7mm Along the lines of an U.S. O Scale loft layout... (previously 'making U.S. track & switches')

Jordan

Mid-Western Thunderer
A few quick photos to demonstrate an interchange move on the layout...


The inbound Transfer arrives from BNSF's Northtown Yard in Minneapolis.
View attachment 169833

It pulls into the siding & couples to the outbound cars, which it then shoves out of the yard, pausing to uncouple from the inbounds once they are safely in the hole.
View attachment 169831

Finally the BNSF loco comes back through on the Main, & will return long hood leading to Northtown Yard.
View attachment 169830
Just to elaborate on this a bit further, after a discussion about this post with certain members at Stafford who will remain anonymous....
The word "siding" may be causing confusion. I am using it in the American sense - in English it's a passing loop, not a dead-end track we call a siding (a 'spur' in American). So when the BNSF loco enters the siding with the inbound train, it couples to the outbounds, & continues (after a realistic pause) in the same direction, shoving the outbound cars ahead of it whilst pulling the inbounds in behind it.
Once the inbounds are "in the hole" - i.e. clear of the switch & the main line, the train again stops to uncouple them. Then it will carry on shoving the outbounds out of the siding, onto the main line beyond the depot, until clear of that switch, whereupon once the switch is thrown, it can return through the yard on the main line, back from whence it came. *seemples*

Clearly I should've taken more photos. I find it hard to video as well as operate, which would demonstrate things better. :oops:
 

76043

Western Thunderer
Only two wagons? Must have lost the other 2047 somewhere? Still, does mean you don't have to fork out for the missing 2047 wagons, saving a tidy sum.

Tony
 

Jordan

Mid-Western Thunderer
The overall term is "freight cars", with more descriptive definitions for each type. Tank cars are, um... tank cars.

Jusr remember the golden rule - the US & the UK are two nations divided by a common language ;)
 

JasonD

Western Thunderer
Why do us British call bogie open-wagons box wagons? I thought we were the romantic leaders in the use of English. So how did the Americans do the right thing and call them gondolas? Ah well, got a Zoom mtg coming up in a tick, better get the kettle on for a brew.
Jason
 

Overseer

Western Thunderer
Why do us British call bogie open-wagons box wagons? I thought we were the romantic leaders in the use of English. So how did the Americans do the right thing and call them gondolas? Ah well, got a Zoom mtg coming up in a tick, better get the kettle on for a brew.
Jason
I can't explain the US use of gondola but box wagon (or waggon) was the standard UK term in the middle 19th Century for open wagons for non mineral traffic, presumably because they carried boxes. Daniel Gooch used the term box waggon in a specification written on 30 April 1855 (see below, in Gooch's handwriting), the order was for 5 covered waggons and 5 box waggons with 2'6" high sides so no confusion about the meaning. Both were iron bodies on iron underframes with wooden floors.

Gooch 30455.jpg
 

Jordan

Mid-Western Thunderer
A bit of gentle progress with the scenic side of things.

The grade crossing at 148th Street is all smoothed off and got a first coat of paint today.

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A turn off on the right leads to the Short Line's Yard Office for Shortside Industrial Park.

A start has been made on the grade crossing for Telegraph Road. This is having some forced perspective built in - the first high-viewpoint photo shows the outline (balsa strips), the second photo is more-or-less the eye-level view at this point.
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Ignore the pointwork of my UK O layout "Withyn Reach" sneaking into the view above!!
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The "overpass" which is actually where the layout passes through part of the loft drywall has also been painted, to try and give the impression of a road overbridge.

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Jordan

Mid-Western Thunderer
New toys to play with this week, part of the new ModelU North American range.
I got the two Crew Bundles, for Transition Era (1940 - 1970)* & Modern Era (1970 - now)*. It doesn't look like there's much difference in the clothing, albeit the Modern crew should wear Hi-Viz.
Given that US Steam mostly died in the 1950s, it's a pretty generous definition of 'Transition' to me!!!
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All the extra support 'legs' that come with ModelU figures still freak me out, a bit!! Makes the figures look really weird like that!! :)

* Edit - the dates are ModelU's own description.
 
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Jordan

Mid-Western Thunderer
When talking of steam/diesel transition layouts everyone naturally thinks BR 1960s..
Only "everyone", if they're British and that's all they are interested in.
Seems to me from photos that US Railroader's clothing didn't really change much from steam days to well after dieselisation, especially as the process was fairly drawn out, across many private companies.
In the UK the Transition Era also coincided with the updating of the 'Cororate Image', including new uniforms for a nationalised industry, so naturally there seems to be a clearer distinction between what steam & diesel crews wore, even if it didn't happen overnight.
It's just an interesting observation.
 

Jordan

Mid-Western Thunderer
Pretty much Zero modelling done recently, but in my best Not Going to Warley Tradition I have spent the money I saved on a model instead.

This time it was on Ebay, & arrived today....

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20221203_180311.jpg
An MTH covered hopper, with Kadees & 2-rail trucks - although they aren't roller bearing type trucks so will have to be swapped for Atlas ones.

My fairly brief research shows this is a pretty accurate car & livery, with wire grab irons & see-through walkways, if a little clunky, but overall, Happy Bunny time. :)
 
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