Long Island Rail Road-Oyster Bay Branch

Thanks Tom, It's 1/8" Masonite, and is very easy to cut and bend. 

Andy

Great Andy. Looking good. Just didn't want you to get too far like I did. Had to adjust later on as I got more into true O, no fun.

Hope to see more!

LIRR

Steamfan77 posted:

645,

 I wish I had the room to include more stations on the layout. East Williston, Roslyn, Sea Cliff, Glen Cove, and Mill Neck, would all be great additions. All are architecturally unique, and filled with history. 

Andy

I used to work for the LIRR.  Spent many days maintaining/rebuilding  stations and bridges on the Oyster Bay Branch.

We had this nutty plumber foreman.  When sent to a complete a work order at Sea Cliff, he would ask you......."Why should I go to Sea Cliff when I can go see Roslyn" ....  good memories.

Keep up the good work.

Paul

Thanks Paul. Very interesting that you worked on the OB branch. Any other stories or memories that you would like to share? When did you retire?

Andy

I painted the fascia, and in the last picture I added the arch and railings to the turntable.

Andy

the layout is really coming along nicely! Well done!

Thanks JJMMAGOO

Andy, The turntable looks great. Nice progress on the RR.

Steamfan77 posted:

I recently installed some girder bridge sections to span the main line East, and also what will be a two or four lane road. I spray painted the sections a flat gray, then used some Pan Pastel powders for some weathering. I will add more weathering when I do the scenery around that area. For comparison, the second picture shows a closer view where the left section is weathered, and the right section is not. The bridge abutment under the track is temporary, and will be replaced by something with more visual interest.

Andy

I spent most of my childhood in Bayville, so this picture clearly reminds me of the train girder bridge we would drive under to get to/from Bayville via Oyster Bay.  I found an old picture of that one for you with a steam engine:  
Link here (old bridge)  and I found another picture of the replacement girder they did a few years ago, which finally allowed taller rigs to drive to/from Bayville via Shore Road (without mashing their rigs on the girder bridge - which happened more often than most folks would think).  Link here (new bridge)

This layout and thread are super enjoyable for me since this is essentially where my love of trains began, so thank you for sharing it with us.

Best...Rich

Outstanding work .

I'm a follower and a liker.

Roo.

Thanks Al, the turntable is a beauty! I appreciate your support Roo! Rich, I was just around the block from there last week working on a cell site. Our trucks barely fit under the old bridge. The bridge on Shore Rd and the one spanning Jericho Tpk in Mineola are both plate girders. Of course the Oyster Bay branch doesn't cross the main, but I had to do that to make the layout fit into the room! I'm working on connecting the switch controllers and will post some pics and a video when I'm done.

Andy

Andy, I love the eye for detail and your artistry and workmanship. They look so authentic! Great work!

Andy

i used to live about 5 minutes from the Albertson Station and took the Oyster Bay line through Jamaica into the city often as a kid.  One of my friend's dad was a conductor on the line.  A favorite site was the station in Williston Park.  

Your work is outstanding  and I would love to see the finished product.   Keep sending the pictures.

Marty

Thanks Fitz. Marty, that station was a beauty! Thanks for the kind words. I'll keep them coming.

Andy

I cleaned some of the junk off of the benchwork, and don't you know it, there's a layout under there! I started to get a little more organized today, because I'm having company in a few weeks, and we'd like to see what we're doing when we run some trains 

Andy

That there is some nice work.

Thanks NECRAILS

I set up some of my switch controllers using touch toggles by Berrett Hill Shops with Tortoise motors. Works as advertised, and is very easy to set up. A video was posted on the forum a while back with Joey Ricard and Kevin Hunter demonstrating the product. You can find Kevin's site here: http://www.berretthillshop.com/#site-wrapper.

Andy

Just came across your post. Awesome work Andy. I live near Mineola and can hear the Oyster bay trains when they approach and leave the station heading north.  Great piece of LIRR history you are building.

My kids both did a train trip to Oyster Bay when they were in Nursery School, what a great spot. Keep up the good work. Can't wait to see the finished product (well, we never really finish, do we!)

RSJB18,

Thanks for the kind words. I grew up in Mineola, and always had the Oyster Bay trains going through our village. Progress is slow, but I'm moving forward!

Andy

I had to replace two Atlas undermount switch machines with two Tortoise switch machines between the main and staging yards. The space is 6" high, and about 18" back from the edge of the layout. I knew it had to be done, but I wasn't looking forward to it. I took my time and got really lucky, because I didn't have a great view, and had a heck of a time getting my hands in there. In the end it was worth the trouble. Both switches throw very smoothly.

Andy

Steamfan77 posted:

I had to replace two Atlas undermount switch machines with two Tortoise switch machines between the main and staging yards. The space is 6" high, and about 18" back from the edge of the layout. I knew it had to be done, but I wasn't looking forward to it. I took my time and got really lucky, because I didn't have a great view, and had a heck of a time getting my hands in there. In the end it was work the trouble. Both switches throw very smoothly.

Andy

You said it was tight and you were not joking. That is a small area to work with. Good job.

Mike

Thanks Mike. I'm still not sure how I did it, and I hope I don't need to do it again!

Andy

Just read this whole thread. As I live on Long Island in Huntington Station, the Model looks very authentic already. The girder bridge especially look like the many I have seen here.

Thanks for the kind words Borntman. I'm going to add as many realistic details as my skill level will allow!

Andy

I had manual throws set up on the four way yard switch in the staging area, but as I began to run trains more frequently, it became obvious that it was clumsy and inconvenient at best. This switch is used every time I bring a train into the staging area, so I went with adding more switch machines. I had access to the area from underneath, but had to do some surgery on one of the flanges on the benchwork. I went with the touch toggles as I previously posted for another switch, and used Tortoise switch machines.

Andy

I added some SPST toggle switches to kill the power on various sidings and yard tracks, so I can leave most of my engines on the layout when not in use. 

Andy

This is is my first attempt at some ground cover. It's a minor area between the tracks. 

Andy

Looks great Andy  coming along nicely

Mike

Thanks Mike!

Andy

I've added a few streets and sidewalks. Need to finish the junction area in Mineola. I also added the signal bridge and connected it to the system. 

Andy

Looks great!

Can't wait to see some ORANGE!

Andy,

Looks awesome

Mike

I have a whole fleet waiting Steve! Thanks for the kind words Mike. 

Andy

Hey Steve, you wanted some orange, here you go! 

Andy

I will stop by on my next visit to LI.   

You are welcome anytime!

More roadwork from the highway department. The work is slow, but I work when I can...

Andy

I finished the Mineola junction. If you look at my post from 7/7, you'll see that the street over the junction is missing. I used joint compound mixed with black paint to get close to the shade of gray I wanted. To make room for the flanges, I carved the grooves out on the outside rails. A slow process, but I think it was worth it. I added some ballast on the sides of the road, and finished with weathering powders. Let me know what you think. Thanks for looking.

Andy

This is awesome! I have do redo one of my grade crossings because it didn't come out the way I wanted. The trains run over it ok but I am not happy with the visual. Yours came out like you were a 1/48 size construction worker.

So let me get this right, the roads are made out of masonite but the grade crossing joint compound? 

 Crossing multiple diverging tracks can be a challenge. This is about the best  I've seen. The ballast blends in with the track and surroundings and doesn't look freshly laid. Just the makings of a great scene. Nice job.

Andy,

Truly amazing work, great scene!

Mike 

Thanks for the kind words guys. Demtrains, yes the crossing is joint compound, and the roads are Masonite. 

Andy

Hi Andy,

hows the progress been going? Any layout updates to share?

                                                                         Nice!

                                                                 LIRR Fan

Hi Greg,

Thanks for asking. It's been a rough year. I'm slowly working my way back to full speed. Hopefully I'll post something soon. 

Steve, #170 looks sweet!

Andy

This thread is incredible! I'm a former long islander and, this is very inspiring. Great work! Any further pictures/ updates/ videos?? 👍

Looks good Andy.

You will appreciate this since you are modeling the area- my wife and I were having dinner in Davenport Press a few months ago when we see fire trucks outside and smell smoke. A woman had turned onto the tracks at Willis Ave because she was following her GPS and it told her to turn..... this was what was left of the car. The driver was OK, she got out of the car before the train hit it.

Hi DJ,

Thank you for the kind words. I am currently working on a structure that will go in the industrial area known as "The Hole", in Mineola. It will be Kurtz Iron Works. RSJB18, I remember that fire. Scary stuff relying on technology instead of common sense . Attached are a few pictures of my progress. I used some lightweight joint compound to bring out the mortar joints in the brick wall. Next, I painted the cement areas. In the third picture I painted the roof with black latex paint, and then added some fine ballast for a gritty appearance. And yesterday I added the windows and doors. Soon I'll give the entire structure a diluted wash of black India ink. After that, I'll work on the loading docks. This kit is the Atlas Farmview Dairy structure, but I'm turning it into an ironworks. I'll add details in the surrounding area in the future. 

Andy

Steamfan77 posted:

Hi DJ,

Thank you for the kind words. I am currently working on a structure that will go in the industrial area known as "The Hole", in Mineola. It will be Kurtz Iron Works. RSJB18, I remember that fire. Scary stuff relying on technology instead of common sense . Attached are a few pictures of my progress. I used some lightweight joint compound to bring out the mortar joints in the brick wall. Next, I painted the cement areas. In the third picture I painted the roof with black latex paint, and then added some fine ballast for a gritty appearance. And yesterday I added the windows and doors. Soon I'll give the entire structure a diluted wash of black India ink. After that, I'll work on the loading docks. This kit is the Atlas Farmview Dairy structure, but I'm turning it into an ironworks. I'll add details in the surrounding area in the future. 

 

Andy

 

 

Very nice work! 

Thanks DJ!

After some weathering and assembly, the building is on the layout. The weathering is pretty heavy, as this is a trackside ironworks facility. I'll set up the yard with equipment, etc., and lay down some ground cover to anchor the structure. I'm still deciding if I want to glue the building together, or leave it as is for easy breakdown. 

Andy

That new building looks great! So happy to see your continued work!

Thanks Greg!

Andy,

Layout coming along Let me know when you want to come by and visit the TMB layout.   Also I'd like to visit your layout someday as we are practically neighbors

Steve

Steamfan77 posted:

After some weathering and assembly, the building is on the layout. The weathering is pretty heavy, as this is a trackside ironworks facility. I'll set up the yard with equipment, etc., and lay down some ground cover to anchor the structure. I'm still deciding if I want to glue the building together, or leave it as is for easy breakdown. 

 

Andy

 

 

Heavy weathering on the LIRR.... naaaaaah, never! The building looks spectacular, the weathering is very realistic.

I remember riding the old diesel powered trains on the port Jeff branch in the mid & late 90's. Talk about rust buckets! Many ppl were glad to see their replacements slowly appearing on the rails; sleek clean & quiet bi-level cars. 

Hope to see a video of some model oyster bay branch action soon!

Andy,

I just re-read you thread, and what outstanding progress!  Thanks for sharing, fantastic work.

Thanks for the invite Steve. I’m available any time to see your layout, and you are always welcome to come here and see mine. I’d definitely like to set something up. Shoot me a pm or email. Thanks DJ, I’ll try to do a video soon. Thanks for the kind words Rich. I read and reread your build thread too. What an inspiration! 

Andy

I just completed the Mineola sub station. I'll add equipment inside and fix up the grounds in the near future. 

Andy

Steamfan77 posted:

I just completed the Mineola sub station. I'll add equipment inside and fix up the grounds in the near future. 

Andy

Looks great! 

I’ve been working on this recently, and finished the kit today. It’s the Oblong Box Company from Dennis Brennan. 

Andy

Just finished this today. It’s my first attempt with a plaster kit. It was an interesting project. 

Andy

great work !!!!

Thanks Marty

Awesome work !  

Thanks Kon

I just skimmed through the whole thread.  Pretty cool.  Looks like you have trains running and are building models.  I’m kind of jealous.  Have fun.  I remember I built that same ramp and it was like $30 for a batch of wood and a pile of instructions for the simplest thing in the world to build.  That is when I decided scratch building is a better option.  I don’t need to pay an extra $25 for a six page instruction sheet for a simple loading dock.  And I think it came with magnets for some ridiculous reason, like to square something up. Anyway, I digress.  Nice layout.  Have fun building and running it.

your work Andy never ceases to amaze us, truly amazing

Mike and Aidan

Thanks William. I’m enjoying building right now because I have the time! Thanks for the kind words Michael. I read your article, and it doesn’t get any better than you and Aidan working together. It was a pleasure seeing your layout in person. 

Andy

Just finished this structure. It's the Wilson & Co. meat packing plant, located in Mineola on Main Street, right where the Oyster Bay branch line comes off the main. Thanks for looking.

Andy

Great work Andy. Just caught up on your thread. I was at Davenport over the weekend, right across the street.

Wondering if you are going to re-build now that the 3rd track is going in.

Bob

Thanks Bob, how’s the food there? I will not be adding a third track! 

Andy

It's a great place. Food is excellent.

Should be interesting to see how the LIRR is going to rebuild some of the areas along the route.

Steamfan77 posted:

Just finished this structure. It's the Wilson & Co. meat packing plant, located in Mineola on Main Street, right where the Oyster Bay branch line comes off the main. Thanks for looking.

Andy

Excellent work! Who makes the Wilson & CO. Reefer?

Thanks DJ, it's an Atlas product. Don't think they make it anymore, but I'm sure you could find it online.

Andy

Steamfan77 posted:

Thanks DJ, it's an Atlas product. Don't think they make it anymore, but I'm sure you could find it online.

Andy

Great thank you!

I made an adjustment in the color of the plaster kit that I posted on 11/25. The color wasn’t as rich as I wanted, so I went over the building with full strength russet drawing ink. I’m happier with the color now. I’ll also go over it with a black wash now that I have the color I want.

Andy

Covering up the Homasote with some basic ground cover.

Andy

Very nice! Keep the progress photos coming.

Thanks DJ!

Making progress on a part of the layout I’ve ignored for too long. The first picture is a retaining wall next to the main line. After that, I put down some basic ground cover. The rest of the pictures are of the Jericho Turnpike underpass in Mineola, Long Island, NY. For the street supports, I made a template out of oak tag, then transferred the shape to some scrap 3/4” plywood. After cutting and a little sanding, I screwed the curved road supports to the benchwork. I spray painted some 1/8” hardboard (Masonite) flat gray. I’ll follow up on the road with some weathering powders. I cut the walls out of the same thickness hardboard, and after priming with the gray, I sprayed on some Rust-Oleum Desert Bisque. For the folks that are familiar with the area I’m modeling, this is the underpass on Jericho Turnpike in Mineola. For those not familiar, this is a four lane road, and one of the main thoroughfares in the village of Mineola which passes under the Oyster Bay branch line that I’m modeling. The underpass is in progress, so more pictures to follow. Thanks for looking.

Andy

Great work on an interesting layout.  I really like the quality of the buildings.  Nice crisp corners, colors, good track work and the grider plate bridge is special. 

Thanks Pennsynut! Thank you for the kind words. The progress comes in spurts, but I’m happy with the overall look of the layout. I’m leaving the scratch building to the end. That will be a tall order, but enjoyable. 

Andy

Andy,

  Very nice. I was catching up on some of your recent posts. I like how the girder bridge came out. Also, good to see your B6 get some track time. 

Tom

Thanks Tom, I’m happy with how the girder bridge came out, it’s a nice scene with the underpass. That Lionel b6 is a good puller, especially backing a long cut of freight or passenger cars out of the yard on that curve. 

Andy

I added the sidewalks and cement cap/end pieces for the underpass, along with some ground cover. I installed more retaining wall pieces and some ground cover behind the girder bridge, and installed a cement retaining wall in front of the higher level industrial area on the layout known as “the hole”. I’ll add the street portion to connect that area with Jericho Turnpike (underpass) soon. I also put in a layer of some 1/2” Homasote in the corner and up the side of the grade. I’ll paint it earth brown and put down some ground cover and trees. I think it’ll be nice to give this area a little elevation. Thanks for looking.

Andy

Andy, your Jericho Turnpike girder bridge is in much better shape than the real thing, just drove through, it needs a good scraping & painting.

Art

Thanks Arthur! They repainted a few in Freeport, and they look much better. 

Andy

Andy your patience and your attention to detail is remarkable on this layout. Cant wait to see it finished, truly unbelievable 

Mike and Aidan

Mike, thanks to you and Aidan for the kind words. I'm really enjoying working on the scenery and structures.

Andy

Steamfan77 posted:

Thanks Arthur! They repainted a few in Freeport, and they look much better. 

Andy

I was on 135 yesterday. The bridge between Farmingdale and Bethpage is in sad shape.

It sure is Bob! I think they need to invest in infrastructure a little more. 

Andy 

I made some progress with the corner I started, and with the street connecting the upper and lower levels. I put down basic ground cover on the edges of the Homasote that are next to the walls before I put it in place. It just made it easier than having to reach and be fairly precise. After attaching the Homasote, I taped the near edge and ends to form a gentle taper. I’ll continue with the ground cover tomorrow. I’m happy with the look of the ramp between the two levels. I cut some 1/8” hardboard (Masonite), and painted the road surface a flat gray. I’ll paint the rest of the structure Rustoleum Desert Bisque for a concrete look. Maybe I’ll give it a dark wash afterwards. Thanks for looking.

Andy

Added some basic ground cover to the recently installed elevated area. The first three pictures are the ground cover, in the last four, I added a little greenery. Trees/bushes/trackside debris to follow in the future.

Andy

Excellent looking ground cover.

Thank you Arthur. The products are from Dennis Brennan at https://brennansmodelrr.com

Andy

Andy,   Just started reading this thread, Who makes the building kit below, or is it scratchbuilt ?

I just completed the Mineola sub station. I'll add equipment inside and fix up the grounds in the near future. 

Andy

Hi Chris,

This is a kit from Altoona Model Works. They call it the Power/Boiler house.

Andy

Continued with some ground cover, and started another elevated area. I wanted to use irregular shaped pieces of Homasote, because it’s what I have on hand. 

Andy

Andy:

Your layout progress is inspiring and brings back memories of my redo.  As you know, PRR owned the LIRR at one time and being a Pennsynut, I was curious about what locos you would be running.  I looked up LIRR on American Rails.com to see what steamers would have been on it's roster.  AM Rails listed four H6 Consolidations; 19 H10 Consolidations; four Atlantics; three G53 ten wheelers; 31 G5s ten wheelers; thirteen PRR K4s; two B8 PRR 0-6-0 and eight 0-8-0 switchers as of 1949.  Wondering what your roster of steamers and other locos will be.

Sorry about my last post Andy.  I see that a while back that you listed your locos and I missed that somehow.

Not a problem at all Pennsynut! I’m modeling 1948-1957ish, but I also have an Alco C-420, a GP38-2, and an MP15-AC that I run every now and then. But mostly I stick to my original roster. That time period has a nice mix of steam and diesel. 

Andy

Nice mix.  Can't wait to see more.  

As an ex-Long Islander I marvel at your layout!

Great stuff Andy- keep up the good work.

To add to what Pennsynut wrote- I found this image of 4 locos at the turn table in Oyster Bay. Don't remember the date on the photo but it right in your period for sure.

Bob

Thank you both for the kind words! Thanks Bob(Bwana) and Bob(RSJB18)! I’ve seen that picture before, I think it was right before the end of steam in 1955. 

Andy

I painted and installed the retaining walls that connect the upper and lower levels. To the left of the short wall,  I’ll build, paint, and install the remaining retaining wall for the grade sometime in the near future. I was also able to cover the newly created elevated section with some basic ground cover. I only created this area to break up all of the flatness. Plus, I wanted to get rid of the odd pieces of Homasote I had hanging around . Thanks for looking.

Andy

I haven't seen updates on your layout for a while, sorry I missed them.  You are making awesome progress.  Everything just blends nicely together.

Regards,

GNNPNUT

Have to say your "newly created elevated section" is topographically spot-on for Long Island. There are no mountains around here to get in the way.

 

Nice scenery!

I am concerned that certain cars will not clear that corner. Pecos River box cars and some cars over 50'.  Atlas T-MAN LIRR commuter cars are wide and might scrape as do the bay window cabooses. Diesel side railings are close too. Just a thought to check on.

Steve, 

Always a keen eye! You were right! The engines were fine, but I have 18” long Lionel passenger cars that just caught the underside of the cap. If you notice, in the last picture I notched the corner of the cap. Thanks for the heads up.

Andy

A true test would be to run a string of cars. They will tilt inward on curves with the drag factor. 🚧

 My bay windows have scrapes on them from the rock n roll along station platforms. I didn't know this until years later of operation. Oh, all the variations and sizes of O. 😵

I’ll do a test run like you suggested. I’ll report my findings.  Hopefully all goes well.

Andy

Man I love the progress on you layout. It’s coming alive. I wish I had the space now to build my LIRR branch I grew up along side. Keep it up Andy. And by the way I found a K-line Wilson’s car lines wood sided reefer. I had no idea about that meat factory until you built it and posted the pic of your reefer. 

Thanks DJ! Glad you were able to find the reefer.

Andy

Steve (SIRT),

I ran a string of my longest passenger cars in both directions, at different speeds, and it’s close, but not rubbing at all. The adjustment I made on the corner is sufficient for now. Thanks again for the suggestion. 

Andy 

Smitty says good job! 

https://youtu.be/8YBEpIiz_qA

Pennsynut,

Your post asking what motive power I’m running got me thinking. I’ve never posted my entire engine roster before. This is for you and anyone else that might be interested. Thanks for raising the question. First up is my favorite:

4-6-0 #35

2-8-0 #108

0-6-0 #2015

S-2 #447

VO-1000 #450

RS-1 #465

RS-3 #1558

H16-44 #1504

C-Liner #2404

The last three engines are not in the era that I’m modeling, but I saw them frequently as I was growing up.

C420 #212

GP38-2 #261

MP15-AC #163

Andy

Who made the "2404"? MTH?

Bob, you’re right, MTH. It’s a nice unit, and the engine has a nice “growl”. The 0-6-0, H16-44, and C420 are Lionel. The rest are MTH.

Andy

Just added some ground cover in the area in front of the recently installed retaining wall, and in the area behind the grade. 

Andy 

Nice collection of loco's Andy. I'm very jealous. Lucky for me some don't fit on 027 or I'd have gone broke by now.

Glad your corner clearance issues were minor.

Bob

Just an FYI -

I'm using 2r track on part of the sidings of my next build. Looks much better in spots where power units don't need to operate. You might want to think about that when you do some sidings.

Layout is much more realistic than that other toy one that posts every 5 minutes on here. He seems to think he's the only one that ever made a layout before.  OK I guess if your not a period modeler.

Love the layout, looks like the Long Island I remember. I lived two houses from the Patchogue station for years.

Are you going to pick one paint scheme, e.g. Good Fellow, Worlds' Fair or mix things up?

Thanks Bob, I’m happy with this fleet. This is what would be seen in that era (1948-1955). Thanks Steve, I appreciate the kind words especially from someone of your caliber. I’m doing a lot of these tasks for the first time, so there will be a need for a redo every now and then. Thanks for the idea about the sidings, I never would have thought of that. Thanks for the kind words Scotie. That must have been an interesting location to live, very busy, but fun. I’d like to change the paint scheme on the RS-3 to the orange ends to match the other diesels. I’d also like to get rid of the Dashing Dan logo on everything. I wouldn’t mind making one of the engines Goodfellow gray. I think that’s sharp looking. And to have the right paint on the passenger cars. I think the Tichy scheme on the C-Liner is pretty nice too.

Andy 

It is remarkable how far along you have come since 2013!  Amazing job Andy 

Mike and Aidan

Thank you Mike and Aidan! It’s been six years already! Wow, where has the time gone?

Andy

I'll have to check this out thoroughly. Just saw a link post here, can't wait till I get home to see.

Thank you Dave! I hope you enjoy it.

Andy

I’m working on the long retaining wall between the grade and the industrial area above. As with the small wall I recently posted, the wall and vertical pieces are 1/8” Masonite (hardboard) and the cap is 1/4” MDF. I’ve already glued the cap on, and today I’ll glue the vertical trim pieces in place. Then I’ll break all the edges (lightly sand) to get it ready for primer. The paint will adhere better than if all the edges were sharp. After that, I’ll spray paint it with the textured Desert Bisque I’ve been using and install it. Then I’ll give it a dark wash. It’s all one piece, and measures about 81” in length. The last picture shows where the wall will be installed. After the wall is in, I’ll put some basic ground cover down. 

Andy 

Excellent craftsmanship as usual. 

Thank you Arthur! 

Andy