Maine Central Switchers

 Hi folks. Well it has been some time since I last posted and I am still in a bit of  low motivation level when it comes to model railroading. I did not attend the last 2 local shows with my On30 group, however I did do an On30 decoder install for  a member of our group ( On30 Forney - Soundtraxx TSU1100 decoder/ with keep alive) as well as participate in a friends operations sessions on his home layout twice this fall. That being said I wanted to post something , so I thought that I would post a picture of what i currently have for switchers on my MEC layout. I currently have a Proto 2000 S3 and an Atlas  Alco HH660.  They are both DCC equipped ( but not sound). I was the original owner of both of these locomotives and was lucky enough to have the friend that I sold them to, resell them back to me a couple of years ago. I have an order put in for a new Atlas S2 that was originally announced a coupe of years ago, but the release date keeps getting delayed with the latest date being Feb 2023 ( we shall see). I ordered a non DCC version , which I will install my own sound decoder in once I get it. Once I get that one, I think I will be good for switchers. Here's a look at my current small switcher fleet. Till next time....

Freight Car Friday

 Hi folks:

Well the hot humid dog days of summer are upon us and as mentioned in my last post, time for Model Railroading is limited to any days where the weather is not good ( few and far between it seems). Recently on one of those days, I put together a lumbar load kit from American Model Builders for a Proto 2000 freight car flatcar that I had acquired a few years ago. The kit was easy to put together and because it was laser cut, the only tools need were and xacto knife to separate the parts from the wooden sprues and some yellow carpenters glue. It went together in under an hour or so. The Proto flatcar is decaled for Toronto Hamilton and Buffalo ( TH&B). I bought it from a second hand dealer at a local train show ( was part of an estate) -I think I only paid 5 or 6 dollars for it. It wasn't in perfect condition, - it was missing the brake wheel and a stirrup step and coupe of handrails. Fortunately I had a few left in a TH&B gondola kit that I built and so was able to use those. I also added an American Model Builders laser cut wood deck which I stained with a couple of coats of india ink / alcohol mix. Because this car is now approx 20 -25 years old, it is not the most top of end models, but still looks nice to my eye and with the new lumbar loads, will create some visual interest when on my layout. Till next time...

New Factory and a "funk"

 Hi Folks: Well its hard to believe that its been 3.5 months ago since I last posted. For some unknown reason, I entered the dreaded "model railroad funk" earlier than usual this year - right after my last posting to be exact. Usually I take a summer hiatus during the summer months, but I guess my mind told me it was summer earlier than usual this year!! One of the last things I was working on was completing a brick factory structure ( still haven't decided name yet) for the layout. It is the well known "MiddleSex Maufactoring Company " kit made by Atlas Model Railroad company Atlas - Middlesex Manufacturing Co. - Kit - 15 x 5-1/2" 38.1 x 14cm - 150-721 (walthers.com)   I bought the kit with the understanding that I would kit bash it into a shallow relief structure and I got many ideas from other modelers who had done the same thing with the kit - lots of info available on the net. It turned out pretty good if I do say so myself. Its amazing what some brick colored primer paint and a good technique for brick morter can do. I jazzed up the roof with a Walthers AC unit and added the conduit piping from a kit made by ITLA Scale Models Inc. A roof top access doorway from left over parts from a Rix grain bin and to finish, roof top gravel from Walthers. I still have another loading dock to add as well as some goose neck lights over the loading bay doors and that should do it. I recently attended a regional Model Railroad Convention, as well as helping a friend show his layout , as part of the convention layout tour menu. I must admit the convention helped in renewing my interest - when you get in a funk like I did , go visit one of your MR buddies - its a great remedy for "the funk"! Enjoy your summer everyone! Till next time...

Steam Time

 Hi folks - its been a bit since I posted, but I have been staying active and have been working on the layout and some other projects, but not at a fast pace. Last year (early 2021), a friend of mine needed sound added to a couple of HO scale Bachmann 80 ton shay models. Sound was added with a Soundtraxx TSU 1100 steam -2 decoder and ESU sugar cube speakers. They both turned out nicely and I must admit they sure did look and sound great! I went for a visit back in Dec and he ran the locos. When I got home, I went on the internet to see what was available in these models (I told myself just was going to look) - perhaps I shouldn't have LOL! Anyway to make a long story short, I am now the owner of an HO scale Bachmann 80 Ton Shay which I added the same decoder as I did for my friends. I did do a bit more to mine, as I replaced all the light bulbs with Surface mount LEDS ( golden white) including the firebox light which I can now control with a flicker effect! Doing this was by far the biggest part of the project, as the model had to be take apart extensively. Luckily I was able to find a couple of articles on the internet explaining how to do this. I worked slowly and labeled and bagged every part and screw that I had to take off the model. I was also fortunate to have a fellow NMRA member in my region who gave me advice and answered some of my questions, as he did this same project recently (Thank_you Greg!) Anyway the model is now equipped with the Soundtrax TSU 1100 Steam -2 decoder (located in the water tender) and a Soundtraxx Sugar Cube speaker located in the coal bunker. I had to scratch build a new coal load as the original one took up all the interior of the coal bunker and would not have allowed a speaker to be installed there - this was a relatively easy thing to do - I cut out a piece of .060 styrene, spray painted it flat black and glue woodland scenics coal onto the top - in place it looks just as good as the original coal load and the model sounds nice. On a final note, these Bachmann models are notorious for the cracked gear issue and so I did take a chance ordering this one - it was listed as never used, but one never knows! When I inspected the model, I did see 1 - possibly 2 gears that were cracked, but the model still ran nicely (even better after the decoder was installed and some run time ). I emailed Bachmann and the response was that replacement parts are no longer available for these models. That being said, North West Short lines do make replacement gears for these and so I took the liberty and ordered a set (they come in 6 to a set), as they were currently available( sometimes they aren't). So my plan is to keep these gears but not change them out unless the model starts to run badly in the future. This model will not be a regular locomotive on my layout, but I like it and will take it out to run once in awhile and enjoy watching all the moving parts that these models are famous for. Till next time

Bachmann 80 Ton Shay with Tsunami 2 Sound

Geepers Geeps

 Hi Folks:

In a post last March, I told the story of how I had waited a long time to acquire a locomotive that I had been after for awhile  Nottingham Sub: Dont wait....

Once I got the loco, I liked it so much that I decided that I wanted to get the other road # that was released for that particular Atlas run - only issue was that the run was from 2006 or 7. Well as explained in that post , sometimes you have to wait until one becomes available for sale. So lots of checking Ebay and various on line sites , and then finally I found one - it was a couple of days before Christmas, and I checked the same site as where I got the last one and there it was - the other road number , as well as another one of the same road number that i got back in March of 2021. I immediately ( and I meant IMMEDIATELY) ordered it as the description says it was in very good condition - they always provide great pictures of the items for sale and the picture of the underside of the trucks looked like the wheels had no wear whatsoever, so the loco although listed as used , probably cane from a collectors estate sale or something. It arrived a couple of days ago and it still had all the original packing foam and handrail protectors and totally looked brand new - I was very pleased. So now I have 5 GP7's in my fleet. I have the following:

Atlas Maine Central #565 (with Soundtraxx Econami)

Atlas Maine Central #562 (with Soundtraxx Econami)

Athearn Genesis  Maine Central #567 (with ESU Loksound v5)

Atlas Bangor and Aroostook #67 (non sound Digitrax decoder)

Atlas Bangor and Aroostook #71 (non sound Digitrax decoder)

The GP 7 Fleet

BAR # 67 and #71

MEC GP7's