Hi guys,

For the past year or so, ive had my heart set on modeling the Modesto & Empire Traction Company which is a shortline railroad in Modesto, California.

I got the idea from a buddy of mine, Tom Huffman, and ever since then, i have been crazy about this shortline railroad. Its RIGHT up my alley being that the M&ET serves the Beard Industrial Park which is a 2000 Acre Industrial Park. The M&ET is a family-owned corporation and has been in operation since 1911. The M&ET was initially intended to operate as a passenger service, but for over 80 years now, the M&ET has succeeded in satisfying local industry's rail freight and transload needs.

The mainline of the M&ET is only 5 miles long, but it operates on an additional 28 miles of sidings and spurs servicing nearly 50 rail customers in the Beard Industrial District. In total, the M&ET operates on nearly 40 miles of main line, yard and industry tracks. A brief list of industries served by the M&ET includes: Brake Parts Inc., Bunge Foods, Continental PET, Del Monte, E & J Gallo Winery, Frito-Lay, Georgia-Pacific, International Paper, Liquid Container, Nestle, Sierra Pacific Distribution, Seneca, Stanislaus Food Products Company, Watkins Shepard, and Weyerhaeuser Lumber. The M&ET also has connections with 2 Class I Railroads, the Burlington Northern Santa Fe and the Union Pacific, with interchange yards for each railroad.

The BNSF Interchange yard also has connections with the M&ET 70 acre rail/truck transload facility encompassing 6,000 feet of unloading/loading tracks. These tracks are surrounded by 52' to 78' concrete aprons. The facility offers full security lighting and fencing, as well as a single location access with checkpoint office. Also, a 70' public truck scale and fuel dock are on the property. Basically the old Intermodal yard serves as a HUGE Team Track. Businesses rent out space on the Transload yard, etiher for storage of bulk materials or other large, bulk materials such as lumber, and other building materials. The Transload facilty also has a 40-Ton crane on site.

The M&ET's first locomotive was actually a gas-powered passenger coach. Later, several steam locomotives gave way to the GE 70-tonners starting in 1947 with engine #600.70-Tonner #'s 600-604, 607 & 608 are currently still in operation today. #605 & 613 were retired in early 2009 to make way for the 2 new Genset RP20BD's they ordered back in October 2008. The M&ET also has 2 SW1500's that were ex. SP units. In total, there are 11 locomotives that serve the M&ET today.

I will be starting a new thread on the M&ET locos and my plans for modeling each and every one of them for this layout.

Well now that some history is out of the way on this shortline RR, ill post the plans for it that i have spent about a year developing using Google Earth, Google Maps "Steet View" and Windows Live Search. ALL the structures on this layout will be 100% scratchbuilt. All street and structure names on the plan are the real prototype names as well. Structures were somewhat compressed to fit on the plan, or slightly changed in order to better fit the plan

So here we go. Ill start with the color coding and Layout/Track specifications:

Name: The Modesto & Empire Traction Company
Scale: HO (1:87.1)
Size: 25' x 15'
Prototype: Modesto & Empire Traction Company, Beard Industrial District, BNSF/M&ET Interchange Yard (Modesto, CA)
Era: Modern Day
Style: Shelf Walkaround
Mainline Run: 25' for BNSF Mainline, about 120' for M&ET Trackage (not including Helix)
Minimum Radius: 22"
Minimum Turnout: Central Valley no. 8
Minimum Parallel Track Spacing: 2" (3" on helix)
Maximum Grade: 2.6%
Helix: Helix contains a 28" radius on outer track and 25" radius on inner track. 4" between turns; 5-1/2 turns traveling a total of 22" between decks
Benchwork: Shelf and Modular design
Height: Top Deck: (to be determined) , Lower Deck: (to be determined), 22" between decks
Roadbed: Woodland Scenics Foam Roadbed
Track: Central Valley Code 83 on BNSF Mainline and Interchange Yard, Central Valley Code 70 on all other Trackage
Scenery: Plaster with Foam Board
Backdrop: Painted Walls and Masonite Backboards
Control: MRC Prodigy Wireless
Grid Spacing: 6"
Color Code:

GREEN = Module/Layout Base
RED = BNSF Mainline
YELLOW = BNSF/M&ET Interchange Yard
WHITE = Helix
BLUE = Track on Lower or Upper Level
BLACK = M&ET Trackage
ORANGE = Scratchbuilt Structures
[color=#FFBFFF]GRAY = Roads

I have a few threads going for what Ive been up to, but Im just gonna make one thread to track my progress. So far I only have one more section of benchwork to build and today I put a plywood top on everything that i have built so far. Im hoping to get styrofoam to lay down tommorow so I can start drawing out my trackplan and seeing how everything will fit. I installed sme backdrop pieces that were on the old layout and when everything is done and I get a chance to paint the foreground I thing it will make a big difference. I also played around with a few old structures I have getting an idea of what ill use and what will go where. It feels good to be playing with trains again.


Here are some pics of what I have built. I cant get any better pictures unfortunately, cause my camera is broke and its hard to take a good picture with it.

Those of you who are among the GERN modellers here are familiar with the various ads and documents which flow, intermittently, from the computer of my brother Steven. While this has nothing to do with GERN, I thought that some might also get a kick out of this take-off on small-town newspapers, with the emphasis on "small".

Wayne

This is just a note to let everyone know that I spoke, via e-mail, with Jim Marksbery this afternoon, and learned that his wife is terminally ill. My thoughts and prayers go out to him and his family.

Wayne

Price reduced!

Spectrum Pennsylvania RR heavyweight cars, lighted, interior details, detailed underbody, detailed 4 and 6 wheel trucks with metal RP25 wheels, pivoting X25 couplers for sharper radius. All in original boxes and padding, $130 for the set, or $160 with matching Spectrum K PRR Pacific. Price includes shipping. Locomotive has original foam, no box or instructions. Rarely used, mostly kept in display case. From my father's collection.
• #89001 combine #9939 with sliding porthole door
• #89002 coach #4535
• #89003 coach #3764
• #89004 diner #8016
• #89005 coach #3814 missing battery box detail on underbody
• #89006 observation #180
• $130 for set of 6 cars, or $160 with matching Spectrum K PRR Pacific, including shipping to US addresses.

Spectrum Great Northern Doodlebug in original box with good foam and instructions. Bachmann #81407. $90 including shipping via Priority Mail within US.

I take PayPal or Post Office money orders. Priority Mail with delivery confirmation will be used in most cases. Insurance available at extra cost. Will ship to Canada or overseas via Post Office. Contact me to discuss.

Contact me at <!-- e --><a href="mailto:frwright@gmail.com">frwright@gmail.com</a><!-- e -->

** I have not been to bussy here for awile. Their is a reason for this. That attic switching layout I have, that replaced my large basement layout, well I can't handle going back and forth, even if it has a purpose to deliver, and pick up railroad cars. I got to go round, and round! This necessitated a rebuild. My switcher layout was 2, 2'X8', of 3/8" plywood surfaceses. Put together longways to make a 2' X 16' switching layout. It was stiffened up and held together with 2" X6" X 8' boards. Their was not table legs or even table bases because of the 4 shelf units I have along that wall of the attic were used to support the layout. Well that is gone now!
** The new layout has kept the 2' X 16' deminsions, and location of that section but added to it. Their is a 3' X 2'6" addition. Also another 2' X 8' section. There is a 4' X 4'6" section and a removiable 2' X 2'6" section. I have made all new table supports as bases for this thing. That meant alot of carpentry work, noise, and sawdust. I did all the cutting and alot of the assembly in the basement. All the tables were made, then brought up to the attic where the legs were added. My table tops, to save cutting of large plywood sections, don't match my tables. The supplier of the wood products would give me one free cut of a 4X8 sheet of plywood with the purchase. This determined alot of the table top sizes. The only cutting of pylwood I did was a section, provided for me by the suppiler that was 4' X 3'6". I took a 1' length off, then cut the remainder in half. Also this 1' X 4' length had to be cut down to a 1' X 2'6" piece. This when added to one of the halfed two, 2' X 2'6" pieces became the 3' X 2'6" addition metioned above. The other 2' X 2'6" piece became the removiable section. it has all came together nicely. This is not a big layout surface, but it fits the attic. Also the tables have supplied so much underneath storage that the first thing my wife did was order draperies the cover from table top to floor. Of corse I get to put them on. This is what it looks like now with the two mainline loops added.
frank
PS. See you next saturday at the show in East Rutherford NJ.

   

   

Hi All,

Like all of us from time to time i use glass jars to store mixed up paint etc ....... i was doing the same with my PVA mix for balllast the top gets gunged up with the solution & next time you need it the top is hard if not impossible to remove save a trip to your local A&E dept and store it in plastic milk containers if the top is gunged on them at least it will give rather than glass breaking on you resulting in a nasty injury.

POST # 1

Today is Dec 31 2009. After a party tonight next year starts. If it wasn't for these prarties we would never have a new year. So get out and enjoy your selfs.
Their is a Jan 3 train show at Brick NJ. At the Elks hall Lodge 2151, 2491 Hooper Avenue, Brick NJ. I'm no going to this one. The following weekend on Sunday Jan 10 is the New Hope PA train show. I will be there. Their is also a train show on the same day in Garfield NJ, at the Boys and Girls club, 490 Midland Ave, Garfield NJ. I can't be in two places at once, so I'll miss this one. The next weekend, Sat Jan 16 and Jan 17 is the Greenbergh train show at Sommerset NJ. It is at the Garden State Expo center. Additional info online at the greenbergh train show site. I will be there on Sat workimg a table. I am going there also. Jan 23 & 24 is the Merchants Square Mall show in Allentown PA. I will be there on saturday the 23. I will be helping on a table. The next day Jan 24 is also a train show in Dover NJ. I will be there also. It is at there High School off of RT 15, south of RT 80. Jan will be a bussy one for me.

frank

PSS. Thats me standin with the baseball cap, and Stephen, (E-PAW) my son to my left. Charlie seated to my right is a train show vendor and a good friend.The fellow seated dressed very warm is BOB. We all are offical train nuts. This photo was taken at New Hope PA.
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