While work on CSX:Miami is continuing, I find myself with more computer-time than railroad-time, which lends itself to planning and dreaming, and here’s my latest idea:

Not the Bronx Terminal made famous by FastTracks, but a harbor terminal railroad nonetheless. This railroad is slightly different from the other terminals in the area in that it doesn’t have a circular freight house with trackage running around it, instead forming a fish-hook of sorts in a squashed rectangle:
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(2′ 6″ x 3′ 8′, N Gauge)

The Erie constructed one of the last harbor railroads in New York in 1927 on the Harlem river. The Erie originally shared the Harlem Transfer located further south with the CNJ and DLW until the turn of the 20th century, when was purchased outright by the Delware Lackwanna & Western. The 149th St. Station was operated through the Erie-DLW merger until 1970.

Despite the proximity of various large markets and break bulk facilities the terminal was rather spartan. Initially a long single story wooden freighthouse ran parallel to the river (grey cars in the above plan) – this was cleared and the site used for a end-loading dock for automobiles when the new concrete freight house was built at the other end of the lot in 1952. A 30t gantry crane in the centre of the facility was provided for heavy loads, and wide concrete roadways were provided for the other spurs – each customer having a particular spot.

The terminal recieved loads via carfloat. Despite it’s small size, the entire facility had a capacity of 55 cars (the plan can handle 47). – Customers were Bay Transportation, Jerome Fuel Co., Mirandi Coal Co., National Carloading, Adolf Gobel, Gerosa Crane, United Cigar Box, HudFord and Brill.

Inbound commodities such as: canned goods, heavy construction equipment, feed, grain, furniture, steel pipe, rugs, lumber and evaporated milk are listed as having been consigned through the Harlem Station. Another of the significant inbound commodities was coal. Outbound freight consisted of waste paper, rags, machinery and conveyors.

The terminal was switched initially by a boxcab diesel, then a GE 44-Tonner and then finally an Alco S1 until it was shut down.

I think this plan has many benefits: it’s tiny (less than 3×4), it only requires 9 turnouts (all Peco Small Radius), and keeps a minimum radius of 9″. It can support essentially unlimited operations with multiple carfloats. Up to 16 cars need to be switched per session (loads in, empties out) as well as support for switching-puzzles.

A drawback I can easily see is that as a dumpy oblong it won’t easily fit against the wall or fill a room like a more traditional layout – it might be better hidden in a coffee table or something, otherwise I could see it being stored under a bed and forgotten about.