Great Northern railway

LOL Sam All I can say is WOW!

Double Wow!

Thanks, guys.  It keeps me off the streets at nights!

==========================

40 year plan finally materializes!

Thought I'd test the 'passenger' route through the freight yard.

When the layout was first built, I installed a separate track for the passenger trains.  I rarely run any passenger trains so this track has been idle for 40 years.  I thought it best to test it.  It took a few hours to clean plus several guard rails were missing plus a turnout needed to be activated and there still is a few 'dead' spots where the 'keep alive' transitions over (more cleaning).

New track from staging yard.

Engine passing new turnout leading to staging yard.

Engine going by original passenger platform;  lots of cleaning along here with that plaster cast platform.  The original passenger platform only has two tracks.

Passenger track is separate from the freight yard save one track serving the far side of the icing platform. 

Passenger track runs along the highway with two turnouts: one connecting to the freight yard and the other to the caboose track.

Passenger  track goes left of the caboose track and freight yard.

Passenger track will allow easy departure/arrival without interfering with freight operations.   With 9 tracks in the staging yard, I will also have 'off road' engines and trains depart this same route. 

Double crossover at the throat of the freight yard where the passenger track can depart Seattle without interfering with freight.   Right two tracks are mainline and far left track is the freight drill track for the freight yard as well as the ore dock.

Forty years!  Wow!  I'm glad things are finally coming together for you to put that track into use!!

Staging yard (cont)

Electrical (cont)

Toggles installed and (except of the slip switch) all ground throws are installed.  Not much room between the tracks for the ground throws.  Had to insulate the track leading into the left side of the slip switch.

All tracks have juice.  I used an engine with coast drive to check clearances. 

The engine runs close to the ground throws so I put a slight bow in the opposite track for some extra 'wiggle' room.

Took awhile to find this short.  Didn't need a ground wire there and not sure why I installed it!

New delivery.

First addition to the staging yard.

An 8 car PRR smooth side passenger set by Balboa.   These were produced back in the 70's, factory painted and came with interiors that the modeler had to install.  My friend Gary sold these to me.

Very clean models.  Looks like they have never been on a layout.  

They are lighted.

A nice touch with passengers.

PRR motive power.

A T-1 (4-4-4-4) or an S-1 (6-4-4-6).  Both have decoders installed in them.  The usual TCS WOW steam decoders with lots of LED's.

PRR Q-2 (4-4-6-4). S-2 (6-8-6) and J-1 (2-10-4): to be painted plus decoders, w/ full complement of lights.

And last, the just arrived set of centipedes factory installed decoders.

Wow!! Those are some mighty fine cars and locomotives to grace the rails!!

Impressive:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kRLbS226dqA

Impressive, Indeed!  Thank you for posting, Sam!

If you want more of Howard Zane's layout by Nace's Videography, look at his website shown at the beginning of this clip.  www.nacesvideography.com Forrest Nace has a 2-hour video of Howard Zane's layout complete with interviews, layout tour, and much more.  That one was edited by Hoffer's Video Productions here in Butler, Pennsylvania.  Forrest Nace who lives here in Butler did all the videoing and interviewing.  My son-in-law, Dustin Furman, did the editing, sound dubbing, graphics, including a layout diagram with real time movement showing the location as the camera moves around Howard's fantastic layout!  I was given a copy of the video because of my interest and sharing my opinions with Dustin and his employer, neither of which have worked with model train video before.

Also, they are completing a similar video on Tony Koester's layout even as we write.  Yes, the Website still says late September, but it won't be much longer.

First test of passenger trains from the staging yard.

GN S-2 4-8-4 pulling the Empire builder.

Leaving staging yard.

Passenger track.

Passenger track bypassing freight yard.

Still a few bugs on the 40 year old passenger track: some plaster build up on the inside of the rail had to be removed.

S-2 at Skykomish.

S-2 at Hillyard.

S-2 at Chumstick canyon trestle. 

Glacier.

Returning to staging yard.

Some foam to protect the engines (not scale but effective!).

PRR centipedes with passenger train at Skykomish.

At Hillyard.

Chumstick canyon.

Passenger testing:

Videos:

GN S-2: 

https://www.youtube.com/watch?...amp;feature=youtu.be

PRR centipedes:

You can hear the one wheel rubbing against the bolster.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?...amp;feature=youtu.be

PRR T-1:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?...amp;feature=youtu.be

PRR T-1 4-4-4-4 for testing new passenger cars.

Much better than that diesel! The T-1 had trouble pulling the cars out of the staging yard but OK going downhill. The trucks tires were cleaned and the axles oiled which helped a lot but there's a lot of drag on those old 40 year old trucks.

One problem on drag fixed: the center wheels on the 6 wheel truck was rubbing against the bolster so it was ground down.

I like their method of connectors: a ball socket with a slip on contact.

Lighting that was used 40 years ago and still is!

Stuff:

1)  The balboa PRR baggage car was derailing.  Checked gauge, obstacles, etc and found nothing.   Finally, got the idea of moving to the last truck on the observation car and all's good, go figure!  Had another coach that was the only car that derailed on a straight section of track: found the two ends of rail were off by maybe a 1/32" but enough for that one car to derail.

2) Too steep of a grade on the staging yard: I used a level and used too much of a slope as, after 26', the drop was 3.5": way too much.  Fortunately, had several stools that were the right height to hold tables while unscrewing and re-screwing the tables to the wall and angle supports.    Now drop is about an inch.

NMRA MCR Div 7 fall train show (Oct 12/13) at Lakota High school.

It looks like every room that wasn't a class room was used, including the halls.

Not counting all the layouts, I think there were 260 tables.

That's a turning tornado.

Pennsy group.

A character group!

Huge 3 rail.

I've laid a lot of rail and turnouts but nothing like that 3 way crossing!

Very nice trolley RR.

Live steam.

New delivery.   

The start of 'populating' the staging yard with my favorite passenger trains.

SP articulated car set by Broadway Limited.

BLI makes some real nice passenger cars.

First time I've seen diaphragms work like the full size ones.

Interior detail.

Hard to find smooth side NP passenger cars.

Found these on ebay.  They were pretty cheap.  IHC made them in the 70's and 80's. Brand new: hard to believe these have sat on a shelf for 40 years without being used.

Will make a nice NP train.

I was surprised at the nice end detail

Also, for such old items, the paint is very crisp: very nicely done.

Surprised there was any kind of under body detail.

Trucks have plastic wheels and old horn hook couplers.

Coupler came off easily as it's just a 'snap on'.  Will install Kadees on the body.  Intermountain wheels replaces the plastic ones. 

Had to slightly bend the brake shoes for free rolling of the wheels.

The axles were just  slightly longer than the originals but a few strokes of 220 sandpaper reduced their length so they spin freely in the truck frames. 

Great photographs!!  My gym teacher would have had a heart attack with all that on the gym floor!!!  He guarded that floor with his life!!  

Thanks, Mark. 

They put tarps on the floor.

Last week, while in Cleveland,  I visited my old high school and the floor is still the same.  2"X4" dimensions laid on end.  I've never seen this on another basketball court.  One didn't even want to get caught walking on it with street shoes.  Today, it would, probably, be too expensive to have it done this way.

Pretty neat floor!  

If you were caught on that floor with street shoes, you were dead meat.  That’s why all the dances were sock hops.  It cost as much to check your shoes as it did to get in.  A quarter for each as I recall.

Sam, great pictures from the show. Looks like everyone was having fun! What wonderful looking cars! I guess 40 years ago they were made to last, even if just sitting in there box on the shelf for another 40 years!

NP passenger car upgrade (cont)

Used Plastruct .060 for a mounting plate for the kadee couplers.

This softens the plastic to attach to the car.

3/8" square.

Drill

and tap for 2/56 screws.

Dividers to insure consistency of coupler location.

About as close as I can get to allow for minimum 48" curves.  The diaphragms are hard plastic and they don't move so a space is needed on curves.

No room in the tail end for a kadee coupler pocket.

I cut and put lead in the cars to 7 ounces per NMRA standards but too much weight in 8 cars and engine was struggling to pull them.  I removed the large center piece and cars are much lighter and run fine.  There's about 4 oz per large lead piece times 8, that's 2 pounds: too much. 

NP motive power.  

Northerns: A, A-2, A-4, A-5

Z-5: 2-8-8-4

Z-8: 4-6-6-4.

Unfortunately, no decoders in any of them, yet.

Ran the A-4 on address zero via DCC.

Videos:

NP A-4 passenger train.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?...amp;feature=youtu.be

GN S-2 with NP passenger train.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?...amp;feature=youtu.be

I testing the PRR passenger train and the defective truck on the last car came off again. 

Checking the wheels, they are skewed, so I put a Central Valley truck on it and, finally, all seems good.

Original truck: probably can't see the skewed wheels via the picture.

PRR T-1 video:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?...amp;feature=youtu.be

What a lineup of Northerns!!!  The cars getting the Kadees are looking great!

WOW Sam great looking! That sure is going to be a lot of Kadee's! Just wondering, have you ever found something you didn't have to upgrade?

Thanks, Mark and Mike,

Yep, see below.

========

New delivery.

PRR 2-car set by MTH.  

Didn't know MTH made such nice cars.  Lots of detail including interior and LED lighting.   Made in 2013.

Virtually, new.

Very nice looking cars Sam! I am happy you don't have to do anything to improve them!

New delivery.

Broadway limited 13 car Zephyr passenger train.  Used but appears to have little run time, if any!

These are, without a doubt, the most impressive passenger cars that I've ever seen.  Super detailed.

Nice under body detailing.

Comes with decals for individual numbering.

Outstanding stainless steel patina.

Tons of detail. 

Interior detail and lighting.

Nice close fit between cars.

Counting the observation car, 6 dome cars.

Lighted exterior lights and drum head.

Some of the other cars.

Makes for an impressive train.

Motive power:

Burlington Northern's O-5 and O-5B 4-8-4.  Yeah, a little weird but no diesels!  

Two rules:

1) it's my railroad

2) see rule 1.

D&RGW power:

L-105 4-6-6-4

L-131 2-8-8-2

M-68 4-8-4.  All need decoders.  No WP stuff.

Testing new Zephyr passenger train.

I used the Burlington O-5B 4-8-4 for head end power.   This engine has been painted and LED's installed but no decoder so I ran it on address zero.  Initially, I had my doubts if this engine could pull 13 passenger cars 400', all uphill but those doubts were soon diminished when she went the full length of the layout without slipping.  The engine has been weighted but it's a tribute to the free rolling trucks on the passenger cars. 

Videos:

Leaving Seattle:  I'm always amused when people say brass engines are grinders and don't run well.  This engine is over 30 years old, original gear and motor and runs like a fine watch  and extremely quiet.  

HEY, the passenger car interior lights are at a scale brightness.  Initially, when I applied power to the rail in the staging yard under the LED strips, I thought they weren't lighting.  I guess the passengers won't be able to get a sun tan, now, with 'normal' lighting!

HMMM: I just bought two Kato rerailers.  One negative of this passenger yard is no 'turn  around' so all cars are done manually.  I guess the 12" to the foot guys had the same problem!  Things you don't have to worry about with freight cars!

https://www.youtube.com/watch?...amp;feature=youtu.be

At Tye: Some weird scraping noise in the video; not sure the cause and only at this location.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?...amp;feature=youtu.be

At Hillyard.  Trying a new video technique: instead of 'along the tracks', view whole train from a distance.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?...amp;feature=youtu.be

At Waverly:

Will post when upload is completed.

Found out that my reverser at the staging loop doesn't like DC operated engines.  The engine starts running backward and  shorts out the CB.  Have to 'five finger' pull the engine past the breaks in the rail. 

Lighted cars in the dark:

Nice Sam, things sure are looking good over at your place! Wonderful cars! You cant even tell they are used!

A few more videos:

Burlington train:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?...amp;feature=youtu.be

https://www.youtube.com/watch?...amp;feature=youtu.be

SF PA's pulling GN passenger cars( testing):

https://www.youtube.com/watch?...amp;feature=youtu.be

More testing:  

videos:

GN F-8 2-8-0 pulling vintage passenger cars:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?...amp;feature=youtu.be

GN Z-6 4-6-6-4  testing GN passenger train:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?...amp;feature=youtu.be

GN Z-6 at Skykomish:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?...amp;feature=youtu.be

GN R-2  2-8-8-2 freight drag:

GN R-2 over Canyon trestles. The trestles were made in late 50's when I was at my parents house and I was a young teenager. They have been on 4 layouts.  

https://www.youtube.com/watch?...amp;feature=youtu.be

Burlington O-5B 4-8-4 passenger train.

GN F-8 2-8-0 pulling vintage GN passenger cars.  

One of the few engines I didn't paint. A Tenshodo, factory painted. I haven't done anything to it as is 'out of the box'. The passenger cars were bought from a woman who's dad painted them in GN colors. I believe they are by Roundhouse. He did a nice job on them. Hopefully, I have time to add interiors and lights.

GN R-2 2-8-8-2 freight drag.

GN R-2 dropped off train, left escape track and heading for the roundhouse. 

New deliveries.

Two more NP cars: both domes (gotta' have some domes!).  Seller only sent one by mistake.  Other on its way.  As wiih the other cars, pull off horn hooks, put kadees on body and replace pizza cutter plastic wheels with intermountain metal wheels.

Southern Pacific 8 car passenger set from MTH.  These were made in 2008 but these are brand new and never used.

One piece packaging using white foam. 

Still has all the protective foam to protect the diaphragms. 

I have to say that these rival the BLI Zephyr cars.  Extremely detailed with interiors and led lights and drum head.

WOW: these roll even better than the Zephyr cars.  After I put the car on the track, it started rolling down the very slight slope in the staging yard.  Should be able to pull a nice long train with these.

Yep, just as detailed as the Zephyrs.  These also have a scale size coupler. 

Pictures of each car.

Nice interiors.

Ditto again, nice diaphragms like the Zephyrs.

The 3-car articulated set.

Pins on the other two cars rest on the trucks.

3 car articulated: cool.

This is the 2-car articulated set from BLI.

Looking at the BLI on the left compared to the MTH on the right, I'd say they're 'spot on' as the Brits would say.  The BLI diaphragms are a little wider.

HMMM: Wonder if the same company did these for both importers?

Remaining MTH cars.

Motive power: judging by how well these cars roll, the GS-4 should pull it. This is a Westside factory painted made in 1980.

I've got 4 sets of the 2-car articulated cars from BLI due to arrive shortly.  That will make an 18 car train so I may need some more pulling power.

In reserve:

I painted all these but no decoders installed, yet.  If I remember correctly, the AC stands for articulated class.

AC-5: Key

AC-6: Key

AC-9: Sunset.

AC-12: Tenshodo

Correction: This is factory painted.

AC-4: Key

One more correction: this was factory painted but I did the grey boiler.

AC-7: Key

SP GS-4 passenger train test videos.

At Skykomish:

Pretty cool: looks like the previous owner installed a MARS light.  This engine has an open frame motor and I think it is overheating using DC under DCC.   

https://www.youtube.com/watch?...amp;feature=youtu.be

At Hillyard:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?...amp;feature=youtu.be

          AWESOME  Sam  !!!!!!

Fantastic!!!!

Thanks guys for the kind compliments.  Always wanted to have a large passenger yard but didn't think I had any room for it.  Just had to think 'outside the box'

==========

Lead truck jumping track.

The NP A-5 leading 4 wheel truck didn't have enough vertical movement as supplied by the builder.

The original setup was the extended frame to boiler bolt with a collared screw on top that only allowed about a 1/16" vertical movement.

The original bolt (silver) was replaced with a brass bolt to secure the frame to the boiler.

An old draw bar was used to allow lots of vertical and horizontal movement.  New shoulder bolts used to secure 'draw bar' to frame and truck assembly.  The draw bar was cut to the length needed and drilled/tapped to move in the same arc as the original design. 

All's 'good' again.

Took awhile to clean up the work area but worth it: I can now find stuff!

Junk food and beverage all ready for Saturday's railroaders.

Sam, what a great passenger train your building! It is so nice to see that your always able to fix the problems that pop up! Nice work!

Mike,

Eventually, I'll get to working on the GN cars: they need painting plus interiors.

I bought a bunch of interiors (blue and red boxes)...

plus lots of people

New deliveries:    

Milwaukee Hiawatha 10 car passenger set by Walthers review.

Includes:  2 coaches, RPO, 2 Baggage, diner, dome, lounge/parlor, lounge/coffee shop and observation.

These are used but appears to have not been run much.  No boxes.  

The 'obs' is cool. Cars have interiors but no lights.  Also, no wire hand rails and basic under body detail.  The cars have recess points where one can drill holes and insert hand rails that Walthers sells as a separate package, along with interior lighting. 

Definitely unique window openings. 

Ribbed roof.

Motive power:

MTH bi-polar.  Has DCC. Pretty neat: the pantographs are motorized.  (haven't understood why a train web flags 'coupler' and 'pantograph' as incorrect spelling!)

Milwaukee S-3 4-8-4: I believe one of these is restored and operating.  Been painted but no decoder.

Couple more bi-polars: again, painted but no decoders. 

New deliveries (2nd and a review).

PRR smooth side passenger cars by Rapido.

I got these as add on's to the present 10 car set.   These are all new.  Rapido's cars are very expensive but I managed to get these for 37% of MSRP.   They are highly detailed, though.

The cars use batteries (392 type) to light the cars.  A metal wand is used to turn them on and off.

The underside is extremely detailed with all the piping included between parts. 

Same with the trucks.

The roof easily pulls off to insert the two batteries. 

Two small batteries go in, flat side up. (392's: 1.5 volts each).  They are not very bright: I bought some new batteries in case the provided ones were bad but the same results.  I'll be leaving the lights off.  I used to have my cabeese lighted this way and always forgot to turn off the lights with the usual results.

One of the bolsters was broken so some CA fixed it.

New deliveries (3rd).

UP passenger set review.

14 cars total, all Walthers.  It appears Walthers make about 3 different levels of cars.  These are the basic ones called mainline.  Same as the other more expensive cars but no hand rails and lights but have interiors.

These are the other 3 UP cars.  An observation car arrived last week but not shown here. 

The 10 latest ones.

Interesting: these have truck mounted couplers versus body mounted on the Walther's Hiawatha set.  The couplers appear to be the metal kadee's versus the other importers using plastic couplers.

I just checked some other Walthers UP cars and the couplers are body mounted.  These are the '932-' series versus the above mainlines are '910-' series.  I'm not fond of truck mounted couplers but I'm thinking it will be OK with my 48" curves: if not, I'll change them to body mounted.  

Basic body detail.

They do come with decals, though.

Only UP engine that I've installed a decoder in so 'it gets the job' of pulling the passenger cars. 

Last are 4 more of the 2-car articulated sets from BLI that I covered, previously.  I hadn't plan on buying more for the present 10 car set but they were being sold for 40 bucks each set so I got one of each type (that's only 20 bucks for each car that is really nicely detailed and has lights).   I'm guessing they made way too many so there was excess ones to get rid of.  The MSRP was $150 so that's quite a discount.   

With so much detail on a lot of these cars, one must be careful in handling them as well as getting them, safely, out of the box.  Some manufacturers have holes in the back so one can push them out of the foam with one's fingers. 

Use a butter knife to keep from ripping the end tabs. 

These pliers with a V on one side and a wedge on the other makes easy adjustment of the metal air hose, either up or down.

That's quite a handsome fleet you are building, Sam!!!

Thanks, Mark.  That's about it for passenger trains.  

================

Video tests of the cars.

UP Big Boy passenger train at Skykomish:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?...amp;feature=youtu.be

at Tye:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?...amp;feature=youtu.be

at Hillyard:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?...amp;feature=youtu.be

SP AC-5 passenger train at Waverly:

Post when upload completed. 

At Chumstick canyon:

Post when upload completed.

The UP passenger cars made it half way on the mainline with no problems.  I stopped it at a siding so the AC-5 could pass.

The SP train shorted twice.  On the last one, after resetting the CB, the train went full throttle and pulled apart one BLI 2-car articulated set.  There is a button on the end of the shaft that goes into the right car.  I decided to push the two cars together and I could feel the button slipping into a recess and it stayed in place.  I had to guide the rubber from the left car into the right car while engaging the two cars. 

Under the cars on the track was that piece of silver part.  Not sure where it came from but it appears to be a pilot or plow for a diesel.  I only have 3 diesels and it didn't come from them.  I'm guessing it may have fallen into one of the SP cars by mistake. There are contacts on the car ends so it may have been shorting the car.