Here's the latest version of my LAJ plan plus a couple of maps.. The LAJ plan was done by Rob Chant thru a free offer on the Railroad Line Forums site. He used my hand drawing which had a ton of "impossible" trackwork. The second image was done by Ken Johnson Trainworks. It shows mostly the Vernon side which is what my layout will be based on. 3rd image was given to me by John Signor before he he published his Santa Fe Los Angeles Division book.The 4th shows the tracks & industries on the stacked leads. They will be one on top of the other & operated like an elevator. The LAJ is located on the Los Angeles River flood plain so there's no topography, i.e hills & mountains It is located about 3 mi. SE of downtown Los Angeles CA. This RR takes up about an area about 2 mi. by 5 mi. When it began it was all in LA but now it's all in the cities of Commerce, Maywood & Vernon. There's about 65 miles of track compressed into that area. LAJ has 3 yards (A, B & C) w/ 22 switch leads coming out of them. The only place that it's possible to go roundy round is in Commerce on east side of the river. Maywood & Vernon are on the west side. Commerce has 6 switch leads, Maywood has one & Vernon 15. As can be seen will only be modeling 7 leads (4 stacked) & one yard. Also have a stub ended version of the Santa Fe Malabar Yard (for staging) & their Vernon Team which handles alot of shapes as Santa Fe calls metal products.. Vernon Team is literally right next door to the LAJ Fruitland Team as shown in the plan. Both take up an area roughly 400' x 1000'. To see them in Bing &/or Google aerials use 2695 Fruitland Av 90058. The LAJ started in 1922 using ALCO 4 0-6-0s. Santa Fe always had a controlling interest so if they needed extra power, Santa Fe loaned them some. In 1941 the got their first diesels ALCO S-2s. By 1949 they had 5 S-2s & 2 S-4s. They lasted til 9/74 & started using Santa Fe CF7s out of the LA pool. BY then LAJ was wholly owned by Santa Fe. LAJ finally got 2563, 2568, 2571 & 2619 after Santa Fe stopped using them. in 1992 they used 2 Santa Fe MK1200Gs. They are gone now being replaced by w/ whatever BNSF (current owner) gives them. Currently they are using RCLs being run by conductors only w/ there's only one working engineer position. The LAJ isn't turning & burning like the days past but they are still moving freight! Have the LAJ switch Maps & the Industry List that were done in the early '70s when Santa Fe took over The maps were given to me by Charlie Slater who was a conductor there 1970-1984. He then went to Santa Fe & retired from. BNSF. He's also an excellent HO modeler! Also have collected many pix of the LAJ locomotives. Email me at lajrmdlr@gmail DOT com if you want to see anything.
I used to work down there on the meat wagon (Ambulance) some of the maintenance vehicles still have LAJ on them. Tons of industry. I look forward to your progress!
Some people have said it's too much in too little space. But was trying to recreate the real crammed LAJ. Besides want enough to keep 3-4 operators busy. And if it's just me don't have to switch everything! Were did your meat wagons work out of?
We were out of station #1 at Fruitland and Downey. Been to the bnsf yard twice once for a box car fire the other for a heart attack. They still maintain most of that track and slowly most of the industries are coming back. I'll pass through occasionally and always seem to see something new.
The bnsf yard must have been the old Santa Fe Malabar Yard just east of Pacific.Bl. There used to be a connection along 46th St. between their Vernon Team spur going to the LAJ Fruitland Team spur.
Last August moved to Santa Fe Springs CA so have to come up w/ a new LAJ plan. This one is just a very rough draft. >) Had to make a few changes in the placement of the leads. But overall they're still oriented like the real LAJ. Guess now it's time to learn how to use my cad program!
It's just me, myself & I so yes my trains will take up all that space. But it will all be modular & very portable since they will be 2" Styrofoam on PVC legs. So there won't be any damages to this place.
I look forward to seeing the progress you make. Really weird area with endless switching possibilities. Sent from my SM-G920P using Tapatalk
Next thing is to have one of my friends take me to get some 2" Styrofoam & PVC for legs. Being retired don't have a car anymore!
Where you getting your Styrofoam from? Alot of the places around the Pasadena/San Gabriel area say its all special order, I ended up ordering a 4x8 from a place in Ontario for $20 Sent from my SM-G920P using Tapatalk
Try Home Depot at 1750 E Edinger Ave in Santa Ana (they've carried it in the past, but call 'em first).
Read somewhere recently that someone was able to call ahead to have the Styrofoam there on a certain date.
Yea you can special order. But than you have to wait. I like same day pick up.lol Sent from my SM-G920P using Tapatalk
But if your store doesn't have it stock then you HAVE to preorder it. Otherwise you'll be driving all around hellngone & never find ANY!
