Catch up post from last week and this past week

Last week, our local NMRA did some layout visits in the Richmond area instead of having an official meeting.  We visited 3 layouts, and all three were very good sized.

Dick Munnikhuysen:

Models the Western Maryland Moseby Sub in the 1960's

I believe this is Cumberland Md..  Always loved the WM.

This is Cumberland Yard. The layout goes to a long room through the door on the upper right.

Keith Prichard: Minneapolis and St Louis in the 1960's

My oldest son Cameron went along to see the layouts with me.

Farm scene

Yard scene with the colorful engines

After another layout in Richmond, which I did not take pics, we stopped at Acca Yard in Richmond.  This is CSX's large yard in Richmond.

Cam waving at the southbound train.

Some older power at the engine house

And of course some 4 axle power

Cameron working on the Virginia Central at Rappahannock aggregates.  He's really took a liking to model railroading in the last month.  

Awesome pics/video from yesterday and TBT: August 25th 2016

Yesterday, My two sons and I headed due north up to my favorite hobby shop:
Mainline Hobby

It's a long drive but always worth it.  As usual, we do some railfanning along the way.  The Maryland Midland interchanges in the area of the hobby shop which is located in Blue Ridge Summit, PA.  The name is where I got my name for my HO empire.  I've been coming up here for 15 years and one of the first time I did, I stumbled upon the Maryland Midland.  The paint has changed recently but they represented what I wanted in a railroad.  I railfanned them alot over the years and knew the line like the palm of my hand. We lucked out as we found them in Thurmont, MD as we were heading up.  The chase was on once I saw this lashup!:

FIVE Emds on the head end?  Must have a big train.  Turns out that it had 54 loaded cement cars and 2 boxcars for the run up the Catoctin Mountains.

2006 lashup

2016 lashup

Throwback Thursday: September 3rd 2015

Been a little warmer and humid this first week of September so its time for a cold flashback to December 5th 2005, where we find some early season snow!  Winter is only 3 months away!

A little snowy action on the RF&P sub of CSX only minutes from where I grew up.  This shot is from Jones Crossing looking toward Guinea, VA

Zoomed out shot.

Railfanning this week: The Buckingham Branch video

In this video, we find the BB running on their original line, from Dillwyn, VA to New Canton, VA. At New Canton, they shove over the James River to CSX's Strathmore Yard for interchange.  The caboose is for the shove all the way back to Dillwyn on the 17 mile return trip.  The BB is the largest short line in the state of Virginia and got their start here.

TBT: July 23rd 2015

Today we will go back to the spring of 2006 where I caught one of my favorite lashups of all time.

How can you not love this lashup?  This is on Sandpatch grade near Foley, PA.  Two second generation EMD's, enough said.

One of the most beautiful places to railfan.  This spot is definitely not easy to get to.

The scheme reminds me of the C&O but better.

TBT: July 16th 2015

Back when I railfanned alot, I had a rare chance to catch a DMIR leader here in Virginia.  DMIR #409 leads a BNSF engine south on 35Q on Norfolk southern rails near Culpeper, VA.  This was from 8 years ago.

Another HLCX lease unit.  HLCX #6204 SD40-2 Ex- BCR in a USA patriotic scheme. 

A post in May for me is rare...

Well, I am just about done with school and coaching this year.  Only have 24 days left, but in all it's been quite busy the last few months.  I've been really trying to make time in the layout room but it has not happened lately.  I rewarded myself last Sunday with a trainshow over in the Shenandoah Valley.  I believe these small shows are the jewels of trainshows.  You can find a bunch of junk at them, but on the other hand, you can find some real bargains, if you look.  Talking down prices always seems to work also.  Last year at this show, I bought an Atlas Trainman RS32 that's now the yellow VC #106 for $30.  This year was no different.  Got a Proto 2000 SW900/1200 for $30, and 3 of the Micromark "Switch Tenders" for $24.  I've never tried the Switch Tenders but at that price, I had too.  These are under the table machines for turnouts.  They are brand new and sell for $16 each.

I also did some railfanning on the way back.  First stop was the Shenandoah Valley Railroad in nearby Staunton, VA.  Heard they had a Alco they were restoring and wanted to get some pics of their locomotives.  The SVRR is a small railroad paralleling I-81 and running north from Staunton.  It serves several industries along the way.  They are owned by Durbin and Greenbriar Valley RR, the same company that owns the tourist railroads in West Virginia.  I was in for a treat!

The SVRR #40 has been there work horse for years.  GP-9 I believe.

Believe this is there newest loco. Ex-KTR GP-9

The Alco I was looking for.  Lots of rebuilt stuff on this including trucks, fuel tanks, and pilots.  This RS-11 was Ex-Maine Central.

SVRR #8701 Whitcomb

the other end of #367

Closeup of the nose

Some sun on the #6512

Roster shot

The other side of the Alco

Cab view

Most shortlines have cabooses and the SVRR is no different.  This is an old faded blue "For Progress" C&O caboose.  

Spring Break, finally!

This week has been a much needed break from work.  It was needed to get a few things done around the house and spending time with the family.  I did get the chance to do some railfanning early on in the week and have ran some trains on the layout.  Did get some odds and ends done on the layout also. Not much but I enjoyed it and really need to get back in there.  I enjoyed running the trains the most.

One of my simple jobs was installing this backdrop on the lower level.  A printed background found on the web.  That my OK paint job on the right.  Trees will help it out eventually.

Doswell has always been is one of my favorite railfanning destinations.  Here are some of the pics I captured on my recent visit on Monday:

A Buckingham Branch side dump car in the Doswell yard.

BB #3 GP16

BB #8 GP16 in newer paint

BB #9 GP16 in the new paint

The old C&O depot now serves as BB offices.

Closeup of #3.  She's one of the original BB locomotives from the Dillwyn branch.   

Frogs anyone?

Here's a video of the infamous Rockrunner that orignates at the Verdon Quarry, just west of Doswell to Newport News, VA on the Ex-C&O line.   The video doesn't have much video quality but the sound is outstanding.  The power is all EMD: SD60M and a SD40-2 do the honors.  The train is 42 gravel loads in ortner cars. So turn it up!

Mid week update: July 30th

Progress has been slow this week because of chores around the house and other things.  I've got a little done but this has turned into alot more than I thought.  The track is totally done and wired and the turnouts in Orange have switch machines attached and wired to push buttons.  Unfun things like cutting and painting facia are about all that remain.  But since those items i just listed are unfun, I drift off to other items like backdrops and a untreated tie load.

I did some research on printing out backdrops on your own.  I was going to take the pics myself but my camera (about 10 years old) is less functioning than my I-phone one.  So, I found some high resolution pics I could use on the web.  Used a mirror image on a few and I have several pics I can use on the lower level on the branch line.

I also experimented with a untreated tie load and found some pics on the web of them in gons.  So, I used a piece of blue foam and cut it to the size of the gon. This takes up most of the space in the gon.   I then cut up match sticks to tie size(gon width).  I cut several different notches in the foam to represent uneven ties.  Paint the foam a tan color and then glue in the ties.

This untreated tie gon turned out well.  I need this for my untreated tie loading facility in Orange.

The load out of the gondola.

Examples of the printed backdrops.  This trackage is in front of my work desk and is very thin.  The hole in the wall leads to the helix in the garage.

Examples of the quality of the prints.  Some lights in this area might help.  It's on the "to do" list.  Printed out some different ones tonight.

My travels Saturday took me through my favorite railfanning spot since I was a young kid.  Doswell, VA always has engines sitting in the yard area.  Buckingham Branch has their engines here now and is typical for a short line like the VMID.  

These "plugin" receptacles are a nice added feature that can be easily added to the Midland.