News:

Due to heavy spamming attempts on this forum, automatic registration has been disabled. We will approve registration requests as quickly as possible (unless you're a spammer of course :) )

Main Menu

N scale Port scene exampes, ideas, photos or plans?

Started by Edgardo Alessio, April 09, 2022, 10:36:58 AM

Previous topic - Next topic

Edgardo Alessio

puerto-quequen-1.jpg

Z-01a.jpg

N scale Port scene exampes, ideas, photos or plans?

Hello everyone! I'd like to see some examples/ideas and would appreciate your advise. I´m looking for N scale plans, photos, ideas, etc for a port scene. Timeframe would be late 40's - late 50's during the transition steam to diesel era (And  previous to todays colosous size of oceangoing containers ships). Maybe some river side port like the one below or something similar. The benchwork dimension and  shape figure in the screenshot. Thanks!

magnus

Interesting project! I too am modeling waterfront terminals, but in HO and in modern era. As you point out, the container ships are huge, but we all have to compress our models.

I have found the Kempinski book valuable. https://www.amazon.com/Waterfront-Terminals-Operations-Modeling-Painting/dp/1627002650

He walks through a number of examples from different eras, with several layout plans, both in N and HO scale. The book covers a lot of ground, and perhaps only a section might be relevant to you. I have included a copy of the contents for your information.

It is hard to see the size in your picture - is it 7m x 3.8m? That's a good size, especially in N. I can envision several ideas to pursue. However, reach will be an issue to the center of the layout. I bet you don't have 2m long arms! What is the room layout? Can you build it along the walls instead with a more narrow peninsula? It's usually easier with reach that way.

One immediate reflection is to shape your peninsula end into a triangle, half hexagon or even a half octagon shape instead of a half circle. That way you can have ships dock on the side edges. Perhaps each edge could be handling one particular type of goods, like bulk, grains, oil, and perhaps even containers, which started in the 60's. This is what is happening in your example picture. Otherwise, the ships need to dock on the upper and/or lower horizontal edges, which will use up a lot of your central space.

The layout itself should come from your specific interests. Are you more interested in an operational layout or are you more interested in a scenic layout? Most people want a mixture of those. The next question is your focus on what is happening on the layout, i.e. the operational scheme. Many rail-marine terminals have at least 2 stages, one to load and unload the goods from a ship, and then the cars are moved to a classification yard to sort the cars into trains based on where the goods should be going.

Edgardo Alessio

Thank you very much for your response and for the book you've recommended to me. I'm new to Anyrail and I'm trying this as "Software learning" project. I've posted this topic several days ago and, since then, been playing around with Anyrail trying to figure out how things really works. The rail tracks were very intuitive and easy to learn. The roads are a different matter. I must spend some time practicing before I can get from this software what I really want. But it's fun and very enjoyable. Until now I've learned to use layers, lines, surfaces and a few other things. I guess that during the following days I'm gonna spend more time and learn some more functions. I'm following on YouTube the Anyrail tutorial series videos made by "Steam Powered Radio". Found them very interesting and useful. I leave bellow a screenshot of how the project looks as far as today. But I use to change things every time I open an Anyrail sesion. So... is far away to be cloncluded. Cheers!

Anyrail_Benchwork.jpg

rlcross

Edgardo, I like where you're going.  A port makes a very interesting subject matter to model.  You've worked in a lot of industrial areas and urban scenery into your plan.

As Magnus suggested, have you considered a "round the room" layout?  By putting a port on one wall, and across the room having your destination?  ie: Buenos Aires on one side, and Montevideo on the other?  I've contemplated that set up and using a rolling cart to transport the ship across the open area.  You could even have roll-on-roll-off operations with temporary electrification through the cart dock.

By incorporating a "round the room" you would eliminate the wide peninsula and it's long reach issues.  As it is, it looks to be about a meter to reach the port loading tracks in the middle.

Regards,  Richard

Edgardo Alessio

#4
Quote from: rlcross on April 11, 2022, 09:19:31 PMEdgardo, I like where you're going.  A port makes a very interesting subject matter to model.  You've worked in a lot of industrial areas and urban scenery into your plan.

Hi Richard! Thanks for your replay and sorry for the late response. The industrial areas, the urban scenery and swiching operations will be the three key components of this layout.

Quote from: rlcross on April 11, 2022, 09:19:31 PMAs Magnus suggested, have you considered a "round the room" layout?  By putting a port on one wall, and across the room having your destination?

Yes I´ve done. But the room is in fact a garage for two cars (one behing the other). It measures 8.30 mt long by 4.2 mt wide. The garage´s main gate is placed on one of this 4.2 mt walls. There is an entry door beside it. One of the 8.3 mt walls has two doors. Both of them, thankfully, opens towards the house. An "L" shape layout could be possible. The other one option is the "Peninsula" shape.

Quote from: rlcross on April 11, 2022, 09:19:31 PMBy incorporating a "round the room" you would eliminate the wide peninsula and it's long reach issues.  As it is, it looks to be about a meter to reach the port loading tracks in the middle.

The long reach issues are a serious theme in these types of layouts. I´m considering some hatches. But I din´t decide yet if this design will be a classical oval loop or... if a staying yard could be acomodated right under.Let´s say (More or less) 20 cm bellow the main level. As far as today I have put on the design one triangular area (Is marked on the screenshot) wich could easely office as a hatch. But that thing will make harder the accomodation of the hiden staying yard bellow. Tomorrow I gonna start to analise this problem to see what solutions may be applayed. As soon I get something I will post a new screenshot showing what I´ve has done.

Cheers! (Right click, "Open in new window" to see the screenshot at full resolution.  Anyrail_Benchwork.jpg Anyrail_Benchwork_3D.jpg

rlcross

Hey Edgardo, using your dimensions (put into inches for my feeble non-metric brain), I've prepared a rough example of what I was thinking in a Round-the-Room concept.  I know that every layout is a personal thing with your thoughts and visions put into action.  This is solely a concept for your creative brain to consider.  It uses blocks to layout 20 car length yards, and very broad 27 inch (69 cm) curves to check for space.

Whatever direction you choose, your layout will be great.

Have fun!

Regards,  Richard

Edgardo Alessio

Quote from: rlcross on April 21, 2022, 02:21:47 AMHey Edgardo, using your dimensions (put into inches for my feeble non-metric brain), I've prepared a rough example of what I was thinking in a Round-the-Room concept.

It´s an awesome example! I like very much your idea of representing two ports and use a rolling cart to transport the ship across the open area. The concept itself is quiet interesting. But IMHO, it should require the full availavity of the four garage´s walls to be done properly. I love the elegant way you use to solve the "two doors wall problem". Because the solution  leaves a corridor to access the garage´s entry door wich is, by the way, used a lot. The "Hidden Field Yard" that is placed on the garage´s gate side could be moved and placed under "Yard 3 - Montevideo" and/or "Yard 1 - Buenos Aires". By doing that, the garage gate will be still usable too. Continuos run still could be obtained if the hiden yards have a loop. Indeed, it's an interesting propourse with a lot of potential. Maybe once I finish the peninsula I´ll start to see this option in deep.

N Scale Port RTR Example.jpg

Comming back the peninsula... Right now... I don´t know for sure how to finnish it. At the begining, my plan was to close the cycle ussing the classical oval shape. "From one side trains comes in and by the other trains comes out" and... that´s all. I´ve even though to put a passager station on the rear end of the penninsula to justify the oval shape and obbtain the desired "continuos running passanger trains" wich are so appealing for the children of the house and the general people wich are not involved at all into model railroad (visitors, for example). Behind that passanger station it´s gonna be a small visible staying yard long enought just to accomodate four or five trains facing oppositte directions. These trains will enter into the peninsula, reach the port yards, uncouple their loaded cars, pick the empties and leave the scene. Swichers locos will then put in charge to do the job of took those cars and distribute them to their finnal port installations and/or the different kind of industries wich sourround the area.

But such idea of a small yard and the oval shape didn´t convince me in a complete way. So... today I´ve been working in this second idea of a "hidden staying yard". A yard placed right under the visible portion of the layout (20 cm below). This hidden staying yard must be much more capable (But unfortunatelly... it will be much more complex) than the previous one I´ve described few lines above. It´s presence should not be noticiable to give the casual viewer that sence of trains appearing into the scene comming from nowhere. It should be able to handle a huge volumen of cars. It should be able to allow trains to come in and out of the scene from three different points. It should allow the implementation of hatches. It should allow continuos running and... finally... it should not interfiere or modify in a substancial way the desing that already is done, specially with the roads wich are shaped taking in mind the future implementation of the Faller car system.

Yamakai

#7
Perhaps take a fresh look at the space available as you do have a good size layout room.  First, I dont think you need 3 doors to access it.  I would use your top left door as your entry.  The next door could be blocked off.  Do you use the wide door? If not then the layout could go against it.  If dust entry would be a problen then consider putting a light-weight partition say 80cm back from those doors. You could store garden stuff in that space with access from the outside of the garage.

On entering your train room (top left door) you could have industries and yards on the right and maybe a hidden reverse loop.  Two tracks leave from that side of the wall - a main and a branch line both turning left to run along the long wall.  The branch would climb to an industry - sawmill or whatever. The main runs flat through a scenic area - urban or rural.  It turns left to go across the short wall and the next corner could be the port with the main yards running up to the entry door - again you could incorporate a reverse loop or 'drop in bridge' across the door to allow continuous running.

As a future expansion a line could branch off your main line to drop under the layout to provide a 'there and back' passenger service or access to staging yards.

Take a look at the design thought process explained by this guy https://www.youtube.com/user/mpeterll

Hope this helps.

Edgardo Alessio

#8

I'm doing my reserch on real life grain elevators. I´ve been looking towards those whitch are located along side a river and serves ships. I´m doing this in the same way DJsTrain does: using drone footage. I'm looking for those kind of details that could help me to model them in a proper way. This one in particular is the "Elevador de granos Barranqueras" located in Chaco - Argentina. Video shows roof details and many other things around. This footage was done during a Sunday morning. It was the only way to do it because... Well, you know... Company doesn't want drones flying around while its people is working bellow. Hope you'll like it. Cheers.
elevador-de-granos-colono-1-lit.jpg

magnus

That's awesome! I initially thought I was watching the trailer for the new James Bond movie!

Edgardo Alessio