Brooklyn Signs

 Brooklynites around the world agree. There is no place like it

 In the immortal words of Brooklyn's own, Jackie Gleason

 A little Brooklyn attitude from the movie Taxi Driver featuring Robert DeNiro

Brooklyn / Staten Island Trip

 The one beer to have when your having more than one. Former official beer of the New York Mets

 B-41 bus on Flatbush Avenue heading North towards Cadman Plaza

 Plaque given to Dad upon retirement from N.Y.P.D. in 1978

 A neighborhood fixture for Mom and the neighbors who walk to the store at least every other day.

 Still serving some of the best Pizza in town, since 1969

Another neighborhood icon, the vegetable store on Flatbush Ave. Note the phone number.

 Bracciole !!!!!!!

 On the Belt Pkwy exiting for the Verrazano Bridge and complaining about the $13.00 Toll.

The Pride of the Fleet !!!! What a great car. Thanks for the ride Uncle S.

Flex Van Service at Empire City

Cargill Grain Elevator

A Walther's ADM Grain elevator kit has been built and added to the growing list of industries for my New York Central Train Layout. Instead of the ADM decals I used the Cargill decals that were included with the kit. The Cargill decals looked good and I actually have a Cargill covered hopper car among the fleet of many that I seem to have stockpiled over the years. These types of cars are some of my favorites and I always seemed to end up with one or two kits when I returned from my local hobby shop or train show. Of course I am always on the lookout for any cars lettered for the NYC and have a few on the roster as well. 

As of this writing the final location of the Cargill Grain Elevator has yet to be determined. Visitors to this blog may be surprised to see it in a different location as I continue to post pictures of the layout.

Here is the Grain Elevator at it's first location. It has since moved on for a trial run back in the more industrial area of the layout.

 

New Additions / March 2012

Some good news from the purchasing department, two NYC Flexivan spine cars, a 75' PRR F39 flatcar with 2 PRR trailers and a 75' Trailertrain flatcar with 1 NIckel Plate Road trailer and 1C&O Trailer were added to the roster.

 

Upper Level Work Continues

 

It has been a long time between posts as the work on the upper level continues. Here are some photos of the work in progress. Some main line, sidings and a reverse section have been added with some industrial buildings being test fit for best location. A lot more to report in the upcoming days so stay tuned.

Upper Level Work Commencing

The 5x26 peninsula has been cleaned of all buildings, figures, scenic elements and trains that I put in place to showcase the progress of the layout and run some trains during the Holidays. I have begun building the upper level of the layout and it now resembles a construction site again. Portions of the lower level will be covered and the track no longer accessible so the Holiday running was good for troubleshooting the track work and making the necessary adjustments. At this point I have installed risers and plywood roadbed to a about 1/3rd of the layout. I had been less than enthused by how the work was going as I ran into some design flaws that needed to be cleared up. Mocking up some solutions has taken quite a bit of time as I work through the progress. I finally came up with a nice solution and the layout is once again moving forward. I should have some pictures of the new work available for the next post.
 In the mean time here are some photos of the layout during the Holiday running.

 A mixed freight travels through the station platform under the upper level mock up.

 NYC GP30s enter the station on the lower level

 Track cleaning cars stand by

 NYC A-B-A Sharks lead a freight through the station. Note the piers to the right of the train that weer used to mock up a proposed elevated rail line.