Weekend Photo Fun 7-10-15-??

Happy weekend everyone! Last week I decided to set up our western grain train since it hasn't been run in a few years. Unfortunately, our Burlington Northern and BNSF power is not in operable condition, so I put the Atlas Conrail SD40s on instead. Here are a few shots of the train crossing Granville Road.

Scott, could you tell me if NS is also doing MP15E rebuilds in Roanoke? I saw your picture and became a little curious...

Great photos, Steven! You and your Dad should be very proud of the layout you two have created.....you have set the bar for us all! The trackwork and scenery are magnificent!

Peter

Some have referred to the Alco DL109 as an 'Ugly Ducklin' but they do have a certain charm all their own. Ours in an AB pair (109/110) that is an older Premiere with original PS1. Someone had it converted to TMCC and Railsounds and she's a sweetheart.

Waiting to pull out

NH I4 Pacific dumping it's ashes. I just can't bring myself to weather this one. It will see service on Engineer's final runs and Fan Trips. These occasions always had spruced up engines.

Big Steam on the TMB2; 

Sam.....I think the DL109-110s are gorgeous!

Here's mine.....

Here are all the New Haven liveries for the DL109.....

Peter

They ACTUALLY DO exist - the second-issue Atlas RS-1; it's not my loco, but a friends's, sitting on his layout - he got it last Monday, 7/6/2015.

He had pre-ordered it 7/2010 - so, 5 years. A record among those I know.

My first-issue Atlas RS-1 that they forced me to paint years ago:

(Both striped and later un-striped schemes are correct, as are the different number sizes and roof colors; the aluminum helped with roof and exhaust rust, and the light roof marginally helped with cab "comfort".) 

Picked up some Atlas Trainman PS 4750 covered hoppers. The CNW Zito Yellow is extremely bright (can probably be seen from space). Turns out that Zito Yellow (actually "Pantone 102C" and nicknamed for James Zito, VP of Operations) was extremely bright (these cars are a lot brighter in person than the photos) and chosen for improved visibility (mission accomplished there). Between the UV and cleaning solutions the paint faded quickly and badly to a yellowish white, so it's pretty much not seen (locomotives were repainted back to standard "Stagecoach" yellow). I'm going to dust these up.

The Super Chief/El Capitan combined Train #'s 17/18

The head end cars:

The El Capitan coach section:

The Super Chief sleeper portion of the train

Of course this train is not entirely accurate with car names, manufacturers, and power... but it's all GGD with 1K-Line car in there that will be the rear sleep car with marker and SC/El Cap drum head. This was a trial run over at my Dad's house with 16 cars and 2 powered units in an F3 ABBA consist. I have 4 more sleepers to add but that will only be for the club layouts. 

I also find the DL-109/110's to be very good-looking - long and lanky. I prefer them to the EMD E-units (just as the Alco FA's are better-looking than EMD F-3's, etc).

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The New Haven had some of the most striking paint schemes, older and newer - even the McGinnis versions - but the green or orange DL-109's with the long, thin pinstripes were the sharpest. The FA's, also.

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I gave mine a fixed pilot (see below).

The GM&O had no DL110 "B's", but I bought MTH's version anyway; if I could find an MTH DL109 shell, I'd convert the DL110 to a DL109.

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The short-lived GM&O silver/crimson scheme came between the GM&N/M&O merger right before WWII, and the GM&O's acquisition of the Alton after WWII, when they adopted the more familiar maroon/red Alton scheme. I was proud of MTH for doing the rare silver/crimson paint job.

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Later "Alton" based paint scheme. the crimson/silver is actually sharper:

MTH did not get the headlight bezel correct for the GM&O (the DL-109 had various types):

A few select pictures from my recent trip to Paoli via Amtrak's Pennsylvanian.

Hi-ball the roll by Train #18!

More from the trip:

To see even more photos, check out my post on the Newtown Square Railroad museum, click https://ogrforum.com/t...96#43243222533795096 

I think the I4 is the nicest engine Weaver made. 

Don

A couple shots of the layout.

 Pan Am/Guilford Rigby Yard South Portland, ME.(My Hood)  Taken on Sunday July 5th.

Thanks for looking.  

Fantastic pics so far, everyone!

Peter

LOS,

Yum, Yum, Yum... They look good enough to eat.    

THANK YOU for posting.  Now I gonna go back and view your video.

LOS,

I loved the video.  

Two powered units, I am very impressed with Lionel's pulling power.  I hope my MTH ALCO PA's can handle the El Cap.

I will find out next month.

Instead of simply shoving a building into an oddly shaped layout space, I decided to craft a community playground that just came into being through usage by the locals of some empty real estate in town.

(I hope you can make out what is going on. I know the photo is not-so-hot, esp. due to the catenary interfering with every camera-viewing angle into the playground. Oh, well, it was very enjoyable to make and to have in place.) All of it was crafted onto a base-plate and inserted into the layout's landscape.

FrankM.

 
Don't be impressed Jim.... I cooked the lead unit, front truck is locked up tight. I knew 2 pwrd units wasn't enough on the 2.5% grade but did it anyway. Tore up all the traction tires as well. 16 GDD cars are heavy and I left 4 cars off of it.

EDIT: I didn't cook the lead A unit after all. The magnetic axle/wheel picked up a screw somewhere (its looks like a screw from 1 of the GGD cars) between the rails and got wedged in the front truck up high where you couldn't see it. I had to take it apart to rotate the flywheel by hand to get it out. Runs fine now. Both powered units were very hot after 1 hour of run time, and did pull 7 amps on the hard pull of 2.5%.

4 out of eight traction tires were split, and they were brand new only few months ago when I did all the work to those F units. 

So my test run confirmed what I already knew..... need that 3rd powered engine.

A few preview shots of the Pittsburgh Independent Hi-Railers setup for this weekend's Greenberg show in Monroeville, PA:

This was the first run of my new AFT T1 and it was smoking up a storm!  It was pumping out dozens of smoke rings as it ran! 

Andy

LOS,

That is sweet man, sweet!

Hi Andy, Does that layout also get included in the Kennywood Park holiday display in the cafeteria at Christmastime?

FrankM, an old Duquesne Place boy.

Some photos from last weekend in Roanoke Virginia.

Yes, we use many of these modules for our Kennywood set up.  Our set up at Kennywood is a bit bigger, though, and is less of an oval due to the irregular shape of the space we occupy.  This year will be the fifth anniversary of Kennywood Holiday Lights.

Andy

My new neighborhood.

Thanks for the reply, Andy.

Someday,I intend making a pilgrimage back to my hometown to see that presentation at Kennywood, but the weather seems to intervene often. A drive through the Appalacians during a threatening snow storm isn't ever wise.

FrankM.

WOW Very nice ANDY.  Love the smoke ENJOY,  That engine could be a show stopper?

There really should be a way to hit the "like" button more than once!!

I amended my earlier reply: it's Fred Dole (DUH!).  Sorry Fred!

I looked at one of the sheets and here's the info on it:

Fred Dole Products

P.O. Box 62

Colchester, CT

06415

WSR Products

I did a Google Search on WSR Products CT and got his site for you:

http://www.fredmdole.com/wsrproducts.html

As for the size of the circular box, I have my stuff packed away for the non-train season (for me at least).  I looked to see if I could get to it easily but could not.  If you go to Michael's I believe you'll be able to determine which one, especially if you take the tree with you.

Good shopping!

- walt

GREAT PHOTO'S THIS WEEK, THANKS FOR SHARING

Current crop of head-end power I'm playing with - Oops, I mean "operating"

SD40-2 by MTH

SD40-2 - Lionel/MTH PS2 conversion

The SD's have it - SD40-2, SD40-2, SD45

Penn Central F units

Penn Central E44 electric

Chessie Geeps lashup - GP38-2, GP9, GP35. I call this the "founding fathers" lashup - Chessie/C&O + WM +B&O

Summer time.

My ugly duckling awaiting traction tyres .

Around the layout this morning.

Photo fun it is  I  was fortunate  enough to have salvaged this slide off E Bay

the real thing  ...  I do believe that MTH  produced their piggyback trailer from a similar shot ,  also it is believed that Weaver are in the process of making  something the same   .......  so while the Company itself is defunct    , my father's  legacy lives on

My weekend fun so far has been "populating the dome." I used a light tan mix to try to simulate a brown upholstery color I remembered from the 1950's and used people bought from amazon.com. Not the most realistic people, but I think they'll be OK from a distance. I had previously put an LED strip on the dome ceiling.

I included a "before" shot so you can see the difference.