Scenery project 10 occupies one corner of the layout and includes two curved mainline tracks at slightly different levels and one short spur down the edge to the corner itself. The pictures here (click to view at full size) show the area as it was originally and as it appears now, after it has been prepared for the actual scenic content. Trouble is, I'm just not sure what to do with this area!
So I thought I would ask for any thoughts/suggestions/comments you readers might have!
My present thinking (such as it is) leans towards a semi-abandoned , overgrown spur line with the Atlas bumper being replaced with a mound of ballast. it would have a loading ramp only adjacent to it. One something like: Loading Dock.
Across from the ramp, filling the rest of the triangle might be Earl's Oil Company; there would be a dirt road separating Earl's and the ramp. The nice things about Earl's is the fact that the kit is made up of several pieces which may be arranged as desired to fit the area best.
The longish, wildish area between the tracks has me in a real quandary! All I can come up with is a clump of trees possibly 
with a shed in there as well. A path would run from the shed across the lower track to join the end of the dirt road. A friend suggested included a swampy/marshy area with a broken down dock and half sunken rowboat! It sounds good but I had no plans for any kind of water feature and I think it would be necessary to cut the base in order to do this. Something I'd prefer not to do!
I am not wedded to any of these ideas and am totally open to all thoughts and suggestions!
Note: As you probably gathered, I never planned the scenic aspects of the layout in any other than a very general sense. Hence this present situation!
Thank you for your time; I appreciate it!
Bryan C Alligator Lines
The space between the tracks........
....would most likely be railroad property. It would be an ideal spot for the railroad to store crossties and ballast. A small wooded area would be great for a well established hobo camp with a few lean-tos and pup tents for the bums to get out of bad weather.
The spur would be a good place for the railroad to store speeders, handcars and MOW tools in a few secure concrete buildings.
Have fun.
Moose
Maybe some out-dated,
Perhaps an old engine house.......
.....built over the spur where you could park and store your track cleaning car.
Have fun.
Moose
All for the hobo camp...
... the new vid by fifer is inspiring! ;)
Bush party?
Alligator Lines Scenery Project 10: Suggestions Wanted
BryanC
FWIW
I agree with Moose in respect of making the siding a Way and works (MOW) area - concrete block buildings (or wood - depending on what Alligator Lines' standards for W & W facilities are).
However, there are other options you may care to consider: -
One is a 'Runaway' siding - with the 'Mainline-to-Siding' point (turnout) being set so that whenever the 'Main is not in use, the point is in the 'Divert '(runaway) position - so that any 'runaway' wagon would be diverted off the 'Main and into a 'deadend' area, where it could de-rail in peace and not foul the 'Main.
Scenery would be ballast, a few bits of scrub and, at the end of the siding, a large mound of ballast, so that any runaway would have something to stop it in a hurry.
Runaway sidings are VERY prototypical, and usually appear in areas where there is a bit of a steep descending gradient. Whether you could justify the existence of one on what appears to be an impeccably laid (and flat) mainline is something that only you can decide.
Another possibility is what I know as a 'Relief' siding.
This is a siding (spur) which is used as a temporary storage location in instances where trains do not have the ability to lift all their loads across a (usually hilly) section of track, and the crew has to break the train into sections to achieve this purpose. The first section stays attached to the locomotives, while the second (remaining) section is parked out of the way on the Relief Siding. The first section is taken to the next station along the line, and after being left there, the locomotives return to uplift the 'stored' section, taking it too to the next station where it is reunited with the rest of the train and the whole assemblage proceeds to the terminal station.
A variation on this is to use the siding as a 'bolt hole' for very short trains to go into so that more urgent services can overtake them. This is also very prototypical, creates a very different train movement and operating sequence but DOES mean that you can only do it with short trains, though 'short' will obviously be dictated by the siding length and the number of units you can fit into teh siding while not fouling the main line.
Although it is a bit difficult to arrange due to my extremely simple wiring, I do this occasionally on the Kereru, 'just for fun', the siding (aka Backshunt') that I use appearing in photo 3 of my gallery pics.
Another option too (also prototypical) is to use the siding as a 'parking area' for a locomotive designated as being used for 'Helper' (Banker, Pusher) duties for trains going across the section of track that the siding accesses. The loco stays in the siding until a heavy train comes past, at which point it is attached to the rear of the train (or to the front if that is Alligator Operating Policy), and used to assist the train on its way.
When the 'assisted' train has cleared the designated 'helper' section, the 'banker' locomotive runs back 'Light Engine' to the siding, and 'parks up' until the next train requiring assistance arrives.
Not knowing in which direction you run your trains, I would suggest that it could be possible to have the Bank Engine placed at the head (train locomotive) end of a train to assist trains running to the left on your photo, or behind the 'van (sorry, caboose) for trains running to the right - or vice versa. (This is however only a suggestion, make of it what you will).
Finally (yes, there is more . . LOL) The siding could be used as a Headshunt or Backshunt, depending on how close it is to the nearest yard, and as such could act as an extension of the yard to give extra space in the event of a longer than normal train arriving or departing - circumstances where a bit of extra room is required and where there is none within the yard per se'.
And of course, in all this, there is a lot of potential for signalling - Semaphores (lower or Upper Quadrant) to allow entrance into and exit from the siding, or, if they aren't appropriate, Coloured Light or Ground (Dwarf?) signals as appropriate, together with appropriate signage, 'Phone boxes and fouling boards, or whatever else Alligator Lines decides is necessary for the job.
As I said, FWIW - hope it helps.
Komata
"TVR - serving the Northern Taranaki . . . "
Alligator Lines Scenery Project 10
These are all excellent ideas, as one has come to expect from you, Komata. One question: of which word is " 'van " a contraction?
Just trying to improve my vocabulary,
Phil Olmsted
San Francisco
No contraction... A "Van"
No contraction... A "Van" is a closed railroad car that carries baggage or freight... in this instance Keith is referring to a Guard's Van (AKA Caboose).
In general (outside rail use) a van is defined by this Wikipedia entry.
Van
Thank you all very much for
Thank you all very much for your responses! They are truly appreciated.
Moose, the idea of a hobo camp seems rather intriguing! I just might use it! And using the spur to store MOW equipment is also a very good idea.
Keith, I always learn so much from your posts! You are a veritable mine of information! In this case, however, I am not sure that the design of the layout and the placement of this area in relation to the others areas, make any of them practical here. But thank you very much for the ideas which will certainly be stored away in the back of my mind for possible future use!
Does anyone else have any further thoughts or ideas?
Bryan C
Hi Bryan, it seems like
Hi Bryan, it seems like some of the maintenance guys could use a Kitchen or lunch or payroll office car located on that spur, with maybe a Hot Dog or burger stand by it and a few tables and chairs around the place, and a gravel parking lot for their cars, bikes or bus.
Give them some bull shooting space
Lázaro
Alligator Lines Scenery Project 10: Suggestions Wanted
BryanC
After reading the other posts on this topic, an additional suggestion for your consideration. .
It would be possible to park a standard AL Passenger Car (or Combine - the choice would be yours), and have steps (with handrails) run up from ground level to the car doors. In this state the car /combine could represent a 'temporary' building/goods shed bought in to replace a burnt-down or otherwise-destroyed station building.
Scenery would be fairly simple, (though this would depend on your individual preferences)with lots of burnt timber pushed to one side, a few charred foundations behind the 'temporary' unit, and motor vehicles out in front.
Appropriate signage of the 'temporary' 'open for business', we're down but not out' nature would be necessary, and probably a power-pole to give mains electricity to the 'car and run the air conditioning, etc, etc.
This sort of situation is not uncommon on railways world-wide, and was even, I vaguely recall, the subject of a MR or Trains article somewhere back in the 1980's.
Just a (further) thought, or to - that siding has all sorts of possibilities . . .
Komata
"TVR - serving the Northern Taranaki . . . "
Thank you Keith! Sounds
Project 10
So, BryanC,
What did you finally decide for for your bare-nekkid corner? Anything to tell us about - just curious.
Wow, oldcook! I guess you
Wow, oldcook! I guess you must have missed this blog entry: Alligator Lines: Scenery Project 10 Completed w/Pictures! along with its two updates and links to other blog entries!
A web site update is almost ready and it will contain 25 pictures (well, 28 really, since three are doubled up).