Weekend Photo Fun 12-13-24-??

Take a ride on my tinplate layout.

Scott Smith

Photo and video show New York Central 0-4-0 #901 (MTH 20-3261-1) making its way around the south curve on the O-36 inner loop of my 12’-by-8’ layout with two boxcars and a caboose. The track passes through a narrow rock-cut. I tried to create some interesting scenery on this inner loop to disguise the smallness of the O-36 oval and to give the impression that the trains are going somewhere. I rarely run trains on it but, when I do, I use slow locomotives and short trains at low speeds

MELGAR

Lionel TMCC E6

Running some trains with MU or double-headed power.  Every engine in these photos is powered.  Only the PA1 B-unit (PB-1) does not have sound (yet)

Added:  Hope to have a powered/sound B-unit soon for my freight sharks.

All Aboard!

In this video I will take you to Strasburg Railroad. Railroad Museum of Pennsylvania, Caboose Motel & B&O Railroad Museum. Along with running Lionel’s new Doodlebug. 🚂

Thanks for watching: Hope to see you out rail-fanning. 🚂

Lots of great trains this past week at the modular display. Last Saturday was "Kids Day at the Train Station” and the estimated crowd was over 1500 people.......

Lots of fun and excitement! Santa had a long line off to the side. If you live near Central Virginia, come by and see us. The link to the GBGH Show is on our website, below. We are there until January 18th.

Have a great and safe weekend, everyone!

Peter

Yesterday, I drove up to DC......to join up with my other modular group, the National Capitol Trackers, and help set up for their College Park Aviation Museum show.....I also got to see my granddaughter in the AM on the way up and at dinner on the way back to Richmond.......

I also noticed continued progress on the construction of DC's light rail Purple Line. I am on Riverdale Road facing west......with the crossing of Kenilworth Rd in the distance.....

For those of you in the DC/NOVA/Baltimore/Annapolis area there are two modular show being put on by the National Capitol Trackers this weekend.......both are Friday, Saturday and Sunday.

In College Park at the Aviation Museum as noted about and near Downtown Manassas at the YMCA.

Check out the National capitol Tracers webside at www.nationalcapitoltrackers.org for times and information.

Peter

A trip back to 1920s Germany. This is a Kittel Dampftriebawagen (steam powered rail car) and these saw service in south western Germany and parts of Switzerland until the early 1950s. What a way to travel!

One more 'final' 2023 Christmas layout memory

Last Friday in Scott's thread I mentioned I have used all of my available pictures of the layout so I showed 2 of my 5 favorite ones.  Today I show 2 more of my 5 favorites

- walt

Between the tree vendor's set-up and holiday shopping at the department stores, activity was brisk in the city last night...

Just pulled a random photo out of the files to post this week. Here is an area I really haven't posted too many photos of....the western end of Spruce Creek Tunnel. Here a quartet of early Conrail era GP-35's approach the tunnel. The lead engine was a botched Lionel unit that they forgot to print the Conrail graphics on the side and the nose as I recall. You were supposed to return the shells for a corrected one which we did, but then bought another unit to which my son added the nose decaled it to make it look like the transitional units so typical of that era. The Altoona engine servicing area can be seen in the distance.

@PRRMiddleDivision posted:

Just pulled a random photo out of the files to post this week. Here is an area I really haven't posted too many photos of....the western end of Spruce Creek Tunnel. Here a quartet of early Conrail era GP-35's approach the tunnel. The lead engine was a botched Lionel unit that they forgot to print the Conrail graphics on the side and the nose as I recall. You were supposed to return the shells for a corrected one which we did, but then bought another unit to which my son added the nose decaled it to make it look like the transitional units so typical of that era. The Altoona engine servicing area can be seen in the distance.

Neal, great Conrail pic from your layout above!  It reminds me of a pic my brother snapped in Worcester, MA in the good ole' days of CR many years ago...

Here's a photo of scrap buggies in front of Furnace No. 13 in the Open Hearth.

George

Running with the Trackers at the Manassas Boys and Girls club Friday night, Saturday and Sunday…

@Craignor posted:

Running with the Trackers at the Manassas Boys and Girls club Friday night, Saturday and Sunday…

Looks great, Craig!

Peter

From under the tree.

@Craignor posted:

Running with the Trackers at the Manassas Boys and Girls club Friday night, Saturday and Sunday…

Is there anything more "Christmassy" than beautiful tin-plate seasonal trains?  I don't think so.

thanks @Craignor

- walt

I would like to share another group of pictures from my Grandfather’s bridge building days.

In the 40s, a project was started to build a dam on the Cumberland river in Kentucky.  The reservoir impacted many communities and businesses, including the Southern Railroad at Burnside Kentucky. My grandfather’s employer was contracted to replace the old bridge due to the impending flood that would make it unusable.

The old bridge was heavily photographed already with its sweeping curves and a tunnel on the north bank.  The new bridge would be higher and allow a cut to replace any tunnels.

This is a picture of the old bridge that is now gone.  The tunnel is still occasionally visible when water levels allow.

Below are several pictures of the construction of the new bridge

If you look closely at the pier, you can see a man on his daily commute to work, which included a climb up the wooden constructed ladder.  No way I would try that.

I have many more pictures of the construction, but I’ll stop at a good pic when it was nearing completion.

The bridge is important to my grandfather’s careers.  He started with Southern Railway before the war and made many trips over the predecessor bridge as a fireman on the steam engines.  He then took a job with a bridge engineering company and help build the new bridge.  After his bridge building career, he went back to Southern to complete his years to get his railroad pension.  During that time he crossed the bridge many times as an engineer in the 60s and early 70s.

To not violate any posting rules, this is a link to a video of the bridge today that is still an essential connection between Cincinnati and many points south, including Chattanooga and New Orleans.

https://youtu.be/9AC34MwU7Zk?si=2fahUJWUud_2FF5b

Fascinating stuff. It's amazing to watch that great video and get a sense of the depth of the river. Clearly the piers are different lengths but with the water present they are all the same height. The story you share of your grandfather shows he was not only a hard working man but very intelligent. Thanks for sharing.

Dave

I received these new Atlas O hoppers from Brian at Legacy Station this week.

Neal Jeter

@Capetrainman posted:

Neal, great Conrail pic from your layout above!  It remines me of a pic my brother snapped in Worcester, MA in the good ole' days of CR many years ago...

Yes, those were the days. I sure miss Conrail. Thanks for posting!

A photo from Xmas past

@Mikki posted:

Mikki, beautiful Xmas tree and holiday layout...always enjoy the "reflection" of the lights in a nearby window...

@Capetrainman, Thank you so much. I also like the reflection of the lights. I also like how the blueness of the evening sky mirrors the blue (SNOW) LED lights on the lower light and complement the orange walls. I think that is the artist in me surfacing! I was an art teacher for 33 years and can never stop critiquing, even my own work.

Mikk