My N&W Sterling Branch-1930's


Y3a

Stuck in the 1930's
I uploaded some to the photo gallery of my N&W "Sterling Branch" RR. I'm trying to capture the look of south western Virginia in the mid 1930's up until right before WWII. The structures still get moved around every few months until it looks OK to me. I continue to put DCC into brass steam locos, and installing lights too(what a pain...) I have a fleet of 8 Powerhouse 2-8-8-2 Y3 engines that have been re-detailed and repainted. I have a 2-6-6-2 Z1, 2 of the Sunset M class 4-8-0's, a NWSL 2-8-0 class W, a pair of old Rivarossi Y6b's that I've modified into Y5's with the original tenders, a K2 4-8-2 and a Bowser 4-8-2 as a K1, and another Bowser PRR K4 pretending to be a N&W 4-6-2 E3, also with correct tender(15K). The Y6b's and J are not generally run on the layout.
 
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I'll be posting more photos of the layout itself after I clean the tools off of it.
I just finished installing the Tortoise machines, still to be wired.


Here is some Youtube links to some of the video bits.

Climbing Blue Ridge (Y6b and A pulling 50 hoppers)
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6iScOZrQ5yU

Glowing Cinders test using red glitter stuck with flat black paint
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IMOh...DvjVQa1PpcFO36QKfTFmtlCQMWRIPgbEsLCy_IYOZZbc=

M class 4-8-0 arriving with pop valves going off
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=p9kkl1-HmB8&feature=relmfu

I will be uploading some video from a Sony Cybershot w/in a month or so.
 
I'll be doing a 'follow the passenger train' thing all around the layout soon. The layout is a designed to be a photography set and really isn't that large.. I used about 93 pieces of 3' code 83 flex for it.

I'm a frustrated 2nd unit cinematographer, and have designed it to have about 4' long photography blocks that look different from each side. The idea is to give the feel of the N&W in southwest VA in the 1930's. When fully operational the locos and rolling stock will all suggest late 1920's through 1940. The engines have the pre-WWII markings and look of the 1930's.

The most difficult part has been vehicles and how the small towns developed from just a small station. Most of the buildings are wood structures, so many brick models have been removed, even though they were originally built for my layout. I have one industry, a coal tipple, and some support items like an icing platform for the reefers. I have a turntable, but no advanced support structures like roundhouses or longhouses.

I'm more of an engine fan, so I spend more time making sure they are prototypical. I use real coal, and research each engine type and the characteristics, and problems they had. I have a K3 4-8-2 to do the Radford armory run, a Z1 for coal tipple service, 2 M's for light service, along with a W2. I have 7 Y3's for heavy freight and a K1, K2 and E3 for passenger service along with a g1 2-8-0 for light branchline service. Most of my rolling stock is also specifically 1930's era. I am working on a Y2, and 2 Y5's, which aren't done yet.
 
... The idea is to give the feel of the N&W in southwest VA in the 1930's. When fully operational the locos and rolling stock will all suggest late 1920's through 1940. The engines have the pre-WWII markings and look of the 1930's...

I love it!:D I'm doing pretty much the same thing except I put my cut off date at 1949. Several of the guys that will be operating on my layout have first gen diesels, so I've used that date so they can also use some of their locos occasionally.

Since I've based the layout on the Southern, I'm also using my hometown and the mainlines N&S from there to represent my railroad. So that gives me the opportunity to use the various industries around the area. The only industry "foobie" will be the coal loader. While there was a small mine there during the Civil War, its been abandoned since 1865. I just let it serve a a main industry.
 
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Hi Y3, :)

I really like that black and white Blue Ridge video because it enhances the "iron" look of the engines. :)

Greg
 
Steam Whistle & Powerhouse locos

I'll be posting more photos of the layout itself after I clean the tools off of it.
I just finished installing the Tortoise machines, still to be wired.

Here is some Youtube links to some of the video bits.

Climbing Blue Ridge (Y6b and A pulling 50 hoppers)
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6iScOZrQ5yU
WOW, now if someone could just find a HO model sound decoder with that steam whistle.

I'd like to see some pics of your 8 Powerhouse 2-8-8-2's,...or at least I assumed they were all articulates?

And did you add extra electrical pick-ups to the loco's drivers? I bought a Powerhouse loco without a tender and thinking of adding a vandy tender and sound and DCC. I believe it would be a good idea to add extra pick-ups??
 
I uploaded some to the photo gallery of my N&W "Sterling Branch" RR. I'm trying to capture the look of south western Virginia in the mid 1930's up until right before WWII.
I assume you are a big fan of O. Winston Link. The calendar in 2007 made me want to model the Abingdon Branch.
 
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Thats why I ended up getting 2 Sunset M's. And a NWSL "W". I like the big M2c's the best though. Waaaay too expensive for me at about $1K each.

The Powerhouse engines pick up from all 8 drive wheels and pony and trailer too. The trucks under a stock Powerhouse 18K tender should be replaced with Greenway's trucks and THEN add in some wipers to those. They work great.
 
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The Powerhouse engines pick up from all 8 drive wheels and pony and trailer too. The trucks under a stock Powerhouse 18K tender should be replaced with Greenway's trucks and THEN add in some wipers to those. They work great.

I never understood why their tender trucks were set up the way they were. IMHO that's the weakest area on what is a very good locomotive. That was the first alteration I did to mine was to replace the trucks.

I'm still gathering some detail parts and I'm going to follow an article from Mainline Modeler that was on the Y3a, and redetail this one I have.
 
The Powerhouse engines pick up from all 8 drive wheels and pony and trailer too.
Are you saying this condition exist on the stock engine,...or you added extra pick-ups to the stock engine?

As far as I know (not having disassembled it yet) there are only pick-ups on one side of the stock loco.

If you added pick-ups, which or how would you recommend?...any pics?
Thanks, Brian
 
Vandy Tender & Trucks

PS: I have in mind putting a Vandy tender behind her,...specifically a very nice Rivarossi one I happen to have.

Then using these power pick-up trucks I happen to have, ...or maybe some others?? How about Ring Engr ones?
 
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