Modular NYC subway layout - Times Square Station

WSJ thanks for the update on the lighting. I was kind of thinking about the fluorescents that Miller Eng offers or some of the PMMA side glow fibers.   I went really cheap on my LED lights - bought a 15 foot roll from Menards and just cut them up in multiples of 3 and solder on leads. Also connected through dimmers to tone down building lights as needed. 

To get a fluorescent-like effect on the platform lights such as in the pic below, I put the LED strips inside white plastic drinking straws from IKEA.

Remaining mezzanine lights installed. Now for platform benches, figures, and some remaining wiring.

@West Side Joe posted:

Remaining mezzanine lights installed. Now for platform benches, figures, and some remaining wiring.

Stunning work again Joe.  Makes me want to go loiter on a subway platform next time I go downtown. 

John

As I stated previous -- excellent modeling work -- Museum Quality -- the best most realistically detailed subway station and with a mezzanine -  that I have seen in O Scale (or if in so far) any scale.  A pure architect type recreation and model  with fine attention to details that are usually overlooked.  Excellent photography of it also !  Totally real life appearing ! (Joe F)

Platform benches. I always liked the old wooden ones more than the "modern" 60's style fiberglass seats, even though the newer ones were more comfortable. Kit-bashed from two different bench kits.

Brenda did as she was instructed, putting the two suitcases into locker #C2 on the southbound side of the Times Square station mezzanine by the hamburger stand. She hoped the gang would now let her boyfriend go so they could get away and start a new life in California. Sadly, this was not to be.

People make the scene.

A bit of an aside here: Some of you know that I also post pics of this project on a Facebook group page called "Only The Finest In O-Gauge Railroading" run by Kelly Harris (oops: actually "Scale", not "Gauge").  Facebook has decided to lock my FB account, for no discernible reason other than "unusual activity", and is requiring that I upload copies of personal documents such as driver's license, identification cards, passport, utility bills or bank statements, in order to "prove" my identity.

I have no desire to provide such personal documents to a company that locks my account with no opportunity for discussion or appeal, so if any of you visit Kelly's FB page mentioned above, I'd appreciate your telling him that all the posts by "Justino Garcia" (my FB name) are no longer visible.  Thankfully, I have never posted any pictures on FB that I didn't have copies of in hard copy or in other storage locations, so nothing lost there.

Perhaps there is no connection, but about a month ago, I sent a complaint to Facebook accusing them of rampant greed because in addition to selling my account activity information to the highest bidder, they had recently started flooding my feed with ads, so much so that every other post was an ad.  I told them I thought it was unconscionable.  Connection there?  NAH!

Sorry for the rant.  Back to the project.

@West Side Joe posted:

A bit of an aside here: Some of you know that I also post pics of this project on a Facebook group page called "Only The Finest In O-Gauge Railroading" run by Kelly Harris.  Facebook has decided to lock my FB account, for no discernible reason other than "unusual activity", and is requiring that I upload copies of personal documents such as driver's license, identification cards, passport, utility bills or bank statements, in order to "prove" my identity.

I have no desire to provide such personal statements to a company that locks my account with no opportunity for discussion or appeal, so if any of you visit Kelly's FB page mentioned above, I'd appreciate your telling him that all the posts by "Justino Garcia" (my FB name) are no longer visible.  Thankfully, I have never posted any pictures on FB that I didn't have copies of in hard copy or in other storage locations, so nothing lost there.

Perhaps there is no connection, but about a month ago, I sent a complaint to Facebook accusing them of rampant greed because in addition to selling my account activity information to the highest bidder, they had recently started flooding my feed with ads, so much so that every other post was an ad.  I told them I thought it was unconscionable.  Connection there?  NAH!

Sorry for the rant.  Back to the project.

Sorry to hear that.  Facebook and Google wield too much power.  If you watched their testimony in Washington the attitude would really turn you off.   Facebook has always made it's money selling your personal information.   Yet when they testified that wasn't even mentioned.  Washington is fine with that.

Kudos to you for not giving them all of your personal documents so they can put you at risk for identity theft.

John

Hello Justino (-- WS JOE)

A search on Facebook (in the search box)  for  " Only The Finest In O-Gauge Railroading " comes up with nothing at all -- no results !  Perhaps you named it wrong -- or perhaps it is a sub section or ALBUM of a totally differently names page !  OR - was that YOUR OWN Facebook page name/site which Facebook then removed (or blocked from sight)

Regards - Joe F

Perhaps because I said " Gauge" instead of "Scale". My apologies. Here is a link : https://m.facebook.com/groups/415351672636061/

WS Joe --

Thanks -  I checked the site out.  O "SCALE"  and O 'GAUGE" are two different (but still cross related) words and venues.   You may have O Gauge 3-rail track but what you build / model is pure O "Scale" realism and detailing.  (Joe F)

PS: I have had my own issues with Fart Book -- them (their automatic robot "monitors")  bothering me over relatively nothing

Hello Justino (WS Joe)

Well, i joined that FB Site you mentioned above - was quickly approved =- and a search of your name and your WS Joe Handle came up not found.  Also no images of your modeling work.  Also you posted a nice comment to me there on the O Gauge New York FB site about my O Scale Models of my MTA Diesel Work Loco and my maroon BRT EL trailer-car on my street scene -- and I made two separate replies back to you with my thanks and complements to you re: your own model subway station, with a photo of it on each reply.  Your posted message to me and both of my replies to you and their photos are also totally gone...vaporized !!

It appears apparently that   F B completely erased all traces of you and your identity, any postings,  images by you,  etc., wherever they were posted by you on any F B sites   --  Its all gone now.

Regards - Joe F

This is a beautiful example of the folly in entrusting matters of judgment and discretion to Artificial Intelligence. I will miss the groups I followed, but I can only say "good riddance" to FB.

Added people to the first (motorized) car of the Lionel R-27 set: Motorman,  kid looking out the front, "passengers" (photos printed on transparent paper).

@West Side Joe posted:

People make the scene.

Joe, words cannot explain the excellent craftsmanship that you have done and illustrated in this photo and the rest of the others.  Amazing

Thank you.  BTW, I enjoyed your videos on your You Tube channel.

Joe your module is pure scale fidelity and museum quality as stated by Joe Frank, another excellent subway modeler.  Too bad about Brenda's boyfriend.  I wonder if she went to California without him?

Hello Coach Joe !

Thanks for the plug and nice compliment to me.

I am long quite aware that I model - specifically - highly detailed and skilled NY City style EL structures, track and stations.  Well, considering what scratch-building materials  were  available to me to be used when I started it doing it 35 years ago in O Scale.   Along with the very much required trackside city scene buildings, etc., along the El.  That alone takes a lot of skill, dedication, and recognizing and identifying, and replicating, so many of the countless details and etc., associated with the trackside scenes,  street scenes, buildings and stores, etc.    The 3D printing process of late has shown it can provide even more scale and detailed various structural and detailing components for rapid transit (or any railway) modeling.  Even specialized rolling stock !

However, proper and realistic modeling of a "Subway line (Tunnels, scenes, stations, etc) " is an entirely  different world and project specially to it's own.  And Justino has captured the entire essence and look, feel of, and incorporated, the  myriad of details applicable to such underground transit modeling.  What I have accomplished in my "above the street" modeling of rapid transit in O Scale,  he has accomplished in the "below the street" modeling of rapid transit.  Two radically different worlds of transit modeling !

regards - Joe F

I grew up in NYC and I think the subway is in my blood. A lot of what I've done in these modules is from memory. When I was researching the internet for my subway layout, pictures of Joe Frank's and SIRT Steve's layouts kept coming up. I was impressed by the fidelity and realism of their modeling. They set a standard that I wanted to aspire to. I'm very glad that our layouts are  helping keep the subway "bug" alive for you. ☺

@Quarter Gauger 48 posted:

Justino and Joe',  You gentlemen keep the fire lit'.. I've been under the weather lately and have often thought of quitting my O Gauge layout and moving on to something less demanding'... Then I look at your phenomenal and fantastic work, and just cannot throw in the towel'... I grew up in the city.  My Dad was a `Motorman on the IRT.  I would ride with him often, and all day and cover the city, Above and Under ground'.. Both of you have got it covered'... Outstanding work, and THANK for the motivation and inspiration'...  😉👍👌✔

Hello Quarter Gauger

Just my advice - DON'T GIVE UP just yet !

Well, the amount of "demanding'' in any form or type of "hands on" modeling is pertinent to just how much you want to do and accomplish.  Given also, space available and resources.   And the creatively and skill-level to be able to do.

The creativity and skill level side can be learned over time by experimenting, trial & error, and mainly by closely studying the high-quality-details level of modeling work of others. Taking notes, copying (saving) texts and photos of construction, etc.,  I was long ago very motivated by and learned a lot from others who were then "modeler legends" in rail modeling, from the 1960's onward.  And I still these days learn new ideas and techniques.  And thanks to 3D printing things can become easier to create multiples of similar items, parts, details, quickly.  Rather than the way we old dinosaurs had to do it,  one by one, by hand, piece by piece.  Now  THAT  is demanding and tedious work and takes fortitude and dedication -- for the expected beautiful and realistic END results !

To name just a few of so many more --- Justino (WS JOE),  myself (JOE F) ,  Steve Phetterplace (SIRT)  and Joe (JOE P) Poretto,   as well as Terry Gaskin (aka CTA FAN, per his Chicago CTA Based O Scale EL layout)  -- regarding our "City Rapid Transit" type modeling - went thru it and know what that is all about - heh !

Ascertain your space -- plan your layout and what you want to have on it - relative to your space available - it can be mainly on a table top (or modular tables) type supported layout and have extensions around the room running on shelf modules for more R-o-W -- see how others have done it. There is a lot on the net and Facebook.

But GET STARTED NOW -- the much OLDER one becomes, the more daunting and tedious it seems to be to get started.  You only live once -- so start what you want to end up enjoying when and for as long as you can !!.

Below TWO photos, just shows part of my train room with an old pal of mine  and Traction modeler-builder who lives in Blackpool,  UK, (and retired as a Trolley motorman in Glasgow, Scotland)  ALAN WILLIAMS, posing for the camera a few years ago in March 2015.  He spent a week visiting here in Philly and suburbs and I drove him around to create videotapes of  all the (SEPTA) city and (Red Arrow Div. ) suburban streetcar lines, the EL Line and subway here, and other traction.  He resides in Glasgow, and runs an international TRACTION VIDEO SALES site (Tramalan) selling quality videos of his filming Transit and Traction all around the world.  (LINK - http://www.tramalan.com/delivery.htm)   My HO Mainline Railroad layout seen on the walls runs on a modular shelf system completely around the train room.  I have numerous visitors and groups (pre covid that is) annually to my layouts and train room.  I created this train room in my present home back in 1996-98, but had the layout prior to 1996, since 1985 in my previous residence.

Regards - Joe F

BELOW -- 2photos  (a few of very many that week)  I took of Alan as he was covering the trolley lines of the Philadelphia region

BELOW--a PCC Car in Mount Airy, Northwest Philly, 3/2015, -- and next below that , the Baltimore Ave Line

Trolley loop near 63rd & Baltimore Ave. 3/2015

^ What Joe said. Take a break, formulate your plan, and come back invigorated. This has been the cycle for me as life events and other things come up.  

Great photos, Joe F. Hey, when do we get to see some shots of you next to that extraordinary layout?

Hello Strap  !

Cripes -- I don't want to ruin the scenes of my train room that way.  But here is one photo and a short video  --- with me in the scenes - in June 2018

Below with me in the center -- is NYC MTA Subway motormen Zach Summer (at left) and MTA Motorman Jason Okrosy at right .  I have my scratchbuilt 5 story tenement building with an FW Woolworth 5&10 Cent store on it, (and its facade sign) lying flat to show its construction & details.  The HO Scale Mainline railroad "around the room" modular-shelves layout is behind us -- and upper shelves seen arefor storing some of the 200 + HO Railroad passenger cars of PRR, NYCRR, NHRR, LIRR, B&O, Reading RR, SEPTA, Metro North, AMTRAK, (heavyweight & Streamline cars)

Below is a short video of my with, seen,  former Metro North & Conrail locomotive Engineer Richard Okrosy and his MTA  NY Transit Motorman son (kneeling) Jason Okrosy,  and the Layout's partner for all its circuitry wiring and electrical installation with me for for 35 years - Jim Boylan - seen with glasses by the EL layout layup yards further back -

Most ALL the Photos and the Videos taken that day in June 2018, were taken (see below) by Doug Diamond,  also an MTA - NY Transit subway motorman.  -- regards - Joe F

BELOW in the photo I took that June 2018 day,  is at left, the "late" DOUG DIAMOND -- also an MTA NY Subway Motorman (seen with Rich Okrosy) .

Doug sadly died, A YEAR  AFTER June 2018 when he took the above photo and video, and when I took that photo below, of Pancreatic Cancer ,  suddenly while being treated at a Long Island NY hospital, on  July 30, 2019,  just 2 months after his  May 2019 medical diagnosis.

I spoke by phone to Doug at his home one morning in early July 2019,  a few weeks before he died,  about rescheduling to cooler weather in late-September 2019, his then planned July 2019  layout-visit with some pals he wanted to make.  He never mentioned anything about being so ill   - (or he didn't really know then how bad, maybe) - just stating, sort of tired sounding,  that he was on his way out that morning to the doctors for some "tests" because he was not feeling that well. And he would get back "later" to me about the September visit.   He died a few weeks later.   He had previously talked with me in early April 2019 by phone about setting it up sometime in late July.    His passing away at age 60,   was a loss and  big blow to our fellow friends,  transit modelers, fans and his fellow MTA subway employees.  I still miss Dougie !

Great group Joe. Glad to see others enjoying the subways. Sad to hear that news you posted. We never know when that day will come. I didn't know Josh Gates liked subways.

Thanks for the great post!

S.

Thanks for sharing, Joe.  So sad to hear about Doug. Man, life is way too short. Glad to see you so spry and healthy in those videos/photos. Keep inspiring us rail fans with your photos and comments. Thx!

@West Side Joe posted:

This is a beautiful example of the folly in entrusting matters of judgment and discretion to Artificial Intelligence. I will miss the groups I followed, but I can only say "good riddance" to FB.

If you are referring to "Only the Finest in O Scale RR", it may be the page admin. Probably is. Message me for why if you want.

Added passengers to the fourth car of the Lionel R-27 set. The opening doors are fabulous but pose their own challenges with the rats nest of wiring and the gear boxes for the door mechanisms.

Hello WS Joe (Justino)

The newest photos as usual look excellent  Problem is,  on those LIONEL produced subway cars, the cluttered up interior (seeing those electrical wavy wires, door-servo-boxes, blanked out upper-case side windows where electrical boxes in ceilings are, etc,  ruins the platform level views to the car interiors.  Perhaps better to shoot from an upper angle with the car doors open.   (Joe F)

I think if Lionel were designing them today they would take advantage of state of the art electronics for the connections and lighting. The wiring of the current models have a distinctly "old-school" look to them with the bundles of wires and the incandescent light bulbs, but I think  they were designed about 15 years ago. I would be a very happy customer if they redesigned the sets and offered some new models with opening doors like Lo-V's and R-1's.

West side Joe, Joseph Frank, great Subway action and videos, and simply amazing creativity. I love subways. Happy Railroading Everyone

Hello lealpinlarry

Thanks much for the appreciation and support --  by you and the others that posted similar such here - for the collective rapid transit type modeling we few here do.

(Joe F)

Thank you Joseph F, I think it would be fun modeling Subways, many folks have subway trains on their layouts. Also, traction layouts running on overhead electrification layouts are unique. I will go back and take a few minutes and review this topic. The Lionel subway on my layout is the R30 with Legacy.  Happy Railroading Everyone

@West Side Joe posted:

A bit of an aside here: Some of you know that I also post pics of this project on a Facebook group page called "Only The Finest In O-Gauge Railroading" run by Kelly Harris (oops: actually "Scale", not "Gauge").  Facebook has decided to lock my FB account, for no discernible reason other than "unusual activity", and is requiring that I upload copies of personal documents such as driver's license, identification cards, passport, utility bills or bank statements, in order to "prove" my identity.

I have no desire to provide such personal documents to a company that locks my account with no opportunity for discussion or appeal, so if any of you visit Kelly's FB page mentioned above, I'd appreciate your telling him that all the posts by "Justino Garcia" (my FB name) are no longer visible.  Thankfully, I have never posted any pictures on FB that I didn't have copies of in hard copy or in other storage locations, so nothing lost there.

Perhaps there is no connection, but about a month ago, I sent a complaint to Facebook accusing them of rampant greed because in addition to selling my account activity information to the highest bidder, they had recently started flooding my feed with ads, so much so that every other post was an ad.  I told them I thought it was unconscionable.  Connection there?  NAH!

Sorry for the rant.  Back to the project.

Hello WS Joe (Justino)

GUESS WHAT !!

As you know Brian DeForest set me up on his own without my knowledge, last Nov. 2018,  - to a new FB account.  He set up a sign in (using his wife's cell phone number) ID - and set up a Password -- and listed a wildly incorrect date of birth for me for the acct..  Well, it worked - the acct opened and worked OK until the past 6 months past when issues cropped up here and there.  But I could always LOG IN.

Finally I got a notice Tues 24th that  "my" Facebook Account (under "IRT EL MAN" that he had up for me)  was LOCKED.  When I tried to follow the FB steps to unlock the account,  the DOB info I posted (the exact DOB as he set in that account for me) I typed in correctly and it bounced back with a notice   "The Birth Date you entered does not match the one on your your account!" -  Well, I could not proceed any further!

I don't know if I can get back to FB at all  -- or save the IRT EL MAN FB account -- because if it THAT account goes away -- all the media and material and historical data and info I posted will be deleted.  2 1/2 years valuable work and input vanished.  I tried in Dec 2020 to set up my own legit personal separate FB acct with all valid data info about me -- and it opened up as a new FB Acct. for  me successfully -- BUT -- then THAT new FB acct.  was "Disabled" after about 8 hours on line even tho I never used it yet -- and 2 weeks later was Permanently Disabled and the action non-reversable.

FB doesn't even have any live customer service to help people thru things like this..to get them sorted and corrected, worked out !!! .  They tell you to go on line to their HELP center but you have to be ABLE TO LOG IN FIRST to do that. I can't, heh, log in after being locked out !  What a joke !

Anyway- we are  BOTH in the same boat now !  Regards ! -  Joe F

Sorry to hear that you are also a victim of Facebook's inability to handle the monster they have created. I always knew that anything I posted on FB immediately became the property of FB. I'm sure you did too. I never relied on FB as a repository of my pictures. I'm sad, though, that the discussions that took place on FB are also lost to me.  But it's all in conformance with the terms of service we agree to when we sign up for a "free" FB account, which of course is anything but free in reality.

@West Side Joe posted:

Sorry to hear that you are also a victim of Facebook's inability to handle the monster they have created. I always knew that anything I posted on FB immediately became the property of FB. I'm sure you did too. I never relied on FB as a repository of my pictures. I'm sad, though, that the discussions that took place on FB are also lost to me.  But it's all in conformance with the terms of service we agree to when we sign up for a "free" FB account, which of course is anything but free in reality.

Well,  all photos I posted on Fart Book are from my Computer files and safe (and remote-stored on backup SD Cards)-- so the only ones that have lost out are the many hundreds or more followers of me on FB who enjoyed and valued my contributions - photos, , models, historical stuff,  historical data and history, etc.  All now "hidden"  from all viewers (and me)  on FB but will not be put back as visible again, unless that account can be unlocked. That's THEIR loss -- not so much for me.  I have plenty of forums sites I am on and known on.  FB also has a bad habit of randomly "losing" posted messages and image content submitted.  It shows up and a day or so later -- its either totally gone or a statement "content is no longer available" is seen where it was located.  I cant unlock the account nor access FB on line help because I CANNOT SIGN IN ANY MORE!  A Stupid format system they have.

But again, that acct. was a sort of fabricated fantom ID account set up by Brian Deforest for me prior to and without even my knowledge -- until he later told me about it and that I "was then on Facebook..." (thru his setup fabrication).

He informed me today he contacted FB help and is trying to get it straightened out.  I doubt anything will result.

I set up a still not completed website on FB  called "THE LATE GREAT BRONX 3rd AV EL" some time ago.   THAT site, as a public view access site,  and all its content,  is still visible to me and all viewers on FB -- but obviously I can't log in to it now nor either access it to manage that photos-site which I created.  Its just stagnant drifting aimlessly on FB now with no one who can operate it  (which would have been only me).  Most all the photos on it were taken by me in the 1950's and 60's and are mine from and saved my own computer so they are not lost to me as such.   I am sure most all of my FB followers will now see "IRT EL MAN"  (being me) and all my content I submitted for 2 1/2 years now,  have disappeared completely from view from Facebook.  Its their loss.

regards - Joe F

Progress has been slow lately. Here's a few more subway people additions.

Acrylic dust cover in place.

Joe, the opening locker door is incredible.

Simply OUTSTANDING!