Jordan or Plymouth Mad
Mid-Western Thunderer
...or a diesel-hauled tourist special.
7mm Along the lines of an U.S. O Scale loft layout... (previously 'making U.S. track & switches')
- Thread starter Dog Star
- Start date
Jordan or Plymouth Mad
Mid-Western Thunderer
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.
Jordan or Plymouth Mad
Mid-Western Thunderer
Anyone who thinks I went a bit over the top with my 'bad' track should watch the first ten minutes or so of this video.... 
Jordan or Plymouth Mad
Mid-Western Thunderer
76043
Western Thunderer
Sorry, is it boxcars or something? Actually I don't know what these tank things might be called stateside! LOL!!!Wagons?What are "wagons"..??
Jordan or Plymouth Mad
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
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
Jason
Overseer
Western Thunderer
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.
Jordan or Plymouth Mad
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.
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.
Ignore the pointwork of my UK O layout "Withyn Reach" sneaking into the view above!!
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.
The grade crossing at 148th Street is all smoothed off and got a first coat of paint today.
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.
Ignore the pointwork of my UK O layout "Withyn Reach" sneaking into the view above!!
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.
Jordan or Plymouth Mad
Mid-Western Thunderer
Possibly, it's off stage so I wouldn't know.
Jordan or Plymouth Mad
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!!!
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.
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!!!
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.
Last edited:
Yorkshire Dave
Western Thunderer
When talking of steam/diesel transition layouts everyone naturally thinks BR 1960s.....
not so for US which is 1940s-50s for most, if not all, of the class 1 roads. The SSW dieselized during the late 40s early 50s.
not so for US which is 1940s-50s for most, if not all, of the class 1 roads. The SSW dieselized during the late 40s early 50s.
Jordan or Plymouth Mad
Mid-Western Thunderer
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 or Plymouth Mad
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....
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.
This time it was on Ebay, & arrived today....
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.
michael mott
Western Thunderer
Nothing like waiting at a level crossing while a 150 of these roll past, Did that many a day when I lived out at the lake.
Michael
Michael
Jordan or Plymouth Mad
Mid-Western Thunderer
Nothing to do with trains of any sort, but with my 'other interest' of RAF WW2 aircraft, I thought it poignant today to mark the passing yesterday (weds 7/12/22) of the Last Dambuster, 'Johnny' Johnson.
en.wikipedia.org
As posted by someone on RMweb - "the Squadron is all together again."
Johnny Johnson (RAF officer) - Wikipedia
As posted by someone on RMweb - "the Squadron is all together again."