Apparently there is still one car float company still operating in the New Jersey / New York area, operating a 45 min service that would take 5 days any other way due to interchange delays.

there is also a car float between mobile alabama and mexico. there may also be one to puerto rico from florida as well.

"Whittier is the port where the Alaska Railroad receives its interchange traffic via ocean-going rail barge from both the CN in Prince Rupert and the UP/BNSF in Seattle."

The above quote from:

http://www.alaskarails.org/ARR-ride-photo.html

Let's see now:  A three channel RC rig would give me direction/rudder/throttle for the tug boat.  Then, flood the basement to the level of the benchwork....hmmmm.  Does Walthers still sell that car float kit?.....
Rusty

As far as I know, a car float is still used between Norfolk VA and Cape Charles Va. I use to live in Pocomoke City MD not too far away in the 1970s when a car float started to sink as it came into the Cape Charles harbor. Went down to look and could see the upper portion of the rolling stock. The float never made it to the loading bridge.
The track through t town I lived in was so bad at the time, about ten miles per hour was max speed. the rolling stock would weave from side to side.


http://www.varail.com/baycoast.htm

Rich

The Walther's car float is a great kit.  I put it together twice...  The first time, then realized it was too long!!!  It is a great detailed car float.  I hate to talk too much on a "Bachmann" site, but they do not make these kits...

Bay Coast Railrod car float is indeed in operation between Cape Charles and Little Creek lessd than tyen miles from where I am typing now.


Tom

Quote from: boomertom on May 01, 2009, 08:44:25 PM
Bay Coast Railrod car float is indeed in operation between Cape Charles and Little Creek lessd than tyen miles from where I am typing now.


Tom

Hi Tom

Nice to know. Great area. Spandar Radar 1970 to 1984, Wallops Island, Va.

Rich

Rich,

My wife, daughter and I moved to Virginia Beach in 1999. However, I was in Norfolk for a brief period in 1972 when the C&O operated a car float from Newport News to Norfolk where it had a small yard with no outside connections.

This operation was featured in Model Railroad Planning several years ago.

This mentioning of car floats and another thread on terminal railroads gives me some suggestions for my shelf layout dilemma.

Tom

Dear Tom,
Let me guess....flood the train room, or put the layout in the bathtub? 

Actually, no flooding is required.     Although I've never had a layout with a marine connection, I've seen several photo essays of pikes that did feature float/ferry operations.  The most common way seems to involve putting the car float or ferry on a table with casters.  Once the vessel is loaded, it is simply rolled away. 
Rusty

Don't know that I would have thought of a table on wheels to move the float. But it does make more sense, even though I  like the idea of flooding the basement and going RC.

Bruce

Dear All,

Just a little brainstorming, don't shoot the imagineer ('til later).

Waist high trough, water inlet back side, outlet front side.  Could be part of outdoor water-scaping. 

Inrushing water enough to cause scale waves. 10 scale foot tides, 10x normal cycle speed (normal = twice a day).   (Motorized/geared outlet gate raises/lowers tides 10 scale feet = 6 inches in 1:20 scale.) 

Dock tracks left side and right side.  Load trains one end only or both ends of barge/ferry?  If one end only, need enough "front to back" room in trough for RC controlled tug/barge or train ferry to turn around !!

Mechanisms on docks to adjust to different height tides, locking in on barge/ferry to allow loading/unloading.   Careful to load barge/ferry evenly so as not to capsize !!

Sound like fun?

Sincerely,

Joe Satnik

Quote from: Yampa Bob on May 03, 2009, 02:13:48 AM
Dear Tom,
Let me guess....flood the train room, or put the layout in the bathtub? 

Wher I used to live - in the mountains of all places - rains generated by hurricanes caused my basement to flood : not once, but three times causing the loss of HO, N and Lioinel. Sooo don'take waves, please.

Tom

Just think of the play value an operating float would have.

Bruce