Donald:
Thanks for the quick reply. I love the station, but it is probably WAY too large for the real estate that I have available on my layout. Also, I really like the bits of your layout that I have seen in your posts. Do you have a YouTube channel? I would really like to see more of. If you do have such a YouTube location, can you post a link to it?
Thank you.
@Randy Harrison posted:Donald:
Thanks for the quick reply. I love the station, but it is probably WAY too large for the real estate that I have available on my layout. Also, I really like the bits of your layout that I have seen in your posts. Do you have a YouTube channel? I would really like to see more of. If you do have such a YouTube location, can you post a link to it?
Thank you.
Hello Randy.
Here is the link:
Here is a link to my YouTube channel: https://www.youtube.com/c/DonaldKeiser1981
If you have any problems, just let me know. Thanks.
Donald
Well Donald,
Once again, an outstanding production. You are so very capable and detailed producing first-class videos; excuse me if its rude but how much time do you spend creating these movies?
At the 7:07 mark a couple of EMDs come crawling into the scene, that was the highlight for me. Sometime in the future I would love to see you do a "Point of View" of an arriving passenger train were the view (camera) is that of a passenger on a platform watching the train approach. Then if you can figure out how to make my couch shake and infuse diesel smoke into my library, I will be in 1958 heaven again.
All your work on YouTube is very well done I would highly recommend to all.
Thank you again for your well received work.
kevin
Well, it's December and the freight train has been taken off the layout to make room for two passenger trains. After the Santa Fe Super Chief passes by, it's the Polar Express!!
@Yellowstone Special posted:Well, it's December and the freight train has been taken off the layout to make room for two passenger trains. After the Santa Fe Super Chief passes by, it's the Polar Express!!
Vern, we must be on the same wavelength, I too got out and setup "The Polar Express"! The Xmas tree is up on the table and glowing away, while the Polar Express cruises through Paradise.
Anybody have, or remember this box? I bought my Polar Express in 2008.
Okay, so I've done a few upgrades to my set, including 3 added passenger cars and a Candy Cane flat car with candy canes and the Polar Express bell. Plus, I upgraded my #1225 Berkshire to the LionChief Plus 2.0 from the 2019 catalog. I also updated the fire on the roof of the hobo passenger car.
Here's a video of this year's Xmas layout with Polar Express.
Wow, Scott! Your certainly HAVE upgraded your Polar Express and that Christmas tree is amazing! A very nice Christmas layout you have there. 👍
@Fast Mail posted:Well Donald,
Once again, an outstanding production. You are so very capable and detailed producing first-class videos; excuse me if its rude but how much time do you spend creating these movies?
At the 7:07 mark a couple of EMDs come crawling into the scene, that was the highlight for me. Sometime in the future I would love to see you do a "Point of View" of an arriving passenger train were the view (camera) is that of a passenger on a platform watching the train approach. Then if you can figure out how to make my couch shake and infuse diesel smoke into my library, I will be in 1958 heaven again.
All your work on YouTube is very well done I would highly recommend to all.
Thank you again for your well received work.
kevin
Hello Kevin. Thanks for all the kind words. They are much appreciated. Your question concerning production time is fair.
I try to keep the total video to under 10 minutes. Anything longer and the viewer loses interest. I feel 7 or 8 minutes is the ideal length But it is tough to cram everything into that time limit.
I spend 6 to 8 hours setting up all the shots for the video portion. I usually shoot 11 or 12 clips multiple times. Then another 2 or 3 hours taking the still shots. Finally, an hour or two doing some internet research.
All the data then gets imported into my post processing software. I tie all the clips together deleting scenes as I go to keep it all cohesive. Then I add some music, the stills and a little information at the beginning. This takes around 5 or 6 hours.
Long answer to answer a simple question…16 to 20 hours.
I will work on your special requests and see what I can do!
Donald
@3rail it is amazing the time it takes to pull together a short video. Really nice work! You even worked a little hard rock into the mix at the end.
I took some footage of my layout prior to taking it down and none of the video was of decent enough quality to use and I was out of time. So I'll have to do stills.
Donald,
I had a feeling a lot of work went into making such smooth and professional productions. Thank you for detailing the effort. I am sure these videos will be around for a long time and so they will continue to entertain all who watch for well into the future.
You should be very proud of what you add to this hobby. I will look forward to your coming contributions.
kevin
@Joe Rampolla posted:Hi @Dallas Joseph, Thanks! The operation is automatic and I use High Frequency AC to keep the headlights illuminated when the DC to the HO rails is cut by a relay and reed switch circuit. However, if I were to do it again, I would use modified slot cars.OGR published my diecast SUV "how-to" project article in run 172, back in April of 2000.
Take care, Joe.
Thanks for sharing Joe.
Still a cool operation to watch. 
Wow. Back to running trains again. Here's a couple different trains on different levels .
I'm bursting at the seems excited about the passenger train I recently acquired notwithstanding the fact that I can't even run it on my layout.
Moreover, when I bought it about 10 days ago, I knew full well that I could not run it on my layout.
If you think I'm completely bonkers, I totally understand.
Well, truth is I've always been a little crazy (I think being a little crazy is how we can fully enjoy life), but I am not completely out of my mind.
So, enough talk for now. Hopefully, I've piqued your interest so let's proceed with the unveiling.
Gentlemen, and maybe also a lady or two, let's me introduce to you the best set of passenger trains I have ever had, and will ever have, the City of New Orleans:
Specifically, this set includes the MTH PS3 Illinois Central powered A unit, non-powered B unit and powered A unit (each A unit has 2 motors), and 5 custom painted 70 foot MTH Illinois Central passenger cars:
Later on I will post photos of the passenger cars and comment further about these trains. Arnold
A New York Ontario and Western F-3 set heads a string of O&W Mountaineer Passenger equipment on its way to New Haven on my New Haven/NYO&W layout. The O&W was always cash strapped and the famed Industrial Designer Otto Kuhler designed modifications to some existing equipment to get the O&W some streamlined equipment. The actual Mountaineer had a streamlined Mountain type steam locomotive as head end power in the day. The F-3's are MTH custom run units from JR Junction Hobby Shop in Syracuse.
Well, the Polar Express has been put away for the season and now the Santa Fe Super Chief is back up and running in its place. It will be the featured passenger train until the beginning of the summer season in June. That's when Union Pacific's Yellowstone Special will displace the Super Chief. But for now, it's Santa Fe aluminum for the next 5 months. 
@Arnold D. Cribari, that is a beautiful train; even if you can't run it on your layout, it will look great on a shelf somewhere in your home or office. You could also take it to NJHR and run it there.
John
@Arnold D. Cribari : I too, have always liked IC’s City of New Orleans and am reminded of Arlo Guthrie’s hit song whenever I see the train. Your new acquisition certainly is a beautiful train.
But I have only tight curves on my layout, which are all Fastrack 036. So I’d have to consider Lionel’s IC F3s, with the 15” passenger cars, if I were to ever acquire this train. 😉
OK I am going to be a bit unusual today for this post and use some of my non-US trains.
First here is a French Hornby (electric) No 1 loco from the late 40's pulling a consist of Hornby LMS coaches from the 1950's/
Here is a Dressler (Germany) clockwork loco from the 1950's pulling a short consist of HWN (Heinrich Weimer Nuremburg) coaches from about the same time period.
Best Wishes
Don
Great set, Arnold, I love that color scheme.
Not long ago I painted a caboose in matching colors (to match my PostWar Lionel Illinois Central F3's).
Getting back to passenger cars, even though I did not have any as a yout, I love them now. See: I Like Passenger Cars! (warrenvillerailroad.com)
My Weaver Reading Crusader, it was upgraded to TMCC and fan driven smoke, and LED lighting installed in the cars. Currently the cars are receiving full interiors, so there'll be another video soon.
Cheers,
-Mike
@Mike Casatelli I think I may have mentioned it before, but I love your wall of New York Central.
The Super Chief makes a stop at the Great Northeastern Railway's suburban station, Terryville.
The Broadway Limited travels through the countryside on the Crescent Model Railroader's modular layout at the Great Scale Model Train Show in Timonium, Maryland.
B&O E A-B passenger train:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4unM9iAn0z8
GN S-2 4-8-4 passenger train:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OIaJ8Vwb4uo
NYC Niagara 4-8-4 passenger train:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3X1kRrgN-VA
@gunrunnerjohn posted:My Weaver Reading Crusader, it was upgraded to TMCC and fan driven smoke, and LED lighting installed in the cars. Currently the cars are receiving full interiors, so there'll be another video soon.
Nice consist @gunrunnerjohn. When you did the upgrade; which kit did you use….MTH or ERR? I’m asking ‘cause I really like the whistle sound!
UP 2-tone gray challenger 4-6-6-4 passenger train:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=03Q-0md1K7U
PRR S-1 6-4-4-6 passenger train:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FS2Neu12ReY&t=5s
@Junior posted:Nice consist @gunrunnerjohn. When you did the upgrade; which kit did you use….MTH or ERR? I’m asking ‘cause I really like the whistle sound!
That's the ERR Medium Steam sound board. I didn't take pictures when I was doing this upgrade, but it got the works, fan driven smoke, Super-Chuffer, ground lights, etc.
@gunrunnerjohn posted:That's the ERR Medium Steam sound board. I didn't take pictures when I was doing this upgrade, but it got the works, fan driven smoke, Super-Chuffer, ground lights, etc.
Nice! I asked because I got my Commodore back from Pat with a brand new can motor and I’ve been trying to make up my mind….should I go with a MTH kit or ERR.
I've done both before but for some reason I just don’t wanna mess with MTH and loading the sound files etc.
So…you helped me make up my mind….ERR it is. And I seem to recall several previous threads regarding fitting in the MTH smoke unit and Super-Chuffer….so a searching we will go to pull all the notes together.
Should be a fun project happening very soon.
Well, the MTH upgrade for steam has an edge in price, the $200 kit is all-in-one for a full upgrade. The ERR stuff has gone up in price to almost $300 for the Cruise Commander and RailSounds Commander, and of course for truly full function of smoke, etc. you have to add some additional bits for another $100.
You can use most any fan driven smoke unit, I believe the Commodore is pretty roomy inside so it's not a difficult fit.
@Arnold D. Cribari posted:I'm bursting at the seems excited about the passenger train I recently acquired notwithstanding the fact that I can't even run it on my layout.
Gentlemen, and maybe also a lady or two, let's me introduce to you the best set of passenger trains I have ever had, and will ever have, the City of New Orleans:
Arnold
Arnold,
Congratulations! The engines are beautiful. I'm glad that you found them.
MELGAR
@BlueComet400 posted:@Arnold D. Cribari, that is a beautiful train; even if you can't run it on your layout, it will look great on a shelf somewhere in your home or office. You could also take it to NJHR and run it there.
John
Not only is it going to be run at the NJ HiRailers, in addition, Ben and/or you, John, and/or other wonderful NJ HiRailer members are going to run it there while I sing the City of New Orleans train song.
I've already discussed this with Ben, and I plan to have this City of New Orleans performance happen at the next NJ HiRailers train show open to the public on Sunday, February 18th.
For those Forumites who want to see this happen, just come to the Feb. 18th NJ HiRailers train show. The more the merrier!
Arnold
K-Line CNW 400 21 inch set. I do miss K-Line
Lionel EMD F3 Santa Fe Red Bonnet ABAA pulling The Chief, Lionel 13” with added passengers. Ignore the Santa Fe Yellow Bonnet pulling freight! 
@Randy Harrison posted:Your Union Station in the latter part of your video is spectacular. Is that scratch-built.
Hello Randy. No, it was purchased from TWTrain Worx 6 years ago. They make a number of iconic passenger stations.
Don
I recently completed my Nickel Plate passenger consist. It’s made up of cars by MTH, but includes two different variations. I’ve ‘populated’ a few and intend to do the same with the remaining cars. Here’s a short clip of my 765 Berkshire by MTH leaving the station.
@WesternPacific2217 posted:. . . Ignore the Santa Fe Yellow Bonnet pulling freight!
Yeah right, Scott. 😉 “Santa Fe, all the way!” Love it! 👍
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