G.E.C's layout pictures

green_elite_cab

Keep It Moving!
wow, its been almost a month.

I just ordered a few new decoders ( a DZ123 for my 44 ton switcher, to DH163AT for my GP38, and GP40-2, and a DH165AO with the sound bug connector thingy for the B40-8 ).

I think by the end of the summer, most of my locomotives will have a decoder of some kind in them.

That said, i think i'm going to continue my demonstrations on operation with video when the new decoders come in.

I also ordered 3 new NJ transit coaches( should have ordered 4 for an 8 car train... d'oh!), more scenic cement, and some fine light grey ballast, as the medium gray you see in these photos looks a bit big. I'm just gonna sprinkle the fine stuff over it all.

I also preordered a North Island Refinery.

Right now i'm trying to get as much as my layout up and running because a large number of my family is coming, and parts of it ( particularly the wiring beneath my table) is under construction of varying degrees because of the planned editions of things like signals, crossing flashers, and Catenary.

I also have lots of people i need to place, and also some railroad signs, ( but i don't know what they all mean), so i'll be doing that today and tommorow.

I have been running into some problems

the U34CH (#4167) is running, but i tried to actually hook up the nose light, which ended in disaster, as the casting and light, which for this entire them had been so solidly glued on the shell that i was afraid i might accidentially tug apart, simply fell out. Also, it turns out that i need to do more work to get the light going, as the one that was in there blew out. I need to check for another way of getting the light going. Worst of all, suddenly its to cramped between the speaker and the nose to get the nose light wires through easily.

other than that, the only mild nuiscance is that my track cleaning eraser thingy is gone.
 

green_elite_cab

Keep It Moving!
more decoder insanity. I got a DH165AO for my B40-8, only to find it doesn't fit because of the weights in the locomotive (i'm not cutting anymore weights...). It turns out to fit fine in one of my Newer U34CHs, but now the lights are dim or don't work. The locomtive runs fine though, and atleast i have something i can use as a road switcher while my GP38s and such are down. not to much otherwise new.
 

Nazgul

Active Member
GEC...
The pics are flat out awesome!!! and your work is outstanding!!!:thumb::thumb::thumb:
Keep it up:winker::wave:
 

green_elite_cab

Keep It Moving!
Thank you!

today was the last day of school, so i hope i can get some real work done on the layout.

i've actually been spending alot more time building these "shoe cubbys" that can hold 3 locomotives/passenger cars, so now my trains aren't sprawling unprotected across the top of the desk that is down near the layout. It looks pretty nice. There is enough space in front for me to line up my Acela, so it looks cool sitting there. everything else has a space, so no more worries of knocking things over or damaging them.

also, i cannot get 2 of my figures to stand for the life of me. any suggestions?
 

green_elite_cab

Keep It Moving!
Yeah, right now i'm building another for all my coaches and additional locomotives. My freight cars all fit on the layout, so no worries there.

super points for those who can guess the locomotives and railroads in this picture!

*hint* one is an undecorated GP50. it looks like a shadow, so that would be to tough.

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green_elite_cab

Keep It Moving!
updated my website (Yeah, i know, I should really do so more often).

Not to much is changed, i'm thinking about switch out some pictures soon, but i jus put a big summary of what has gone on in the past few months.

I'm thinking of making some big changes, which you can read about them in the last few paragraphs.

CAB's Trains:
 

green_elite_cab

Keep It Moving!
well, now that school is out, i have time to get new pictures out!

First, a BNSF SD75M passes by the station. Some commuters are hardly bothered by these large freights anymore.

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A CSX AC4400CW and former Conrail SD40 going the other way a little while longer with a massive string of tank cars.

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MilesWestern

Active Member
Sweet! The lighting in your basement is unintentionally dramatic. It reminds me of a stormy day, with thunderclouds approaching.
 

green_elite_cab

Keep It Moving!
Yeah, i'm thinking about changing my layout, but it would be a tough decision.

When i say i have alot of tank cars, i'm not kidding. For every box car and hopper, i have 2 tank cars. thats about 16 23,000 gal. tank cars on my layout at any one time. I only have 4 boxcas and 4 hoppers i use on the layout. At all times a tank care is moving on my layout.

However, the more i look at my layout, the more that it just doesn't make sense. the tank car loading rack is squeezed between the mainline and another business, with only one small end that would even be connected to another "in the middle of nowhere" tanker truck loading platform. This truck loading rack has almost no space for a truck to realistically manuever, and prevents all but the smallest trucks from acessing the American Hardware supply next door. Also, I think it might be cool to have a grade crossing over in this area. It would also give trucks more space to turn around.

I have some before and after pictures. the after pictures have a mock loading dock and road way. Do you think I should replace the tank cars? does anyone have an idea for a different arrangement, or a different industry that can fit in the old tank car loading area? remember, I try to model between early and late conrail.

American Hardware supply loading area before-

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American Hardware Supply after-

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Tank car loading platform Before-

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Tank car loading area turned Team track/ additional platform. excuse the poorly made platform made of construction paper, lol.

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MilesWestern

Active Member
I like the remodel. Now it looks much more realistic! :) Why don't you add a small 4X2 "branchline" off your layout like your trackplan does in thew book you patterened the trackplan off of..? If you cannot always take up that space, you could hinge it sidways and put in casters to move from perpendicular to parallel with your layout. How about thaT?
 

Ralph

Remember...it's for fun!
I like your "after" pictures. You've created a much more believable parking area for your trucks to move in and the freight dock seems appropriate to the factory. I hope you can find another location for that excellent tank car loading rack. You could don't have to have tanks or other facilities immediately nearby. If you have space near a backdrop you could use photos of an industry or large tanks to suggest the industry the rack is for.
Happy pondering! :)
Ralph
 

TruckLover

Mack CH613 & 53' Trailer
I also like the changes, I think that was a good idea to take the oil racks out, now the loading docks for the American Hardware Supply have way more room to realistically move around :thumb:

Hopefully you can find another place for the Oil Loading Racks (Tank Car and Truck) on your layout :mrgreen:
 

green_elite_cab

Keep It Moving!
I like the remodel. Now it looks much more realistic! :) Why don't you add a small 4X2 "branchline" off your layout like your trackplan does in thew book you patterened the trackplan off of..? If you cannot always take up that space, you could hinge it sidways and put in casters to move from perpendicular to parallel with your layout. How about thaT?

Definitely! that has been my plan all along... although now that the shift in oil has been made, i might have to make some changes. If i were to take my inspiration from the book's add on, i would definitely have my North Island Refinery built and all that stuff. If anything, i'd expand it, buying maybe another 2 oil loading racks for the tank cars. I LOVE the long tank trains (which is why i'd hate to get rid of my current oil stuff just alittle bit). However, i really also wanted somewhere for the plastic pellets to be transferred to from Protech, and i had plans for a large toy factory or something that took in the hoppers and had boxcars going in and out for things. On the other hand, i really need a bigger yard then what I have so far. (another plan i had was to actually yank out the old small yard for a business if i ever built a bigger yard, but i decided against it). I also made the tracks long enough to use the larger diesels, not just my junky old GPs. The basic idea would be to model the Lehigh Line, i think its called, that runs from the area I model to the west, towards Pennsylvania. I'd also like to have some NEC action, because if you've seen my roster, i have loads of electrics.

Technically the space can be made for an addition, but the "out going" interchange track pretty much points in the major path way taken between the basement stares and the freezer in my house. My dad would not allow it to blcok the way, so swing bridge or something is in order. They also want me to finish the scenery on the current layout before I build any new benchwork, so that means i'm gonna have to start wiring up my signals eventually, and then the ballasting (catenary i can leave out for now)

I like your "after" pictures. You've created a much more believable parking area for your trucks to move in and the freight dock seems appropriate to the factory. I hope you can find another location for that excellent tank car loading rack. You could don't have to have tanks or other facilities immediately nearby. If you have space near a backdrop you could use photos of an industry or large tanks to suggest the industry the rack is for.
Happy pondering! :)
Ralph

Thats exactly my plan for when ever i get a backdrop. Already, you can see that i have the one tank sitting there, with the berms cut to fit the corners. I had originally planned to shift the layout a foot or two away from a red support beam visible in some of my pictures, then add another foot and half of new real estate, for more oil refinery scenery and such, but now i'm thinking i'll build all of that over on the addition if i can get my parents to let me build one.

I also like the changes, I think that was a good idea to take the oil racks out, now the loading docks for the American Hardware Supply have way more room to realistically move around :thumb:

Hopefully you can find another place for the Oil Loading Racks (Tank Car and Truck) on your layout :mrgreen:

Yeah, me to. To me, these tank cars are essential to where I model. IF you have ever been on the NJ turnpike past Exit 10, heading north, all you will see are tank cars, and Plastic Pellet/ chemical hoppers. There are tank farms everywhere, and cracking towers make up the sky line. When you get farther north you might see some more generic freight as well as autoracks and container trains. I had originally planned years ago for a big auto distribution center, and i even have the walther's kit, but it also takes an amazing amount of space to create a realistic model of such a terminal. Having only one or 2 auto racks in a siding doesn't look right, but thats the space i ended up having. ditto for the container trains. Rather, i'll buy the rolling stock, but just leave it in a yard, or use it in photos.



Thank you all for the encouragement and advice.
 

MilesWestern

Active Member
You're quite welcome! :) I'm glad you took the initiave to answer each of our questions so thoughtfully! Will your parents default your expansion if you don't have the signals in? ;) Just finish up the scenery, and do a nice ballast job and move forward! :D
 
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