What Trains Are You Excited About Running?

Arnold

If your K line A and B units have two dc motors each perhaps you can hook them up in series and slow them down.

Charlie

My train I am most excited about is a coal drag up the Black Fork grade on my to be Blackwater Canyon Line.  It will be headed by my MTH Western Maryland H9 Consolidation, 55-ton two-Bay hoppers and a Northeastern caboose.  The prototype would run about one engine for every 10 loaded cars up the 3 percent grade.  On my short layout, a second H9 or other engine will be about all I will have room for.

I am most exited to run a new to me new loco purchase or a car or loco I fixed or modified.

Cheap Lionel dc loco I converted to ac and painted up to be the Texan from a year or so is still getting several runs.

Vanderbilt Tender I made from junker tender and mailing tube in March 2019 is getting lots of runs.

Charlie

Choo Choo Charlie posted:

Arnold

If your K line A and B units have two dc motors each perhaps you can hook them up in series and slow them down.

Charlie

Thanks, Charlie, for that idea.

By the way, the reasons for being excited about a particular locomotive, train car, accessory, etc., would be interesting to share.

For instance, running the K Line B&O units was exciting for me because I've had them for 2 or 3 years, only ran them a few times before, had not run them for at least 2 years, so it was like running a brand new train. Also, as mentioned before, I love the look of it and the Baltimore & Ohio. I even like the sound of the words "Baltimore and Ohio." Isn't that amazing coming from a diehard Yankee fan?

LOL, Arnold

I take a lot of enjoyment from making up and running secondary route Santa Fe passenger consists of not more than six cars with mixed equipment and plenty of head-end business.  For power I use a single E8m or PA1 or Erie-Built A unit, or sometimes an A-B Alco or F-M engine consist.  I have an A-B-B 300 Class F7 that sometimes shows up on our humble little train, and I sometimes cut it back to an A-B consist, with the other B-unit conspicuously next to the maintenance platform in the servicing facility.  Large 4-6-4 3463 makes an appearance sometimes, but 4-8-4 2925 seldom pulls this train.  I use it more often on the secondary transcon trains, which are longer.  If it's the Amarillo to Lubbock tumbleweed chaser, an Alco-GE RSD4 or EMD GP7 pinch hits when the E8m is in for monthly inspection.  Another favorite to run on the main line is a string of REX express reefers with 3 diesels or the 4-8-4.  Summertime is strawberry time!

On the freight side, I like to couple A-B-B FT's to a string of SFRD reefers, and also run the SP local behind a Baldwin AS-616 (the only foreign line engine and caboose on the railroad).  The ATSF local uses a pair of GP7's, RSD4's, or F-M H16-44's and does a little switching en route.

For me, it's not so much enjoying watching the train pass from the sidelines.  It's mostly letting my imagination take me back in time, at trackside or aboard the engine.  I run my model locomotives, manually controlling the engine RPM's on the diesels, and using the Legacy features to simulate working or drifting the 2-8-2.  Every train is different, like real trains are.  So I always pay attention to where I should increase or decrease throttle (and sounds) and plan ahead in making stops so that they are prototypically smooth and gentle, with the locomotive, or the baggage car, or a particular passenger car stopped on the correct spot.

Number 90 posted:

I take a lot of enjoyment from making up and running secondary route Santa Fe passenger consists of not more than six cars with mixed equipment and plenty of head-end business.  For power I use a single E8m or PA1 or Erie-Built A unit, or sometimes an A-B Alco or F-M engine consist.  I have an A-B-B 300 Class F7 that sometimes shows up on our humble little train, and I sometimes cut it back to an A-B consist, with the other B-unit conspicuously next to the maintenance platform in the servicing facility.  Large 4-6-4 3463 makes an appearance sometimes, but 4-8-4 2925 seldom pulls this train.  I use it more often on the secondary transcon trains, which are longer.  If it's the Amarillo to Lubbock tumbleweed chaser, an Alco-GE RSD4 or EMD GP7 pinch hits when the E8m is in for monthly inspection.  Another favorite to run on the main line is a string of REX express reefers with 3 diesels or the 4-8-4.  Summertime is strawberry time!

On the freight side, I like to couple A-B-B FT's to a string of SFRD reefers, and also run the SP local behind a Baldwin AS-616 (the only foreign line engine and caboose on the railroad).  The ATSF local uses a pair of GP7's, RSD4's, or F-M H16-44's and does a little switching en route.

For me, it's not so much enjoying watching the train pass from the sidelines.  It's mostly letting my imagination take me back in time, at trackside or aboard the engine.  I run my model locomotives, manually controlling the engine RPM's on the diesels, and using the Legacy features to simulate working or drifting the 2-8-2.  Every train is different, like real trains are.  So I always pay attention to where I should increase or decrease throttle (and sounds) and plan ahead in making stops so that they are prototypically smooth and gentle, with the locomotive, or the baggage car, or a particular passenger car stopped on the correct spot.

Tom, the passengers and freight on your model railroad are in good hands. Arnold

Mark Boyce posted:

My train I am most excited about is a coal drag up the Black Fork grade on my to be Blackwater Canyon Line.  It will be headed by my MTH Western Maryland H9 Consolidation, 55-ton two-Bay hoppers and a Northeastern caboose.  The prototype would run about one engine for every 10 loaded cars up the 3 percent grade.  On my short layout, a second H9 or other engine will be about all I will have room for.

Mark, this coal drag is for you. Turn up the volume when you play this video:

Arnold

I've been excited about this KLine GP locomotive ever since I bought it about 20 years ago. Why? Because it runs smooth as silk, is a great puller, has great detail, including rotating roof fans, is very durable and reliable, and looks great. Here it is pulling with ease the maximum number of freight cars my reverse loops can accomodate:

Oh, a couple of more things: this locomotive was a great deal, only $300 as I recall.  And I bought it soon as after it came on the market, so it initially came without sounds. A few months later, I got the sound boards from KLine in the mail. I never installed them (still have them) because I liked the fact that it's a quiet runner. It's my favorite engine to run when my wife is asleep. Arnold

Very nice coal drag Arnold!  Is that Tennessee Ernie Ford singing Company Store??

All your selections are good!

I love all my trains, and once the layout becomes fully operational, all the cars and engines will be constantly shuffled into new trains. After all, that's what a railroad does. Running doesn't thrill me the way it once did. I've run so many trains over the years, that they no longer need to be moving to be fun.

However, there is this one that holds a rather special place in my heart, and it all started with this Larry Fisher print entitled "The Rainbow". That print hung on the wall at the Twin City Model Railroad Club, where I was a member for about five years back in the late 80's. I loved the colors! A few years ago I bought the print and hung it in my family room where I see it every day.

Then forum member John Coy convinced me to make my own rainbow by getting me to buy the three K-line big sky blue cars.

Within a couple of months, I put together this:

Mismatched as it is, this one is going to stay together, the way I built it.

Honestly, whatever is on the track when I operate.

      all of them...

I like to run the early legacy ( 2007 era ) SD70 ACe's. Although today's legacy engines sound great there is just something  about the deep roar on the earlier ones. Maybe it is just me but I like it allot.

Dave

My favorite, now, for ten years, has been my scale Lionel Dreyfus.

It never makes a fuss, is always ready to go, has a wonderful sound as it moves forward and when its horn is sounded, and its panache is unmistakable, it being possessed of style, unmistakably.

It's only fussy thing is that it does not seem too fond of switches; that is, its tender is not so good at moving thru them, since its shrouding blocks the wheel truck from swinging left-and-right for too far a radius. The short-radius, barely-swinging tender truck, bumping into and restricted by its shrouding on the tender, was actually derailing the locomotive by slightly  lifting it up and off the switch track rails. As a result, since it was fussy about switches, I removed them from its route and gave it switch-free passage around the layout.

Additionally, something I like about the scale Dreyfus is that it even threw a tire off one wheel, at one point, but since I have Hi-rail on most of the layout, it doesn't even do the slightest wobble in complaint about its being shoeless on one driver. With its scale mixed Lionel and MTJ consist, I like its presence on the layout very much.

For my tastes, it is a standout among all of them, no matter which engines neighbor it on any of the other nine track loops.

FrankM, Moon Township, USA

Moonson posted:

My favorite, now, for ten years, has been my scale Lionel Dreyfus.

It never makes a fuss, is always ready to go, has a wonderful sound as it moves forward and when its horn is sounded, and its panache is unmistakable, it being possessed of style, unmistakably.

It's only fussy thing is that it does not seem too fond of switches; that is, its tender is not so good at moving thru them, since its shrouding blocks the wheel truck from swinging left-and-right for too far a radius. The short-radius, barely-swinging tender truck, bumping into and restricted by its shrouding on the tender, was actually derailing the locomotive by slightly  lifting it up and off the switch track rails. As a result, since it was fussy about switches, I removed them from its route and gave it switch-free passage around the layout.

Additionally, something I like about the scale Dreyfus is that it even threw a tire off one wheel, at one point, but since I have Hi-rail on most of the layout, it doesn't even do the slightest wobble in complaint about its being shoeless on one driver. With its scale mixed Lionel and MTJ consist, I like its presence on the layout very much.

For my tastes, it is a standout among all of them, no matter which engines neighbor it on any of the other nine track loops.

FrankM, Moon Township, USA

 

Magnificent locomotive and layout, Frank. It is always a treat to see photographs of your trains and layout. Arnold

Of all the trains, (engines) that I'm probable the most excited about running. I(actually have 2) receive more running time then any road engines, steam or Diesel. They make up my mainlines consists, be it passenger or freight or combination. Also switching cars dropped off, or drop off cars for mainline pickup.

I'm a true blue 3 rail guy, having been born and bred on Lionel trains and 3 rail tubular track and switches.

However, for a few months about 5 years ago, I bought several Postwar American Flyer (AF) locomotives, and a bunch of AF train cars, 2 rail  S gauge track and switches on E Bay. I never intended to replace my O Gauge layout with S Gauge, but thought it might be fun to run the AF trains on the floor between 2 rooms in the upper level of my house. Those rooms were unoccupied, having been the bedrooms of my son and daughter, who are  now in their early 30s and live elsewhere on their own.

After a few months of frenetic play in the World of 2 rail trains and track, I came back to reality, decided 2 rail is not nearly as user friendly as 3 rail is for me, so I disassembled my 2 rail Carpet Central, and packed it away in boxes.

Now we are getting to the interesting part of this story. After I packed the AF trains in boxes,  I forgot where I put the boxes! I even thought I might have given away my AF trains and track to a couple that brought their young son to see the trains. 

Then, about a month ago, I saw several big boxes on top of 2 portable closets in my mud room (room between the house and garage). I was curious wondering what could be in those boxes, so I climbed up on a chair, looked in, and saw, to my delight  the long lost AF trains!

Today was a vacation day of me, but my wife had to go to work. So, today was an opportunity for me to  try and bring the Frankenstein Monster (my AF trains) back to life. Like Postwar Lionels, the Postwar AF trains, after having been lost and neglected for 5 years, ran perfectly.

It was very exciting for me today to have a different model train experience, which turned out well because the trains and switches all worked. 

AF trains have a charm of their own. The smoke and chugging sounds of the steam engines are adorable. The 2 rail track and scale trains look great. But, I find them to be a lot more work to set up, so I will remain a loyal 3 railer for most of the time. 

I may make an AF switching diorama on a piece of plywood (8 feet long and about 30 inches wide) that was in my garage and is now on a sectional couch in my basement. It will be fun to design it, set it up, scenick it, run a train point to point, and do some switching to make it more interesting. Arnold

I’m glad you found the box of American Flyer trains and they run great, Arnold!  Have fun with them!

As a New Haven Railroad fan, I have run this MTH Premier EP-5 #371 (an old PS-1 model) with 1950s fluted stainless steel passenger cars more often than anything else. My 12'-by-8' layout includes two 36-inch truss bridges as seen in several places along the New Haven's main line in Connecticut between New York and Boston. I very much enjoy watching my New Haven passenger trains crossing these bridges.

MELGAR

i am excited to add the Alaska DD35 to my two powered Alaska GP35 engines.

At the beach so no photos. We would like to run the Powhatan Arrow, Pocahontas, Cavalier, N/S Business train, and Pelvar Blue N and W MTH passenger set, at the same time.

Two are on the track now, others on the shelves. We have about two month’s work to make this a reality.

@Arnold D. Cribari posted:

I was so surprised that I did not see this topic when I did a Forum search a few minutes ago. Now we have it.

I will start us off by sharing this video of a train that I have rarely run. It consists of early K Line B&O A and B units (both powered) pulling light box cars. I rarely run it because it runs like Jack rabbit, and is not a great puller, so I was initially disappointed. However, the locomotives make a great appearance and the B & O is one of my favorite railroads.

Now, you can share photos, videos, comments, whatever, about trains you are excited about running on your layout, your club layout, your Carpet Central, etc.

Arnold

Wonderful short video Arnold and again a great thread topic!   I have the same K line  B&O  F unit A/B locomotive configuration.  I agree with you, they run like a jack rabbit.  Another draw back, at least for me, is that the horn sounds much like a door bell buzzer. LOL !  That's why I, too, rarely run them.  As I recall both the A and B units have 2 motors each.  The overall light weight of the units does not allow for pulling long trains.    I do love the way this set of locos look!!  ... authentic B&O colors, crisp paint job, well detailed too!

Thanks for posting!  

For me, there are several.  The biggest ones are:

The Chessie Steam Special (Lionel Engine, Kitbashed Aux Tender, Williams/MTH Cars):

1956 El Capitan (All Lionel (Step Up/Down Kitbashed and Transition Car Cowling Designed and Printed by me) with correct Car Numbers/consist:

C&O Dual Allegheny Coal Drag (Lionel and TMCC Converted MTH Engines, all Dicast Hoppers (Lionel, K-Line, Atlas) - these are about 1/3 of all my cars (I did not bring my plastic cars from MTH, Weaver, Right of Way, Atlas, and K-Line):

@Arnold D. Cribari and fellow Forum Members:

I love running most anything, but some of my very favorites are either of my 2 PRR GG-1s as well as any of my now fairly large collection of Pennsylvania Railroad (PRR) steam locomotives.

I got my love of the PRR from my maternal grandfather, a 42-year man on the PRR. I rode behind the GG-1s many times with my grandfather and also frequently in later life. My grandfather also took me to Penn Station, Baltimore many times to just stand on the platforms and watch trains arrive and depart. I loved the look of the GG-1 electric locomotives with their pantographs drawing power from the overhead catenary. Their Brunswick green or Tuscan red colors and their 5 gold pin stripes below the PRR keystone logo made them look majestic to me.

Unfortunately, I was born 10 years too late. I LOVED steam locomotives! I came into this world in 1951 and never got to see a PRR steam locomotive in action until 1964 when my parents first took me and my younger brother to Strasburg, PA.

Here are photos of my 2 GG-1s, one scale and one semi-scale, as well as a few of my treasured PRR steam locomotives:

Below is my MTH semi-scale GG-1 for my home layout which has O-32 curves, too tight for full scale.

Here are several shots of my MTH scale GG-1 for running on my club layout.

Here are photos of several of my collection of 9 PRR steam locomotives.

MTH Imperial PRR USRA 0-6-0 pulling a coal train.

MTH PRR RailKing K-4s.

Post War Lionel PRR S-2 steam turbine.

Post War Lionel 2-6-4 (fictitious wheel arrangement) though bearing the PRR Keystone.

MTH PRR 4-6-2 M-1 with a long-haul tender pulling a coal train.

P. S. - Arnold - This is a fabulous topic. All of your topics are thought provoking and bring to the forefront our real love the hobby. Also, I am starting worry about our Yankees. They seem to be slipping a bit. You better keep your arm warmed up. They may call you to pitch so they can get back to winning again.

Sincerely: Randy Harrison. Another life-long NY Yankee junky and train fanatic.

A follow-up. Although I am a two-railer, I set up the DCC* RR as I like the sound of the metal wheels on metal track using Atlas O-72 and some straights with a few crossings and switches. It first used O-48 Fastrack as seen in the video below but I later went with the Atlas for a larger setup. Note that the "motive power is the lead Chicago subway car in mid-train. And the lead car is a Scale Craft tanker that I have had since 1965 or so; my first real two-rail piece of equipment.

Here is a photo (no videos were ever taken of this setup) of the initial Atlas loop before I added a few crossings, switches, and a siding down the hall:

The crossings were there just for the noise of the wheels. I had planned to expand the loop (toward the camera) but ended up removing all but that siding down the hall as I got tired of stepping on the track and breaking it. Those little plastic "spikeheads" are just not up to the job of resisting being walked on!

Speaking of that siding down the hall (known as Hooker), it was the scene of a major environmental disaster:

but also a place for some good scenes:

And the reason that the siding is called "Hooker":

Hooker Siding is still there (6 years later!!) as the cars (not the ones in the photo) on it do not have storage boxes yet.

* Dirty Carpet Central

i love to run my rock island beep and my 628 center cab switcher.

hopefully i can enjoy running a lionchief dash8 in the future

or a railking F40PH

Well I like to run all my trains, but here are a couple of favorite video's:

My Lionel Bulington GP-7 from the golden era of postwar trains.

Of course who doesn't like running trains around the tree at Christmas

Best wishes

Don

@PRRMP54 posted

@PRRMP54 posted:

....... I like the sound of the metal wheels on metal track using Atlas O-72 and some straights with a few crossings and switches. .......The crossings were there just for the noise of the wheels...

I like that you added crossings just for the wheel noise. I get down close to the track to hear the sound of the wheels going over the rail joints and gaps in the rail. My HO is ok for that, but O gauge is so much better.  I'd pay for added click-clack.

John

@Arnold D. Cribari posted:

Mark, this coal drag is for you. Turn up the volume when you play this video:

Arnold

Arnold the only issue with the great video and sound track is the motive power you used.  Sixteen Tons was a hit in 1955 depending on the railroad the coal drag will still be Steam or first generation diesel the locomotive is second generation nearing third generation I believe. But great video and a wonderful song by Tennessee Ernie Ford. Love it!

@Mark Boyce posted:

Very nice coal drag Arnold!  Is that Tennessee Ernie Ford singing Company Store??

All your selections are good!

Mark yes it is and the title is Sixteen Tons from 1955 gotta love the song specially for guys like us from Western PA where coal and steel were King back when it was a hit. I listen to it a lot in my truck.

Oddly enough, a locomotive that should run well, but currently doesn't run well, on my layout. That is because of defects in my trackwork that need to be corrected. Here is the MTH PS2 diesel:

This Susquehanna diesel is, IMO, beautiful and big, 18 and one half inches long, but still rated for 031 minimum curves.

No problem navigating my 022 switches, which is why I know that if I improve my layout by replacing a few curved tracks and use shims, this beauty will eventually run well throughout my layout.

So, this locomotive, mainly because of it's heft, will help me improve my layout. This is hard work because it involves a lot of crawling under my train tables to access certain areas on my layout, but still a project that I will enjoy and am very excited about.

Trains, real and model, involve hard work. Remember the song: "I've been working on the railroad, all the live long day . . . "

LOL, Arnold

Fun topic! These two are always high on my list whenever I'm home.

It doesn't matter. Love running them all. However, I would love to run the new MTH Sante Fe F3  A-B I have on preorder........LOL

While I love running all my trains, the one that really excites me is The Polar Express.  It gets lots of attention at our Holiday Lights setup at Kennywood Park in Pittsburgh every year.  I  currently run two consists at a time on the same track since I have both the black roof cars and the white "snow" roof cars.  When asked, I tell people that the black roof train is North-bound, and the white roof train is South-bound.  If anyone asks how both are going in the same direction if one is going North, and the other South, I just reply that it is a magic train after all.   Between the two engines, I probably have more hours of run-time on them than all my other engines combined.  Here is a video from the days before the white roof cars when I was double-heading the engines:

Andy

@John's Trains posted:

 

I like that you added crossings just for the wheel noise. I get down close to the track to hear the sound of the wheels going over the rail joints and gaps in the rail. My HO is ok for that, but O gauge is so much better. I'd pay for added click-clack.

John

A friend did it the free way. Every scale 39', he filed a notch in the head of the rail and staggered on the opposite rail. Instant "clickety-clack"!