I have a single track bridge that has a slight curve (1/3 O-81) right before it. I know that is sacrilege in the RR industry but I had no alternative in laying out track for this expansion. I thought I better check clearances and took my BR&P Articulated out to test it thinking if that makes it all the remaining Locomotives in my fleet should be fine. Wrong! Yesterday I noticed that my PRR Y-3 looked a little wider. Took it on a test run and sure enough missed it by a 1/16 of an inch to clear. I adjusted the bridge and all is well. Oops! This morning looking over my layout, I noticed my PRR M-1 in obscure area of my layout and since it is long, I am now wondering if it will not take the approach to the bridge correctly. All this to say, I will be running my PRR M-1 today. 

I ran the Pennsy M-1A into the approach and it cleared with no problem so it ran around my layout for 30 minutes and then I ran my other Articulates just to see them run.  I did find a few electrical problems so i will be adding more drops and reversing wiring into a switch machine so that it aligns with what my remote says is happening.  I thought I tested all my new switches on my expansion but apparently missed one.

I also ran my PRR M1a around the layout with a mixed freight of reefers, tankers and boxcars. Before that I ran my mail/express train for several minutes with recently purchased GGD B70 baggage car and New Haven B60b.cars. 

I ran this Nickel Plate with a Western Manifest of returns to St.Louis where they will be handed of and continued westward 

The MTH US Army ammunition train made a rare appearance on the S&Y RR.

Wow, that`s a very cool Army train, love it. Who was the manufacture ?

@WM fan posted:

Wow, that`s a very cool Army train, love it. Who was the manufacture ?

MTH, a few years ago.

That`s the first one i have ever seen, thanks for posting..

MTM B&O 0-8-0 and track Cleaning cars.

@WM fan posted:

That`s the first one i have ever seen, thanks for posting..

It is a MTH Tinplate reproduction of the Lionel original that was made in the early 1900's.

I only have a small train of tinplate and got the urge to run them but didn't really feel like swapping out trains on my (modest) layout. So I drug out the Christmas Tree loop and got to it. 

I've had my Lionel Lionmaster Challenger running much of the day today. For some reason, household chores are more enjoyable with the trains running in the background.

This is a great performing locomotive and does not overpower my modest layout. It looks good with my fleet of postwar and MPC era freight cars. I just ordered the new Lionmaster SP Cab Forward in the fantasy "Daylight" paint scheme - it should make a good stable mate for my colorful Challenger.

Another UP Day

Today i ran my 3rd Rail Pennsylvania 1990's vintage 2-10-4  J1 with some eighteen MTH coaches. She ran great. I reciently converted the electronics to an ERR control and sound system.

pennsylvaniaJ1. After some quick maintenance i put her on the track with some eighteen inch coaches.

Pulled out my Lionel Vulcan switchers the past few days to give the little guys some running time. Pretty easy to switch these guys out on one of the main lines.

I've plastered this all over the forum over the past couple of days. Why not one more since I did run it today.

Bob

Did a lot of running of my latest purchase a postwar Lionel 2032 Erie Alco set that was a basket case. It is now a nice running engine with the help of this forum. A big thank you to you guys again!

My new to me K-Line K2488-0309 SP RS-3 Diesel.

 It has TMCC and railsounds and a fan driven smoke unit! I think it looks and sounds great!

Thinking a CCM might help the low speed performance, I like my trains to crawl along on the small layout.

I ran all these guys today. All recent legacy models with Bluetooth.

BNSF Dash 9, BNSF SD-70ACE, BNSF ES44AC, BNSF patched Santa Fe Dash 9

CSX AC6000 and SD-70ACE

Still running my  Lionel 6-18071 SP Daylight that I recently installed a Timko motor and ERR Cruise Commander. I am also running the Lionel SOUTHERN PACIFIC "DAYLIGHT" LEGACY A-6 ATLANTIC #3001

I love to periodically re-visit this topic started by my good Forum friend, Melgar, a few years ago. After all, don't we all love to run our model trains every day if we can?

Now, I'm going to share with you my #1 favorite locomotive that I ran last night. About 9 months ago, I bought it from one of our Forum Sponsors, JR Junction Train & Hobby ("JR"), from Syracuse, NY. When I visited JR's website looking for this particular locomotive I'm about to share with you, I was very impressed. As stated on JR's website,  this particular NY Central RS-3 smoking diesel was made exclusively for JR by MTH based on the real thing that ran in upstate NY, and JR was donating 25% of the sale proceeds to a railroad historical society in the Syracuse, NY area. What a great idea!

I was also very impressed with the owner of JR (whose name escapes me at the moment). When I called and spoke to him on the phone, he answered all my questions about this locomotive, I expressed my passion for model railroading and this Forum, and he was a pleasure to speak to and do business with.

Enough of the build up. Drum roll please! LOL. Here is this MTH Railking PS3 RS-3 smoking diesel in action, cruising at prototypical slow, smooth speed around my sharp 031 curves:

If you like what you see, and if JR has any of these locomotives left, which I doubt, you just might want to give them a call. You will not be disappointed if you buy one.

Arnold

Lionel NYC Empire State and Lionel  Southern Pacific Lines LEGACY A-6 Atlantic

Ran my Steamer the other day with some of my Lionel milk cars 

Very early this morning I was in Postwar Paradise running my 3 Lionel 736 Berkshires and Lionel 2046 Hudson. Those locomotives run great on my 031 curves and through my 022 switches. They are also a little bigger and have a little more detail than most other Postwar steamers.

I may post photos or videos of them later.

I love both Postwar Lionel (late 1940s through mid-1950s) and modern MTH, Lionel, K Line and Williams O Gauge.  If I had to choose one to be my favorite, I wouldn't be able to do it. 

Arnold

For the last several days I've been running these PA1s by Williams.  I love the look of the PA1!  I especially love the livery of the D&H .... one of my favorite liverys!

                           CR week...

I just received my Lionel 4-6-6T locomotive in the NYC livery and also a Lionel SP S-4 switcher in the Bloody Nose livery, can't run them as of just yet, need to go down to the LSHR's club layout in a Baggage car and learn how to run their Legacy system so I can see them run.  Hoping to do that possibly tomorrow or maybe one day next week.  Really looking forward to being able to finally get to run something.  Will report back later with some pictures or videos.

Williams D & H Berkshire pulling 5 MTH D & H 60 foot aluminum passenger cars.

With the Williams Berkshire, a Lionel Berkshire with a set of original Lionel 60 foot aluminum  passenger cars.  The two Berkshires run on 2 parallel loops. Looks great when the 2 Berkshires are side by side. 

@trumpettrain posted:

For the last several days I've been running these PA1s by Williams.  I love the look of the PA1!  I especially love the livery of the D&H .... one of my favorite liverys!

Trumptrain,  beautiful ALCO PA's. I wished the CNW had some so I could add it to my roster,  but the closest thing to it was the ugly duckling DL-109 .

Trains running on time today in Patsburg.  

@third rail posted:

Trumptrain,  beautiful ALCO PA's. I wished the CNW had some so I could add it to my roster,  but the closest thing to it was the ugly duckling DL-109 .

Third rail - thanks for your compliment!  

I think the PA locomotives are strikingly  beautiful passenger locomotives, although they are presently hauling freight trains on my layout.    Certain liveries like Santa Fe and D&H really highlight  the fine lines of these locomotives.   The Pennsy livery allows for a more subdued look, however the beauty of line is still retained, just not as pronounced as SF and D&H IMHO. 

The D&H does not fit into my modeling scheme ( Pennsy does ) , however, I've always found their PA1locos  ( formerly Santa Fe PA1s ) to be absolutely beautiful IMHO.  Prototypically speaking ... Even though those PA1's came to the D&H after the period which I model ( 1946 - 1960 )  ... I imagine that they came to the D&H much earlier ... say 1950's ... and they run on my railroad, as leased power,  during heavy traffic periods.    If my imaginative story can be adapted, perhaps you can run some PAs on your layout .... during heavy traffic demands or a washout on a neighboring road .... just sayin 

MTH Pennsy 13 1/4 inch O-27 Madison- first time running it as a full “set”(all 7 cars, but consist is a full Baggage/RPO, RPO/combine, Baggage combine(no RPO lettering), 2 coaches, Diner car, and observation. Led by MTH S-2 with Proto 2

Found this old thing in the bottom of a closet, so I threw a BCR2 in it and ran it around the table a bit :-)

@trumpettrain posted:

Third rail - thanks for your compliment!  

I think the PA locomotives are strikingly  beautiful passenger locomotives, although they are presently hauling freight trains on my layout.    Certain liveries like Santa Fe and D&H really highlight  the fine lines of these locomotives.   The Pennsy livery allows for a more subdued look, however the beauty of line is still retained, just not as pronounced as SF and D&H IMHO. 

The D&H does not fit into my modeling scheme ( Pennsy does ) , however, I've always found their PA1locos  ( formerly Santa Fe PA1s ) to be absolutely beautiful IMHO.  Prototypically speaking ... Even though those PA1's came to the D&H after the period which I model ( 1946 - 1960 )  ... I imagine that they came to the D&H much earlier ... say 1950's ... and they run on my railroad, as leased power,  during heavy traffic periods.    If my imaginative story can be adapted, perhaps you can run some PAs on your layout .... during heavy traffic demands or a washout on a neighboring road .... just sayin 

I think that th PA was the best looking diesel designed.  I have an issue of Trains magazine from of all dates September 2001. It has a feature article on the ALCO Locomotive Company.  On the cover is a photo of the ATSF PA in a publicity shot. 

Now that my layout is finished, I’m spending long hours running all kinds of trains. Like Arnold, I enjoy both my postwar trains from when I was a kid, as well as the realism of the modern command equipment. Here is a Lionchief Plus Hudson pulling some passenger cars past the depot and up the grade. Enjoy!

Decided to run my PS3ed Williams GG1s.  The Tuscan 5 stripe is pulling a 5 car Madison set plus a 2 car add set on from 2003.  The Blackjack is pulling a 5 car set from 2014 plus an R50B express reefer.  For a few weeks, I’ve been looking for some MTH 18” streamlined cars to go with these motors.  I haven’t found anything I liked with detailed interiors yet at a price I was willing to pay, but I’m sure something will turn up.

I painted o scale sitting figures for my passenger cars, male, female, and kids. Also found plates, cups, and dinner ware for the tables. Also added some standing figures, looks really good, found all of the things on ebay.

Have fun..

Ran both of my MTH PS3 Alcos at Rick Thomas's big layout on Sunday.  The first, away in the distance, is #1606, a CNJ RSD4/5 pulling it's freight up the 2% grade.  Second is #859 Erie PA from a Mr Muffins custom run, it was not in the train budget, but I had to get one.  It is bringing the same train downgrade later in the day.  Both PS3 engines ran perfectly - out of their boxes- on Rick's DCS layout.  Now I need to get building on mine !

Trestleking, you ran your nice trains on a really nice layout, and they look fine. Thank you for posting the pictures. I ran this train today, finally have the Observation Car finished. Happy Railroading Everyone...