Just leaving on the next train.       Charlie

A true adventure yesterday (09/10) watching trains with a couple of good friends---thankfully we didn't get too lost and I managed to get everyone home safe at the end of a long day---here's some of the action along the way.Hopefully our luck will continue today as we're heading out shortly to catch some more trains---at least today I know where we're going.

                   

A Conrail SW1500 switches Pier 34.

Bruce

   

A few months ago we held several auctions as a way to celebrate our 10th anniversary and to help support the Big Blue Train Forums. We also said we have a few more things coming. We do, we have yet another Doctorwayne decorated HO car. We decide that we'd wait until now to present this so as those folks that were away on vacation would have an opportunity to bid. Remember, we have kept our promise of no ads and no sponsors and so, this is one way to help get the much-needed funds to keep us going, but a way to give something back in return. We're opening an auction of a hand-painted and detailed Big Blue Trains HO scale decorated boxcar. The car has been stripped, repainted in Big Blue colors, decorated in our Anniversary scheme and clear-coated. Along with the new Big Blue logo, it has the “10th Anniversary Special” lettering. Also, note that this car has a unique number that will not appear on any other Big Blue or BB&G rolling stock. We will leave any weathering to its new owner if they think it’s appropriate, or, Doctorwayne has offered to do the weathering if asked. This car, we hope, will become treasured and be a show of pride for your membership and support of the Big Blue Train Forums.

Now, let’s get started. We are offering this HO scale car BBT201910 to the highest bidder. Here are the bidding rules:

1. There is no minimum bid and no reserve, the highest bidder at the time the auction closes will get the car.
   
2. Please keep you bid raises in increments of at least fifty cents and preferably a dollar or more.
   
3. You can bid publicly by posting it in this thread. This thread is for bidding only; any comments or questions should be made in this thread or by PM to either ezdays or ngauger. Non-bid posts will be deleted from this thread.
   
4. If you want to enter an anonymous bid (just like the rich and famous do), you can PM either ezdays or ngauger and we will bid on your behalf, (we will post the bid amount, but keep your name confidential, just like at those big auction houses). You may also want to give us the maximum you would want to go and we’ll bid for you by adding one dollar above the last bid, up the maximum that you have set, again, just like Christie’s does for the big boys.
   
5. The auction will run until October15th, at which time we will announce the winner and ship the car to them.
   
6. The successful bidder will pay all shipping costs. Remember, the car will be shipping from Canada.
   
7. Payment can be by PayPal, check or MO. We will give the winner instructions on how and where to pay.
   

We're moving house (again) and before we do that I've decided to cut down on my rather large collection of Model Railroad, Railroad, Railroad Paper (Working TIme Tables, Employee Timetable and other interesting Railroading paperwork), and general modelling books

There are about 100 items up for sale. Some very rare.

There is a POST describing the sale workings, and the main page with all the book covers scanned and described for you.

Any questions, please use the contact form on the page. I'm off on holidays this week so I'll get back to you sharpish (depending on time zone of course).

Shore River's SW1500 1125 switches the All State Paper Company.

Bruce

   

   

I incorrectly called it the 'Santa Fe' train station. It was actually a UP station in LA,...LAUPT station. I want a model of this station on the upper level of my layout to represent the 'west coast' of my trans-continental rr.


A few days ago I was working on ideas for my container scene that is going to set adjacent to this station. I wanted to get a general idea of how large this station was going to be. I got out the 'footprint' images of Walthers and tried to approx the missing dimensions.

I started with those large windows/skylights,..



Then cut up up some scrap foam board I had,..














That tag of paper near the corner of the room is a small photo of the outdoor park area that will likely be made into some sort of view blocker for that curved track in the background.

The only height dimension I had to work with was that of the tower given by Walthers. I then had to guesstimate the roof height of the building itself. I think I got it too tall?

I threw in that extra window in the end of the building, feeling it was kind of missing something in that big blank end.

I'm also debating with myself as to whether to represent this side of the building as the back or the front?....working on those thoughts.

Electrifying, but I sense something's up. A bit of sleuthing might just give us a clue.

Container Loading Cranes

I've been looking thru LOTS of container crane images recently,...specifically HO scale, and specifically railroad car loading ones. I have some specific requirements I am seeking for my two container handling areas, but I thought it might be interesting to see what other models (commercially available, kit-bashed, custom built) might be presented, and the reasons for those preferences.

Heljan model
I'll start out with one of my favorites, the Heljan model.
https://www.hattons.co.uk/11688/hel...o_gauge_dc_ac_dcc_operation_/stockdetail.aspx





This is an expensive one, and it appears as though it is ONLY available as a fully operational model. I find it almost surprising that neither Heljan has offered a non-operating model, or perhaps some other manufacturer??

It does appear as though they have copied a real existing crane, but I find it to be so wide as to be limited to pretty large container handling scenes. It spans so many tracks. I like the idea that it services a track (or two ?) outside of its inner span.

I would like to have a crane that spans only 2 or 3 tracks, with the capability to service one track outside its inner span. My container facility will possible be just barely wide enough to support this size crane.

Here's a look at trains running along part of the main line at the Livingston Model Railroad Club located in the basement of the old Northern Pacific depot in Livingston, MT. The depot is now a railroad museum and the club is considered part of the museum and we pay no rent or utilities, but are open to the public during operating sessions.

I apologize for how jerky the video is. I believe that it may have something to do with the video editing program as the original video is smooth. The video does start part way through so please go to the beginning.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MvXXDzw6mLU&t=218s