09-18-2011, 09:36 AM
Russ Bellinis Wrote:I can see where one problem with actually having visited Vernon and L.A. is that there is so much that could be modeled that it is difficult to decide exactly what to build and what to skip! When a modeler lives here, it can get even worse. In addition to Vernon and South Central Los Angeles, there are switching districts in the San Fernando Valley, out through the San Gabriel Valley, in both Long Beach and Los Angeles harbors, Los Nietos near Whittier and Pico Rivera, and probably other areas in Los Angeles County. That isn't even considering Orange County, Riverside County, or San Bernardino County! So much to consider, so little space!!Russ, you are so right. I am an active reader of the West Coast Rail Forum. The form does mainly, but not only, focus on the LA basin. It is amazing how much switching and local trains takes place in that area. If we had the space or model in Z there are even more main routes that could be modeled. It is somewhat helpless...
I drifted into south LA when I looked for smaller buildings not rail served just for decoration purposes on my layout. It was great fun to build some of those structures. There are plenty of them in south LA that can be build with non or minimal compression. But there is a catch... south LA has few rail served industries that match the other buildings this time (at least compared to Vernon). I got a map of the rails in the old patch and identify still existing buildings that have been rail served in the past. The decoration and advertising has changed but the basic structures and rail loading docks can still be identified. That is what I am currently working on. I hope to end up with rail served industry that matches the other smaller structures and might be rail served after 1995 even they are not 2011.
I am looking in detail at those buildings
1. http://maps.google.de/maps?q=vernon+cali...5,,0,-2.67
2. http://maps.google.de/maps?q=vernon+cali...9,,0,-6.26
3. http://maps.google.de/maps?q=vernon+cali...7,,0,-0.98
Two or three of them would fit into the space at the background (25' x 5').
Reinhard