Weekend Photo Fun 1-10-25-??

Scott Smith

A few months ago, I had some weekend photo fun by running three locomotives simultaneously on my 12’-by-8’ layout – New Haven Alco S-2 #0615 (MTH), Boston & Albany D-1a 4-6-6T #400 (Lionel), and Boston & Maine F3 #4227 (Sunset/3rd Rail).

MELGAR

The Conrail Geeps are still hauling mixed freight as the week starts out, while the coal train has been transferred to a pair of PennCentral RS-11s.

Snow removal continues as the Conrail Geeps transfer their duties to hauling the Juice Train north.

One short video……

Peter

Here is my new Halloween F19 and Engine of the Year 2024.

Out for a morning jog.

Taking a smoke break

Running my latest purchase, Lionel GP9 UP #312.

Gene

Here are some photos of my new Lionel U28C's in PRR, PC, and Conrail paint schemes:

First, PRR:

Now here's Conrail:

And finally, Penn Central:

Like the correct colors and fonts? You can thank my son Steven. He researched them carefully and worked closely with Lionel to make sure everything was prototypical!

That's it for this week. Enjoy!

Here are a few shots and a short video from my club setup at this past weekend's Greenberg show in Monroeville, PA:

More than a few of us love to run double-headed steam when we can.  Here is a short video of double double-headed PRR steam :

Andy

A view of the "Charles Street yard"...

I started taking down the Christmas layout 3 days ago so I guess I can get back to using:

A 2024 Christmas layout memory

Starting off with a 30 second overview.  Taken by my brother on his iPhone.

- walt

(the video seems to repeat itself for some viewers but not all.  it only should last 30 seconds)

2024 Christmas layout

Thanks Scott for getting us started for this fine weekend!  I love your M1000!! Great photos/videos everyone!

Here are some fresh pics of my layout with new camera angles.  Recently I've been doing lots of work on the layout and in order to do the work, I've had to access areas that are rarely accessed ... so why not snap a few photos from those areas!   Have a terrific and safe weekend everyone!  

For all of these scenes I'm standing where the lake once was.   I had to temporarily remove the lake so I could gain access to Mt. Randolph and the back of the layout.  

Here is Union Station ( by Atlas O ... an E bay find for $25.00 ) in which I installed a light fixture, replaced the original covered station platform extension with a smaller high open platform ... thereby increasing viewers visibility of trains running along the back of the layout.  I like the "cleaner" look!    Although this structure is not what we think of as being a "Union Station", it serves the passenger trains of several railroads ... B&O, Western Maryland, Pennsy, N&W, Reading and Ma & Pa.  Yep, it's a small but busy station!

Here's the west tunnel portal on the Mountain Division.  Notice the HO scale hiking figures on top of the mountain.  I used these figures to obtain a forced perspective.

The morning sun beckoned a photo of this farm scene.  

Busy morning moving freight today:

@trumpettrain posted:

For all of these scenes I'm standing where the lake once was.   I had to temporarily remove the lake so I could gain access to Mt. Randolph and the back of the layout.  

Here is Union Station ( by Atlas O ... an E bay find for $25.00 ) in which I installed a light fixture, replaced the original covered station platform extension with a smaller high open platform ... thereby increasing viewers visibility of trains running along the back of the layout.  I like the "cleaner" look!    Although this structure is not what we think of as being a "Union Station", it serves the passenger trains of several railroads ... B&O, Western Maryland, Pennsy, N&W, Reading and Ma & Pa.  Yep, it's a small but busy station!

Patrick, this is an excellent view for videos. It’s too bad you can’t access it when you’re finished.

Gene

Running Standard Gauge trains with the SGMA at Winterthur a couple of weeks ago…

@Genemed posted:

Patrick, this is an excellent view for videos. It’s too bad you can’t access it when you’re finished.

Gene

Gene - agreed!  I will take many videos before I re-install the lake.  That being said, the lake is removable ... it just take some doing to remove it and then again to re-install.  I hope to someday put a piano hinge on the underside of the lake so that it drops down like a trap door.  I've almost gotten the elevated trolley line completed so that the trolley will now run the full length of my layout.  Having three trains running on the lower level plus the trolly on the EL will make for a very interesting video.  

@trumpettrain posted:

Gene - agreed!  I will take many videos before I re-install the lake. Having three trains running on the lower level plus the trolly on the EL will make for a very interesting video.  

It certainly will, looking forward to it.

Gene

Hey MartyE,

Loved the whistle on the Halloween train.  Caused my dog to jerk upright on the couch because it sounded so much like a wolf howl!

@NJCJOE, the oil derrick in the left forefront looks amazing.  What can you tell us about it?

@MELGAR,  Mel is the track the RS1 occupies a siding off the track through the rock cut or is for static display only?

Been trying to get together with Steve M and Bob at his home to run some trains but weather and health issues have kept us from getting together since mid November. Here are a few misc images from last year.

@coach joe posted:

@MELGAR,  Mel is the track the RS1 occupies a siding off the track through the rock cut or is for static display only?

@coach joe,

Joe,

B&M #4227 is on the outer O72 loop which has a passing siding on the other side of the layout. B&A #400 is on the O54 loop and New Haven #0668 (RS-1) is on the passing siding of the O54 loop. So I can only run on one of those O54 tracks at a time. New Haven #0615 (S-2) is on the O36 inner loop which has no turnouts and is just an oval. The O72 and O54 loops operate from the two throttles of a Z4000 transformer. The O36 loop (with the rock cut) operates independently from another Z4000 transformer. On the O72 and O54 loops, Atlas SPST controllers at the transformer allow power to be directed to the main line or the passing siding. This allows 5 trains to be on the layout at once - of which 3 can run at one time. In the first photo, you can also see the lower yard which has 4 tracks and scenery leading to two tunnels but is not wired for operation. It was made just to complete the scene beneath the bridges and for parking of locomotives and rolling stock. The O54 passing siding crosses the yard on a girder bridge that is positioned between the two truss bridges.

Also pictured below is a CAD model that shows the track plan and 3-d models of the bridges and tunnels. I made it on an ancient CAD system when I was building the railroad between 1999 and 2004. You can also see from the CAD image that there is a stub siding off the O54 passing siding. It is wired for operation but I never run it...

MELGAR

Santa Fe 4-4-2 with PRR passenger cars

@coach joe posted:

@NJCJOE, the oil derrick in the left forefront looks amazing.  What can you tell us about it?

Not too much. My friend gave it to me. It was mounted on a wooden base with a platform next to it. Almost looked like a desk display. I decided to take it apart and use the derrick and some of the detail parts on this scene.

@MELGAR, I know the layout has some display tracks that are perpendicular to the mains on a lower level but didn't remember about that siding.  Thanks for including the layout plan.

@NJCJOE, thanks for the reply Joe.  I didn't know if you had built out of a kit or not.  That's a good friend giving you such a nice piece that you could incorporate into your layout.  Kinda like the architectural models the NJHRs have gotten their hands on and incorporated into that layout.

One more. Christmas 2024.

Taking the Christmas tree and underlying display down today...decided to take a break and give the Lionel 290E set a spin around the basement layout before packing it up:

Would like to think some lucky kid might have received this for Christmas some 88 years ago. Runs like a dream...already thinking about what to run in 2025.

PD