a picture a day....

               thanks for all your photos Lew !!!

For today: " Coming home for the holidays."

A Winter Sun pic from yesterday afternoon. It came sneaking through the train-room window for just a couple minutes but I was right on it:

For today: "It's the most wonderful time of the year!"

Wow Patrick what super mountain scenery. Looks like you made the truss bridge as well. What a great job. Thanks for sharing 

Don 

Missed a few days...   :-)

Winter Sun:

For today: " Another load of fresh Christmas trees has arrived on the team track.  It won't be long before each of these trees are standing in living rooms throughout Patsburg with toy trains orbiting them.  "

Don McErlean posted:

Wow Patrick what super mountain scenery. Looks like you made the truss bridge as well. What a great job. Thanks for sharing 

Don 

Thanks Don!  I had great fun creating/building that mountain which I named Mt. Randolph in honor of my  good friend Randy Harrison who was a tremendous help to me when I was building my layout.  Actually I still have some tweaking to do on the mountain ... so it's not quite completed.

I can't take credit for building the truss bridge.   I bought that bridge at York's Orange Hall  from custom layout builder Vernon Peachy.    The prototype bridge is about a quarter mile from my house.  Designed by Wendel Bollman, it's the first type of iron truss bridge used by a US railroad ( B&O ).  The B&O had about 100 of these bridges throughout it's system at one time.  The bridge that stands near my house is the last remaining bridge of this kind and is a national civil engineering landmark.  

Here is a photo of the plaque and the prototype bridge.

Vintage trains circa 1990 on my brother's now defunct layout. Back in the day you made what was not available. The Reading F3 was an old Lionel engine re-painted with Microscale decals. The K-Line 027 caboose had the extra windows put in it along with hand made brass end railings and Microscale Reading decals. The brakeman in the cupola was a Bowser figure. The FAs were Weaver. They are long gone. 

trumptrain posted:

Don McErlean posted:

Wow Patrick what super mountain scenery. Looks like you made the truss bridge as well. What a great job. Thanks for sharing 

Don 

Thanks Don!  I had great fun creating/building that mountain which I named Mt. Randolph in honor of my  good friend Randy Harrison who was a tremendous help to me when I was building my layout.  Actually I still have some tweaking to do on the mountain ... so it's not quite completed.

I can't take credit for building the truss bridge.   I bought that bridge at York's Orange Hall  from custom layout builder Vernon Peachy.    The prototype bridge is about a quarter mile from my house.  Designed by Wendel Bollman, it's the first type of iron truss bridge used by a US railroad ( B&O ).  The B&O had about 100 of these bridges throughout it's system at one time.  The bridge that stands near my house is the last remaining bridge of this kind and is a national civil engineering landmark.  

Here is a photo of the plaque and the prototype bridge.

Thanks, Patrick! I know I'm not the only person here who has looked at your pics and wondered about that really odd&different looking bridge and now we all know.

Look Ma, no control panel:

I've been working on eliminating the customary CTC-style control panel and localizing controls. With today's tweak it's all done:

Under that mountain is the track switch that diverges and heads for Interchange in the next room. 

Now the Plywood Empire Route is entirely a walk-around style Pike (actually roll-around with an office chair 

With the day's switching work done and tomorrow morning's consist for Interchange out of the way the crew has the Dinner train pulled in front of the old Station ready for the first-call-to-dinner:

This signed painting of UP Challenger #3959 hangs on our living room wall. Our friends bought it for a buck at a garage sale in Cheyenne. A wintry scene:

My photo of original artwork that I own. It is a familiar scene somehow and if it weren't for the brush-strokes I'd think it was a print.

   NYS&W dome/inspection car #509, former U.P. #9002, at Little Ferry, NJ- Sept.87.'  

                                                               MY PHOTOS

Sunset today on the Plywood Empire Route:

I belong to Pennsylvania Railroad-The Standard of the World, group on Facebook.  Mainly because I am a fan of the Pennsy and also because the rest of the matter on Facebook isn't worth my time.....LOL   Anyway, one of the members posted a photo of GG1 4835.  While 4835 may not be a star among it's brothers, this photo shows it with gold leaf pinstripes and lettering.  

I knew the Pennsy used gold leaf on it's GG1s early on, but you know how some of these notable facts seem to fade into the surrounding din of facts we try to keep in our heads.  Even in this photo you can see how the gold leaf stands out.  Anyway here's the photo.

My Little Town:

Riding my bike past the gates of the factory:

Paul Simon

Just kidding, Arnold

EVEN WHEN THE GATE GOES DOWN, THE BOY ON THE BIKE CAN GO RIGHT AHEAD.....LOL

Typical day at the tower

For today: " REA workers are busy this time of year." 

Yesterday's switching job rolling into town:

Nine cars. That kept the crew busy. Every day is a little different on the Plywood Empire Route.

1990 pictures from my brother's layout. I painted the these post war Lionel NYC F3s into CNJ. Accupaint and CDS dry transfer lettering. 

                                                                  MY PHOTOS 

Fill it up

The last operating semaphore signals:

Somewhere between Raton and Las Vegas, NM c. '62-'65. Those signals are still in use today due to a quirk. This was once Santa Fe's busy Transcon Mainline but now has one train a day each way, Amtrak's Southwest Chief. BNSF isn't about to spend capital to Darth Vader this line.

Rio Grande alco pa 2 aspen paint scheme 1949-1951

For today: " Switching the yard."

Patrick:  WOW! A western Md BL-2 where did you get that or did you make it?  Looks super!!

Don

Day at REMCO Pump Co.

    awesome photo SIDEHACK  !!    more shots around your layout please !

Don McErlean posted:

Patrick:  WOW! A western Md BL-2 where did you get that or did you make it?  Looks super!!

Don

The  Western Maryland BL-2 is a MTH Premier model.

                                                            Coming & Going

 NYS&W stack train #SU100. Three ex-BN SD45s and one F45 at Beaver Lake- cold Feb.87'. 

                                                                 MY PHOTOS

This AM the crew was getting ready to park the dinner Train and head for interchange with that freight train:

For today: " MOW work train."

More coming and going shots- The Erie RR, New York & Greenwood Lake Branch diamond at Pompton Jct.  Semaphore mast has been knocked over by Jordan spreader, March 87'.  

                                                                       MY PHOTOS

This AM the crew had what counts on the Plywood Empire Route as a long train: 9 cars plus the old UP Crummy.

D&H inches through

For today: " When modern plumbing is not available ...  Barney does the next best thing!"

Wow - Bar GP7 : what a great scenic view and another BL-2 (one appeared in a prior picture in Western Md colors) ...we may actually have more BL-2's than the real railroads ever got (I think EMD only sold like 59 including 2 demonstrators).  However, that's OK, I know from my Lionel background we toy train guys have far far more steam turbines than the Pennsy ever had.  I got mine in '47 at the head of a work train, when I was 3 yrs old.  Not sure it was mine or dad's !!

Mr. Romano - thanks for the pictures.  You are obviously prowling my old boyhood stomping grounds, Sparta, Pompton, Greenwood lake.  Can't say I ever saw much railroad traffic then except the commuter lines although we lived in North Arlington and the next town over, Rutherford , had a train station right smack in the middle of town (Erie RR I believe) and I can remember my Dad taking me to ball games in NY on the train, even was steam powered then.

Thanks to everyone for the picture a day, I really enjoy it.  I will try to contribute when I can but my modeling skills are way below most of you.

Happy Holidays

Don

P51 :  I noted when I looked at the picture posted your signature block indicated you modeled in On30.  We have a house  on Tybee Island, Ga which was once connected to Savannah by the "Savannah & Atlantic Railroad" which opened for service in 1887 but went bankrupt nearly immediately.  In 1890 it was rescued and became part of the Central of Georgia RR and lasted until December 1933 but was more or less in trouble with the creation of the coast road in the late 1920's.  It handled little freight and mostly holiday passengers / commuters  from the city to the beach, in summer often needing double headed trains.  It had its own independent stations both in Savannah and on the route to Tybee with a total trackage of just 18 miles.  Locomotives were American type 4-4-0 converted from coal to oil to reduce smoke and these were run from the early 1900's to the roads closing.  They only had two engines and never really modernized except for the coal to oil conversion.

I have searched and find little vestige of the road today either in real life or even in pictures.  Yet the route crosses several streams and 2 rivers so must have had bridges-yet nothing remains.  Local history seems remarkably absent any information on the RR and the internet, while it does have some entries is pretty thin.

I am thinking of developing a model RR of this route because it would be small, not very wide (the real RR ran is an approximate straight line) and yet have some interesting buildings, trestles,and bridges.   My current thought is to use On30 although the line was not narrow gauge but the loco's and passenger cars were always small, light weight versions even in their day .  I don't have too much room and the space I have is narrow.

Just wondering if you thought that might work.  It seems that it would be possible to include more content then using full O'gauge  which would be much larger.

Thanks

Don

trumptrain posted:

For today: " When modern plumbing is not available ...  Barney does the next best thing!"

Patrick, that is also known in the other bizz as "trucker's toilet". If you stand very close to the tractor tandem no one can see your bits or that you are actually peeing. 

Yesterday it was 9 cars and this morning there are just 5 outbound cars:

Every day the switching work is a bit different on the PER.

Don McErlean posted:

Wow - Bar GP7 : what a great scenic view and another BL-2 (one appeared in a prior picture in Western Md colors) ...we may actually have more BL-2's than the real railroads ever got (I think EMD only sold like 59 including 2 demonstrators).  However, that's OK, I know from my Lionel background we toy train guys have far far more steam turbines than the Pennsy ever had.  I got mine in '47 at the head of a work train, when I was 3 yrs old.  Not sure it was mine or dad's !!

Mr. Romano - thanks for the pictures.  You are obviously prowling my old boyhood stomping grounds, Sparta, Pompton, Greenwood lake.  Can't say I ever saw much railroad traffic then except the commuter lines although we lived in North Arlington and the next town over, Rutherford , had a train station right smack in the middle of town (Erie RR I believe) and I can remember my Dad taking me to ball games in NY on the train, even was steam powered then.

Thanks to everyone for the picture a day, I really enjoy it.  I will try to contribute when I can but my modeling skills are way below most of you.

Happy Holidays

Don

 

 

 

Don. Thank you. 🤝 I have a two BL2's. That Bangor & Aroostook #57 and Boston & Maine #1553. Bangor & Aroostook had a eight BL2's and B&M four. I really like those locomotives and it's would be a nice get those a couple more.

Johan

BAR GP7 #63

Love a scene like this, nice job!

For today: " Barrels of Fun" .... got this Lionel operating barrel car from Santa when I was in first grade .... it still works and occupies a special place on my layout today.  

Making sausage:

There's that old saying that you really don't want to watch sausage being made but the end product is sure yummy. Same thing with Fiddle Yards: they sure aren't pretty but are a foundation for satisfying model railroad Operation.

sidehack posted:

BAR GP7 #63

Love a scene like this, nice job!

Ray. Thank you. 🤝

Johan

                Blizzard !!

For today:  " Pure Power!" 

trumptrain posted:

For today:  " Pure Power!" 

Pure power? This GG-1 especially. 4876  was the locomotive leading the Federal in 1953 when the entire train lost air brake function and crashed into Union Station, Washington, DC. 4876 was cut in pieces, rebuilt in the Altoona, PA shops, re-painted in Tuscan red and ran in service into the 1980's. Trumptrain already knows this story. I posted this for those who do not know this piece of railroad history. Happy Holidays, all!

Thanks Randy for that history lesson/reminder!  Good thing Patsburg stations are run throughs not stub ends! 

Indian Tunnel Area

Don McErlean posted:

P51 :  I noted when I looked at the picture posted your signature block indicated you modeled in On30.  We have a house  on Tybee Island, Ga which was once connected to Savannah by the "Savannah & Atlantic Railroad" which opened for service in 1887 but went bankrupt nearly immediately.  In 1890 it was rescued and became part of the Central of Georgia RR and lasted until December 1933 but was more or less in trouble with the creation of the coast road in the late 1920's.  It handled little freight and mostly holiday passengers / commuters  from the city to the beach, in summer often needing double headed trains.  It had its own independent stations both in Savannah and on the route to Tybee with a total trackage of just 18 miles.  Locomotives were American type 4-4-0 converted from coal to oil to reduce smoke and these were run from the early 1900's to the roads closing.  They only had two engines and never really modernized except for the coal to oil conversion.

I have searched and find little vestige of the road today either in real life or even in pictures.  Yet the route crosses several streams and 2 rivers so must have had bridges-yet nothing remains.  Local history seems remarkably absent any information on the RR and the internet, while it does have some entries is pretty thin.

I am thinking of developing a model RR of this route because it would be small, not very wide (the real RR ran is an approximate straight line) and yet have some interesting buildings, trestles,and bridges.   My current thought is to use On30 although the line was not narrow gauge but the loco's and passenger cars were always small, light weight versions even in their day .  I don't have too much room and the space I have is narrow.

Just wondering if you thought that might work.  It seems that it would be possible to include more content then using full O'gauge  which would be much larger.

Don,

Sounds like a fine concept for an On30 layout. Go for it!

For today:  "Busy day at the freight terminal."

Also steady action at the coal yard

"Gantry Crane at work":

Eight cars for Interchange this AM:

For today: " Back in the day when Packard was a thing."  " Prepare to unload those Packard parts guys!" 

trumptrain posted:

For today: " Back in the day when Packard was a thing."  " Prepare to unload those Packard parts guys!" 

Pat, I love that Packard Box Car'..  Packards were great automobiles and of  the highest excellent quality and engineering of their day.  Hudson was their main luxury competitor .  The three merged, Studebaker, Packard and Hudson, but the big three killed all the private labels in the end... 

Caught a few minutes of that low Winter sun again this afternoon:

Notice how the light is picking out the doors&hinges on the hood.

Quarter Gauger 48 posted:

trumptrain posted:

For today: " Back in the day when Packard was a thing."  " Prepare to unload those Packard parts guys!" 

Pat, I love that Packard Box Car'..  Packards were great automobiles and of  the highest excellent quality and engineering of their day.  Hudson was their main luxury competitor .  The three merged, Studebaker, Packard and Hudson, but the big three killed all the private labels in the end... 

Ted - thanks so much!   I really appreciate you filling us in on the Studebaker, Packard, Hudson merger too!  All great automobiles of great  quality along with Tucker who hardly got off the ground.  

Running a few trains on the Christmas layout.   

For today: " Once Buford is finished unloading his truck full of milk ...  this car will be wisked off to the dairy many miles away were its' contents will be turned into egg nog ... holiday cheer!" 

Busy night downtown

Painting alligators.

No, not the Alco kind. The kind for my layout's bayou. These things live here (Alabama) and I have seen them all my life, so they have to find a place.

Most of these "models" come painted green. Gators are not green. Ever. Lizards - some - are green. Gators are not lizards. Gators are essentially black on top when wet, and dry to a gray. Cream underneath. I painted mine a dark gray. These are proper gators, not crocs - note the rounded, turtle-grabbing snout. Yum. Important stuff.

Their legs are too large, actually. Oh well.

The Postman left something for me today:

I never rode the NP but I wanted it represented on the PER, not the least reason being because it was one of the two gateway railroads to Yellowstone National Park (at Gardiner, Mt). The other Fallen Flag seen on the PER that I never rode was the Great Northern. Fun tiny fact, every other FF car seen on the PER represents a railroad I travelled on.

               nice car and cool,  " Fun tiny fact "   Lew !!

Brian, the closest I got to the Empire Builder and the North Coast Limited was seeing them out the window as we rolled past the coach yards on the way in to or out of Chicago. Even that was exciting what with all that fancy paint and those beautiful Dome cars.

Bill: Empire Builder was my favorite stream liner color scheme although I never saw it IRL. These cars / engines are beautiful were they made by MTH?  I don't think Lionel ever used this train for one of their models but I could be wrong.

In any case beautiful models

Don

Mount Randolph 

Cell shot

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