Re: Draft Layout Plans: Black Hawk C&S / Gilpin Tram

Posted by Martin Wade on Feb 27, 2025; 3:24pm
URL: http://c-sng-discussion-forum.254.s1.nabble.com/Draft-Layout-Plans-Black-Hawk-C-S-Gilpin-Tram-tp20518p20535.html

Hi Dave,

Thanks so much for sharing your thoughts and ideas to consider.  My wife and I reviewed each of them to consider adjustments or reinforcements to what we already envisioned.   I'll share back a bit of our thought process:

First overall, we are very much "smearing" the timeline and a bit of the local (merging a bit of Central City into Black Hawk).   So with our "freelance" license, its as if the Gilpin nor the C& S did not shut down and we are somewhere in the 30s.   In addition some elements (like the turntable) had moved out of town by then but in typical modeling limitations we don't have that extended space so we pulled it back in.  So we use an "earlier time" to identify a reasonable place to put it matched up with it has to fit somewhere in this small space.
So armed with the above here were our thoughts:

Engine house and multiple leads:   This was more personal preference and we realize steers away from prototype.   Answer is yes we wanted an Engine House and some engine storage/facilities even though this wasn't exactly prototypical.   While saying that, we will keep this in reserve should we want to steal space as this is definitely a place up for grabs as you identified.

Shrink Livestock and Expand Iron Mill:   We are thrilled to get this confirmation as with our full size plans laid out, this is one thing we noted ourselves.  We want to add on the second half of the Iron City Mill and felt shrinking the livestock area was very doable.  What I had not thought of was the use of these pens to bring in livestock for "meat".   I am still really learning the "commodity" flow and purpose so this was very helpful to understand.   Now, I not only have a more right sized pen but a more right sized purpose/flow.

Fuel Dealer/Hay & Feed/Lumber:   From pictures we spotted an open Lumber yard near the Bull Durham Building.  Then a barn/stables appears to be near that.   So in our 'world', we have a Hardware "& Lumber" store next to Bull Durham Bldg and plan to have the open lumber piles next to it with the spur below to deliver both Hardware and Lumber goods.   Next up is Banta's Foley's Barn which will be the Stable plus add an open wood dock behind on the spur for delivery of Hay and Feed.   Whether sold out of the Barn structure or by the neighboring Hardware store we didn't really plan out but for operations this was our vision.   Next to it is the Beer Distribution Warehouse.  Not built to prototype (nor location) but to deliver prototypical operations.  So with those covered, we felt we needed a true Fuel Dealer (especially if we are in the 30s) so the placement by Polar Star was our choice for coal and yes tank cars of Fuel Oil, Kerosene, and Gasoline.   This is definitely a smear of the timeline so I'm sure is less prototypical to Black Hawk but more to what would have been if it all really had survived to 30s.   I am sure I just caused pain for more those more prioritized on prototype.

Freight House/Warehouse:   The Freight House was just a kit building we have that I felt fit and provided the operational element that matched prototype on operations side.   With the info you provided, I will probably note it more as a warehouse and also consider scratch building more to the true prototype structure.  But as you noted it provides the right prototype goods operationally.

We are thrilled to get these comments so we can 'hone' our design, consider options, and even confirm some of our "operational" choices.   That seems to be more matched than I had hoped for.

Thanks again Dave,

Martin Wade