Hoboken Manufacturers Railroad Micro-Layout

[kelticsylk]

Dave,
I'm finding a LOT of historical photos of cold storage facilities with lots of windows, like this one...


I'll bet those lower windows were bricked over at some later date.

Although modern facilities use totally different construction back in the day they had to have windows for light. These buildings were built a long time ago and electric lighting was an option. I found this floor plan of an ice making plant from "Ice and Refrigeration Illustrated" 1891..


You can see the storage units are internal and similar to modern walkin refrigerators. It didn't matter how many windows there were...



Steam powered compressors? Gas refrigerators? There is a prototype for everything, including cold storage buildings with lots of windows.



The entire issue can be read or downloaded here...
http://babel.hathitrust.org/cgi/pt?id=chi.104876399;view=1up;seq=9

[Ian MacMillan]

I had this one on the SIB. Loosely based off the bricked up windows on a few of the sides of Worcester Cold Storage (RIP W6)

[conrailthomas519]

Thanks Good looking Ian!

[OldEastRR]

So many prospects possible with this. A crowded urban scene is great when you can crowd it really full -- compress a spaghetti bowl tight enough and it doesn't look like a spaghetti bowl anymore, but something completely different.
You have many building clusters and street scenes, and track passing through them, but have you considered a "railroad only" scene, a small zone where it seems like the RR is by itself though buried in the middle of a metropolis? What I'm thinking about is that area at the bottom of the layout plan, the depressed track running beneath Hudson Oil to the tail track/road. Daylighting that section and continuing the retaining wall to the right to meet a tunnel  (or viaduct) entrance just before the tail track crosses the street would give that "isolated in the crowd" basic scene of just a single track, maybe a speeder shed or crew shack, telephone box on a pole,a stairway to street level, and open ground (with miscellaneous junk) around the track. Basically it'd have the same elements as a section of single track out in the sticks. This scene would be a cutaway view, with the edge of the layout being where the other retaining wall would be. Being below street level would give that isolated area impression, yet still have the whole scene fit in and be part of the entire layout. Plus you'd have one of those passing track switches out in the open instead of hidden. Also the point of view looking up from this low point at the edge toward the center of the layout would look pretty neat.
Also, have you plans to include any wooden structures on the layout? Your historical photos show some here and there.

[DKS]

So many prospects possible with this. A crowded urban scene is great when you can crowd it really full -- compress a spaghetti bowl tight enough and it doesn't look like a spaghetti bowl anymore, but something completely different.
You have many building clusters and street scenes, and track passing through them, but have you considered a "railroad only" scene, a small zone where it seems like the RR is by itself though buried in the middle of a metropolis? What I'm thinking about is that area at the bottom of the layout plan, the depressed track running beneath Hudson Oil to the tail track/road. Daylighting that section and continuing the retaining wall to the right to meet a tunnel  (or viaduct) entrance just before the tail track crosses the street would give that "isolated in the crowd" basic scene of just a single track, maybe a speeder shed or crew shack, telephone box on a pole,a stairway to street level, and open ground (with miscellaneous junk) around the track. Basically it'd have the same elements as a section of single track out in the sticks. This scene would be a cutaway view, with the edge of the layout being where the other retaining wall would be. Being below street level would give that isolated area impression, yet still have the whole scene fit in and be part of the entire layout. Plus you'd have one of those passing track switches out in the open instead of hidden. Also the point of view looking up from this low point at the edge toward the center of the layout would look pretty neat.
Also, have you plans to include any wooden structures on the layout? Your historical photos show some here and there.

As it happens, the first version of the plan had the lower track exposed all the way to the right corner, where the switchback tail crossed over it on a bridge before it ducked into a tunnel. I really liked that arrangement; however, as I began building the layout this way, it became (to my eye) awkward-looking. In addition to requiring an overly-long stretch of retaining wall, it had the effect of rendering the remaining part of the town above as something of an "island," which consequently reinforced the feeling of it being a tiny layout, rather than a slice of a larger world. I think the stretch of lower track that remains visible is enough to serve the purpose you describe. As to your other question, yes; I have plans for a couple of wooden structures.

[OldEastRR]

I like the "slice of real world" comment, that's how I've tried to build a couple of layouts. Since you referred me to the original plan, I see how you've reinforced that "slice" idea by gradually evolving the plan from a mishmash of streets and buildings going every which way to a uniform, big city core grid pattern (except for the tracks of course) - just like somebody chopped out a part of a big city. So when and how are you going to finish that evolution?

[DKS]

I like the "slice of real world" comment, that's how I've tried to build a couple of layouts. Since you referred me to the original plan, I see how you've reinforced that "slice" idea by gradually evolving the plan from a mishmash of streets and buildings going every which way to a uniform, big city core grid pattern (except for the tracks of course) - just like somebody chopped out a part of a big city. So when and how are you going to finish that evolution?

When: as of this writing, the track is laid, the streets are locked in, and all but a couple of the buildings have been chosen and started. How: it begins with plans in AnyRail. When I feel as though I'm ready to give things a try, I'll lay the track, although I've done this twice after having a sleepy brainstorm on how to improve the plan. Then I'll mark out streets with a pencil and begin mocking up buildings. I had all of the buildings chosen and started prior to the track plan change; afterward, the majority of buildings had to be altered or replaced.

Choosing structures is the hardest step, because what I envision in my mind doesn't always work in real life, so I may go through a number of iterations before I'm satisfied. For instance, I was going to have two large downtown buildings dominate the center of the plan. However, this didn't work, because there wasn't enough variation in structure "granularity" for the area to look as though it had grown organically, the way real cities evolve. So I replaced the two big buildings with five smaller ones, and now that area works much better.

There may be more changes to come, but it's unlikely anything major will happen from here on out. I'll post pics of the layout's current state shortly.

[DKS]

Here's a quick update. Most of the revised buildings have been started, and the few remaining that haven't been started have been designed. (Thankfully the three main industries needed no modification.) An overview of the layout offers a sense of the changes made:



At the top left corner of this view is Lehigh Coal; this will be one of two wooden structures, the other one being a small industry on the other side of the tracks from Hudson Oil, which is roughly top center.

The most significant adjustment to the arrangement of structures, as mentioned, was to replace the two large central buildings with five smaller ones:



In the background can be seen, from left to right, the redesigned cold storage building, the gas station (in its third and final home), and Hudson Oil.

Elsewhere, after several revisions, this industry came together much better after moving the gas station away:

[davefoxx]

You get a big thumbs up from me.  This is coming along nicely.

If you get the chance, I 'd like to see a lower angled picture that shows the whole layout, giving a perspective of how your grades are coming together.

Thanks,
DFF

[DKS]

Here you go, Dave.



Bear in mind, appearances are deceiving. The lower grade, rising from left to right, is <5%, but it looks steeper because the track directly above it is rising (at <2%) in the opposite direction.

[davefoxx]

That looks great.  I'm really enjoying your layout, because I spent a fair amount of time in Hoboken when my brother and his wife lived there a little more than ten years ago.  They lived on Garden Street, practically around the corner from the area you're modeling, where there was condominiums going up, if I remember correctly.  I recall jogging in Hoboken and finding rails still in the streets in places around the station and along Frank Sinatra Drive.

DFF

[packers#1]

I'm really looking forward to watching this come together; the overall shots are just fantastic, but I have a feeling the little details are just going to make this layout pop

[Baronjutter]

Have you test run some stuff on the track to make sure the things you plan on running can handle the grades?

[DKS]

Have you test run some stuff on the track to make sure the things you plan on running can handle the grades?

Nope! I'm living dangerously!

[davefoxx]

A locomotive and two to three cars will have no problem on a 5% climb.

DFF