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LAJ
Jan 23, 2013 19:45:39 GMT -5
Post by diesel on Jan 23, 2013 19:45:39 GMT -5
hey lajmdlr,
that looks like a great idea to stage cars. very interesting that just about everyone I've met lately is modeling at least 20 years ago including slowfreight, and he's younger than me. anyway, how far along are you with your layout? can you show us picks?
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LAJ
Mar 18, 2013 21:33:12 GMT -5
Post by diesel on Mar 18, 2013 21:33:12 GMT -5
Most of the benchwork is now done. There is the problem that some of the 2" foam I installed is bowed in the middle. This problem only exists on the peninsulas. The one in the pic is worse than the other. Everything is level from the end of the peninsulas to the back wall, but from side to side it's 'well rounded' so to speak. I'll come up with something to fix this, but for now:
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LAJ
May 19, 2013 15:52:48 GMT -5
Post by diesel on May 19, 2013 15:52:48 GMT -5
Ah, I knew this would happen. It's the production side of things. Happens with graphics too. I had too much in there so... Now that the benchwork is about 85% done, I ordered the track. But I wanted an accurate count of what I needed so I redrew the layout in an actual track planning program instead of Illustrator. I had to let go of a few things a few things, but I was ok with doing that because I think my plan was a bit crowed even for the 'diorama' style thing that this is. That cut down on the cost, it also cut down on a lot of what I had on the peninsulas. Here's the new track plan (final hopefully). I think from here on out I'll just make on the fly adjustments, but it's not like I changed my mind as in previous redos. So I feel good about finally gluing something down and getting this thing together. Beyond that the side frames seen here will be covered with probably venire and then plain black drapes will hang from under the frame to the floor.
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LAJ
May 19, 2013 18:17:05 GMT -5
Post by lajmdlr on May 19, 2013 18:17:05 GMT -5
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LAJ
May 19, 2013 22:52:22 GMT -5
Post by diesel on May 19, 2013 22:52:22 GMT -5
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LAJ
May 20, 2013 12:52:53 GMT -5
Post by lajmdlr on May 20, 2013 12:52:53 GMT -5
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LAJ
Jun 1, 2013 22:01:38 GMT -5
Post by diesel on Jun 1, 2013 22:01:38 GMT -5
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LAJ
Jun 1, 2013 22:13:09 GMT -5
Post by diesel on Jun 1, 2013 22:13:09 GMT -5
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LAJ
Jun 2, 2013 21:58:21 GMT -5
lajmdlr likes this
Post by lajmdlr on Jun 2, 2013 21:58:21 GMT -5
Diesel Your last image shows the ATSF Vernon Team (top) & LAJ Fruitland Team (bottom). The Santa Fe side handled "shapes" (steel coils, beams & plates). The came on regular flat cars + bulkheads & center beams, gondolas (open & covered) & coil cars. The covered dock next to the crane got boxcars. Here's a link to some pix: tinyurl.com/cxmvfbkThe LAJ side gets airslides & covered hoppers w/ flour, grain & plastic pellets. Think most of the loads are inbound & trucked out to local industries.
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LAJ
Jun 3, 2013 19:45:38 GMT -5
Post by diesel on Jun 3, 2013 19:45:38 GMT -5
Hey Andy,
Thanks for the link!
Yes, I know. I had tried in earlier versions of my track plan to be pretty true to the prototype trackage but realized that I just don't have the space for that. If I had the same amount of space my club has (65'x35') for a layout I could do this area some real justice.
So, instead what I have here are a selection of dioramas that sort of resemble scenes on the LAJ. Like I said somewhere above; in reality the track curves to the left here or there, in mine it curves to the right, maybe there's no curve at all where there should be, -that gets worse as I go along. lol
Fruitland yard is served by that one yard on my layout because I don't have room for Malabar Yard, and my LAJ Yard A will only slightly resemble the real thing, certainly not with the track plan. I may also try having 2 sided buildings so the scene from each side would look closer to real, because these things on my layout are not anywhere near each other (well 2) on the prototype, but doing things like that will help blend the scene. More pics as I progress, but my only promise is that progress will be slow; until I hit lotto.
One thing that helped me is that there's at least one YouTube video for every spot I have on my layout save for one industry. I really wanted to do the U.S. Growers Cold Storage on 44th St., but I took it out for lack of space in favor of the Mobile facility. -I have a lot of tank cars! ; ) Since I haven't been to LAJ yet, seeing videos of the switches gives me some measure of validation. Before I found those I was guessing at what kind of cars a few of these things would get. (then I thinned out the layout) -still
So, although now that I'm only tying to stuff 4-5 pounds of stuff instead of 10 into a 1 pound bag, I will try to make this layout as lifelike as possible. Really, this is my first serious layout as those I had when I was younger were of the beginner variety. The high points for me so far are that my track plan fits onto the benchwork almost exactly except for I underestimated how much space I would need for Fruitland yard. Another victory is that the space I have allotted yields room for buildings that are not far off in scale size from reality. Earlier, when I was cramming things in, some buildings would have wound up only a bit larger than a 50' boxcar; not dramatic right!
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LAJ
Jun 3, 2013 23:48:46 GMT -5
Post by lajmdlr on Jun 3, 2013 23:48:46 GMT -5
Dan Looked in the LAJ Industry List but couldn't find Mobile much less any other oil companies. Maybe they changed hands. Know Mobile is on the ATSF Harbor District though. Switched it a couple of times when a student conductor. The place was huge w/ a gazillion different spots! But there are some chemical companies on the LAJ that should get tank cars. Your tank cars are like my 2 bay covered hoppers (40+). There's no cement places on the LAJ but 2 glass companies that got sand & limestone in 2 bays.
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LAJ
Jun 4, 2013 1:03:28 GMT -5
Post by lajmdlr on Jun 4, 2013 1:03:28 GMT -5
Dan Can't figure out how to add an image to this site so here's a link to my layout plan: tinyurl.com/kursy6gIt's in a 10'x14" room & managed to squeeze a few LAJ Leads + the A Yard although they are VERY compressed! What size is uour room?
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LAJ
Jun 4, 2013 11:40:44 GMT -5
Post by diesel on Jun 4, 2013 11:40:44 GMT -5
Here is a pic of the Mobile facility. I think it's a mixing place, they don't do any cracking or anything there. I may be stretching for it here as I 'think' this is still within LAJ, but nonetheless, it's there, and I'm reeling from the lack of refinery on the club layout. This is located due north of Malabar Yard. I haven't yet mocked this up, but should get to that this coming weekend. My room oddly enough is also 10'x14'. I've given only the corner of the room to my desk for graphics. If I need more space later I can buy it from the living room or my wife's office.
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LAJ
Jun 4, 2013 12:09:58 GMT -5
Post by lajmdlr on Jun 4, 2013 12:09:58 GMT -5
Dan Found it on Bing & Google aerials. It's actually between the old Santa Fe Harbor Dist. & a spur off the UP San Pedro Sub. LAJ did have their Swift & Plywood Lead just south of Mobile though & could have reached Mobile on the UP spur. Bing shows the only connection off the old Santa Fe these days. Will ask Charlie Slater if he ever switched it.
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LAJ
Jun 4, 2013 19:25:48 GMT -5
Post by diesel on Jun 4, 2013 19:25:48 GMT -5
Oh by the way, I'm very interested in seeing more of these 'shapes' that appear on the vernon team track, so if you know of any pics ect... There is one YouTube video that shows a large unique thing that looks like it'll be part of a facade at a large shopping mall, but who knows? I'd like to load my flats with stuff like that. I will also have to break down and invest in some coil cars. I have a few gons that will look good there too.
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LAJ
Jun 4, 2013 22:44:23 GMT -5
Post by lajmdlr on Jun 4, 2013 22:44:23 GMT -5
Dan Here's 4 pix of the "shapes" around the ATSF & LAJ teams: tinyurl.com/km4eozqSome are easy to see & some are WAGs ?? But it would be a good guess that just about any kind of shape has gone thru there. So whatever you have laying around could be used on your team tracks & cars. Note there's aluminum ingots there also. Those ingots must be relatively recent as haven't seen them in any historic pix.
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LAJ
Jun 4, 2013 22:50:46 GMT -5
Post by lajmdlr on Jun 4, 2013 22:50:46 GMT -5
Dan Here's 4 pix of the "shapes" around the ATSF & LAJ teams: tinyurl.com/km4eozqSome are easy to see & some are WAGs ?? But it would be a good guess that just about any kind of shape has gone thru there. So whatever you have laying around could be used on your team tracks & cars. Note there's aluminum ingots there also. Those ingots must be relatively recent as haven't seen them in any historic pix. BTW asked a LAJ conductor about them going to RCL Gensets. Won't happen til they are all trained to use RCL. Also he didn't know when if ever BNSF will reconnect the LAJ to Malabar again.
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