Model Railroad Blog

The Spur, December 17

Urban scenery is much more time consuming to construct than its counterpart in mother nature.  Streets, sidewalks, lots, and utility poles generally are more time consuming to construct than the actual structures.  Shown above is the intersection of 13th Avenue and 23rd Street.  The recently completed Cuba Tropical Produce structure has been “planted” on the left.  The grade crossing was made using CustomTraxx street rail with photo laminated pavement between the rails.

I’ve never been totally satisfied with the street transitions from 3D layout to 2D backdrop.  To get around that, I’ve resorted more and more to “T” intersections.  Not as common as a through intersection, they aren’t an oddity either.  In the scene above 13th Ave. tees into 23rd Street which is represented by a narrow, one inch wide roadway running right to left in front of the building flat.  The structure is photo laminated building flat glued to styrene for a hint of depth.  I built it about a third under-size for forced perspective.  You can see a thin sidewalk in front of it.  Note that with building flats I: a) keep the height low and b) hide the edges where it meets the backdrop.

The paved pad to the right will be a pipe storage yard for Bond Plumbing.

It’s hard to believe it took two weekends to get just this much done and it’s likely it will take at least another three more weeks to wrap it up.

Bush Terminal Scouting Report

The character of 51 Street yard is still evident today. This view, facing east, is taken from the location of the old footbridge that so many images were taken from in the Flagg Book. In many ways the look is unchanged. (See Flagg Vol. 1, pg. 122)

 

Sometime early next year I plan on starting on my next adventure, an N scale proto freelance Brooklyn layout, drawing heavy inspiration from the old Bush Terminal (Now NY NJ Rail).  I’ve found that no matter how many books you read, no matter how many photos you study, it’s hard to get a sense of a place without having been there.  It’s just too hard to put things in context.  Last Saturday brought beautiful cloudless skies so I decided to make the four hour drive up to Brooklyn to see the area in person.  It was easy to get to and easy to find.    I was taken aback by how little the area had changed, how much of the original character and structures remain.  Gentrification has yet to set in, yet the area is clean and safe.  Parking is hard to find but I eventually found a place to stuff my car and chose to walk it from end to end and take in the great weather and ambiance of the area.  I started at 41st Avenue and walked up 1st Avenue which still has active street running serving Sims Metal (Mondays I’m told). Next up was the 51st Street Yard.  I was expecting it to be empty and close to abandonment but was surprised to see cars stored there.  The engine house is still there but security is tight and they politely told me to scat (after allowing me to take my photo).  The location of the car float/armory/coal tower has been leveled but the surrounding warehouses remain.  The Brooklyn Army Terminal is unchanged.  On the west end is NY NJ Rail’s 65th Street yard.  Again I was surprised to find it jammed with cars and the switcher hard at work.  The team track had four center beams being unloaded onto trucks.  Second Avenue passes over the yard allowing you to see the activity below.  Heading back to my car I went down 2nd Avenue.  There are numerous eateries near the hospital.  At 41st Street and 2nd Avenue is the iconic structure with the tracks cutting diagonally across the southwest corner.  For those in the mid-Atlantic or visiting the big apple I highly recommend a trip to Brooklyn.

Cobblestone streets with embedded track are still the rule rather than the exception. Except for the track in 1st street, most of the rail is no longer in use.
The old engine house at the east end of the 51st yard is still there.
At 41st St. and 2nd Avenue the tracks cut diagonally across the structure base. Numerous historic photos were taken at this location showing locomotives rounding the bend beneath the building.

 

The best way to experience the old Bush Terminal is to park your car and walk it end to end. There are lots of food options around the hospital.

Cuba Tropical Produce 12/8/17

Tom Klimoski caught the local in front of Cuba Tropical Produce in this 2008 photo. Note how the train has been split to clear the grade crossing in the distance.

 

It took me more years than I would have liked but I’ve finally brought to a close a model of one of my favorite structures on the Spur.  Cuba Tropical Produce is now planted on 13th Avenue on the layout.

Construction techniques were a combination of photo laminates and traditional styrene.  The siding, shingles and signs are photos of the prototype, everything else is painted styrene.  Security bars: Tichy, Gutters: Micro Engineering, AC units: Walthers.  Foundation: PVC “wood”, Dock bumpers, styrene.

 

Throwback Tuesday

When I first started researching the Downtown Spur, I made a point of capturing as many of the Bing Birdseye images as I could.  I’m glad I did because, as far as I know, Bing doesn’t archive their photos and they are now gone forever.  I thought it would be fun to go back and wax nostalgic at how diverse the industries on the Spur once were.  My best guess is the shot above was taken around 2005.  The loco has dropped it’s train on the runaround track and gone down the switch back.  It picked up a car at A-1, pushed it across 12th Avenue, and is in the process of picking up another car at The Miami Produce Center.  The two pick ups were put on the train bringing it’s total 15 cars at which point it headed back to Hialeah Yard.  Better lucky than smart.  When these images were taken they captured this entire switching sequence from above photographically.

The Downtown Spur is roughly three and half miles long.  I made my first photo safari to it in 2006.  In terms of “interesting activity” it seemed to peak in 2007.  In late 2007 the 12th Avenue Street crossing was removed.  Since then Trujillo has move to a new location along the FEC and the entire switchback has been removed.  The eastern portion of the lead from Family and Sons to 7th Avenue is now pretty dead.  The west end from Family and Son to FP&T appears to be as busy or even busier than ever.