Weekend Photo Fun 8-13-21-??

I haven't been on here for a few weeks, so here's an update on my layout progress. Here are a few photos of my scratchbuilt model of the Pennsylvania Glass Sand plant near Mapleton PA. It's getting close to completion with mostly detailing and vehicle weathering work remaining to be completed. I've attached a few views of the prototype for comparison. Enjoy!

Scott in the photos it looks as if the clouds worked well covering the runny paint.  I hope the effect looks as good in person.

Neil that's coming along nicely.

My old layout , dismantled 5 years ago.

The Boston & Albany Railroad received its 2^nd delivery of Hudson locomotives (J-2b, #605 to #609) from Alco in 1930. They differed from parent company New York Central’s Hudsons by having 75” driving wheels, instead of 79”, to cope with the hilly terrain on the B&A. They also were fitted with a larger, squared-off sandbox.

This model of B&A #606 (MTH Premier 20-3583-1 with PS3) was released in 2015. It’s pulling two recently acquired MTH wood-sided passenger cars. The video also shows the under-construction background scene (at upper left) that I’m adding to my 12’-by-8’ layout.

MELGAR

             The many shades of the CENTRAL...

@coach joe posted:

Scott in the photos it looks as if the clouds worked well covering the runny paint.  I hope the effect looks as good in person.

Neil that's coming along nicely.

Actually it does, surprisingly so...

The idea was to paint the wall and hang pictures to show the layout progress each month. The wall looked so good I decided to leave it alone and hang the pictures on a different wall.

Scott Smith

A 2020 Christmas Layout memory

2 special 'trains' this week.

This one I've shown on previous layouts but I like to show it when possible.  It was a Christmas gift from my sister, who passed away and few months after that, unexpectedly.  So it's really special to me.  I purposely put it behind the model of her house that I made.  Look hard

The other one isn't so special.  It's just something I enjoy setting up

- walt

This is the 3rd of the temp layouts that I built earlier this year for 2 reasons:

Part of the layout was creating a small town for Halloweeners to trick-or-treat in.

Closeups:

I was waiting for my daughter to arrive in Richmond on a Northeast Regional, when I had a perfect angle on the AutoTrain.....

Have a great and safe weekend, folks!

Peter

Peter,

A terrific video and an impressive train. Twelve passenger cars and twenty-two auto cars - if I counted correctly. Excellent. I'm for Amtrak.

MELGAR

Thanks Scott for getting us rolling today!   In spite of your earlier disappointments, the new direction you took with your creative work on the wall looks great!!!  Wonderful photos and videos everyone!!

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

We've all gone to the railroad tracks near our home as kids just to hang out and observe.   For me, as a kid, I did this pretty frequently.   Half the fun was the anticipation of what kind of train may show up next.  And sometimes none showed at all ... lol.    Searching out  a nice shady spot with an old cross tie or rock for a seat, I found it fascinating   to sit by the tracks and imagine all the different trains that have passed on the tracks that were 12 - 15 feet before my eyes ... the mighty steam locomotives pulling both passenger and freight ... the dawn of the diesel era and the transition era from steam to diesel.   What would it all have looked been like back then.

After a while of day dreaming about the past,  my mind would shift to the present moment and I'd glance to the distant signal pole.  I knew when there were lights a train was coming west. I could feel the excitement in the pit of my stomach as I saw the locomotive headlight from way down the track.  Would it be a fast freight, slow freight, passenger local, long distance passenger, way frieght, work train, a lite engine move, special train???  All these thoughts ran through my mind at 100 mph.  As the headlight drew closer the visceral excitement increased!  The occassional bonus was once the last car ( either a caboose or coach, rarely a boat tail observation ) of the west bound train passed, suddenly a locomotive headlight from an east bound train would appear. WOW!!  

Today's photos are as if one were down at the railroad tracks, sitting on a rock or old railroad tie, sipping on a Coke, waiting for a train to show up.  Sitting on the rock the eyes drink in the railroad related surroundings accompanied by the aroma of creosote.   Being immersed in the railroad's environment is both exciting and deeply relaxing.  

Ma & Pa water car sits on a siding.  I wonder if that fella leaning against the work cabooses works for the railroad ... or is he just hanging out like me?

Whew!!  A fast running Pennsy P5A modified pulls a mail train. I count 14 cars!

The bell rings frenetically as the crossing gate lowers.  An  ALCO RS 1, running lite, trundles over the crossing.  Wonder where it came from and where its' headed?

Okay, it came to tie onto this transfer caboose.  That fella that was leaning on the caboose in the top photo walks over and mounts the transfer caboose.  Question answered .. he does work for the railroad.  Shown here, the  fella is on the caboose's deck talking to the crew.  

WOW!  Here comes a B&O Hudson, a rare bird for sure!  Could this train be the Royal Blue, Capital Limited, National Limited, or some no name train?  Will have to wait to read the drumhead on the rear car to find out if it's one of B&O's name trains.   AND so it is .... another day down at the railroad tracks.  

@Putnam Division posted:

I was waiting for my daughter to arrive in Richmond on a Northeast Regional, when I had a perfect angle on the AutoTrain.....

Have a great and safe weekend, folks!

Peter

Great video Peter. I had no idea what todays Autotrain consist looked like.  Now I know!  All those autoracks...wow!

A captured UFO is brought into Area 51 on a flatcar by the Groom Lake Railroad. No mention of what happened to the “crew”.

In case you're not following the Polar Express RPO thread, Lionel made right on the color by providing replacement cars!

@coach joe posted:

Scott in the photos it looks as if the clouds worked well covering the runny paint.  I hope the effect looks as good in person.

Neil that's coming along nicely.

I agree with Coach.  Looks great Scott.

Well, I got out to Greenberg's Train Show in Edison NJ this morning, but did not find what I was looking for. I did get a dollar off admission as a guy gave me his card with that on there that he got in the mail. That is worth something, and just goes to show you how nice railroaders are.

There sure was a lot of tinplate stuff out there today, it was a little smaller which I figured it may be for the obvious reasons, we don't need to talk about those. I did see two Dreyfuss Hudson's, problem is one was HO and the other was a Smithsonian Two Rail version, sort of doesn't work for me. There was also 28072 which was priced much like what Ebay has been touting for a while. Probably has a good chance of not selling at that price IMO.

I did talk to Gerry from the NJ HiRailers as he was there, so was Ben(but I didn't get to talk to him). There were a few other out there(identified by their shirts). Their table was set up right next to Tony from my LTS, so I chatted with him and his daughter before moving on. I also saw one of the other fellows I always see at every show in NJ as well as York, he had a going out of business sale going on which I didn't notice until I was heading out the door. I bought my TMCC PRR 1361 off of him back in 2016 or 2017, can't remember clearly(is that old age, or just smoke from the locomotive clouding my mind?).

Lastly, the Raritan Valley HiRailers didn't disappoint. I always enjoy seeing them there and snapping a bunch of shots(didn't shoot any video as diesel were the only thing running at the time). There were setting up a UP Northern, but it would have been a bit more before they ran it, so I snapped the last shot before heading out.

I came up empty handed, but that is okay, just getting out to a show is good enough for me. What is the old saying, "we'll get them eventually". York is but a few steps away.

@Dave NYC Hudson PRR K4 a suggestion:

Instead of including 36 images in the body of your post, include a couple in full size with the post, and let the reader click on the other photos in the attachment.  Not being critical; just offering a suggestion.

I actually prefer all the full size photos in the body, saves getting out the magnifying glass to look at the tiny thumbnails.

John

This morning, Secretary Lenny continued his work on the club's switching layout with lights, pedestrian crossover, bumpers, and a temporary shelf for the temporary transformer.  I have a couple of PW operating accessories (3472 Milk Stand and 3356 Horse Corral) which I'll bring in next Saturday to go with the 352 Ice Station at the rear.

Dr. Dave brought his next door neighbor, Bill, for a visit and operated his Climax -- what a neat engine and great smoker:

And for a bit of serendipity, I was watching my local PBS station this evening when it aired "Great Scenic Railways" which featured the Cass Scenic Railroad.

MTH Premier ILLINOIS CENTRAL PS-1 50' box car.

The real box cars were in freight trains on the Grand Trunk Western in Michigan for about 30 years.

Andrew

Falcon Service

Neal S.,  I always love your layout pictures!  Keep up the great work!  

Larry

@beardog49 posted:

I actually prefer all the full size photos in the body, saves getting out the magnifying glass to look at the tiny thumbnails.

John

If you are not being facetious, you can click on the thumbnails and up pops a large image @beardog49.  And then just click to the next image; much easier than scrolling over and over.

@Dave NYC Hudson PRR K4 posted:

Well, I got out to Greenberg's Train Show in Edison NJ this morning, but did not find what I was looking for. I did get a dollar off admission as a guy gave me his card with that on there that he got in the mail.

There was also 28072 which was priced much like what Ebay has been touting for a while. Probably has a good chance of not selling at that price IMO.

Great shots Dave! Just like being there!  Too bad about the price on that hudson.

I would have had you grab it for me ,LOL!

@Alex M posted:

My old layout , dismantled 5 years ago.

It's hard to believe it's been 5 years - where does the time go? 

-Greg

@RickO posted:

Great shots Dave! Just like being there!  Too bad about the price on that hudson.

I would have had you grab it for me ,LOL!

Yeah, I was a bit surprised by the price, but not entirely surprised though. Some of the prices were reasonable, but not that one. There was a KLine Hudson like the one Pat is doing for me and did for Leaping Larry. I think the price was $450-475, but the seller had a few items that were make an offer, guessing he would listen to a price on that.

I went to the Greenberg Edison show Saturday, bought two box cars I've had my eye on recently. Good deal on the car. Lots of rolling stock for sale but thought it was interesting there weren't many tables selling buildings or accessories. Like someone above mentioned there was lots of prewar stuff.