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Amtrak AEM-7 #924 is an MTH Premier model (20-5505-1) with PS1 that appeared in the 1999 Volume 2 catalog. It has outstanding detail and, with a BCR, has been trouble-free for almost 20 years on my layouts. As seen in the videos, the engine has many lights, and the three-car train was drawing about 3.5 amps at 12 volts. Having travelled many times between Connecticut and Washington, DC behind AEM-7s at speeds up to 120 miles-per-hour, the model’s horn, bell and sounds seem very realistic to me. I used to sit by a window and keep track of the speed by checking the time between mileposts – about 30 seconds. The ride was never boring. Unfortunately, a model of the successor ACS-64 Cities Sprinter has yet to be made in O gauge. I think it would be a good seller. The AEM-7 is a model that I run at higher-than-usual speeds but, unlike the real thing, not quite 120 scale-miles-per-hour. What’s not so real is the absence of catenary overhead, although MTH did offer just such a system. The passenger cars that go with this locomotive are exceptional. O gauge will lose a nice set of Amtrak models when MTH shuts its doors.

MELGAR

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Last edited by MELGAR

On Nov 13, 1947, a local photographer saw the Friendship Train approaching and was able to get his camera out for some pictures.  He missed the engine, but got some shots of the colorful passenger cars and a few of the boxcars full of food for France and Italy.  The train started out of Los Angeles five days ago and it now has nearly 100 cars.  In Chicago it will split into two trains and will pick up more cars on its way to New York.

The train had five passenger cars carrying VIPs and volunteer workers, many from the teamster union to help load the cars.  However, the photographer was only interested in the red, white, and blue cars.

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The passenger cars are Lionel, just arrived from Charles Ro.  They look great but one is an observation and neither of the two prototype cars were of that type.  The other cars are a mix of Lionel and MTH.

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Great photos everyone!  Here are fun photos for this weekend from the Free State Junction Railway's roving photographer.  Have a wonderful weekend everyone!  Be safe = Be well!

Night switch job.IMG_1937

MOW cabox car.  That's Slim Luckadoo standing on the step. IMG_1632

Action on the rails. IMG_1710

Early morning dairy unloading. IMG_1750

The yard as the sun comes up. IMG_1861

Time for a burger at the Silver Dollar. IMG_2367

The MOW gang. IMG_2484

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Great Stained Glass Windows Scott really makes it look good. Looking forward to great photos from everyone this week!

I am custom painting a MTH F7 AB, these trains ran in the 60's on CP and currently run on the Royal Canadian Pacific train, just starting to decal;

http://www.royalcanadianpacifi...=RCPExpImageOneLarge

http://www.royalcanadianpacific.com/

My granddaughter loves purple, pink and unicorns! Here enjoying running her Unicorn train around the purple flowers with her unicorn clothes, boots, and book.

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Our train club just got in a new custom run of the British Columbia Electric MTH depressed center flat car with transformer load, a very nice model from MTH.  Added it to my train of our other BCE club cars and engine, caboose and some other cars I custom painted in BCE. The 1/43 scale BCE Brill trolley bus was custom resin model produced in Russia. There were 245 of these busses in the real BCE fleet. Out for a run on the garden railway. The grand daughter had fun running it with the LionChief App and LC remote.

https://www.canadiantoytrains.org/canada-club-cars/

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March 29th, 1957, the New York Ontario, after a long and slow decline, gave up the ghost. It was the 1st Class 1 US railroad to be dismantled. As the 20th Century dawned, its failure was inevitable as coal traffic, milk/dairy traffic and passenger traffic evaporated. Even early dieselization (though it saved lots of money) could not stave off the inevitable. Since 2007 (when I received my 1st O&W set), a NYO&W train never leaves the tracks of my railroad in the month of March.....

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Have a great and safe weekend folks!

Peter

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Last edited by Putnam Division
@MELGAR posted:

Amtrak AEM-7 #924 is an MTH Premier model (20-5505-1) with PS1 that appeared in the 1999 Volume 2 catalog. It has outstanding detail and, with a BCR, has been trouble-free for almost 20 years on my layouts. As seen in the videos, the engine has many lights, and the three-car train was drawing about 3.5 amps at 12 volts. Having travelled many times between Connecticut and Washington, DC behind AEM-7s at speeds up to 120 miles-per-hour, the model’s horn, bell and sounds seem very realistic to me. I used to sit by a window and keep track of the speed by checking the time between mileposts – about 30 seconds. The ride was never boring. Unfortunately, a model of the successor ACS-64 Cities Sprinter has yet to be made in O gauge. I think it would be a good seller. The AEM-7 is a model that I run at higher-than-usual speeds but, unlike the real thing, not quite 120 scale-miles-per-hour. What’s not so real is the absence of catenary overhead, although MTH did offer just such a system. The passenger cars that go with this locomotive are exceptional. O gauge will lose a nice set of Amtrak models when MTH shuts its doors.

MELGAR

MELGAR_2021_0227_22_AMTRAK_AEM7_924_12X8



Mel.......great post. I don't think the "Toasters" get the respect they deserve.....they followed a tough act, the venerable GG-1, and lasted over 30 years with a great record of service.

Peter

@coach joe posted:

Mel, the Amtrak looks good on the big layout, the speed is not too fast although I see the lap times mimic your time between mileposts, in the 30 second range.

Joe,

Thanks. The track distance around the O-72 outer loop is 32.14 feet, 1542.8 feet full-scale, 0.292 miles full-scale. The lap time in the video is 22 seconds, so the scale speed is about 70.1 feet-per-second, 47.8 miles-per-hour. I've never run anything faster than 80 scale-miles-per-hour on the layout. 120 scale-miles-per-hour might not stay on the tracks.

MELGAR

March 29th, 1957, the New York Ontario and Western, after a long and slow decline, gave up the ghost. It was the 1st Class 1 US railroad to be dismantled. As the 20th Century dawned, its failure was inevitable as coal traffic, milk/dairy traffic and passenger traffic evaporated. Even early dieselization (though it saved lots of money) could not stave off the inevitable. Since 2007 (when I received my 1st O&W set), a NYO&W train never leaves the tracks of my railroad in the month of March.....


Have a great and safe weekend folks!

Peter

Peter,

I fully understand that sentiment.

My story about the NYO&W goes back to when I was about six or seven years of age. My father and I were standing beside the track in downtown South Fallsburg, New York when an NYO&W F-class diesel stopped right in front of us. We looked up at the engineer. He looked down at us. Before pulling away he gave a good blast on the horn. Scared me pretty well. At that moment, I wasn't so sure that I still liked trains! Years later, my father would sometimes ask if I still remembered it. Can never forget it.

MELGAR

Last edited by MELGAR

Mel.......great post. I don't think the "Toasters" get the respect they deserve.....they followed a tough act, the venerable GG-1, and lasted over 30 years with a great record of service.

Peter

In my experience commuting on Amtrak Regionals the toasters were more reliable in their last few years of service than the newer HHP8s. I havent seen an HHP8 in forever on the NEC.

Happy Friday, we're to a great start today guys & gals and finally, I can put a video up that I shot yesterday at the Lone Star Highrailers Club in Grapevine, TX  on our layout that resides in a 60' baggage car.  I took my MTH PS3 SP GE 44 Ton locomotive, great little runner by the way with some nice sounds too, and 4 Atlas cars plus and MTH Premier SP C-30 caboose with working marker lights.  I apologize if my video techniques aren't the best in the world but they work for me right now anyway.  A short little funny, since I don't get to run my trains very often, (but that's about to change) it took me 15 minutes trying to figure out how to get the the engine to run.  Most of the guys at the club all run conventional or Legacy.  Once I got it figured out, away I went.  I forgot to mention, I found one that I had shot a while back of my new Lionel Legacy SP S-4 switch engine, also a good runner.

Tomorrow, the 6th, we will be having a one day train show, Train-apaloza, and the baggage car will be open and running and there will be over 20 tables with various vendors selling all kinds of train items, if anyone on the groups is in the area, come on down to Grapevine and join in on the fun and oh yes, bring money, you may regret it if you don't.

Have a wonderful weekend.

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These kids are helping to remind me of the approach of spring when I can get the "bike" (with a few more cubes than theirs) out!  Can't wait!

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Also, Rita's Water Ice (aka Frosty Bar) have opened around here as another harbinger of spring.

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And finally, March winds will give way to April showers (depicted below)...

Anyone sense a theme here?!??!!? 

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@MELGAR posted:

Peter,

I fully understand that sentiment.

My story about the NYO&W goes back to when I was about six or seven years of age. My father and I were standing beside the track in downtown South Fallsburg, New York when an NYO&W F-class diesel stopped right in front of us. We looked up at the engineer. He looked down at us. Before pulling away he gave a good blast on the horn. Scared me pretty well. At that moment, I wasn't so sure that I still liked trains! Years later, my father would sometimes ask if I still remembered it. Can never forget it.

MELGAR

Mel........my 1st experience with the O&W was about 1960 vacationing in the Catskills.....we drove passed the old main station in Middletown. As my train hobby advanced and the internet developed, I became interested in milk trains (always loved the Lionel milk car!).  The name of the O&W came up frequently. I had to search out all I could. I joined the NYO&W RR historical society.....and, because of the pandemic and the switch to Zoom meetings, I now attend them!

I have learned lots of fun facts. For example, to save money, when they went to all diesel, neither the FT's nor the F3s had steam heaters. Only the F3's had heater controls. The O&W took 2 of their 2-10-2's tenders and turned then to "heater cars" that look like mini B units. So, only the F3s could pull passenger trains in the winter. In summer, both the FTs and F3s could pull passengers.....because the AC was: "open the window".

Lastly, and this is really neat....Adrian of Chesterfield Hobbies called me on my cell when my F3 set with the passenger cars arrived.....it was March 29, 2007.....50 years to the day of closure.....how's that for a coincidence......

Peter

The ore boat SS Kermit Lesocki has just tied up to the seawall at the  Overbeider Iron and Steel plant and already Mr. Picklepuss of the Port Authority has come aboard  to check the manifest.  The first mate has run out to meet him and escorts him to the Captain's cabin. Meanwhile Cap'n Ron is wondering if he will dread this encounter because he's dealt with Picklepuss before!

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"Chief" has come up from the engine room to get a breath of fresh air.

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Enjoy and have a great weekend.

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