

And a good one from Doc Wayne, too - street of the duck-under, eh? :-)

Smile,
Stein

What the poor Doc doesn't know is that I put a lot of effort to get rid of the duck-under on the first draft (not published, just too bad!!!)

I also forgot to tell the fact that the yard you see on the vintage aerial picture was partially moved in the marsh back in the 70's!!!! But that was AFTER the higway! Railways are never wrong! ;-)

BTW, I made some progress, all shelf brackets are in place and I'll probably add the backdrop over the week. I also built 6 boxcars to be used specifically on this layout. More to come. And got my Archers rivets for the 2-8-0... Too much projects, so little time... And work start again tomorrow.!

Matt
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/
Reply
#15
After being struck by doubts... I decided to move on today. Maybe I made too much researches about QRL&PCo and got side tracked. At some point, their freight/passenger terminal, that fit at scale (no compression) in less than 7 feet tempted me a lot. However, it doesn't have any operation potential for a shelf layout. Most trackage was for passenger service and honestly, I don't give a **** about passenger stuff at all. I'm too young to have known "real" passenger operation, so it's not in my nostalgia psyché... I lived in Europe for a while as a student, took the train on a regular base but must admit modern passenge stuff is totally denied of any charms to my neophyte eyes, except a nice ride between Koln and Dortmund in Germany. I must admit this train was extremely modern but still kept what makes train travel wonderful with its dining cars and standing bar. Thumbs up for this line... Anyway, I'm sidetracking again!

I built the benchwork by joining to pantry hollow core door that I recuperated 2 years ago while doing some home improvements. The leg is done in classic framing. A sheet of 1 1/2 inch styrofoam will provide the subroadbed. I decided that the switching lead will be just a plain cassette. I don't see the point to scenic it at all. So what you see here will be the entire landscaped area.

[Image: Layout002b.jpg]

If everything works has planned, I will try to build and paint the backdrop tomorrow, maybe glue the styrofoam too. My goal is to have it put on the shelf brackets sunday evening to put the track plan against reality.

Now I'm trying to see what kind of lighting I will use. I'm leaning toward fluorescent on a valence. I read somewhere that a few people complained about the fluo fading the color over the time... I wonder if it is a critic factor.

Operation and locale: I've decided to include QRL&PCo (QL&P) freight cars to this shelf layout rolling stock. Their interchange track was about a few hundred feet from this industrial branchline and they carried many bulk commodities needed by my industries. Their cars were old and small, outdated. By 1957, they were already absorbed by CNR anyway (thought they didn't repaint the old cars). Most cars will be CNR, CPR and QL&P. QL&P also had a 2-6-0 for interchange purpose and switching where the electric overhead (it was a traction railway) couldn't reach. I've seen someone kitbashing the need Bachmann offering and it has potential to be turn into a credible QL&P #22.

Here are some photoshop paint job according to historic pictures:

[Image: HM-850-852-Walthers.jpg]

[Image: HM-800-809-Bowser.jpg]

Except their side door gondola (which could be bashed without too much trouble from Tichy flat car with gondola sides, ProtoWest is nice but pricey and won't fit the prototype at all), I found cheap (10$-12$) models for each car type still running in the 50's. The sole exception is the all-steel drop bottom gondolas made by Red Caboose and the Fowler stock car by Westerfield.

This week, I also continued to assemble and detail many undecorated cars to populate the layout.

[Image: QRLP-FreightRoster-HO.jpg]

Matt
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/
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