Definately worth an article. We need to start a petition.
Ray
While heavy transit might not be a frequent topic in MR, this thread has gotten the second most views of the recent threads. I think MR likes to feature quality work in any rail format.
Joseph Frank Doesn't look like it would likely get much play as a potential MR Magazine article either ! regards - Joe F
Doesn't look like it would likely get much play as a potential MR Magazine article either ! regards - Joe F
I disagree! Ask them! I don't know the procedure but you could message Steven Otte right on this forum. I guess they will want photos to make a decision. If you send them the ones you've been posting, they will be blown away. -Rob
Hello Rob
Thanks -- I understand now, heh.
Looks like you and Colorado Ray are the only ones here actuvely following or commenting on this thread presently.. Thanks BOTH for your support ! Doesn't look like it would likely get much play as a potential MR Magazine article either ! regards - Joe F
Joseph Frank Hello Rob ! ummmmm " !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!" ---- ????????????? Regards - Joe F
Hello Rob !
ummmmm " !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!" ---- ????????????? Regards - Joe F
Translates into "out of words" or "speechless" (regarding your modeling)
Ask Model Railroading magazine to do an article on you. It should make the cover too. -Rob
Mister MikadoPSPS: When I was maybe 11 (1959) I submitted an idea to Lionel for an O scale elevated subway train set using subway cars and elevated sectional track, stations, the whole works, with diagrams I drew. Lionel wrote back and said the product would not have enough mass appeal outside of a few cities and would not sell enough sets.They never returned the drawings.
Hello Ray
Thanks for the nice compliment also. I try not to use many people on my layout as I buy the half decent economy (volume packs) of seated and standing various figures. I don't want to pay $5.00 or more for Preiser or whom ever brands of very finely painted and detailed O scale people -- would have to rob a bank to afford hundreds of them, heh. I avoid close up shots with model people. Or remove them if they "uglify" a good photo scene to shoot.
At least the car driver is in the background -- so the car is not seen operating on the avenue with "no one behind the wheel"...heh ! Regards - Joe F
Joseph Frank
Wow, simply wow.
I believe that this is the most realistic model photo I have ever seen. The only "give away" is the gentleman in the car on the far left.
!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Hello Rob --
Oil "gearbox drips) stains ? --- Well, I provided those also! Look at the inner black guard rails on the tracks -- they are black because of (painted to represent) how those rails got black from years of dripping gearbox oil from the motor trucks. Look to left of the left inside-track catwalk plank --- see the black stains on the ties to right of running rail -- those are (modeled-represent) oil drip stains built up over decades .Also the darkened catwalk planks between the rails on the local station track, similarly.
What you WONT see is ANY grafitti on trains and anyything else, nor trash littered sidewalks and streets, countless gum stains on platforms, burned out buildings, abandoned wrecked cars on the street, and general lack of city maintenance and resulting "decay". This layout models a long ago different era - heh !
These are some of the IRT div. trains (My models) you remember when very young (1950's-60's) BELOW: Regards - Joe F
only thing missing Joe are the oil stains and the cigarette butts--they would muck things up, don't do it! -rob
Thanks for the nice comments. No, I don't design movie sets, heh. However, I was told by many visitors to the layout that it looks like or could be used as a Hollywood Movie Miniature studio set for some vintage scenes. They could film-video crews could via CGI format, install walking people on my station platforms and street scenes ! Along with he models of my running trains and streetcars !
Here is another neat scene BELOW on my O Scale NYC EL from what I remember of the early EL and gate cars I rode and remember from the 1940's-50's era
Regards - Joe F
I see the photo Joe and it enlarges into a new tab when I click it. Good God what magnificent craftsmanship. Did you design movie sets?
The image method I use: Upload to image server (I use imgur), click on image there but I never use any of their url codes, they do not work. I back click on it and open it into a new tab, then copy THAT url, the real location. That gets pasted into the forum post image box. Also I constrain my photos to 600 X 800 so they are not huge. -Rob
PS memory lane time. As a kid I used to walk from my home to the Dyre Ave line on the Esplanade near Pelham Parkway and ride into Manhattan, face glued against the front glass door of the first car for an engineer's view of the tunnel so I could see all the parallel tracks and signals and turnouts leading into dark mysterious depths.
Here is what the TOP level of that curve looked like when it was a very busy junction prior to 1952. A northeast aimed aerial view from mid 1940's showing the north end of the E. 177th Street Mainline EL Station at right cente. And the 1902 built original IRT West Farms Small elevated yards and repair - inspection shops. The 3-track mainline curve to the 1918 built and added mainline extension to the White Plains Road Line (the curve you stood under in the late 1950's) is see at left of the curving yard lead tracks. The straight section to the left goes 1 1/2 blocks up Boston Road to the E.180th St - Bronx Park EAST terminal Station. (the Bronx Park WEST terminal on the 3rd Avenue EL was at edge of Fordham U Campus further west of this location). Note: RIGHT CLICK on each the 2 photos on this posting to go to much larger version)
Note above the E.180St express Station of ex-NYW&B R'way - then part of the IRT Dyre Avenue Suttle line since May 1940 --- and its 4 track concrete & steel trestle crossing over E. 177th Street - in background.
Here is a view north to the Bronx Park East Terminal Station at the Junction -- from the S/B local track at E. 177th St Station - below;
So now you see what you missed by a few years -- I remember seeing this from trains by 1950-51 on a few rides on the WPL EL to Gun Hill Road. PS: Note the 4 track E. 180th Street Express Station and head house offices of the ex-New York, Westchester & Boston Railroad (by then in late 1940'sas part of the NY Transit system as the south end of the Dyre Avenue Line Shuttle since May 1940 thru 1958.
Thanks for the reply.. -- I do remember some time ago being able to put visible photos in the text --- but in recent months I can not do so using the 5th tool icon on the 2nd line of tools. The rectangle that states INSERT/EDIT IMAGE. It asks for the source (url link) and a text name -- and just a LINK to the photo gets posted on my message. Not the actual photo itself.
Update -- I think I finally now figured it out !!! --- I go to the actual photo itself -- and click on COPY IMAGE --- and PASTE it in the text box on my message here -- and voila -- well, now the image shows up visible as seen BELOW ! If you right-click ON the image, it comes up much larger size ! Its a view along my O Scale NYC EL line from front of an express train on center track ! I hope the image remains with the message when I post it
regards - Joe F
Question -- HOW did you embed the (my) visible photo in your posting along with your texts . I can only find a tool (insert image) that provides solely for a LINK to a photo --- but will not produce the visual photo itself unless the link, within the message text body, is clicked and opened remotely!! Thanks for any help here !
I quoted your entire post in my reply to yours, then deleted everything but that photo which you'd already imbedded.
Thank you for the wealth of info! I grew up with the NYC subway, one of my best friends. You could go anywhere for 15 cents. -Rob
Thanks for the interesting memories. That curve you mention was noiser prior to 1952. The Bronx Park Stub Terminal over Boston Rd of that line ran 1 1/2 blocks north of that curve...and mailine trains (taking that curve) and the terminal trains going straight -- with squealing wheelsets and thunderous pounding of the rails by all those wheelsets on the switch track frogs and crossing track frog-joints!
My EL photo (above) is much lower than that curve you remember which is about 5 stories high. My curve is replicated elsewhere on the NY EL's of today (with buses and modern trains) - and was replicated on the now gone 4 Manhattan IRT EL Lines. My NYC Style lamp posts are hand made by me also to get that NYC feel.
Many people wrote to LIONEL back in the 1950's-70's era -- some of them I know. LIONEL gave them that shaft like you got -- and Mike Wolf (MTH) took the advice of a number of transit modelers in 1999 when he started his run of NYC (and later Chicago) Subway Sets. He proved LIONEL managers of long ago were dead wrong, heh. LIONEL even went to produce 3 BMT-IND R-Type SMEE subway sets (using the same body shell type for all 3 classes of cars). And just as quick, did little to nothing on that product line after that!
Rook 2324
Have you even checked out my own website layout photos and videos yet ??!!
Quite a big difference between Elias's Layout (He is a Monastery Monk Brother) and my lyaout in details, scale, and museum caliber realism. His layout is mainly a huge operation of loops and up and overs in one long layout - continuous operation. My decades earlier own HO Scale NY EL & Trolley layout when it was (modular construction) re-built and much expanded and in full operation (1976 thru 1984 was 36' x 9' --- there are 2 Albums of it from its inception during 1964 thru 1970 - and 1970 thru 1984. The earlier version was somewhat smaller from 1964 thru 1970. It is presently in storage in modular-disassembly but many of the modules are on full display in my train room as various "dioramas" -- as can be seen in some of the 1970-1984 (to present) Album photos.
I know of "Lion's" (Brother Elias) layout for many years as he built and expanded it. On a very frugal budget but he made do with what he had and could get as scrap materials. And a lot of work to create it all over many years.
Here is a video of "The Lions" HO Scale subway layout - from 2015 --
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ty3MonR3q5Q
Check out the Broadway Lion. He used to haunt these pages with the largest subway layout in North Dakota but I haven't seen him in a while. http://www.broadwaylion.com/
Hello Jim W and ALL (who responded)
If you want to see a lot more of my layout (The NYC O Scale EL & Trolley system) - Check out my FLICKR photos page and Flickr Photo albums page. LINKS BELOW
https://www.flickr.com/photos/44268069@N00/page1 -- This is the Photostream Page --- where all just loaded new photos go to the top of page 1
https://www.flickr.com/photos/44268069@N00/albums -- This is the Photo ALBUMS page --- where photos are put in albums based on their subject, scene, and content matter
Note: There are also Photo ALBUMS for my O Scale Railroad Models and for my HO Scale Mainline Railroad (Commuter & long distance) trains covering PRR, NHRR, LIRR, NYCRR, B&O, Reading RR, Jersey Central RR, Amtrak, Metro North
-- as well as TWO ALBUMS my 1960's thru 1984 and present original HO SCALE NYC Model EL & Trolley Layout
NOTE: ALSO on the main (Photostream page 1) page, see the menu bar near page top (under the blue banner at top) with a link to FAVES (Favorite Photos).
These are photos of some of my work but mainly work of a few modeler friends of mine. Astounding modeling also.
sorry for the confusion re: the El trackwork photos I showed -- but the streetcar track photo you refer to (?) in the shadows under the EL appears OK to me
Joseph Frankmy NYC transit modeling work
Today is the first time I've seen your work. Breathtaking in detail! It reminds me of my NYC school years when I rode the subways daily. Museum quality and worthy of preservation (and much more attention.) I second the other reader who recommend MRR do a feature article based on your unique and fascinating work.
Thank you for reviving this.
JimW
Those elevated track scenes. Amazing. You'd seriously think these were real if not posted here. It all looks so realistic.
My question was in reference to the trolley trackage girder rail in the street, under the el.
The FIRST below shows the beginning of the flange rail and how the inner guard rail moves further inward to clear the flange rail. The RAISED higher outer rail along the left side of the track is the uncovered "3rd Rail" (or power rail in prototype)
The SECOND photo below is a photo closeup of one of the 3 curved tracks. This is the NY style of curve track flange rail (the one close to, next to theh running rail) and continuation of the safety "derailment" guard rail further inboard. All curved tracks are done this way. I think what you may be seeing if you are speaking about the far left (inner most curved track) -- the guard and flange rails were loose on the ties lying in the track bed awaiting installation at that time.
Joe,
In the picture, both rail heads are facing the left side of the photo, with the guarding portion to the right of both rail heads, of the track on the left of the picture. If this were the case, the left wheel would ride on the rail head per the norm. The right wheel would be running on the guarding portion of the rail. Otherwise, beautiful modeling that sparks so many fond memories.
Hi NHTX
NO...it is not reversed -- and I don't know what you mean "reversed" The head of the El track flange rail (placed very close to running rail) is parallel to the running rail head - as is on all flange-rails. My flange rails actually to somewhat engage the wheel flange back-faces on my curved tracks per prototype. (Joe F)