Freelance 2015-2

[faraway]

Got some old stuff from the basement and start playing around. Need to get a feeling for short cars and engines again.
The GE 44ton switcher is one of the new Bachmann series drive running silent and smooth. They are awaiting to be dressed with boxcab shells.

[doctorwayne]

I like it already.

Wayne

[faraway]

I studied the various railroads covered in this outstanding web site <!-- m --><a class="postlink" href="http://www.trainweb.org/bedt/IndustrialLocos.html">http://www.trainweb.org/bedt/IndustrialLocos.html</a><!-- m --> .

The transportation business model is quite different from my expectation. I assumed there would be tones of small and medium manufacturing companies served by the terminal railroads. Lots of street running etc. to connect the customers 2 - 5 block away from the waterfront with the yards at the car floats.

That is simply not the case. The terminal railroads usually (there are always some exceptions) served the property of one dedicated company. The companies business were the warehouses for short, medium and long time storage and freight handling for LCL and team tracks etc. They did not serve their clients on site via rail but is was the business of the clients to get with carts and early trucks to the team tracks, warehouse and LCL terminal to drop and pick their freight.

Exceptions did I find at the NY Cross Harbor and the EBDT. They serve some meat processing that might subject to modeling. Problem is that smaller industries served are not covered with photos on the web page.

Another interesting think I learned how the freight has been moved. That was real hard labor work. Sophisticated loading docks are sparse. Frequent is the boxcar "parked" on the street and the freight must be carried to the next door. The rails were usually not street running but buried in dirt covering the ties and have the rails elevated over street level. Cobblestone was the preferred pavement if simple dirt was not good enough.

I am very serious thinking how I can build a layout inspired by NY/NJ terminal railroads with that give facts.

Do you know industrial areas in the northeast more like the West Bottoms KCM or the Rat Hole LA? The business model would be a better fit for an ISL. And last not least is the location well documented with lots of photos in the 30s and 40s?

[HustleMuscle6430]

One I am fond of is the Union Freight RR in Boston. It was about 2 miles, and connected the North and South station areas, along the Boston Harbor waterfront. It served many packing plants and docks along its route. For motive power in the 30's and 40's there were boxcab climax steam engines, and GE 44 tonners. Later in the 50's and 60's there were Alco switchers.

While there is not a wide variety of public photos out there, there are some, as shown below:
<!-- m --><a class="postlink" href="https://www.google.com/search?q=union+freight+rr+boston&espv=2&biw=1600&bih=775&source=lnms&tbm=isch&sa=X&ei=_9OZVcO6Osju-QGE-b-gDA&ved=0CAkQ_AUoBA#imgrc=_">https://www.google.com/search?q=union+f ... BA#imgrc=_</a><!-- m -->

<!-- m --><a class="postlink" href="https://www.google.com/search?q=union+freight+rr+boston&espv=2&biw=1600&bih=775&source=lnms&tbm=isch&sa=X&ei=_9OZVcO6Osju-QGE-b-gDA&ved=0CAkQ_AUoBA#tbm=isch&q=atlantic+ave+boston+railroad&imgrc=_">https://www.google.com/search?q=union+f ... ad&imgrc=_</a><!-- m -->

Also, the New Haven RR Historical society's publication, the "Shoreliner", Volume 34, Issue 1, was focused on the Union Freight, as it was a New Haven subsidiary. I have this issue, and can scan some of it if you like.

One interesting point, up until about 1940, there was an elevated subway that ran above the Union Freight's tracks on Atlantic Avenue in Boston.

[faraway]

That is interesting information very well taken for a freelance layout. It would be nice if you could send some scans of the "Shoreliner".

[HustleMuscle6430]

Here you go, I'll upload more as I can.

I did have to shrink these to upload. I can email you full size ones if you want. PM me if you'd like.

**Photos removed for copyright protection.

[faraway]

I am sending a PM with my email address

[faraway]

Some switches and kits arrived. This would be one option. Arrange the warehouses in a 30° angle rail served. The tracks used for planning are 18' radius, the switches Atlas #4. At the ends my be LCL freight and teams tracks located. The parallel to the backdrop running tracks in the background will be removed. This track plan would ease the operation for me as everything is in access from the front.

[Brakie]

Reinhard,In my studies a lot of terminal and switching railroads had several customers instead of one-there are exceptions but,even today these switching roads serve many industries.
Also note in the 20-30s there was no interstate highways or long distance trucking like we see today so,freight moved by rail and there was many single car customers that needed switched daily that's why there was millions of boxcars in service.

Also many modelers are confused with various railroad terms like terminal road,switching road and private industrial railroad.
A terminal road could be like BRC,IHB EJ&E,TRRA while a switching road would be like NOPB, Galveston Wharves,Union Freight RR ,NYCH, Terminal Railway Alabama State Docks and other like roads.

A private industrial railroad is exactly that..A in plant rail operation that switches a large industrial plant like a steel mill,large brewery,a large foundry,a freight car repair company,large grain elevators etc.Today many short lines offers in plant 24/7 switching services for many large industries including large grain elevators.

[HustleMuscle6430]

Good start, I like it. Are you going to incorporate cross streets between the buildings? In Boston, many waterfront streets are not 90 degrees to each other, making many odd shaped buildings, much fun for kit-bashing.

Also, many buildings with loading docks used them not only for rail, but for truck too.

I had also found this link to a collection of photos from Boston, in the 1940's. There are many of the old buildings, the trolley system, and many vehicles too. Down towards the bottom of page 1 are some Union Freight RR photos, with the 44-tonners.
<!-- m --><a class="postlink" href="https://www.flickr.com/photos/cityofbostonarchives/albums/72157623424559329/page1">https://www.flickr.com/photos/cityofbos ... 9329/page1</a><!-- m -->

[shortliner]

Reinhard - that looks like a fun switching layout but I think you will need a run round, or two locos at a time - although you could switch it twice a day ( once for facing spurs and once for trailing) - Lance Mindheim did something similar with a very early layout (I think for a customer ) alongside a dock or river many years ago that I found in an early RMC (I think!) It also had a high level track passing across it. An email to him might get you more info - He is a member on RMweb if that helps
HM - those Boston photos are absolutely fascinating - thanks for posting the link

[Brakie]

If he just adds the switches the way there are place he already has a runaround.

My new Slate Creek will not have a runaround..You see the old Slate Creek's runaround was seldom used and IMHO to much like a switching puzzle when the runaround was used even though I didn't plan it that way.

[faraway]

HM, great photos.
Yes, there is already a run around. It is the second track with the boxcars and the caboose. I will keep it for sure because I operate the layout frequently with an open hatch at the door. In bound is counter clockwise and outbound trains run clockwise. The staging yard wit four tracks keeps me busy some time. In that case is the mainline at the east end a stub track long enough for one engine.

Now, this plan has the advantage to save the total destruction of the layout. I could again work my way from left to right until everything has been replaced. Limited operation could start immediately after the four switches are installed in the mainline.

The timeframe is an interesting decision too. !930s or 1940s? There are more street cars for the 40s but I got some nice old for the 20s and 30s too. The boxcab and the HH600 would much both. May be I stay flexible and keep both options. Today is my preference 1930s because the trucks (Jordan etc.) are "tiny" and fit better on my small layout.

[shortliner]

Ah - my mistake - I thought all the ready-laid tracks were coming out!

[faraway]

Wallpaper the background with brick faces would be the fastest and most cost effective but it is also the most boring solution. I put it temporary in place to get the "brick feeling".





The GE 44ton was suspended after swapping the road cars to the 30s. The GE 44ton will have a great come back in boxcab dress! Active roster is Proto 0-6-0 and Atlas HH600.