Hit Me With Your Best Shot

The trains don't run here anymore...

Rusty

I've always liked this b&w.  Unfortunately, no trains caught in picture other than tail end of a caboose, just the trestles in background.

Another wonderfully interesting thread idea Arnold!   I can't say that this is my "best shot" but it is a favorite shot of my postwar Lionel locomotives and Lionel aircraft beacon capturing  the 3 decades of the postwar era ....  and incorporates the Bollman bridge and Mt. Randolph ( Named after my good friend and fellow forumite Randy Harrison who helped with building my layout. ) as a backdrop.  In addition to the Lionel Trains dimension, this photo captures a realistic postwar flavor of the co-existence of both steam and diesel locomotives, armed forces personnel on the platform waiting for a train to perhaps go home or travel to another military assignment, and milk cans waiting to be picked up by a milk train.  

My post-war Exposition Flyer pulling down the station. Models by 3rd rail, Protocraft, Oriental Limited  and PSC.

Great best shots, Patrick and SantiagoP23!

Keep it up folks: hit me with your best shot, fire a-w-a-y!

By the way, you can access the song on YouTube.

LOL, Arnold

Not sure I have many "Best Shots" but have a video I like a lot. Shows my N&W "A" along side my Big Boy . Layout still under constructio

Good one Rick. Videos definitely qualify as best shots.

Here is a video of mine that I made today that is my best shot at the moment:

So, now it your turn to post a photo or video, and sing the chorus with me: Hit me with you best shot, why don't you hit me with your best shot, hit me with your best shot, fire a-wa-ay!

LOL, Arnold

My best shot, and yours, can change from moment to moment, depending on one's mood.

See what's happening downtown at the train station:

Notice the big blue man at the Dispatch Board in the upper right corner keeping his eye on everyone.

My best one is over 20 years old.....

My son, Charles, circa summer 1999.....and the OGR magazine ad that followed.....

Peter

These are my best shots of the layout I’m currently working on. I’m enjoying the great photos from you all.

This one is one of my "best"

Bob

Replication of 765's run with NKP 8100 NS heritage unit.

Ron

Here is my best shot of the first locomotive that I rewheeled.  Circa 1927, Lionel 251E that I recently rewired and installed new wheels, with matching cars that are rubber stamped New York Central Lines.  I actually got the wheels on correctly and it does not wobble down the track!  LOL  This is previously posted in another section of the forum.  😎

@Arnold D. Cribari posted:

Good one Rick. Videos definitely qualify as best shots.

Here is a video of mine that I made today that is my best shot at the moment:

So, now it your turn to post a photo or video, and sing the chorus with me: Hit me with you best shot, why don't you hit me with your best shot, hit me with your best shot, fire a-wa-ay!

LOL, Arnold

Whoa.  Is that a sandlot and a stadium on your layout!?

@Putnam Division posted:

My best one is over 20 years old.....

My son, Charles, circa summer 1999.....and the OGR magazine ad that followed.....

Peter

Very special, Peter.

@Keith Crook 020419 posted:

These are my best shots of the layout I’m currently working on. I’m enjoying the great photos from you all.

Terrific snowy scenic effects, Keith.

@RSJB18 posted:

This one is one of my "best"

Bob

Very nice, Bob, this is an example of how less can be more.

@NeophyteMRR posted:

Whoa.  Is that a sandlot and a stadium on your layout!?

Yes, the first stadium in the video is the Polo Grounds, and the 2nd stadium is Yankee Stadium, both in the mid-1950s.

I love baseball, so I have 2 ball parks on my layout. Arnold

@Putnam Division posted:

My best one is over 20 years old.....

Great picture, Peter.  I wonder how much it would cost for you to commission Angela Trotta Thomas to paint a copy of this photo for you and/or your son?  It would look great in your new train room!

On this bitterly cold day in Beantown, one can only hope for warmer weather ..........

@PRRronbh - nice shot!  any recollection of who makes that white barn and where you may have gotten it?

"Replication of 765's run with NKP 8100 NS heritage unit."

Pastoral bliss

Nice peaceful area @Arnold D. Cribari, it reminds me of the Pudding Pond section of the Conway Scenic railroad. Also, your Yankee stadium is cool.

What a nice shot @Rich Montague. Did you photoshop the background or is that the backdrop of your layout? Great lighting as well!

Keith, you might like this one. Here, I climbed the stadium wall to watch the game through a barred window:

Arnold

I'm not by any means a talented photographer but sure got lucky with this shot. It's definitely one of my favorites!

This is one of my favorite areas to photograph.

Tom

I love your brick tunnel portal and the colors and look of your water tower, John, and I think Tom's black and white photo is very effective.

This video shows one of my favorite combinations to run: LC+ Jersey Central Pacific steamer and Lionel Postwar 2400 series passenger cars with names of NJ cities and towns:

Love the natural morning light and smoke. Arnold

My best shot was taking from the other side of the layout while laying some ground work. Looking at things from a new direction gives me a different perspective. Time to run the trains!

@Arnold D. Cribari, that is a nice shot too. The point of view makes it look almost real.

@Brad Trout posted:

@PRRronbh - nice shot!  any recollection of who makes that white barn and where you may have gotten it?

"Replication of 765's run with NKP 8100 NS heritage unit."

Hi Brad,  Off hand cannot recall the maker.  But will try to find out next time I am at the store.  This layout is the one that the O-Gauge specialist and I rebuilt around 2005.  But this barn was added just a few years ago.  As I recall there was the white one and a red one. And they were packaged in large clear plastic "bubble" packages.  

It will be probably a week or two before I get back to the shop.

Ron

Thank you, Ron!  No rush.  I made my own barn, but I really like that one.  It may be too big for my spot, though, but I could possibly cut it down, depending upon it's construction and materials.

It's an Ertl Dairy Barn set, #12279.

Thank you, John!  Very nice!

One of my favorite pig shots

Tom

Jon

This is an old photo.  The real 564 had steam generator equipment which has subsequently been added this year.  Fireman Dee Smith is still watchful for pretty girls on the left hand side as switching duties are performed.

@Rob Leese posted:

This is an old photo.  The real 564 had steam generator equipment which has subsequently been added this year.  Fireman Dee Smith is still watchful for pretty girls on the left hand side as switching duties are performed.

So, which do you prefer, Robert, the pretty girl or the locomotive? LOL, Arnold

Wow, there are some stunning best shots that have been posted here.

The brakeman.

@trumptrain posted:

The brakeman.

Patrick, I know everything in your above photo is a model, but at 1st glance, everything looks so real, especially the brakeman.

MTH PRR M-1b

"Here he comes to save the day."

My Mighty Mouse: MTH Premier Proto 3 NY, Ontario & Western 44 Ton Center Cab Diesel hauling freight past the Yorktown Heights Station along The Put:

With 2 motors, this tiny 44 tonner can pull long heavy consists with ease. Arnold

@KOOLjock1 posted:

Jon

Like the sedan cruiser at anchor and the water looks amazing.

Good evening everyone! I saw this thread start about a few weeks ago and figured I oughta give it a go. Hope y’all enjoy and happy railroading!

Photo 1: The Big Three of the West

Photo 2: The Old Meets the New

Photo of a D&H PA 1 on the FSJR mainline.  One of the most attractive diesel liveries there is IMHO.  

Truck dock of the REA transfer building.  John

@Jeffery Boat posted:

Like the sedan cruiser at anchor and the water looks amazing.

Thanks!  It's an H.O. kit, but the paint scheme inspired by my Dad's boat (now my brothers boat!)

Jon

Morning milk run:

That's a NY Ontario and Western MTH Proto 3 GE 44 Ton Center Cab Diesel. Arnold

Arnold,

I like your two new switchers, NYO&W 44-tonner and BEDT 0-6-0T #15.

MELGAR

Memories of the the Eagles fans going to the Super Bowl.

@KOOLjock1 posted:

Thanks!  It's an H.O. kit, but the paint scheme inspired by my Dad's boat (now my brothers boat!)

Jon

Awesome boat! Is that a Wheeler?

Wow, this is another great thread, Arnold, you are great at asking Questions, good job. There’s to many wonderful pictures posted to mention all the names, but it’s a fantastic journey. Happy Super Bowl Weekend, and Happy Railroading Everyone

The Super Chief makes a station stop in Terryville on its way to Union Station Christopolis.

@leapinlarry posted:

@leapinlarry

Larry:

I love photos of your layout! There is always so much see. I have one question and one comment. In the first photo, what did you use for the stone wall in the photo's foreground behind mile post 28? Also, I now know, when looking at your layout photos, to take in the minutia. In the second photo, the name of your news stand is priceless! Bravo!

This is probably my all time favorite

Kooljock, what wonderful NY lake is that beauty floating on?

Rural railroading during the early morning hours.

@leapinlarry posted:

Wow, this is another great thread, Arnold, you are great at asking Questions, good job. There’s to many wonderful pictures posted to mention all the names, but it’s a fantastic journey. Happy Super Bowl Weekend, and Happy Railroading Everyone

Wonderful photos, Larry, particularly the one with the Animated Newsstand, also on my layout.

Browsing through my 1500+ train photos and 1700+ train videos on my smartphone, I found this one, which I particularly like:

That's a Lionel Boston and Albany Hudson made in the mid to late 1980s that I bought from a LHS in the early 1990s.

It has a terrific realistic horn and sounds, and a good traditional smoke unit that uses liquid smoke. Boston & Albany is one of my favorite RRs.

Arnold

Lost the photo, here it is:

Although posted on other threads in the past, I consider this shot to be one of my "best shots."  " "Yard floodlights enable the night shift unloading crew to work full tilt boogie"

@Patrick H posted:

Patrick H - Incredibly breath taking shots!!!   Amazing detail in each shot!!  

@Jeffery Boat posted:

Awesome boat! Is that a Wheeler?

It's a 1929 Matthews 38'.  They were built in Port Clinton, Ohio.  A previous owner extended the deck-house, and my dad added the flying bridge in the 60's.  Bogie has one in "To Have  And Have Not".

The picture is in Amityville on Great South Bay.

Jon

Working on the railroad in Columbia, MD... My son took this with a new wide angle feature on his iPhone. Kinda cool...

@TrainFinder Craig posted:

Working on the railroad in Columbia, MD... My son took this with a new wide angle feature on his iPhone. Kinda cool...

Is this MTH's display layout from their early days, or is it a very good replica? If it is the display layout, I am guessing you and your son are getting the layout ready to move it to its new home?

@Trainmaster04 posted:

Is this MTH's display layout from their early days, or is it a very good replica? If it is the display layout, I am guessing you and your son are getting the layout ready to move it to its new home?

This is the original MTH Showroom Layout from the factory. Yes, my son and I were out there getting it ready to move. Took 4 trips from Ohio to finally get it moved to its new home.

You can see a video of how it looked on my first trip out to Columbia here...

MTH Factory Showroom Layout Video

@TrainFinder Craig posted:

This is the original MTH Showroom Layout from the factory. Yes, my son and I were out there getting it ready to move. Took 4 trips from Ohio to finally get it moved to its new home.

You can see a video of how it looked on my first trip out to Columbia here...

MTH Factory Showroom Layout Video

Thanks for answering my questions! It is nice to see a father and son working together in the hobby. Also, it is nice to see this layout will continue to live on. Thanks again and happy railroading!

How is the MTH layout coming? I been waiting to hear or seem a post and pictures. I know you got it home but waiting to hear.

@trumptrain posted:

Although posted on other threads in the past, I consider this shot to be one of my "best shots."  " "Yard floodlights enable the night shift unloading crew to work full tilt boogie"

Outstanding photo, Patrick.

Patrick, your basic scenery style is similar to mine, which I call the down and dirty style. I like it because my experience with real railroads is that they are also down and dirty, oftentimes with litter strewn about the right of way..

I will post a photo later showing my down and dirty layout.

Another basic style is clean and neat, which can be very attractive, even beautiful. Nothing wrong with that. Sometimes when I see a clean and neat layout, I like it so much I think of adopting that approach with my own layout. Arnold

@DohertyNJ posted:

Love the black and white photo of the baseball field.

@CurtisH posted:

How is the MTH layout coming? I been waiting to hear or seem a post and pictures. I know you got it home but waiting to hear.

Just staring to reconstruct it. I will post some more pictures and another video on my original thread about it in the next few days. I have several hours of raw video and thousands of pictures to review and condense. Thanks for asking!

Here is a down and dirty scene from my layout:

You can strive for beauty with down and dirty scenery:

Hey Mack, I don't have all day, I've got work to do, will you please fill her up:

Arnold

Christmas

The transfer caboose ... crew confers with the conductor.

@trumptrain posted:

The transfer caboose ... crew confers with the conductor.

Now that is one great looking caboose. It exemplifies the beauty that can be seen in a down and dirty train car.

@trumptrain posted:

The transfer caboose ... crew confers with the conductor.

Having railroad ties and other debris strewn about along or near the right of way can help create the down and dirty look, which comes naturally to me. LOL.

Arnold

I'm perhaps giving away the fact that I'm a native Californian with my preference in railroads shown in this photo. I'm perhaps giving away my age as well as I can recall seeing all of these locomotives in service. The Plasticville radio station in the background only plays the classics.

@Arnold D. Cribari posted:

Having railroad ties and other debris strewn about along or near the right of way can help create the down and dirty look, which comes naturally to me. LOL.

Arnold

Arnold - The "down and dirty look" comes easy to me as well.  LOL!!  As a kid I always seemed to notice the debris strewn along side railroad tracks.  Somehow I was alway fascinated by it and felt I needed to model that sort of thing on my railroad.   I guess one could say you and I are members of the " Down and Dirty Brotherhood"  LOL!!

@trumptrain posted:

Arnold - The "down and dirty look" comes easy to me as well.  LOL!!  As a kid I always seemed to notice the debris strewn along side railroad tracks.  Somehow I was alway fascinated by it and felt I needed to model that sort of thing on my railroad.   I guess one could say you and I are members of the " Down and Dirty Brotherhood"  LOL!!  

@Arnold D. Cribari posted:

Now that is one great looking caboose. It exemplifies the beauty that can be seen in a down and dirty train car.

Thanks Arnold!!  Yes I needed a transfer caboose for my fleet.  E-bay came through for me with this Lionel model at a very nice price.   Upon receiving the caboose I got busy weathering the car to give it that well used, out in elements for years, dirty, look.  

A cold night in the Cascade Mountains but the crew is nice and warm in their big electric motors. Click photo to enlarge. Don

@trumptrain posted:

Arnold - The "down and dirty look" comes easy to me as well.  LOL!!  As a kid I always seemed to notice the debris strewn along side railroad tracks.  Somehow I was alway fascinated by it and felt I needed to model that sort of thing on my railroad.   I guess one could say you and I are members of the " Down and Dirty Brotherhood"  LOL!!

If you like the down and dirty look you might consider searching Google and YouTube for George Sellios' Franklin and South Manchester Railroad.  I have had the good fortune to visit George and his layout. 

Regards,

Lou N

@Brad Trout posted:

@PRRronbh - nice shot!  any recollection of who makes that white barn and where you may have gotten it?

It's an Ertl 1/64 barn, you can find them all over Ebay and Amazon

.

Jerry

@baltimoretrainworks posted:

It's an Ertl 1/64 barn, you can find them all over Ebay and Amazon

.

Jerry

This is an O-Scale building.

I am still trying to find out the maker!  Also this model has no silo like I believe the Earth does.

Ron

@PRRronbh posted:

This is an O-Scale building.

I am still trying to find out the maker!  Also this model has no silo like I believe the Earth does.

Ron

No it is an Ertl Dairy Farm toy, they are 1/64 and the silo can be separated from the barn if needed.

Here is an old post on the barn  :

https://ogrforum.ogaugerr.com/...rm-county-on-o-gauge

And they can still be found.

https://www.3000toys.com/ERTL-...ver-65/sku/ertl12279

Jerry

@Brad Trout posted:

@PRRronbh - nice shot!  any recollection of who makes that white barn and where you may have gotten it?

"Replication of 765's run with NKP 8100 NS heritage unit."

Brad, I have the definitive answer.  Stopped by the "Choo-Choo Shop" yesterday.  The fellow that does most of the ordering was there.  He first thought it is the Ertl "Farm County" set.  Told him I checked that and that set's barn has a large silo.  So he got on the computer checked and decided it is Ertl's 1/64 Dairy Farm Set.  "Baltimoretrainwoks" posted a picture of that set above.  I am surprised that it is 1/64 (S-guagr/scale) looks bigger and was the largest building ever n the layout.

Another view of the layout.

Sure looks big!

Ron

C16 Docksider.  Photo taken in natural light.

Lou N, you are so correct, The Franklin and South Manchester model railroad, built by George Sellios, built in HO gauge, was one of the very best Realistic model railroads ever built. I think, “Green Frog Productions” made two super nice videos of this masterpiece. I have the 8 track videos and actually had them re-made into CD’s. Yes, they are an education in scenery making. Down right real, down right dirty, so to speak. Trumptrain, I love that rusty hunky Dockside switcher in the neat night scene. Scale Rail, I love that electric locomotive crossing the trestle, so realistic. Happy Railroading Everyone

Fishing

Took this recently. Gotta make time to get this on the layout.

Family going on vacation.  Circa early 1950s.

@trumptrain posted:

Family going on vacation.  Circa early 1950s.

Gorgeous, Patrick. I love the style and colors of the car/wagon, trailor, house in background and scenery.

Who made the station wagon and trailor?

Don't feed the deer!

Different angles:

Arnold

@RSJB18 posted:

Took this recently. Gotta make time to get this on the layout.

I have enjoyed seeing the evolution of this scene.  It looks like a movie still!  Great work!

Thanks- It just needs Bonnie and Clyde with their Tommy guns!

Finished adding drift timbers on my trestle

Arnold, your different angles video is just fantastic!

Thanks for posting.
always full of inspiration!

Leroof, I had to crawl up on top of my washing machine to take that shot, and take this one too, through the Erector Set Bridge you put together and gave me. It is one of my favorite things on my layout.

I think Erector Set Bridges look pretty realistic. Arnold

@Arnold D. Cribari posted:

Leroof, I had to crawl up on top of my washing machine to take that shot, and take this one too, through the Erector Set Bridge you put together and gave me. It is one of my favorite things on my layout.

I think Erector Set Bridges look pretty realistic. Arnold

Agreed! And Arnold, we appreciate the High Risk you took to get the perfect shot. Leroof, I get vertigo from the sheer height of that trestle over Dry Gultch.. When I come to help clear a few random rocks I hope that you put me with the crew on the GROUND. Fun shots gents, (Hmmmm, Where IS that erector set, Arnold you mave have just solved my Bridge issues....) Salute

@Miggy posted:

Agreed! And Arnold, we appreciate the High Risk you took to get the perfect shot. Leroof, I get vertigo from the sheer height of that trestle over Dry Gultch.. When I come to help clear a few random rocks I hope that you put me with the crew on the GROUND. Fun shots gents, (Hmmmm, Where IS that erector set, Arnold you mave have just solved my Bridge issues....) Salute

Frank, Leroof is The Man, when it comes to Erector Set Bridges.

@Arnold D. Cribari posted:

Different angles:

Arnold

Wow... another Arnold classic!  More fun!

Let me try a different angle as well.  I have wired the block signal to the venerable 022 switch.

Railroad activity during the late afternoon.  Photo using late afternoon natural light which wafts thru the west side window of my train room.

An Ives 1134 coming from behind the Ives factory.

Steve

Another late night.

Hobos living the dream.

Pure power and Beauty!

Music for the Christmas Eve midnight mass at the church of St. Whatshisface. The chamber orchestra is joined by a guest artist from the nearby zoo on tuba.

"And here's to you, New York, New York:"

Frank loved O Gauge trains as much as we do.

Arnold

@Arnold D. Cribari posted:

"And here's to you, New York, New York:"

Frank loved O Gauge trains as much as we do.

Arnold

I love your baseball stadiums, Arnold......great work!

Peter

MTH PS3 Long Island B6 steam switcher passing by the dairy farm in Northern Westchester County and thru My Little Town along The Put:

Arnold

Regards,

A siding at night.

Sunny days in the south.

Two luxury express trains leaving Union Station Christopolis en route to their respective east and west destinations

Here are 2 scenes from our 2012 store layout at Richardson Farms in White Marsh, Maryland. The first is the Disney Park scene

The second is a triumphal return from a successful fishing trip on the lake.

@Randy Harrison posted:

Here are 2 scenes from our 2012 store layout at Richardson Farms in White Marsh, Maryland. The first is the Disney Park scene

The second is a triumphal return from a successful fishing trip on the lake.

Gorgeous, Randy. I particularly like the delightful water scene. Arnold

@Arnold D. Cribari

Arnold:

Thanks for the complement. The photo of the lake is the best one for showing off the water feature.

It's not "Goldilocks and the three bears" it's "The Berkshire and the two bears"

Keep those trains running!

Don and Juan in their natural business habitat ... on the other side of the tracks.