Skip to main content

It's time for WEEKEND PHOTO FUN!!!

I was looking through the new Lionel catalog and saw the nice selection of Y3's in the catalog and it reminded me of the best looking 2-8-8-2's. We had a Lionel UP donated to the museum and I repainted to look like Interstate's 2-8-8-2. My son was thrilled with the result, until I told him the locomotive couldn't stay home. It belonged to the museum.
IMG_9338

Here it is on the VMT layout.

IMG_9344 [1)

IMG_9385

Tuesday evening I continued working on my flat mountain walls on the tinplate layout.

IMG_E7567

IMG_7560

IMG_7576 [2)

Let's see your pictures.

Scott Smith

Attachments

Images (6)
  • IMG_9338
  • IMG_9344 (1)
  • IMG_9385
  • IMG_E7567
  • IMG_7560
  • IMG_7576 (2)
Original Post

Replies sorted oldest to newest

Probably the shortest route in the vast Pennsylvania Railroad was the 2 mile single track that connected Princeton Junction on the electrified mainline to the station in Princeton Town ship on the edge of the Princeton University Campus.  The line came into existence because when the PRR moved the mainline away from the township in the mid 1800’s, the University had enough pull to get the PRR to install a dedicated commuter line to campus.  The Princeton station moved several times as the University expanded, finally settling on its present location in 1918 on Alexander Street.  That original building was a beautiful gothic stone structure mimicking much of the architecture on campus.  The line was affectionately called by locals as PJ&B (Princeton Junction and back) or just “The Dinky”

In recent years much controversy ensued as to what to do with the station.  Or to even have a train at all.  The 1918 building is protected as an historic structure.  But NJ Tranist tried to do away with the train line.  After the now commonplace lawsuits, the final solution was a new train station, whose architecture can charitably be described as functional.  So much for history.

In the mid 50s, which I am modeling, the Dinky consist were two MP54s which had seen better days.  The Dinky has a rich history.  For example:

1)  During football game weekends when the Dinky was filled to capacity (this was back when Ivy League football meant something and was avidly followed), the University and the Railroad made a joint placard, with the Princeton Seal inside a PRR keystone. 

2)  In 1962 four students wearing masks and riding horses held up the train at gunpoint. They pulled off four unsuspecting young women, dressed in their college best, as hostages.  Mounting them on the back of their steeds, the students, gentlemen all, took the women unharmed to their expectant (and clueless) dates on campus. Unsurprisingly, the horsemen were later invited to leave school for at least year.

Of course I just have to model all that.  The scene is not yet complete, but this is as it stands now.  Here an MP 54 is waiting on the siding to whisk passengers the 2 miles to campus.  The catenary is a bit lower than in real life, and the trees are closer to the tracks, but such is artistic license

4951

My MP54s are Sunset models that were issued several years ago. So far I have only completed the first of two.  It has been suitably weathered, rusted, and dinged up. Not excessively, but enough to give an overall aura of tiredness.  I also pulled out all those new fangled LED’s and replaced them with prototypically dim incandescents.

By the way, this is what I started with:

 4952

Here is a close up of the placard in front of the finished unit.  This was modeled after a photo in the book Pennsy Electric Years, Volume II, by Bert Pennybacker, page 42.  

4953

As for the desperados?  Here are two of them:

4955

 

 

Attachments

Images (4)
  • 4951
  • 4952
  • 4953
  • 4955
Last edited by John Sethian

 

About two weeks ago, I posted photos of an area of Altoona where the lack of space between the backdrop and the tracks precluded the use of three dimensional structures. Therefore, I had to paint a section of the city instead. Note the yellow STOP sign and the 1950's style speed limit sign with block lettering. The first image is from about three weeks ago, and the second is is where I left off two weeks ago:

IMG_5071 [1)

IMG_5105

 Since then, I have gotten a lot more done. As you can see from the following pictures, I got to the right end of the painted area, where I had more space for a three dimensional structure, and it is now in place. It's a Koerber apartment building kit BTW:

IMG_5131

And, as you can see, I included a bit of three dimensional landforms, made out of carved pink insulation foam. Can you tell where the cinder road ties into the backdrop? T put a bit of effort into trying to disguise  the joint:

IMG_5136

And finally, here are some overall views of the entire painted area of the city of Altoona. The first image shows the right hand end, the second one shows the entire painted section. Painted section is buttressed by the yellow brick DPM  building on the left, and the Koerber structure on the right.

IMG_5133

IMG_5134

Still lots more to do including putting much more landscaping material around the cinder road, ballasting the track, and putting in a pedestrian overpass which I'm building right now in the workshop.

I was going to post this last week, but it was not quite ready. Instead I posted a link to a YouTube video I created which was a pictorial version of the rural area I model and which was my inspiration to model the Middle Division of the PRR. Got a lot of nice feedback about it, despite the fact that it was not exactly my usual kind of post. Thanks to all who posted nice comments about it!

Attachments

Images (6)
  • IMG_5105
  • IMG_5131
  • IMG_5136
  • IMG_5133
  • IMG_5134
  • IMG_5071 (1)
Last edited by PRRMiddleDivision

 

About two weeks ago, I posted photos of an area of Altoona where the lack of space between the backdrop and the tracks precluded the use of three dimensional structures. Therefore, I had to paint a section of the city instead. Note the yellow STOP sign and the 1950's style speed limit sign with block lettering. The first image is from about three weeks ago, and the second is is where I left off two weeks ago:

And as I recall all street lines were white.

Ron

Wonderful photos and information everyone!  Here is my themed contribution for this week: " MOW both night and day on the Free State Junction Railway."  Have a terrific weekend everyone!  Be safe and be well! 

MOW crews work through the night. IMG_3191IMG_3192

Morning haze on the Mountain Division. IMG_3304

MOW crew does some heavy lifting as sunlight illuminates a distant mountiain peak.  IMG_3122

MOW foreman Ed Mosley standing on the step of the caboose tells Cal Farnsworth the day's strategy. IMG_3177

" Okay lets sit err down on count 3."IMG_3120

I've got a feeling that there is no fun in those barrels.IMG_3168

Many miles from the big city. IMG_3115

A load of cross ties has arrived.... and the smell of fresh creosote permeates the air. IMG_2135

MOW crew is working hard as a passing freight provides a slow moving back drop. IMG_2134

Attachments

Images (10)
  • IMG_3191
  • IMG_3192
  • IMG_3304
  • IMG_3122
  • IMG_3177
  • IMG_3120
  • IMG_3168
  • IMG_3115
  • IMG_2135
  • IMG_2134
Last edited by trumpettrain
@Slugger posted:

John, I noticed this last week with your "Caged Shark" post (but didn't comment). I just wanted to comment on the outstanding scene in the background there: that farmland and row of trees along the horizon are great! If you wouldn't mind sharing an overall image of that scene, I'd appreciate it.

Stephen

Thanks.  I worked rather hard on that scene.  My inspiration was that outstanding modeling in the Woodland Scenic Ads.   I am planning a separate "How I Did It" post in the scenery section.  I should get it posted by Sunday.

Thanks again!

John

 

@scott.smith posted:

I was looking through the new Lionel catalog and saw the nice selection of Y3's in the catalog and it reminded me of the best looking 2-8-8-2's. We had a Lionel UP donated to the museum and I repainted to look like Interstate's 2-8-8-2. My son was thrilled with the result, until I told him the locomotive couldn't stay home. It belonged to the museum.

IMG_7576 [2)

Let's see your pictures.

Scott Smith

Love the night scene Scott. And we all know how your son felt one time or another. 

@walt rapp posted:

A 2019 Christmas Layout memory  but in reality it is more 

This was a gift from my sister and her husband Christmas 2015. She passed away unexpectedly in 2016 so this metal, lighted train remains really special to me.  I try each year to find a place on the layout in rememberance of her.

- walt

z - Helen's' lited train reflected in mirror - night

Wonderful memory Walt! 

My favorite OGR Forum thread. As always,  great images everyone!!!!!!!

Last edited by BobbyD

 

About two weeks ago, I posted photos of an area of Altoona where the lack of space between the backdrop and the tracks precluded the use of three dimensional structures. Therefore, I had to paint a section of the city instead. Note the yellow STOP sign and the 1950's style speed limit sign with block lettering. The first image is from about three weeks ago, and the second is is where I left off two weeks ago:

 

 

 Since then, I have gotten a lot more done. As you can see from the following pictures, I got to the right end of the painted area, where I had more space for a three dimensional structure, and it is now in place. It's a Koerber apartment building kit BTW:

 

And, as you can see, I included a bit of three dimensional landforms, made out of carved pink insulation foam. Can you tell where the cinder road ties into the backdrop? T put a bit of effort into trying to disguise  the joint:

 

And finally, here are some overall views of the entire painted area of the city of Altoona. The first image shows the right hand end, the second one shows the entire painted section. Painted section is buttressed by the yellow brick DPM  building on the left, and the Koerber structure on the right.

 

 

Still lots more to do including putting much more landscaping material around the cinder road, ballasting the track, and putting in a pedestrian overpass which I'm building right now in the workshop.

I was going to post this last week, but it was not quite ready. Instead I posted a link to a YouTube video I created which was a pictorial version of the rural area I model and which was my inspiration to model the Middle Division of the PRR. Got a lot of nice feedback about it, despite the fact that it was not exactly my usual kind of post. Thanks to all who posted nice comments about it!

Magnificent!

Peter

Add Reply

Post
×
×
×
×
Link copied to your clipboard.
×
×