The Haitian Sugar Train

S class

Member
hey guys thanks for the clarification on painting people, particulary with dark skin tones, the area I model will be predoninatly anglo but a few maori's or polynesians may make an apperance for the sake of being politically correct.

just as a side note not to hijack or anything but I am a bit of a history buff which is why im into trains but I've always found it interesting how very little social commentry is made in our work. Within the hobby MSM in the few years ive been reading ive only seen one passing mention (in regard to segregation on train carrages) to the social changes underway during the steam to diesel transition era in the U.S most notably the civil rights movement.
Now of course Im not saying everyone need to go and put a HO MLK on their layout but do you guys ever think about whats going on down there on the layout table or are your residents more enlightend then their contemporary cousins?
 

Doctor G

Well-Known Member
hey guys thanks for the clarification on painting people, particulary with dark skin tones, the area I model will be predoninatly anglo but a few maori's or polynesians may make an apperance for the sake of being politically correct.

just as a side note not to hijack or anything but I am a bit of a history buff which is why im into trains but I've always found it interesting how very little social commentry is made in our work. Within the hobby MSM in the few years ive been reading ive only seen one passing mention (in regard to segregation on train carrages) to the social changes underway during the steam to diesel transition era in the U.S most notably the civil rights movement.
Now of course Im not saying everyone need to go and put a HO MLK on their layout but do you guys ever think about whats going on down there on the layout table or are your residents more enlightend then their contemporary cousins?

Very interesting comments. The period I am modeling in Haiti in !920 is the time in History when the US "occupied" Haiti (1915-1935) and the US Marines were the de facto government. As in the picture above the US servicemen were a part of the social landscape. I will be trying to model them as well.

I think you are correct that the history of the prototype can be what makes this hobby a little more interesting.

Doc Tom
 

Doctor G

Well-Known Member
The "Bolet" next to the tracks

Hi All,

I wanted to scratchbuild another structure for the Haitian Sugar Train in On30. I wanted to build a small one as I had spent weeks on the 3 story structure "Le Petit Mec."

So I built a very characteristic structure seen through out Haiti. That is the "Bolet" or Haitian Lottery. These are very colorful and all over Haiti. See the prototype picture below.

Mine is the St Joseph Bolet. Many of these lottery establishments have religious names to help bring the patrons good luck. Basically you bet on a number that you think will win. The Haitians have a very elaborate system of numbers for images that appear in dreams. For example a horse may represent the number 33. If you dream of a horse you may wish to place a bet on "lucky 33" at the neighborhood Bolet. Like the lottery here if the number is selected you win big.

The model was built from card stock and is photographed as another colorful structure alongside the tracks in Port au Prince Haiti.

Hope you like it, Doc Tom
 

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Bill Nelson

Well-Known Member
That looks good, but did they have them in the 20's? If not, some anachronisms are too much fun to avoid, No one has commented about the 1940 ford that somebody is driving around 1928 Harlow Tn. I can't make myself give it up, as I have a really cool photo of the Meridian , Ms. Southern Rwy station in the 40's, with scores of those cool 1940 fords parked around it.

In any case I'm all for St. Joseph's. put me in for #21 , #22, and #15 twenty each of whatever they use for money down there; I feel lucky!

Bill Nelson
 

Doctor G

Well-Known Member
That looks good, but did they have them in the 20's? If not, some anachronisms are too much fun to avoid, No one has commented about the 1940 ford that somebody is driving around 1928 Harlow Tn. I can't make myself give it up, as I have a really cool photo of the Meridian , Ms. Southern Rwy station in the 40's, with scores of those cool 1940 fords parked around it.

In any case I'm all for St. Joseph's. put me in for #21 , #22, and #15 twenty each of whatever they use for money down there; I feel lucky!

Bill Nelson

Hey Bill,

I will place a call to my friends in Haiti and you will have a bet. The money is Haitian Gourdes about 42 gourdes to one US Dollar. If you have dreams tonight we can decipher them and figure what you should bet on.

I am not sure how long the numbers lottery has gone on in Haiti and couldn't find much on the web. Lets figure that since there was a "numbers racket" in the 20's in the USA it probably also made its way to Haiti.

Here is an interesting painting of a Haitian street scene depicting the lottery.

I did NOT catch the 1940's car in 1928 Harlow Tennessee. It is a neat car though and we cannot always be prototypically perfect.
Doc Tom:twisted:
 

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Bill Nelson

Well-Known Member
I did NOT catch the 1940's car in 1928 Harlow Tennessee. It is a neat car though and we cannot always be prototypically perfect.
Doc Tom:twisted:


if you look at the first photo in the 2nd to last post, the 1940 Ford is between #9 and the Ga. RR box car.

Bill Nelson
 

Doctor G

Well-Known Member
Another use for those On30 side dump cars

Hi Guys,
Here is another use of the beloved On30 Bachmann side dump ore cars.
A load of sugar cane has been brought in from Leogane and is dumped in the cane bins at the HASCO Mill ready to be squeezed in to sugar juice for rum and table sugar.

I like these cars. They are small, heavy, and track well on the very tight curves of this micro layout.

Of course all the old cane has to go somewhere after it is pressed. Some is used to fuel the locomotives and boilers of the mill. Some of it clogs up the drainage ditches around the mill and has to be cleaned out the old fashioned way with shovel and pick.
Doc Tom
 

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Bill Nelson

Well-Known Member
Tom this project has been inspirational. My shay won't do the tight curves, so I'm going to try to do a micro in HON3.

I have used some of my minuscule train budget to buy some HON3 flex track, with witch I will test working minimum radius's of my 2-4-4, 2-6-2, 2-6-0, my pierce arrow scratch-bash goose, and my two Shays. then some head scratching will be in order to come up with a micro or at least a mini design
 

Doctor G

Well-Known Member
Tom this project has been inspirational. My shay won't do the tight curves, so I'm going to try to do a micro in HON3.

I have used some of my minuscule train budget to buy some HON3 flex track, with witch I will test working minimum radius's of my 2-4-4, 2-6-2, 2-6-0, my pierce arrow scratch-bash goose, and my two Shays. then some head scratching will be in order to come up with a micro or at least a mini design

Hey Bill,

Glad to hear the micro bug has bitten another train nut. They are a lot of fun and suprisingly you can model a lot on them.

Carl Arendt's site has a lot of good ideas about micros. That is were I got the idea for the Haitian Sugar Hauler.

Here's a look at the pictures on Carl's site that inspired me.

Doc Tom:mrgreen:
 

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Doctor G

Well-Known Member
That's a very tempting concept, and relatively easy to tear down and re-do when the mood strikes. :thumb:
\

Yes all these micros are easy to move around,take to RR club, RR shows etc.

I recently had an invite to take mine to the annual train fest here in Clarksville. It is one of the reasons I have been working regularly to get it finished. We all need a little motivation.
Doc Tom:rolleyes:
 

Doctor G

Well-Known Member
I've been eyeing that same plan for myself, with the addition of a passing siding. :thumb:

Hi ytter_man,

Here is a picture I have posted before of how this layout worked for me. I also realize in looking back at the notes from the beginning of this project that the minimum radius is 12" not the 9" I reported a few posts back. Sorry for any confusion.

The micro layout is very doable in On30 but needs the smaller locomotives Porters and Davenports. Like Bill said I do not think the neat Bachmann On30 Shay will take these turns.

Good luck in your project......hope to see some pictures soon.
Doc Tom:wave:
 

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ytter_man

Member
I just got a porter and three V dumpers a few weeks ago, a climax might be in the works too as i've heard they've got a tighter radius than the Shay with the driveshaft being centered on the chassis and all.

SDC11320.jpg


Pic on my HO logging line, which might be partially dismantled in preparation for a move next year. This is why i'm going On30 for a while, and storing most of my HO stuff. Now that winter is coming i'll have time to work on things! sign1
 

Doctor G

Well-Known Member
I just got a porter and three V dumpers a few weeks ago, a climax might be in the works too as i've heard they've got a tighter radius than the Shay with the driveshaft being centered on the chassis and all.

SDC11320.jpg


Pic on my HO logging line, which might be partially dismantled in preparation for a move next year. This is why i'm going On30 for a while, and storing most of my HO stuff. Now that winter is coming i'll have time to work on things! sign1
Hi ytter_man,

That is a nice looking Porter. I am glad you were able to get one. I had heard they were hard to find at present (Bachmann interrupted production????).

You will enjoy On30 it is a lot of fun and to me a little easier to work with than HO......easy to see, work on, etc.

You have a very nice logging bridge there that brought back pleasant memories of my old HO logging pike. Here's a shot of the old C&S with a very similar logging bridge.

I found in HO at least that the Climax could take tight curves in stride better than the shays. I suspect you will find the same in On30.

Looking forward to seeing more of your adventure in On30.

Doc Tom:thumb:
 

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Doctor G

Well-Known Member
PIGS and PORTERS

PIGS and PORTERS

I wanted to model a scene depicting the FAUNA of Haiti. Here we see the ubiquitous Haitian Creole Black Pig munching on the decaying pressed sugar cane strewn all about the HASCO mill. These are interesting little critters and I thought you might enjoy this from Wikipedia:

"The Creole Pig was a breed of pig indigenous to the Caribbean nation of Haiti. Creole pigs were well adapted to the rugged terrain and sparse vegetation of Haiti. The pig’s resilience allowed Haitian peasants to raise these pigs with little resources. The peasants characterized their pigs as never getting sick.
Creole pigs served as a type of savings account for the Haitian peasant: They were sold or slaughtered to pay for marriages, medical emergencies, schooling, seeds for crops, or a vodou ceremony. The resillience and boisterous nature of the pigs, as well as their incorporation into vodou folklore and the oral history of the Haitian revolution, made them a symbol for the independence and personality of the Haitian people."

A picture of the real McCoy Pig follows the modeled shots.
Doc Tom
 

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Doctor G

Well-Known Member
The HASCO Mill gets a water tank

THE HASCO MILL GETS A WATER TANK

The Haitian American Sugar Company in downtown Port au Prince, Haiti recently got a water tank to use in processing sugar cane hauled in by the little Porter locomotives. It appears to have aged rather instantly in the salty Caribbean air. The red and blue are the predominant colors of the Haitian flag and in a patriotic spirit are seen all over Haiti.

Hope you like the pics.

Doc Tom
 

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Doctor G

Well-Known Member
Absolutely incredible!
Thanks Ekuth.

This has been an enjoyable project in a different scale and theme for me. It has been and still is a lot of fun.
Doc Tom:mrgreen:
 

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