Weekend Update 9/18/16

[rickb773]

My Pennsylvania-Reading Seashore Lines layout is based in the early 1950s but we have been running a 1974 freight schedule because that was all I had found at the time. Recently I became aware of a 1954 freight schedule and was puzzled by an extra freight to Millville (now there were 3) which I didn’t understand.

The old heads on the PRSL Historical Society informed me the train was referred to as the “sand hog” and did no local switching since it was about 100 cars long. So now I have to add another train to my schedule. As a kid, I was always about a block away the tracks and remembered all the 50’ gons loaded with sand. I could never figure out why anyone needed sand and why you would want to move it (and what kept it from blowing out of the cars?). But this was the post WWII era and construction was booming with all the returning servicemen starting families and building homes. Concrete (sand+) was also needed in the massive road constructions following the war and the glass industry was booming. So off to eBay to add to my available gondolas (the front 4 are recent additions).

Blazeman was a guest operator at my last operating session and he came bearing gifts. The 5 leftmost sand loads are the work of his hands (the 2 rightmost were Hay Brothers loads I already had). The model “sand hog” is well underway.

[Mike C]

.............and no diseasel behind it!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Oh it was there , but it was WAY behind it ...LOL

It ran with the diesel on the rear end of the train . First half of the trip was backwards , I think the diesel was there just to blow for crossings . I rode in the obs car ( ex F E C car ) and never heard any motor noise . It did ruin the view out the back though .

[Rich_S]

My Pennsylvania-Reading Seashore Lines layout is based in the early 1950s but we have been running a 1974 freight schedule because that was all I had found at the time. Recently I became aware of a 1954 freight schedule and was puzzled by an extra freight to Millville (now there were 3) which I didn’t understand.

The old heads on the PRSL Historical Society informed me the train was referred to as the “sand hog” and did no local switching since it was about 100 cars long. So now I have to add another train to my schedule. As a kid, I was always about a block away the tracks and remembered all the 50’ gons loaded with sand. I could never figure out why anyone needed sand and why you would want to move it (and what kept it from blowing out of the cars?). But this was the post WWII era and construction was booming with all the returning servicemen starting families and building homes. Concrete (sand+) was also needed in the massive road constructions following the war and the glass industry was booming. So off to eBay to add to my available gondolas (the front 4 are recent additions).

Blazeman was a guest operator at my last operating session and he came bearing gifts. The 5 leftmost sand loads are the work of his hands (the 2 rightmost were Hay Brothers loads I already had). The model “sand hog” is well underway.

Rick, I can't wait for the next issue of N scale magazine. Do you discuss all trains operated on your layout in that issues? As for glass sand (silica sand) I believe it is transported in covered hoppers to keep it dry.  Because of the weight of the sand, I believe it's transported in 2 bay or single bay covered hoppers.
 

[DeltaBravo]

Cool truck!

This week I finished up these cabeese. These are former Kisatchie Gulf and Northern cars I shortened and added Kato cupolas,Shapeways trucks, and handmade grabs. And of course painted and decaled to match photos.. Dee left a bunch of banana peels in them but they were otherwise in great shape.

Prototype
http://s3.amazonaws.com/rrpa_photos/67850/B&M%20C-115%20on%20ID-2%20Dover,NH%203'13'71.jpg












I also finished up this S2, except for the marker lights, I have not figured out what I'm going to use for those.

Prototype:

http://s3.amazonaws.com/rrpa_photos/16072/0691.jpg
http://s3.amazonaws.com/rrpa_photos/79553/MEC%20302%20%20WATERVILLE%20ME%209-80008.jpg









Thanks for looking and have a great weekend!

One word,WOW!

[R L Smith]

I spent Friday afternoon and Saturday immersed in All Things Erie Lackawanna by attending the 2016 ELHS Symposium in Mt. Morris NY (near Rochester). That enabled me to get these two photos:

B&H # 5:



A pair of C424's:



Upon returning home, I setup this scene:



NY-99 is blasting through the Canisteo River valley near Cameron Mills NY with a pair of SD45's, where it meets NE-84 which has an SD45 and a pair of C424's with a block of auto parts boxcars on the headpin.


This scene would not be possible without a little help from some friends.  NY-99 has a pair of Kato units; the lead Kato SD45 was decoderized by @ryan_wilkerson. NE-84 has a sound-equipped Bachmann SD45 in the lead; the pair of C424's were decoderized by @mu26aeh . Thanks guys!

Time to start getting ready for the November Open House tours; I'll be open Saturday 11/5.

Ron

[jmlaboda - RIP]

Because of the weight of the sand, I believe it's transported in 2 bay or single bay covered hoppers.

There really isn't a good single bay hopper to use for sand... most commodities that would have been shipped in single bay (Airslide) hoppers are fine materials such as flour or powdered sugar.  While some sand is shipped in covered hoppers (for the glass industry or locomotive sand) other sand types usually ship in open hoppers (cement plants, etc.).

[mu26aeh]

This scene would not be possible without a little help from some friends.  NY-99 has a pair of Kato units; the lead Kato SD45 was decoderized by @ryan_wilkerson. NE-84 has a sound-equipped Bachmann SD45 in the lead; the pair of C424's were decoderized by @mu26aeh . Thanks guys!

Time to start getting ready for the November Open House tours; I'll be open Saturday 11/5.

Ron

I was wondering if you were able to get something worked out on that SD45 ! 

[x600]

Love the E-L scene, Ron, Nice!


Greg O.

[rickb773]

Rick, I can't wait for the next issue of N scale magazine. Do you discuss all trains operated on your layout in that issues? As for glass sand (silica sand) I believe it is transported in covered hoppers to keep it dry.  Because of the weight of the sand, I believe it's transported in 2 bay or single bay covered hoppers.

Rich, I truly appreciate your interest. I covered the prototype in the Sept/Oct issue. My layout itself will be covered in the Nov/Dec issue. It highlights the motivations behind the layout construction and does a photo tour of the appropriate areas. The third article in the series (I am assuming it will be in the Jan/Feb 2017 issue) is aimed at the things one needs to do to plan and set up operating sessions. That article will also show the trains that were run during our operating sessions. We followed a 1974 PRSL freight schedule. Now that I have acquired a 1954 schedule, I need work on staging to add the "sand hog" train for future operations.

As far as what sand was transported in: Since I lived for 25 years a block or a half block from the tracks, I can personally attest to a lot of 50' gons carrying sand (and a lot of 2 bay covered hoppers) in the train. And to quote one of the railroaders who worked the line: " Sand moved in open top hoppers, gons, covered hoppers, boxes and container gons." Flat cars are out and if they could have found a way to economically dump it into tankers they would probably have tried that too! 

Sneak preview from a proof copy:

[nkalanaga]

Tom: I knew that GN 400 was still active, and was the GN's first SD45, but had forgotten that it was the first production unit.  Thanks for reminding me!

I wonder how long it will be before an SD90 or one of the newest GEs is preserved?

[jmarley76]

I wonder how long it will be before an SD90 or one of the newest GEs is preserved?

I would be interested to know how many SD90's (possibly SD80's too) are still active, and in their original configuration. I know some were rebuilt as SD70ace, others were idled and stored.

[Missaberoad]

I would be interested to know how many SD90's (possibly SD80's too) are still active, and in their original configuration. I know some were rebuilt as SD70ace, others were idled and stored.

The answer is not many...

Indiana Railroad still has 14 in service.

CEFX has 30 remaining, some running on Northshore mining. San Louise & Rio Grande and other shortlines  (Indiana's may be part of this total?)

Of CP's 61 SD9043macs 3 are scrapped and the remaining 58 are in storage and up for sale. CP Also had 4 SD90Hmac units that have been scrapped.

NS has 73 units slated to be rebuilt into SD70ACUs, most are in storage.

All of the EMD lease fleet (mostly ex UP SD90Hmacs) is in storage.

Nearly all of UP's ~200 remaining SD9043macs are in storage.

Edit: There are also some units still running in Australia.

[ryan_wilkerson]

Awesome Ron! Glad to see that SD45 running on the mainline.

I spent Friday afternoon and Saturday immersed in All Things Erie Lackawanna by attending the 2016 ELHS Symposium in Mt. Morris NY (near Rochester). That enabled me to get these two photos:

Upon returning home, I setup this scene:



NY-99 is blasting through the Canisteo River valley near Cameron Mills NY with a pair of SD45's, where it meets NE-84 which has an SD45 and a pair of C424's with a block of auto parts boxcars on the headpin.

This scene would not be possible without a little help from some friends.  NY-99 has a pair of Kato units; the lead Kato SD45 was decoderized by @ryan_wilkerson. NE-84 has a sound-equipped Bachmann SD45 in the lead; the pair of C424's were decoderized by @mu26aeh . Thanks guys!

Time to start getting ready for the November Open House tours; I'll be open Saturday 11/5.

Ron

[jmarley76]

The answer is not many...

Indiana Railroad still has 14 in service.

CEFX has 30 remaining, some running on Northshore mining. San Louise & Rio Grande and other shortlines  (Indiana's may be part of this total?)

Of CP's 61 SD9043macs 3 are scrapped and the remaining 58 are in storage and up for sale. CP Also had 4 SD90Hmac units that have been scrapped.

NS has 73 units slated to be rebuilt into SD70ACUs, most are in storage.

All of the EMD lease fleet (mostly ex UP SD90Hmacs) is in storage.

Nearly all of UP's ~200 remaining SD9043macs are in storage.

Edit: There are also some units still running in Australia.

Awesome!

I did see a few shots of UP's SD9043's running on trains up until 2015 or architectures, but I wasn't certain from the photos if some of them were actually operating or just in tow to another location. Hence why I inquired...

[Missaberoad]

Awesome!

I did see a few shots of UP's SD9043's running on trains up until 2015 or architectures, but I wasn't certain from the photos if some of them were actually operating or just in tow to another location. Hence why I inquired...

The wikipedia page indicates ~10 are still running, no idea how accurate or up to date that info id however...