Jersey City Industrial Railroad Micro-Layout

[DKS]

If I rotate things around I see in one view that the whole building to the left has been torn down. 

There are a lot of changes between views, and also between services. This building: http://binged.it/16JKRoy

looks like it burned down: https://maps.google.com/maps?q=youngstown+oh&hl=en&ll=41.084592,-80.637586&spn=0.002825,0.004699&sll=39.995859,-74.164615&sspn=0.25986,0.601501&t=h&hnear=Youngstown,+Mahoning,+Ohio&z=19

[DKS]

Managed to make some headway on the Rearden plant main building--







Also re-built the sawtooth extension. Still not completely satisfied, but I like it better than before.





Build article: http://whiteriverandnorthern.net/chapter_9b.htm

[basementcalling]

Those are very impressive structures. Kitbashing just isn't the right word for what you do with buildings. 

[DKS]

Thanks, Peter. As it happens, the sawtooth building is no more. The harder I worked on it, the more I realized that it was one of those "gotta have" elements, just like the lift bridge. I was not liking many aspects of it, either, such as the waaay oversize brick, especially as it would be attached to a building with much-closer-to-scale brick, and across the street from a building with scale brick. Plus, it really broke away from the architectural style of the rest of the complex rather radically, making it look a  bit too hodgepodge-ish. Letting it go helped clear the way for a considerably better option.



It's all just as well, because I returned to the maps and image archives in search of architectural inspiration and found that sawtooth roofs were not as common in Jersey City as I'd thought. After a while, I got a better sense of what I should do, as the style shown above seemed fairly prevalent, and I determined that the Cornerstone modular system offered a way to simulate it. I did, however, need to make some pretty radical alterations to the modular parts: I had to cut each and every part twice, and throw away three-fourths of each part. Those familiar with the modular system will recognize what I did.

I'm not especially fond of the modular system, not because of its style, but because it's quite tedious getting every part to fit properly without leaving obvious seams. And even after a lot of fussing, the seams are still evident; my hope is that some vines and careful weathering will help mitigate the flaws. At any rate, I'm at last pleased with this part of the complex.

[Dave Schneider]

David,

For what it's worth, I like the change for a different reason. I can't seem to recall ever seeing a building with stone on the first floor and brick on the second. I'm sure "there is a prototype for everything", but the previous building seemed to stray from your intent of modeling the ordinary. I have really been enjoying watching your progress on this new layout.

Best wishes, Dave

[DKS]

I can't seem to recall ever seeing a building with stone on the first floor and brick on the second. I'm sure "there is a prototype for everything", but the previous building seemed to stray from your intent of modeling the ordinary. I have really been enjoying watching your progress on this new layout.

If you wander around Reading, PA, you'll see just such a building. That's one place off the top of my head; I'm sure if there's one, there's more.

[Dave Schneider]

Thanks David. I haven't spent much time in the east, so that is probably why it looked a bit out if place to me.

Best wishes, Dave

[VonRyan]

If you wander around Reading, PA, you'll see just such a building. That's one place off the top of my head; I'm sure if there's one, there's more.

There is/was one up in North Jersey at "Overbrook Insane Asylum", more recently known by it's decaying sign as "Essex County Hospital Center". One of the wings had a very interesting mix of stone and brick, plus a beautiful green copper roof.


-Cody F.

[DKS]

There is/was one up in North Jersey at "Overbrook Insane Asylum", more recently known by it's decaying sign as "Essex County Hospital Center". One of the wings had a very interesting mix of stone and brick, plus a beautiful green copper roof.

Interesting. While searching for images of this, I stumbled upon a different but related structure that appears to have a stone first floor, and brick from there on up.

http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/f/fa/Utah_State_Hospital_%281896%29.jpg

[Chris333]

With my hard drive down I haven't been posting much, but still have a few pics of my copy cat layout:
https://picasaweb.google.com/ErieChris333/IndustrialLayout
I had my Hardwood furniture done before you posted your building 

Also used a curved turnout by "Vulcan mfg" to give the tight spot in the road more room.

Not sure exactly what other buildings I will copy. Right now I'm getting all the turnout linkages working and wired.

[Alaska Railroader]

I truly like stone used in industrial buildings. Having grown up in NE Ohio it wasn't all that hard to find stone (hewn or not) in our architecture, especially in old homes. But I agree, its not common for a complete first floor in an industrial or commercial structure. Here are 2 samples from my old neck of the woods.
http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/0/04/Cleveland_Grays_Armory_Comprehensive.jpg
http://www.uakron.edu/dotAsset/1369519.jpg

[DKS]

Wow, Chris, you went and made one anyway!  Awesome. Guess you really like the plan!

I like your take on the big industry a lot (I knew I would enjoy seeing the differences between our building designs). Interesting to see you kept the road going up and over. I had to drop that in order to preserve the transfer crane behind the factory, which was at risk because I extended the stone and (originally) stone/brick sections. Decided I wanted the crane more than the road bridge.

[VonRyan]

Interesting. While searching for images of this, I stumbled upon a different but related structure that appears to have a stone first floor, and brick from there on up.

http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/f/fa/Utah_State_Hospital_%281896%29.jpg

Now there's and handsome structure!

I have quite an interest in Asylums, especially abandoned ones, and there aren't too many left here in NJ.
One of the biggest draws of me is that at most every abandoned asylum in NJ that I've read about, there always seems to be one room or crawlspace where all the patient records were simply amassed in a sort of haphazard manner.


-Cody F.

[VonRyan]

With my hard drive down I haven't been posting much, but still have a few pics of my copy cat layout:
https://picasaweb.google.com/ErieChris333/IndustrialLayout
I had my Hardwood furniture done before you posted your building 

Also used a curved turnout by "Vulcan mfg" to give the tight spot in the road more room.

Not sure exactly what other buildings I will copy. Right now I'm getting all the turnout linkages working and wired.

Another handsome structure!


-Cody F.

[Specter3]

Anyone else notice that the imposing brick building that DKS posted is not symmetric?