As a modeller, especially half a world away from the trains I model, what I find hardest to visualise is how freight car loading and unloading affects the design of a facility. One industry in particular has confounded me for some time: lumber.
Site 1: Kuiken Brothers Lumber Delivery by Rail
When I worked in Austin, TX back in the early late 1990s through late 2000 I was very close to the Vinson (Bergstrom) Lead. A couple of mile long industrial track operated by the SP, and then the UP after the Merger our of New Braunfels yard. There was a large lumber dealer on the lead taking multiple centerbeam cars, but no boxcars that I ever saw in my time there.
Thankfully, Kuiken Brothers Lumber posted a video on YouTube back in 2011 showing exactly how the Morristown & Erie’s number 18 delivered the two cars into the facility before setting out the centerbeam and boxcar. Then they go on to show you how the boxcar is unloaded.
Take note of the appliances used to unload the cargo and the work done to unload by the work crew. Skidding the load around with the forks answered my question of how they made enough space to get into the car.
Yesterday was all about passenger service; today is all about freight. Chris Gilbert pointed this video out, on his YouTube page. However the producer is ChicagoJoe28. But enough words let’s get to the video.
Site 1: Mike switches Batory Foods Chicago Terminal railroad
Video 1: Batory Food Switching on the Chicago Terminal
A little history
Located at 2234 W 43rd St, Chicago, IL 60609, Batory Foods began trading in 1979 when Abel Friedman opened Chicago Sweeteners. As a single source supplier of basic food ingredients such as sugar, flour, salt, starch, milk, oats, honey and corn syrup. Chicago Sweeteners expanded its product offering over time, as food manufacturers sought to develop healthier products.
With success in the greater Chicago market, the Company brought its broad line model to food manufacturing centres around the country. Some of the growth came with the original business; some by way of acquisition with:
Sugar Incentives bought in 1995,
Ingredients International in 2006,
Quality Ingredients in 2008,
LSI in 2009,
Industrial Ingredients in 2009,
Massey Fair in 2011, and
Mac Source in 2011.
Recently, the various names were consolidates into the single name: Batory Foods.
The layout idea
The site’s switched as an Inglenook. The two on-site spurs lead to undercover augers (I’m assuming here of course) for unloading powdered or granulated product.
The storage track goes to other industries further down the track, but does not show recent use from my quick look. The loco has to push the cars into the site so you have a simple, prototypical Inglenook that won’t take up too much space. It is small enough that you could model any date from 1979 on in HO, S or O scale.
SCORE! What are your thoughts?
Thanks to Chris Gilbert for the vision, and to ChicagoJoe28 for filming it.
Just the one site to see today, on YouTube, and the background idea for a future layout design. Let’s away!
Site 1: Bacchus Marsh, Victoria
Whenever I travel to Melbourne on the train I pass through Bacchus Marsh (it’s around the halfway point between Ballarat and Melbourne). I recently found a new channel on YouTube featuring Trams and Trains from around Melbourne. Watching the operations in the video below at Bacchus Marsh led me to thinking about an exhibition layout. With the wealth of Ready to run (RTR) rolling stock available and the intensive working of the passenger service (especially the storage of train sets) this could have the makings of a great medium-sized exhibition layout.
First watch the video and then take a look at the signalling diagram below.
Video 1: V/Line Variety at Bacchus Marsh Railway Station in 2012
Image 1: The Bacchus Marsh signalling diagram & Tram layout
I think that there is plenty enough in the track layout to keep an exhibition crew going all weekend. With the station being both a single platform terminus and through platform (with the right hand side going through to Ballarat and beyond) this could be nirvana for DMU & Loco hauled railway modellers. Your thoughts?
One of the things that I often wonder about is where things go to die. In my professional life I had a lot to do with the disposing of assets. Perhaps that explains the morbid nature of it all.
Having said all of that twaddle, let’s go on to today’s site seeing.
Site 1 – The Last Journey of Tram 58 (YouTube)
In this YouTube video, Melbourne Z1 class tram #58 shares its last journey from the tram depot to its permanent home at the new Victorian Emergency Management Training Centre in Craigieburn.
Shot in late 2013 this shows some of the places that our larger pieces of infrastructure go on to when their original working life ends.
Further resources
You can find out more about the Victorian Emergency Management Training Centre here in this YouTube video:
In light of yesterday’s ‘Ultimate DCC Throttle’ project by Bruce Kingsley, I thought that I’d show you a simpler, and more easily achieved project from some time ago by nwbatman2222. The information on the project is unfortunately light; making the changes should not be too hard, but would need soldering skills to change your hand-held controller of choice.
Site 1: Switching with a Control Stand throttle
It is a shame that there is not more information available from the maker. However, looking through the notes in the video there are some hints about what is needed to make this a reality.
If you do come up with a means to reproduce this would you share it with me? I’d like to make one of these with my handheld (I’m using MRC’s Prodigy Advanced 2) but I don’t want to completely ruin a handheld at the moment. If I could get a second-hand one or a complete system on the cheap then I might be more willing to have a go.
Site 2: Tsunami Non-Turbo EMD 645
Video two shows everyday use of the throttle, again clamped to the camera to allow you to see the action. Once you got used to handling the loco like this driving would be a more enjoyable proposition.
If you have any information on the layout owner or on the handhelds please drop me a line using the comment fields on this page or using the Contact Form for this site.
I hope that you have enjoyed the videos, and the idea of the different throttles. All the best for a great day ahead.
I love signalling, and modelling signalling systems. In the future I have a plan for an exhibition layout running under catenary, fully signalled using automatic block signals. For now though the plan is to get the current layout done.
In the meantime we can all enjoy some great old video – thanks to YouTube.
Site 1: YouTube – The Railroad Signal by the New York Central System’s PR Department
I love these old videos and collect them when I can. This one is great, and shows a lot of features of the steam era railroad that you might not otherwise notice.
It has changed the way we see a lot of our entertainment. As a modeller I now have access to the widest array of videos both current and historical that I could want. While tooling around today I found the following videos that I thought would be of interest for those modelling from the mid 1930s through to the 1960s in the UK, specifically in the quarrying industries.
Site 1: YouTube Video – Teeth of Steel
It is a great video created during the war, in colour no less, showing a lot of pit operations, including moving walking drag lines.
This second video goes into detail of the British steel industry. Filmed right at the end of the war, with all the rebuilding works about to kick in it showcases the quality and craftsmanship of the British steel industry. Watch for the scenes of Ironstone railways.
I hope that you enjoyed these videos. There is a lot in there for the modeller to take note of especially with the older mechanical tools of the time period.
A month down the track and I am on the mend after discovering the joys and pitfalls (and there are no joys) of kidney stones. Not being in constant pain is allowing me to get back to normal operation; thanks to the skill of the urology team at the Ballarat Base Hospital.
But enough of me, and on to the first of this month’s site seeing.
I grew up with a very Scottish grandfather, very Scottish. I listened in awe as a child to his stories of the highlands. Working for the railways (in Australia) all his working life, it was perhaps fated that I should fall in love with the Scottish highland railway lines. One particularly holds me in awe all these years later – the line out to the Kyle of Localsh.
In the very early 1980s Michael Palin’s Great Railway Journey’s travelled the line, and quite apart from being a fan of Michael Palin this program only made my yearning to travel it greater. It still is on the top of my railway journeys bucket list.
Over the years there’s been a couple of great layouts on the highland lines. Two that come to mind are presented today.
Site 1: Portchullin – a layout by Mark Tatlow
I love the sound of diesel engines working, doing what they are supposed to do; industry, grime and dust. Hearing a diesel notch up, lifting its train, from station, industry or yard reignites my passion for modelling. I don’t know why; it just does.
While ‘tubing recently I came across Portchullin. It ticks all the boxes for me on how a great North of Scotland layout should be built and come to life.
You can watch “A day’s trainspotting at Portchullin” here:
Best of all the creator of the layout has a great website with lots of useful posts (which I’ve just begun to follow) here: (Offsite link)
If you are a signalling buff like I am, you’ll enjoy the excellent working signalling on the layout too. Mark also sells (albeit as a small run manufacturer) parts for signals, which you can also find on his website.
Site 2: Kyle of Tongue – a layout by Steve Flint
Featured in the February 1990 Railway Modellers magazine, this layout was completely immersive. You could feel the cold coming off the highland hills, and leaching into your bones. Unfortunately images are hard to come by on the web. However this image shows Port Pennan also by Steve Flint I believe.
This ought to give you an idea of the layout style that Steve is famous for.
Resources:
Great Railway Journeys – Confessions of a train spotter
In Victoria there are two exhibitions (that I am aware of) on the Labour Day Long Weekend (March 7-9). First is the very large exhibition at Sandown Racecourse; the second is the great little exhibition at Kyneton.
On Saturday March 7 the kids and I decided to head off to Kyneton only, as there was also a trade fair on showcasing all of the Ye Olde trades that my son loves.
Having finally gotten the video uploaded today on youtube, I hope you enjoy the overview of the show.
This is one of the best little shows around in regional Victoria. It is easily doable by public transport, with a nice walk into town from the railway station. The food in town is really good, with a lot of great eateries.
If you are driving it is easy to get to, taking us only about an hour from Ballarat; roughly the same time from Melbourne. Quicker from Bendigo.
It’s true; I love YouTube. In the same way the Internet has changed the way we read about the hobby due to the explosion in E-Zines, how we consume our train videos has changed too.
YouTube has become my go-to place for rail fanning vision. Today’s ‘Site seeing’ reflects the best of railfan video.
There’s a great choice of documentary length videos here. Some switching related, others location related. Some are only 6-8 minutes in length, others like this one (Offsite Link) run to just under an hour and show a lot of freight action.
Danny Harmon’s a railfanning machine. He’s been producing railfan videos for a long time (view his website here to buy his DVDs) with some of his earliest videos from 1995.
His recent series on the CSX signalling display and head indication (speed signalling) has been great to watch. Based in Florida he manages to have a great volume of vision and all of it interesting. As he says, he’s a railfan, not a modeller, and his videos reflect this. With great production values and a melodic voice, the Distant signal ought to be on your favourites list.
Look in the resources section for a bunch of links to Danny’s videos.
Other thoughts
We are 1/6th of the way through the year, and tomorrow we’ll be at the beginning of March. In Ballarat (and the rest of the southern hemisphere) it’s the beginning of Autumn. We’ve just had a big cool front blow through with rain and thunderstorms. 2015 is rocketing forward and before we know it winter will be on top of us. Thanks for reading along with me during February. I’ll talk to you next month.
Andrew's Trains 