Video! K-Line 21 inch scale Pass. Cars! Big Sky Blue GN, a rare site!

Nice!  looks like a match made in heaven with your layout and the Blue Great Northern Passenger set! 

Enjoyed the video - However, hard to find? Really? Why?

Really Nice! And what a Great find.  Thanks for sharing your video.

Great video and a really nice looking layout.  

John,

I enjoyed the video!  I always enjoy them.  I have a few more of your videos waiting in the hole for me to watch.  The big sky blue cars and engines are very nice indeed!  Thank you!

Absolutely awesome!

The K Line cars are incredible and the collectibility factor increases each year.

The GN set you have is the only set of the sky blue I've ever saw. Hard to find indeed! Enjoy!

86TA355SR posted:

The GN set you have is the only set of the sky blue I've ever saw . . .  Enjoy!

Same here - never seen these before. Very nice cars and fine video. Thanks for posting.

Very nice! Great layout too! I like how you divided the scenes with view blocks.

J Daddy posted:

Enjoyed the video - However, hard to find? Really? Why?

Good question...I've been looking and asking on here for years.  When these do appear, the prices are generally nuts!  I've only seen them offered two or three times in the past as many years.  I missed a great bargain for them on here a few weeks ago...

86TA355SR posted:

Absolutely awesome!

The K Line cars are incredible and the collectibility factor increases each year.

The GN set you have is the only set of the sky blue I've ever saw. Hard to find indeed! Enjoy!

I was DARN lucky to find all three in one place.  BUT, I paid for it.

Hudson J1e posted:

Very nice! Great layout too! I like how you divided the scenes with view blocks.

I use double-sided backdrops on Islands and use other means to "block" views around the layout.  The more visually separated, seemingly the greater the run and larger the layout appears!  Even on an 8' by 4' board if people would put a double-sided divider in the middle (about two feet high) the layout would appear larger and even a simple oval would benefit from the train appearing as if it were in another place.

My few towns on my layout are all visually isolated from one another. 

John C, I also watched your video on Model Railroad Design. I found it very interesting and being a scale guy I like the approach you take towards design. I hope there will be more of these videos. I looked for number 2 but couldn't find it. Could you tell me a little bit more about the book you mention in the video? Is this a book that you wrote and will be selling or just book of your notes and ideas?

Hudson J1e posted:

John C, I also watched your video on Model Railroad Design. I found it very interesting and being a scale guy I like the approach you take towards design. I hope there will be more of these videos. I looked for number 2 but couldn't find it. Could you tell me a little bit more about the book you mention in the video? Is this a book that you wrote and will be selling or just book of your notes and ideas?

Thank you.  I will be posting a video soon about picking a theme for your railroad.  Christmas, Family, Food Pantry, my job and other things keep me too busy.  Subscribe to my Youtube channel.  Thx again

John are the engines MTH FP45s?  If so I was looking for one, however now that I see them compared to the 21" passenger cars i believe they will be too long for my layout.  Very handsome train.

coach joe posted:

John are the engines MTH FP45s?  If so I was looking for one, however now that I see them compared to the 21" passenger cars i believe they will be too long for my layout.  Very handsome train.

Yes...MTH F45s...beautiful.  These were made 2005.  It took me three years of searching and FINALLY a gentleman (Washington State) on here sold me his powered and dummy unit--unopened in boxes!  We, Connie and I, had them out of those boxes about one minute after receiving them!  :-)  

These have "blind" flanges so they will turn sharply--won't appear realistic, but will work.  I am blessed and very fortunate these days that my main-line minimum is a 72 diameter curve; with most curves being 89 to 96 diameter.

I don't know what the "minimum" curvature recommendation is for those engines but I'd want at least a 54 diameter curve. 

John,

I sure enjoyed the video. I've hunted in Montana and Idaho, but don't remember the Coat Lick Bridge. that name and the other site names just bowled me over.

Merry Christmas,

Ron H

Ron H posted:

John,

I sure enjoyed the video. I've hunted in Montana and Idaho, but don't remember the Coat Lick Bridge. that name and the other site names just bowled me over.

Merry Christmas,

Ron H

Ron:  There is no Goat Lick Bridge.  There is a goat lick (large salt deposits) around the Sheep Creek Trestle; which is east of Essex, Montana, about two to three miles.  The names we use on the Glacier Line to create reality are: based on real names but differ slightly, made up to capture the flavor of the area--like "The Goat Lick Bridge" or were actual historical names once given, but later changed.

In all scales, especially O and larger, it is exceptionally difficult to replicate/duplicate a scene because of scale considerations.  In order to remove me from attempting to duplicate something, I re-arrange reality and BASE my scene name on something that is or was real while compressing it.

I'm glad that I succeeded with you! as you believed that was a bridge somewhere.  And, it is!  on the Glacier Line.  Our bridge looks very, very similar to the trestles in Marias Pass.  The Micro-engineering trestles are virtually identical in style to the prototype making for an incredibly similar scene.

John C. posted:

Ron H posted:

John,

I sure enjoyed the video. I've hunted in Montana and Idaho, but don't remember the Coat Lick Bridge. that name and the other site names just bowled me over.

Merry Christmas,

Ron H

Ron:  There is no Goat Lick Bridge.  There is a goat lick (large salt deposits) around the Sheep Creek Trestle; which is east of Essex, Montana, about two to three miles.  The names we use on the Glacier Line to create reality are: based on real names but differ slightly, made up to capture the flavor of the area--like "The Goat Lick Bridge" or were actual historical names once given, but later changed.

In all scales, especially O and larger, it is exceptionally difficult to replicate/duplicate a scene because of scale considerations.  In order to remove me from attempting to duplicate something, I re-arrange reality and BASE my scene name on something that is or was real while compressing it.

I'm glad that I succeeded with you! as you believed that was a bridge somewhere.  And, it is!  on the Glacier Line.  Our bridge looks very, very similar to the trestles in Marias Pass.  The Micro-engineering trestles are virtually identical in style to the prototype making for an incredibly similar scene.

Ron,

Valid question to John about the bridge.  Is it real or Memorex?  

John,

I like your way of thinking about locations, naming.  I too have a few good area names for my new layout that are real names, but I will use them to suit me.

We used the real "Bad Rock Canyon" and amended it to: Bad STORM canyon...then put lightening flashing and thunder in our canyon!  WE used names like: "Monaco" and "Walton" for two places; historically originally these were the actual names of Columbia Falls (MT) and Essex (MT).

When you are modeling an area look at the names of towns, counties, mountains, creeks, etc., and come up with something in the same vein, but NOT identical.  

If you pick a place that everybody is familiar with people will except your Chicago to look like Chicago!  You can't do it.  Maybe a gymnasium with photo realist backdrops and Z scale?  :-)

Those are really sharp! Money well spent. You've left me kicking myself for not grabbing them. I still want to build a "rainbow", but that will be a "collecting" project. One piece at a time, and could take a while.

BTW, the shopping earlier today was just groceries, but I do know something that you want. I have one, but I want to keep it. If I see another, I'll let you know right away.

Let me just echo some sentiments already expressed - very interesting and well-done layout!

Big_Boy_4005 posted:

Those are really sharp! Money well spent. You've left me kicking myself for not grabbing them. I still want to build a "rainbow", but that will be a "collecting" project. One piece at a time, and could take a while.

BTW, the shopping earlier today was just groceries, but I do know something that you want. I have one, but I want to keep it. If I see another, I'll let you know right away.

Elliott:

I really like them.  But, I was N.U.T.S. for paying that much.  I may be better off than I think because I doubt this will ever be done again in aluminum in big sky blue paint.  Remains to be seen.  I told my wife that these were the only things I wanted for Christmas.  I usually get an engine.  :-)

One day someone crazier than me might give me more because these are rare.  I would love to know how many sets of this big sky blue was ever made.  My assumption is not many.

With such a nice pair of FP45s to haul that train, you now need to purchase a LOT more of those BSB passenger cars.

I have a set of two that I tried to sell on Ebay that I couldn't give away.  The are sitting in a closet at home.  I had all 3 and the one single car only sold for $35 on ebay. So I took the other 2 off of ebay and for that price I'll give it to my grandson.  Now the real rare one is the  K-line Great Northern in Green.....  

rboatertoo posted:

I have a set of two that I tried to sell on Ebay that I couldn't give away.  The are sitting in a closet at home.  I had all 3 and the one single car only sold for $35 on ebay. So I took the other 2 off of ebay and for that price I'll give it to my grandson.  Now the real rare one is the  K-line Great Northern in Green.....  

WOW, I had a 2-pack and I listed them on OGR, they sold in about ten minutes!  I got about $100/ea for them.

Very nice!

-Eric Siegel

ericstrains.com posted:

Very nice!

 

-Eric Siegel

Eric:  Quick question...off topic...related:  How long does it take you to download a 50 minute video?  It takes me three hours to download 5 minutes of video.

I wonder how you download your videos?

Thx.

John

How was the Indy show?  Sometimes I think about going there but it is 2 hour drive on suicide I65 this time of year. Is there a lot at the show? 

rboatertoo posted:

How was the Indy show?  Sometimes I think about going there but it is 2 hour drive on suicide I65 this time of year. Is there a lot at the show? 

All train shows are a crap shoot--big or small.  I found a few treasures here--majority of stuff HO but there was "O" stuff too.  I can never call a show good or bad because you may find NOTHING two or three times and the fourth, WHAM!!!  A $145 Korber building for $40 bucks assembled and weathered!  You just never ever know.

Those cars sure look nice on your impressive layout!! Glad you got them and the locos!

If it takes nearly forever to download your videos it might be because you have old, slow equipment.

Once I had to change to a new Verizon wireless Wi-Fi router that connects with the Wi-Fi antenna on my Acer PC, the upload and download speed was increased  greatly.

Andrew

Big_Boy_4005 posted:

Ok John, I'm ready to put my money where my mouth is.

Jim I sent you an email.

John, the only time it took me that long to upload a video was when I was on the road using the hotel WiFi. Check your internet speed. Short videos go pretty fast from home.

I supposedly have the latest greatest fastest Internet.  My guess...this computer is three to four years old...It's ridiculous the amount of time for five minutes.

Thanks Elliott!  And congratulations!!!  You got a much, much, much better deal than me.  Those cars will look awesome on your layout.

Tremendous layout. Great looking train.

I did not think a hundred each was crazy expensive for 21" K-Line passenger cars.  I think i may have twenty of various roads - very happy.  The Sunset cars are better, but they start at $300 each, and I already had stocked up beyond my wildest dreams.

one of the reasons Big Sky Blue and BN Green are rare might be that there are more popular colors - like Empire Builder?

bob2 posted:

I did not think a hundred each was crazy expensive for 21" K-Line passenger cars.  I think i may have twenty of various roads - very happy.  The Sunset cars are better, but they start at $300 each, and I already had stocked up beyond my wildest dreams.

one of the reasons Big Sky Blue and BN Green are rare might be that there are more popular colors - like Empire Builder?

Bob:  I bought a three set off ebay for $549.  That's what I was calling crazy.  I paid $183 a piece; and on here twice in a month these cars were $100  a piece.  My only consolation is I do have the entire three car set.

John, don't feel bad about that price. I paid close to that for some of my 21" Milwaukee Road cars.

Now we need to work on Lionel to complete the set. BTO! Bet they'd sell.

HO  GN  big sky blue empire builder.........this would be a nice train in o scale

nice station shot towards end of video

https://youtu.be/wDLvxlrp0AE

Big_Boy_4005 posted:

John, don't feel bad about that price. I paid close to that for some of my 21" Milwaukee Road cars.

Now we need to work on Lionel to complete the set. BTO! Bet they'd sell.

Yes...would love to see a baggage, diner and second coach car...in aluminum that matches!  

Beautiful done layout and a great looking train 

Alex