Well, that's an eyefull!
Would definitely have to be built incrementally. Although, looking at the box of leavings from the WM layout, I could probably build it in c55 and still have stuff leftover! But that's not the point of the exercise, is it?
Well, while you were all puzzling over switching puzzles, I grabbed my 126 Instamatic and a few flash cubes and headed down to Retro Rock to do some railfanning.
Since I haven't put a stitch of scenery in place on the layout, this was the place to be. In addition to the roar of brass gears and sloppy drive trains, the noise kicked up by the flanges hitting the ties was incredible!
The first train to appear was a peddler heading off to work the industries of Retro City.
That Pennsy FM sure looked sharp. A few minutes later, I knew it was time for the Capitol Limited to roar by, pulled today by a shining A-B lashup of B&O F units.
The parade continued with a steam powered freight, switching the local industries along the way.
Once the little tank engine cleared the block I saw the high green signal clearance for a Western Maryland fast freight, led by a crisply polished Alco.
The unmistakable sound of EMD 567s told me that the Liberty Limited was due any moment. The Pennsylvania's Tuscan Red flashed by on its way to Buffalo, a consist of "the Fleet of Modernism" in tow.
Not to be outdone, the Best and Only had equipped the National limited with a new streamlined E-8, which made short work of the grade up from the Retro River Valley.
Around noon, after all the varnish had passed, another switcher arrived bringing more commerce to the city, and much needed revenue to the railroad. The CR FM switcher was patched together with parts from 6 different rail lines, but the shiny blue paint put a bright face on the situation.
It made it to the interchange track just in time, as the Conrail scheduled freight made the connection a short time later, behind a single F unit.
Working the other side of the valley, the B&O's local arrived, pulled today by an old reliable 0-4-0. She's running better than she ever did since the boys in the shop added those pick ups to the tender and a bunch of lead to the boiler!
Turning our sights back to the main, it sounded like the next locomotive was doing all it could just to keep all the parts moving in the same direction. Maintenance deferred, and limping on its last legs, a decrepit Penn Central Fairbanks Morse did the best it could to deliver the goods, even if they're a little... okay maybe a lot... late.
It made it off to a siding just in time, as it's cousin, a train that used to have a name... and passengers, rolled across the jointed rail as best it could to deliver the handful of passengers and several bags of mail that bothered to come along for the ride. I wasn't sure which of the two F units was actually running, but I'm sure all aboard were glad that at least one of them would get them home.
Laboring under the same pressure from shiny new automobiles and speedy airplanes, the B&O's Shenandoan did the best it could to attract riders with slippery looking stainless lightweight cars, but due to a decline in business, they were being pulled by a tired looking pair of F units, which would shortly be making more money for the railroad by hauling coal to Baltimore instead of people.
As the mists of evening began to gather, and the misery of watching the once great railways struggle to retain some of their lost glory, I thought I heard something I never thought I'd hear... The unmistakable Banshee whistle of a Pennsylvania K4. I rubbed my eyes... surely my imagination had gotten the best of me. I mean, this was the early 70s. The only K4s that still existed were rusting away in museums, and resting in peace at Horseshoe Curve. But I know I heard it. I closed my eyes, and listened... and there was no mistake. The Broadway Limited, fully Pullman equipped, brightly lit, and packed with happy travelers, roared by on its mythic run to Chicago!
They'd never believe this over on the Railwire, which at the time was a mimeographed flyer that circulated by mail. But if that wasn't hard enough to swallow, what happened next was even more unbelievable. More chuffing in the distance, another assertive wail of a steam whistle... this one more throaty and confident, and a headlight appeared around the bend.
It was the flagship of the Baltimore and Ohio Railroad, the Royal Blue, whisking passengers and express to the piers at Newark to connect with the ferry across the Hudson to Gotham. President Polk, a gleaming P7 Pacific was at the point, and the classic blue and gray consist made good time as it passed my perch.
Shaking my head, I looked down at my little instamatic, and hoped against hope that when I picked up the prints from the Fotomat next week that I hadn't missed any of this incredible action. As I walked toward my Plymouth Valiant, I heard the clanking of a bell and creak of old drivers as they drifted to a stop up on the embankment. One more shot, but it's getting dark... better use the flash cube...
A Pennsy 0-6-0 was handling a short transfer run from Arnold over to Rapido, wheezing steam from the cylinders as it paused to wait for the position lights to switch at least to an approach.
It was a great day to take in some old school railroading.
All the Best,
Lee
