Coal mine Railroad (in progress)


If you want to keep your layout simple (and inexpensive), you can stack about 10-14" of styrofoam diagonally across the center of the layout, giving it a viewing break, and dividing the layout in two halves. Half one can have a small siding and small coal mine, good for 3-4 small hopper cars. the coal mine can extend from the styrofoam to simulate a coal mine. A small siding on the opposite side of the layout to simulate a dock with perhaps a small ship docked to take on the coal loads. If you want some kind of military activity on the dock side of your layout, you can get 2-3 scale models of LST's, and you can call it a Naval Reserve base.
 
mike8693 said:
this fence would probably work
http://www.hobbylinc.com/htm/mcs/mcs87985.htm?source=froogle
if you froogle it there is other options without barbed wire the top. I think you can get a good layout out of your wants but maybe cut it back some. It would take A TON of space to model planes and part of a runway or a realistic harbor. What you could do is maybe model a small ammunitions factory and a town on half of the layout and have a backdrop down the middle and on the other side the army base. Then you could also have an industry or two that also supports the town. Maybe something like below. The top left is a town, below that a factory, then to the right a fenced in base, and above that an ammunitions factory.
podude.jpg
Click to expand...

I would love to. Unfortunately enough though, I don't have sufficient track to be able to do that with. I wish that I did though. It looks really interesting and it looks like I would have fun with it too.

bnsf971 said:
If you want to keep your layout simple (and inexpensive), you can stack about 10-14" of styrofoam diagonally across the center of the layout, giving it a viewing break, and dividing the layout in two halves. Half one can have a small siding and small coal mine, good for 3-4 small hopper cars. the coal mine can extend from the styrofoam to simulate a coal mine. A small siding on the opposite side of the layout to simulate a dock with perhaps a small ship docked to take on the coal loads. If you want some kind of military activity on the dock side of your layout, you can get 2-3 scale models of LST's, and you can call it a Naval Reserve base.
Click to expand...

I am not to sure what an "LST" is. I also no longer want a coal mine. It's too predictable. Almost everyone that I know has a coal mine somewhere on their home layout. Now what I was thinking, was that in preparation for Operation Desert Storm, the Department of Defense couls have it's own train running supplies out to a USAF base and then they would be loaded onto the aircraft waiting there to take them over to the Gulf. Tell me what ya'll think?
 
the track is 3 snap switches, 13 18inch radius sections, 4 9 inch straights, 2 6 inch and 2 3 inch so if you bought all new atlas track it would only cost about 55 dollars. Were you just thinking a basic oval?
 
Exo, an LST is a Landing Ship, Tank. The only ones still in use during Desert Storm were the Newport class and they were still large ships at 522 feet long.

Since you only have an oval of track, why not just lay that down on some plywood and enjoy running your trains. You can use XtrkCAD to draw up some ideas to match your military base plans when you have the money to buy some switches and more tracks.
 
Exohead said:
I also no longer want a coal mine. It's too predictable. Almost everyone that I know has a coal mine somewhere on their home layout. Now what I was thinking, was that in preparation for Operation Desert Storm, the Department of Defense couls have it's own train running supplies out to a USAF base and then they would be loaded onto the aircraft waiting there to take them over to the Gulf. Tell me what ya'll think?
Click to expand...
How about a munitions depot? In your Layout World, the government could have taken over an old coal mine, and stored ordinance there. You could run boxcars from the depot to the dock.
 
Well, I guess then that it is a bonus that I already have Xtrkcad, huh? I can always use that for what I want my layout to look like when it is finally done but all I really want for now is a continuous loop between a USAF base and a US Army base. The only problem with having a military layout is that the models are so frikken expensive. For now I will have to save my pennies and hopefully make do with my paper. I made 4 paper barracks buildings last night and I will be making 4 more tonight, as well as my small motor pool, a shooting range, and a freight warehouse. The freight warehouse will be built in the same way that the barracks were built.
 
That's an idea

bnsf971 said:
How about a munitions depot? In your Layout World, the government could have taken over an old coal mine, and stored ordinance there. You could run boxcars from the depot to the dock.
Click to expand...

Hey. Well now, that is certainly a great idea. The only problem is that, to my very limited knowledge, the US wouldn't have stored munitions in an old coal mine. I may be wrong but I don't think that they would have done that. Now I could still make a munitions factory, somehow, using my paper or some
1/8" balsa wood sticks that I can just cover up with paper afterwards.
 
I have decided that my military base will have a munitions factory nearby that supplies the army their M16A2, Colt Defense, the industry that makes the M1 Abrams tank, General Dynamics, and the industry that made the M113A1 Armored Personell Carrier, I think that it was made by mattel (yeah, the toy company), will be on the layout. I will have a few other vehicles on the layout from elsewhere. But mostly what will be shipped will be the M16A2s for the army to use during Desert Storm. The entire layout will be based in 1990-1991 in the late winter. My military base will be getting ready to ship out equipment for use in Operation: Desert Storm. Tell me what you all think of my industry ideas.
 
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The M113 FAV's have always been made by FMC, now United Defense. I'm not aware of any combat material ever made by Mattel. The M113 FAV's were made in various plants in Pennsylvania. Colt is located in Connecticut. The M1A1 tank is produced in Lima, Ohio. All pretty far apart for one oval of track. Maybe picking out one of these companies and shipping their product to the munitions depot makes more sense.
 
Whatever. So that you know, It is the M113A1 APC, not FAV, that I am looking for. Another thing, the M1A1 Abrams tank is also made ins Scranton Pennsylvania. And the
M16A2s are made by Colt Defense as well as other companies. Keep in mind that this isn't based in the present. It is based in 1990-1991, when Operation: Desert Storm was taking place. I was actually thinking about saving up and getting parts to scratchbuild a car on my own. The car would be a made up car that would be made special for the military. It would have racks inside of a boxcar with double doors, but the racks would be attached to the boxcar and they would have M16A2s on them.
 
Exo, you're doing it again. The term "FAV" means Family of Armored Vehicles, used to describe the M113, since there were many versions beside the armored personel carrier. Every single M1A1 tank used in Desert Storm was produced at the Lima Ohio Tank Plant. I'm very familiar with Desert Storm since I was an adult when it happened and I have three family members who served.

M16 rifles were generally shipped in containers or DODX boxcars. The rifles were packed in standard wooden crates and were stacked on pallets. No special cars were ever made to transport them.

But, as you say, whatever. Enjoy your oval of track and make it to be what you want it to be. It's clear that you neither want nor appreciate advice, since you already know about everything you're asking. I will not trouble you again in the future.
 
Well then. I guess this thread is closed. I MIGHT open up a research thread so I can share my research with everyone and see if it can be validated. I'll talk to you later everyone. By the way, I'm sorry Jim. I didn't mean to get you so ticked of. I was just trying to encourage my own creativity which I have a very hard time doing. I will look and see but I do, however, know that I could create a MODERN military base in which Colt Defense made firearms in a FICTIONAL area that is based off of a real place. I am actually thinking about going back to the Coal Mine idea because of costs. Besides, I already have plenty of coal hoppers that I can put my "Coal" into. I actually use gravel that is spray painted black for my coal. It's ground up real fine with a hammer. Anyways. I will open up that research thread here in a second.

I hereby pronounce this thread to be.... CLOSED!
 
I hereby pronounce this thread to be.... Reopened!

After recently moving all of my equipment to a much larger space, My love of coal-hauling has been rekindeled. I still don't have space for an open mine, but the above-ground structures of a coal mine or running the tracks down into the mine to get loaded would certainly add interest to a layout.

I have also redesigned my entire track plan. All of the cities on this layout are real cities in PA. The Boalsburg, State College & Selinsgrove railroad is it's new name. All of the cities are real, as well as any of their rail served industries. I will, however, have to add a few industries and some other things that are not actually there in reality.

It is a point to point layout, I'm not sure how long yet, starting in Boalsburg and making a turn in Mifflintown, and then following Route 104 to Selinsgrove (I'm pretty sure it's Route 104). I will post up my track plan whenever I get a chance.
 
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