Welcome to the Gauge, Enzo. You don't have to worry about people not being civil on this site. One of the great things about the gauge is that we are a community of modellers who enjoy our hobby and our fellowship. I think you'll find some of the nicest people anywhere on the Gauge.
I looked at your web site, very nice! I noticed a citrus packing house in the San Jose part of yourlayout. Citrus is pretty much a Southern California fruit. It is very susceptible to frost. Near San Jose the farms grow a lot of apples in Watsonville near Santa Cruz, and in the Salinas valley we grow a lot of fruits and vegetables. The area is probably best known for lettuce, but brocolli, apricots, peaches, various berries, cherries, & walnuts all grow in the area. On the San Francisco Peninsula Half Moon Bay out on the coast about half way between San Fran and San Jose was known for artichokes.
On your history page, you mentioned billboard reeferds being phased out and 36 foot cars disappearing in favor of 40 and 50 foot cars. There was one significant exception that can add a ot of color to your railroad. The meat companies, Armour, Rath, Swift, Morrell, & Hormel all operated private fleets of billboard reefers advertising their company's products. Theses meat reefers were always 36 foot cars, because the loading docks at the packing plants were built with loading doors spaced for 36 foot cars. The meat companies didn't want to change their warehouses, so they continued buying 36 foot cars through the 1950's when many went out of business and others went over to the trucking industry for transportation.
I'm just joint this forum, and browsing around, I've found arguments very intersesting for me. This's the reason why I register : try to participate to the best hobby in the word! I'm living in Italy now but I love US trains ( SP over all )
