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"HONGZ" stands for HO scale, N scale, G scale, and Z scale.

Post your non-O scale stuff here!

May 18, 2019 ops session.

Last one of this season.  This month, start RC airplanes until September.

The operating signals work well as they allow each engineer to run by just reading the signals.  Four trains from 16 to 37 cars on the mainline with no 'corn meets', plus the SF RDC's.  What I wanted when the layout was built: Multiple long 'scale' trains traversing scenic and mountain territory, single track mainline with passing sidings with two large yards to handle the 'traffic'.

BLI UP 4014 big boy brought by Joe.

4014 at Tye.

GN ops may 2019 01

Marias pass.

GN ops may 2019 02

Tumwater canyon.

GN ops may 2019 03

Hillyard.

GN ops may 2019 04GN ops may 2019 05

Cascade.

GN ops may 2019 06GN ops may 2019 07

West of Wilmar.

GN ops may 2019 08

West of Waverly.

GN ops may 2019 09

Waverly.

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St Paul.

GN ops may 2019 11

GN P-2 mountain 4-8-2 at Skykomish.

GN ops may 2019 12

Scaletrains UP 8500 HP turbine at Tye.

GN ops may 2019 13

West of Wilmar.

GN ops may 2019 14

A coaling tower I scratch built back when I was in the early 'teens'.  Seattle's yard.

GN ops may 2019 15

PFM B&O EM-1 2-8-8-4.  Departing Seattle.

GN ops may 2019 16

Rapido SF RDC's brought by Joe.  Marias pass.

GN ops may 2019 17

West of Waverly.

GN ops may 2019 18

Hillyard.

GN ops may 2019 19

Operating water tower by BLI.  Have 3 more to install, this fall.  Hillyard.

GN ops may 2019 20

Hillyard.

GN ops may 2019 21

GN P-2 entering Seattle's freight yard.

GN ops may 2019 22

Marias pass.

GN ops may 2019 23

Seattle.

GN ops may 2019 24

GN P-2 about to drop off the freight cars and go to the 'escape' tracks. Seattle.

GN ops may 2019 25

GN C-1 0-8-0 pulling the freight cars out of the incoming tracks.  Seattle.

GN ops may 2019 26

GN P-2 entering the Seattle's roundhouse facility.

GN ops may 2019 27

East of Basin tunnel.

GN ops may 2019 28

Seattle.

GN ops may 2019 29

Tye.

GN ops may 2019 30

Tye

GN ops may 2019 31

Skykomish.

GN ops may 2019 32 

B&O EM-1 at Seattle.

 

GN ops may 2019 33

Also, got the Vette ready for summer    Detailed out the truck, also. 

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Last edited by samparfitt

New deliveries.

Three different sets on ebay but all by same seller so shipping was cheap.

Good prices on everything.

Two sets of Central valley passenger trucks and 3 bolster connectors for 27 bucks.  They usually have the old foam all stuck to them but some WD-40 and a brass wire brush does a good job of cleaning them up.  Walthers has nice trucks but they have plastic axles and I like to use a 'spring' type wire on the axle for electrical conductivity. 

12 packs of kadees for @$2.17 a pack.

Having 1500' of hand laid track, I was getting low on spikes and I like railcraft spikes and they are no longer in business.  Some ground throws and wheel contacts were 'thrown' in the set for a total of 20 bucks. 

stuff 01

Old foam all cleaned off of the wheels.

stuff 02stuff 03

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New delivery.

Milwaukee 4-6-4 Hiawatha, custom painted.

Whoever painted it, did a nice job. 

I wasn't looking for this engine but, I like multi-colored engines, this railroad competed with the GN and, for only 290 bucks (counting shipping), I couldn't 'pass it up'.

My reference book says produced in 1975 and sold for $190.

 

Milwaukee Hiawatha 4-6-4 01

That's a lot of work painting all those colors.

Milwaukee Hiawatha 4-6-4 02Milwaukee Hiawatha 4-6-4 03Milwaukee Hiawatha 4-6-4 04Milwaukee Hiawatha 4-6-4 05

I have four other Milwaukee engines.  Three bi-polars and....

MTH Milwaukee bi-polar 10

and one northern class S-3.

Milwaukee S-3 4-8-4 Overland 11

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  • MTH Milwaukee bi-polar 10
  • Milwaukee S-3 4-8-4 Overland 11
Last edited by samparfitt

The silver steak have a wood frame with cast metal parts to be applied.  CA can be used to secure the metal to wood parts.   The sides are painted but the ends have to be painted.  These aren't bad to build.

silver streak freight cars 11silver streak freight cars 12

The metal parts have some flashing that has to be filed away.

 

silver streak freight cars 13silver streak freight cars 14

Some even have paint included.  With today's high quality paints, the ends can be brushed on.

silver streak freight cars 15

The results rival my brass cabeese.

silver streak freight cars 16silver streak freight cars 17

Ambroid is usually all wood and requires a lot of work but you're not going to find these kind of cars 'production made'.  These require complete painting.

 

ambroid 01

The Athearn and Varney all metal cars are my favorite.  They aren't bad on assembly.  These are already painted with the under frame needing some black paint.

 

athearn metal 01athearn metal 02

Finished all metal cars.

athearn metal 03athearn metal 04

Cars I picked up at a local train show:

This is rare when so many cars were being sold by one person and  I bought around 25-30 of them.

Mostly all metal Athearn and Varney:

https://ogrforum.ogaugerr.com/...71#84072378339859071

A video of some of my vintage freight cars:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tOb7SgZTLWA&t=3s

Watching a string of these freight cars 'makes my day'.  For me, it's like watching a 'whos who' for freight cars!

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jd0EvVIojA4  

 

In 1965 you could buy an Athearn all plastic (shake a box kit) for around $1.50. That sounds cheap but, in today's dollars, that's  around $10.50.

The Silver streak, Ambroid were in the $5-$10 dollar range which is around $39-$79 in today's dollars.  

Not cheap, but buying them, now, in today's dollars makes them very cost effective.

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Last edited by samparfitt

New delivery.

Central Valley passenger trucks.  Picked these up on ebay.  One seller was selling 14 sets and I won 11 of them, all for the same price.  

As usual with these vintage trucks, the foam deteriorates and affects the wheel sets.  

Before/After.

Central valley passenger trucks 02

Some WD-40 and a wire brush gets off the old foam.  Final air tank spraying cleans up residual parts. 

Central valley passenger trucks 03

Took a little over an hour for clean up.

Central valley passenger trucks 04

Now have 19 of them.

Central valley passenger trucks 05

Plus a bunch of CV freight trucks.  They never came with foam so they require no cleanup. 

 

Central valley passenger trucks 06


The CV's will replace the original brass trucks as they have a lot of drag.

Most need painting and interiors, etc. 

Central valley passenger trucks 07Central valley passenger trucks 08Central valley passenger trucks 09

I've been thinking about cutting a hole in the paneling on the left side so one of the passenger tracks can run through it and go  into a passenger yard.  The yard would be about a foot below the above shown scenery and be about 2' wide.  The wall length is almost 14' long.

 

Central valley passenger trucks 10

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New delivery.

Although I only have one set of diesels (E-1's), the Alco's PA are iconic, especially in the SF colors. The set is A-B-B-A, all powered and DCC so they should have no problem pulling a long string of cars.

SF PA,PB both powered DCC 01SF PA,PB both powered DCC 02

I don't claim to be an expert on diesels but the front coupler pocket is huge and I'm surprised they don't give you an alternate piece to fill that void.  I haven't read the manual and checked all the DCC variables but it appears the number boards are not lighted, nor the class lights.

 

SF PA,PB both powered DCC 03

There is a fan on top.

SF PA,PB both powered DCC 04

The diaphragms look nice and the silver (stainless steel)  sides look good.

SF PA,PB both powered DCC 05

Trucks looks good and separate handholds.

SF PA,PB both powered DCC 06

No cab detail or lighting.  Paint looks crisp.  Diesel sounds are good: at least for this uneducated diesel person.

For me, I'm disappointed that class lights and number boards don't light and no cab interior.  The BLI E-1's have more 'bells and whistles'.   My first non steam was the Scaletrains UP 8500 turbine museum series and I'm comparing all other diesels to that.  I guess when the price is only 300 bucks for an A/B unit and both powered and DCC, I guess 'bells and whistles' are not in the 'package'.   Overall, a nice set that should pull well.

SF PA,PB both powered DCC 07

This should, about, complete my SF roster;

Four PA's, two E-1's, two 4-8-4 northerns, one 2-10-4 texan and one 2-10-10-2 that I call the baseball bat!

 

SF PA,PB both powered DCC 08SF PA,PB both powered DCC 09

I've managed to paint the 4 steam engines but have a decoder in only one (2-10-4) so far.

'Go figure':  I paid less than $300 for each of the nice brass engines and less than $600 for the 'baseball bat'.

 SF PA,PB both powered DCC 10

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Last edited by samparfitt

NMRA MCR Div 7 monthly meeting in Cincinnati, Ohio layout visits after the meeting.

 

An original Alco's builder's plate for the NP 2-8-2 that Joe got when he was 12 (a few years ago!).

alco builder's plate NP 2-8-2

T-Trak presentation.

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Kit bashing presentation clinic. 

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Cincinati Model RY club's O gauge club.

 

CMR club 2019 01

I ran a 'Great Southern' 2-8-4 that was part of a large layout down in Texas that was in the MR mag, many years ago.

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Also, ran a C&O Allegheny.

 

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Rick's SF layout.

 

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  • alco builder's plate NP 2-8-2
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Last edited by samparfitt

New delivery by another railroader!

A friend brought over his PRR electrics.  Last time he only had one electric and it couldn't handle the 29 car train but, with two, no problem.  These are really nicely detailed: even has chains to the lead/trailing trucks plus sand tubes by each driver.

video:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?...amp;feature=youtu.be

 

GNRR794

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GNRR796

GNRR797

We put the pantograph up for this shot.

 

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Also, up for this shot.

GNRR803

 

GNRR804

He also got a new diesel switcher.

GNRR805

 

GNRR806

We changed the addresses (and reversed 'normal' direction on the back two) on the Alco PA A-B-B-A to 5372 (lead and trailing engine numbers).  Will always be run as a set.

GNRR807

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Last edited by samparfitt

Test run of new Walther's Alco SF PA's.

Videos:

Skykomish:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?...amp;feature=youtu.be

Tumwater Canyon Trestle:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?...amp;feature=youtu.be

Waverly:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?...amp;feature=youtu.be

 

They ran the entire length of the 400' mainline at about 40 smph with sound and engines all operating perfectly. 

42 car train: no problem with all powered!

SF PA,PB both powered DCC 11SF PA,PB both powered DCC 12SF PA,PB both powered DCC 13SF PA,PB both powered DCC 14SF PA,PB both powered DCC 15SF PA,PB both powered DCC 16SF PA,PB both powered DCC 17SF PA,PB both powered DCC 18SF PA,PB both powered DCC 19SF PA,PB both powered DCC 20SF PA,PB both powered DCC 21

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  • SF PA,PB both powered DCC 11
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Last edited by samparfitt

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