Back from the Engine House

Three steam locomotives are back on the active roster list! C&NW 0-8-0, NP 0-6-0, and GN 2-8-2 have received computer repairs and have now been tested successfully here in Billings. The C&NW had a board literally burn out this past Christmas. The NP was not outputting any sounds at all. The sounds on the GN seemed to be out of sync with the wheel movement, and that movement was rather jerky. The engines were repaired by Xavier at Caboose Hobbies in Denver last month. The GN runs smoothly now, although the sounds are still a bit out of sync. Using a human emotion to describe the sounds, I'd say it sounds "insane". However, this doesn't prevent it from running, so if the sounds really bother me, I can just turn the volume down. Overall, I'm very happy to have these steamers running again!

NP 0-6-0 Switcher #1163 tested and ready to go

C&NW 0-8-0 Switcher #65 running on Track 3

GN 2-8-2 Mikado barrels along with a freight train in tow

Snippets of 2016 so far

Hello there, various influential persons have requested an update, so let's hop to it!
I'll expand on some of these topics and events over time, but here's what I've been up to regarding trains this year:

I've run two different train lineups on the train set thus far, an all-Postwar Lionel roster, and an all-steam roster. Speaking of steam, I had Caboose Hobbies repair 3 locomotives that were suffering from computer-related problems.

I sold off the last of the O-27 track and rolling stock that I did not want for future developments, which has freed up some storage space.

The train room has received a few improvements through paint and frames.

I've started collecting Postwar Lionel 6464-series boxcars, and have 4 of 29 so far.

Several new pieces of rolling stock have been added through purchases and gifts.

A very fancy piece of railroadania has been gifted to me.

I was able to visit the Union Pacific Steam Shops in Cheyenne, WY and had a great time!

More later ~ keep your rails shiny!

Postwar Trains

All steam

Cheyenne, WY

4014

3985

Christmas Repairs

Merry Christmas readers!

Last Thursday I was running the CNW 0-8-0 around the Christmas tree at work, and soon discovered smoke coming out of the tender. I took the engine home and opened the tender. It had a very pungent smell of burnt electronics. I inspected the circuit board, but aside from one spark I couldn’t tell what the problem was. The engine will power up in neutral with smoke, whistle, and light effects, but it will not shift into forward or reverse. I contacted MTH service via email.

I also checked on the status of the NP 0-6-0 issue with MTH service, as they hadn’t responded for a month. They advised that the engine would have to be serviced professionally.

On a more successful note, I disassembled the #2035 steam locomotive and cleaned the motor and brushes. I also lubricated the gears, as they are much easier to access with the shell removed. It took over an hour to put it back together due to the rods and smoke puffing mechanism. I used a kitchen tie to force the tender’s rear coupler closed, as it kept opening randomly. The locomotive now runs (more) smoothly now. I also repositioned the electrical cables that were running under the Library tree track.

On Friday I brought CNW GP7 1518 to work to run under the tree, replacing the CNW 0-8-0 which is out of service (see above.)

On Tuesday I added Priority, Difficulty, and Cost columns to the "Engine House" (repair) spreadsheet. Currently, the two steam switchers (CNW & NP) are the top priority, and it may be less expensive to purchase new units instead of repairing, due to their age and the computer-related problems they are experiencing.

Other Engine House items for Q1 2016 include the Electroliner (get motors in sync, troubleshoot the speaker, and reattach the windows), the CSS Interurban (adjust cowcatcher), the RI Denver Rocket (oil the squeaky wheels), the PW Searchlight Car (replace the non-original light housing). the PW #2037 locomotive (return it to operational status), and the two REA Baggage Cars (install 3-rail trucks).

I hope you have a wonderful celebration of Christmas, and keep those rails silvery shiny!

Interior of the MTH 0-8-0 tender

Interior of the 65-year-old #2035

The Lionel Repair Guide has specific schematics for most Post War trains, including #2035

#2035’s motor and brushes prior to cleaning

CNW GP7 #1518 takes the stage under the Christmas tree at my office

Postwar Christmas Train

Merry merry to you all – I hope your celebration preparations are going well. 

This week I placed the multitude of Lionel train ornaments on the tree in the library, and set up a Postwar train underneath it. I use Lionel FasTrack for on-carpet setups – it works slick, and is a lot easier on the fingers than traditional tubular track. The train is headed by 2-6-4 #2035, which is supposed to emulate a Pennsylvania Railroad K4 Pacific. The main external distinguishing feature is the position of the headlight, at the top of the boiler rather than in the middle, which was a feature used on a lot of PRR locomotives. Internally, the 2035 is unique in that it is the only PW K4 produced that includes Magnetraction technology. This engine was made in 1950-1951. The tender has a functional air whistle, which makes a lot of racket, but is fun to activate. The locomotive functions very smoothly in reverse, but is having some problems when moving forward. I believe this can be fixed by doing a bit of basic maintenance, which I will try to achieve before Christmas. The rolling stock consists of two #6462 black NYC gondolas, a #6656 yellow Lionel Lines stock car, a #6456 LV hopper car, and a #6357 Lionel Lines caboose. It’s all powered by a Lionel LW 125W transformer, which may be the most recently manufactured item on display (aside from the track). Regardless, a very similar setup could have been seen under countless Christmas trees in 1955. Despite the age of the equipment, it still instills childlike wonder and fun, thanks to the timeless magic of trains at Christmastime.

Have a great week, and a very Merry Christmas, and shiny tracks under your tree ~

Now over 50 train ornaments on the tree

The Postwar Christmas Train

Christmas Trains are Coming...

Season’s Greetings readers ~

This week featured a nice variety of railroading escapades.

On Saturday I spotted Pennsylvania Power & Light locomotive 2102 in the downtown Billings yard. This is an SW1001 switcher, originally built for the Reading Railroad back in 1973. It has a unique paint scheme, and it was interesting to see it here in Montana.

On Monday I got to watch a MOW crew using a burro crane. One of MRL's self-powered cranes was moving along the mainline near my office, and it was rigged with an electromagnet attachment. It would stop every 20 feet or so and pick up a piece of old rail, and dump it into a gondola. It was interesting, and rather loud, to observe.

This week I set up a little Christmas tree in our office, and I brought in the CNW 0-8-0 set to run underneath it. I also assisted a coworker with troubleshooting one of his Lionel locomotives. He was having trouble getting the whistle to operate, and we determined that the transformer he was using didn't have sufficient power output. Anyway, my little freight train looks nice around the tree :)

And, I unpacked my fleet of Lionel Christmas ornaments, which will get to hang on a tree at our house.

Keep those Christmas rails shiny ~

PPL 2102, with its nifty paint scheme

MRL burro crane loading up some rails with a big "BANG!"

Christmas tree and train at work

Lots of Lionel ornaments to put up this year at home!

Rails to December

A happy December to all of my fellow railroaders ~

Last week I hosted family and friends in the train room for Thanksgiving. Everybody enjoyed the train demonstration, and the equipment ran without incident!

There isn't much else to report at the moment - we've been busy with other large projects, but the train room remains in standby mode. Soon we'll be setting up Christmas decor, and of course that will include a variety of trains, so stay tuned!

In the meantime, here are some local snowy train pics - keep those rails shiny ~

This is a view from downtown Billings - a snowy freight with a refinery in the background

Montana Rail Link locomotive 115 pushes a large grain hopper on a snow-covered day

CMRM Part 2

Happy Happy Thanksgiving!

Now for the final entry on our 2015 Denver trip – the HO train layout at the Colorado Model Railroad Museum. I encourage those interested to check out cmrm.org for even more information (history/statistics/etc). But, I’ll do my best to describe the basics of the layout from my point of view.

The layout is set in the 1970’s. It features mining and logging operations, a city, a large town, and several smaller towns. The tracks run on several levels, and the grades are very long and gentle. There are a few freight yards with many tracks. The scenery is very very well done throughout.

Visitors also traverse multiple levels to view the layout. There is an “upstairs”, ground level, and various ramps to walk upon to follow the layout terrain. Each train in operation has its own engineer, who controls it via remote and follows it around the expansive layout. These engineers have access to human-sized tunnels that take them under the layout that provide a shortcut to various sections of the building. The whole thing is managed by a dispatcher, who works in an office separate from the train layout. On the day of my visit, the volunteer dispatcher was very busy, shuffling 12 trains (and their operators) around the layout.

The museum provides a game for visitors, which involves finding various details or hidden elements in the layout. For example, “find two red tractors”, or “find a pickup truck hauling a load of pumpkins”. This proved very challenging for me, and after 3 hours, I still had not found all of the details on the list! In seeking out these hidden things, it forced me to look very closely at each section of the layout, which only increased my appreciation of all the work that went into it.

My conclusion is that anybody visiting the Greeley, CO area should stop by the Colorado Model Railroad Museum to experience the layout and the oodles of artifacts surrounding it! Have a swell December, and keep your under-tree rails shiny!

Some Santa Fee diesels pull a colorful reefer freight over an impressive trestle. I shared this picture earlier, but it looks so nice I had to show it again

Moving day in a small town – can you tell if the family is moving “in” or “out”?

View of river detail – they did an excellent job of creating the illusion of running water

A Southern Pacific freight crosses over the river, with views of the railroadania collection in the background

A mobile logging town created for the layout

A trailer freight heads through a tunnel

Lucky Lass mine

The forest fire scene – push a button and the LED “fire” glows, followed by LOTS of smoke, followed by lights on the emergency vehicles. All of this is next to another impressive, curved trestle

An excellently crafted custom building, based on a real structure in Colorado

This view shows more of the superb scenic design, and some unsuspecting beekeepers about to get a visit from some furry forest creatures

More excellent use of water effects at this sawmill – part of the gift shop is in the background

Well-detailed city streetscape

View of another log pond

Looking down from the top of the layout’s largest mountain on one of the volunteer operators

Overview of more excellent scenery

Here’s the eastern parts of the layout from above

This curved classification yard is 10 tracks wide!

An enormous Weyerhaeuser lumber plant (enlarged by some well-placed mirrors), dwarfed by a terribly long tank train

More outstanding scenery work below a trestle

An abandoned mine complex out in the woods

The dispatcher is very busy today, with a dozen trains and operators to manage

These “iron horses” can be viewed between Loveland’s Outlet Mall and the Centerra Mall