Large Scale Central

2011 Challenge - Harlem Transfer

Modeling
#1

I’ve wanted to build this freight building for a while. For those of you unfamiliar with the various ‘transfer’ railroads that were around NY, they were (very) short lines serving docks and cross-river ferries in New York. Harlem Transfer on the Erie was a typical small one. http://members.trainweb.com/bedt/indloco/errhs.html In the following picture, you can see most of the railroad, with the target building on the right

Fortunately, someone was kind enough to come up with some plans.

First order of business, some selective compression, and taking inventory of my pvc board.

#2
Mik said:
Subject(s): structure, non-rail vehicle, or mini scene.

Size: 1 sq in to 288sq inches (2sq feet) actual


Will that comply with the dimension rules?
Very neat prototype to model!

#3

Note the ‘selective compression’ bit.

#4

Bob has special dispensation on the dimensions for putting up with us…

That is if he really wants a 2 foot x 3 foot warehouse.

#5

If I did it full scale size, it’d be 23 3/4" wide (plus the loading docks) and 41 1/2" long… yikes!

#6

You all, there is a set of plans on the GR RR web site for a simlar type building which I think will be about 24 " long and about 8" wide. This month we get the warehouse and next? month we get the office building. With TOC permission I’ll build one for Mound House. Paul

#7

Ok, it looks like I have enough foam board to build this thing, or at least both ends. May need to cobble together the sides from other stuff. Also need to figure out the rollup doors. Going to try Yogi’s idea of using sliced coroplast and see how it looks on a test build.

#8

This is a cool prototype. I just spent some time on the website link Bob posted. So if I understand the purpose of these transfer warehouses, it was to bring RR freight into the city by water for transfer to local delivery truck. Correct? So they abandoned this method in favor of over-the-road trucks by the thousands crossing the Manhattan bridges daily. In retrospect, that wasn’t such a good move was it.

#9

Bob McCown said:
I’ve wanted to build this freight building for a while. For those of you unfamiliar with the various ‘transfer’ railroads that were around NY, they were (very) short lines serving docks and cross-river ferries in New York. Harlem Transfer on the Erie was a typical small one. http://members.trainweb.com/bedt/indloco/errhs.html In the following picture, you can see most of the railroad, with the target building on the right

(http://freightsheds.largescalecentral.com/users/bob_mccown/buildings/freightterminal/errhsyard2.jpg)

Fortunately, someone was kind enough to come up with some plans.

(http://freightsheds.largescalecentral.com/users/bob_mccown/buildings/freightterminal/HARLEMSTATION.jpg)

First order of business, some selective compression, and taking inventory of my pvc board.

I think the B&O had the same type of facility on Manhattan Island, up the Hudson. Always neat facilities with simple motive power. Many were box cabs early, because of pollution laws.

#10
Jon Radder said:
This is a cool prototype. I just spent some time on the website link Bob posted. So if I understand the purpose of these transfer warehouses, it was to bring RR freight into the city by water for transfer to local delivery truck. Correct? So they abandoned this method in favor of over-the-road trucks by the thousands crossing the Manhattan bridges daily. In retrospect, that wasn't such a good move was it.
That's my understanding as well. Bring freight cars in over the water, shuffle them to freight houses, load onto truck, move goods around the city by truck.

The most famous one of these is the CNJ’s Bronx Terminal.

http://members.trainweb.com/bedt/indloco/crrnjbxt.html

And its being modeled.

http://www.bronx-terminal.com/

#11

OK, its not much but it is one wall.

(http://freightsheds.largescalecentral.com/users/bob_mccown/buildings/freightterminal/shortwall1.jpg)

Wall is 1/4" Sintra (PVC board) and so are the vertical columns. The raised bits are 1/8 Sintra. Noodled about the doors with Bruce today, and I think I have a way to do them. Sintra is formable at about 150 degrees. Dip it in water and its very flexy. So Im thinking dipping the doors in some just-boiled water for a few seconds, laying them on a table, and then running one wheel of my Fiskar’s crimper over it, to give a corrugated look. gonna test that later today.

#12

And a view for scale

(http://freightsheds.largescalecentral.com/users/bob_mccown/buildings/freightterminal/shortwall2.jpg)

#13

Quick and dirty test for making a corrugated door. Heated a 1x2" piece of PVC board for 15 seconds with my heat gun, then ran one side of the crimper over it, pressing moderately. I need to work on my style, but not bad for a first attempt.

(http://freightsheds.largescalecentral.com/users/bob_mccown/buildings/freightterminal/doortest1.jpg)

#14

You might have come up with a better idea on the heated Sintra Bob. I like the way it formed.

#15

Takes a bit of control, I haven’t had success doing a door-sized piece yet, but I think its just practice makes perfect. It does look really nice, though. I wonder if a bit of time in the toaster oven on low will help?

#16

It does look good. Be VERY careful of putting that in the toaster oven. It seems that all of a sudden it’s almost liquid…

#17

Ok, this works. Some straight lines drawn across the door blank, about a minute of careful passes with the heat gun, and some even pressure.

(http://freightsheds.largescalecentral.com/users/bob_mccown/buildings/freightterminal/door1.jpg)

I think that’ll do. One down, 17 to go…

#18

Yes, I think you got a winner there Bob. :slight_smile:
Couldn’t see the edge like on the test piece, so I’d like to know if it came out equal on all depressions, or if the PVC board showed any deflection?

#19

No deflection on the board, it stayed flat. The depressions are MOSTLY the same, its dependent on how hard I press, and how much the piece cooled. They’re a bit deeper at the start. I may do it in 1-2" sections at a time.

#20

…grinning…