HO Tour Car Pictures

[Tom]

I've had enough real work lately. Tonight, we railroad my way!

After a good dinner out with the family, we all congregated back over at Mom & Dad's to finish cleaning my brother Timmy's layout and we put all of the structures back. We had to reglue about 3 dozen trees and place some of the vehicles back in their places. Then, it was time for a second test run with my new Athearn Genesis F7 #913. Everything went according to plan and was running smoothly, so, WP SW-9 603 was fired up and ran light engine (for ITS first time since building) down to the interchange. What did it come back with?



Well, lookie here, a "special move". Waybill says it contains "LCL Freight" from Ocali Creek Railway in Washington State, destined for "Kennett Box & Crate" - Sandalwood, California on the California North Eastern Railroad. Must be either lumber or hardware to be used in wooden barrels or shipping crates at the new winery.

The road crew brings the power for their train out of the house and backs down "Two Rail" in the yard for a quick job briefing with the yard crew...



...and after the yard job clears up, ties their three units on to their train over on "one".





After an initial terminal air test and inspection by the Rockville Car Department, the rear end crew boards caboose WP 474, and prepares to depart Rockville yard.

Brakes released, and all three EMD 567 prime movers come alive on Extra WP 913 East.



Good looking car!



Curving onto the main line, 913 East crosses Sorenson Way with our car tucked in behind the rear unit, GP7 WP 706.



913 East crosses Battleview Road as the flagman protects traffic, which today is just the local town cop, Otis. Otis doesn't mind the wait, he's on his way back from the doughnut shop, and has a little pink box of goodies in the passenger seat to keep him happy. Take your time train!





913 East rounds the curve heading toward the bridges at Swain...





And eases on to the 1st bridge...



As our brightly colored car obediently follows along...



A special move required our best caboose, WP Bicentennial Caboose 474:







Coming out of Tunnel 2 and over the highway:











...and through Pagosa Junction as the dynamic brakes howl on the downgrade...




You never know what you'll meet on a CNE Siding....
(This is at West Pagosa)



And the caboose of Extra WP 913 East rolls on towards the Valley Division of the California North Eastern Railroad for final spot of BB&G 100119 at Kennett Box & Crate in Sandalwood.




--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Many thanks to my brother Timmy, who was a gracious host for our cars travels in Northern California (ok, it took a couple of beers to convince him to move Dad's '55 Chevy out of the garage, all of the G and O Gauge train sets out from under the layout, and to get the Rubbermaid tubs full of buildings and vehicles out for this photo shoot). It's been several years since we were able to even run his layout, and next thing I know, I hear Dad giving Timmy car counts over in the yard as the retired railroader went back to work in the yard, if only for a few minutes, playing switchman and Mechanical Department Derailment crew, his old job. (we had a train go on the ground after we yarded 913 East). Timmy's layout is in my opinion, very nice, and it was a shame to see it sit idle and dusty for so many years, but my parents had way too much stuff stored under and around it in their garage for Tim to even be able to get to it. Timmy has a nice collection of trains himself too. But a couple of months ago, we finally remedied that with a new 10' x 12' storage shed in the back yard and now when I come over, we can run trains, drink beer, and Timmy is a happy camper. Here's a photo of him doing MOW work at the highway crossing:



A good time was had by both of us and this was just the kick in the butt I needed to get mine cleaned up and ready, so, work and railroad museum duties permitting, I am shooting for Thursday to get some photos on the "Valley Division" of the CNE and of the car being delivered, and re spotted at the new "Sandalwood Cellars" winery. If I can't get to it by Friday, I'll pack the car up and send it on to "Nachoman" in Arizona, the car's next stop.