Loading Conveyor Part 4 (fin)

To start off this week's post, this is just the sort of covered hopper that I'd like to see occasionally spotted at the loading conveyor site on the JSSX.  I particularly like how the graffiti blends into the rust so well that it takes a moment or two before you even notice that it's there. Brian Smith took the photo at the St.Thomas yard and sent it to me, along with the caption below the photo...

"This lonely worn out old soldier was sitting all by itself in the yard" - Brian Smith.

Thanks Brian.

Last week, Ken Rutherford asked in the comments section about the fall-prevention cable that runs above the covered hoppers on the conveyor loader spur.  I'm grateful that Ken is a regular reader of my blog, and I replied that I was going to try to incorporate that cable into the scene.  I have been intending to do so, but it really mightn't look quite like the one at the prototype site.

Because of space restrictions, I've decided my best approach to this will be to cantilever the beams off of the boarded up warehouse that's on the far side of the spur.  The warehouse serves the dual purpose of blocking the view of the end wall, as well as the view of the bare trackwork that is the 180 degree turn at the end of the layout.

This foreground in this view will become the location of the loading conveyor "industry", but I don't want to have the supports for the safety cable to be located in between the aisle and the freight cars

I've made up 4 cantilever beams from styrene I-beam, plus two poles (plastic stir straws) to go at the ends of the cable, although I ended up only using one of those.

This small shanty will sit on the concrete pad to provide shelter from the elements for a couple of workers. A boarded up window, incoming electrical cable and pole, and trash barrel detail the area.

With everything set in place now on the layout, here's a look as NREX 3885 shoves the first couple of covered hoppers into position at the new industry on the JSSX.  The safety cable and supports can be seen across front of the warehouse.

A closer view with the covered hoppers on the rails.  Two cars is about the maximum here, three might be a bit of a stretch.

Beige coloured thread will do for now as the safety cable running above the cars.

A look at the site from near the entrance to the train room.  The track leading into the industry site is the seldom used pull-back at one end of the JSSX freight yard.  Before I decided to add this car loading conveyor industry, this track had most often sat empty, or occasionally used to store a short track maintenance train.  If I ever find an over-the-road hopper type of truck and trailer to park on the concrete pad, it would make for a real good addition to this scene.