It's Friday morning just after midnight and I am going to start Weekend Photo Fun before I go to bed.
This is the final week for the Western layout at the VMT. Next week I get to take it all out, replace the track and repaint the box it is in.
My son ran my Lionel Dreyfuss last week.
The J is back home in the museum (at least it is for this month)
This Saturday I'll be working the table for the VMT at the Lynchburg Train Show.
Let's see your pictures.
Scott Smith
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Here's some photos from Patsburg! 
Around the RR.
The next area for sidewalks/detailing:
Train show pics from last weekend:
Have a great weekend, everyone!
Peter
On my quest to take a few pictures of some CSX trains in my area, I headed down to Garrett Park MD yesterday, about 10 miles outside of Washington Union Station. Garrett Park is a sleepy little village in Montgomery County MD, a suburb of Washington.
I believe the station sees about 6 passenger trains stopping here but otherwise is very small and quiet. There is a wonderful but expensive restaurant next to the tracks in case you get hungry!
I didn't really get what I wanted. I was there for about 10 minutes before the pedestrian crossing bell began ringing. A very fast moving auto rack train was heading west. Right before I snapped a picture of the lead engine, a flash of orange and blue caught my eye....about a split second passed before I realized what it was and taking a terrible photo (glad I at least got something). It was the Norfolk Southern Jersey Central Heritage unit! I was aware of it being in the Baltimore area thanks to a railfan Facebook page dedicated to the CSX Metropolitan Sub (that runs from Washington, through Garrett Park, and out west) but didn't expect to see it this way. I've seen all of the Amtrak heritage units passing through town before but this is the first time I know of that a Norfolk Southern engine has come through. Sheer luck - being in the right place at the right time - allowed me to see it! I've now seen the CNJ, Pennsy and Conrail Heritage Units. Of course, I rode behind the Pennsy and Conrail while riding the 765 around Horseshoe Curve.
This was the only train to greet me. After an hour, the heat and humidity told me it was time to go get Thai food for lunch! 
Looking West towards Rockville, Gaithersburg, Germantown, etc. 
Looking east towards Washington. Garrett Park is at one end of a nearly 5-7 mile long straightaway. 
Start of another tenement. This one based on three Woodland Scenics Sully Taverns:
Good Lord! Is that a pipe burst over the layout!? Quick call the plumber 
J Daddy posted:The afternoon sun beats down on Highland Bluff as the Super Chief echoes its horn throw the valley....
Love the rock face, nice realistic work. Nick
A 2015 Christmas layout memory 
One of the 'toys' on the layout to keep the kids, sure, the kids!, entertained.
- walt
Milwaukee RS1#1677 ready to service. 
Great stuff so far!
Peter
Beautiful layout Joe!
Several New Items in Recent Weeks -
-MTH Subway and Ore Car
-Lionel Made In America Smithsonian Boxcars, decorated for the Air and Space Museum (where I was today!)
Looks like maybe next weekend I take delivery of my new MTH Railking Imperial ES44 GE Evolution Hybrid (with the super cool charging lights)! I see it as listed as in stock at MTH and a handful of dealers starting to get them in. 
Milwaukee Road GE Box Cabs E-60 A & B over the Cascade Mountains. Don
I thought, what a strange name for a diner? I think the term you're looking for is "Flat Iron" for that style of building.
None the less, really outstanding work!
Bruce
brwebster posted:I thought, what a strange name for a diner? I think the term you're looking for is "Flat Iron" for that style of building.
None the less, really outstanding work!
Bruce
No, Flat Tire sound like you need to stop a repair, a rest. Beside the building style.
And our sign can be customized to the customer choice of businesses.
AG.
Have a great weekend.
I like your diner, Andre. Frequent trips there could give you a "spare tire" at your belt.
Lionel released a new Santa Fe waffle-sided boxcar with graphics and colors that are different from the previous Santa Fe waffle-sided boxcar included in an expansion pack in 2009. The ATSF boxcar with the silver roof is the 2016 version and the red roof ATSF boxcar is the 2009 version. 20 years ago the Santa Fe boxcars were common on the Grand Trunk Western in Michigan.
Had a chance to stop in at the Oregon Rail Heritage Center in Portland, OR last weekend and saw my favorite locomotive, the SP 4449 as well as the SP&S 700 which is undergoing a boiler inspection. Its a tight squeeze in their building so the pics arent great, but still had a blast! Also stopped in Garibaldi, OR and came across a couple of rusty diesels.
Things are a bit chaotic this weekend!!! Maybe it is the heat?
Two old Santa Fe guys, re-living the ATSF transition era. Joe and Nicki McMillan visited this morning and we ate barbecue together. We decided that we are going to record some oral history together soon.
At the San Diego 3 Railers and I just had to try it. DCS on the head end, and Legacy power on the rear. A remote in each hand. Dont bunch it up too much... dont stretch it out too much!
I was waiting at a railroad crossing this afternoon (Saturday, August 13, 2016) for half an hour, here in Central IL. I saw plenty of vehicles going around the gates that were lowered & the lights were flashing but there were no trains in sight. This was a Union Pacific (UP) maintained crossing with 2 tracks, 1 possibly a siding. I drive through this crossing twice each way, each week & this is the second time in the last week that I had experienced malfunctioning gates here. There were vehicles that drove around the gates the last time too but the gates opened after I was waiting for 10 minutes. This time I called UP at their 1-800-848-8715 number after waiting for 15 minutes. It took quite some time to talk to an available operator. I gave them the DOT # at the gate & warned them that vehicles were driving around the gate. The operator assured me that someone was on their way to fix the issues with the crossing. Waited another 15 minutes & saw even more vehicles drive around the gate. It was a “Monkey See, Monkey Do” scenario where 1 impatient motorist would go around & soon followed by other vehicles & soon the crossing would be empty again. I called UP again. It took even longer to talk to an operator the second time who told me that their employee was over an hour away. I warned this operator too about that too many motorists going around the gate & asked him how long I should wait. He advised me to find an alternate route or call the local police. So after waiting for 30 minutes I turned around & went over an over bridge. I lost 30 minutes waiting & another 15 minutes on the detour but I guess I must be thankful for not becoming another railroad crossing fatality. This crossing has 2 tracks on a curve with a road on a slope with trees on all sides of the road, making the actions of the motorists rather risky.
These are just my opinion,
Thanks,
Naveen Rajan
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