Maritime / Harbor / Car Floats

[cnw1995]

I was inspired by reading the March MR to ask: do you have a harbor scene on your layout? Or anything maritime? What is it like?

I have a 'horizon' ocean scene as an excuse to put in a bridge and lighthouse - I have another interior pond with a sailboat model - but neither really connect to the railroad.

[Dr. John]

Doug,
I originally planned a small harbor scene on my last layout. I was going to use Lionel's small drawbridge to cross an inlet to a small harbor area against a central scenic divider. I purchased two of the Lemax wooden docks and was going to run a track alongside the "water" with a magnetic crane to transfer scrap metal from gondolas to a scratchbuilt barge. Unfortunately, we had to move and the layout came down before I got to this stage. I still like the idea - maybe I'll incorporate it into my new layout.

[FJ and G]

Doug,

I believe it is in 05 Track Planning. HO, but 4 (or 8?) foot long Great Lakes vessels tied up with freight cars aboard.

If it were my layout, however, the water would be real and the vessels would be powered.

[ole1]

To cnw 1995
If you need some inspiration for a harbor/ferry service you might want to take a drive up north and see Manitowac and the car ferry service in action. They used to ferry rail cars from Luddington and the ship being used is still the coal fired "Badger". Made the trip several summers ago and it was a neat four hour voyage.

[underworld]

I am working on one in gauge 1. I have some prewar Marklin and I've always liked carfloats and carferries ever since I saw one when I was about three when we were in Windsor, Ontario on the Detroit river. I've seen one in gauge 1 but haven't found one for sale. I have also seen one in O....I think it was scratch built. The only other models I have seen were HO by Walthers.
When I get things underway I'll post pics. Right now it looks like I might be moving in the next six months so I haven't been doing a lot. I did get to go on board a real carferry a few times. It was the old Lansdowne, docked in Detroit by Cobo Hall and Joe Louis Arena. In the eighties it was being used as a restaurant and when I got to go on it was in the nineties when it was being used as a night club/restaurant.

underworld

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