Prof Klyzlr Posted September 14, 2011 Author Share Posted September 14, 2011 Dear RMWebbers, In looking over the Texas Auto Plants as linked to by Dave, I was struck by the thought that BLMA is going to be seeling a lot of their "Concrete Grade Crossing" kits to anyone who looks to build such a scene... :-) http://www.blmamodels.com/cgi-bin/webstore/shop.cgi?ud=AggDBw8AAwUCBxQUEBEcHAcHAAIJBwMECQkTEQAA&t=main.blue.htm&storeid=1&cols=1&categories=01001-00011&&c=detail.blue.htm&t=main.blue.htm&itemid=4105 Or, has anyone got a faster/cheaper/more-readily-available method of doing "large concrete expanse with sectional concrete track panel" surfaces? Happy Modelling, Aim to Improve, Prof Klyzlr Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Keith Canada Posted September 14, 2011 Share Posted September 14, 2011 It just dawned on me, you're thinking that trackmobile is what they use to switch that facility. Don't think so. If you look to the SW there are 2 railroad GP units sitting at the railroad yard. Trying to switch an auto ramp with a trackmobile would be, as my mother used say, "like shoveling ###### with a toothpick" (her dad was a general yardmaster on the TRRA). Her family had lots of colorful phrases. 8-) The plant is probably shut down to a parts shortage from Japan due to the tsunami. That picture was taken quite a while ago - at the latest in Autumn of 2006 judging by the lack of foliage on some trees and the lack of snow. I can vouch for that because the Google image of my house shows it before we made some changes to the front porch and the path down to the sidewalk in the Summer of 2007. I will reconnoitre the Toyota plant when I get some spare time, but I am 99.9% sure that the Trackmobiles DO actually switch the AutoRacks because the Bing maps image shows one of the Trackmobiles pulling or shoving two AutoRacks in a location where it HAS to be the motive power! (i.e. almost at the gates in the security fence around the site.) Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
F-UnitMad Posted September 14, 2011 Share Posted September 14, 2011 ... John Allen incorporated his first layout ... all his life...John Armstrong started his layout around 1950, and it lasted his whole life ... I forget the name of the clerical gentleman who had a Great Central layout, for instance. Peter Denny, Buckingham. Interestingly in this context a 'route' layout in the US style Sorry to join in with a bit of an OT comment, but... Weren't these layouts "Lifetime" layouts because of when they were built... (P.D. Hancock's Craig & Mertonford was another famous UK one, and also more of a "Route" layout).... back in the 1950's or so, when almost everything had to be scratchbuilt - so it took a lot of time and they were hardly going to throw away stuff that had taken many hours of work - it was a far less "disposable" age, too, anyway.?? Just my 2p-worth... Interesting thread, too, if a tad hypothetical. I love the continued optimism despite a fair deluge of cold water being poured on the idea... Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Prof Klyzlr Posted September 14, 2011 Author Share Posted September 14, 2011 Interesting thread, too, if a tad hypothetical. I love the continued optimism despite a fair deluge of cold water being poured on the idea... Dear F-Unit, Isn't just being a modeller an exercise in continued optimism? ;-) Thankfully, even the "limited" track arrangement of an "Inglenook" can always be re-cast with an eye to prototype situations and ops, (watch for the term "proto-nook" :-) ), if only we keep eyes-open for the opportunities as they present... Happy Modelling, Aim to Improve, Prof Klyzlr PS Assuming the modeller in question actually has the _motivation_ to "have a go", the distance between "Hypothetical" and "a working model railroad" can be as short as a few sheets of 5mm foamcore, a few lengths of flextrack and a turnout or 2, and a handful of rollingstock... :-) Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
JWB Posted September 14, 2011 Share Posted September 14, 2011 Weren't these layouts "Lifetime" layouts because of when they were built... (P.D. Hancock's Craig & Mertonford was another famous UK one, and also more of a "Route" layout).... back in the 1950's or so, when almost everything had to be scratchbuilt - so it took a lot of time and they were hardly going to throw away stuff that had taken many hours of work - it was a far less "disposable" age, too, anyway.?? Just my 2p-worth... Well, you could also say that you don't know if a layout will last a lifetime until a lifetime goes by! But McClelland was a big innovator in using plastic kits and shake-the-box equipment. When he changed eras, he did sell a lot of it off, but he didn't change layouts! Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Keith Canada Posted September 14, 2011 Share Posted September 14, 2011 I will reconnoitre the Toyota plant when I get some spare time, but I am 99.9% sure that the Trackmobiles DO actually switch the AutoRacks because the Bing maps image shows one of the Trackmobiles pulling or shoving two AutoRacks in a location where it HAS to be the motive power! (i.e. almost at the gates in the security fence around the site.) Drove by Toyota this afternoon - difficult to see much inside because of security fences, walls etc. However I did see a Trackmobile with two AutoRacks near the gate - in much the same position as shown on the Bing map! Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
dave1905 Posted September 16, 2011 Share Posted September 16, 2011 Drove by Toyota this afternoon - difficult to see much inside because of security fences, walls etc. However I did see a Trackmobile with two AutoRacks near the gate - in much the same position as shown on the Bing map! Anybody else notice that this plant doesn't recieve any inbound product by rail. It must get all its parts by truck of container. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
dave1905 Posted September 16, 2011 Share Posted September 16, 2011 OBTW, I happened to call up the Google map of the CambridgeToyota plant and the two CN GP units are on the lead. The trackmobile is coupled to two racks up by the loading ramps. Still doesn't look like the plant is doing diddley as far as production. only 5 racks are spotted for loading and only 2 racks are anywhere close to be available. They actually have 2 trackmobiles there, the Mapquest map shows the 2nd trackmobile just outside the "enginehouse", the small white building at the west end of the ramp tracks. The MapQuest map also shows the CN engine switching cars in the support yard. Once again only 5 cars are spotted for loading, one car on each track. For contrast the GM plant at Arlington, TX has about 55 racks spotted for loading and the Ford plant at Fairfax, KS has over 60 spotted. So something different is going on at the Toyota plant. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Keith Canada Posted September 16, 2011 Share Posted September 16, 2011 OBTW, I happened to call up the Google map of the CambridgeToyota plant and the two CN GP units are on the lead. The trackmobile is coupled to two racks up by the loading ramps. Still doesn't look like the plant is doing diddley as far as production. only 5 racks are spotted for loading and only 2 racks are anywhere close to be available. For contrast the GM plant at Arlington, TX has about 55 racks spotted for loading and the Ford plant at Fairfax, KS has over 60 spotted. So something different is going on at the Toyota plant. FYI this plant makes Lexus, Corolla and Matrix models. There are two additional yards nearby which are normally full of AutoRacks, and I have seen further racks stored wherever there happens to be spare track! The trains in and out to the yards normally consist of the two locos plus about 12 AutoRacks (3 locos in Winter because of some severe grades), so I suspect they only switch a small number to the plant itself on an "as-required" basis. The track from the yards to the plant also has some severe curves and grades, which may further limit what they can shove. I guess I'll just have to spend a full day railfanning there and then write a thesis! Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Prof Klyzlr Posted January 6, 2012 Author Share Posted January 6, 2012 Dear 'Nook and Autorack fans, Am about to get on a plane for a week's worth of work in Stockholm, and my wife presented we with a belated Christmas present to keep me amused on the flight, Lance Mindheim's latest "How to operate a (Modern Era) Switching Layout". Now, in light of the info presented in the thread thus far, I'd ask that all who can check page 52-54, consider and contrast with the info presented on this thread, and I'd love to hear your thoughts... Happy Modelling, Aim to Improve, Prof Klyzlr Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
dave1905 Posted January 6, 2012 Share Posted January 6, 2012 They actually have 2 trackmobiles there, the Mapquest map shows the 2nd trackmobile just outside the "enginehouse", the small white building at the west end of the ramp tracks. The MapQuest map also shows the CN engine switching cars in the support yard. Once again only 5 cars are spotted for loading, one car on each track. For contrast the GM plant at Arlington, TX has about 55 racks spotted for loading and the Ford plant at Fairfax, KS has over 60 spotted. So something different is going on at the Toyota plant. Bingo, I've been saying that all along. Whatever is going on there is not typical of loading ramps. Highlighting the difference between "prototypical " and "common". If you look at active ramps, regardless of company, they seem to b groups of 5 racks. So there are exceptions, and there are common operaiions. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
shortliner Posted January 6, 2012 Share Posted January 6, 2012 As a point of interest, with regards to the Container Yard that I posted earlier - I had a submission to the Scrapbook from a guy called Bill Tharp who now lives in Cambridgeshire, UK - which is that layout. So I now know a little more about it! Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Steve Williams Posted January 11, 2012 Share Posted January 11, 2012 Shooting off at a bit of a tangent (and forgive me if that has already been mentioned, I haven't scrolled through the entire thread). If one wanted an excuse just to have a couple of autoracks, would it not be feasible to imagine a small rolling-stock repair facility within a rail-served industrial estate, that carries out repairs on autoracks moved from a large facility a couple of miles down the road? This would justify trundling them on and off every so often. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
CraigZ Posted January 11, 2012 Share Posted January 11, 2012 OR....for those with a tank car obsession, I offer to you Frit Car located just north of New Bern, NC. http://g.co/maps/9chu9 is the Google Earth view. Nothing but tank car repair there...according to their website it's everything from relining tanks to rebuilding pressure relief valves. I love the track arrangement there with the 180 degree double ended facility and tail track that leads into the woods a bit. And you get to have a critter, too...what looks to be a 25 ton GE endcab: Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
shortliner Posted January 11, 2012 Share Posted January 11, 2012 .....and right alongside the drag-strip too! Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
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