Container Yard

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Thanks Josh, that explains a lot. Probably a thick section (about .060) sheet plastic would work as a spreader. It comes in 12" lengths.

Larry
 
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This is the area where the table is going to be for the containers & trailers.
 
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Finally got all of the skirting finished around the whole layout last week. Took many many yards to do the job & I still have enough left over to close in the container tables.

Larry C.
 
Bought the lumber & built the table today. It's 36" wide & 16ft long. Using 5/8 5 ply CDX plywood for the top. Have decided to rout out the area for the tracks(embed in plywood), then cover the open area around the tracks w/patching plaster instead of sheetrock mudd. Will also pour a thin layer of plaster over the whole table top to fill all the gaps & holes in the plywood face. I have to buy about 100 ft of NS flex, 6 R/H & 6 L/H switchs. Some cork roadbed from the main line to the yards. Also have to remove about 4 buildings in line w/the cutoff from the mainline. All of the turnouts will be mechanical controlled or use groundthrows. I will also scratchbuild some office buildings & gates across the tracks. The whole yard will be fenced.
I'll take some pics of the finished table tomorrow & post them. It's made out of 1x6 treated side & end rails & the 24" on center supports are made out of PT 1x4's. The legs are L shaped 1x6's on 4 corners & a straight leg in the middle. All legs will be bolted to the floor w/angle brackets. Tomorrow I'm making some anti-shake corner braces(gussets). I've already started doing some planning for track placement.
Hope to get all the track & stuff at the train show in palmetto the 21st. If not will have to order it from my mailorder hobby shop.

larry
 
I have found that asphalt and concrete are both modeled effectively using appropriately colored and textured matboard. Goto any framing store and ask to see their selection; there are some examples that match various shades of asphalt, down to the splotches formed by rain and oil. Concrete is even easier to find color and texture matches for.

Matboard cuts easily, and most shops will perform cuts for you at little or no charge. A 32" x 40" sheet can cost less than $8.00!

It is a perfect thickness for laying right on top of the ties between the tracks, and scores well with a hobby knife. Depending upon the core color - which might differ from the surface color, one might have to apply paint to the cut edges.

Virtually any adhesive will hold it in place, and of course, it accepts paint exceptionally well - so you can weather it to your heart's content.

David
 
I forgot to mention that one can lay down a conrete or asphalt yard using matboard in far less than the time it takes for putty, plaster, drywall mudd, or Sculptamold to set, much less dry.
 
dmeephd said:
I have found that asphalt and concrete are both modeled effectively using appropriately colored and textured matboard. Goto any framing store and ask to see their selection; there are some examples that match various shades of asphalt, down to the splotches formed by rain and oil. Concrete is even easier to find color and texture matches for.

Matboard cuts easily, and most shops will perform cuts for you at little or no charge. A 32" x 40" sheet can cost less than $8.00!

It is a perfect thickness for laying right on top of the ties between the tracks, and scores well with a hobby knife. Depending upon the core color - which might differ from the surface color, one might have to apply paint to the cut edges.

Virtually any adhesive will hold it in place, and of course, it accepts paint exceptionally well - so you can weather it to your heart's content.

David
Click to expand...

David:

Interesting. I'll have to check this out.

Thanks for the tip.

Jacob
 
If you're going to use the plaster mud, add your concrete coloring to the mix before trowling it so chips won't show up as clumps of snow.
 
The Table is finished. Now for all of the track, etc.:)
 
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I did a temporary track layout today on the container yard. I may change things later. I only have 1 switch coming off the main line. Where the big space is on the left looking toward the mainline I'm going to put some low profile warehouses there, probably scratchbuilt. the middle is for trailers & containers. I may later on scratchbuild a larger container loading crane.
 
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Larry, I have been watching your progress. I also am planning on a container terminal on my layout.

I began looking for HO containers and got lucky. Sort of!
hocontainers.gif

The picture shows about half of the containers I bought from one source.

As you can see painting is needed. I don't see a problem with that but I was thinking... since I make resin parts I may make castings of Three high (as one cast).

Would that help you in any way?
Victor
 
Larry, looking good, im looking forward to seeing some more progress on that intermodal yard :D

Victor i might be interested in a bunch if you decide to do some castings of containers 3 high :D What size would you do them in? 20', 40', 45', 48', or 53'?
 
Source?

Hello Victor!

Who's your source for those containers?

David

Victor Ferguson said:
Larry, I have been watching your progress. I also am planning on a container terminal on my layout.

I began looking for HO containers and got lucky. Sort of!
hocontainers.gif

The picture shows about half of the containers I bought from one source.

As you can see painting is needed. I don't see a problem with that but I was thinking... since I make resin parts I may make castings of Three high (as one cast).

Would that help you in any way?
Victor
Click to expand...
 
I bought the whole lot from a seller on eBay. I can't remmeber much about him right now I will check.

I think they came as is from Athearn's parking lot sale when they were moving some time ago.
Victor
 
Mirror use

I know you are building a lot larger container facility than I had room for, but I thought I might leave you with another idea. I took a hint from John Armstrong and decided to utilze some mirrors to make my yard look much bigger.

The mirrors are nothing more than mirror faced decorative tiles that I stood up at end of the tracks facing back down the freight yard. Remember to place them in a such a manner that you don't see your own refection.
 
atsfdonn or donnstrains2go on eBay (think they're the same guy) are great sources of undec containers. I got my 40' containers for the Circus car from him.
 
Victor, I'm interested in the 3 high resin sets when you figure out a price. I need about 100 containers. I have 44 double stack cars that are all loaded w/containers.

Railandsail, where did you get that container crane? I was thinking about trying to make something like that, but, just a little longer & set it on a set of rails.
 
Here's a few photo's of what I've been doing for about a week. Routed out the slots for the tracks first & then spent part of yesterday & today nailing down the tracks. before I can start pouring concrete I've got to wire up all my toggle switches for blocks. I'm using ground throws for all of the turnouts.
I've got 2 low profile buildings coming from Walthers(they were the cheapest, beleive it or not) for the left side of the yard.
 
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