Weekend Photo Fun 6-14-24-??

Some shots of my new Lionel Aux tender. Subject of my latest YouTube video.

Railroading in New England was dominated by the New Haven Railroad to the south and the Boston & Maine Railroad to the north. Between them, the Boston & Albany Railroad and its 4-6-6T tank engines ran in an east-west direction.

My video for this weekend shows Boston & Albany tank engine #400 (Lionel) running between New Haven Alco S-2 #0615 (MTH) and Boston & Maine EMD F3 #4227 (Sunset/3^rd Rail) on my 12’-by-8’ layout.

MELGAR

Here are a couple of pix of new acquisitions -- both custom runs from Stockyard Express:

And here are a few pix of steel mill cars that can be seen at the Carrie Blast Furnaces National Historic Landmark in Pittsburgh.  I was there this past Saturday for a beer festival, and I have toured the site in the past -- I highly recommend the tours for anyone in the Pittsburgh area or who can manage on a visit to the area.  I enjoyed the tour so much, I want to do it again.

Andy

New Haven and Penn Central action this week......

The New Haven switcher is delivering a special cargo to save a life!

Initial painting is done! Building starting to rise.....

Have a great and safe weekend, folks.......

Peter

Scott Smith

A few quick videos......

Have a great and safe weekend, everyone!

Peter

Happy Friday!    I'm in NYC for 2 weeks, so no new work on the layout, but I did take some shots before I left -

I also stopped by Draude's Derailment in Lebanon, PA  ( a MUST stop every time I drive back up) & picked up a few things. The highlights are the Chessie GP20, PC GP7 (had one as a kid but it's been long gone) & a 1970 catalog (first of the MPC era).

A 2023 Christmas Layout memory

- walt

LGB mogul takes it turn on the layout

I have finally finished my 3rd Rail Anniversary Allegheny project:

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

As he rides the rears step of the town trash truck this morning, sanitation worked Willy Higgins thinks to himself TGIF!!  

It seems that Ma & Pa gas motor car number 62 is having mechanical problems and Ma & Pa SW1 number 70 has been called out for the rescue.  Brakeman Hank Mobley directs the backup move to couple on to 62.  

Number 70 does some switching chores and Hank directs the action.

Later that same evening motor car 62 is back in full swing as it glides by the grade crossing at Patsburg Ave heading  to the Patsburg Commuter Station just down the tracks about a quarter mile.  

The hotel was one of my favorite kits(Banta Model Works) with some nice detail.

Gene

Just another day in the Ozarks...

Things are a mite calm down at the Ozarka engine house area on this cool autumn morning. The Engine Shop Foreman, Ol' Jess Hargar, sits in the seat of idlin' GP7 #409 whiles sippin' on some coffee from his thermos before he begins the chore of readying the trio of engines for their day ahead.
Later in the day, #409 will be leaving with the Sweetgum Turn. The Sweetgum Turn will be under the ever-seein' eye of Conductor "Stringbean" Collins with hogger "Biscuit" McHollister doing the honors in the hot seat.

Behind the #409 is GP7 #412. That engine will be put on the Piney Turn. That job will be under the overlookin' of the gruff ol' Conductor "Big Dog" Granderson, with "Squirrel "Sudmiller twidlin' the sticks. (Squirrel is the squirrel huntin'est one of them Ozarka boys. I swear, I think that boy'd rather be huntin' squirrels than jist about anythin'!)

Then there's that old Alco RS-3 #255. That's gonna' be the power fer the job that "Red" Baughman Conductor) and "Coondog" Bivens (hogger) hold down: The Ozarka Switcher.
The Ozarka Switcher ain't the gravy job one would think it wuz... they's got their hands full over the course of their day: Switchin' the Ozarka customers, Ozark Forest Products, Team 1, an' Team 2. (All of 'em need runaround moves to work as well as get out from under the out bounds.) They also gotta' build the Piney Turn and the Sweetgum turn, as well as block the out bounds from the industries. Oh, an' on top of all this... they's often called upon to shove a train up over The Mountain, or go rescue one that laid down. Them's busy boys on the Ozarka Switcher.

BUT... it's a 'nuther gorgeous day in the Ozarks, an' the autumn colors are a' bustin' out all over the mountains. It's a grand day to be railroadin'!

However, 'tis a shame Squirrel has to work fer a livin'... or you could bet yer bottom dollar that he'd be out in the squirrel woods doin' his best to be makin' a dent in the squirrel population!

About the above...

Every now and then I just get an urge to snap a pic somewhere on the layout.

And that's what prompted the pic above, which is nothing more than a look at the current power that's been at Ozarka for a while. Reality is, until I get some more road units in paint, the current engines will pretty much be staying at Ozarka for a while longer.

Also, for some odd reason, I get a kick out of spinning a yarn about the KC&G, which was prompted by that pic. For me, such yarns breath life into my KC&G.

In fact, I freely admit that I enjoy the mental shenanigans that accompany modeling the KC&G's Ozark Sub.

It's so much fun that over the decades, I've come up with the names for the crews and assigning them to jobs. In fact, most of the figures that will be appearing on the layout will be named. (I have high ambitions in that regard. Whether I'll ever get around to actually doing such remains to be seen, but it sure is fun to plan ahead for it.)

I confess that over the decades over at least two or three layouts, I've created fictional essays about my layout and crews/characters therein!

Silly? Perhaps. But it's fun to me, as well as others that enjoy them, too. (i.e. Personal friends and at other forums I frequent.)

Oh, and believe it or not, several of us (KC&G operators) have a lot of fun role playing our crews during an op session! Most of us try to get "in character" and have a lot of fun with the imaginary crew members of the KC&G!

You know, decades ago, in the Keller Kalmbach Video series, during Allen Keller's interview of Allen McClelland, Keller made mention of the imaginary lawsuit by Allen's Mac's model railroad friend Lew(?) Santel. It seems Lew's freelance model railroad was in the process of suing Allen's freelance V&O, so Keller asked Allen "do you enjoy the lawsuit?"

To that, Allen McClelland chuckled and replied: "Yes I do. It's all part of the fun of model railroading!".

I think it helps to have a sense of humor in model railroading... oh... and in my case my sense of humor simply fuels my over active imagination! (Or is the other way around??)

All fer now.

Andre

The dock foreman reminds his forklift operator he has 30 minutes to finish unloading the boxcar if he wants the afternoon off.

Gene

Here is my MTH Premier Chessie System SD40-2 Engine

@Norm Charbonneau posted:

I have finally finished my 3rd Rail Anniversary Allegheny project:

Norm,

Will we get a video to see what all you did to it besides the weathering? I see you like playing with your avatar, lol. Unless that's your father or grandfather, it's crazy what technology can do. I will just allow the aging process, in real time, do it for me. Though I have often thought about it.

Dave

@laming posted:

Just another day in the Ozarks...

Things are a mite calm down at the Ozarka engine house area on this cool autumn morning. The Engine Shop Foreman, Ol' Jess Hargar, sits in the seat of idlin' GP7 #409 whiles sippin' on some coffee from his thermos before he begins the chore of readying the trio of engines for their day ahead.
Later in the day, #409 will be leaving with the Sweetgum Turn. The Sweetgum Turn will be under the ever-seein' eye of Conductor "Stringbean" Collins with hogger "Biscuit" McHollister doing the honors in the hot seat.

Behind the #409 is GP7 #412. That engine will be put on the Piney Turn. That job will be under the overlookin' of the gruff ol' Conductor "Big Dog" Granderson, with "Squirrel "Sudmiller twidlin' the sticks. (Squirrel is the squirrel huntin'est one of them Ozarka boys. I swear, I think that boy'd rather be huntin' squirrels than jist about anythin'!)

Then there's that old Alco RS-3 #255. That's gonna' be the power fer the job that "Red" Baughman Conductor) and "Coondog" Bivens (hogger) hold down: The Ozarka Switcher.
The Ozarka Switcher ain't the gravy job one would think it wuz... they's got their hands full over the course of their day: Switchin' the Ozarka customers, Ozark Forest Products, Team 1, an' Team 2. (All of 'em need runaround moves to work as well as get out from under the out bounds.) They also gotta' build the Piney Turn and the Sweetgum turn, as well as block the out bounds from the industries. Oh, an' on top of all this... they's often called upon to shove a train up over The Mountain, or go rescue one that laid down. Them's busy boys on the Ozarka Switcher.

BUT... it's a 'nuther gorgeous day in the Ozarks, an' the autumn colors are a' bustin' out all over the mountains. It's a grand day to be railroadin'!

However, 'tis a shame Squirrel has to work fer a livin'... or you could bet yer bottom dollar that he'd be out in the squirrel woods doin' his best to be makin' a dent in the squirrel population!

About the above...

Every now and then I just get an urge to snap a pic somewhere on the layout.

And that's what prompted the pic above, which is nothing more than a look at the current power that's been at Ozarka for a while. Reality is, until I get some more road units in paint, the current engines will pretty much be staying at Ozarka for a while longer.

Also, for some odd reason, I get a kick out of spinning a yarn about the KC&G, which was prompted by that pic. For me, such yarns breath life into my KC&G.

In fact, I freely admit that I enjoy the mental shenanigans that accompany modeling the KC&G's Ozark Sub.

It's so much fun that over the decades, I've come up with the names for the crews and assigning them to jobs. In fact, most of the figures that will be appearing on the layout will be named. (I have high ambitions in that regard. Whether I'll ever get around to actually doing such remains to be seen, but it sure is fun to plan ahead for it.)

I confess that over the decades over at least two or three layouts, I've created fictional essays about my layout and crews/characters therein!

Silly? Perhaps. But it's fun to me, as well as others that enjoy them, too. (i.e. Personal friends and at other forums I frequent.)

Oh, and believe it or not, several of us (KC&G operators) have a lot of fun role playing our crews during an op session! Most of us try to get "in character" and have a lot of fun with the imaginary crew members of the KC&G!

You know, decades ago, in the Keller Kalmbach Video series, during Allen Keller's interview of Allen McClelland, Keller made mention of the imaginary lawsuit by Allen's Mac's model railroad friend Lew(?) Santel. It seems Lew's freelance model railroad was in the process of suing Allen's freelance V&O, so Keller asked Allen "do you enjoy the lawsuit?"

To that, Allen McClelland chuckled and replied: "Yes I do. It's all part of the fun of model railroading!".

I think it helps to have a sense of humor in model railroading... oh... and in my case my sense of humor simply fuels my over active imagination! (Or is the other way around??)

All fer now.

Andre

Andre - what a terrific photo!!!  AND your accompanying "yarn" is simply fabulous!!!  It brings greater depth and broader context to your already terrific photo!   Your "yarn" allowed me to emotionally synchronize with your photo.  Well done!!  

Yep ...  it is so much fun to spin a yarn about our railroads!!  Of course, with your railroad career, you certainly know first hand the culture, and I'm sure you have a plethora of stories yet to tell.    Story telling  brings in another dimension to model railroading by giving greater meaning/context to our railroads and somehow makes running our railroad more fun ... at least for me.  Heck, many years ago I wrote an entire ( fictitious ) history of my railroad starting back at its' inception.  Doing so helped define the reason  why my railroad exits.  I keep the history on my laptop so I can add  to the history or even change the history just a bit .. lol !

When I was a kid, still in elementary school with Lionel trains, I created a map of my imaginary railroad on an old pulldown window shade my mother was getting rid of.  That railroad was a division of a greater nation wide railroad.  My division ran between 3 cities ... Baltimore, Washington DC and Annapolis, Md.  ( Little did I know at that time that,  in the earlier 20th century a real railroad    existed named The Washington Baltimore  & Annapolis Electric Railway Co. which ran between those 3 cities )  I forget now the exact name I gave my railroad but it was something like the Atlantic and Pacific National Railroad Company and my Lionel railroad was the Baltimore Washington & Annapolis Division of that railroad.   In my imagination the A&PNRC had a ten track mainline running from coast to coast from the Port of Baltimore to the Port of Los Angeles .. little me had a BIG imagination ... LOL!  Creating the map allowed my imagination to conjure up  in my mind's eye the right of way, the industries, small towns, stations ( station sidings ) , and yards,  between the larger cities and within the larger cities themselves ... at that time I had never even been to Annapolis, however my creative mind took me there when I created the map.  Doing all this brought an entire dimension of fun to running my Lionel railroad at that time in elementary school and even junior high.   I kept the window shade map rolled up in my bedroom closet when my trains were stored away after Christmas.  The next holiday season after my trains were set up and running that map would come out of the closet so I could once again enhance my train running experience.

Remembering how creating the railroad map when in elementary school and the deep level of enjoyment it brought to operating my trains,  I created a new map when I built my current railroad, The Free State Junction Railway.  Doing this in addition to creating a written history of the FSJR continues to bring a deeper dimension of fun to operating my railroad.    

@trumpettrain posted:

<snip: Some kind comments, and a lot of thoughtful comments... >

Thanks Patrick for your kind words!

As I created my post that you quote, I actually thought of you.

Reason?

Because you're about the only other modeler I've run across that actively creates fiction for their theme and posts same.

Ah yes, and speaking of written fictional history! I created same for my Kansas City & Gulf theme back when I conceived it in 1992! Prior to that, I wrote down a few histories and such for previous freelanced themes I pursued during their time. (It has been amended as I learn more.)

Not only did I enjoy creating a history concerning my KC&G's origins, but I also created a separate treatise on the development of the KC&G's diesel roster. (Also amended as my knowledge of diesel history increased.)

In the history narrative, my KC&G is woven among the prototype railroads during it's formative years, thus there's some mental plausibility to such for me.

In the KC&G diesel roster history, I was careful to incorporate prototype time lines for the various models and makes of the KC&G engines as per actual history in that realm.

I also have a textual division listing of the KC&G from Kansas City, MO to New Orleans, LA. Therein is also covers the significant Dallas (TX) Division, the Fort Smith (AR) Branch, and the Hot Springs (AR) Branch. I have yet to finish the digital map of the KC&G.

Lastly, I have created lots of essays for this n' that about the KC&G, typically posting them to my KC&G blog over at Model Railroad Hobbyist.

You are correct: Into my yarns I weave actual railroading experiences I've had, as well some of those experienced by railroading friends of mine.

So yes, the fictional side of my theme is a very vital element to my enjoyment of the hobby!

I suspect that's the same for you, too!

Andre

Old Glory flying in the background for "Flag Day"...

A photo from years ago of the executive staff of the Great Northeastern Railway (GNR). The cast of characters are me (seated), my beautiful wife, Terry, and my son Chris holding GNR "Chairman of the Bored", the now late Chaz Harrison. This photo became our Christmas card photo in the year it was taken. The photo was taken when my son Chris was in high school. He is now 29 years old. I don't remember the actual year in which this photo was taken but Chris' age puts it in some perspective.

@Andy Hummell posted:

Here are a couple of pix of new acquisitions -- both custom runs from Stockyard Express:

And here are a few pix of steel mill cars that can be seen at the Carrie Blast Furnaces National Historic Landmark in Pittsburgh.  I was there this past Saturday for a beer festival, and I have toured the site in the past -- I highly recommend the tours for anyone in the Pittsburgh area or who can manage on a visit to the area.  I enjoyed the tour so much, I want to do it again.

Andy

My brother-in law and I toured Carrie blast furnace two years ago. A reminder of how the different immigrant nationalities came to Pittsburgh to work in the steel mills. We also managed to journey over to watch the Steelers play on Sunday.

@laming posted:

About the above...

Every now and then I just get an urge to snap a pic somewhere on the layout.

And that's what prompted the pic above, which is nothing more than a look at the current power that's been at Ozarka for a while. Reality is, until I get some more road units in paint, the current engines will pretty much be staying at Ozarka for a while longer.

Also, for some odd reason, I get a kick out of spinning a yarn about the KC&G, which was prompted by that pic. For me, such yarns breath life into my KC&G.

In fact, I freely admit that I enjoy the mental shenanigans that accompany modeling the KC&G's Ozark Sub.

It's so much fun that over the decades, I've come up with the names for the crews and assigning them to jobs. In fact, most of the figures that will be appearing on the layout will be named. (I have high ambitions in that regard. Whether I'll ever get around to actually doing such remains to be seen, but it sure is fun to plan ahead for it.)

I confess that over the decades over at least two or three layouts, I've created fictional essays about my layout and crews/characters therein!

I always have space in the magazine for the feature I have named "Rail Tales" that is intended to provide readers with entirely fictional accounts based on the contributor's layout. I am a firm believer in bringing layouts to life via written and pictorial accounts of select scenes and activities. Usually all that is required is about 500 words of text and some five or so hi-res. photos to document/supplement the story. Published Rail Tales authors receive $200 for their efforts.

Please keep us in mind, Andre (and others who enjoy creating their own tales)!

@Norm Charbonneau posted:

I have finally finished my 3rd Rail Anniversary Allegheny project:

Simply outstanding, Norm! Hoping to get another article from you at some point in the near future. Your work is extremely inspirational.

Hope this isn't a duplicate post...my grandfather's Flyer set from 1927 (with an 1108 baggage car added):

PD

Happy Fathers Day!

@luvindemtrains posted:

Norm,

Will we get a video to see what all you did to it besides the weathering? I see you like playing with your avatar, lol. Unless that's your father or grandfather, it's crazy what technology can do. I will just allow the aging process, in real time, do it for me. Though I have often thought about it.

Dave

I hope to finish the vid soon. Having some issues setting the movable reverse linkage but I think I finally got it dialed in.

Got to ride the Tri State Scenic Steam Excusrion pulled by the 765 yesterday. It was a beautiful day for the trip and the 765 was in fine form. I need one for my layout now!

@Norm Charbonneau posted:

I have finally finished my 3rd Rail Anniversary Allegheny project:

This shot is absolutely gorgeous!  Looking at it on my phone this morning, at first I thought it was a picture of the real thing!

@Allan Miller posted:

<snip: An interesting proposition! >

Thank you very much for your kind offer.

I would suspect a factor that would limit my ability to provide such, is that there is zero permanent scenery in place on my layout at this time. Therefore, I would not be able to illustrate my yarns with "completed" looking scenes?

Also, even full sized, I think my 4032 x 3024 pixel iPhone pics would limit photo quality?

Andre

Added my 19th scale O GG1 to my collection this week with the harder to find Amtrak Weaver version.  This one is number 44 of 50.  Now to track down the Conrail one to complete my collection of all eight paint schemes Weaver offered on the GG1.  I have been interested in finding this one to power my Phase I Amtrak trains along with my Weaver PC 4901 and Williams PRR 4935.

Also got time to quickly photograph my 3rd Rail SD40-2s in our 110 degree heat that is fairly common in this part of the world for June.  The models represent examples from 4 of the 5 sets of tooling required to complete this very challenging project.  No two of the 20 plus paint schemes are exactly alike.

@laming posted:

I would suspect a factor that would limit my ability to provide such, is that there is zero permanent scenery in place on my layout at this time. Therefore, I would not be able to illustrate my yarns with "completed" looking scenes?

Also, even full sized, I think my 4032 x 3024 pixel iPhone pics would limit photo quality?

Andre

The scene you set up would certainly work, as would any diorama you (or others) create, just as long as it would tie-into the story.

That 4032 x 3024 pixel size would not be a limitation. The vast majority of photos we use in the magazine these days are taken with smartphones like Apple iPhone and Samsung Galaxy, etc.

You wrote a captivating and very entertaining tale here, and I like the fact that such creative accounts definitely illustrate how one can bring a train layout to life. When you stop to think about it,just about  every scene and scenario can lend itself to an imaginative story line.

It has been quite a while since I have popped my eyes on this topic, and that is mainly to do with just being busy with all the things that the weekend has(lawn and such). Well, I told myself to get this here before June ends, as that would be terrible not to, and what a better day then Father's Day for all the fathers.

So, these I took on June 1st of this month as the Black River and Western was having a sort of open house so to speak. They had engine #1202 pulling the John L. Bishop "Club Car" that they rent out for parties or events, and the C140 Erie Caboose. I did note a few things on my tour through the car and caboose. The bar looks nice(and they placed some old photos there), and I think the seats and tables are different from the last time I was in the car. I think the bar had stools in it, it doesn't now. The caboose has it's water tank, stove, and coal bunker as well as signage for volunteers. Is the pressure gauge in the caboose to monitor the air pressure for the brakes, or something else? Also, notice that they use scale couplers. Well I'll be danged, lol. It was a good time, too bad I didn't have time to go in town to the car show.

The train was parked at the old station(which is pictured below(photo from 1953). I didn't take a photo of the station as it is now(a bank), it used to be a restaurant back in the 1990's, I don't quite remember what it got turned into after that.

@Christopher2035 posted:

I also stopped by Draude's Derailment in Lebanon, PA  ( a MUST stop every time I drive back up) & picked up a few things. The highlights are the Chessie GP20, PC GP7 (had one as a kid but it's been long gone) & a 1970 catalog (first of the MPC era).

Draude's is a great shop.  We occasionally take a road trip there during York week, as it is only about an hour away from York.  I always seem to find something there that I have to take home with me.

Andy

Here is my newly arrived 3rdRail Superliner cars at the station while a train of Amfleet cars pulls out

Good ol auto spell, yes it is Amfleet.   Missed correcting the "correction"

@PeterA posted:

Good ol auto spell, yes it is Amfleet.   Missed correcting the "correction"

Corrected spelling for author.