WHAT TRAINS DID YOU RUN TODAY?

New Haven Railroad FL9 #2043 is a Sunset/3^rd Rail model made in 2012. It just returned from Sunset following a repair. Videos show a test run on my 12’-by-8’ layout.

MELGAR

Looks and sounds great.  Powerful engine.

It’s taken me a month to get these two New Haven diesel locomotives running together on my 12’-by-8’ layout. New Haven EMD FL9 #2043 (Sunset/3^rd Rail, 2012) has just been returned to me after repairs. New Haven Fairbanks-Morse C-Liner #792 (Lionel 2233291) required a return to the dealer and was exchanged. Photos and videos on my 12’-by-8’ layout.

MELGAR

@MELGAR , hi Mel, Wow, I love the quality of Third Rail Sunset models and your diesels are simply beautiful, the layout is amazing, it’s fantastic. Thank you for your contributions to our hobby. I ran these trains today and will do a video sunday. Happy Railroading Everyone

A pair of New Haven FA's head an empty bunch of coal hoppers back to Maybrook and Scranton. FA's are first generation Weaver's. The lead unit was custom painted in New Haven green and gold.

https://photos.app.goo.gl/2bruqAe2EX1mreau6

Well today still running my USCG trains since yesterday (4Aug) was the Coast Guards 233 birthday!

Here's a Santa Fe freight and Union Pacific's Yellowstone Special, circa 1960s.

I ran the PRR G5 with a mixed freight; a PRSL Consolidation with passenger coaches, along with a CNJ Camelback with coaches and a BMT Subway set. All under the supervision of my 1 1/2 year old granddaughter, Marlowe. This was the first time she saw my layout. In the video my son Eric is pointing out different scenes to her.

@pennsyfan posted:

I ran the PRR G5 with a mixed freight; a PRSL Consolidation with passenger coaches, along with a CNJ Camelback with coaches and a BMT Subway set. All under the supervision of my 1 1/2 year old granddaughter, Marlowe. This was the first time she saw my layout. In the video my son Eric is pointing out different scenes to her.

I think you’re developing a future helper/enthusiast. It’s nice seeing her eyes light up.

Jay

Well, I finally got my Lionel Legacy Union Pacific GP9 back after 7 weeks from having a sound board changed out. But, it mates well with my dummy GP9B pulling a 1960s-era freight. Then, the UP Yellowstone Special, this time from the other side of the layout. 😉

@Yellowstone Special, Vern, your UP GP7 is a beauty, well worth the wait…. @MELGAR, Mel, this is a fun to review thread, lots of nice trains… Happy Railroading Everyone…

@leapinlarry posted:

@Yellowstone Special, Vern, your UP GP7 is a beauty, well worth the wait…. @MELGAR, Mel, this is a fun to review thread, lots of nice trains… Happy Railroading Everyone…

Thank you, Larry. UP’s Armour Yellow paint isn’t an exact match on both GP9 units, since the B came out years before the Legacy GP9A. But, close enough. Also, I was just test-running them together pulling a Santa Fe freight, thus the SF caboose on the end. 😉

Nice trains you have there.

Actually ran this Sunday at the club. CNW fans will immediately identify what's wrong with the consist.

@AGHRMatt posted:

Actually ran this Sunday at the club. CNW fans will immediately identify what's wrong with the consist.

Matt: I’m not, never have been, or ever will be, a club guy. Also not a CNW fan and know very little about this railroad, being a Santa Fe and Union Pacific fan. So I don’t know what’s wrong with the consist, unless the CNW didn’t have full-length dome cars (just a guess). 😉

But nevertheless, I think it’s an awesome train. 👍

Once again Matt poses a question which triggers an internet search. Presuming this source is reasonably accurate, CNW never owned/operated any Dome cars.  I am rather surprised on how few made it into service and how little time they lasted until Amtrak.

History of Dome Cars

@ScoutingDad posted:

Once again Matt poses a question which triggers an internet search. Presuming this source is reasonably accurate, CNW never owned/operated any Dome cars.  I am rather surprised on how few made it into service and how little time they lasted until Amtrak.

History of Dome Cars

@ScoutingDad:

A good read on dome cars and thanks for the link.

Vern, BSA Troop 305, Teton Peaks Council, early 1960s 👍

@Yellowstone Special posted:

Matt: I’m not, never have been, or ever will be, a club guy. Also not a CNW fan and know very little about this railroad, being a Santa Fe and Union Pacific fan. So I don’t know what’s wrong with the consist, unless the CNW didn’t have full-length dome cars (just a guess). 😉

But nevertheless, I think it’s an awesome train. 👍

Correct. CNW didn't have a full vista dome car until around 1971 (post-Amtrak) when the acquired one from the Milwaukee Road for the business train. I bought the car for laughs and grins and as a trivia item. Besides, it doesn't look bad in a consist.

I have a NYC dome for similar reasons. I know the Central never had a dome (I imagine there would be just a few clearance issues) but I like domes and it's fun looking in the train.

Speaking of New York Central domes...
As I was getting ready to put the boxes away I thought it would be neat to have a quick run of all of my current NYC passenger equipment in one train, usually I keep it to about six cars.
Ignore background mess of the Living Room Central as it were.

I ran New Haven EP-5 #371 (20-2195-1, MSRP $349.95, 1999) by MTH on my 12'-by-8' layout today. This PS1 engine (with BCR) is one of my favorites.

MELGAR

I ran my three PW Alcos with PW 2400 cars.

I ran New York Central Alco RS-3 #8344 (MTH 30-20816-1 with PS3) on my 12’-by-8’ layout today – with two “lightning stripe” PS1 passenger cars. Commuter trains looked like this north of New York City in the 1950s.

MELGAR

@pennsyfan posted:

I ran my three PW Alcos with PW 2400 cars.

At proper post war speed as well! 👍👍

@MELGAR posted:

I ran New York Central Alco RS-1 #8344 (MTH 30-20816-1 with PS3) on my 12’-by-8’ layout today – with two “lightning stripe” PS1 passenger cars. Commuter trains looked like this north of New York City in the 1950s.

MELGAR

Looks great Mel. The humble but mighty RS3 served many roles during its time.

Bob

Ran this before going over the mountains to my grandsons 8th birthday.

A New Haven L-1 Mohawk  heads a string of loaded reefers toward Cedar Hill Yard in New Haven and leased power Nickel Plate 759 pulls a fast passenger toward Scranton on my fictitious NYNY&H-NYO&W  layout

https://photos.app.goo.gl/GCGWCpuGoWA7Xtwo6

A freshly outshopped New Haven I-5 Hudson type heads an stainless steel passenger express toward Cedar Hill. This engine was totally overhauled with a new can motor a new transmission, new electronics  and some new side rods from the Harmon shops in Shiloh, North Carolina. It now has a 100 step motor allowing for excellent startup and creeping speed.

https://photos.app.goo.gl/iAwqASqfD8wNchMPA

@Bill Park,

Both engines look terrific. I can't believe @harmonyards made the rods. Nice machine work...

MELGAR

I ran GE 70-ton Rutland Railroad #500 (Williams by Bachmann) and tested the tracking of my new MTH Premier Rutland #36 wood-sided caboose purchased from forum sponsor Public Delivery Track. It took about 14 months from pre-order to delivery but this locomotive now has a correct caboose...

MELGAR

My train running for today was somewhat unusual. I recently purchased four new MTH Premier wood-sided cabooses (2 Boston & Albany, 1 New York Central, 1 Rutland). Some people have complained about the tracking of these cabooses through switches due to the design of the pickup rollers. Therefore, I have been running each of these cabooses through the Atlas O-54 switches on my 10'-by-5' layout to make sure they track properly and don't derail - which they do not. As shown in the second video below, in some cases when the caboose is pushed backward through the curved path of the switch, there is a noticeable bump as the pickup roller crosses the straight rail. In most other cases, the car tracks smoothly through the switch. Many solutions have been proposed by forum readers. I still have one more caboose to test but, so far, they seem to operate satisfactorily on my layout...

MELGAR

Three NYO&W F3's await assignment in New Haven's Cedar Hill Yard.Two are old Lionel units and the one on the left is a new MTH unit from JR JCT in Syracuse,

A pair of NYO&WF units heads a passenger consist of old NYO&W Mountaineer coaches headed for Scranton PA.

https://photos.app.goo.gl/pdRN4j6vnBuzLsxx5

Not great quality, but I ran my Long Island GP-20’s and my PC GP7 with mixed cars:

CUT P-motor has taken over for the Niagara.

I had quite a bit of freight traffic in town. CNJ FM was lined up behind PRR E-44 on track 1. Track 2 was busy with an Erie Lackawanna AS616 tank train. The Reading  Camelback local managed to sneak through on the local track.
https://youtu.be/1YU7FDpKyOk?si=n5jjyHCj6P_vLC5W

On another thread today, someone posted the MTH PS1 Jersey Central Trainmaster hauling boxcars.

Coincidentally, I have the exact same locomotive, it's one of my favorites, and today I ran it and made a video of it hauling freight cars with heavy loads. Here is the video:

Arnold

@Arnold D. Cribari posted:

On another thread today, someone posted the MTH PS1 Jersey Central Trainmaster hauling boxcars.

Coincidentally, I have the exact same locomotive, it's one of my favorites, and today I ran it and made a video of it hauling freight cars with heavy loads. Here is the video:

Arnold

It's fun to see another one of these on duty, Arnold! Mine has one particular "quirk" that I can't quite figure out. When I go into neutral after forward, the engine sound attenuates considerably after about 10 seconds. Neutral after reverse does not result in the same behavior. I've tried resetting to default per the manual to no avail. Does yours act similarly?

@Bill Swatos posted:

It's fun to see another one of these on duty, Arnold! Mine has one particular "quirk" that I can't quite figure out. When I go into neutral after forward, the engine sound attenuates considerably after about 10 seconds. Neutral after reverse does not result in the same behavior. I've tried resetting to default per the manual to no avail. Does yours act similarly?

Not at all, Bill, the sounds, smoke and overall performance of my MTH PS1 Jersey Central Trainmaster has been flawless since I bought it brand new approximately 20 to 25 years ago.

However, I have a Lionel Legacy diesel switcher with a problem with its sounds that I will bring up on a new Forum thread, probably under Lionel Products, later this morning. It's sounds went bad yesterday (now it has no sounds or a little static) and I suspect the problem is with its speaker.

I wonder if the problem with the sounds of your Trainmaster also has to do with its speaker. Arnold

@Arnold D. Cribari posted:

Not at all, Bill, the sounds, smoke and overall performance of my MTH PS1 Jersey Central Trainmaster has been flawless since I bought it brand new approximately 20 to 25 years ago.

However, I have a Lionel Legacy diesel switcher with a problem with its sounds that I will bring up later this morning on a new Forum thread, probably under Lionel Products,  later this morning. It's sounds died on me yesterday, and I suspect there is a problem with its speaker.

I wonder if the problem with your Trainmaster also has to do with its speaker. Arnold

Good to "hear" your Trainmaster does not have the same problem as mine. I believe my problem is in the sound electronics as every other sound is fine, right down to the crew "chatter" which plays at normal level even while the prime mover idle sounds are attenuated. I got my Trainmaster from Trainz for $175, so I can't really complain. One other detail is that mine came with a BCR installed, likely after the 8.4V NiCad battery failed. Are you using a BCR, as well?

@Bill Swatos posted:

Good to "hear" your Trainmaster does not have the same problem as mine. I believe my problem is in the sound electronics as every other sound is fine, right down to the crew "chatter" which plays at normal level even while the prime mover idle sounds are attenuated. I got my Trainmaster from Trainz for $175, so I can't really complain. One other detail is that mine came with a BCR installed, likely after the 8.4V NiCad battery failed. Are you using a BCR, as well?

Yes

The video below shows, IMO, awesome MTH PS3 NY Ontario & Western F3 AA units hauling freight cars with heavy loads through My Little Town; I ran this train on my layout and took this video earlier today:

When I saw a video of this locomotive running on Bill Park's fabulous layout, I had to have it. Within minutes of seeing that, I purchased mine from our Forum Sponsor, JR Junction. Arnold