Hey guys. I recently took a trip to the Norfolk/Va Beach area. If anyone is familiar with the area, you'll know of the three "bridge-tunnels" in the area, two of which are on the main interstates leading into the area, and the other is a toll bridge-tunnel on a federal highway leading to VA's Eastern Shore. To make a long story short, I mapped a railroadly-scenic route from my hotel, up the toll bridge-tunnel, to Cape Charles, back down, through East, up the I-64 bridge-tunnel, down the I-664 bridge-tunnel, onto I-264, through the downtown Norfolk tunnel, over a draw bridge, and back to the hotel. The Cape Charles trip was quite interesting, as the Eastern Shore Railroad not only runs through and has a yard there, but operates a railroad barge from Cape Charles to Norfolk, interchanging with NS. I didn't see the barge, but I got a good look at several port operations, and a few locomotives. The East Norfolk leg was lousy, until the interchange with I-64. There were a few tracks where I suspect the barge connects with NS. A few operations were going on, so it provided for a bit of scenery. The I-64 bridge-tunnel provided large ships, but nothing else. Once I got on I-664, things began to get interesting. My take on the port I saw was this: A large coal exporting operation, with five-story coal mounds and a coal ?crane?(Not a tipple)Also a large container exporting operation, with four or five container cranes and containers stacked upwards of six per. Container ships were docked at the container port; coal ships were docked at the coal port.
I went through downtown four or five times. I always saw a pair of tracks with bascule bridges over the water. The bridges were always up; a train never on the track. It interests me that the bridges didn't move.
This has all gotten me interested in modeling a port. Probably not a huge port, but large enough to incorporate containers, coal, a barge(Walthers kit), several ship-loading cranes, water, and a bridge or two. I have a trackplan in mind, but no software to put it on. Until then, I'd like some suggestions for cranes, structures, bridges, kitbashing ideas, etc.
I'll update this tomorrow with more of an idea of what I'd like to do.
Thanks,
Matt
I went through downtown four or five times. I always saw a pair of tracks with bascule bridges over the water. The bridges were always up; a train never on the track. It interests me that the bridges didn't move.
This has all gotten me interested in modeling a port. Probably not a huge port, but large enough to incorporate containers, coal, a barge(Walthers kit), several ship-loading cranes, water, and a bridge or two. I have a trackplan in mind, but no software to put it on. Until then, I'd like some suggestions for cranes, structures, bridges, kitbashing ideas, etc.
I'll update this tomorrow with more of an idea of what I'd like to do.
Thanks,
Matt