Going Electric, Update April 2nd

Peter,

    Nice looking trains! Thanks for sharing. Not sure if I ever asked you how big your layout is?

Tom

Nice consists and video, Peter.  Don't recall seeing an S-2 running before, and the REA head end cars behind the GG-1 work great.

Thanks for posting.

Peter, you need catenary for electric trains.

All electric has got to be a lot of fun. Thanks for sharing

My, My John, Have you not heard?  This is all make believe.

Peter,

  On second thought, if you need catenary and transmission towers...don't jump on the electric band wagon. Some consider it to be voodoo power. A careful analysis of the most up to date modern science, Engineering News-Record (1920) shows:

Electrification increases the capacity of a terminal, but an analysts of the situation of the, New York Central shows that this is not due to decreasing locomotive requirements through the use of multiple unite as is usually stated. . . In the handling of heavy tonnage trains by the unlimited combining of electric locomotive units, the factors of peak load, transmission lines, and power plant capacity must all be considered with the probability that permissible modern steam locomotive train units can be more economically (run).

 Don't put that steam power on the dead line yet! 

Tom

Love the juice.

Bill

All my trains are electric even the steam engines. I dont havecantenary either, just an electrified 3rd rail

Thats cool, what year are those pennsy passenger car? I have very similar semi scale passenger cars that belong to my Lionel Blue Comet Set. That set is really old and I did a youtube review on it just in case you need a visual. The video is at https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=f-15hXXWJY0

Nice electrics and layout there Peter. I have quite a few electric engines in my collection but don't run them often. I prefer electrics running below a catenary system but the work to install, even a fake one, is enormous.

Come on guys, get with the program. This is 2015.  We don't need catenary these days.  Ever heard of Prius?  Chevy Volt?  

Nice video, Peter!  The layout is looking great.  Thanks for sharing!

Hopefully you don't get the scorn like Bob Dylan did.

Peter:

"Juice Jacks" rule! 

Peter, your not electric tell the wire goes up. Don

Peter,

Love the electrics. I also tend run my trains in cycles steam, electric. diesel. Don't know why but I get an urge to switch motive power and then cycle through all my engines of that type. Love Electric almost as much as steam. I have two scale GG-1s, four boxcabs, and a rectifier. All are Pennsy. I also have a GN EP-5.

Very nice video.

Peter, you seem to find new and interesting ways to enjoy our hobby. Nice job on the video.

For all the critics of Peter's electric locomotives, let it be known that he signed up long ago as a client of this outfit on my railroad. Their slogan: "No wires?...no problem!"

They wanted to include also...."No need to keep your "pants" up", but thought better of it.

Jim

Peter,

Nice electrics. I envy your NYC S2. My railroad needs more electric locomotives. So far it only has a GG1 and an EP-5. In my opinion, the New Haven and the New York Central had the crème de la crème of electric locomotives, so I am on the hunt for some of them. NYC "T" Motors and the New Haven EP3 & EP4 strike my fancy. I also would like to have a Milwaukee Road Little Joe.

My tastes in electric locomotives are more than my wallet can handle. Another Achilles Heal is that I run MTH PS 2 & PS 3 locomotives exclusively, so no S2 for me until MTH makes one.

Just kidding guys, my electrics don't have catenary either.

No catenary?  No problem!

Everyone here, myself included, seems to be praising Peters layout and electric collection. It is hoped that no one interprets any comment here are being critical.

As for the question of the catenary; maybe some of us got envious when we saw Marty Fitzhenry's powered catenary system.  Meanwhile the layout in my basement remains "catenary free" as well.

Catenary good, no catenary bad. Don

Love the ability to bring such variety to your layout. Looking forward to the All Clock Work video.

I also have the Tesla wireless system installed on the layout.

Fred

Peter - Always fun to run electrics!  When I was a kid I always looked forward to going up East to Philly, NYC, and Connecticut where I would get to travel on some trains that were electric. 

If one sticks to NYC electrics (and why wouldn't one?), there is no catenary issue, as they ran using an under-running outside third rail. There was a little pantograph on the roof

of NYC electrics, however, as in complicated 3rd rail switch/crossover areas, a bit of

catenary was strung to avoid the problem down below. (Gee - three rails and switches - who would think that THAT would be an issue?)

So, with NYC and some NH electrics, having a third rail is prototypical, to say the least.

The fact that it is in the wrong place is not.

Not that this is an original thought, but electric model electrics hit me right because they are the only "locos" that we have that are configured, in general, like the real thing. Motors geared/attached to  axles, drawing power from an outside source. There's no diesel fuel in our diesels and no steam in our steamers.

Thanks for posting, really like the horn/whistle in the S1... reminds me of an old tug boat whistle.

Thank you, everyone for the comments.....

I believe one of you guys have nailed it........I have invisible catenary......

Tom.....the layout is 6X16......it is 3 unconnected levels......The benchwork is by Mianne.

The main level is 6X16. The engine yard is 2X16. The subway is 6X8.

It doesn't look like I have accomplished much over the last 2 years......but I lost a year's worth of work when my Atlas switch machine fried.... I have just finished re-wiring the Atlas switches with D1000s.  My next task is wiring the engine yard switches to an SC-2.

Next will be wiring the accessories.....then scenery.  I figure 2-3 years to complete.

The plan has been altered to eliminate the curved switches (per gap was too long for my small locos) and I removed the rear passing siding.

I used tubular track because I have a ton and since this is at eye level, once ballasted, the tubular track will be essentially invisible.

I made a large copy of the plan to work from......

 BTW....my dad's family lived in Larchmont....north of the station next to the 4 track main line.....I grew up watching McGinnis liveried Jets and NH washboards.

Peter

I mostly operate steam or electric - only own one diesel (infernal combustion).

Of course, diesel power turns a generator to make electricity for the traction motors, therefore so-called "diesels" are really electric locos without a third rail or catenary.

The S2, up close and personal!

This little guy is a beast....the weight of die cast metal with traction tires makes it a great puller!

Peter

Peter, 

  Looks like a good little race going on between 2 classic engines and 2 great railroads.

  Tom 

Gets my blood racing.  Repeat the mantra...oooohhhhh  zzzoooooone!

Bruce

Nice work Peter.

So you run with your pants down? 

Since I lost 40lbs, my pants may be loose, but they're up!  .....

I will video Phase II later today.......

Peter

March 1st update......moving freight this week......

This is phase 2.......one more installment in a week....

Peter

Good work, Peter.