a picture a day....

A steamer on permanent display in Bozeman!  Picture taken during a visit there in September, 2019

Another great real live photo Lee.  ..............are you supposed to be at work 😒 or are you on vacation 😉with you running all around getting these photos ?

@lee drennen posted:

These guys were in north St.Louis yesterday

Just playing with the cell phone camera and apps again...

For today: A moving picture

@p51 posted:

Just playing with the cell phone camera and apps again...

Lee - I love what your are doing with your cell phone app!  Your photos look terrific!

@lee drennen posted:

These guys were in north St.Louis yesterday

Nice Lee, I had to take a second look same  colors as Tacoma Rail here is Washington state.

@p51 posted:

Just playing with the cell phone camera and apps again...

Lee your photos of your layout are so real looking! Looks like a nice quite place to live!

McElwain Factory Warehouse, Nashua, NH

@Dallas Joseph posted:

Another great real live photo Lee.  ..............are you supposed to be at work 😒 or are you on vacation 😉with you running all around getting these photos ?

Dallas. Yes I’m at work I can’t help it if I’m stopped somewhere and see a great opportunity to take a pic. One of the reasons I like working the city

@trumpettrain posted:

Lee - I love what your are doing with your cell phone app!  Your photos look terrific!

@mike g. posted:

Lee your photos of your layout are so real looking! Looks like a nice quite place to live!

Thanks, guys!

Someone recently comments that so many people in the hobby are actually modelling other people's layouts, but that I wasn't doing that at all.

I just model the fictional version of a real place I know all too well, an alternate version of it I so desperately wish I could visit in person somehow and have dreamt of since I was a little kid.

When I see my work, some of it turned out better than I'd hoped but none of it ever turns out as I'd imagined it. I just make it as good as I can, and consider myself amazed that it's been so well received.

I thank you all for the kind words.

A good day on the layout

For today: " The commuter station."

Joe, nice to see the P O out there keeping the mail moving

@lee drennen posted:

A good day on the layout

Lee...great scene...I love that yellow / black '57!  What brand diecast is it??

Hi all:  Those of you who may have seen some posts I do for my toy trains, will know that I named my layout the "Leonardtown and Savannah" because those are "bookends" of the places my wife and I have lived. My fictional layout services the docks and wharf's of Savannah (in my imagination) .  However, in the oft told argument that " There is a prototype for everything" imagine my surprise when due to a wrong turn I should encounter the 6.5 mile, Watco short line, which started operations in August of 2019 named...The Savannah and Old Fort RR.  I assume that the "old Fort" logo refers to an actual Revolutionary War Fort, Fort Jackson, that is adjacent to their right of way and is a historical site, still mostly complete and open for visitors.  This real RR services the Savannah wharf area.  Yesterday, when I stumbled into it, they were moving a unit train of covered hoppers from the CSX interchange down to the wharf , for loading or unloading. Since the US does export grain, it may have been headed to a grain ship at the wharf.  Anyway, this is clearly a "new" RR as the loco's wore  shiny new paint jobs and logos.  Take a look.

Here is a shot showing the train, note the street sign, reading "Marine Terminal" rd.

Here is a close up of the lead unit. You can see the Savannah & Old Fort logo on the side, with the picture that resembles the fortified entrance gate of Fort Jackson (still in existence).

Here is the lead unit and her partner. 2 engines on this train

Well, this was a surprise to me.  These engines have a quite new paint job as you can see, not much dirt or wear, they look brand new.

Don

57 Ford Retractable??

After i purchased the Black Label woodsides , I vowed not to buy anything else for the layout...... .......OK....BUT .......I couldnt pass up this woodside boxcar in the photo.  It's been out for awhile but I  previously missed it.

The second photo shows the end of the DuBois Brewing company after losing its battle because of its " DuBois Budweiser name brand product.  The DuBois Brewing Co. chimney was a huge historic presence in the area.

For today: " Patsburg Ave. circa 1955."

@Capetrainman posted:

Lee...great scene...I love that yellow / black '57!  What brand diecast is it??

Paul thanks for the complement it’s made by Road Champ

For you Paul

How high is your layout Pat ?    That's a tall hill in the backround .

That made me think of an ice cream stop in Brookville Pa. that me and my friend Fr. Jim made on the motorcycles . We were coming back from a woodcarving class up north . There was a darkening sky coming out of Lake Erie but we thought we were in good shape.

That same mountain in your backround looked way up there like what we saw with a rolling black sky as we hurried to get our rain gear on.  We  had 30 minutes of lightening and thundering rain to try to get away from.      Nice tall hill Pat. 

Love that Chevy truck Pat........Dad had one just like that even with the winshield sun shade visor , it was like a copper color.    Where do you ever get those 'real ' looking vehicles ?  🤓

@lee drennen posted:

For you Paul

Nice lighting for this scene Lee.

I see your zeal for taking  photos of the real engines and my lady found this  photo for me to show you of what used to be the old DuBois Brewing Co. .....and......

@lee drennen posted:

Paul thanks for the complement it’s made by Road Champ

Thanks, Lee...Road Champs has some nice units...reasonable prices too

@Dallas Joseph posted:

How high is your layout Pat ?    That's a tall hill in the backround .

That made me think of an ice cream stop in Brookville Pa. that me and my friend Fr. Jim made on the motorcycles . We were coming back from a woodcarving class up north . There was a darkening sky coming out of Lake Erie but we thought we were in good shape.

That same mountain in your backround looked way up there like what we saw with a rolling black sky as we hurried to get our rain gear on.  We  had 30 minutes of lightening and thundering rain to try to get away from.      Nice tall hill Pat.

Love that Chevy truck Pat........Dad had one just like that even with the winshield sun shade visor , it was like a copper color.    Where do you ever get those 'real ' looking vehicles ?  🤓

Hi Dallas - thank so much for your kind words!   I hope you guys got away from that storm in time.

The " hill" is what I call " Mt. Randolph" which starts at the base of my layout ( which is 3 ft 6 inches off the floor ) and reaches practically to the ceiling of my train room.  My ceiling is 8 ft.

I picked up the Chevy pick up years ago and cannot recall where I bought it.  I suspect a train show is where I found it.  The weathering is actually dust .... I don't like to dust off my stuff.  I figure the dust ( natural weathering ) , in this case, presents a dusty covering to a farmers pickup as the farmer drove into to town to pick up some supplies.  The farmers' home is on a long dirt road.

Yes sir Pat.   Mt. Rudolf certainly must be something to see in real life.   What would be the scale altitude in feet  ?  😉

I like the dusty look also.  I do run a magnet work car to help with the rails.  I'd like to get some type of light vacuum for in between the rails.  Sometimes a stray bush or non magnetic metal sliver finds it way on the track.

PS.  The heavy rain caught up to us just as we got back home to the garage.........we got lucky ......this time. 🙄

Tried my hand at adding backgrounds to photos with Microsoft Office today. Passable for a first test attempt!

Weaver CNR K5A on rural autumn diorama /w sample produced CNR 3rd Class station

Running across North Main to catch the last train for the day

@trumpettrain posted:

For today: " Patsburg Ave. circa 1955."

Patrick, great side-street scene...love the black pick-up and the VW bug in the background!

Just took these a couple hours ago

For today:  " Docksider at daybreak." ( Photo using natural light coming in from the east side window of my train room )

@Capetrainman posted:

Patrick, great side-street scene...love the black pick-up and the VW bug in the background!

Thank so much Capetrainman!   The "VW" is actually a 1947 Renault.  I placed it there to achieve a forced perspective.  Yes from afar it does have similarity to  a VW Beetle.  

@Dallas Joseph posted:

Yes sir Pat.   Mt. Rudolf certainly must be something to see in real life.   What would be the scale altitude in feet  ?  😉

I like the dusty look also.  I do run a magnet work car to help with the rails.  I'd like to get some type of light vacuum for in between the rails.  Sometimes a stray bush or non magnetic metal sliver finds it way on the track.

PS.  The heavy rain caught up to us just as we got back home to the garage.........we got lucky ......this time. 🙄

Dallas - Mt. Randolph is the visual focal point as soon as one walks into my train room.   At 216 scale feet it certainly doesn't rank mountain status, however, in the context of my layout Mt. Randolph certainly looks the part.  Here are some photos Mount Randolph taken from different angles.

Some activity at the bus station...the cabbies are lined up and ready...

WOW what great photos guys! I haven't check things out for a couple days and you all have posted some wonderful photos!

Paul, I do have a question, what do you use under your people to keep them upright?

@NJCJOE posted:

Joe - terrific night shot!  The lighting is wonderful!  I LOVE that locomotive!!