Boneyards on History Channel

[rayw46]

I watched the first episode of History Channel's, "Boneyards," about railroad salvaging.  It was an excellent presentation, better than I had expected.  The very first segment on salvaging railroad ties, turning them into pulpwood and using that to power an electric generating plant should give someone an idea for an industry on their layout. 

[SpaceMouse]

There were a lot of cool industries for modeling.

Take for instance the high speed test track loop, that would make a great 4 x 8 layout and you could blow up tank cars in the middle.  

Just goes to show there's a prototype for everything.

[Cannoli]

I watched it last night and also found myself thinking that there are some great inudstries to model following the prototypes shown. It was a well done show.

[loathar]

They're redoing a bunch of track in my area. I've been seeing a lot of those semi's full of the ground up ties. A nearby farmer leased one of his fields out for sorting the ties. There's a 30' tall mountain of them the size of a football field sitting there now.

[WCfan]

That poor MRL SD45! Owell it got in a derailment any way. I always thought they cut up locomotives at shops. Not in the open. I also never knew about the test track. Pretty cool.

[Bob Hayes]

For those of us using DCC, having an oval test track  on the layout would be a good place to test locomotives prior to installing decoders, and would give us a place to run those older engines that draw too much current.  I have a test track that uses 22" radius snap track and a couple of rerailers on a 4x5 piece of plywood.  Modelling a test track in the layout is a good idea, Chip.  Just have to keep it electrical isolated.

Bob Hayes

[Cox 47]

Good show well worth watching.....I liked the visit to Amtrack Beech Grove shop...and thew rebuilding shop.....Cox 47