The B&O Delaware Avenue Branch

[peteski]

. . .
Operations: (Yes Pete, I will be running trains!) My continued thought on this is that an operating session will last over several evenings after work (lone wolf here) with each evening some part of the switching process will take place. There is a lot going on here with no possible way of me getting bored with this.
. . .

Excellent boB!  It'll be fun following your layout's construction progress, and when the time comes, operations.

[John]

Operations: (Yes Pete, I will be running trains!) My continued thought on this is that an operating session will last over several evenings after work (lone wolf here) with each evening some part of the switching process will take place. There is a lot going on here with no possible way of me getting bored with this. One evening will be the arrival of cars from the staging, loco servicing and the yard goat breaking the arrival and classify it for the different sections (areas) of the layout. Each subsequent evening will be the transfer of cars from the yard to the appropriate area and switching of those customers. Empties will be collected and pulled back to the yard where the next area will be processed the following session. I'm hoping to throw some wrinkles in where empties from one section will have to be set out for other customers in a different section. I will need to make use of the municipal storage yard for that. Two customers may get switched every session. The B&O Perishable Products Terminal and Publicker Alcohol. At it's heyday, Publicker was shipping 6000 cars a month.

In the meantime - some of the track planning programs such AS XTRKCAD allow you to actually run trains on your design .. gives you some ideas of what you can do .. I also use JMRI operations module at home to develop switch lists and such ..  both programs  could allow you to "run trains" while you build

[TrainCat2]

Thanks John.

Basic exterior construction of Bailey's Warehouse is complete. I need to do the paint, weathering, glazing, blackout, details, etc.

[Ed Kapuscinski]

Holy *****.

Love it.

My only thought right now: why an engine shed?

[TrainCat2]

Holy *****.

Love it.

My only thought right now: why an engine shed?

Cuz an engine condominium won’t fit …

[TrainCat2]

Some puttzing around during lunch, I struck GOLD!!  I found a complete digital overlay map for land usage in 1942. Every single lot with owner and use for the entire length of the river shoreline. What a treasure trove! Here is the B&O area at Piers 62/63 with the clear outline of the Stock Yard.



Just to the south at the intersection of Delaware and Swanson was the PRR Office and PRR Baseball Field. Very cool.



And just before being torn down, here is the B&O/RDG Cold Storage building (on right) and what was left of the Perishable Products Terminal doing container duty. The SS United States was parked at Pier 82 in 1996 so that dates this pic.


 

[samusi01]

Is this overlay only for Philly on are there versions for other locations in the country? Also, does PA have some sort of site like California does that serves as a compendium of aerial photos? They have some very early images in some locations.

[TrainCat2]

The site I found was strickly for Philly. I'll post the link later.

So I was taking a virtual drive around the area between I-95 and Delaware Ave and I was able to find building dating back to the development of the area and I can use them as customers on the final module. I have drawn the area on the 1942 land use map. Notice that this area was right next to the B&O Perishable Terminal and straddled both B&O tracks on the east and PRR tracks on the west. The business at the top (north) was General Manufacturing Co, an animal rendering facility for the manufacturer of soaps. I don't want to think about the smell that plant gave off.



Aerial photo of the area from the early 30's. Notice the B&O water tower in the small triangle?



Same shot today using Google Earth 3D



Now for the General Mfg Co buildings and how they fared, going counter clockwise starting on Swanson (west). The tracks in this first pic connected to both PRR and B&O





The north side on Snyder Ave and you can still read the company name above the building. The new owner made a lot of changes and looks like they cleaned the building in the process.



These last two pics were on the east side and less recent modifications so the brick is more realistic to the timeframe I will be doing. Regardless, these images will be a great guide in scratch building.

[TrainCat2]

I finished the basic kitbash for the Merchants Warehouse. This one will probably be the largest on the layout. There is still a lot to do on it before it's placement ready..





I have also been using test pieces to try out different shading effects for the brick structure. I did one mortar test, but I was not thrilled with it. I am waiting on another product next week to try.

[John]

Nice kitbash -- will you be able to get the super glue marks off? 

[peteski]

Wow!  That is one impressive size structure.
One thing that looks a bit strange too me is that narrow vertical shaft with narrow windows squeezed right against the other columns of window openings.  I think I would have put it right over a column of windows. That would have made it look no so crowded. 

[TrainCat2]

John, I ran out of Tamiya Extra Thin so I had to use Testors which on a few occasions saturated out of the joints and I hit it with compressed air and let it dry on it's own. It's kinda shiney so it's reflecting. Once I hit it with the primer, there should be no sign of it.

Pete, the Middlesex does have that piece on the front, but when I used the back walls in the front, I had cut the bevel off and tried to square up the edges. It was not the greatest joint. Having that vertical piece back on the front covered that seam and is better than the alternative. Since there will be a double kit bash for another warehouse, I need to figure out a better way to join these so I don't have to use this section.

If your wondering, this warehouse is a bash of four Middlesex kits. 10 yrs ago, I bought a full case that was going to be a give-away for the Middlesex Upgrades I was releasing. Since that did not happen, I have a stash to bash.

[TrainCat2]

I also think you might want to take advantage of MBK's current sale on Bachman 0-6-0s.

They're projects, but they have surprisingly good bones.

Thxs Ed, I now have 6 of the 0-6-0's, 4 unlettered and 2 ATSF which I will pick the pad printing off. B&O Steam decals are also here so I will be busy.

I will be learning the hard way about Rapido to MTL coupler conversion as well as installing sound decoders, but I will have a proper loco fleet for the layout when done.

[TrainCat2]

Happy New Year all. I started painting Bailey Warehouse. There are no color images that I could find so I opted to add some Luck-O-Irish green for the windows and door.  The concrete was painted a tan with the first level of aging done. The brick was done in two colors as the upper floors were added on to the lower structure (in my world) so it would be natural that the brick would be a different color. The cast windows in DPM kits are a PITA to do but look good. As soon as the windows are done, I will add the india ink washes before sealing. Once sealed, I will add the mortar then details.

[toml]

boB ,that is an excellent layout ,and wonderful work! I am following this project. Should be awesome to operate . I think that photo with the truss bridge feeding the pier building is a must have though!

Keep up the great work