Hoboken Manufacturers Railroad Micro-Layout

[Jeff AKA St0rm]

Not a valid vimeo URL

Wow that was great put me down for that plan as well.

[BCR 570]

I can't imagine packing much more into 2 by 3 feet...

You could always add an underground subway . . . 

Tim

[DKS]

After discovering the mother lode of HMR historical information and photos, I spent most of my modeling hours recently doing research. The reference images offered a double-whammy of information: period photos taken in the snow! It was also fascinating to learn the HMR started out in life as an electric line, using steeplecab locos, and later some steam, before the conversion to diesel in the late 40s. The roster in 1929 was extensive and eclectic--











The research helped me fine-tune the (revised) plan with the remaining industries, assorted buildings and details. Play "spot the differences" along with Chris:

[Chris333]

Coal trestle for the win! 

[Chris333]

Doubt it could be modeled, but as I drove to work in my low rider today. I noticed all the cracks in the road were heaved up like speed bumps from the cold.

[M.C. Fujiwara]

Doubt it could be modeled, but as I drove to work in my low rider today. I noticed all the cracks in the road were heaved up like speed bumps from the cold.

Drip CA from top, or hold soldering iron below.

Coal trestle?
Across the street from housing?
Nobody with a heart (or lung) would ever allow that!
 

What I like are the many various viewing angles--move your head a few inches, take a step or two--and it's a whole new world (sorry, I meant "scene").
Fabulous planning and balance of scenes and ops.

Is the section highlighted (in teal?) between 15th and Stephen A Green open or covered?
And have you decided about the height of the Terminal Cold Storage at center-bottom?
Seems like tall would make more brick canyon & viewblock but a low (1-story or even "open" industry) would allow a better frame of the back of the tenements and allow the eye to take in everything from Spano Service through the X-ing shanty to the active track disappearing down under the EL left after the Rapid Transport Co.

And are the catenary wires active or dummy? 

[basementcalling]

Just give in already and fill the whole room! 

[DKS]

Doubt it could be modeled, but as I drove to work in my low rider today. I noticed all the cracks in the road were heaved up like speed bumps from the cold.

I think I'd have fun modeling frost heaves, but most of the roads will be Belgian block.

Coal trestle?
Across the street from housing?
Nobody with a heart (or lung) would ever allow that!

Maybe today. Back then, it was commonplace.

What I like are the many various viewing angles--move your head a few inches, take a step or two--and it's a whole new world (sorry, I meant "scene").
Fabulous planning and balance of scenes and ops.

Thank you.

Is the section highlighted (in teal?) between 15th and Stephen A Green open or covered?

Not sure what you mean by this. You mean the el? It will look sort of like this reference, with the portion marked "16th street el stop" modeled after the stop in the center of the image:

And have you decided about the height of the Terminal Cold Storage at center-bottom?
Seems like tall would make more brick canyon & viewblock but a low (1-story or even "open" industry) would allow a better frame of the back of the tenements and allow the eye to take in everything from Spano Service through the X-ing shanty to the active track disappearing down under the EL left after the Rapid Transport Co.

Terminal Cold Storage is already built. It's tall-ish, but about all it blocks is the backs of the tenements.



However, Spano's is very low, allowing a view down the tracks through the brick canyon.



Also, it's a tabletop layout, so it can be viewed from any side/angle; it has no "front" or "back."

And are the catenary wires active or dummy? 

Funny guy.

[M.C. Fujiwara]

Was being ironic about the coal dump. 
[Still happens today, too: when I lived in Bejiing one day in mid-November a big truck rolled up in front of my apartment and dumped a tall mountain of coal right on the sidewalk/street for us to step around/over and for the dudes who worked in the neighborhood heating plant--one per block--to shovel into storage.  November 15th we could turn on our steam-radiators]

The elevated station will look cool.
I was looking at the space top left between where 15th crosses over the lower tracks (where it's labeled "Newstand") and the left edge of Steven A. Green.
I could have sworn yesterday that area was boardered with your elevation line (bluegrey slate color?), but now I see that it's just indicating the track disappearing into the tunnel under Green.

Forgot that there's no permanent backdrop: definitely will be a fun layout to walk around and peer into nooks and crannies.
Perhaps even see an operating layout inside one of the tenement windows? 
(Just to pack in more trains)

[GimpLizard]

Perhaps even see an operating layout inside one of the tenement windows? 

How big (or, more appropriately, small) would N scale N scale be? I'd do the math, but my brain hurts this morning. 

[DKS]

I was looking at the space top left between where 15th crosses over the lower tracks (where it's labeled "Newstand") and the left edge of Steven A. Green.
I could have sworn yesterday that area was boardered with your elevation line (bluegrey slate color?), but now I see that it's just indicating the track disappearing into the tunnel under Green.

The blue-grey lines indicate stone walls, but they kind of blended together too much, so I pulled them back from the bridge just a bit so that the bridge stood out more.

How big (or, more appropriately, small) would N scale N scale be? I'd do the math, but my brain hurts this morning. 

25,600:1. Or, just a little bigger than this: http://jamesriverbranch.net/detail_16.htm

[Scottl]

The latest version of the layout is really remarkable.  I was a bit indifferent to this original concept and layout, but as you have refined it, I think it has become one of your best.  Everything just seems to fit perfectly.

[DKS]

The latest version of the layout is really remarkable.  I was a bit indifferent to this original concept and layout, but as you have refined it, I think it has become one of your best.  Everything just seems to fit perfectly.

Thank you. I have had similar feelings about it. Initially it was just an enthusiastic "get some trains running in a minimal space as quickly as possible while everything else is packed away" project, but as it's developed, I've been taking it more seriously. I'm still gung-ho about the Jersey City Industrial--maybe even more so, now that its setting has been redefined--but the HMR is becoming more interesting. Also, research has helped quite a lot; even though the layout is still mostly fantasy, virtually everything on it is based on something real, which I feel helps to make it a bit more believable.

[davefoxx]

25,600:1. Or, just a little bigger than this: http://jamesriverbranch.net/detail_16.htm

I love those videos imbedded in your blog, DKS, but the links seem to be broken this morning.  I'm getting, "An error occurred, please try again later."

DFF

[DKS]

I love those videos imbedded in your blog, DKS, but the links seem to be broken this morning.  I'm getting, "An error occurred, please try again later."

I closed my YouTube account, so all of the vids are gone. I'm re-uploading them to Vimeo, but that'll take some time.