Reconfigured yard

Well my new Virginia Midland yard has gone through a few changes in the last month.  Now I have to settle on a name for it!  When I last updated you on the progress, I had a 3 way switch at the switching end of the yard.  When I put the 3-way turnout in, and tested it, it worked fine.  Then it never worked.  I messed with it for a few days and finally ripped it out.  I then had to reconfigure it again.  This second option was not user friendly.  I could only switch one car or 2 smaller hoppers at a time.  Switching out a train took forever due to the last switch being close to corner of the room.  All of the above was done with 4 yard tracks.  I finally put in another yard track and another reconfiguration and the final yard track plan was introduced.  I had a operation session a couple of weeks ago and it worked out great.

View from the switching end.  RF&P drop off track is on the right.  The 3 tracks in the middle are the classification tracks.

The white ties represent the fouling points for each track.  The 3rd track has 2 from a earlier configuration.

The other end of the yard.  The spur on the right will be the locomotive shops.

I also got a great deal on a NCE cab04 on Ebay and recently installed a couple of controller plug in's around the layout.

I created a new hopper for the VMID in chopping a Greenville hopper down a little.  Definitely different!

The car is based on the Ilmenite cars that D&H built.  Ilmenite is mined for titanium dioxide used in paint, plastics and paper.

A double door boxcar patched for VMID.  Has to be weathered before it is used in service

Lynchburg Railday This Saturday

One of my favorite train shows is this weekend.  Lynchburg Railday is an annual train show ran by the Blue Ridge NRHS.  It's in it's 34th year.  It's the only train show in Lynchburg/Roanoke VA area.  The model and photograph contests are an added touch and I have to say I won a few times down there.   So if you are in the area or live a few hours away, it's worth the drive.  I live 2+ hours away so it's definitely worth the trip.  Come by my table and saw hello!  Here is more info on the Blue Ridge NRHS and Railday:
 Blue Ridge Chapter NRHS
Lynchburg Railday Saturday Aug. 11th 9am to 4pm

Hope to see you there!

Operation session on the Virginia Central

I have been wanting to do an operation session on the my layout for about 2 weeks.  I finally got around to doing one today.  Having 2 railroads on the layout, I can choose which one to do.  Usually I choose to do the VC.  It's close to the edge of the layout and most of the time it's pretty quick.  I took some pictures of how it went during the session and it actually took a whole hour to complete.

VC GP35 #3 starts part 1 of it's switching duties.  It has 5 hoppers to take but only 4 fit on the run around track.  The VC had to do some switching in the yard before it could leave.

VC #3 approaches Industrial Drive.  It will cross this road several times today.

Crossing Industrial drive. 

Clear signal at City Junction, where the VC crosses the Virginia Midland Railroad's line to Orange.

After dropping the cars and running around them, VC #3 starts switching out the hoppers.  This is a very tedious switching job since most switching is in the vicinity of the diamond and the signals.

The 2 empties are sitting on the middle track, while the UP (X-Rock) salt hopper is spotted.  Must be getting ready for the winter weather?

Before the VC #3 can get a clear signal to proceed across the diamond, the VM train from Orange must cross heading east.  VM #289 U23B leads a 2 car train to do some switching in Fredericksburg.

Now VC #3 has a clear signal to cross the diamond again.  

 After switching out the first 4 hoppers for the 3 empties, the VC #3 heads back over to the yard to drop off the empties and grap the last hopper.  After spotting the 5th hopper, it graps the empties from Mid-Atlantic feeds and pushes back to the VC yard.  Then #3 graps the grain hopper and boxcar for it last trip across the diamond for today.

Part 2 of the VC job is to switch out Mid-Atlantic Feeds.  After dropping the 5th sand hopper off, it's time to switch out the elevator.  Two hoppers and a boxcar needs to be moved.  

After all the switching, the empties are ready to go over to the VM yard.  In all, 4 sand hoppers, 1 salt hopper, 1 boxcar and grain hopper were delivered.  This leaves the VC with 5 empties to take over to the VM.  The RF&P will take them from there. 

Detailing RF&P Geeps Part 2

Last August I did a in depth article on how to detail RF&P GP40's and GP40-2's:
Detailing RF&P GP40's and GP40-2's Part 1



Towards the end I talked about the rear horns on the GP40's and GP40-2's.  Now, no retailer makes this particular horn.  So a scratchbuilt one will have to do!

Rear of #145 (Bill Griffin Collection)

Rear of GP40 #126 (Bill Griffin Collection)

Two GP40-2's tail to tail (Bill Griffin Collection)

I have done this horn a few different ways and it really stands out on the RF&P locomotive.  Recently, I found the better way possible to mount it, so it can be still attached to the locomotive.  The method is the same as in the first article but an small piece of wire was glued into the back of it.  I started by using a Atlas stock horn.  It's the horn that comes on the Atlas GP40's and GP40-2's.  You can order them from Atlas.   Cut the mounting tab (discard) and the lone rear chime off.  Glue the removed chime (or another chime from another horn) between the 2 remaining horns. You might want to drill a hole to glue the chime in.  It stays in place better.  Let this dry for a hour or so.  Then, below the chime you just added, take the smallest drill bit you have #79 for me, and drill a hole.  Insert a 1" piece of wire and glue.  The small wire will be what you insert into the loco to help the hold the air horn assemble stay in place.

Get some scrap styrafoam and insert and paint.  It's easier to do 2-3 at a time so you can equip your whole fleet!

From the above prototype pictures, It's a hard to see the middle chime, but it's there.

Put tape on the bottom of the foam so it does blow away when you paint it!

After it has dried, trim the wire with about a 1/4" remaining.  Drill a tiny hole in the rear of the locomotive slightly above the rear head lights.   Insert and glue.  

Tsunami alert

Got a chance to order a couple of Soundtraxx Tsunami decoders last week and just recently got them installed into the locomotives.  Both are Atlas locomotives and I have had plenty of experience with the Atlas ones.  They are also cheaper than the rest of the Tsunami decoders.  I found them at $74 each which is the best price I have seen.  Also if you have not experienced a Soundtraxx Tsunami, you just have too!  It seems that Soundtraxx is one of the few that offer sound samples on their website.  MRC sound decoders are affordable but where are the samples???

Check out the Tsunami samples:
Soundtraxx Tsunami Samples

The speaker is important and space is always an issue.  Railmaster Hobbies are the best speakers in the market.  They recently built a smaller speaker that is perfect for HO scale.  It's the  DS1436-8

Here is a link to their website:
Railmaster Hobby Speakers

Now the results:


RF&P GP40 #124 with a 645 turbo


VM C424 #292 with a Alco 251 V16


Stay COOL!!!

Historic Derecho and a new yard

What is the deal with the weird weather phenomenon here lately?  An earthquake in August, barely a winter and now a Derecho.  Now I knew what a derecho was before it was big news here this week.  I follow the weather closely and it is like a second hobby to me.  We got through without losing power for too long (only 15 minutes).  The family did hunker down in the bathroom for about 10 minutes.  I did lose a huge tree in the backyard.  Our neighbors around the corner were not so lucky.  They have been without power for the last 5 days.  Lots of damage in extreme northern Spotsylvania and the Mid-Atlantic region.  You be the judge:

Derecho Damage

Now for some model railroad stuff.  Finally got my small yard wired and installed.  It hold just enough cars to make it plausible.  Let the photos begin:

Looking down the yard.  It is a 4 track yard with 2 industry spurs.  One on bottom right and on the top left.

The beginning of the yard.  The far track goes to the RF&P railroad and track to the left goes to the VM and VC.

The diamond in the wall to hidden staging.  The closest track connects the older VM to the yard trackage. The RF&P trackage is on the top right.  The track on the top left is the VM into hidden staging.

Looking down the other end.  the RF&P will bring in about 6-7 cars on the left track.  The 2 middle track are classification tracks.  The VM will have a yard switcher stationed here.

The end on the yard.  Found a 3 way switch at a train show and it helps out since switching space is always a problem.  The track to the right is mainly a run-around track for the engines.  Well wanted to do a woodchip loading spur but the loader will not fit.  May turn this spur into a covered scrap loading spur.

Power pics

As the title suggests, It's time to dig out some of the Virginia Midland power and take some updated photos.
I'll let the photos do the talking:

VM #292 C424 has finally been weathered and is ready for service.

Finally completed RSS #7011 CF7.  I had to add the front stripes.  Still needs some weathering.

VM #281 is a SD20-2.  Has a Tsunami installed and is the only 6 axle power on the VM.

VM #200 is a GP11 rebuild.  It also has a Tsunami installed.

VM #278 is a SW1500B.  It is not slug but a powered unit without a cab.

VM #285 is a MP15DC with QSI sound.

VM #284 is a MP15DC.