Yes, I am an "Executive Vice President of Biogas Tecnology" ( old fart ) Join Date: Jan 2002
Location: Vernon Hills, Illinois
Posts: 4,399
In 2002, I was just getting "online", and in another model railroad forum, which shall go "unnamed", when someone there posted "check this site out!"
That was January of 2002, I've been here ever since. What attracted me to stay, was the friendly "give and take", the variety of information, without the "whining" about dislikes, and the ability to directly upload pictures without having to first go to a "hosting service".
As you can see above, my "post count" had reached a respectable level, and now is less than 100...........and???
I would hope that all who make this their "home" would come to feel that friendship, exchange of ideas, techniques, the acquiring of new skills, the storehouse of modeling, and prototype information, and the camaraderie that being part of this hobby creates, would be enough.
A "post count" of less than 100 doesn't make me any less a modelbuilder. It doesn't make me any less a model railroader, it doesn't make me any less willing to share ideas, or knowledge of materials, or techniques......I would hope that it is what we share here, that really matters. Whether you have posted "once in a blue moon", or a hundred times a day, if you've contributed something to the betterment of all here, you are valued.
Yes, I am an "Executive Vice President of Biogas Tecnology" ( old fart ), and I've said all I have to say........



for now :mrgreen: :mrgreen: :mrgreen:

Ever since I got into model railroading ( 30 years ago ) I have always been intersted in CNR steam. My dream was to eventually own a couple of HO scale brass CNR steam locomotives. Up until a few months back my other hobbies and a modest hobby budget has made it just that, a dream.

Well a few months back the dream became a reality with the purchase of my two first brass CNR steam locomotives off ebay. Two CNR N-5-d class 2-8-0s. Both were purchased for a little more than I was hoping to get them for but still a lot cheaper than some new in the box never run ones I have seen in hobby shops.

Once I received them I was shocked to find out the sellers description was sugar coated. Both had seen lots of running time and had never been taken care of. The paint was heavy and very poor and they were filthy. The pictures below are of the first one I have decided to work on and the one that will be the topic here. It was the one in the best shape and seemed like the logical one to start with and get back into operation first.

The following are pictures on #1 as I received it.


The pilot was off but was included.

Wayne R            

*Update*
I had this posted at another place and I thought I would move it over here and condence it since I am leaving there. I still dont have a for sure name, but I have some ideas. Anyways, here are some pictures of the layout, old and new. Feed back is welcome and while my updates are not frequent I try to make them worth while. Enjoy!

The time Era is present, the location is the Northwest U.S. The road names are Santa Fe, BNSF, AmTrak, BC Rail and Canadian National with a little BN thrown in later. I am looking for a town name. I want to keep it vague so I am not copying a real place. I dont want to use a real name of some where so I am trying to come up with my own. I did get a good name suggestion, Granite Flats. Keep them coming.

Here are some pics of the construction.








On the layout I am going to have a BNSF maintenance shed for my engines. Here is the manufacture of the kits picture.


Here are my pictures of the completed kit. In my version I added lights and here it is at night so you can see the working lights that were installed. I still need to detail it but wont do it till its on the layout.














Some of the detialing parts that will go in the engine shed.




This is some dummy freight posed for the pic.








Some bridges to be used in another area.


You may remember I was working on a engine house. You can see it in the background in its roughed out location.


Here is the biggest span bridge on the whole layout. It has since been damaged after it was put in place but it is repairable. Here is a feqw pictures before it was placed.








The manufacture of the kit and its picture.

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A picture of the helix.


Another bridge span that actually drops down that allows us access to inside the layout.


Some up close pictures of that bridge in train fanning style.








More on the next update.

I am working on a H0 scale around the room shelf switching layout in my little 6 1/2 x 11 1/2 foot storage room/workshop. The layout is inspired by urban scenes from Minneapolis ca 1957 - mainly the Omaha Road's trackage in the Warehouse District, but also a grain elevator scene and a scene loosely based on the municipal barge terminal in Minneapolis.

UPDATE 6: current plan as of fall of 2010:


Track schematic as of fall 2010:



UPDATE 5: current plan as of May 2010:


Updated track schematic:



UPDATE 4: current plan as of March 2010:


UPDATE 3: current track plan as of January 2010:


UPDATE 2: current track plan as of August 2009:


UPDATE 1 : - this is the current track plan as of 24 May 2009:


Here is my original layout plan:


If what you see is not an around the walls (ie a closed circle), then the forum is cutting off the image.
Full image here: http://home.online.no/~steinjr/trains/mo...ouse40.jpg



Some links to prototype photos of the area modelled from the Minnesota Historical Society Visual Resources Database

West Minneapolis yard, Omaha Road freight house+ 500-700 North first street: http://collections.mnhs.org/visualresour...geid=74550
Looking NW between Omaha Road yard (left) and NP depot (right) http://collections.mnhs.org/visualresour...geid=78811
Security Warehouse 1: http://collections.mnhs.org/visualresour...eid=183217
Security Warehouse 1: http://collections.mnhs.org/visualresour...geid=77820
Hunt's Perfect Baking Powder Company: http://collections.mnhs.org/visualresour...geid=76752
Commutator Brass Foundry Company : http://collections.mnhs.org/visualresour...eid=113026
Buckley's Lunch: http://collections.mnhs.org/visualresour...geid=75418
Creamette Company: http://collections.mnhs.org/visualresour...geid=75710
Municipal barge terminal (overview) ca 1950 - http://collections.mnhs.org/visualresour...geid=81148
Municipal barge terminal (dockside/barges) ca 1950 -http://collections.mnhs.org/visualresour...eid=102086
Calumet Elevator Company: http://collections.mnhs.org/visualresour...geid=75754
Star Elevator Company: http://collections.mnhs.org/visualresour...geid=80536
Washburn-Crosby Elevator 1: http://collections.mnhs.org/visualresour...geid=78106
Washburn-Crosby Elevator 2:http://collections.mnhs.org/visualresour...geid=51657

The MHS visual resources database can be found at: http://collections.mnhs.org/visualresources/



Engine roster for layout:

I've picked up a total of 7 diesel engines for my layout. Two will be home road (Chicago, St. Paul, Minneapolis & Omaha - "Omaha Road") yard switchers, one parent company (Chicago & Northwestern) road switcher, and 4 neighbouring companies (MSTL, GN, NP, MILW) switchers or road switchers for dropping off or picking up interchange traffic. Of the seven, I expect a maximum of 3 or 4 to be on the layout at the same time - the two home road yard switchers and a couple of road switchers either delivering a cut of cars or picking up a cut of cars from my yard.

CMO GE 44-ton switcher #51
CMO GE 70-ton switcher #53
CNW FM H16-44 #1514
MSTL Alco S1 #142
MILW Alco RS3 #2475
GN Alco RS3 #228
NP EMD GP7 #569

Last digit of road number is DCC id.

I am using a wee bit of artistic license here - I know that the Omaha road didn't have GE 44-ton and GE 70-ton yard switchers in 1957. And that the M&StL did not have an S1.

So I am justifying those by rewriting history a little bit. I am pretending that GN GE 44-ton switcher #5201, sold as an industrial switcher to Iron and Steel Products Co in 1948 and renumbered #51, instead was sold to the Omaha road, was renumbered #51 and used at the West Minneapolis yard, along with a GE 70-tonner #53 aquired from somewhere else.

CMO had a mix of other switchers in the 50-series of road numbers when it was merged into C&NW in 1957 (#55 was an EMD SW-1, #56-57 were Alco S1s, #58, 59 and 60 were Baldwin VO-660s), so it is not such a stretch to assume that #51 and #53 could have been GE switchers.

Same with the MSTL Alco S1. MSTL didn't have any S1s - but they had an S2, aquired in 1941, and consequenly numbered 741 (engine no 7 bought in 1941). So I am postulating that they also got an S1 in 1942, and numbered it #142. C&NW had S1s, but I like the red and white post 1956 paint scheme of the MSTL better. Mmmm - I just saw somewhere that the M&StL renumbered their engines when they changed to the red and white scheme in 1956. I might want to come up with a new number ending in 2 for this one.

The rest (CNW, GN, NP, MILW) road numbers and engine types are reasonably historical for the company and type of engine, courtesy of http://www.thedieselshop.us and http://utahrails.net/cnw/cnw-index.php



A few images showing the current state of the layout:

Left end of warehouse district - leftmost track is mainline/exit from yard, low building straight ahead is freight house. industry/warehouse flats along wall on the right.


Looking right along waregouse district - mini yard of three tracks, more industries/warehouses.


Right side of room, North Star Elevator in the background, Hunt's baking powder co (red paper over foamcore building) at rear, Williams Hardware (two Pikestuff warehouses spliced end to end) at front:


Cassette/bridge in front of door - buildings in background has since been replaced by Hunt's baking Powder and Willliams Hardware


Testing out track alignments for the barge terminal scene using various placeholders:


I have since scratched out a coal barge that hopefully looks a little better than the placeholder tray in the picture above, even though it still needs sanding, detailing, painting and weathering


Anyways - that is the present state of my layout. It obviously needs a lot more work before it start look anywhere even remotely as good as some of the layouts I have seen in this forum.

But I'm having fun "working on the railroad" and hope to learn more and get more ideas following this forum


Smile,
Stein

I just wanted to report I just installed a MRC drop in sound decoder in one of my P2k Alco Pa's. It took about 20 minutes because I wanted to be sure I was right. I found one of the motor leads loose and had to fix that which was no fault of the decoder
It comes with 33 different horn sounds and 8 different bells. I was so impressed I ordered 2 more for my other PA's
At $60 bucks it is half what other sound systems cost. It came complete with the speaker already mounted on the board. :mrgreen:
Charlie

cleaning out the extras, pictures available upon request


bachmann locomotives from sets
FT unit in red santa fe runs okay $10.00
GP 40 CN locomotive runs okay $10.00
U36 Santa fe runs okay $10.00
F7 UP runs oka $10.00
Life Like
F 7 Santa fe runs okay has broken truck $7.00
F 7 Santa fe never used given as a giftt and just put on display $10.00
AHM
switcher loco might be a s12 ( pic upon request) runs chips in the cab, and broken handrail $7.00
C424 C&NW says onhe side of it "home of the steamliner" broken handrails runs well $10.00

Model Power alco model
runs, needs tlc $7.00

athearn powered from blue box kits
SD 40-2T Southern Pacific $25.00
GP 40 Southern Pacific $20.00
GP 30 ( older metal trucks) B&O $15.00
U33c??? UP $20.00
Bachmann Plus
Sd 45 Santa Fe $15.00

Atlas/Kato
GP 7 Cheesie System $35.00

Shells
Athearn
GP 7 UP $5.00
S 12 private road name $5.00
S 12 B&O $5.00


shipping will be extra by Canadian Mail at the cheapest method unless other means requested
just cleaning out stuff to make way for models I would rather have in the collection.
pictures upon request

Happy Holidays
Stuart Warren
Renfrew ontario
Canada

CSX video shot at Princeton In.
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Railfanning Chessie System 1983
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I finally just got a call from Toy Train Heaven saying that 5 of the 6 sets of my Athearn 53' trailer 2 packs that i pre-ordered back in May of this year are finally in stock and being shipped to me today. I ordered one of each of the Werner Enterprises, US Express, Swift Trans., Schneider National, Knight Trans., and Dart Advantage. The Wener Enterprises ones are still not in stock and they said they will ship them to me when they arrive free of shipping cost

Ive been waiting for these for a long time now!! I pre-paid for them back in May of this year, they there were supposed to be shipping and available by the end of July 2008, well so much for that, 4 separate due dates were posted for the trailers on Toy Train Heaven's site. I really cant blame them for this, it was due to Athearn taking forever to release something then announced ages ago lol

all well, im exited to get the new trailers, pics to come soon, they should be nice!!

I know there are plenty of these threads but want more cant hurt and by making one, and by making one I feel like Im part of model railroading forum history!

Anyway, I got home today, and unlike with Zealot, I REALLY looked forward to comming on and seeing whats going on. I always did, but this just feels totally new, different, and awesome. As I was reading the new posts, Im seeing several threads/posts that have been carried over, but Im also starting to see new build threads starting already and advice being given, and I realized that this really is a NEW START! And its already looking like we are off to an amazing start! Way to go to all of you who have made this possible.