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I got to run some trains today at the Lauritzen Botanical Gardens. I volunteer there once a week to run trains, today was a very gloomy day, but it gave me a chance to fix a lot of broken stuff.
Overview
I fixed one of the B-units to this passenger train today. I tested the transformer's limits by running all three working powered units. The second A-unit had a bit of a melt down last year, and will most likely be permanently out of commission.
The trolley line has been repaired, so we can run this little guy now.
The Challenger is broken down right now, so we ran this little guy. Believe it or not, this narrow gauge engine will haul over twelve cars, including the caboose (which has an incredible amount of drag)
This was the train I messed around with today, a Rio Grande GP40. It rarely gets to see some use so I decided to run it.
Adam, fantastic pictures and scenery. You can feel the pervasive gloom in your photos. It seems so odd to see all the trees still bare up there. It looks like mid summer down here already.
Jerome, looks like more great fodder for your modeling skills. Are you going to attempt the 2109 too?
Mike, nice if hazy looking caboose. Lots of nice New Haven power at your roundhouse.
Trent, Rule G is a railroad rule that prohibits employees from drinking intoxicating beverages on duty. It looks like the engineer leaning against the railing on the IC Geep may have had one too many.
Jim, thanks. Still getting used to the digital caamera for clear close up shots. The grey schemed engines are for my road. I use grey in place of the black the NH used. Otherwise I follow the same paint schemes and lettering style. Unit numbers pick up where the NH ends for a particular model.
Jeffery, nice overhead shot.
The red chopped nose GP9 is an Athearn unit I kitbashed before things ground to a stop back in the 80's. Caboose Industries cab and plow pilots. Most of the hood top was removed and details added to convert the engine to a turbocharged and repowered unit. The object is to represent a refurbished and updated engine that might come from one of the independent rebuilders as a demo, thus no road name yet. Yet another project still waiting completion for 21 years. LOL
Well, a couple of big items this week. As many of you know, I received my order of PWRS Saskatchewan grain cars and, despite the P:87 wheel treads (which will be fixed by PWRS with new replacement wheels), they are absolutely stunning models.
Secondly, the NYCS has been experimenting with DPU power for eventual implementation on the various commuter lines it operates on, most notably in New York City and Chicago. The helper diesel on the rear of the trains isn't meant so much to provide additional horsepower as it is to provide the train with greater operational flexibility and greater visibility with the use of red marker lights as most passenger trains use on these lines. I'm liking the results so far, and who knows if the helper engines on the end of NYCS freights could spread across the entire system.
First, the Saskatchewan cars photographed in various spots on my friend Don Meeker's incredible layout:
Now, the second item of business: the NYCS will most likely be implementing helper engines on the ends of its trains that on lines shared by commuter trains. The rear engines give the train a greater amount of operational flexibility (train can run in opposite direction without having to cut off the power and run around the entire train, charge up the airlines again, etc.) and the red marker lights on trailing units provide greater visibility of freight trains. Here are two quick photos showing the end of the grain train:
The red chopped nose GP9 is an Athearn unit I kitbashed before things ground to a stop back in the 80's. Caboose Industries cab and plow pilots. Most of the hood top was removed and details added to convert the engine to a turbocharged and repowered unit. The object is to represent a refurbished and updated engine that might come from one of the independent rebuilders as a demo, thus no road name yet. Yet another project still waiting completion for 21 years. LOL
MTRPLS, that's a fantastic trestle. You've got some nerve even displaying those PWRS hoppers on the high bridge. Just for your consideration, I saw a UP unit running as a pusher on a video and they had Red LED's in the ditch lights, since the locomotives dont have classification lights any longer. Probably pretty hard to do in HO scale but it looked pretty neat.
Jeffrey, you need to develop a road system to serve all those new business of the the Dari-Queen isn't going to make it.
Mike, missed that chopped nose Geep before but it looks like a nice job. Maybe you'll be able to finish it less than a decade or so. Don't feel bad though. I have a pair of UP TR5's that I started to kitbash in 1971 and they are still in the box awaiting final details. One of these days....
Josh, you need about 8 zillion warning stickers all over that B30-7A! That is always my least favorite part of doing one of those, it seems every one is a little different.
Josh, you need about 8 zillion warning stickers all over that B30-7A! That is always my least favorite part of doing one of those, it seems every one is a little different.
Lots of nice New Haven power at your roundhouse. 
A slight correction. The cab and pilots are from Precision Scale and not Caboose Industries.
I'm sure the customer can add them if they'd like them all on there...
