Prototype information
CP Arbutus Spur in Vancouver BC
The Canadian Pacific Arbutus spur lasted until May 2001. It had a long history as both an interurban line as well as a freight line for the BC Electric, BC Hydro and Canadian Pacific Railway. It had a lot to offer both in the historic and modern eras. It would be a nice small switching layout. More here:
US Army Munitions Depot Railroad in Hawthorne Nevada
Switching Army munitions as a small model railway? Sounds interesting.
https://ageologistchasingtrains.blogspot.com/2021/08/hawthorne-us-army-depot-railroad-1999.html
A question, or inquiry about radio antennas
I am looking to purchase a new external antenna for my scanner, for when I am out railfanning. Currently I use a window clip type antenna mount with a BNC connector for a Motorola rubber duckie antenna cut for the 160/162mkz frequencies. My issue is, the wire to my scanner is an unshielded type which has issues with the electronics in my SUV. So, I am looking at either the Railcom antenna, or the Traintenna model, which looks identical to the Railcom model, but uses an RG type cable. Does anybody use either type, and which do you l
Shay Engines, Copper Belt Railroad at Bingham.
Did you know the Copper Belt Railroad had a roster of Shay steam engines at Bingham canyon? First used for the underground mines around Bingham, then helped with the started up of Utah Copper and Boston Consolidate Copper.
CP MP15AC to GMTX Prototype study to model.
This is going to be a long endeavor. I plan on taking an Athearn Genesis model from CP to GMTX as currently used by Vermont Railway. I also want to change the decoder motherboard to a 21-pin model, add appropriate lights, upgrade the speakers and add appropriate details.
My first post will be pictures I've taken of the prototype. The pictures might help you to see the detail of one MP15AC for one that you might be considering..
To fence or not to fence?
I keep changing my mind about this. I am building a rail-served oil/fuel distribution scene set in the 1960's in a semi rural location. I'm trying to decide if this industry should have a security fence surrounding the property. From an operations stand point, I think it's pretty cool that operators would need to stop at the perimeter to open and close the gate. And I have the ability/skills to make the gate and the open/close mechanism .
What's on Your Workbench - August 2021
Here we are in another month! Let's see your current workbench and layout projects!
Eric
Eric Hansmann
Contributing Editor, Model Railroad Hobbyist
Follow along with my railroad modeling:
http://designbuildop.hansmanns.org/
Prototype point motors - US, CSX or NS practice?
I'm wanting to make some 3D printed point motors/machines to add as non-working details to my N scale track. I've looked through Google, but there's a huge variety there and I'm having difficulty narrowing things down. The one's I've been finding seem to be mostly oriented towards European and New Zealand railroads.
B&M Branchline Caboose Kitbash Ideas
Looking for good ideas on slicing and dicing an Athearn wide vision caboose to create a reasonable version of a Boston and Maine branch line (buggy) caboose. By "reasonable" it does not have to be museum quality to detail, but to have clean craftsmanship and better than a general representation of the prototype.
The International Car Co. rebuilt thirty-eight cabooses in 1959 from fifty wooden bodied, steel framed cabooses for the B&M. Many of these cars served into the 1980's, generally in branch line service.
Condensed Profile
I have a copy of the BN condensed profile from 1979 for their Wisconsin Division "Bemidji to International Falls".
I have a question on the codes used to identify a bridge.
The bridge I'm looking at is the over the Big Fork River, Bridgehunter.com | Voyageur Trail/Blue Ox Trail - Big Fork River Bridge
On the profile it is identified as "Br 166, Big Fork River ~ 14 Sp. P.B. & 1-127', 1-157' T.P.C.T."
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