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Railroad Track Safety, Quality, Efficiency, Responsibility, Integrity

 

Scale Model Building

At Track Guy Consultants, we build models to demonstrate a new procedure, or to show magnitude of a project, or to support a legal case. We have built several construction models during the bidding phase, construction phase and for litigation. Models can be very helpful during brainstorming and Value Engineering activities. Construction models to help everyone involved on a project understand what is going on in a three dimensional world. We have a good feel for taking two dimensional drawings and creating three dimensional models. Sometimes the Construction Manager or Owner needs a more visual method to describe aspects of the project to the Superintendents or Foreman. Let the Track Guy build it in scale first, it could save money later. Give us a call for an estimate.

Scale Modeling 3 track subway system

Models for New Procedures: This is a model built showing a 3-track system in the New York City Subway system at the 63rd Street project. The objective was to drive steel piles every 10' between columns, then install needle beams on top of the piles to support the subway superstructure while excavation took place under the subway to construct the 63rd Street Tunnel connection under the 3-track system. The model was built to demonstrate that the beams could be drifted through a 5' wide hatch in the subway roof without fouling a local track. This project was successfully completed by Slattery/Skanska with Bernie Grand performing the Value Engineering.

scale modeling

Models for Magnitude: This pre-bid model represents additional traffic lanes for the Oakland Bridge in California. It was built to show the magnitude of this project. The concept was to barge circular tubes and sink them into the mud to offer a cauffer dam to do the excavation and install the enormous piles to support the footing with the column being monolithic.

scale modeling subway system

Models for Legal Cases: This model represents a section of the Jeroloman Street tubes of the New York City Subway where on March 17th, 1983 (St. Patrick's Day) a derailment occurred. No one was killed but the evacuation process was questioned by UMTA. The National Transportation Safety Board performed an inquisition to determine cause and evacuation procedures. This model was constructed to visually explain the conditions at the site and help lawyers make their case.

Model Building 5 track subway

Models for Legal Cases: This was another model built for the 63rd Street Tunnel project. It depicts the slurry wall (in tan). It shows the 5-track subway on top and the new tunnels beneath. The boring log showed where the rock was supposed to be but the borings were only taken on the outside of the subway structure. Once the excavation began, it was determined that under the subway, the rock took a dive of over 100'. This meant that dewatering had to continue 24 hours per day 7 days per week for two years. Dewatering in New York City is extremely expensive. This model also shows a major duct bank and force main that further impaired excavation. The model was used in a multi-million dollar claim and helped to understand the difficulties that the contractor experienced. The claim was settled successfully so the contractor could recover unforeseen expenses.

Model Railroading ...

John Zuspan is now working on a diorama using five different popular scales in model railroading. O scale ( 1:48 ), S scale (1:64), HO scale (1:87), N scale (1:160) and Z scale (1:220). This will be only 30" x 20" and representative of  120' in O, 160' in S, 217' in HO, 400' in N and 550' in Z. This model will be helpful in determining what scale to use when building a construction model. We will make this portable so we can take it with us on trips when designing a model for a client. The photo below simply shows a rough layout. Stay tuned for the finished product.

Model Ships, Planes, Trains ...

Model Ship Building - Serapis

This War Ship called the Serapis took John nine years to make. It has full rigging and sails. John Paul Jones captured this ship in 1779 after the Serapis sunk his ship. The crew managed to board the Serapis and in hand to hand combat, they captured this very intimidating war ship. This battle is where John Paul Jones said the famous quote, "I have not yet begun to fight".

This is a Diorama depicting my Memory of Time in Vietnam -- Sniper is circled!

Model Planes

My job in Vietnam was to load weapons on fighter aircraft, specifically the A37 Dragonfly. After we loaded the bombs and rockets onto the aircraft from a protected bunker, we would go to the end of the runway to arm the weapons by pulling safety pins and arming the mini-gun just before take off. The end of the runway was a desolate place and our only shelter was a little building surrounded with sand bags. As the planes would approach the area, me and my buddy would run out of the building, pull the pins as fast as we could and run back into the bunker. Many times there was a sniper in the tree taking pot shots at us. At night we could see the bullets ricocheting off the pavement. As we were getting shot at, the only thing that would go through my mind was a song by Country Joe and the Fish that says "open up them pearly gates, whippy we're all gonna die". On a plaque attached to the glass enclosed diorama are the words:

The night that Daddy got scared: It was a very dark and quiet night in Bien Hoe, Vietnam. Daddy was arming A 37 fighter aircraft at the end of the runway, when sparks began to fly off the concrete. Daddy and his partner began working very fast. For the rest of the evening, Daddy and his partner ran out of the bunker to arm planes and ran back in after the plane was armed. That was the night that almost prevented Michelle, Annie and Jill from being born. Thank God that sniper was a bad shot.

The sniper shot at us from a Buddhist Monastery that was off-limits to US Military under the Geneva Convention. Thank you Army guys for getting that sniper! --John Zuspan

Model Ship Building

Robert E. Lee -- Mississippi River Paddle Boat

Made from different types of wood and brass, this historic boat took me about 2 years to complete. Many people ask me when do I find the time to build this stuff. The answer is simple, I don't sleep and I have a very understanding family that has learned how to deal with my obsessive nature. Next quarter, I'll show you the genealogy book that I wrote on the Zuspan Family; that took three years.

 

 

       
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