a picture a day....

The "Chief" pulls into the North Main Street station...

Continuing with my 'countdown' to today.

My 7th Christmas Layout.  Still only 4'x8' but with a 2nd 4'x4' upper area.

Sorry that I don't have just a single picture to show it.  Still using those 'pine cone trees'!

Walt

Just added the farm cottage on the new addition, with a view  of the "West End" hump yard to the rear and Sunset Dairy Farm (soon to come) to the east.  As a long-term employee of the farm, "Joe T" resides in the farm cottage with his family,  with a short walk down the driveway to work..

FOR TODAY:  In observance of the upcoming York Week ... the Ma & Pa offered service between York, Pa and Baltimore, Md.   Here we see SW1 number 70 ready to take on the daily switching assignments.  

A Ma & Pa Doodlebug will bring TCA York Show attendees to a drop off/ hop on  location near the fair grounds.  

Hobo coming home after a long day of work?

Countdown, or is it UP?, continues.  8th Christmas layout.

walt

As is obvious, at that point I was still not spending dollars on scenery or structures.  The ceramic trees were a gift from a friend.

FOR TODAY:  "The Adventures of Lumpy Larson and Dinky Dawson:  A great day to go hiking!  It's been a long climb up the mountain however, the reward is well worth all the huffing and puffing.  Speaking of puffing ... he comes a steam  locomotive!!! WOW!!!! 

" Hey Lumpy we're almost there!" say Dinky.  

Nice story about Lumpy and Dinky, Pat!  They had excellent scenery to hike and saw a steam engine to boot!

Some serious power in Bozeman on this day in 2019...impressive!

Before............and after...

@gandydancer1950 posted:

........and after...

What talent ! 

Continuing: my 9th Christmas layout.  Management gave approval to a small enlargement

walt

Still using pine cones as trees .  How about that bird cage being my only new piece of scenery.  Poor canary .  Still not spending on scenery as is painfully obvious in these pictures.

Hmmm riders

Nice photos everyone! It took me a while and a page and a half to to get up to speed of what everyone was doing! I really love all the photos of each and everyone of your layouts!

@Sitka posted:

Hmmm riders

..........and where are the RR POLICE when you need them ? 

@Dallas Joseph posted:

..........and where are the RR POLICE when you need them ? 

Look at the time he posted it. They’re all at Molly’s for fresh donuts and coffee.

(No offense or disrespect to our real  police officers on the job day and night protecting us)

Police officer on duty looking for Dallas and pennsyfan

@Sitka posted:

Police officer on duty looking for Dallas and pennsyfan

😆😆😆😆

Continuing:

My 10th layout. No longer under management's rules, the layout is starting to grow in size.  Still using the less than ideal scenery stuff though.

wal

@Sitka posted:

Police officer on duty looking for Dallas and pennsyfan

Already on board the train in the station.
😜

Early morning sunrise at the North Main Street station as passengers wait for the commuter local...

From one of my Christmas Layouts.  I used to host a big annual "Train Party" for my entire family - 28 members in all.  My nephew made this billboard for me.

walt

A few years later, he made me another one:

Brewery worker on a liquid launch having a cold Utica Club.

Continuing on: my 11th Christmas train layout.  My first in my new house.

walt

Dusk sets in over the North Main Street station, with all stalls taken at the Greyhound Bus station across the street...some brisk activity in town for a Thursday night...  As if things weren't hectic enough, notice the car / motorcycle mishap on North Main to the right of the caboose...

Continuing the count'up'

my 12th Christmas Layout.

walt

The CN C-Liner running solo approaches the South Main Street crossing...

@Capetrainman posted:

The CN C-Liner running solo approaches the South Main Street crossing...

? Why is that young lady in the middle of the road?  A rail fan waiting for the C-Liner( 1 of my favs) I don't see her camera'... Is that her T Bird?  Is the kid on the bike waving at her?  What is going on at the end of town???

Nice shot'.. Paul.. Very nice indeed'... 👍📸😁

BTW Been meaning to ask you, what brand of track do you have on your Layout..?  looks pretty sharp..

FOR TODAY:  " Dag!  Here we are working on a Saturday!" Len Crowley exclaims to Festus Adams as they hold opposite ends of the crate.  " Yeh Len but the time and half is pretty good.  Don't ya think?" Festus replies. " Well, I reccun it is but I'd still rather be at home working on my model railroad instead of working on a real one." pouts Len.  ... at any rate " it's just another day on the railroad."

When a bottle isn’t going to be enough.

Drink responsibly. If you’re having a party arrange an Uber on call.

The Bungling Brothers Circus train arrives on a siding in suburban Terryville where it will unload and form a circus parade to its location in the City of Christopolis to set up the tents for the Big-Top and entertain both, young and old patrons.

The train is a collection of random, O gauge rolling stock that was repainted and custom decaled with my own design of the circus logo and my son Chris' catch- phrase, "Wildest Circus Ever!" Chris created the phrase when he was about 8 years old.

There are more cars to the train that weren't yet customized and painted at the time of this photo including two flat cars carrying painted circus parade wagons, a tent pole transport flat car, a canvas car and a Bungling Brothers caboose. Once the layout is completely recuperated from the major overhaul that it is currently undergoing, I will produce a video of the of the full circus train running behind a Great Northeastern Railway 4-8-2 steam locomotive.

In reality, the circus train did not have its own caboose and locomotive painted in circus livery. It came over the railroads that served the different cities in charge of the railroad that was pulling it over their trackage with the local railroads' locomotive/s and caboose if necessary. I know this from my uncle who served a short tenure as a fireman on the Pennsylvania Railroad before WWII. He told me that one of his runs later in his tenure was to ride in a PRR GG-1 electric locomotive from Union station Washington, DC to Baltimore, Maryland pulling Ringling Brothers, Barnum and Bailey Circus' train to Baltimore. For this one time only trip, he had to study the switching systems in both Ivy City Yard approaching Union Station and the switches leading into Union Station. This was necessary because, before riding the circus train out of Union Station, my uncle had to ride in a switch engine out of union station with a PRR engine crew supervisor and accurately tell the supervisor where each track switch the engine was approaching would lead. All for being a fireman on an electric locomotive. As the old song goes, "Nice Work If You Can Get It".

LOL From the arial photo of town from the local news chopper on the way to cover the Car Rally, to the guys working hard on Saturday trying to earn a little extra money for a couple drinks out of the JD tank car!

I am sure with enough JD in the guys they will make their way to the circus! LOL

Count 'UP' continues with my 13th Christmas time layout

walt

My kids added the Contrux 'football' field.  I like it!  The players are from an electric football game

FOR TODAY:  Sunday is not a day of rest for some folks in Patsburg.  Milk and fresh produce shipments arrive by rail and must be transferred to trucks with no time to dillydally.   There's a perishables platform unloading crew on duty 7 days per week.  Forklift operator Kit Jennings is busy moving a shipment of granite to another location within the FSJR Cargo Yard.

This photo is a study in contrast ... the junk pile stands in direct contrast to the brand new Mack B tractor sitting in the Brewtown section of Patsbug.  I'm sure the Mack B  will be put  to work tomorrow morning bright and early pulling tailer loads of beer.    Of course o'l Otis, the self proclaimed "quality control expert",  is standing on a truck load of beer proclaiming " this is the best tasting beer ever!"   It might be Sunday .. but .... it's just another day on the railroad.

Count 'UP' continues with my 14th Christmas time layout   This layout was designed specifically to run 2 trains on.

- walt

My daughter won't be too happy that I posted this with her in it!  But luckily for me she doesn't check out the forum.  WHEW!  She was in charge that year of setting up the (limited and small) scene.

@walt rapp posted:

Count 'UP' continues with my 14th Christmas time layout   This layout was designed specifically to run 2 trains on.

- walt

My daughter won't be too happy that I posted this with her in it!  But luckily for me she doesn't check out the forum.  WHEW!  She was in charge that year of setting up the (limited and small) scene.

@walt rapp

Walt:

Your daughter is quite creative. That is a REALLY good track plan!

Also, I am really enjoying your Christmas layouts retrospective. It reminds me of when I was young and helping my father design a different Christmas train display each year. Keep them coming.

The late night New York Central local hauled by a J1E steamer  pulls into the North Main Street station...

Nice shot'.. Paul.. Very nice indeed'... 👍📸😁

BTW Been meaning to ask you, what brand of track do you have on your Layout..?  looks pretty sharp..

Ted, the track is all Gargraves phantom with the black enter rail...always happy with the product and especially like the wooden ties...as a bonus, extra ties from unused track make for great retaining walls...

Passengers waiting getting ready to load

FOR TODAY:  Early morning in Patsburg.  With his truck loaded Harvey Ginsburg is about to get behind the wheel to make his deliveries.  The reefer of fresh milk was set out at the loading platform at 4:30 a.m.

lineman getting ready for the climb

@Randy Harrison posted:

@walt rapp

Walt:

Your daughter is quite creative. That is a REALLY good track plan!

Also, I am really enjoying your Christmas layouts retrospective. It reminds me of when I was young and helping my father design a different Christmas train display each year. Keep them coming.

Thanks Randy - she has another layout designed by her coming here soon, maybe tomorrow, one that she really enjoyed coming up with the ideas behind the track plan.

walt

"Up"count continues - my 15th Christmas layout .  Like the previous year's one, this one was designed for 2 train operation,

- walt

An evening shot of my small town shop scene.

Gene

FOR TODAY:  Great day to be at the lake.

I was gifted with this nice shelf unit this weekend by a friend so I figured it's time for some trains in my bedroom!

Big Elk, get the Remington out

@c.sam posted:

I was gifted with this nice shelf unit this weekend by a friend so I figured it's time for some trains in my bedroom!

Seems like a great  PLEASANT  DREAMS  inducer c.sam.😁😴😴😴

God speed sir.

My 16th Christmas Layout in my count "UP" to current. 

My daughter came up with this track plan.  She was only 10 at the time.  Her goal was to have the track design be like a smile.  I don't have a great picture to show that but if one knows that it's supposed to be a smile one can see it.  She did the 'scenery' too.

walt

Walt, your daughter did a very nice job on that layout!

@Sitka posted:

Big Elk, get the Remington out

I would get my Nikon with telephoto lens out. That’s the only way I would shoot that magnificent creature. But that’s me.

South Main Street at dusk...

FOR TODAY:  O Shay can you see!  ...  Bobby Chuck Carson drags his pallet without noticing the passing Shay locomotive pushing a train through Butler Junction.  Brakeman Horace "Crazy Legs" Atkins stands on the rear of the Shay's tender as if he were a soldier guarding Ft. Knox.  ... just another day on the railroad.

More of my count 'UP'.  My 17th Christmas Layout .  Just realized that I never took any good pictures of it so these are all that I have   My first ramp up to a 2nd level.

walt

The Shenandoah  Short Line’s Rail yard at night.

FOR TODAY:  A B&O GP 9 ( torpedo boat ) exits East Tunnel pulling a west bound commuter train, as passengers patiently wait on the platform.  Those passengers know that Free State Junction Railway trains always run on time ... just another day on the railroad.

My 18th Christmas Layout as my count "UP" continues.  Apologies about the blurriness but these are pictures of pictures.

walt

Pennsy switcher heading into the mountains.

The 2nd shift at the local brewery is going strong...

It's summer 1955 and the political season has started in earnest. President Eisenhower is hoping for a second term to continue to develop the National Highway Interstate System he had proposed in his first term. This immense project started him on a coast to coast barnstorm by rail to cities and towns, big and small, to sell his vision to the American people. Little did he realize at the time how this vision woul severly affect the nations railroads.

FOR TODAY:  "Children playing".  Charlie and Johnny, in their pedal cars are about to start a race.   Nancy Jo skips rope as Annie chooses which swing to ride.  Meanwhile sister Clara mows the lawn as Mom sweeps off the front porch.  

Looks Like these folks are going to spend the weekend at Lake Christopher in greater Patsburg.  Good times!  

Patrick those pedal cars are sweet!  Where did you get them?

Count 'UP' continues - my 19th Christmas Layout.

Sadly, no really good pictures of it.  Most of the images that I have are closeups of various scenes like the one shown here.  At least show most of the track plan though.

In the 2nd picture the 'big' white house on the right side is the first model that I made of my family's houses.  THis one is my parents' house in Port Vue.

This layout is prior to me moving all of my furniture out of the living room to create my Christmas layouts.  As you can see, I found a way to go around furniture.

walt

My brown bear going in for dinner

@coach joe posted:

Patrick those pedal cars are sweet!  Where did you get them?

Coach joe - I've had those pedal cars for a number of years now and don't remember exactly where I bought them.  My educated guess is from Scenic Express when they attended the York show.  Sorry I can't give your more detailed info.

@gandydancer1950 posted:

It's summer 1955 and the political season has started in earnest. President Eisenhower is hoping for a second term to continue to develop the National Highway Interstate System he had proposed in his first term. This immense project started him on a coast to coast barnstorm by rail to cities and towns, big and small, to sell his vision to the American people. Little did he realize at the time how this vision woul severly affect the nations railroads.

Ike, was on the inside track with GM, Ford, and Chrysler.  Also, Texaco, (Standard Oil, Rockefeller) and others that would do very well thanks to an interstate system...  It is always about the green stamps...💲💲💲😎

my 20th Christmas Layout in my count 'UP' series.

Still working around furniture.  This was the last year that I had that issue - starting with the next Christmas layout all furniture was moved to a spare room and my living room became my train room

This also marked the 'official' 1st annual Christmas Layout Family Train Party.

Once again, these are pictures of printed pictures, so not always clear.

walt

Fisherman getting in the way of some miners

Christmas Layout #21 in my count UP.

First year for removing all furniture from the living room and turning it into a train room for 3 months

walt

And just because I especially like this photo:

I hope I'm not boring everyone with my count "UP" - I say that because there aren't many other contributors to this thread.

Well, I'm not quite done yet.  THis is Christmas layout #22

- walt

growing up my Dad didn't do ground cover or even use any type of covering.  The items used for scenery here are those that my Dad always put on our family Christmas layout.  I just happen to be in possession of them now.  Even that 2343 (barely visible on the right) was the original family train bought in 1950- I designed this part of the layout to kind of mimic those early layouts.

FOR TODAY: "Goings on down at the tower".   First thing in the morning a Free State Junction Railway MOW carpenter is on the job repairing some rotted decking at the Butler Junction tower.  FSJR carpenter Mickey Dee kneels down and drives the last few nails into the newly installed decking.  Recent railroad retiree Olaf Goeke is at his usual place leaning on the railing at the bottom of the steps.  A man of endless "tales from the rails",  Olaf loves to reminisce about his years on the railroad.  Tower operator Cal Farley waves to some pretty gal ( out of photo ) walking by as signal man Jeeter Donavan holds his lamp to eye level as to check that it's working okay.  Someone should tell o'l Jeeter that it might be better to check the lamp after dark.   That there young feller with his hands in his pocket ... well that's me.  I just love hanging out at the railroad enjoying all the action, the suspense of not knowing what train will come down the rails next,  the variety  of characters that show up,  and the aroma of fresh creosote.   .... just another day on the railroad.

Walt, not boring at all!  What year was layout #1?

Pat, yes the smell of fresh creosote!  I didn't have a place to hang out where railroad character were.  Just a mainline with numerous trains running by.  I always got a wave from the engine and the caboose!!

No one seems to be interested in Zeek’s big catch of the day. They’re all looking for one of their own.