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Testing out the track arrangement to see if it works and how it looks.

looking toward the diamond

looking away from the diamond

When you get tired of working on benchwork and track laying, work on something else!
I wanted to turn my Athearn caboose into a little more familiar C27A lettered for the C&O. And more specifically the 904121, a caboose that spent a good part of its life working out of Plymouth Michigan. For you rivet counters out there I realize all the details are not exact for a C27A but its close enough for me. I especially like the blue patch underneath the number that reads "International assigned caboose must be returned to detroit Michigan"
Decals are from Steel Valley Models. He did an excellent job on these and I would recommend his decals.
Also for those who are not familiar this is an Athearn Genesis C27 lettered for the B&O. I simply re-lettered it for the C&O C27A series.

Nice quality work!

If anyone is interested in the progress, here are a few shots of the layout. I've been working on laying track, and wiring. I painted the foam before I started laying track as I thought in might be awhile before I get around to scenery. Brown looks slightly better than blue foam for now. I've also been fiddling with wiring underneath. trying to come up with the best way to wire it and be able to install operating signals in the future..
Also decaled and lightly weathered another caboose. This one is 904108, a caboose I have a photo of in the Plymouth yard in the late 80's

Looking good!

A couple Yard Jobs pause by the yard office

Model Railroad season is supposed to be over. But I just received some truck frame racks and loads from Proto Loads. I still need to weather the cars and install chains and things, but just wanted to make a quick video switching tower. I am using 60' flats instead of the 89' but its a small space, so it allows more cars and they look better on the curves. Here is a link the video
https://youtu.be/vVHwIEJaz4o

The conductor wants to talk about that caboose coupling.

Haha, yeah that was a little rough.

Still getting the hang of using momentum and breaking with the tsunami.

Enjoyed the video.

In it's early days Johnson Controls/Tower also received box cars of components. I recall MILW box cars at the dock next to the building.

AARR, From what I can figure out the Frame place , Smith Frame/Tower?, wasn't yet there in the late 80's. I think there was a few tracks on the north west side of the yard between Sheldon and the yard.
Do you know when this industry started Operations? Were they originally Johnson Controls?
Did they always build truck frames?
Thanks

KVERBERK wrote: ↑

Sun Jun 20, 2021 9:02 am

AARR, From what I can figure out the Frame place , Smith Frame/Tower?, wasn't yet there in the late 80's. I think there was a few tracks on the north west side of the yard between Sheldon and the yard.
Do you know when this industry started Operations? Were they originally Johnson Controls?
Did they always build truck frames?
Thanks

You may be right that the plant was originally built by A.O. Smith in the 1990's, not Johnson Controls.

Tower acquired the plant around 2000-2005.

The plant always built frames but it's possible they may have produced some other stampings during its history. Tower was my customer back in the early 2000's and an employee told me the box cars were for inbound components but it's possible that they were stamping something other than frames and shipping them out in box cars. However, I recall the box cars were 50's and stampings were shipped out in 86's so I tend to think they were receiving product rather than shipping out.

As the years go by I forget more than I remember

AARR,
Thanks for the Info. I really like the look of the frames and racks on flatcars, gives the layout the feel of Detroit and automotive traffic. So I'm including it in my layout even though it was just beyond my era. And now I can include the occasional boxcar delivery in that location! So that's a bonus.
You say Tower was your customer. If you don't mind me asking what do yo do for a living? If you don't want to share that info, I totally understand.
Thanks again.

KVERBERK wrote: ↑

Sun Jun 20, 2021 11:08 am

If you don't mind me asking what do yo do for a living? If you don't want to share that info, I totally understand.

I'm in the commercial janitorial service business for over 35 years

I'm in the commercial janitorial service business for over 35 years

Nice. Hope I have that kind of longevity. I'm a pilot currently flying medivac out of Houghton MI (KCMX).

I mean the real question is, what era are you modeling? You may need less room if it’s CSX present time but more if it’s earlier if you get my drift…

I'm modeling the late 80's early 90's. I haven't pinned down an exact date because I like to run the predecessor paint schemes plus all the early CSX paint including YN2. I think 1989/90 works because there was plenty of chessie/seaboard paint left and I believe CSX YN2 was introduced in 1990.
Yes a basement size layout would be nice for modeling CSX!

Tower Automotive acquired A.O. Smith's Automotive assets in 1997, A.O. Smith now focuses on residential and commercial water heaters. Another industry to add, if you have the space, is Atlas Tube off Eckles Road, and can be seen from I-275. I believe they are no longer rail served. But at one time, they loaded 89' flats (Yellow Trailer Train).

James Barnes, Jr.
Taylor, Michigan

Thanks for the info railroads2000. Yes Atlas Tube will be included on my layout. I will have it receiving coil steel cars and shipping our scrap gons. The cars may not match what the prototype shipped but I like coil steel cars and scrap gons so close enough for me. I've made a few changes to the track plan since building the benchwork. I guess I should put up an updated track plan. Its not much different, just changed the location of a few industries. Look for that in the near future.