Great Northern railway

New delivery.

Seaboard (SAL) E6 A and E4 B units.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=86sWg22b1Xc

Another colorful set of diesels that are in my 1938 era with the early diesels.

Imported by BLI in 2018 and, again, priced at what I pay for installing one sound decoder in one of my steam engines, another 'no brainer' on this purchase.

MMM: this is the 2nd time this software is 'screwing up';  input the data and save it.

As always, I have to re-read and edit it and the update fails to show the pictures.

Can 'click' on them to see them.

No 'clam shell'; just a styrafoam box with a plastic cover.

Both powered so can pull long trains.

Excellent factory paint; again, I would be 'hard pressed' to duplicate it.

Lighted number boards.

Classic 'shovel nose'.

Top views.

At around 2.5 pounds, should have 'no trouble' pulling long trains!

Both engines were already addressed to 3015 but I needed to load them into my roster.

programming track.

The 'read decoder' option gave several choices.

Choose 'rolling thunder' option and then selected 'open comprehensive programmer'.

Inputted engine description for the A unit.

Basic screen re wrote the engine address.

Saved to the roster.

Used 'throttle' to check engine.

B unit inputted to the roster.

Engine number is 3105 but saved as 3015.

Roster save.

Throttle check.

Very sharp looking, sound great, and move out quickly.  I have forgotten, do you have a SAL passenger car set for them to pull?  It seems you probably do, you have almost everything! 

Mark,

I don't have any SAL cars.

My passenger yard is full:

Wownthats amazing!

Thanks Mike.  The passenger yard was installed about 4 years ago. All track is hand laid except the new passenger yard: got lazy in used commercial track.

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

Ross club weekly Tuesday night meeting.

With the 'temps' going to a -8 I wasn't expecting anyone to 'show up' but Mark and Nick did.

They operated the 2 new diesel sets.

Videos:

Seaboard (SAL) E6 A-B 43 car freight.

Tye:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=o9WpLDDRhRA

Departing Willmar:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3D2a6-KTaWs

Chumstick canyon trestle:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Elm_CRc2HlI

Skykomish:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nEaVRoj5LyM

Kansas City Southern (KCS) E3 A 18 'state of Maine' potato cars.

Departing Havre:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Wh-jAyBEmPY

Departing Willmar:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BECYsD3NZJg

Mark operating the KCS E3 A potato train.

Havre.

Nick operating the Seaboard (SAL) E6 A-B 43 car freight at Hillyard.

Seattle's freight yard and the Ore dock.

Glacier.

A meet at Waverly.

St. Paul's freight yard.

Chumstick canyon trestle.

Havre.

Hillyard.

Skykomish.

Nick 'switching' the 43 car freight train.

You know besides having an Amazing layout, you have a wonderful way of giving a play by play! I just love all the photos. And by knowing some of the places first hand you have hit them perfectly!

They still look good pulling freight!  I do think I recall when the passenger yard was put in.  Four years went by quickly.

Ross club weekly Tuesday night and Franklin, Indiana's train show.

Videos:

Seaboard (SAL) E-6 A-B 31 car freight:

Marias pass:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hsCZACi0Bis

Glacier:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=O3qfaRDXd6k

Hillyard:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HTG2DcAfSCs

D&RGW Krauss Maffei A-A 42 car freight:

Willmar:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gr_I338tPWc

Marias pass:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hlfqfjq5Eys

UP 2-tone grey 4-6-6-4 and Mark's diesels:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=w1Wt-VFZHBw

UP 2-tone grey 4-6-6-4 30 car freight:

Willmar:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gjWtq-mIC50

Tye:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=B1cck0EZgvc

Nick and Bob getting their 'motive power' at Seattle.

Joe dispatching.

Glacier.

Seaboard (SAL) E-6 A-B at Havre.

D&RGW Krauss Maffei A-A at Waverly.

Most of the sub roadbed is laminated homasote 'on edge'.

Chumstick canyon trestle.

Nick and Jerry at St. Paul's freight yard.

Nick and Bob.

Mark operating his own diesels.

Jerry 'switching' at Seattle.

GN C-1 0-8-0.

Joe, Mark and Nick.

Far end of the basement.

Mainline and logging on the left and St. Paul's freight yard on the right.

Mark's diesels at Skykomish.

Viewed from Tye's access hatch.

Tye

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

Franklin, Indiana's one day train show last Saturday.

Miles:104

Just one building.

A bought a few things.

Didn't need needle nose pliers but, for a buck, why not!

Some wire connectors at 50 cents each; something different so I purchased them.

N trak.

Large 'pre war' standard gauge layout.

3-rail.

Some nice oil paintings for only 20 bucks each.

This month's 2 layout visit video at our NMRA MCR DIV 7 meeting.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iInsX3M1Huc

Those WAGO connectors are great!  I used them on my layout for everything.  They hold wire great and are so easy to use with arthritis in my hands.

Stuff.

Finally getting to PM'ing the layout that I've been ignoring for the last several months.

The layout has been operating OK but a lot of rolling stock and engines need PM'ing and assembling.

Rolling stock.

Had to PM several freight cars.

Been cleaning the wheels the 'hard way' for the last 50 years using a flat tip screw driver and a Q-tip...

Much quicker and easier to soak a paper towel in acetone and run the car over it several times!

This freight car derailed and had plastic wheels.

Replaced them with Intermountain ones and much better...

after reaming out the plastic truck axle recesses to allow for the wider width wheel axles.

video:

'Test roll' on about a 0.25% grade, if that!

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=d1XPZbUnu7w

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

The 'cow catcher' on this newly acquired BLI diesel comes off easily so some canopy glue was used to secure it.

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

Attempted to install a ESU loksound decoder in a recently acquired NH DL-109 and I smoked the decoder.

I install decoders 'directly' in my steam engines but I tried using the manufacturer's 'mother board' and 'screwed up'.

Will remove the mother board and do it 'directly'.

Will be sending the decoder for repair/replacement.

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

BLI NYC 4-8-4 Niagara.

The engine was wobbling and it took me a few hours to figure it out.

Initially I thought it was the mechanism but, in the end, it just needed new traction tires!

The old ones were partially slipping causing the tire to form a 'bump' once in a while but return to its normal shape when I inspected it.

The box had extra traction tires,

The old one on the right are 'stretched'.

A hex screw driver is supplied to remove the driver.

Alcohol was used to remove any oil along the tread.

Video:

Runs much better now!

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oVuqXuC7cT4

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

Next is decoder, LED's install on the UP 4-12-2 #9000.

Wow Sam between the show and the maintenance you sure have been busy! But it is great that you take such great care of your trains and your wonderful layout! I guess that's why everyone enjoys it so much!

Thanks Mike.  It keeps me 'off the streets' at night!

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

UP 4-12-2 assembly plus PM some engines.

This is #9000 in its original grey boiler scheme.

Lots of parts to assemble.

TCS 1517 decoder will be installed in this engine.

All parts are laid out in order of which side and front to back.

They should be all the same on each side but I take 'no chances'!

They are 'hand made' so there could be 'variances'.

I put one more 'coat' of white paint on the side walls using a 'paint pen'.

Everything is assembled on it's back; left is forward.

Drivers arranged so insulation is on the far side.

Paint is scraped off where the 'bearings' are located.

Individual springs put back into the journals.

Assembled and oiled.

After each step, parts are checked for any binding.

I also check the circuit boards to insure I didn't install a driver 'back wards'.

Trucks, tender, lead and trailing wheels installed and lubed.

Lately I've been trimming grey foam to look like a coal pile and painting them black.

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

PM an ACL R-1 4-8-4.

The support for the piston rod solder joint came loose.

A quick solder fix and some touch up paint.

Yard tested.

All my engines gets lots of LED's.

Besides headlight (engine/tender), marker lights, running board lights, cab light, fire box glow and marker lights on the tender if 'so present'.

Back at the head of it's passenger consist.

===========

This RF&P 4-8-4 had tissue paper on the tender which tells me it needs a PM but I found nothing.

Sometimes the lights or sound may 'go out' but 'come back on' after the engine has been 'shut down' for several minutes.

It was nice that there was a set of decals for all the 'ginger bread' on this engine.

Another 'coal load' that needed painting.

That's it for today.  Tomorrow we have our NMRA MCR DIV 7 meeting with 2 layouts to visit.

The ACL and RF&P engines look great!