Great Northern railway

Perry certainly has a very nice looking layout!

Thanks for coming Sam! Thanks also for sharing these photos.  It was so busy I didn't get a chance to take any until after everyone left.

See Sam's photos from the August 2019 layout visit here

Mark --  Dad's layout was featured in Great Model Railroads 2013. There are a few areas that were under construction or redesign when he passed away that we'll eventually be finishing

@simpsopl
I am so sorry I missed seeing that Sam had typed that your father had passed on.  You have my condolences!

Ross club Tuesday night meeting.

Videos:

NYC 4-6-4 Commodore Vanderbilt passenger train:

Departing Seattle:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7bNCRlI6tCA

Marias pass:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HqKKvhEDNj0

Departing Whitefish:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=T1Dr2DoU3E4

PRR Aerotrain:

Departing Hillyard:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2cwPwGs7MVw

Willmar:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Go231hmGwcU

PRR Aerotrain:

Hillyard.

NYC 4-6-4 at one of the functioning 'water towers' at Glacier.

Nick with the Aerotrain.

Hillyard.

Impressive that the BLI 4-6-4 can 'pull' 12 passenger cars!

Operated by Gerry.

Skykomish.

Bypassing Seattle's freight yard...

to get to the main passenger yard.

@samparfitt you have such a great roster. How do you run your op sessions? Do operators select their locomotives? or do they just get the locomotive for the job they are running?

I let the operators pick what they want to run and I let them know how many cars that particular engine can 'handle'.

I have a lot of engines that aren't on the layout but on a table so they can, also, pick one of those.

I'm a 'railfan' and just like to see trains running through my scenery.

I've got towns with sidings and John Allen's 'time saver' on the logging layout which, also, has 2 'switch backs' so railroaders could do 'switching' if they 'wanted to'.

The layout was made to run 'scale length' 25-45 car freight trains and 'scale length' 10-17 passenger car trains with minimum radius of 48" and the mainline is 400' single track with passing sidings plus the 50' long interchange/return loop so a train leaving Seattle going to the return loop and back is around 900'.  All turnouts are #10's so transition to passing sidings is 'gradual' with a 'scale appearance'.

I also enjoy my fully functional signaling system which makes it 'easy' on the engineers: just obey the signals. The computer operated dispatcher's panel where all mainline turnouts are controlled by the 'click' of the 'mouse' and the monitor shows the position of all trains and their direction.

The layout is now 44 years old.

My 'whole life' was 'super structured' with college, marine corps and being a programmer and being on call 24/7/ 365 days a year the last several years of work and I have no interest in 'working my brain' on my layout!  It's enough work just maintaining a layout this size plus all the engines, cars and electronic 'stuff' such as; I've installed sound decoders in over a hundred steam engines.

It looks like the Ross folk have found a home! 😄

Good question, Bill!  It sounds like Sam has something for everyone!

@samparfitt that's cool! I feel like their is definitely a lot of pressure to run a schedule and realistic operations. I think that's fun but I intend to make it an option. I have a yard and everything but it's surrounded by a double track mainline so I can enjoy watching and operating with or without a crew. I was curious how you do it because I love your videos and layout so I thought your methods would transfer well to my track plan.

Ross Club meeting.

Videos:

D&RGW L-131 2-8-8-2 passenger train:

Bypassing Seattle's freight yard:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=k3tBXjU116M

Departing Hillyard:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=k9GsxLyvc1E

PRR S-2 6-8-6 freight drag: many vintage metal and wood freight cars.

Skykomish:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nVxsuzIFd7A

PRR S-2 and D&RGW L-131:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ft4qJptAphI

C&NW E-4 4-6-4 freight drag: all 'open loads'.

Tye:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Kka7ICvdyQg

C&NW E-4 4-6-4 and PRR S-2 6-8-6:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=w1bFm68aqcE

Plus engineers in video:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QedR-aw6D50

PRR S-2 6-8-6 and C&NW E-4 4-6-4:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dAYpwE6__1M

Bob with the PRR S-2 6-8-6:

D&RGW L-131 passenger train bypassing Seattle's freight yard.

Joe dispatching.

Bob with PRR S-2.

Hillyard.

Tye.

PRR Aerotrain at Tye.

Gerry at the upper interchange/loop.

C&NW E-4 4-6-4 at Marias pass.

During the 'Mid operating session' a wire connection between two rails broke under the stairs

and it took me several minutes to diagnose and solder the connection.

Not easy to access that area and it's a 'little' dark under there!

Three levels 'run' through the laundry room.

C&NW E-4 4-6-4 at Whitefish.

Re-gear a steam engine and visit to Jim's UP layout.

Jim had a steam engine that needed a new gear so I brought my 'wheel puller' and 'quartering jig' to put the drivers on the new gear and axle.

Update to tracks in North Bend, Ohio by Randy.

Those are the old NYC/PC tracks west of Valley Junction heading toward Lawrenceburg.  Still used today mostly.

Trains still run down the middle of the street in Kentucky.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=s6LJn_r_4cc

Jim has a beast of a layout!! It's just plain of pleasing to look at awesome!

Easy fix.

Two of my switch machines for the upper interchange/return loop turnouts were inoperative (IX 01/02)

A voltmeter (plus no blue light) indicated power into my Capacitor Discharge (CD) board but no power 'coming out'.

New one installed.

I have, at least, 2 of all my circuit boards for all my electronics.

Being they are 'cottage industries' it's highly probable that the parts will not be available in the future!

YUP, I was able to diagnose the problem in that 'rats nest'!

Back before Tortoise was available I used, and still do, use all the 'old school' switch machines.

The 'slow motion' Tortoise are cool but one can't really see it on my layout for most of the turnouts,

plus, when 'clicking on them' with the mouse I can hear that they have 'moved'.

Ordered this caboose for my C&NW engine but.....

They only had the 'one' picture of it and said it was HO and 1/87 but it was N scale.

Nice with ebay; told them it was the wrong scale and they printed out a return, pre-paid, USPS 'sticker'.

Yup; you never know when the electronics won't be available again.  It is so rewarding to just swap out a bad board and be beck in business again.  Having to reinvent the wheel because replacement parts are unavailable would be a pain.

That's sad the nice looking caboose was mis-advertised as HO.

Ross club meeting.

videos:

PRR P5A electric freight drag with many vintage metal/wood freight cars.

Departing Hillyard:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EYod-bxxlJI

Willmar:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=P4esOYt2BvQ

Skykomish:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Umxhvfl0xp8

UP 2-tone grey 4-6-6-4 challenger freight drag with many vintage metal/wood cars:

Marias pass:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ae7QaZNcXgI

UP E-6 A-B-B passenger train:

Departing Seattle.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lKTwS3MzVRQ

UP E-6 and UP 2-tone grey challenger:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Cyz7kaHh-Mk

SF E-1 A-B freight drag:

Marias pass:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eJKyX3C06W0

Hillyard.

Seattle.

Chumstick canyon trestle.

St. Paul.

Chumstick canyon trestle.

Passenger 'by-pass' track via Seattle's freight yard.

Willmar.

PRR Aerotrain.

Waverly.

Marias pass.

Willmar.

Marias pass.

Tye.

Seattle's freight yard.

Skykomish.

N&W J 4-8-4:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SpB5VE9L8K0

UP Big Boy 2023 test run:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XsxQkm24y38

Drone view:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sSyhxlOdKKg

Very nice videos!  It's nice to see young people interested in model trains as well as us old guys!

NMRA MCR DIV 7 meeting.

Had our yearly picnic at Fernbank lodge.

There was a several page quiz with the highest correct number winning a prize:

I had my own 'correct' answers:

1) What was 'can't remember his name' last words but, probably: here, hold my beer.

2) What 2 states has 8 states bordering it: Hawaii

Hawaii is weird: their highways are call 'interstate'!

3)  Who invented the knuckle couple: Kadee.   

4)  2nd wife on the 'sopranos'; Wilma Flintstone.

Park entrance.

prizes.

Food: I was first in line!

Nice view of the Ohio river from the lodge.

Had to cross 3 tracks to get to the lodge.

Lots of industry along the river.

Road bridge across the Miami river....

and the railroad bridges.

Nice surprise when I opened my garage door to depart.

Walked right by the garage door and down to where the water flows onto the concrete as it hasn't rain for about 3 weeks and the critters are thirsty.  Was not more than 3' away from me but didn't raise his tail and just 'kept on walking'.

Ross club Tuesday night meeting.

Videos:

NYC S-1B 4-8-4 Niagara passenger train:

Willmar:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8tH47O5n8-s

D&RGW L-131 2-8-8-2 passenger train:

Departing Whitefish:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Kf5Hp61qM74

Skykomish:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9h6YNKQRUnA

UP 2-tone grey 4-6-6-4 challenger:

Willmar:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vGbJolCF0hU

UP 2-tone grey 4-6-6-4 challenger:

Skykomish.

NYC S-1B 4-8-4 Niagara and PRR Aerotrain at Havre.

NYC Niagara at Tumwater canyon trestle.

D&RGW L-131 2-8-8-2 at Whitefish.

Marias pass.

NYC Niagara and UP challenger at Waverly.

D&RGW Zephyr passenger train at Skykomish.

Bypassing Seattle's freight yard.

Willmar.

A group from Detroit.

videos:

GN N-3 2-8-8-0 freight drag.

Chumstick canyon trestle. Mostly 'open loads' with a few vintage all metal cars.

EAST:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ti5kGwunu34

WEST:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Vk3iNpQruVw

UP 8500 turbine freight drag:  Again mostly 'open loads' with a few vintage all wood cars.

Chumstick canyon trestle:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sdPfuUmd7pE

NP Z-5 2-8-8-4 freight drag: many vintage all metal and all wood freight cars.

Marias Pass:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RUroAcxVBa4

UP 8500 turbine, B&O E A-B and  NP Z-5 2-8-8-4:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vAiPjhYJh0c

B&O E A-B passenger train:

Waverly:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZVskBEqWgWY

I think I missed one person!

NP Z-5 freight drag at Hillyard's functional water tower.

Faithful Joe.

GN N-3 2-8-8-0 west of Waverly.

UP 8500 turbine at Willmar.

GN N-3 at Tye's water tower.

Willmar.

UP 8500 turbine at Tye.

GN N-3 at Seattle.

GNRW Ops session.

Videos:

Milwaukee S-3 4-8-4 passenger train:

Departing Havre:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LmHW7kI2ZDk

Bypassing Seattle's freight yard:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5WimoQrm6QE

Jason's diesel and freight cars:

Skykomish:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yEg2WEcyODo

Willmar:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hssVq2k-vkc

Milwaukee Bi-polar electric  freight drag:

Chumstick canyon trestle:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=44LO0TqM0zU

Skykomish:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=D8vSKaddzuc

PRR I-1 2-10-0 freight drag:

Willmar:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xhTz8CFzHq8

Willmar west:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pneQKSacJYA

Erie L-1 0-8-8-0 Camel back freight drag:

Skykomish:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=K8A-M77ScAA

Marias pass with Jason's diesel:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=E8a-EtwtXws

Departing Havre:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FOallUN-FyI

Southern PS-4 4-6-2 freight drag:

Marias pass:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZU1KQi5Xdrc

Chumstick canyon trestle plus Erie 0-8-8-0 camel back.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UY6xFCELED8

SP AC-4 4-8-8-2 freight drag:

Departing Whitefish:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dWfIh0YV98A

Tye:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=708Uyd2ySpQ

Skykomish:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rwKM6DqtVEQ

Usual pizza, first.

Ben decided to operate the logging railroad.

Yard with John Allen's 'time saver'.

10% grades.

Two 'switch backs'.

Later, Jason 'ditto' on the logging railroad.

Not sure why but this picture appears like a 'night shot'!

Sage and Paul.

Milwaukee S-3 4-8-4 passenger train at Hillyard.

Nate operating Jason's diesels.

Milwaukee bi-polar electric at Waverly.

Jason's diesels and freight cars at Havre.

Bob with Milwaukee Bi-polar electric.

Joe was 'kept busy'.

Paul and Jason.

Bi-polar electric at St. Paul.

West of Waverly.

Jason's diesel train departing Seattle.

Skykomish.

'Meet' at Waverly.

Havre.

Bob with bi-polar at Tye.

Getting 'busier'.

'Discussions'.

Nate's grandmother, Roxanne operating Paul's PRR I-1.

Waverly 'meet'.

Skykomish.

Willmar.

Tye.

Really busy, now!

Marias pass.

More discussions.

Passenger yard.

Marias pass.

Erie L-1 0-8-8-0 camel back at Chumstick canyon trestle.

Whitefish.

The 'camel back' is slow so Bob's 'resting'.

Tye

Southern PS-4 4-6-2 at Hillyard's water tower.

Lighted headlights and....

tail lights.

Tye with Seattle's freight yard in the 'back ground'.

Paul's PRR I-1 2-10-0.

Erie's 0-8-8-0 camel back at Marias pass.

PRR I-1 departing Seattle.

Marias pass.

Tye.

West of Waverly.

Hillyard.

Havre.

Seattle.

Paul's new diesel.

A rare shot of 'Moi':

Weird: Kroger hasn't had any orange 'creamcicles' or chocolate cover ice cream bars for several weeks!

WOW!  Looks like everyone had a great time!!

Grading work.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=k5-w63a27VY

My 'snow plow' version:

@samparfitt posted:

Grading work.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=k5-w63a27VY

My 'snow plow' version:

Thank you very much for sharing.

Never saw a model like this and never saw a real one in operation like your video .   

Dallas,

Walthers imported the Jordon snow plow.

==================

Ross club Tuesday night meeting.

videos:

UP 2-tone grey 4-8-4 freight drag: Many vintage metal and wood freight cars and 'open loads'.

Skykomish:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tsIachZDW5M

SP AC-4 4-8-8-2 cab forward freight drag. Mostly vintage metal and wood freight cars.

Departing Hillyard:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XVqhi4X_fEE

At St. Paul's freight yard:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DUWhgPpSFbE

UP 2-tone grey 4-6-6-4 and 4-8-4 freight drags:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bcmAFkh8bMw

PRR Aerotrain:

Tye:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Y7RfzpL9fnk

UP 2-tone 4-6-6-4 challenger freight drag:

Willmar:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MIlWiYtiGEc

UP 2-tone grey 4-8-4 freight drag:

Skykomish.

SP AC-4 4-8-8-2 cab forward at St. Paul's freight yard incoming track.

Chumstick canyon trestle.

Waverly 'meet'.

Cincinnati group (Wednesday)

videos:

GN N-3 2-8-8-0 freight drag:

Marias pass:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dlSzvZ0Vu_E

PRR K-4 4-6-2 streamlined passenger train:

Tumwater canyon trestle.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=e4Xcelpzc_I

GN N-3 2-8-8-0 and Erie L-1 0-8-8-0:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6N_izvpLOA4

Erie L-1 0-8-8-0 camelback at Tye.

B&O E A-B passenger train bypassing Seattle's freight yard.

GN N-3 2-8-8-0 departing Seattle's roundhouse.

GN N-3 2-8-8-0 at Skykomish.

St. Paul's freight yard.

Burlington M-4A 2-10-4 departing Seattle's freight yard.

A train at each 'level'.

PRR K-4 4-6-2 streamlined at Willmar's water tower.

Glacier and passenger yard.

Tumwater canyon trestle.

Burlington M-4A 2-10-4 at Havre.

Erie L-1 0-8-8-0 camelback at Waverly.

Hillyard.

Waverly and Havre.

Burlington M-4A 2-10-4 at Seattle's freight yard.

Visit to Ross club modular layout set up in a retirement home in Hamilton, Ohio.

June 23-25.

June 24,25, Railfest at Carillon Park, Dayton, Ohio.

Miles: 35.

An extremely nice park with lots to see besides trains.

videos:

3' train ride:

They just built this railroad in the last year.

Heard cost was 9 million.

Engine is battery operated electric motor.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qDUwOE1_OMk

Departing station:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yE_VWjkd7nE

7.5" gauge train ride.

The train was stopped a few minutes due to one of the children 'dragging their feet' on the ground.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GqWjBLASmHc

Main entrance.

Last year we arrived around open time and no 'crowd'.

This year we arrived about the same time and a huge crowd due to the new 3' gauge train.

They have 'smoke' coming out of the stack for 'show' since it is battery operated.

Since it was going to be 85 degrees today we, first, went to the two train rides and visited the main building last since it's got AC.

All composite material so it won't rot.

Station.

7.5" gauge.

A 4 stall roundhouse had lots of trains to 'see'.

Two 'rail speeders'.

'Live' steam.

An 'actual' water fountain!

G gauge.

Main building.

Lego.

Dayton was NCR's headquarters.

Main building had venders.

Estate sale.

See Keith Schuch at 937-768-6142.

His dad's railroad.

Location in Eastern Cincinnati, Ohio.

Joe and I visited.

About a 12'X20' layout.

He'd like to have the layout removed.

Mostly GN brass.

Joe's booty.

A building and about 33 freight cars.

My booty.

He 'threw in' the GN sign, hat and calendar.

He gave me this.

I figure if one of you Cinci guys want it, it's yours.

Cool: A very nice GN jacket for when Winter 'comes'.

I'll 'suffer' with the diesel on the 'back'!

GN caboose by Tenshodo.

Old silver streak wood kit model.

I purchased 2 challenger Imports items.

I told him what the 'going price' is, he could get more on EBAY than I wanted to 'pay' but he took my 'offer' anyway.

I don't have any items made by Challenger and they are suppose to be really nicely detailed so I purchased them.

I think they have the roof color incorrect as I believe they were all black.

Lots of 'under body' detail.

'See through' steps and deck.

Didn't really need a 'reefer' (didn't need another GN caboose either) but it's nicely detailed and FP.

Nice 'see through' walk boards and functioning hatches.

Not functional but nicely detailed.

A 'ton' of piping!

That’s quite a sale!  Nice acquisitions!

Oh gosh, I had forgotten about the open house & estate sale for Ron & Don Schuch's model railroad. Nice to see the Golf Manor calendar! Likely were a few different Golf Manor things around the house as both Ron & Don worked for Eddie Rosbac at Golf Manor before the shop closed. I remember seeing Don at a lot of the Div 7 & Cincinnati Railroad Club meetings throughout the years, and he always had that hat with the old yellow Oil Can nametag pinned to it. I even ran into him out railfanning in May 2014 when SOU 630 was pulling the 21st Century Steam excursion trips out of Ludlow. Wonder what will happen to all their photos and slides . . .

Keith showed me two cabinets full of slides; must be several thousand.

Ross club meeting.

videos:

WM 2-8-0 freight drag:

Marias pass:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=J737P-_iraA

Hillyard:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4QgjtozSDRs

Havre:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yMBK9mCVnR8

PRR S-2 6-8-6 freight drag:

Chumstick canyon trestle:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rFVw3al_DhA

Erie L-1 0-8-8-0 camel back and PRR S-2 6-8-6:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3Kd5iMt0g6g

Erie L-1 0-8-8-0 camel back freight drag:

Waverly:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Y9-JcfLhP9o

Havre:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JSuJrr7Scfc

Skykomish:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jeKG7xllHv0

Seattle:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=i-NjOVC2Hkk

Seattle.

PRR Aerotrain at Skykomish.

PRR S-2 6-8-6 freight drag.

Hillyard.

WM 2-8-0 freight drag.

Hillyard.

Chumstick canyon trestle.

PRR S-2 6-8-6.

Waverly.

Erie L-1 0-8-8-0 freight drag.

Marias pass.

WM 2-8-0.

Waverly.

St. Paul.

West of Waverly.

Waverly meet.

PRR S-2 6-8-6.

Hillyard.

Willmar.

Seattle.

Willmar.

Tye.

Willmar.

Seattle.

Nice review of SP railroad video:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Mqxpp9Jx3JI

Live steam at Lebanon, Ohio.

Bummer.

I check their web site and didn't see any mention on the steam engine for July 4th W/E so I missed it.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gr1BwnLDlEs

That’s neat, Sam!  I’m sorry you missed it!

Live steam:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Obsv85TaBOs