Some testing, etc.

Last night the PRR K-4 stopped chuffing and smoking.  This morning I tested it on the programming track via SPROG and all seemed good. 

Ran her over 850' of mainline and all worked well!

St. Paul's yard tracks.

After a passenger run on the ops session, I run all the cars on the mainline to the upper return loop to get them reversed and keep them in the same order that they are working well together.   The D&RGW L-131 was used to 'turn' the Zephyr passenger cars.

At Tye.

Marias pass.

Chumstick canyon trestle.

Tumwater canyon trestle.

The BLI Zephyr passenger cars are nicely detailed.

Sam, I am glad that you were able to get things working properly. Things sure look great around your layout! It sometimes takes me time to get up to speed, but it sure is worth the reading and photos /videos you share!

Looks like another great time running trains, Sam!

Just running trains.

UP challenger 4-6-6-4 2-tone gray passenger train.

Videos:

Tye:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DviUlZ3ttPo

Leaving Hillyard:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?...Xg&pbjreload=101

Departing newly constructed passenger yard (far left).

A nicely detailed engine by BLI.  All cast metal.  Here there is smoke for when the whistle is blown.

The hole in the boiler next to the whistle.

Besides the usual headlight, the numbers on the headlight casing is lighted as well as the marker lights and the number boards.

Tender has headlight plus marker lights.

The bulk of the cars are Walthers with a few IHC cars.  Can get the diaphragms pretty close without causing binding.

Smokes well.

Glacier.

Yes, we have paying customers!

Basin tunnel.

Near Wilmar.

Far right track is the lead to the passenger yard, bypassing the freight yard at Seattle.

More train running.

DM&IR M-4 2-8-8-4 and SP&S Z-8 4-6-6-4.

===

videos:

Both engines are pulling vintage metal Athearn/Varney and wood Silver Streak/Ambroid freight cars.

DM&IR 2-8-8-4 leaving Hillyard:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?...7w&pbjreload=101

SP&S 4-6-6-4 passing Waverly:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?...To&pbjreload=101

SP&S 4-6-6-4 leaving Hillyard:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bdLBlBSrpK0

==

DM&IR 2-8-8-4.  Made by Westside.  I painted, installed LED's and a TCS 1517 decoder.

These engines were loaned to GN during the winter when ore could not be shipped.

Seattle's roundhouse.

Glacier.

Unusual package in that the caboose came in the same box with the engine.  Thinking about it, that would be cool if BLI did the same thing!    The caboose, also, had to be painted.  LED's used for the marker lights.

Wilmar.

Havre.

Hillyard.

SP&S 4-6-6-4.  Engine made by Key.  Again, painted and LED's and a TCS 1517 decoder installed.

GN and NP were co-owners of the SP&S.

Weird: Had to solder both the ground wire and the hot wire as both solder joints were broken.

Leaving engine servicing yard.

Engine came with a functioning vestibule closed cab.

No SP&S cabeese so an NP 'works'.

Basin tunnel.

Has nice cab detail.

Vintage freight cars.

Some of the more unusual ones.

A dry ice car with real aluminum surface.

The original container flats!

The above and this one were all wood kits.

Some of the all metal freight cars.  Athearn and Varney made some really nice kits back in the 50's.

I made this coal tower back in the early 60's when I was around 15 from plans in the MR.  No premade windows, steps, railings, etc. back in those days!

MERRY CHRISTMAS:

http://webmail2.cincinnatibell...id=223806&part=2

======

My Christmas present arrived!

NP A-3 4-8-4, gray boiler.  The 4-8-4's were called 'Northerns' because NP was the first to have them.  Usually, tradition is the first railroad to implement a new wheel arrangement gets to name them.  Some southern railroads would never accept 'northern' so they used other names.   NP also implemented the first 2-8-8-4 and named them 'Yellowstones'.

videos:  'Road tested' on the mainline to insure all works well.

Skykomish:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LRMg1bjcuJU

Leaving Hillyard:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mZV5OjSGzrA

This is the new BLI engine but they had a few in the 'refurb' section at 30% off so I got one. Impressive FEDEX delivery; ordered it last Saturday, it was picked up by FEDEX on Tuesday in Florida and got here on Thursday (Christmas eve) in Ohio

This is a brass Hybrid so boiler and tender shell is brass and the running gear is cast, etc.

The usual long box where engine and tender are already connected.

Again, the usual plastic sleeve with plastic form in foam.

Instruction manual, blow up parts list and warranty, which I did online.  Got to keep the receipt for any repairs within the one year warranty.

Highly detailed and well painted.

Nice matt finish.

I see I could add some lanyards for the whistle as even the lanyard guides are on the boiler.

Pop valves brass.  Boiler lagging.   Piping painted black.  Lots of extra work 'hi lighting' the black parts over the gray boiler.

I have this on my 'regular' brass engines but, I think this is a first for a mass produced engines, where the turret covers are functional.

In my opinion, I always think the stamped side rods don't look as nice as the 'regular' brass engine's side rods.

More nice detail. Even painted the handles red.

Full cab detail, crew, lighted and cab curtains.  Also a deck plate plus close to scale distance from engine to tender.

MMM: need to clean my camera lens, again!

I think this is, also, another first: sanding pipes next to the drivers.

Full brake rigging.  The usual back drivers with traction tires.

Wish the leading and trailing truck frames were metal versus plastic.

Tender contacts.

Bottom of boiler has on/off switch for the smoke as the heating unit can get damaged if smoke unit is run without fluid. Personally, I like the 'Lionel' look with smoke.  I'm partial to the cinnamon smell!

Well detailed tender.

Real coal load.

Functional headlight and marker lights.

I was debating on buying the Fujiyama NP A-3 made back in the 70's.  They 'run' around 5 C notes but for another 70 bucks, I could get an A-3 painted, lighted and a decoder, plus smoke, so a 'no brainer'.

The A-3 completes all classes that I wanted for the NP: Here is the A, A-2 and A-4.  I lucked out when the only engine left that I needed was an A-3 and BLI produced it.

And their last class: the A-5.  The A is by Key, The A-2 by Overland and Oriental Limited made the A-4 and A-5.  These were all made back in the late 70's and 80's.  I have painted all of them but have not installed decoders, yet, in the A, A-2 and A-4. The A-5 'heads up' an NP passenger train.

Used Decoderpro and SPROG to update the engines decoder.

Tested the engine on the programming track to insure everything is working.

Smokes well

Wilmar.

All cabeese need lights so the signaling system works properly to know when a train has left a 'block'.

Chumstick canyon trestle.

Nice builder plates.  Headlight works but marker lights and number boards are not lighted.

Skykomish

Best Christmas ever had or will ever have.

I was seven.  Growing up in Cleveland, Ohio, we had Higbees, May co and Halley’s down town department stores.  After Thanksgiving, each would have an entire floor full of toys.  Of course the best was the train area where there were Lionel and American Flyer layouts set up.  I’d stay there for hours watching them run and, of course, there were free catalogs.

Mom asked me what I wanted for Christmas.  I pointed to the Lionel SF diesel  A-A and 4 beautiful aluminum passenger cars and said ‘that’.  At 90 bucks, mom said we can’t afford that.  Dad worked at Midland Ross steel and, if he made that in a week, he was lucky!

$90 in 1953 is over $866 in 2020: imagine spending that much on a seven year old, today, for one present!

I remember getting up that Christmas morning and seeing the large rectangular box all wrapped and knew exactly what it was.

As in ‘Christmas story’, that was the best Christmas I ever had, or ever will.

And it still runs great!

Tremendous detail on that engine.  Merry Christmas!  In Pittsburgh, it was Gimble's, Kaufmann's, and Horne's.  All gone now.

New Christmas present

New train picture from my daughter who 'cross stitched' it.

Very cool! What a wonderful Christmas Gift! I See talent runs in the family, I bet she even put a decoder in it! Your one lucky guy!

Merry Christmas from Washington State!

She did a great job, Sam!

One of the railroaders brought his kids over to see the new NP A-3 4-8-4.

Rotary snow plow: 

Cumbres & Toltec Scenic Railroad

5 minutes:

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

One hour each:

Part 1:

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

Part 2:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?...6I&pbjreload=101

Aside from the always wonderful photos and videos of the Great Northern layout, the C&TT Rotary videos made my day today.

RAY

Cumbres & Toltec Scenic Railroad:

Summer run.

That open platform 'gon' looks nice.

Lots of good spots to video this railroad.

The loop to gain elevation looks like what we'd have on our model railroads.

Looks like none of the water towers are used, anymore.

Surprised: there appears to be very few bridges.

Gotta' go slow by those sheep.

Wish this was located in Ohio!

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

Looks like my coaling tower on my logging railroad is based on their coaling tower.

Train running.

Got some emails promoting the new BLI engines N&W Y-6B and UP Big Boy so it motivated me to run mine.

N&W Y-3 2-8-8-2.  This was made by Custom Brass back in 1978.  I installed a new can motor, painted it, added LED's and installed a TCS 1517 decoder.

Videos:

Coal drag.  All Athearn cars.  Auxiliary tender by BLI.

At Skykomish:

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

Leaving Hillyard:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?...jY&pbjreload=101

UP Big Boy 4-8-8-4.  Made by KEY in 1983.  Again, painted it, added LED's and installed a TCS 1517 decoder.  Freight cars are vintage metal Athearn/Varney and wood Silver Streak/Ambroid kits.

Leaving Seattle: I enjoy the wheel noise from the freight cars.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-3ZcA0AnoEI

Leaving Tye:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7SsqE0Ynk8M

Got both trains running same direction on different levels:

The BLI cattle car with sound randomly activates in the video.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bKIExS3hf5E

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

N&W Y-3 2-8-8-2:

The engine has a removable cab roof:

Departing Seattle's yard.

Skykomish.

UP Big Boy 4-8-8-4:

Chumstick canyon trestle.

Some of the more unusual vintage freight cars in the train.

Metal cars:

Have never seen this 'bill board'.

Different from the 'usual' state of main potato car paint arrangement.

Wood kit.

Wood kit cattle car.

Flat loads:

This is BLI's cattle car with sound.  While running the train I noticed a spring hanging from the bottom's frame.  After removing the car I found a 'ton' of metal parts along the bottom of the car.  Evidently, the speaker's magnet is so strong that it picked up a lot of metal 'scrap' along the track, mostly spikes but one part of a metal spring.

'Dual' pictures of both trains.  Chumstick canyon trestle and west of St. Paul.

Tumwater canyon trestle.

The Big Boy just fits on the Walther's 130' turntable with the ends 'overhanging'.

Son and family came down from Michigan after Christmas.

Ran the new NP A-3 with smoke for them.

Great photographs!  I’m glad your son and grandson visited.

HAPPY NEW YEAR:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lXBPsXn6f3k

What a great video. Thanks for sharing this with all of us.

RAY

Very nice video!!!

A railroader stopped by to do some 'train running'.

It took us 3 hours to run 2 trains each.

Videos:

Milwaukee S-3 4-8-4 passenger train leaving Whitefish.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=R6U4H27Y2-g

Milwaukee F-7 4-6-4 passenger train leaving Hillyard:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ej0vzyh0XuM

GN S-2 4-8-4 passenger train.  The engine is a BLI brass hybrid with smoke.  The cars are, mostly, AHM from the 70's.

Passenger yard.

GN S-2 4-8-4 with green boiler.

Chumstick canyon trestle.

Seattle: left track leads to passenger yard.

Texas and Pacific 2-10-4 #610 freight drag.   The engine is by Sunset Models.  I painted, installed LED's and a TCS 1517 decoder.

Chumstick canyon trestle.

Milwaukee S-3 4-8-4.  Engine is by Overland models which I painted and installed LED's and a TCS 1517 decoder.

The passenger cars are by Walthers.

I love Milwaukee's observation car.  Paying customers on this trip.

Very unique windows on the Milwaukee cars.

Walthers did a nice job on these cars.

Close to scale distance between cars.

Steve bypassing the freight yard to the passenger yard.

Milwaukee F-7 4-6-4.  The engine and 3 car passenger set were made by Nickel Plate models.  The engine was painted when I purchased it but I installed a can motor, LED's and a TCS 1517 decoder.

Skykomish.

Tye.

Marias pass.

Another great day running trains on the Great Northern!!!

Nice 1 hour video of NYC in the early to late 50's on the Toledo division.  Steam and diesel including a few shots of B&O and Nickel Plate.  Mainline and branch line service.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YJjRMJ82y2Y

C&O 2-6-6-2:

Impressive.

With the covid, didn't expect this engine to be ready so soon.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4-vieVESZ90

I have my version of it:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?...yI&pbjreload=101

Excellent steam engine!

Safety video on the GN:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BqpayZ2JqlU

New deliveries.

Picked up a 'sand blaster' at Harbor Freight.  An 'air brush' type device for cleaning up any brass engines before I paint them.  It comes with some 'sand blasting' material but I, also, bought some baking soda as, I understand, this works well, also, to remove materials.  Brass, being a soft material, this should work well without damaging detailed parts.  Don't have any need for it, presently, but for 27 bucks, might as well have it on the shelf!  (never have too many tools).  You have to look for it in the 'hobby section' as, initially, one HF said they had one in stock and another said they had 2 in stock.  The one HF couldn't find it and the other took about 30 minutes to locate it.  Initially, it was logical to assume that it was in the 'spray paint' area and then we tried the 'air tool' area but 'nada' even though their computer said it was in the 'spray paint' area.

Several weeks ago I sent an email to PSC (precision scale models) for some back heads for steam engines.  I got an email to pay via credit card and they just arrived (left in picture, on top of the baking soda box).  I've got a few steam engines that need back heads installed when I paint them.

I see 'they' now make #10 turnouts.

Back in the 70's and 80's I had to make my own.  Once I got the 'hang of it' I could made a turnout in 45 minutes and cost about 75 cents.

https://www.walthers.com/code-...10-turnout-left-hand

A nice video of 'free style' building of turnouts.

I call 'no jigs' used but just a turnout template as 'free style'.  I did all my 100, or so, turnouts using this basic method. It's cost effective and, once mastered, only took me 45 minutes and about a buck in materials to make a turnout.  I used a grinding wheel versus a Dremel for all my rail grinding as it goes much faster.  My 'free style' is a little different than in the video in that I only use the frog as a template; after the frog is made, one stock rail is spiked down and then the frog and then the other stock rail.  This procedure is used since a lot of my turnouts don't have a 'straight' mainline track thus the 'flow' of the track is maintained.

For the frog, I just filled in the whole area with solder, used a hack saw blade to remove excess solder around the frog and then used the NMRA track gauge to scrape away any excess solder to get the exact depth and width.   The video leaves the frog 'bottom' free of solder.  This is easier but I find it nice to have the frog area filled to the depth of the flanges so the wheels 'glide' through the frog instead of dropping across the frog.  Of course this assumes you only use RP-25 wheels which is a good practice.

I also, didn't use any circuit board to solder the rail to the ties.  With the video using code 40  rail the circuit board is necessary but not so with code 83 or 100 rail.   These turnouts are, also, more realistic in that the rail is 'continuous' from the points to the frog.

I found it easier to build the frog first and solder all parts and then cut the 'points' end last whereas, if I bent the rail for the outside of the frog, my judgement on where to bend the rail was usually off, so the 'points' end were not the same length so, easier to cut them to length after the frog was complete. (I'm sure my old English prof would not be happy with the length of this last sentence!)

Beside getting the points to 'blend' evenly with each stock rail, I grind the inside of the point to get a sharp edge at the end plus I put about a 45 degree angle on the top end of the points to insure the wheels do not 'pick' the points.

One real great advantage of 'free' style turnouts is they fit whatever the curve of each track; that is, the 'straight' track doesn't have to be straight and both tracks can be whatever curve you desire.  This method makes the track look 'free flowing' and built in place (just as the full size railroads did).

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

The 'Y' turnout to the right has two different radii.

Here's a 48" curve crossing a straight track; something that would be difficult to find commercially!

A #10 turnout on about an 8' curve so neither stock rail is straight.

A large, very nice On3 layout video:

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

Beautiful track work, Sam!!

Thanks, Mark.

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

GNRW operating session.

After our usual pizza break, we ran trains.

John ran the C&O 2-8-4 Berkshire freight drag made by United (PFM) in 1972.  All engines that ran had the TCS 1517 decoder with LED's installed except the NP A-3 by BLI.

Dave ran the new BLI NP A-3 4-8-4 freight drag made this year.

The SF RDC's were brought and ran by Joe.

C&O Berk passing the SF RDC's at Tye.  Joe did a lot of the dispatcher's train routing on the mainline.

C&O Berk at Tumwater canyon trestle.

C&O 2-8-4 at Chumstick canyon trestle while NP A-3 is west of St. Paul.

'Taking on water' at Glacier.

SP&S Z-8 4-8-8-4 made by Key in 1981 at Seattle's roundhouse.

C&O 2-8-4 at Chumstick canyon trestle.

SP&S Z-8 freight drag at Skykomish.

Some PM.

At last night's ops session there were zero derailments save one.

The lead truck on the C&O K-4 derailed several times.  Some lead weight and a new screw with a longer 'shoulder' fixed the problem.

The C&O K-4 2-8-4 by United (PFM) made in 1972 ran over the entire mainline, East and West, with no derailments.   I had one discrepancy in my previous 850' of mainline running; I forgot that I always pass on sidings to the right so, about another 150' of siding is used so the total, counting new trackage, is around 1000' when an engine is 'mainline road tested'.

Skykomish.

Havre.

Something we'll never see on an airliner: full width seats that, besides reclining, also has foot rests that fold out from under the seat.  This is the GN 1951 deluxe coach car.

Some 'train running' before the NFL playoff games.

PRR J-a 2-10-4 imported by Westside in 1977.  Painted, LED's installed along with a TCS 1517 decoder.

Skykomish.

Another example of a 'free style' turnout where the right route is around 8' and the left route is a small angle 'Y' going to the 'electrics' shed.  The next turnout is also a 'Y'.

Marias pass.

Hillyard.

Havre.

Some of the vintage cars in the freight drag.

Silver Streak wood kit.

I think this is a Varney metal kit.

Ambroid wood kit.

Just an old Revell R-T-R car but all metal with a nice 'load' on it.  Of course the old 'pizza' flange wheels were replaced.

I believe this is an Athearn metal kit.

Wood kit.  For those who don't know what '3M' stands for!

All metal kit.

Another all metal.  Probably Varney.  Back in the 50's, I remember this brand advertised on TV when there were only 3 channels!  Believe it or not, this stuff is still made.  Some pilots were drinking it at one of my RC plane flyins.

If I remember correctly, this was an Ulrich kit.  Has metal sides with 'open framing' below the deck level.

Wood kit.

A contemporary made plastic caboose with LED's added.   I think it was by Bowser.

Had nice cab detail.

Another fun day of running trains!  I forgot to ask before, how long is the Chumstick trestle?  It is hard to get it all in one photograph!

Mark, The trestle is about 6' long.

Stumbled across some GN, SP&S, NP and Milwaukee 8MM videos from the 50'.

Done by an amateur with no sound but, can't get picky, as there are few videos of GN.

Has GN Y-1's and W-1's which were the largest electrics ever made.

Also, SP&S, NP and Milwaukee plus steam.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2-2eJzdrIJE

Milwaukee electrics.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1pXySW5owCk

SP&S and other Northwest railroads (part 1): Lots of Z-8 4-6-6-4 footage which were the largest challengers ever made.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=52D1xs_hc_k

Part 2:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=s6ipXnkX3W0

STUFF:

1) New delivery:

Been wanting a 'poultry car' but they were only made in brass and more than I wanted to pay for one.  Bachmann came out with a nice plastic one (another 'LIONEL' type car).

Also, got another BLI functional cattle car to add more 'sound' to the freight train!

Needed some more Green LED's but bought a few more of the other colors, also.  Also, a new smaller  '0201' LED.

Ordered the LED's from China on Jan 12 and only took 2 weeks to arrive when it can, usually, take 3-4 weeks.

Got the usual warm white, green and red plus.....

They had some yellow so I got some of those.  The warm white is in the headlight and the yellow LED is to the left.

Now, they sell '0201' LED's so I had to get some of those!  Presently, they only come in warm white.  Instead of insulated wire the '0201's use enameled motor wire for leads.   The '0402' is the bottom LED and the '0201' is above the '0402'.   And I was thinking they couldn't get any smaller than the '0402's!  These should be good for the N gaugers.  I only buy them with wire leads as there is no way that I can solder such small stuff!

I've got some old time (1890's) type GNRW passenger cars and, presently, using a mike to 'pull' them.  Figure a 4-6-2 Pacific would be closer to the passenger's 'time line'.   

Started installing LED's and a TCS 1517 decoder in the engine.   Being made in 1972 by United (PFM), holes needed in the tender for the speaker, a rectangular hole cut in the front of the tender under the floor.  LED's installed in headlight (engine and tender), marker lights and running board lights.

Open frame motor replaced with a can motor.  Motor protrudes into the cab so couldn't add any back head detail.

UP M-10000 train set.

After installing a TCS decoder on this AHM brass set, it would run backwards but hesitate going forwards.

I'm figuring it's a traction problem so I put some 'frog snot' on the insulated side wheels on the front and back set of motorized drivers.   Hopefully that will fix it.

Original 1930 radio shows sponsored by Great Northern.

8 programs.  GN was one of the pioneers in using radio for advertisement.

https://www.oldtimeradiodownlo.../empire-builders-the