SFC_Q wrote: 1. What railways operated inner city freight?
Virtually every class one rairload, every terminal switching road and many shortlines and regionals. Shorter question would be which railroads didn't operate inner city freight.
It might help to narrow it down to a particular railroad or a particular area.
2. References?
Kalmbach has books on railroad subjects.
There have been numerous articles on urban branches over the years. If you can find a library with back issues of MR or RMC, then searching the Trains.com magazine article directory.
Dave H.
Dave H. Painted side goes up. My website : wnbranch.com
to the forums, and welcome back to the world's most interesting hobby.
Addressing only your third question, how big is the garage and how much of it can you claim now? My garage situation (2-car garage, structurally attached, entered separately from outdoors) went through the following phases:
I resisted the urge to hire a brass band and a cheerleading squad, and simply said, "Thank you, Sweetheart."
Chuck (modeling Central Japan in September, 1964 - in both halves of a Mojave Desert garage)
ChrisNH wrote: There were some really interesting inner city railroads in the New York Harbor area that featured car float operation which would be a great way to take cars on and off the layout. I would do some research there.For some inspiration on inner city railroading I suggest checking out the Kingsbury Branch.
There were some really interesting inner city railroads in the New York Harbor area that featured car float operation which would be a great way to take cars on and off the layout. I would do some research there.
For some inspiration on inner city railroading I suggest checking out the Kingsbury Branch.
New York is good for cool RRs. I have posted two modest H0 scale plans for a shelf urban railroading layout from the Brooklyn waterfront (with links to prototype info) in these threads:
http://cs.trains.com/forums/1391060/ShowPost.aspx (Bush Terminal RR)
http://cs.trains.com/forums/1392559/ShowPost.aspx (Brooklyn Army Base)
ChrisNH wrote: There was also a great series of articles in past MRR about an inner city railroad in the Boston Harbor area that became the Kalmbach book "Building City Scenery for Your Model Railroad" whose cover is one of my all time favorite model railroad photos, and not just because I grew up in Boston!
There was also a great series of articles in past MRR about an inner city railroad in the Boston Harbor area that became the Kalmbach book "Building City Scenery for Your Model Railroad" whose cover is one of my all time favorite model railroad photos, and not just because I grew up in Boston!
John Pryke's "Union RR" layout. That book (which can be purchased here) is very cool!
And as the others have said : welcome back to the hobby!
Smile, Stein
As for the Garage, your on your own! I got my space by divying up basement area with my wife so she could have her library/excercise area and I could have a train area!
Regards,
Chris
SFC_Q wrote: 3. How to convince the wife to sacrifice "MY" garage?
3. How to convince the wife to sacrifice "MY" garage?
You haven't specified scale, but urban railroading can often be well modeled on a relatively narrow shelf. The tall buildings form the scene and the backdrop, and trains can disappear behind them. Modeling city settings can be "detail intensive" if you wish to include the clutter and lots of little folks, which can be another reason to keep it smaller. An alternative to consider is thus a shelf in that garage that would not preclude its use as a garage and lawnmower storage. The previous comments about unheated garages is also worthy - would the climate in your area limit your modeling time in a garage either by the cold or the heat?
Bill
First welcome to the site SFC!
First thing is do a lot of looking and reading. Far as the RR you want to model, the feild is open. I am 99% sure most RR went through a city. My self I like Monon, UP, SP and Santa Fe with passanger serives War Bonnet paint.
With you stating you are getting back into the hobby you may have a idea of the sizes you need to bulid what you are looking for. If you where 12, 30 years ago you may not. So read and ask questions.
If she will not let you use the garage here is an idea. Pillow, freezer, chainsaw, wood chipper and a lake! You take it from there! Big insurances policy would not be a bad idea either.
Have fun! Well with the railroad that is.
Cuda Ken
I hate Rust
I am glad to see your questions, and that you dropped in. Welcome!
As Stein is inquiring, it is best if you nail down a few hard "givens" and leave out the "druthers" for the time being. How much space are we talking about? Are you physically robust and agile, and can you reach for about 30" bending only slightly from the waist? Your layout must be constructed, but then it must be maintained and operated. So, space, configuration, and its purpose all dovetail. Your ideal operating purpose (how your system would have earned revenue) should be an important and early consideration in your planning. Railroads earn money, and they try to be as economical about it as they can. This is a good practise for we modellers because mistakes get expensive very quickly, and they delay our fun...or ruin it for a time.
If your space is subject to extremes of temperatures and humidity, wood construction of a layout is going to present some seasonal issues. As wood lengthens when humidity rises, it will tend to pull your rails apart along the axis of movement. Gaps between sections will increase. Otherwise, shrinking wood as it dries out will force the gaps to close, possibly buckling track. Something to think about. Maybe sealing the wood, or using steel brackets and metal studs?
Our hosts here, Kalmbach Publishing Inc. publish several excellent how-to books on building layouts, but a highly recommended first read, if you don't know someone who might have it, is the late John Armstrong's Track Planning for Realistic Operation. It is one of the great bibles in our hobby, so good that his material is often used as training aids. In it, you will find out how a railroad thinks and what it does. In turn, he provides you with direction on planning a layout that will be fun and involved, not merely an oval with a siding or two.
I have provided a long answer to this point, so let me encourage you, finally, to enjoy yourself, but assure yourself longterm enjoyment by thinking about other questions, finding answers as you can, and incorporating the learning into a pretty darned good first layout.
Oh, and go to Tony's Train Exchange site and read up on DCC (Digital Command and Control), the new way to run trains. It's worth a look.
Good luck!
SFC_Q wrote: I'm back into the hobby after almost 30 years, so you'll be seeing me often. I would love to due a city setting from the 60s or 70s. Can anyone direct me towards my solution? 1. What railways operated inner city freight?2. References?3. How to convince the wife to sacrifice "MY" garage? any advice is greatly appreciated!!!
I'm back into the hobby after almost 30 years, so you'll be seeing me often. I would love to due a city setting from the 60s or 70s. Can anyone direct me towards my solution?
1. What railways operated inner city freight?
any advice is greatly appreciated!!!
Okay - here is a piece of advice: don't ask too much from your fellow hobbyists at any one time.
Want a recommendation for a railroad that did inner city switching in the 1960s/70s ? Then ask just for that.
Got a rough idea of region you want to model : Eastern US ? Mid-west US ? West Coast ? Non-US ?
Any favorite railroads ?
Any favorite types of traffic - are you e.g. into grain terminals/milling districts ? Harbor scenes ? Transfer runs & interchanges ?
What do you picture inside your head when you say "inner city freight" - ie what is your vision ?
-Q