Sunday Photo Fun 1/29/2012

[jeffrey-wimberly]

L&A = Louisiana & Arkansas. Dissolved by KCS in 1992. Funny story there. L&A bought KCS early in the last century then the two companies merged with KCS emerging as the survivor and L&A as the subsidiary.KCS owned the tracks and took care of freight operations. L&A owned and operated the passenger trains including the Southern Belle. The L&A slowly faded from the paperwork until it was a railway in name only. Eventually that too faded.

My freelance version of the L&A is what might have become of it had it not bought and merged with KCS.

[runtime]

Thanks fore the compliments, guys.  I'm never sure if there is interest in seeing trains on a 'non-sceneried' layout.

Question  -  the switch in front of the Long Island GP-20,  Is that an O-22 switch you modified with O-72 track  ?   Looks like you removed the molded plastic ties -  you scrape them off with a utility knife ?

..Was wondering if someone would notice that switch. I just took another look...the entire plastice section with the 072 reverse curve attached was filed or ground flat. This was my dad's handiwork, and unfortunately I can't ask him about it anymore.  It just fit well in it's new application, letting me fit a additional bypass siding on the front edge of my board space. [I'll take a close-up photo when I get the chance.]

And it works a whole lot better than the Gargraves on the next track, which rips off sliding shoes and derails anything prewar.

runtime

 

[nickaix]

What road is L&A? I've never heard of it. Or is it a roll-your-own road?

[steve24944]

To Runtime  -

Nice pictures - I have the same Wabash GP-7.

Question  -  the switch in front of the Long Island GP-20,  Is that an O-22 switch you modified with O-72 track  ?   Looks like you removed the molded plastic ties -  you scrape them off with a utility knife ?

Steve

[Seayakbill]

I'm late to the party,

 

Its never to late to post some pictures. Nice looking fleet of locos.

[runtime]

I'm late to the party, but here's some more Geeps (anyone know the Long Island's correct designation?) - 

 

Here's a passing satelite shot

 

runtime

[krapug1]

My MPC Santa Fe Geep maybe a bit battered, BUT unlike some new locos with advanced electronics, she runs like champ.

MPC made the Bay Window Caboose in many roadnames (easy to add interiors to these)

The UP MPC U36B w/matching dummy unit

 

 

 

 

[Seayakbill]

Kusan Trains Alco,  De Mexico Nacionales that will be receiving K-Line running gear to convert it from 2 rail to 3 rail.

 

[jeffrey-wimberly]

UP 1499 rounding the bend at Sundown.

[jeffrey-wimberly]

hectorgonzales

Nice looking background. What kind of decal did you use? Sticker or water?

If you're wondering about mine it's a printed background loosely hung on a poster board backdrop. I ordered it from Busch a couple of years ago. I don't think they carry it anymore.

[hectorgonzales]

Nice looking background. What kind of decal did you use? Sticker or water?

[Northwoods Flyer]

Urban Renwal

on the Blueboard Central

There have been some changes going on in town. The town elders (namely me) have been making some decisions about improving the downtown area of our fair city.  I thought I would share some photos with you.

Most of this "improvement" has been stimulated by the purchase of some additional real estate. This has its positives and negatives.  The negatives have been finding places for all of the new buildings. I've gotten used to things in their assigned places.  So over the last two days I have arranged and rearranged buildings.  The positives are that I really like the look of things now. I think I have a configuration that I can live with.  But, I still have to find places for several more buildings.

 

Downtown has some new business establishments on Main Street.

 

 

And by the judicious relocation of a block of row houses we can now boast that we have an alley.

 

 

It reminds me of my  childhood growing up on the northwest side of Chicago.  Every block had an alley.

 

 

 

 A brand new General Store has just opened up. (This building and the Cobbler shop in the three story building shown above are from the Built-and-Ready line by Woodland Scenics.  I bought them at a great price from the local Menards. CTT featured these buildings back in the December issue I think and Bob Keller just reviewed them. I still have to find a place for the Menard's store)

 

 

 

The placement of the General Store required a major relocation in the residential portion of town.

 

I'm still not sure I like the way the residential area looks.

 

There are more changes to come as I try to integrate more buildings.

Enjoying the World's Greatest Hobby

Northwoods Flyer

[srguy]

Erie Lackawanna RS3 hauling freight on a trestle bridge

NP Ore train - next week you'll see a pond below the girder bridge

[jeffrey-wimberly]

L&A 1525. This is a dummy loco. Athearn F7-A shell on what used to be a Bachmann pancake drive

[SantaFe158]

Well, there was an estate sale on the next block from me and the  ad said there were trains.  Of course I found a couple things.

 

A 1688 torpedo from the 30's.  Just needed a good cleaning and lube and it's running great (ran fine before the cleanup too).  We also managed to find the matching tender for it.  We got the engine and tender for $65 total (yes, they don't realize that the engine goes with the tender.  15 for the tender, 50 for the "engine car" as they called it)  My brother paid for the engine, I chipped in for the tender :D.  I'm still mostly broke from my GG1 purchase a couple weeks ago.  I can't wait to see it running under the tree next year.  Looks great on my postwar layout.

 

I also found something for myself.

A Lionel 2472 N5 sheetmetal caboose from 1946-47.  I paid $15.  I have three PRR engines and no PRR cabooses, so I had to have it.  They had a porthole caboose too, but it wasn't in as nice of shape so I left it.

 

We went back today and bought a few cars for the 1688 to pull.  A boxcar, dump car and caboose.

[Seayakbill]

MTH Northern Pacific Main Streeter pulling into the station