LAJ HO layout

[diesel]

Hey All,

Been a while since I posted here last. But, I've been busy. I have now (finally) finished tweeking my trackplan for my layout. I tried to stay pretty close to the track just west of LAJ Yard A. I of course had to make a few concessions, squeezes ect... but here are pics of the area from Google maps and my diagram, let me know what you think. The grey boxes are building, and the yellow boxes are 50' cars. This is drawn pretty much to scale and lives in a 10x13' space. Most of the curves are 15" radius, but it's LAJ street running, I think most of this stuff might not be far off in reality!

 

[gbwdude]

Looks like a great plan diesel. The only thing I'd recommend is instead of 15" radii is to go with 18" radii. It may take up a little bit more real estate but since you'll be pulling/pushing 50' and possibly longer cars it may have more of a tendancy to jump the rails. I've seen some tight industrial areas and even the math on the curvature equals out to be a 20" radius on the tightest I've seen (which was up in Green Bay, WI on the west side of town).

-Tyler

 

[cajon]

Looks like a great plan diesel. The only thing I'd recommend is instead of 15" radii is to go with 18" radii. It may take up a little bit more real estate but since you'll be pulling/pushing 50' and possibly longer cars it may have more of a tendancy to jump the rails. I've seen some tight industrial areas and even the math on the curvature equals out to be a 20" radius on the tightest I've seen (which was up in Green Bay, WI on the west side of town).

-Tyler

Curves on the J go down to 85 degrees ( 10.2" R HO) w/ #3 switches. Laid out a 10" curve & ran an atlas S-4 & 40' boxcar around it many times w/ no derailments. Ditto w/ Athearn CF7. All had standard size Kadee #148s. Couldn't do it w/ a 50' car though. So 15" radius should work fine. To see what other HO curves & degree equivalents are here's a link to the Free Mo HO scale Degree of Curve to Radius table:
http://www.trainweb.org/freemoslo/Modules/Tips-and-Techniques/degrees_of_curve_to_radius.htm
Attached a map w/ lead info on the LAJ. Diesel's aerials are of the A yard #1 & the Vernon Main #3/ Growers & Higgins #4 leads. Will be doing A or B yard plus the 2, 8, 9, 11 & 14 leads. Will be doing the Santa Fe side of #8 as they receive alot of steel products that Santa Fe calls "shapes" on e waybills. See 2nd attachment made by Chris Walker from West Coast Rail Forums..
Anybody else doing a LAJ layout or a layout of any nearby RRs?

 

[Bill Nelson]

If you have tested your curves in a mock up situation, you should be ok. also with a switching layout. you will have short consists.

I like the way you have worked in the buildings, it looks like you will be able to get a good working switching layout, and a credible representation of a specific place, not often you can make that happen. Please share as you make progress.


Bill Nelson

 

[cajon]

Bill
Here's a track chart & an aerial of the LAJ's Horn Lead [as in shoe horn ]. As can be seen the only "scenery" is buildings, streets & some tracks. The only veg is a few weeds here & there. Some of the buildings literally hug the tracks. And the curves here aren't the sharpest either. But today the only place getting rail service is General Mills. There's a pic in the 10/03 Warbonnet showing boxcars there & one 2 bay covered hopper. That's why my J layout will be in the '60s - '80s when there was literally tons of rail traffic!6+

 

[cajon]

Diesel
Like your latest plan also. Can't help you w/ track charts right now as changed from Windows Vista to Windows 7 so all my files are scattered. The middle aerial is the Vernon Main/Growers & Higgins leads. Your plan shows a 3 track & 5 track yards? on left side. Is one the Fruitland Team Track? If so you should try to add the Santa Fe side as they receive ship all kinds of "shapes" (steel products). The Santa Fe side gets flat cars of all kinds, gondolas (open & covered), coil cars & boxcars. On my plan it fits in a 2' x 8' space. See the aerial previously posted.

 

[cajon]

Diesel
Here's some track work for your LAJ A Yard. Can't say it's just a 3 way. LOL
The spur going off to the left thru the Xing is going to Cargill Salt. The rest going right are the yard tracks.

 

[cajon]

diesel
Did a little doodling w/ your plan to give you some ideas. Here's a link to my pix of the A Yard & House tracks:
https://picasaweb.google.com/107389354387456095061/LAJINFO1AYARDHOUSETRACKS
Sorry for the pix being disorganized as that's not the way they are in my Picasa. The track charts are included along w/ some historic pix from a variety of sources. Also there's a few pix from our railfan trip last July. One of us was from Germany! And yes they had a turntable but NO roundhouse. The House was just east of it.

 

[diesel]

Thanks Andy

 

[cajon]

Andy's LAJ Plan

Here's my version of the LAJ. And yes there used to be a turntable just west of the house tracks. But there was no roundhouse. Just the "House" on the house tracks. The 7 spurs below the A Yard are the Los Angeles Produce Terminal. Only modeling the tracks & dock. The real one had 12 tracks but don't have the room for all of them much less the building. The rectangle in bottom right is for "staging". It'll be a bunch of removable six track trays to hold cars. They'll be kept in shelves under the layout. Have attached an image of a single track tray.

 

[diesel]

Hey Andy,

Nice job! So, you do have some track down now. I can see from your pics the trackage used to be much different back then with more track. I enjoy seeing your progress.

I now am completly rethinking my space. I realize I won't be able to stay as close to the actual track plan as I was, but I do want to have the look of the area such as the curves into industries and how the track runs along/through the streets & in between buildings. I might pick scenes from all over & Erich them together, have to see.

 

[cajon]

Hey Andy,

Nice job! So, you do have some track down now. I can see from your pics the trackage used to be much different back then with more track. I enjoy seeing your progress.

I now am completely rethinking my space. I realize I won't be able to stay as close to the actual track plan as I was, but I do want to have the look of the area such as the curves into industries and how the track runs along/through the streets & in between buildings. I might pick scenes from all over & Erich them together, have to see.

Have started laying track on the 2 A Yard modules. Can't really run anything very far as can't get past some of the frogs. Have an NCE Power Cab but seriously considering the NWSL S-Cab battery powered system:
http://www.nwsl.com/S-CAB_Radio_DCC_Control.html
Saw it at the NMRA 2011 convention & was very impressed. But big problem is the expense of converting & fitting it into S-2/S-4, CF7 ,etc switchers. Dave Rygmyr NorthWest Short Line suggested using their Stanton Drive powered trucks but that's even more expense.

 

[cajon]

Laj plan 3/22/12

Here's my latest version of my plan. Just added the LAJ/UP Xing. If you're in SoCal come see my Power Point clinic on The LAJ industries in Vernon CA at the LA Division NMRA SpringRail meet 4/21/12 in Alhambra CA. You don't have to be an NMRA member to attend. See the attachment for more info on SpringRail

 

[cajon]

Also will be giving a Power Point clinic on the LAJ at SpringRail

 

[cajon]

Los Angeles Junction Ry Yahoo Group?

Hello All
Have a list of about 15 names of guys who have shown an interest in the LAJ. Do you guys think a LAJ Yahoo Group is warranted? Let me know at karand1988@yahoo.com.

Somehow someway a website was created w/ my LAJ ALCO pix. Guess Google "grabbed" them & put them in an album. Click on any image & it takes to that one then click the white "<" ">" to see the next one. Wonder if they'll will do the same w/ my CF7 & MK1200G pix? Enjoy.

https://plus.google.com/u/0/photos/107389354387456095061/albums/5469286301623063329

 

[cajon]

LAJ Forum on trainboard.com

Hi All LAJ Fans
Started an LAJ specific forum on www.trainboard.com:
http://www.trainboard.com/grapevine/group.php?groupid=117
Made a post there about a LAJ Yahoo Group & moderator said do one there - so did it! Like this forum it's free to join. Have posted some pix there & will be doing more in the future. Also have LAJ Switching Maps from x LAJ conductor Charlie Slater. He hand wrote all kinds of great industry switching notes on them. Have attached #19 Horn Lead. His map #s match the map #s in the 1972 LAJ Industry List.

 

[cajon]

Links to Charlie Slater's 1971 LAJ Switching Maps & LAJ 1972 Industry List

Charlie Slater ex LAJ, ATSF/BNSF conductor made these maps by adding switching info having worked there 1970-1984. If you have the Oct 2003 Warbonnet you'll see they are the same maps but these have his hand written notes on them.

https://picasaweb.google.com/107389...ATER?authkey=Gv1sRgCN2sy-iN46O40wE&feat=email

Here's the LAJ Industry List came from my friend George Auburn WA. He got it at the Boeing Train Show a couple of years ago. You'll see the same industries listed as on Charlies maps. Most of those industries don't show on the 2000 LAJ Track Charts.

https://picasaweb.google.com/107389...YLIST1972600DPI?authkey=Gv1sRgCIOQ65Wi7b_joQE

If the LAJ doesn't interest you, There's still alot of good info that can be used on any other switching layout whether prototype or freelance.

 

[cajon]

Almost LAJ SSB1200s from Santa Fe

Back in 1983 LAJ was supposed to get 4 Santa Fe SSB1200s but they were involved in a derailment. Santa Fe sent them back & told LAJ to keep using the CF7 loaners. Attached two pix. One is the Cab hop w/ the SSB1200s heading east. Second is my version of one might have looked like if they had kept them. Had a Kato NW2 in in the SSB1200v Warbonnet scheme begging to become LAJ. So used the decals Rail Graphics did for my LAJ ALCOs. Numbered it 8 after the last LAJ ALCO. Still need to add some details & couplers. It's my MR right! And if you need an excuse to have an SSB1200 on your MR just say you got it after Santa Fe retired them & patch it for your RR.

 

[cajon]

Attached are two maps by me on the LAJ leads in Vernon CA. The first is based on Google aerials w/ the LAJ tracks shown in red by Ken Johnson of Trakworks. All the other RRs are shown in black. The second is from the 3/96 MR LAJ article. Walker at the end of Short Laguna on that map is the interchange point between the PE/SP & LAJ. The lead names on both maps are from the 1971 Switching Maps from Charlie Slater. Will be using those names instead of of the ones in the LAJ 2000 Track Charts as those are out of my modeling era. Also these days there's very little being switched in Vernon. Most of it is happening in Commerce.

 

[cajon]

Here's my latest LAJ layout plan for my living room. Gives me a little more room to model the LAJ in Vernon.