Trees And Vegetation Along The Northeast Corridor

[alloboard]

Does anybody know the type of trees and shrubs and thickets that are located along the Washington D.C to New York City mainline?

[dehusman]

Bright green ones in the spring, dark green ones in the summer, yellow, orange, red and brown ones in the fall and naked ones in the winter.

[mudchicken]

Dead ones (unless they hold back a hillside) or black-thumb will be looking for a new job.

[ndbprr]

They are going to include just about every tree and shrub that can be listed. High population density with many back yards is going to result in a huge variety and age of plantings.

[alloboard]

Any particular names of specimens of trees thickets bushes? i.e redwoods

[tree68]

Redwoods are one thing you won't find (except as fences and picnic tables).

This may help you with your search:

http://www2.lv.psu.edu/jxm57/trees/slidepage.htm

[blue streak 1]

Amtrak only wants short shrubs on their ROW.  Trees verboten ! ! !

[MidlandMike]

In my rides on NY suburban lines I remember sumac as almost ubiquitous.  It's a primitive looking plant that has a woody stalk with compound leaf clusters.  It likes the sunny areas, like the trackside edge.  

[henry6]

Maple, oaks, birch, locust, beach, etc.  Sumac, poison ivy, grasses, weeds, dandelions, etc..  If it grows in the east, it grows alongside railroad tracks.

[Firelock76]

alloboard

Does anybody know the type of trees and shrubs and thickets that are located along the Washington D.C to New York City mainline?

That's an interesting question you've asked, one that doesn't come up often, if at all.  Are you modeling the NEC?

[SALfan]

I grew up down South, where there are vast pine plantations and many naturally-occurring forests which are mainly pine trees. It took me a while to get used to how few pines there are in the DC area and slightly north of there (I never made it much north of Baltimore along the NEC). Allergy sufferers in the area were warned that allergies were severe because both Northern and Southern species were present there. You could find just about any hardwood present in the Eastern U.S.

[alloboard]

     Yes indeed I am modeling the NEC with old PRR, present day, and European high speed train equipment. It's funny that you made this remark. Apparently I was treated like trash at the Model Railroader forum for asking "too many technical questions", in spite that people can learn from my questions. I don't post any questions there anymore as I rather learn those questions with an alternative. I have answered peoples questions and I'm capable of helping other forum members with questions of topic that I know about. I even posted my own project article for everyone to see, yet some of the rude comments from some of those forum members made me feel uncomfortable. I hope they are happy now that I don't post questions anymore. Here's a link to my NEC project work: http://s290.photobucket.com/user/coolio102/profile/

     I built a commuter station on my layout made up of LifeLike's elevated commuter station. I will build my own custom high level platforms with a mixture of shelters buildings and LIfeLike's elevated commuter station sheds. My commuter station is based on Metropark and Rahway train stations on the NEC, with a divirging brach line from the main live via flying junction, and an elevated six track throughway!

[Firelock76]

I thought so!

Considering all the detail-oriented questions you've been asking about the NEC and its PRR previous incarnation I was certain modeling had to be the reason. 

Welcome aboard alloboard, and ask anything you like here, there's lots of expertise, historic knowledge and first-hand experience waiting for you.   Love to see some pictures if you can post them of your modeling efforts.

The "Model Railroader"  Forum people should be hanging their heads in shame over this.  Everyone else, be nice to this guy.  He's trying to learn from us.

PS:  You can try asking questions on the "Classic Toy Trains"  and "Classic Trains"  Forums as well.  "CTT" is good for modeling advice, "CT" is excellent for historic expertise. 

 

[alloboard]

This is the link to my photos: http://s290.photobucket.com/user/coolio102/profile/

[Firelock76]

Looked at your photos, certainly a "work in progress".  Good luck in taking over the house!

By the way, there's a website that may be helpful to you.  It's www.subwaynut.com.  Don't be put off by the title "subwaynut", this man's made it his mission to photograph every train station in the country.  Check the Amtrak heading and you'll get a good assortment of the NEC stations, listing is alphabetical by city.

[Deggesty]

And I thought we had rude people on the Trains forums. Do those modelers have no interest in landscaping, and reject people who have such an interest?

[Firelock76]

The trouble with a lot of forums and chat rooms is they tend to turn into closed societys, and a new voice has a problem with making itself heard.

Then again, there's the old cliche' about model railroaders being social misfits, you know, the "50 years old and living in his Mom's basement" thing.  I hate to think it's true, but cliche's do have a grain of truth to them, or they don't become cliche's to begin with. 

Anyway, I hope alloboard finds a welcome home here.  He can ask me anything anytime.

[NorthWest]

Firelock76

The trouble with a lot of forums and chat rooms is they tend to turn into closed societys, and a new voice has a problem with making itself heard.

This is unfortunately true, and a reason why I lurked for about three months before joining. Even then I didn't enter smoothly...

On the flip side, newbies have a tendency to post things to the wrong forum, revive older threads, or repost a recently or overdone topic. This seems to annoy some of the regulars quite a bit.

I try to post a link to either the correct forum, or to a recent thread that will either answer their questions or show them what posters have said about a topic that has been beaten to death. 

My point is this: we need the knowledge, experiences, and opinions of those not on this forum. So, try to be welcoming to new people!

[Deggesty]

NorthWest

Firelock76

The trouble with a lot of forums and chat rooms is they tend to turn into closed societys, and a new voice has a problem with making itself heard.

This is unfortunately true, and a reason why I lurked for about three months before joining. Even then I didn't enter smoothly...

On the flip side, newbies have a tendency to post things to the wrong forum, revive older threads, or repost a recently or overdone topic. This seems to annoy some of the regulars quite a bit.

I try to post a link to either the correct forum, or to a recent thread that will either answer their questions or show them what posters have said about a topic that has been beaten to death. 

My point is this: we need the knowledge, experiences, and opinions of those not on this forum. So, try to be welcoming to new people!

Northwest, your final paragraph is well taken. We should make all newcomers welcome, and when they present new information or documented correction of previous posts, we should rejoice that someone else has interest in some matter that already has interest to us.

And, we should endeavor to answer any question proposed by a newbie.

I appreciate the manner in which questions concerning model railroading have been answered by fans of 1:1 scale railroading (some of whom are also interested in the smaller scales). I wonder: have other model railroaders asked questions on what we consider to be the appropriate forum and have been ignored or insulted, and so have come to us?

[alloboard]

     There's only three people that I know from the web that model the NEC. Allot of European modelers have electric catenary systems in there layout. It seems to me that every time I see model railroaders they mainly stereotypically  model the same ubiquitous diesel era in some midwestern setting. Even steam is dying in model railroading. It's always diesels. It also seems to me that American electric and commuter trains, especially electric multiple unit trains are usually ignored in the North American model railroad world which is ironic. There is absolutely no marketing for electric multiple units and commuter railroad products except for only a few vendors like Imperial Hobby productions, Island model works, Concor and the recently released Walthers Metroliners. My love for trains stated mainly because my father would take me along to work with him once a month via NJT at Metropark station to NYP back in the late eighties to early nighties. From there I fell in love with Arrows III's the Union interlocking junction infrastructure, and the infrastructure engineering i.e north river tubes leading to NYP. If not for this pleasant passed experience I might not even like trains. I now live in a sub countryside of Mansfield Twp. I love taking a trip to NYC by train via NJT. I drive to Bordentown and take the Riverline to Trenton and shuffle to the mainline facility building after crossing the light where I board on NJT to NYP. I have went as far north as New Haven Ct from Bordentown to NYP to NYC subway to Grand Central to New Haven via Metro North. At other times I take the Riverline to Walter Rand Transportation center, then shuffle to PATCO to Lindenwold or Philly or take SEPTA  from Trenton to Philly. Before, I would drive from Mansfield Twp down route 206 to Hammonton where I get on NJT to Atlantic city. Now I take the Riverline to the newly opened Pennsauken Transit center, and shuffle upstairs to NJT to Atlantic City.

[NorthWest]

alloboard, Welcome!

I share your love of the Northeastern commuter operations. And those fun routings to get where you are going. To get from Newark Airport to NYP, I did this:

-Arrow IIIs from Newark Airport to Secaucus. They have a great sound! 

-NJT diesel train Secaucus-Hoboken

-PATH Hoboken-33rd Street

-Walk to Grand Central, observe trains and building

-NYC Subway S train GCT-Times Square

-NYC Subway 1 Train Times Square-NYP to catch Amtrak to Boston.

I understand the love. Join us on the Transit forum! 

 

[alloboard]

     As a person who detests cords and wires tangling, I love seeing wires strung above railroad tracks. In my opinion the Northeast Corridor has to be the least boring and most interesting rail line in America. I don't even consider it a railroad, but a busy high speed passenger line. However I don't like the lack of railfanning due to how freaking busy the line is.

[Firelock76]

Alloboard, you're a Jersey Guy!  I might have known, what with the NEC interest.  I'm from Paramus myself, moved to Virginia 27 years ago.  Virginia's a fine place but there's still a lot of New Jersey I miss, especially the food!

I see you're from Mansfield Township?  Taylor ham country.  Good cheesesteak sandwiches down there too, wish I had one right now!

Amazing how us Jersey people seem to find each other.  Might make a good article for "Weird New Jersey" magazine.

And NorthWest's correct, have a look at the "Transit" section, you'll find a lot of kindred spirits there.

Myself, if I see a question here from a poster who's asking a model railroading question I'll try to answer it if I can rather than giving him (her?)  the brush-off.  I'm a O gauger myself with a modest 4 X 8  layout that gives me a lot of pleasure.  Why not?

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

[tree68]

Firelock76

Myself, if I see a question here from a poster who's asking a model railroading question I'll try to answer it if I can rather than giving him (her?)  the brush-off.  I'm a O gauger myself with a modest 4 X 8  layout that gives me a lot of pleasure.  Why not?

When you get down to it, the 12" to the foot folks may have a better handle on local flora than the modelers.

 

[pajrr]

That is a true statement. I have a friend that will end up in poison ivy anywhere in the country. That is always where you get the perfect photo from!

[daveklepper]

Allabord:   You must go to Baltimore as soon as possible and ride all the Baltimore Light Rail Lines.   A real treat awaits you.  To make it interesting, ride SEPTA to Wilmington, Amtrak Regional Wilmington - Baltimore, then Light Rail to Howard Street Tansfer Station, line north to wherever the present end of the line is (on old PRR-Baltimore Northern RoW toward Harrisburg,very very scenic), then south to end of the line toward Annapolis on the old B&A interurban RoW, then to the Balt.Wash.Int Airport, then MARC commuter back to Baltimore and Amtrak north.  You will be in Heaven, I assure you! 

If you have extra time, there is the Baltimore Trolley Msuem, a seven-minute walk from the Amtrak Station, and more distant, the wonderful B&O Museum.

I was just thinking, today, that Baltimore is the one USA city where I actually saw rails put down in a street where I had seen them removed 40 or so years ealier, on Howard Street.

[ACY Tom]

I would hope everybody who can carry on a civil conversation should be welcome on any site. Hopefully, the people who were insulting & dismissive represent a minority. It's too bad they tend to be a very vocal (i.e., loud) minority. As for your original question, I seem to remember that Aldo Leopold had something to say about that in his wonderful book, A Sand County Almanac (a desert island top ten choice for sure). Unfortunately I can't locate my copy at the moment. Leopold was a naturalist, and he said that a person who wants to see the original flora of a region should look beside the railroad tracks. That's where agriculture and artificial landscaping have not been done. In the NEC area this would be supplemented by the introduction of other plants accidentally introduced from other nearby plantings. So I'd get a book on the flora of the northeast and put a bit of everything there, plus any other plants that might have been introduced. Definitely lots of sumac, but I don't know how you'll represent that. For the most part the larger species of trees would be removed before they got too big, in order to reduce hazards. For my own modeling, it will represent an area of the Midwest where the naturally occurring flora will be along the tracks; corn and soybeans will dominate the farms, and the farms will also be growing sugar beets, tomatoes, and other crops because those are the things that were there in real life. You can never do too much of this kind of research.

[schlimm]

alloboard

This is the link to my photos: http://s290.photobucket.com/user/coolio102/profile/

[link activated]   Kool pics and videos.  Looks like other modelers could learn from you!!

[Firelock76]

ACY, I separate my paragraphs by hitting the "enter" key when I want to start a new one.

I just did it now,

THERE!  I did it again!

Good luck!

[ACY Tom]

Thanks, Firelock. I'm trying that, but I think that's what I did before. Wish me luck.