I would like to offer an opinion about the various locomotives that are marketed on my side of the pond in HO scale. I have three "transition era" diesels and soon to be 8 steamers.
Two of the diesels are made by Proto 2000, once of Life Like and now owned by Walthers. They are good and smooth engines, and the detail satisfies me. A search of the variety available in your catalogue will provide you with enough information to judge whether they meet your expectations in terms of the detail. The third diesel is by Atlas, a newcomer for me, and is their H22-66 Train Master. It is a very nice, heavy, and smooth engine. All have sound, one of them added after purchase. It would be hard to go wrong with either of those two companies when it comes to diesel. I can't comment about Athearn Genesis, but they have their fans.
As for steamers, I have a Union Pacific Challenger 4-6-6-4 made by Lionel during a very brief foray into that scale. Too bad for all of us, because that is one heck of a model....heavy, smooth, all metal, and it sounds great. Litigation with a former employee darned near broke the company, and they had to back out of HO much too soon in my opinion.
I have five engines made by Broadway Limited Imports (BLI). I like every one of them. They are good runners, reasonably heavy, and I find the details gratifying for my tastes. You should make your own decision based on what you see in imagery from their site, or perhaps get one as a trial and see for yourself if BLI's marketing images are accurate. IMO, they would rank behind the Proto 2000 Heritage series of steamers in terms of looks. I have only one of those, a tiny 0-6-0 United States Railroad Association (USRA) standard switcher. It surpasses all steamers in terms of detail except for the more expensive brass ones or those super-detailed at greater expense. However, it is a very light model, and this complaint applies seemingly across the board for all Heritage steamers. Most unfortunate. HOwever, some of them now come with traction tires (tyres for you) which darned near doubles their tractive effort by all reports. You can get all of them from their 0-8-0 model and up with DCC & sound if I recall correctly...I don't think my tiny engine does, but you can see for yourself when you get the catalogue.
I also have a Trix USRA standard 2-8-2 Mikado. It is a nice, metal model that moves smoothly, and I would put its detailing at about par with the BLI engines...not especially generous, but certainly not stingy, either. I had the rather poor early Loksound 3.0 decoder taken out and a Soundtraxx Tsunami medium steam in its place...a substantial improvement in just about all respects, from programming to the sound and motion control characteristics. Again, my opinion.
Back to the BLI engines...they range from a Platinum Series metal Pennsylvania Rail Road Pacific K4, which I am told likely came from Lionel. It is a nice heavy puller being all metal, and is nicely detailed, although not substantially more than the plastic-shelled engines in their Paragon Series. With the Quantum Sound, it sounds wonderful. I also have the Paragon Series Pennsy J1 2-10-4; it must have been a monster in its time, and it is my favourite of all steamers that I own. It is a brute, looks great, sounds better than the K4 (probably because of the size and shape of its large tender), and is a solid runner. I also have the Pennsy T1 Duplex 4-4-4-4, an unusual engine, but a surprisingly competent puller. Not heavily detailed, but not much showed outside the streamlining fairings on the prototype anyway. It, too, has a large tender, and sounds exceptionally fine...clear as a bell. The thing is huge, and pulls like an ox. Lastly, I have a close second in favourites, and that is the New York Central S1b Niagara 4-8-4. It is lighter on its feet than the larger T1 and the heavier J1, but I can't complain because it is nicely detailed and runs like a Swiss watch.
So that this doesn't have to get published, let me conclude that you are not likely to be disappointed with any of the premium line engines, diesel or steam, from Bachmann Spectrum, BLI, Atlas, Athearn Genesis (their MRC decoders give lots of guys fits...be warned), or Walthers Proto 2000 Heritage Steam Series (caveat on their lightness). Every company makes a goof now and then, but they all have strong reputations for wanting to do right by you. I have had good and satisfying exchanges and service any time I phoned and civilly explained the nature of my difficulty.
Good luck with your essay into N. American HO.
FrodinghamMPD wrote: Final question - American Railroad Signalling. A subject I know absolutlely nothing about, except that some routes have signalling, some have verbal radio commands and some are computer controlled transmitted to the cabs. Can anyone tell me what the system is thats used around Fremont and if its fixed lineside signals - what do they display and how do they work?
Final question - American Railroad Signalling. A subject I know absolutlely nothing about, except that some routes have signalling, some have verbal radio commands and some are computer controlled transmitted to the cabs. Can anyone tell me what the system is thats used around Fremont and if its fixed lineside signals - what do they display and how do they work?
This is going to be almost uselessly abbreviated, but here goes ...
Signaling is a Method of Operation. Worldwide there are two basic types, "time separation" which uses timetables and superiority of trains by direction and class to positively separate trains, and "space separation", which divides the track into blocks and assigns them to trains. Time separation has almost completely disappeared from the U.S.
Block systems can be manual or automatic. Manual systems in common use in the U.S. are Track Warrant Control (TWC), Direct Traffic Control (DTC), and Form D. All three use a verbally transmitted authority to occupy a block that is verbally transmitted from a dispatcher to a train crew. DTC has permanent block limits; they typically begin and end at a siding switch. TWC and Form D use temporarily assigned block limits which extend between known fixed points such as siding switches, mileposts, and station signs. The train crew copies the verbal authority onto a preprinted form, filling in the appropriate blanks, and reads it back to the dispatcher to ensure it is properly copied. At that point the train "owns" the blocks it has been assigned. When the train leaves a block it has been assigned, it verbally voids its authority in that block back to the dispatcher who can then reassign it to another train. Two or more trains cannot occupy a block simultaneously unless they are "joint" with each other, in which case all trains must operate at Restricted Speed (able to stop in 1/2 the limit of vision, and never more than 15 or 20 mph (varies by railroad)). TWC, DTC, and Form D are mostly used on lines with low traffic densities that do not economically justify the high expense of signaling.
Automatic block signal systems (ABSS or usually just ABS) use fixed wayside signals at the entrances to every block that automatically detect the presence of trains and open switches and automatically set color-light progressions in order to space trains safely and protect against conflicting moves. Internal logic protects against unsafe or conflicting moves. Almost all automatic block systems in use in the U.S. on single-main track lines are arranged on the "Absolute Permissive Block" principle, which allows a following train to pass a siding exit before the leading train has reached the next siding, and prohibits a train to pass a siding exit if an opposing train has already passed the next siding exit. Because an APB-ABS system has no means of assigning priority of train movement, a dispatcher must still issue verbal authorities such as TWC or DTC to authorize train movements. The train may act on the authority so long as it has a more favorable signal indication than STOP.
A variation on ABS is two-main track, "Rule 251" ABS. Here the railroad is organized on one-way principles, right-hand most common, called "current of traffic." Trains operate on signal indication alone (see below for variations) and very little dispatcher control is required. Signaling is one-way only, and for trains to operate against the current of traffic the dispatcher must issue verbal authority.
Overlaid on many ABS systems is Centralized Traffic Control, where priority and routing of trains is controlled by a dispatcher electronically. The ABS system still uses its internal logic to space trains and prevent conflicting moves; all the dispatcher does is request from the signal system priority of movement, position of switches, and direction of movement. If the request can be granted without creating an unsafe condition or conflict, the signal system automatically operates switches and displays signal aspects to reflect the dispatcher's requests. Under CTC trains move solely on signal indication (except in cases of signal failure or in order to make trains "joint". Signals grant authority to enter blocks as well as indicate maximum speed, upcoming maximum speed, track conditions ahead, and, depending upon the railroad, route that will be followed.
Another flavor of ABS and CTC is the "cab signal," where the wayside signal is repeated on a simple color-light display in the cab of the locomotive, or in some instances, the wayside signals have been dispensed with and the only display is in the cab. The principles of wayside signaling are essentially the same, however.
At yet in the U.S. there are no train-control systems broadcast directly to the cab from the dispatcher except some prototype installations, but they are in the process of being constructed. These systems are expected to provide a substantially greater degree of safety than any of the current Methods of Operation.
Around Fremont, Nebraska, the Union Pacific main tracks are operated via CTC, with, I think, cab signal overlay on the original UP main. Branch lines are TWC. Not too many years ago the UP main tracks, which are all double-track between Fremont and Omaha, and Fremont and North Platte, were operated as Rule 251. They have since been upgraded to CTC. The single-track main from Fremont to Missouri Valley is CTC.
Wayside signaling on UP is similar in basic outline to all U.S. railroads; it is called "four-aspect". The aspects are green (indicates proceed at maximum authorized speed), flashing yellow (reduced speed, indicates next signal will be yellow, yellow (further reduction in speed, indicates next signal red), and red (indicates stop.). Combinations of these basic aspects are used in two- and three-head signals to indicate different conditions such as diverging routes.
By the way, there is almost nothing in the U.S. similar to the "paper line clear" system used extensively on railways of the British Empire. Fundamentally that is a block system so the principles are the same, just a very different method of implementing them.
Hope this helps; any questions, just ask.
RWM
Do you want to know now or in the 1960's?
Currently Fremont to Mo Valley is CTC.
Fremont to the first crossover east, towards Omaha (Mercer)is CTC.
Mercer to Pacific is 9.14 (ABS current of traffic).
Pacific to Council Bluffs is CTC.
Council Bluffs to N Council Bluffs is ABS Yard Limits.
N Council Bluffs to Mo Valley is CTC.
Fremont west is now CTC, was 9.14 (ABS current of traffic).
Aren't you glad you asked?
More Later
Dave H.
Dave H. Painted side goes up. My website : wnbranch.com