ATSF Los Angeles Division, circa 1949

[Cajonpassfan]

An update. It’s been a while, I’ve been busy helping a good friend design and build a new HO layout to replace his large and gorgeous old layout that had burned to the ground last October, along with his business. Sometimes life really sucks, big time. Pics below.
He vowed to rebuild, bigger and better, in a 7,000 sq.ft. industrial building. It will be just freaking amazing Benchwork is going up as we speak, see photo.
My own layout has taken a bit of a back seat, but I’m working on motive power and cars. Our own Rick Brodzinsky was kind enough to install Loksound decoders in my three ABBA Catwhisker F7 sets, using my 13x18 “Grand” speakers and homebuilt enclosures, and the sound is quite good; far better than any of my other sound units. I’ve been working on lowering them and close coupling them with some success; they look good and sound awesome! Pic at Blue Cut below.
Hope to get time to work on my own layout soon...
Otto

[GaryHinshaw]

Man, my heart skipped a beat when I saw those photos - I thought they were your layout!  Glad to hear that your friend is bouncing back quickly.

[OldEastRR]

Salvage some of those burned cars for flatcar loads or rip tracks, junkyards. Their being warped and bent like that is just like real cars when they go smash.

[Cajonpassfan]

Well, wrong scale, and they smell really bad😬
And my friend doesn’t want reminders of the catastrophe that destroyed his business as well as his beautiful layout.
Otto K.

[Santa Fe Guy]

Moving house and having to sell ones 24 year long passion was bad enough but loosing both layout and his business to fire would be very hard to take.
At least I can still get to see mine and enjoy it in a new home.
Have fun building his new empire Otto.
Rod.

[Cajonpassfan]

Thanks Rod! The new layout will be nothing short of phenomenal, we’re all going a bit crazy with the space we got🙀😝😃

[Cajonpassfan]

Well, between working on my friend’s monster layout and finally getting around to building my wife’s very own she-shed, the LA Division has seen little construction progress. I did manage to test run and program tweak the three IM F7 Catwhisker freight sets converted for me to Loksound 5 and Lokpilot 5 decoders by our own @RBrodzinsky. Each four unit ABBA set has a Pilot 5 in the A’s, with Loksound 5 sound unit in one of the B’s. I turned the second B‘S into dummies; plenty of power as is.
I built homemade enclosures for the 13x18mm “Grand” speakers (no longer made I believe) and Rick milled the frames to accommodate them. The sound is very good, my best sounding diesels yet, even rolling through unfinished scenery...See below.
Otto

[Cajonpassfan]

A sign of the future...the Geeps are coming, the Geeps are coming....
The most modern power on the railroad at Verdemont, a hint of things to come. I never liked these utilitarian newfangled narrow body things, but now they are growing on me, especially in zebra stripe and ESU EMD sound. Sweet... Just one set though, and maybe a two unit helper set...
Fun stuff!
Otto

[MDW]

C’mon Otto, they are awesome in zebra stripes!!!

Michel

[RBrodzinsky]

Otto (@Cajonpassfan) asked me to post this video he took of some of the updated IM F7s, pulling a consist on his pike

[Santa Fe Guy]

Layout is looking great from what I can see. What a beautiful train and fantastic weathering Otto.
Rod.

[Cajonpassfan]

Thank you Rod, especially appreciated coming from you!
Apparently I’m not smart enough to post videos, so I asked @RBrodzinsky to post it for me. Rick installed the Loksound 5 decoder and a 13x18mm sugar cube speaker in a homemade enclosure I made in one of the B units. The A’s have Lokpilot 5’s. The sound is terrific in a home layout setting; the video I’m watching on my iPad just doesn’t do it justice. I See I need to get more scenery done....
Otto

[C855B]

Hey, Otto - you going for one of the new ScaleTrains turbines? Spot-on for your era and location. UP didn't run 'em a lot through Cajon, but they did run then. It was the 8500HP versions that got them banished from west of Yermo.

[Cajonpassfan]

Lol Mike, I’m afraid not “spot on”.  The #50 double ended experimental would be, but not these pups;  too modern for my era, and they chopped up steam tenders for god’s sake
Still, I applaud Shane and Scale Trains’ and I hope they do Very well with the “standard turbine”. I don’t understand the negativity they get; the fact that one may not be interested in a particular model for whatever personal reasons doesn’t make it a bad choice, and I’m sure it will be a spectacular model...
Otto

[C855B]

Arrgh - you're right, my bad. The production 4500GTELs didn't come online until '52. Didn't look before leaping.