Weekend Photo Fun 3-8-24-??

Scott Smith

Over the past few weeks, I've posted images of the area near Spruce Creek, PA including my split entry model and Espy Grain and Beef supply. Well, today, I'm going to show you what's underneath those structures...Spruce Creek Tunnel, and more importantly, the curved access doors I built to gain access to the tunnel in case of a derailment or any other issues. Believe me, they were a real pain to build, and I'm glad that they are done. The doors just pull open and I think you can pretty much see how they work when you look at the images. Sorry about the glare. You can blame my relatively new panel lights for that!

That's it for this week. Enjoy!

A 2023 Christmas Layout memory

Another mini-scene on the 4'x8' plateau. 

First, an overall image of the plateau.  Important to note are: the car show, the lake, the tourist attraction of the dino park.

I mention those to make sense of why I included this hothouse/vegetable mini-scene where I did.

A broader look:

walt

I’ve recently been running my model of New Haven Railroad EMD FL9 #2043 made by Sunset/3^rdRail in 2013. It’s the only O gauge model of an FL9 that has been produced to date. Thirty FL9s entered service on the New Haven Railroad in 1956 and another thirty were delivered in 1960.

The New Haven Railroad was in bankruptcy from 1961 until it was merged into the Penn Central Railroad in 1969. During those years, New Haven passenger consists were often composed of disparate types of cars. The train in my first video includes heavyweight parlor car “Great Republic” (1930 – Yankee Clipper),  Osgood-Bradley “American Flyer” coach #8204 (1934), and stainless-steel-clad observation car Bunker Hill (1948 – Merchant’s Limited).

The second video includes the sound of the FL9’s Hancock whistle as recorded from the Sunset model of New Haven #2043. The whistle is mounted on the upper part of the windshield post and was installed on all sixty New Haven FL9s. I used to hear those whistles when Metro-North ran FL9s in Connecticut.

MELGAR

Going 'over the mountain' to run trains today with a friend who has a large basement layout under construction. These are Williams E7s that are very nice but clearly exhibit the infamous 'high water' look of their diesels!

Melgar

Those Bradley Pullman cars are so pretty!

Prepping for the train show this weekend…..

Have a great and safe weekend folks!

Peter

Strasburg 90 has been sold to the Bellevue and Schenectady RR   check it out!!!

@scott.smith posted:

I have been working on my Tin City Zoo.

Scott Smith

Scott - I love the toy train on the toy train layout!  Reminds me of this XKCD Model Trains Cartoon

@c.sam posted:

Melgar

Those Bradley Pullman cars are so pretty!

@c.sam,

Thank you. I agree.

MELGAR

Thanks Scott for getting us rolling today!   Here's my photos of the fun kind for this fine weekend!   Have a terrific weekend everyone!

Bustling downtown Lower Patsburg.  

Pennsy diner sits on a siding.  This is a MTH diner with customized interior by Jack Pearce. Th car's interior includes candles on each table, full place settings, a waiter and a few patrons.

Powerful diesel meets powerful steam as folks in the elevated trolly look on and a short freight train trundles across a Bollman truss bridge.  Of course JAHN'S sells ice cream and Pepsi year round.

A N&W Y6b meets a Reading Train Master

A tank car in need of repairs has been set out on a siding.  

@trumpettrain posted:

Here's my photos of the fun kind for this fine weekend!  

Patrick, your layout offers endless possibilities for scene shots like these, great job as usual!

Gene

Didn't get much scenery work done this week, but I did mange to run some trains and pick up this 1973 Golden State Arrow set ( the first with the then new GP20)

Fast forward to late 1968 - Still lettered for its former owner, Penn Central NW2 8688 is seen drilling some boxcars at the brewery -

Fast forward even more, to the 1990's and the tracks now belong to Conrail as we see a B40-8 leading an intermodal train over Cowan Creek.

Bringing up the rear, is a former PRR N5C cabin car -

The Christopolis City Park in winter.

The Christopolis City Zoo and the upscale shopping district on King's Avenue.

The Disney Park is fun and festive, even in winter.

Set up began today for a private show for the residents of the Armed Forces Retirement Home in Northwest DC. This is an annual show by the National Capital Trackers and I am proud to participate for the 1st time.

First, we start with a clean palette………..

Then, the room begins to change!

Set up finishes in the morning……….and, I couldn’t resist taking a pic of an H Street trolley on my way back qto my daughters’s home in Capitol Hill.

More pics from the show wil be posted soon. While we were setting up at least 25 resisdents came into the room, telling us how much they enjoy the annual show and how they look forward to it each year……

Peter

@Christopher2035 posted:

Didn't get much scenery work done this week, but I did mange to run some trains and pick up this 1973 Golden State Arrow set ( the first with the then new GP20)

Awesome Christopher!

Dave

@luvindemtrains posted:

Awesome Christopher!

Dave

Thank you Dave

We marked what would have been my dad's 80th birthday this past Wednesday with a small family gathering at my mom's house.  Of course,  that included some time in his train room to run his trains. I grabbed a few random photos. He scratch built several of the structures on his layout.

Rob

@Putnam Division posted:

Set up began today for a private show for the residents of the Armed Forces Retirement Home in Northwest DC. This is an annual show by the National Capital Trackers and I am proud to participate for the 1st time.

First, we start with a clean palette………..

Then, the room begins to change!

Set up finishes in the morning……….and, I couldn’t resist taking a pic of an H Street trolley on my way back qto my daughters’s home in Capitol Hill.

More pics from the show wil be posted soon. While we were setting up at least 25 resisdents came into the room, telling us how much they enjoy the annual show and how they look forward to it each year……

Peter

Wonderful Peter, another highest and best use for model trains. Arnold

A few shots of the layout this nice morning here on CA’s Central Coast:

Here’s an addendum to my post above. My daughter stopped by and she was kind enough to take a video of me opening the tunnel access doors that I just finished building on my layout and featured in my post above. Watch the video, you’ll see exactly how they work.

@MELGAR posted:

I’ve recently been running my model of New Haven Railroad EMD FL9 #2043 made by Sunset/3^rdRail in 2013. It’s the only O gauge model of an FL9 that has been produced to date. Thirty FL9s entered service on the New Haven Railroad in 1956 and another thirty were delivered in 1960.

The New Haven Railroad was in bankruptcy from 1961 until it was merged into the Penn Central Railroad in 1969. During those years, New Haven passenger consists were often composed of disparate types of cars. The train in my first video includes heavyweight parlor car “Great Republic” (1930 – Yankee Clipper),  Osgood-Bradley “American Flyer” coach #8204 (1934), and stainless-steel-clad observation car Bunker Hill (1948 – Merchant’s Limited).

The second video includes the sound of the FL9’s Hancock whistle as recorded from the Sunset model of New Haven #2043. The whistle is mounted on the upper part of the windshield post and was installed on all sixty New Haven FL9s. I used to hear those whistles when Metro-North ran FL9s in Connecticut.

MELGAR

That's a great horn (or whistle), very melodic , I can see why you remember it.

New Atlas O ES44 and some other MTH 2-rail diesels, including the SD40-2 with fixed pilots.  More photos on other thread. Click Here

Rich,

The diesels look great. I know you will move the trucks in and probably close up the gap. How's the layout coming? Will you have layout updates or another video series on the build?

Dave

@Rich Battista Those engines look great and your two-rail layout is coming along nicely. I look forward to seeing your progress. Regarding the SD40-2, is that one that MTH offered 2 railed or did you mod a 3 rail one?

@Arnold D. Cribari posted:

Wonderful Peter, another highest and best use for model trains. Arnold

Thank you!

Peter

@Genemed posted:

Patrick, your layout offers endless possibilities for scene shots like these, great job as usual!

Gene

Thanks so much for the kind words Gene!

Dave,

     You know me well.  lol.  The layout is going very well and going up as planned.   I will eventually do at least one video.  I thought about weekly updates here or on Youtube but it adds a lot of work. 

bigboy25,

  Thanks.  That is an MTH SD40-2 that was never made in 2-rail (with fixed pilots), but it still is proto 3/2 engine so I put on scale wheels and fixed the pilot using a Lionel pilot.   I did a whole thread on it years ago. click here MTH SD40-2 with fixed pilot.  I know it is not accurate, but its looks and sounds great. 

Here is a sneak peak of my progress.

@Rich Battista posted:

Dave,

     You know me well.  lol.  The layout is going very well and going up as planned.   I will eventually do at least one video.  I thought about weekly updates here or on Youtube but it adds a lot of work.

bigboy25,

  Thanks.  That is an MTH SD40-2 that was never made in 2-rail (with fixed pilots), but it still is proto 3/2 engine so I put on scale wheels and fixed the pilot using a Lionel pilot.   I did a whole thread on it years ago. click here MTH SD40-2 with fixed pilot.  I know it is not accurate, but its looks and sounds great.

Here is a sneak peak of my progress.

Rich,

Thanks for the update. Yes, I have carefully studied your videos and know the "Rich Way" enough to be dangerous. You certainly are hard at work. Maybe a layout thread can be an option. You post when you feel like it and not on any kind of schedule. I'm sure many would be interested in your progress reports with the new build.

Dave

Ran with the Trackers at the Armed Forces Retirement Home in DC this past weekend…

@dk122trains posted:

Strasburg 90 has been sold to the Bellevue and Schenectady RR   check it out!!!

Great work! This looks amazing!