G.E.C's layout pictures

green_elite_cab

Keep It Moving!
I've got some planning books with real spaghetti bowls of track, designed around commuter operation. I never could understand why a little plastic person would take a train to go somewhere only a few flights of stairs or a brisk walk away, if you know what I mean. But it really does make for interesting trackwork to see trains crossing over tracks and under bridges, etc. And these plans are designed as point-to-point with intermediate station stops and a long, twisty mainline in between. I'll have to dig around a bit and see what ideas get sparked.:eek:train97

Its not so much the plastic person as the train carrying him. For me, its what i've been exposed to as a child. I can clearly remember the Northeast Corridor in Metuchen NJ, where alot of my family lives. There are almost always sets of NJ transit Arrow III cars, ALP44s/46s, and any number of Amtrak toasters. I've even seen an E60MA once, and until very recently, that E60MA was the biggest locomotive i'd seen yet. The commuter equipment is part of the landscape, and particular things can send a clear cut message as to the setting of the railroad.

just remember that i need continuous running, and although I have cab cars, i need broad curves to truely run them "push/pull" in a point to point system. I'll probably be able to resolve the problem by adding weight, but i know others have trouble keeping their longer train on track. My longest train gets to about 8 cars (although at that point only my E60CH can handle it), and while i've gotten it to push reliably for a little bit on my layout, I really need bigger curves to try that.

As for lighting, well, there was a neat set of articles in Railroad Model Craftsman about constructing sections of railroad to be light and portable (but not necessarily like modules getting moved all the time, just built with the option that should it become necessary to move, you could). They were basically boxes with one side cut out and no top. Iain Rice is a big proponant of this idea.

sounds good, i'll have to try it.
 

green_elite_cab

Keep It Moving!
I figured i could make a basic idea of what i'd be looking for.

this plan is just a "shell". It has the main tracks, and thats it. the lower 4x8 is the old layout. The red box is the area that i would use to connect the old layout to the new one, and would be stage one. This is where i had intended to add thigns like my oil refinery, but i might have to play with that if i make a lift out section for "predestrians".

The main area is the NEC, with it's characteristic 4 tracks. I plan to either use city buildings to "block out" each scene from one side to the other, or to have the central control pit. There are highway bridges that disect the scenes where they change. On one side it is almost totally a station, so that longer trains look right parked there. Its based on Linden, a location common in my books.

the other side is where i would have the old layout connect with the NEC somehow. The Flying crossover could be made where the NEC crosses over the freight tracks. The NEC is naturally high up on an embankment, so that region could be done to get that look.

Its just a rough idea though, and i'm not sure how i'd add more industries. There may be space on the corners or on the inside. extensive industrial parks can be found on the NEC, so any area fit for a pair of GP40s or a small guy like an SW1001 would work.

the only problem is once again it excludes the heavy freight unless i can find a creative way to incorporate it.

i still want to see your own ideas!

basementfreightaddon4bafs5.jpg
 

green_elite_cab

Keep It Moving!
I'm foolish, i went and bought some detail parts, a decoder, and a couple boxcars, and some books, when what i really wanted was some of theose Arrow III EMUs. On the other hand, I did get more for my money.

these EMUs will be painful, lol.
 
You know, if carpentry is not an issue, then there's a cool idea that might allow for spanning aisles with nod-unders vs. duckunders. The recent articles in RMC from last fall, I think, on the Modesto and Empire Traction RR featured a potential plan using high track/benchwork. The layout of the area dictated the best way of staying true to the prototype, which was to make several aisles and peninsulas, only joined at each end to the outer loop. So duckunders were plentiful. The planner came up with a great idea for raising the layout high enough to nod under the benchwork, then building a 16" raised floor in the aisles for viewing/operating. The nod-under aisle received no additional floor and a step up was necessary to each operating aisle.

I've always been a fan of running trains closer to eye level to give them a more massive look and allow viewing of all that hard work detailing, painting, etc.!

Still chewing on plan ideas. This is my busy week followed by a conference in BC next week so it may be a while before I get anything really substantial sketched. However I did find those commuter plans and will scan them and send the originals to you in a PM. I will make some modifications with Photoshop and post those here in the forum, so they'll basically be my 'art', not reproducing the originals without permission.

Found out my meeting tonight has been cancelled, so I will scan them in then.
 

green_elite_cab

Keep It Moving!
I got a P42DC detail kit monday, and so i spent yesterday assembling it.

It is nearly finished being superdetailed, but I need to get some MU hoses, and the right coupler lift bars. For some reason, that particular type of lift bar used on modern GEs is almost impossible to find.

whats the deal? :rolleyes:

Anyways, here are the results.

32608p42dcsuperdetailprjs3.jpg


Here you can see details on the battery boxes and rear truck. The brakcets, knuckle holder, and sand pipe are all parts of the kit. On the opposite battery box, there is a pipe.

32608p42dcsuperdetailprcw4.jpg


moving up the locomotive, You can see all the piping and air dryers/filters that i installed. These were mindbendingly difficult to glue and install. You REALLY had to take your time, and let the glue set before adding each individual piece.

32608p42dcsuperdetailprwk1.jpg


You can see the bell, which is a problem, since i can't seem to find any trace of it in prototype photos, which means its probably in the wrong spot and that Details West was wrong. you can also see the sand pipes on the front trucks. The pilot still needs work.

32608p42dcsuperdetailprhe0.jpg


A brass shield grill for the equipment on the otherside. I'll have to paint it later. Painting these parts won't be hard with my tiny brushes. Most of them are about right anyway.

32608p42dcsuperdetailprqv7.jpg


Going up on the roof, removed the old long sinclair antenna, and installed a new one, as well as added a small antenna. I also replaced the old K5LA horn with a new brass one, which looked much nicer than the stock athearn horn.

32608p42dcsuperdetailprfb0.jpg


Not part of the kit, but while i was at it, i pulled off the photoetched fan cover, and painted the fan. Normally, the model would be paint gray throughout, including the fans. I painted the blades Platinum mist, and the spaces inbetween as well as the vertical edges of the blades Engine Black, then reattached the grate

32608p42dcsuperdetailprlh3.jpg


So there you have it, one (and only amtrak diesel on my layout) P42DC nearly ready for action, should the juice dry up. sign1

32608p42dcsuperdetailprtk6.jpg


I also have a new Amtrak Phase IV Express Boxcar. I plan to add this to the back of my Silver crescent and Silver star. Right now, i just need a baggage car, one or two more viewliners, a budd diner, and an Amfleet II lounge car. Additionally, i might need to find a budd sleeper and some extra MHCs. I'm getting close to my goal.

32608p42dcsuperdetailprfj8.jpg


Lastly, i have two new Railboxes, in NS and CSX to help bolster my boxcar fleet. for the past year i've been replacing my tank cars (since i moved the oil industry off my layout) with boxcars, and i'm getting close to a good number of working boxcars.

32608p42dcsuperdetailprvt9.jpg
 
new thread

Chris,

If it's kosher with everybody else, I'm going to open a new thread in the Track Planning section so as not to hijack this one about your current modeling/layout. I'll be posting a sketch over there I just made.

Galen
 

CNWman

CNW Fan
Hey GEC, just a FYI, but the latest Scale Rails mag (NMRA magazine) had an article on repowering old Brass engines, and the subject they used had the exact same kind of drive your E-44(?) has, right down to the gears. You might have to order the issue, but it could be worth it to you.
 

green_elite_cab

Keep It Moving!
Chris,

If it's kosher with everybody else, I'm going to open a new thread in the Track Planning section so as not to hijack this one about your current modeling/layout. I'll be posting a sketch over there I just made.

Galen

Thats cool! Uusally i like to keep everything in one thread, (internet habits, lol) but it does better fit int he track planning forum.

Hey GEC, just a FYI, but the latest Scale Rails mag (NMRA magazine) had an article on repowering old Brass engines, and the subject they used had the exact same kind of drive your E-44(?) has, right down to the gears. You might have to order the issue, but it could be worth it to you.

Cool! i'll definitely pick that up. And yes, its an E44 alright. Thanks!
 

green_elite_cab

Keep It Moving!
Yeah, i have some more stuff to post, but my camera is dead. I have a C32-8 where i'm installing photoetched detail parts in place of the old plastic ones.
 

Ralph

Remember...it's for fun!
Yep! A good bump for this thread. I missed the most recent Amtrak pics. Great stuff!
Ralph
 

green_elite_cab

Keep It Moving!
Yeah, thanks! i forgot about this thread for a little, but ironically, i do happen to have news.

I just won another American GK E60CP (technically an E60CH) kit of of Ebay, and i'm planning to make another E60MA out of it. I just need to get the parts for it, which right now looks easy.

I might also pick up another brass Penn Central E44. This time i've found one cheaper, and if i have the two of them, it will look that much better on the head of a coal train or a line of open autoracks.

However, if i do this, i'll have to forgo my NJ transit Arrow III plans, atleast for a few months. I'll see what happens tonight, just in case the price goes higher than i want. Technically, the E44 will still cost less then the Arrows (a married pair, the most common arrow III configuration, costs $180. A "single" costs $100. And they don't even run, i'd have to do it myself. At this rate, the E44 will cost me the same as an Atlas engine at MSRP).
 

green_elite_cab

Keep It Moving!
Wow, never thought YOU would forget 'bout your own thred!

You...WHAT? FORGOT? HOW COULD YOU?...*cries*

Anyways, cool! I wanna see this brass thing!

Life has been busy! I have all sorts of stuff to be ready for!

In any event, i failed to pick up the E44, but thats okay, i probably shouldn't have been going for it in the first place. I mean, it was reasonable when i started, but at the end of the bid, the guy had $202.47 as his maximum bid (way up from what i'd pay). even though thats actually less then i payed for the first one, i don't want to pay that much again for that model.

Anyway, I managed to get the parts package for the E60CP i was bought last week. THere were two available, but someone out bid me in the last 10 seconds and i fumbled around to much. To be sure i won the last parts pack (which actually head a bunch of extra sprues of parts like insulators and other rooftop electrical gear) I bid an insane price as well, but i grabbed it, and the price didn't go to high. Sure enough, it was the other guy who outbid me the first pack, who tried to push it up an extra $5, but i wasn't going to let that happen to me again, lol. i needed those parts!

the way i see it though, is i probably should have stuck to one kit part. Even though i'd prefer to have additional pantographs and window parts, these parts do belong to a model that no longer is made, and i suppose the universe balances out by me only getting one part kit. atleast someone else can complete theirs!

besides, i'm thinking of trying to make molds of the sprues. I'm afraid to do it to the window parts though, which are the toughest to make as far as molds and castings go.

Anyway, i'm trying to figure out which E60 to make. I already have one New Jersey Transit E60CH, and i figure thats enough. I also have one E60MA. The real question now is do i make this an Amtrak E60CH? and E60MA before they moved the numberboards up? or just another E60MA?

I think i'm leaning towards that last option. in which case, i think i just need to figure out which one. I'm thinking either Amtrak 606 or 609. I already have 610, which was the last locomotive to pull the Broadway Limited. Unless there are any other notable E60s, then i'm going to have to wing it.
 
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