One of the biggest advantages of modeling the present is that research information is so easily attainable. For example you can make site visits to measure and photograph structures, streets, or rolling stock.
It also makes having all of your answers relatively easily answered in terms of how operations unfolded. Case in point, yesterday Tolga Erbora filmed an outstanding documentary of the local working the Downtown Spur. The film starts as the train enters the spur, follows it’s operations, and concludes with it leaving the line. Not only does this tell us which industries were worked but how many cars were involved, their type, and number. The film also shows the exact sequences used and how long the entire process took.
Click HERE to view the documentary.
With respect to how long the entire sequence took, Tolga wrote: ” They left the yard around 8:50, worked FPT between 9:15 and 9:45, then we got O721 for Homestead and breakfast. Caught up with the train at 11:20 at 12th Ave. Followed west to Sun Gas which was worked between 11:30 and 11:50, then they got to Hialeah at 12:20. “
The beauty of all of this information is that I could model the prototype session exactly on my layout.