Weekend Update 4/12/15

[jereising]

I installed a couple of backdrops. 

GREAT progress, Daryl!

[Missaberoad]

Chris, that station looks great!

I've been slowly working on these R50b kits.

Those are looking amazing Josh!

[pjm20]

Over Easter Break I got to take some photos:

An NS Work Train in Petersburg, VA:



CSX Power in Collier Yard:



NS Yard in Crewe, Va:



And I also uploaded a video of a recent drafting project:

[SAH]

EUREKA!  Thanks Richie!  We (AC&YHS and NKPHTS member) puzzled about this machine ever since I located the photo at the Spencer (Ohio) Historical Society a few years back.  The photo below was taken in Spencer on the AC&Y.  We got the rubber tired flanged wheels correct, but from there, a blank.  The AC&Y was closely connected with the Sierberling family (rubber mfgrs, later to become part of Goodyear) so it's not surprising this conveyance would make a tour of the line. 

Discovering the year your lead photo was taken will help pinpoint the date of Spencer HS photos. 



Further proof that the answer to all things great and small can be found on The Railwire.   

Steve

[C855B]

... Then there are jack stands extended onto the track on the front. ...

Aha! Steve's photo of the Micheline train railbus thingamabob in motion tipped us off - given the rubber tires, the "jack stands" have got to be sliding rail shunts to activate signal circuits. Hi-rail vehicles have similar apparatus, the shunt function usually switch-controlled.

[Ed Kapuscinski]

A project that has been flowing across my workbench for a few years now has finally been completed.
Since we already have some SD80s I'll add these.
I got a really good deal on 2 SD80macs Undecs a few years ago.
Having no idea what to do with them, as my modelling predates April 1 1976, (See Conrail Day Tread)
I thought how nice they would look in E-L.
So two reasons for foobs came to mind;
Conrail Heritage Units. I would need to add a little white CR below the road number, and they would be numbered in the 4100 series.
The other reason would be the "What If" train of thought. The Northeast railroads were failing, Erie Lackawanna however, like the D&H, was
solvent enough to take over some of the failing roads to eliminate duplicate routes and offer service to the remaining industries in the
Rustbelt. Sounds sort of familiar.
SO... PC,LV,RDG,NH were merged into the EL. Facilities and trackage was CONsolidated and at some point the E-L
purchased SD80macs and started to assemble them in the Hornell, NY shops.
E-L practice was to number locomotives in HP ratings.
The benefit to these is that I can now acquire more modern freight cars to run behind them.
40' "route of Phoebe Snow" boxcars with roof walks, just don't look right.

Greg O.

I dig em Greg. The funny thing is, knowing the EL, they would've bought them with SD70 guts but just for the big fuel tanks!

[learmoia]

I dig em Greg. The funny thing is, knowing the EL, they would've bought them with SD70 guts but just for the big fuel tanks!

You could extend the SD80 Fuel Tank up to the walkway like the 45-2s and really max them out.

~Ian

[craigolio1]

I installed a couple of backdrops. 

That bridge is something else. Can you tell us a bit about it?

Craig

[rochsub]

That bridge is something else. Can you tell us a bit about it?

Craig

All the info about the bridge is on the UPRR Geneva Sub blog.  Here's a link to blog entries regarding the bridge

http://genevasub.blogspot.com/search?q=mississippi

And a short video.

The bridge, along with the rest of the layout, is being reconstructed after a move from Rochelle, IL to Marietta, GA

Daryl

[mark dance]

The C&W and Anthony Craig's KVR hosted visitors from south of the border yesterday for a day of operating fun.  I treated this as a warm up for the main VanRail 2015 event coming in September right after the Portland National. 
The layout performed well although we had to slow the fast clock down for a while to assure everything kept up.  In the end we had 4 trains left out on the line and two that were never run.  Restaging will take longer than normal as a result although I am toying with just leaving two of them out there to pick up things next session.

The main changes to the layout for this session were the addition of 3 more sound equipped locos including a revised radio headset arrangements for the Kaslo/Slocan branch which was well received.   There should be 4 more units aided - another 3 C Liners and another F7P-  by the May 7th op session.  I am loving these ESU decoders!  I hope to have my 2 GMD-1s back from Rapido as well...

A few "action" shots (my apologies in advance to the subjects and the audience for the unusually poor quality):

Gary J with #81 crossing the Kootenay


Yardmaster Rich switching west Nelson while Brian watches X4104 enter Coykendahl to meet his Cascade turn parked in the hole there.


Brian and John in Castlegar


a bit of a mess at Coykendahl (Len, Al on the phone and Gary)


Jack switching at Rosebery isolated both physically and aurally from the rest of the session!



The smiling crew finishing lunch before departing for Anthony's.  They are: Able Dispatcher Rene kneeling, then standing left to right TRW's own Gary Hinshaw, Gary J, Len, Brian, Mike, John, Rich, Jack and Al.



phew...now to clean up and get back to the family duties!

Have a great rest-of-your-weekend.

md

[peteski]

Aha! Steve's photo of the Micheline train railbus thingamabob in motion tipped us off - given the rubber tires, the "jack stands" have got to be sliding rail shunts to activate signal circuits. Hi-rail vehicles have similar apparatus, the shunt function usually switch-controlled.

That makes sense.   I wonder is Micheline is an early name for Michelin?  They still make rubber tires...

[johnb]

That makes sense.   I wonder is Micheline is an early name for Michelin?  They still make rubber tires...

or the person writing on the photo did not see the correct spelling on the railcar

[peteski]

or the person writing on the photo did not see the correct spelling on the railcar

 

[C855B]

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Micheline

[craigolio1]

Thanks