click on image to jump to the video
Its been a while since I shot some video on my CNJ Bronx Terminal layout, and thought I should make up something new.
This past weekend I had the layout on display at our Fast Tracks booth in Springfield, MA, and just before loading it up I shot some video of it operation as I did some test runs to make sure everything was performing correctly.
The show went very well, and they layout survived the journey without any major issues.
Enjoy!
Beautiful!
So much for the claim that you can't have moderately long trains and lots of switching action on a 4 x 8 with a roundy-round loop (double tracked at that!)
Of course, first you have to build it! Being a master tracklayer is helpful, to say the least - you can't buy specialwork like that in a bubble pack at your LHS.
Chuck (Modeling Central Japan in September, 1964 - with hand-laid specialwork)
Outstanding Work !
I was Amazed how smooth the cars ran thru the turnouts !
TerryinTexas
See my Web Site Here
http://conewriversubdivision.yolasite.com/
Hi Tim,
Nice to see the bronx running again after a while.
I am always fascinated by the quality of the trackwork when a see the trains running through the turnouts.
As You know I use the Fastrack jigs in Nscale and they give me the best turnouts I have ever see in Nscale whith amazing running qualities and electrical continuity.
When a train rolls on them, it didn't move or jerk even small steam loco's; the train is like running on a flat straight flextrack. Great in Nscale.
Marc
tomikawaTT Beautiful! So much for the claim that you can't have moderately long trains and lots of switching action on a 4 x 8 with a roundy-round loop (double tracked at that!) Of course, first you have to build it! Being a master tracklayer is helpful, to say the least - you can't buy specialwork like that in a bubble pack at your LHS. Chuck (Modeling Central Japan in September, 1964 - with hand-laid specialwork)
Best part about it is it's 100% prototypically accurate! Hmm, other railroads had similar tiny terminals along the water - maybe build a collection of all of them!
--Randy
Modeling the Reading Railroad in the 1950's
Visit my web site at www.readingeastpenn.com for construction updates, DCC Info, and more.
Hi,
If you go the Bronx Terminal website ( found it at the bottom page of www.handlaidtrack.com) you will find on the links page a whole history whith original pictures of nearly all the terminals of New York.
It's amazing and very instructive and can give you great modeling idea and projects.
Some of these terminals were huge and some like the Bronx terminal where small and try to use as much as possible the little space allowed. This space allows only short trains to run.
Mister Warris Bronx terminal is a scale rendering of the real thing, where the Bronx like some other terminals can run only short trains in some crazy tracks arrangement because of aviable space.
For many of these terminals, some of the cars were often brought by water which also give short trains.
Here is a link to a another layout which depicts New York terminals http://nyhrr.com/
Howdy, Marc.
Actually, I'm a native New Yorker, and was a high school student-railfan during the early 1950s, so the CNJ Bronx Terminal is not unfamiliar to me. The Erie Railroad had a terminal with a very similar track arrangement just a short walk up the Harlem River from the CNJ terminal.
Land value within the borders of New York City, even in the mean streets area of the South Bronx, was extremely high, so the termini were a classic case of full-scale selective compression. The same need to cram ten liters of railroad into a five liter bucket of very costly land caused the railroads in New York to build specialwork puzzle palaces that would never be necessary where there was room enough to expand either lengthwise or sidewise.
The same was (and is) true of Japan, which is why I don't hesitate to dive into hand-laying my own puzzle palaces. Not as complex as the CNJ Bronx Terminal, but still nothing that can be bought at the LHS.
Today, there are only two car floats operating in the waters around New York, and they never venture anywhere near the Harlem River. Half a century ago you could see ten times that number on a three-hour Grey Line 'Circle Manhattan' boat tour.
Chuck (Modeling Central Japan in September, 1964)
That is such a cool locomotive....IIRC MDC used to have one a long time ago ....are there any models of that CNJ engine available?
Very nicely done. Question about the video. Was watching in 720p and it was smooth as silk. In contrast another poster's video via You-tube was jerky even at 480p. Anyone know the difference in the feed that makes one video being watchable and the other not?
tomikawaTT Howdy, Marc. Actually, I'm a native New Yorker, and was a high school student-railfan during the early 1950s, so the CNJ Bronx Terminal is not unfamiliar to me. The Erie Railroad had a terminal with a very similar track arrangement just a short walk up the Harlem River from the CNJ terminal. Land value within the borders of New York City, even in the mean streets area of the South Bronx, was extremely high, so the termini were a classic case of full-scale selective compression. The same need to cram ten liters of railroad into a five liter bucket of very costly land caused the railroads in New York to build specialwork puzzle palaces that would never be necessary where there was room enough to expand either lengthwise or sidewise. The same was (and is) true of Japan, which is why I don't hesitate to dive into hand-laying my own puzzle palaces. Not as complex as the CNJ Bronx Terminal, but still nothing that can be bought at the LHS. Today, there are only two car floats operating in the waters around New York, and they never venture anywhere near the Harlem River. Half a century ago you could see ten times that number on a three-hour Grey Line 'Circle Manhattan' boat tour. Chuck (Modeling Central Japan in September, 1964)
Hi again,
Thanks for your answer and the info's.
Yes I admit I just know about the New York terminals what I have read in the litterature and all the pictures I have seen.
But anyway these terminals are great modeling project and like the one which open this post are difficult project because of the crazy track arrangement.
These terminals also show us how much trains transport where so vital for the big cyties.
Hope to see some shots of your layout.