Weekend Photo Fun 1-13-23-??

As a youngster, I used to watch the Long Island Rail Road in Sunnyside Yard and ride it into New York City on the Babylon Line, so I still enjoy running LIRR model trains, one of which is 4-6-0 ten-wheeler camelback #18, a Lionel Legacy model (SKU:2131420 - MSRP $649.99) based on a Central Railroad of New Jersey prototype that looks very much like those that ran on Long Island.

The Long Island Rail Road became a subsidiary of the Pennsylvania Railroad in 1900 and in later years bought and leased various types of PRR steam engines including K-class Pacifics, H-class Consolidations, and G-5s ten-wheelers. Prior to the takeover, while it was still independent in the 1890s, the LIRR began to acquire camelbacks with 4-4-0, 4-6-0 and 2-8-0 wheel arrangements. Between 1901 and 1903, fifteen 4-6-0 camelbacks of the G54-class were purchased from Baldwin, including #18. These ten-wheelers continued to haul high-speed passenger trains to the Hamptons into the 1920s, until they began to be replaced by 31 G-5s 4-6-0s built by the PRR at Juniata. According to “Steel Rails to the Sunrise” (Amereon House, 1987) by Ron Ziel and George Foster, the camelbacks were “big, powerful and reliable.” In 1924, the Long Island Rail Road honored six of its most senior engineers by putting their names on the cabs of their locomotives, one of which was James C. Eichhorn on camelback #18, as Lionel has done on its model. Eichhorn was number one in seniority on the railroad and the father of two sons who became LIRR engineers. He began his employment in 1887 and retired in 1937. Camelback ten-wheeler #18 was retired in 1929.

Photos and videos show my model of LIRR #18 running on my 12’-by-8’ layout with heavyweight passenger cars including parlor car #2000 “Montauk” by MTH.

MELGAR

A 2022 Christmas Layout memory

Last week I showed the finished/scenicked product.  As I was taking it down earlier this week I saw how much easier it was to show the track design with no scenery.

walt

LAST WEEK

AFTER REMOVING SCENERY:

A video from my Lionel Class A Full Review (available on my Channel) w/ Dave Olson calling the shots and a few pictures.  The smoke box looks spot on IMO.

All Photos and Videos are my own!

I have a variety of things to post today. First here are some new additions to the layout. The first photo shows a pair of Lionel Penn Central RS 27’s. I purchased a pair and also purchased a pair of a special run of a Pennsylvania Railroad version made for Mr. Muffins trains (only one of the Pennsylvania railroad versions and it is in view. They both have the same road number.)

Now here’s a photo of four RMT tank cars I just received. While RMT cars are not typically considered a high-end scale type freight car,  for the money, they are fantastic. They are scale size and have great detailing. The platform is removable and I took it off which is a great added feature. At $29.95 you, can’t beat the price!!

Next, I am in the process of installing the tunnels at Spruce Creek. I’ve already ballasted the track with the towels with black ballast. Now I am installing tunnel liners so you don’t see any bench work or there would when you look through the tunnel portal

Finally, here is a shot of a quartet of early Penn Central era diesels. These were the ones pulling the freight train in the video that I posted last week. Right now the train is being pulled by the RS 27’s seen in the first photograph in today’s post. I temporarily placed this quartet of engines over in front of Mifflin tower.

That’s it for today! Enjoy!

Thanks Scott for getting us rolling for this fine weekend!   Here are some photos of the fun kind from around the layout.  Have a great weekend everyone!!

Here is a picture I took from my bucket truck this morning. This nice display is mounted on the second story of the DuPage Childrens Museum Naperville Illinois. Also, a couple pictures I took for M. Mitchell Marmel this week in Aurora.  Anyone who follows Mitch knows he has a like for the Lionel Giraffe cars or giraffes in general. If you look closely there's a bird's nest in the mouth.

Pump by the creek.

As a group we've been running trains for the public every weekend since Nov 19-20......and, still with great enthusiasm. I am proud of the effort my team has shown. Here are some pictures from week 8:

Have a great and safe weekend, folks!

Peter

Here are some shots from the PIHR setup at this past weekend's Greenberg show in Monroeville.  This was the first time we brought a turntable and roundhouse to a Greenberg show in a very long time.  We used them to move engines on and off the inside two mainlines, move rolling stock around the yard and move engines in and out of the roundhouse, and the crowds enjoyed the show every time.

And here is our annual Kennywood Train Ride video:

Andy

Good morning, everyone!  I took some images of the front end of my American Freedom Train for my files, so I thought why not post them here.  Tom (forum member Krieglok) modified the GGD HW combine into the tool car, and the wagons on the AtlasO flatcars are some samples Alan Nelson sent me (he is currently designing/building the 10 wagons I need).  The engine is MTH.

My son Joshua shot the live video this week.

Scott Smitb

@CAPPilot posted:

Good morning, everyone!  I took some images of the front end of my American Freedom Train for my files, so I thought why not post them here.  Tom (forum member Krieglok) modified the GGD HW combine into the tool car, and the wagons on the AtlasO flatcars are some samples Alan Nelson sent me (he is currently designing/building the 10 wagons I need).  The engine is MTH.

NICE! How many Atlas O flats did you need and where did you get the Forklift?

@prrhorseshoecurve posted:

NICE! How many Atlas O flats did you need and where did you get the Forklift?

Thank you.  The train is slowly coming together.

You need three flatcars for the 10 wagons and three vehicles.  The actual ones on the train were F85, so the AtlasO 89'4" cars are the only ones that will work if you want to stay scale.  Painted them white with a gray deck based on photos I have.

I bought the forklift a while ago and I could not find anything about it.  It is 1:43 and was yellow/black when I got it, plus it only remotely looked like the actual one used on the train.  I bought it after giving up on finding a more correct looking forklift.

I did not do the best paint job on the forklift or the Blazer.  Thinking of buying new ones (and the correct year for the Blazer) and sending to Tom to do a better paint job.  Here is what they looked like before painting.

Night is falling and it's now the blue hour. But the trains have a schedule and keep moving. Here an NYO&W coal drag powered by a an ABBA F3 set pulls through town while the caboose of a general merchandise freight drifts into the darkness. In the background, a NYO&W crane waits the next call to duty.

Chris

LVHR

Yesterday, my brother sent me a picture of a trolley he rode in Philadelphia maybe 50 years ago. I sent him this picture of my Philadelphia trolley making it’s way down my city street here in California:

                                                                    CNJ

@MichRR714 posted:

What is this?

@Burl posted:

Nice looking layout…….is that yours?

Peter

@Putnam Division posted:

Nice looking layout…….is that yours?

Peter

Thank you!  Yes, it's mine, in my basement.  After 4 years and two moves I've finally managed to have space for it all.

@falconservice posted:

What is this?

MTH  South Shore (the other South Shore in Minnesota and the U.P.) Baldwin AS616's. I believe they came in PS1.

@falconservice posted:

What is this?

Duluth, South Shore & Atlantic Baldwin AS-616

Brand new MTH PS3 special run from Pat's Trains.  First time these have been offered.  Pat did both the RS1 and the Baldwin as special runs.  I marked up the project for him with MTH.

@Burl posted:

Thank you!  Yes, it's mine, in my basement.  After 4 years and two moves I've finally managed to have space for it all.

It is fabulous!

Peter

@Burl posted:

Thank you!  Yes, it's mine, in my basement.  After 4 years and two moves I've finally managed to have space for it all.

I also agree nice layout.  But why a N&W passenger consist behind a Pennsy S1?

Ron

@Burl posted:

Thank you!  Yes, it's mine, in my basement.  After 4 years and two moves I've finally managed to have space for it all.

Very nice layout and trains. Reminds me of Roanoke.

MELGAR

@PRRronbh posted:

I also agree nice layout.  But why a N&W passenger consist behind a Pennsy S1?

Ron

Could have been possible.  I know Pennsy GG1s pulled Southern Railway passenger consists from DC north per an operations agreement.

@PRRronbh posted:

I also agree nice layout.  But why a N&W passenger consist behind a Pennsy S1?

Ron

Well, here's my logic:  Coal Spring (and the real life town of Gilbert) are pretty deep in Appalachia.  So, if one of the railroads wanted to try out a borrowed piece of equipment as research, it's a good place to do experimental trials without tarnishing their image "out east."  The N&W, C&O, and Virginian all three ran to Gilbert at one time.  I just liked the S1 and a couple of other Pennsy engines (I have a GG1 as well, and am keeping the door open for another), so this is my logic of how they appear on the CS&G RR.  Simply a bit of whimsy.

@MELGAR posted:

Very nice layout and trains. Reminds me of Roanoke.

MELGAR

Thank you!

@CAPPilot posted:

Could have been possible.  I know Pennsy GG1s pulled Southern Railway passenger consists from DC north per an operations agreement.

I would love to know what railroads ran engines and/or train cars of different railroads, and what those railroads were. Could be a very interesting new Forum topic.

Will let one of you folks have a chance to start such a topic. If no one does after a while, I might do it. I think such a topic would belong in the Real Trains Forum. Arnold

A truck carrying pickle barrels pulls up to the farmers market, waiting for the next train to pass after having made it's weekly delivery.

A rare view from behind the layout. Semi-trailers are being unloaded at the depot, the local yard goat steaming away on the house track. Meanwhile, a local freight with an FA on the point passes. At the far end of the track, the Rotary Snowplow is resting.

Construction of some new homes is starting in town, in the meantime. I'm thinking of adding two more Cape Cods to compliment my vintage "House Under Construction". I'd be interested in everyones thoughts!

The SOO LINE GP30 locomotive from Lionel has an operating strobe light.

Andrew

I just love this video, which is the last one I shot today with my Samsung Galaxy S21 Ultra smartphone camera:

I can imagine seeing something very similar 75 years ago at trackside railfanning in Northern Westchester County, NY (where I have lived for the past 42 years) along The Put.

My primary goal for my trains and layout  furing the past 3 years is to replicate The Put by adding trains and layout features reminiscent of The Put. This video is very satisfying to me because  I believe it shows that I've made some progress in achieving my goal. Arnold