WHAT TRAINS DID YOU RUN TODAY?

Rocky Mountaineer passing thru my North Station.

After a loooooong period of doing nothing on the layout, I decided it was past time to get back to work. First up, I have been cleaning all my purchases of the last 2 years or so off the tracks. But, before I get back to work, I had to just run some trains. On the left is my VisionLine GG-1 pulling most of my mail train (I’ve got a few more cars hiding somewhere under the layout!!!). Per recent comments from @GG1 4877, I have a coach on the tail end. On the right is my Reading & Northern freight train led by a new Lionel SD50 - a custom run from the good folks at METCA (no tail end yet - I am awaiting some special run R&N cabeese which Grzyboski’s is doing).

@Apples55 posted:

After a loooooong period of doing nothing on the layout, I decided it was past time to get back to work. First up, I have been cleaning all my purchases of the last 2 years or so off the tracks. But, before I get back to work, I had to just run some trains. On the left is my VisionLine GG-1 pulling most of my mail train (I’ve got a few more cars hiding somewhere under the layout!!!). Per recent comments from @GG1 4877, I have a coach on the tail end. On the right is my Reading & Northern freight train led by a new Lionel SD50 - a custom run from the good folks at METCA (no tail end yet - I am awaiting some special run R&N cabeese which Grzyboski’s is doing).

Very nice, and I also prefer zero graffiti

@Guttersnipe posted:

Very nice, and I also prefer zero graffiti

Thanks. I grew up in Brooklyn and spent a lot of time riding the subway and saw way too much graffiti (especially going to college and work in the 70’s and 80’s). I would NEVER have a piece of graffitied equipment on my road!!!

Currently working on a Double header SP GS4 with an SD 40 running a six car train up 3 5 grade.  I kit Bashed a combine and two coaches into the tri-car consist, diner kitchen diner, another coach into a sleeper, and still another coach into an open ended Observation car. I would post pictures , but that knowledge has some how escaped me

@Apples55 posted:

After a loooooong period of doing nothing on the layout, I decided it was past time to get back to work. First up, I have been cleaning all my purchases of the last 2 years or so off the tracks. But, before I get back to work, I had to just run some trains. On the left is my VisionLine GG-1 pulling most of my mail train (I’ve got a few more cars hiding somewhere under the layout!!!). Per recent comments from @GG1 4877, I have a coach on the tail end. On the right is my Reading & Northern freight train led by a new Lionel SD50 - a custom run from the good folks at METCA (no tail end yet - I am awaiting some special run R&N cabeese which Grzyboski’s is doing).

Paul,

That is awesome!  I like the mix of roads you have on your M&E train.  I'm working on rebuilding my M&E train in 2 rail.  Once I convert my MTH R50bs and find a few X29 express boxcars I'll be there finally.  Now just to find a layout to run that train on.

@Captain John posted:

Rocky Mountaineer passing thru my North Station.

Wow, great set of Rocky Mountain engine and cars.  I am so sorry I missed that set when it was issued my MTH.  I've been hoping that MTH would reissue the set but now I hope that Atlas, which owns the MTH passenger cars, will issue a new set.

@GG1 4877 posted:

Paul,

That is awesome!  I like the mix of roads you have on your M&E train.  I'm working on rebuilding my M&E train in 2 rail.  Once I convert my MTH R50bs and find a few X29 express boxcars I'll be there finally.  Now just to find a layout to run that train on.

Thanks, Jonathan. I have been trying to break a life long habit of having passenger trains that must have matching cars. This mix and match mail train is my first attempt I only have two rules (so far!!!) - first, all the cars should come from lines that are somewhat geographically close; and second, the passenger car should be from the same line as the engine.

I'm running a pair of Conrail intermodal unit trains.

First up is a MTH RK model of a SD90MAC numbered 4128 pulling a string of Lionel TTUX flat cars loaded with Lionel trailers.  This model has Loco sounds only and appeared in the 1998 Volume 1 catalog for $129.95 available March of '98.  Conrail 4128 was actually a SD80MAC.  We're talking Rail King, a new model of a current train so a little artistic license along with selective compression is allowed.  4128 was built in July 1995 as EMDX 8000, rostered by Conrail on May 8, 1997 as 4128, became CSXT 812, renumbered to CSXT 4612, transferred to NS as 7228 and is Progress Rail 7228 as of March 4,2024.  The Trailer Train  TTUX spine cars were produced by Lionel in the early 90s.  They are traditional size cars that came as an articulated set of two with Lionel trailers that are closer to 1:64 scale than 1:48.  The two car sets were designed to connect into prototypical 5 car units.  This TTUX flats were designed by TTX and built by Thrall and Trinity.  I have four sets and they are running configured as a 5 car unit and a 3 car unit with the trailers that they came with.

Next up is Conrail E33 4606.  This ignitron rectifier electric locomotive was built for the Virginian Railway by GE as EL-C type number 137 and delivered between October 1956 and January 1957.  After the merger with N&W 136 was renumbered 237 and served the N&W until electric operations ceased in 1962.  In 1963 the New Haven purchased all 12 even 230 that had been turned into a slug and designated them EF-4s.  11 were put into service and numbered300-310, hence 237 became 306.  In 1969 the New Haven became part of Penn Central.  Following Pennsy nomenclature the EF-4s were reclassified E33s and re-numbered 4600-4610.  In 1976 Penn Central became part of Conrail and the E33s, 4606 included, remained in service until Conrail stopped electric freight operations in 1981.

Husky Stack and Maxi-Stack cars pulled along the NE corridor by 4606 come from three manufacturers.  The first three are K-Line die-cast models of Gunderson All Purpose Husky Stacks, the next four are MTH RK versions of Husky Stack cars and the last 4 are two sets of Lionel's early 90s Maxi-Stack Is from Greenbrier.  Most are loaded with the containers they came with, except the second and third K-Line which I purchased as a KCC member which came without containers, and the last two CN Maxi-Stacks which came from eBay without containers and in need of parts and repair.  As I will be running these trains for a while I will changing engines, loads, and cabooses to keep things interesting.

Ran one of my favorite passenger trains. UP streamlines. They are now at station .

@coach joe posted:

I'm running a pair of Conrail intermodal unit trains.

First up is a MTH RK model of a SD90MAC numbered 4128 pulling a string of Lionel TTUX flat cars loaded with Lionel trailers.  This model has Loco sounds only and appeared in the 1998 Volume 1 catalog for $129.95 available March of '98.  Conrail 4128 was actually a SD80MAC.  We're talking Rail King, a new model of a current train so a little artistic license along with selective compression is allowed.  4128 was built in July 1995 as EMDX 8000, rostered by Conrail on May 8, 1997 as 4128, became CSXT 812, renumbered to CSXT 4612, transferred to NS as 7228 and is Progress Rail 7228 as of March 4,2024.  The Trailer Train  TTUX spine cars were produced by Lionel in the early 90s.  They are traditional size cars that came as an articulated set of two with Lionel trailers that are closer to 1:64 scale than 1:48.  The two car sets were designed to connect into prototypical 5 car units.  This TTUX flats were designed by TTX and built by Thrall and Trinity.  I have four sets and they are running configured as a 5 car unit and a 3 car unit with the trailers that they came with.

Those are nice consists. Add a couple of more cars and the engine will touch the end car. I had Lionel Semi-Scale intermodals but found them to be too small for my tastes 1:64. My collection is either "scale"  K-Line, Lionel or Atlas. I found the MTH intermodal containers too big to visually match with these three. So much for scale - each manufacturer seems to have their own tweaks making the cars just a little different / unique.

I jumped on the Lionel stuff when it came out.  I should have waited.  Plus I already had other Lionel TOFCs.  I've never had much luck selling off trains, even at reduced prices.  I guess with the hobby moving on the way it has the market for "traditional" stuff is overloaded, or I just have anything anyone wants.

@farmerjohn posted:

Ran one of my favorite passenger trains. UP streamlines. They are now at station .

Very nice, love the station setting, almost real.

Still running Big Blue intermodal but the Williams GE E33 has been replaced by  MTH RK EMD SD60 number 6867 equipped with ProtoSounds.  It hasn't been on the tracks since the test run after I bought from Trainland when they were clearing out NOS ProtoSound equipped engines many years ago.  It got a new battery, new grease and lube and hit the tracks.  I really have to bget used to ProtoSounds.  Reset, Forward, neutral, reverse programming applying power pushing whistle button... Sometimes i get F-N-R with out sound, sometime sound.  I powered it up thinking I was in Reset, got two dings, that I immediatley thought were the Two Clanks of Death, but had engine sounds.  I ket it sit for a minute or two, powered down, powered up again and off she went with out sound.  After several cycles I got her running with sound, horn and bell all workd.  A derailment on the eastbound main cause a stoppage on the westbound.  When the mans were opened up to traffic I got the SD60 humming with engine sounds but no horn or bell.  Another shutdown cycle and all was good.  I'll have to re-read the programming part of the manual again to get things right.  I also would like to get the brake squeal and crew sounds going.  The horn on the SD60 is so much nicer than the LocoSounds buzz on the SD90Mac.

6867 was the last SD60 built for Conrail in September 1989.  It was transferred to NS on May 31,1999.  All NS SD60s were sold or scrapped in 2019.

I also changed up some of the containers on the double stack train.  I added some more ISO tanks, a 48' on top of a 40' and recalling an OGR article, or possibly a Forum post, K-Line containers sit nicely on top of Lionel's containers as the Lionel containers a just small enough to nestle inside the bottom of the K-Line containers so replaced all the upper Lionel CN containers with K-Line TCA contaners.

Still running my Alp 44 NJT , and my new 4916 Lionel GG1

@pennsyfan posted:

Still running my Alp 44 NJT , and my new 4916 Lionel GG1

Thank you