A duo of Nashville and Western units uses a series of push/pull moves to switch the 3M plant in Old Hickory (Nashville suburb), TN. After posting yesterday’s blog and track plan, I reached out to my resident expert on prototype operations, retired NS railroader, Tom Holley. My question was, at what point does a shoving […]
Category: Prototype
Breaking News From Miami
Some shocking, but great news out of Miami. Yesterday, Tolga Erbora informed me that track for a new industry is being laid a few hundred yards north of where The Downtown Spur splits from the main. For decades, there was a trash recycling business across the main from Hialeah Market Station. At one time there […]
Setting Priorities On A Freight Car Upgrade
When I upgrade a freight car, I split the work into two groups and prioritize accordingly. The first (and most important) group consists of upgrades that contribute the most to visual impact. I start with these. They are the things you notice when you first walk into the room and view the cars from five […]
LAJ 1/21/26 Update
Overall view of the 54-inch-long extension with mockups in place. Sometimes you need to thrash around for a while to find a path forward that motivates you. For me, answers come from “doing” and testing in 3D. Spending months (or years) drawing sketches isn’t particularly productive. Two-dimensional drawings tell you very little. Testing in 3D […]
From Aerials & Maps to (some) Clarity.
Conceptual sketch, with thoughts and notes, on where I’m thinking of taking the LAJ 1960s version. For a number of reasons, I plan to focus my upcoming efforts on the LAJ layout. I like the feel of the room, its openness, the mid-century modern interior design, and the way the sun floods the space in […]