Copyright 2002 T. Sheil & A. Sheil  All Rights Reserved

All Gauge Model Railroading Page

Dockside / Pierfront Railway

3' by 6' Layout hosts a waterfront railway operation

Having seen all too much of the waterfront in Hoboken, Weehawken, Jersey City, Bayonne, Brooklyn and Manhattan, I wanted very much to design a pierside operation that would be challenging and varied.  Likewise, I intended to design one that could be made as an extension of an existing N scale layout.  This is it.  A sharp model railroader can adapt it as he sees fit, adding or deleting sidings to meet his own needs.  Granted, I had Docksiders, Hustlers, Porters, Plymouths and 0-6-0 switchers in mind, but that is not yet practical for N scale.  I changed my thinking to the most common large locomotives used for switching, the EMD GP and Alco RS series.  The RS3 could do very well here.

Our system loses half the 11" loop, which is replaced by sidings.  Note the two piers served by locomotives.  They could also be used as ferry docks.	We extend and curve spurs, plus add another full loop linking the top with bottom. Bottom sidings are those that might be used by a mainline pike shunting freight to and from the piers.
More sidngs, more action.  You can do a LOT of shunting here.  Though we envisioned it for small steamers and industrial type locomotives (Docksiders, Porters, 44-tonners, etc.), this is N scale.  You can do just as well with GPs, Alco RS and other road switcher types.	Our intention in our pier-side layouts was twofold: to provide plenty of action for dockside freight handling, and to provide an extension or module which would can add on to his existing layout.  Both the topmost and the bottom sidings can connect with a mainline operation from your existing layout.

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