I just put up 4 photos taken in the aftermath of the 1913 Flood. Although this is the Union Traction Co bridge and equipment, I feel that these are good enough to be seen. The destruction from this flood was devastating to railroads in Indiana. The photos were taken at the site of the bridge between Anderson and Chesterfield. This is the site at the White River on SR 32 near the Anderson Airport.

You can access them directly at <!-- m --><a class="postlink" href="http://madisonrails.railfan.net/phototraction.html">http://madisonrails.railfan.net/phototraction.html</a><!-- m -->

Thank you.

I expect many folks will have heard about this by now. Today, there was a major derailment in Oshawa on a CP freight line. I was just watching the news and they said that some 27 cars had derailed. I saw some pics and the train was in a zig-zag shape! Fortunately, no one was injured although they have evacuated residents from their home in a 1 km radius (it was in a residential area).

Here a couple links on this story:

<!-- m --><a class="postlink" href="http://images.google.com/imgres?imgurl=http://images.ctv.ca/archives/CTVNews/img2/20090605/160_train6_090605.jpg&imgrefurl=http://montreal.ctv.ca/servlet/an/local/CTVNews/20090605/cp_oshawa_090605/20090605/%3Fhub%3DMontrealHome&usg=__q97JmmHoGaYx1whPotLWWX1yag4=&h=120&w=160&sz=17&hl=en&start=2&um=1&tbnid=c1cGvLIPLs3oOM:&tbnh=74&tbnw=98&prev=/images%3Fq%3Dderailment%2Bin%2BOshawa%26hl%3Den%26client%3Dsafari%26rls%3Den-us%26sa%3DN%26um%3D1">http://images.google.com/imgres?imgurl= ... N%26um%3D1</a><!-- m -->

<!-- m --><a class="postlink" href="http://www.torontosun.com/news/torontoandgta/2009/06/05/9691831.html">http://www.torontosun.com/news/torontoa ... 91831.html</a><!-- m -->

Rob

I have this area where I am thinking about putting this sawmill and out buildings.

<!-- m --><a class="postlink" href="http://www.walthers.com/exec/productinfo/933-3058">http://www.walthers.com/exec/productinfo/933-3058</a><!-- m -->

<!-- m --><a class="postlink" href="http://www.walthers.com/exec/productinfo/933-3144">http://www.walthers.com/exec/productinfo/933-3144</a><!-- m -->

I am totally new to logging of any kind, so I was hoping somebody could advise me on how to arrange the buildings and how many tracks I might need. I am thinking two tracks, one for the loaded and empty log cars and one for box cars for the finished lumber and hoppers for chips.
ON the diagram, the area is the 2 by 4 ft area on the bottom. The track on the left will be approximately 4 to 6 inches above the area.
Thanks for any help.

Loren

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Heres a picture I found a few years back------ considering few business's even put decorations on their windows anymore , at least not in Las Vegas . Matter of fact it's been years since the city even put up garlands on the street lights, I thought this might be interesting as to how things USED to be. Pretty fancy !!

   

<!-- m --><a class="postlink" href="http://abclocal.go.com/wpvi/story?section=news/local&id=6850217">http://abclocal.go.com/wpvi/story?secti ... id=6850217</a><!-- m -->

Cra hits train at unmarked RR Crossing...

** Redetailing of a Athearn USRA Mikado into a Pennsy L2s**

**This is going to be a ongoing kitbashing project. It starts today.
Athearn a few years ago released a USRA Mikado 2-8-2. I have a undecorated version G9001. I purchased it with the idea to make it a Pennsylvania railroad L2. The Pennsylvannia had 5 of these. For Pennsy that is just enough for testing purposes. I don't think they were to inpressed with them, but they didn't get rid of them. In 1947 4 were still their
** The only change from the USRA prototype was a high front headlight and the PRR style marker lights. It seams Alco the builder had no trouble makeing them this way. All the photos I've seen show them with this Pennsy change. BLI release is stock USRA. Athearns PRR 2-8-2 has the correct high headlight but not the right marker lights. My undec version has the center mounted headlight.
** Now what do I do. Do I also make the basic USRA loco by just appling the hand rails stock marker lights, whistle, and bell making the Ahtearn, BWI version of this locomotive. Lets look at the loco as it comes out of the box.

   

** Photo 1: The locomotive. When compairing it to photos, the gererator needs to move up to foward of the somke stack. The bracket at the smoke box door top is for the bell. It doesn't go here. The bell mounts on top the boiler between the sand and steam domes. The headlight need to move from it's center on the smoke box door to the door top where the bell bracket is. Maybe this bracket can be used in some way to hold the relocated headlight. The front marker lights are stock USRA lights, they are in the wrong location and need to be replaced. New Pennsy style lights need to be aquired and relocated down to the top of the front pilot . A round number board need to be aquired and placed in the center of the smoke box door. That is basicly it for the locomotive changes. The hand rails and whistle still need to be installed as per Athearn.

   

** Phot 2 : The Tender rear detail. The two holes for the marker light on the tender rear are like the two holes on the smoke box front. They present a problum,and need to be filled somehow. The Athearn ladder can be installed. New Pennsy style marker lights need to be aquired with a Pyile tender headlight. These need to to installed on the tender's top floor along the rear edge. The marker lights in the corrners, and the reverseing headlight close to center I think. I have no real photo showing the exact location. So as long as a photo doesn't exist, center sounds good for now.
** I'll contact Athearn first to see if the other boiler front is aviable.
** Bowser made the marker lights, rear tender headlight and number board. in their catalog they are the same for all their tenders and loco pilots. If I am to redo this loco these must be purchased. Now it is time to check with a hobby shop or Bowser.
Bowser parts :
Marker Lights 1 pr # 7500 ( I need two pairs )
Headlight # 90042 ( same light used for the tender. I need two )
Headlight Bracket # 90041 ( Maybe I can get the light with the bracket )
Other parts possiably needed ;
Generator # 32119
Bell # 90030

I've read and re-read the Digitrax Zephyr book about building a consist. I can program the engines to run as a MU consist, but only those that are already closely speed matched stay coupled. Unfortunately, I haven't cracked the code on how to match each engine to each other within the consist. I understand you can use the basic 3 Step Speed Tables and the 28 Step Tables, but really don't understand "how" to do it. I've spent tonight reading various articles on the web concerning this topic and have learned some tips.

1. Match the loco's using a typical consist of cars in tow instead of running by themselves.
2. Match the loco's when they're not coupled together.
3. Try to match passenger loco's separately from freight loco's...unless you want to run mixed pax/freight.

Ok, maybe those are the "big picture" points, but what is still escaping me is the "how". I have a Zephyr system and going through the manuals, there's very little about how to actually reprogram the CV values to build a consist that is closely speed matched. (My only criticism of Digitrax is that they seem to write their manuals assuming the reader has a fair amount of DCC knowledge...IMHO.)

Am I missing the obvious? It there a pretty good tutorial out in cyberspace that explains how this is done? The way it seems now, you have to program (on the main) each CV value for the 3 or 28 Step mode while both engines are moving on the layout until they match in speed. Is it that simple? Why can't you just have an engine pull exactly the same train of cars over a set timed distance, and adjust the CV values until that engine pulls the same weight of cars over the same distance all at the same time? Wouldn't the engines be matched then, or at least closely enough that you wouldn't need to reprogram them again?

Ideally for our layout, which is supposed to be simple enough for a 12 and 10 yr old to run, I'd like the ability to take any two engines, couple them up and run them as a MU consist without having to reprogram them all the time. I know this is not very prototypical and negates what some engines were designed to do and operate (in real life), but for myself and my boys, being able to hook a few diesels together and run them with a long string of cars is all we wanted to do with DCC. And so far, that's the one thing we can't do.

Any info, help or ideas would sure be appreciated.

I know how to ease into the bottom of a grade by using buisness cards but I am still confused as to how make an easement at the top of the grade! What would be the best method to use at the top of a 2% or 3% grade and approximately how much more length would be needed for the easement if any at all.

Thanks
Leon