Tinplate or Hi-rail? Yes!

[Guy64]

Eventually, little sister left big brother alone to develop his own style. Apparently, management wasn't her thing.

We brought a bunch of 0-to-S conversions with us on the last day of the convention. But I forgot to bring a head-end transition car to couple the train of link-coupler cars to the locos we were using, so we couldn't run them. The Marx SP caboose on the tail end of the mixed freight had a link coupler on one end, so I stuck one of Di's favorite cars behind it just to test the current "Thomas the Tank Engine Awareness" factor amongst the kids. Result: Very high. Terence the Tractor was well noticed...

Hey! I know that guy!!

 

[Guy64]

I got bored with the angles I was getting of this area from inside the layout, so I stood on a chair, held the camera over my head, and...

...another two-hander. Yep, we need a more kid-friendly button...

 

[Guy64]

Another "follower" practicing his art...

 

[Greg Elems]

Hey Chuck,
Are you still running the C&D "S"ystem? Missed your posts here of late.

Cheers,
Greg

 

[Guy64]

Yo Greg...

It's nice to be missed. 2006 ended kinda busily, with various family "medical issues" and such.

The C+D "S"ystem has been undergoing minor repairs since it was taken down after the TTOS convention closed last August. It's now stored in its racks, cases, boxes, etc.

Right now I'm trying to decide whether to spend money on new track to replace the Gargraves, or on a new AM U25B. Decisions, decisions...

 

[Greg Elems]

Chuck, good to see you here again. Hope things are going better now than the end of 2006 for you. Tough decision - track or an engine. I know you will like the U25B if you get one. AM did a pretty good job on it and mine is a smooth runner.

Cheers,
Greg

 

[Guy64]

Ahem. Yeah, I know, still no new pix.

Well, I made up my mind. At least for the time being. Coughed up for a Santa Fe U25B, which arrived yesterday. I decided I would put a bit more wear on the Gargraves track b4 ripping it up for American S Gauge code .172 flex, which I chose over SHS flex. The choice of track was confirmed when I saw the new ASG turnouts at the last TTOS meet. Niiiiiiice!

The C+D System is still in racks, in the garage, with the GG rail corroding as I type. To celebrate 3/16 Day, I'm hoping to set up the layout in the garage and driveway the day after 3/16/07, which falls on a Friday. With the early switch to DST, there will be an extra hour to run trains!

The Christmas layout is still up, and I still intend to take pix b4 packing it away for a few months.

C y'all.

 

[Guy64]

One the occasion of 3/16/07, we had the C+D System set up (partially) in the garage. Seen below is a train of Max 3/16" scale 0 gauge cars (real steel!) winding through the city area behind my AM SD60 and my new AM U25B. Either loco alone could handle the consist, but my friend Jim says a train that long doesn't "look right" with only one diesel at the head. So, I put the two DC locos together. I was going to put a few buildings in the area, but Jim claimed to prefer watching the train slither through the "S" curve with no structures to obstruct his view. It did reduce the tear-down time.

 

[jbaakko]

Hey there, I like that lead locomotive!

 

[Guy64]

That BNSF SD60 is one of my favorites. I wish it was available in the latest Heritage scheme.

Jim is definitely a "steam guy". It didn't take much cajoling to get him to bring his brand-new AM Santa Fe Northern over for its first run...

 

[Greg Elems]

Hi Chuck,
I must say you came back with a bang. That Santa Fe 4-8-4 is a sweet looking steamer. Nice mix of the the two diesels. I do like those AM U25B's.

Greg

 

[Guy64]

That Santa Fe 4-8-4 is a sweet looking steamer.Greg

Yo! Greg!

That AM Steamer is a wonder to behold. Kinda out of our price range tho, even if it does cost only half of what a brass version would. That's why I never tease Jim about his steam habit. He buys all the expensive steam stuff, and brings it over here to run!

How's life on the line been lately?

 

[Greg Elems]

Hi Chuck,

Is that steamer on scale wheels or AF compatable? For the price I think it's a better deal than the Lionel 4-8-4, just my opinion though.

I've started running on the road, giving the yard a break for a while. This week I'm on vacation and trying to get some loose ends tied up and work on a few modeling projects too.

Greg

 

[Guy64]

Greg...

The version in that shot is hi-rail (AF comp.). We tested it through the only 19" curve on the line, and it did just fine.

I agree about it being a better value than Big L's, tho L did a good job reviving the Gilbert version (if you don't think about the smoke unit). After that run, Jim got the all-black Flyonel Northern as well.

Jim also plans to get the Empire State Express Hudson that AM offers. We are gonna be smokin' !

 

[Greg Elems]

Chuck,

Sounds like Jim has a nice fleet of big steamers. Be sure to post the Empire State Express pictures. That is a sweet looking engine from the pictures I've seen. You should start a steam thread with all those engines you have running. I know the layout has to be set and running.

Greg

 

[Guy64]

Whew!

We just got back from NMRA's "Anaheim Special" National Train Show. Tons of fun, and a buncha work as well. We'd been getting ready for the July event since hearing about it in January. I didn't contact NMRA until April, and was told they were "already full" of layouts. Disappointed, I gave them our name "just in case" somebody had to bow out. I continued work on the layout, bumping along at a moderate pace, using the July 16 NTS load-in date as a target even though we didn't expect to attend.

Sure enough, late in June we get a call asking us to attend. Somebody had to cancel (a big layout apparently) and we were in! As one might imagine, the work pace on the C+D System increased a tad.

For 5 weeks I was flailing away at the thing during every spare minute, completing two new sections, painting roads, installing new connectors, fixing things that got busted at the last show (Aug 2006), making restraining stanchions, etc. etc.

Got about 1/3rd done that I hoped to do, but the system was presentable. Now that the event is history, there are a few dozen pix to edit, some of which will appear here. In the meantime, here's a taste of what went on:

Di resumes loading/unloading cattle, Bossy having just been delivered from the path of a BNSF freight train...

 

[UP2CSX]

Looking good, Chuck (and Di). I've missed this whole thread since most of the posts were before I came on board. That is a really nice S scale layout you've built. Nice combination of scale and that old American Flyer look. I think I spied a Plasticville fire station in the back of one of those photos. I had one on my AF layout when I was a kid with two of the most horrid looking cast metal fire trucks you've ever seen. I loved that thing.

 

[Guy64]

Thanks, Jim.

I think you mean this building which has been moved from its 2006 position.
It's Jim Radke's kitbash of several Plasticville kits. It got a lot of attention, particularly from an active L.A. City fireman who also wanted to know where Jim got the L.A.F.D. ladder truck in front of the building.

 

[OldGettysk]

That is one fine looking firehouse !!!

 

[UP2CSX]

Yeah, that's the one, Chuck. I could only see the side profile so I didn't realize all the work that went into that kitbash. Very impressive work on the fire station and really great work on the apparatus. I even see a Crown pumper sticking out the one door, a very rare bird in any scale. Jim must be a real expert in kitbashing fire trucks. Is he a firefighter himself or just a buff? I loved fire trucks my whole childhood...and then grew up to be a cop. Go figure. I still like to look at fire apparatus though but I did learn to run out of burning buildings, not in.