thanks for all your photos Lew !!!
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thanks for all your photos Lew !!!
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:
Wow Patrick what super mountain scenery. Looks like you made the truss bridge as well. What a great job. Thanks for sharing
Don
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.
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.
EVEN WHEN THE GATE GOES DOWN, THE BOY ON THE BIKE CAN GO RIGHT AHEAD.....LOL
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
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.
Patrick: WOW! A western Md BL-2 where did you get that or did you make it? Looks super!!
Don
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:
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.
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
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!
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 !!
trumptrain posted:
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!
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!
trumptrain posted:
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: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.
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
railfanning...
This AM the East End looked like this:
That empty covered hopper needs picked-up and the swoosh tank re-spotted as it takes several days to offload into tank trucks.
That loaded UP grain hopper needs picked-up and the BN empty spotted.
Ready to get to work with one grain hopper to set-out off-spot at the elevator:
Seventeen moves later and switching is finished at the east End:
great photo WMCWOOD
So this AM there will be two pick-ups and two set-outs at the East End, the swoosh tanks and a loaded and an empty grain hopper.
"B&O Pacific"
Dad took this pic of my brother&I, most likely at the station in Butler, Pa. I look about 3 so that would make it 1953.
trumptrain posted:
Lew, what a beautiful and intrinsic valued photograph'... Your Dad' sure was a great train lover. Must of have been one **** of a Dad as well'..... Terrific post'...😀
D T & I ...
"Thunder echoing in the hills!"
We rode on several of the Rambles which ran from 1959 to 1964.
Dad may have taken this pic during this particular Ramble:
Patrick, those are sure some hard working liddle people!
nice looking engine Gary !
"Switching the Paint Factory."
Setup ready to drill:
Six moves later it looked like this:
...and nine moves later switching was complete:
What could be more fun than that action?
An hour later Dusk finds tomorrow's Interchange freight parked and the Dinner Train spotted in front of the old depot ready for first dinner call patrons to board:
The small town Racoon family decides to have breakfast at the McDonalds...some local children enjoy their antics. Its Christmas who could deny those furry creatures a great breakfast. Sgt Murphy tries his best to keep up with the Shopping Traffic,
This AM, after parking the Dinner Train the crew fetched today's cars from Interchange:
Eight cars to set-out, lots of switching work today.
Johan, that is a very nice picture with the forced perspective.
geysergazer posted:Johan, that is a very nice picture with the forced perspective.
Lew. Thank you very much. 🤝
Johan
I apologize for the vertigo but the only way I could get the whole train in the pic was doing corner-to-corner.
The crew getting a late start this AM. After parking the Dinner Train they'll be shoving nine cars to interchange. That is the longest train seen on the PER.
geysergazer posted:
A better pic:
That train is long enough you need both pics to see both ends.
Its Christmas and even the "little folks" on the "Lexington Park and Savannah" (long and skinny) RR have to get the tree home! Best Wishes for the Holidays
Note: The trailer and tree are a 2019 Christmas Ornament picked up at Kohl's, the red plastic car is very old, a remnant from my boyhood in the 50's salvaged somehow in an old trunk we found when we moved last time.
Don
Dear TNKMARX : (pictures near Miamisberg)...I spent 20 years in Dayton so I know your neighborhood. I took from your pen name that you may be interested in Marx. I found this caboose at one of our local Texas train shows. I show it with the obviously Marx Pacemaker caboose and although the picture may not show it, the castings are absolutely identical down to the last detail, EXCEPT the "Arkansas RR" black caboose does NOT have the MARX logo in the casting as does the NYC caboose. Other than the logo for Marx every detail is the same. I can't believe its not Marx but he was so careful to stamp all his products that it seems odd that there is no Marx emblem.
I checked all my Marx references and can find no Arkansas RR car either. So I guess its just a home made or perhaps some copy. Any thoughts?
"Night job."
Rush scrap job so the crane operator works into the night, showing off the new electromagnet activation warning beacon.
Not gonna' forget and cook that magnet.
Dave, that is an EMD NW5. 13 were built after the War with V-12 567 engines and steam generators in the short hood. They rode on Blomberg (F/GP) road trucks. GN took ten of them, Southern took one and Union Belt of Detroit took the last two. They were the precursor of the GP7.
Got this info from OUR GM SCRAPBOOK, a Kalmbach book taken from the pages of Trains Magazine.
Thanks Lew, I found this going through old posts and was curious since no one answered the original poster. I google the # you put and found lots of cool photos.
I took these pics at the Anthracite museum in Ashland, Pa:
Battery powered Juice Jack.
Our Engineer/tour-guide. He made his living for years as an anthracite miner until he landed this much softer gig.
Battery power is ideal for a tourist operation because the trolley wire would be against the wall right behind people's heads....hot with 600VDC.
According to our guide Black Lung isn't from coal at all but rather from the dust of any country-rock that needs blasted/removed to expedite exposure of the coal seam. He said in his mine outside contractors were always hired to do such work as they had the experience&equipment to keep the dust out of their lungs.
The mine on the Miniature Railroad&Village at Carnegie Science Center:
Here comes the reason for the hurry-up scrap loading into the night yesterday. On today's switch-list was an incoming empty mill-gondola:
The load picked-up and the empty set-out:
BRIANSILVERMUSTANG : Thanks for the great picture. So few of us model anything from the "wood burner" time period, it was really cool to see your picture. Thanks again.
Don
thanks Don...
Sidehack: What a GREAT Set...My Marx Greenberg Volume III (sets) list the components you pictured as Set 7355 and I can make out in the picture all of the components except the RR name on the Gondola. 7355 came with a NKP gondola in black. You know Marx, dating the set is really hard but the scale sets with steam power were made from post war (about 1942 until the very early 1950's. I checked my reference on the "toy train catalogs" of Sears and Montgomery Ward but could only find a "999" scale set in the 1950 MW catalog and then it disappears as after that the sets seem to come with the 333 4-6-2 engine or use the "Pacemaker" NYC boxcar and the NYC caboose instead of the Reading. In 1950 it did sell for $21.95 in the MW catalog including lots of track and a pair of remote control switches OR you could get the "economy version" with just a loop of track and the trains for $14.45. If you have the box it should be the simple beige cardboard box with blue printing on the cover typically saying something in large letters on the top like..."STEAM LINE , steam type, ELECTRICAL TRAIN, in 3 separate lines of printing, underscored by the circular Marx logo.
Anyway a beautiful set made even more special since it came from your daughter in law.
Merry Christmas Don
Don McErlean posted:Sidehack: What a GREAT Set...My Marx Greenberg Volume III (sets) list the components you pictured as Set 7355 and I can make out in the picture all of the components except the RR name on the Gondola. 7355 came with a NKP gondola in black. You know Marx, dating the set is really hard but the scale sets with steam power were made from post war (about 1942 until the very early 1950's. I checked my reference on the "toy train catalogs" of Sears and Montgomery Ward but could only find a "999" scale set in the 1950 MW catalog and then it disappears as after that the sets seem to come with the 333 4-6-2 engine or use the "Pacemaker" NYC boxcar and the NYC caboose instead of the Reading. In 1950 it did sell for $21.95 in the MW catalog including lots of track and a pair of remote control switches OR you could get the "economy version" with just a loop of track and the trains for $14.45. If you have the box it should be the simple beige cardboard box with blue printing on the cover typically saying something in large letters on the top like..."STEAM LINE , steam type, ELECTRICAL TRAIN, in 3 separate lines of printing, underscored by the circular Marx logo.
Anyway a beautiful set made even more special since it came from your daughter in law.
Merry Christmas Don
Don, I had taken these pics several years ago and will have to see where I have them stored and pull them out for a better look. Thank you for the information on them.
Ray
have a Merry Christmas everyone
All the folks are anxious either to get home or to the city for last minute shopping.
Those Pesky raccoons are looking for a free meal even though the folks at McDonalds have put up their tree!
The old KKP steamer belonging to the Savannah RR club pulls out of the yard for a Christmas eve fan trip.
MERRY CHRISTMAS / HAPPY HOLIDAYS EVERYONE
Don
Johan, nice detailing of the cab and great snow effect in your last post.
Patrick, the citizens of Patsburg are busy as usual.
New bridges for some New Haven steam
Bar GP7 Agree with CoachJoe. Great snow effect !
Don
coach joe posted:Johan, nice detailing of the cab and great snow effect in your last post.
Patrick, the citizens of Patsburg are busy as usual.
Joe. Thank you. 🤝
Johan
Don McErlean posted:Bar GP7 Agree with CoachJoe. Great snow effect !
Don
Don. Thank you. I am glad you like it. 🤝
Johan
A special run. First call to Lunch for the Christmas Eve Dinner Train!
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