Commuter railroading

[Anonymous]

I decided to add a commuter railroad to my (unfinished) layout. I'll call it LANTA RAIL short for Lehigh And Northampton Transit Authority (there is such a thing but the real Lanta just hauls busses[V][V][V]). I'll use two GP40FH-2s and two F40s to haul trains from Allentown, Pa to Scranton, Pa on the LRCA calls the "Scranton Line". Does anyone else like commuter railroads?

[Anonymous]

I actually just starter planning for my Kato 2 Amtrak P42s and passenger set. I already started putting people on the trains. [:D] The commuter line will run on non-dcc track, unlike the rest of my rail road. I wanted this commuter aspect because people need to get places, even in N scale.

I have been tinkering with the idea of having the trains station below ground or elevated. Still comming to terms with how to do either. I like the idea of having people have to walk down the stairs to get the train. But was also intrigued about having an elevated system. I do know for a fact that I do not want it on level ground, that would be too easy.

[Anonymous]

Mine will be on a semi busy freight rairoad.

[Anonymous]

sounds like a winner[:)]

[michaelstevens]

I've added a separate 96' loop, which I call the "Airport Loop" -- it runs underground to/from downtown, there's a parallel platform under the concourse at Wye Valley Junction, then it runs out to the Airport along the river and back, behind the freight yards.
The "local authority" bought some surplus British DMU equipment, which maintains the service -- until I find some decent prototypical US LRVs.

[Anonymous]

I have a set of two CNW bilevel coaches and a cab car, and a Metrolink bombardier bilevel cab car - planning to get a matching coach when I can.

[Anonymous]

maybe tow commuter trains bound for omha

[Anonymous]

I'd like to have a commuter road. That'd be a lot of fun, and add more relism to the layout.

[Anonymous]

Sure do, Dougal. Living in the Chicago area we have the double-decker commuter trains that operate in push-pull mode to and from downtown Chgo. My house is two blocks away from a busy METRA line. Watching an express train roar through town during the evening rush hour is an awesome spectacle. I got to thinking that it would be nice to add some commuter cars to my collection and discovered that Walthers has them in appropriate paint schemes to model METRA's commuter service.[:D]

[orsonroy]

Living around Chicago, it's hard NOT to be a RR fan and not like commuter trains. I do miss the good old days, though, when you cound stand on the Roosevelt Rd. bridge and watch BN and Rock E units wander by all day, with the occasional PC or Conrail E thrown in for fun! (anyone remember Conrail's Chicago commuter service?) Of course, watching C&NW F's and bilevels was always fun too!

[lupo]

[?] a question:
How did railroad workers get to their workshops? by car or by commuter-train or both
so could I put a commuter-service using a doodlebug to bring workers to my locomotive maintenance facility?[?]

[Anonymous]

I used to live a couple of miles from New Jersey Transits Raratin Valley Line so every once and a while when we wanted to go railfanning and were tired of CR power we went to the High Bridge station and watched a couple of NJT train go in and out of the station. I've also ridden on Septa and Amtraks NEC.

[michaelstevens]

Lupo,

Here in the NE (despite the availability of commuter rail, transit and buses) the vast majority of the manual workforce goes to work by pick-up truck or SUV.
30 years ago it was cars.
Office/professional workers were and are more likely to use public transport.
Doodlebugs were more common in the rural areas of the mid west etc.
An RDC would fit in better with your Amtrak stuff.

Enjoy !! -- Mike in Philly.

[rambo1]

I live in Toronto Canada where GO Transit runs. I have a set of Bombardier GO transit cars and cab car and a Tri Rail coach. GO Transit locos are F59PH which are not made by anyone. I hope someone will soon. I leave my work area all the time to watch them passby the plant where I work .rambo1....

[Anonymous]

QUOTE: Originally posted by rambo1

I live in Toronto Canada where GO Transit runs. I have a set of Bombardier GO transit cars and cab car and a Tri Rail coach. GO Transit locos are F59PH which are not made by anyone. I hope someone will soon. I leave my work area all the time to watch them passby the plant where I work .rambo1....

Don't Athearn do a F59PH in GO Transit? I know they do a F7 A+A set in their RTR line. Walthers also offer the F40PH in Go Transit (I think).

[jslean]

Kaslo is making a GO F59. It will be marketed exclusively by Geore's Trains which is located in Toronto.

John Slean

[Anonymous]

i have a slight addiction to commuter trains.....[:D]

right now i have:
2 Metrolink trains (one with a F59PHI and 4 cars, one with a F59PHI and 3 cars
1 Dallas TRE train (F59PHI and 4 cars, still waiting on the F59PHI)
1 Chicago Metra train (F40PH and 4 cars)
1 New Jersey Transit train (ALP-44 and 5 cars, havent bought the cars yet)

and the good ol Amtrak Acela. i have to keep stopping myself from getting a GO train. they look pretty nice.

walthers did make a GO F40PH. there is one on eBay right now.

[Anonymous]

I have a small commuter setup with the seattle sounder bombardier cars and an F59PHI. I've always thought it was a good looking train [:)]

Warren

[AltonFan]

When i finally get my layout up and running, I am planning to run commuter trains based on C&NW operations in the pre-bi-level era. The trains would be two-three 60' coaches, with a combine (used to deliver newspapers), pulled by a 4-6-2, but ideally by a 4-6-0 or a 4-4-2. Maybe I'll include some early bi-levels.

[BR60103]

lupo: some railroads ran special trains to their workshops or sheds when these were located far enough away from the residential part of town and away from the local station. Sometimes an extra stop for the local train; sometimes a special small train.

[lupo]

Thanks david !
so I could use the doodlebug . . .
do you know if they had some kind of platform or station at their workshops for these special worker trains?

[cnw4001]

QUOTE: Originally posted by rambo1

I live in Toronto Canada where GO Transit runs. I have a set of Bombardier GO transit cars and cab car and a Tri Rail coach. GO Transit locos are F59PH which are not made by anyone. I hope someone will soon. I leave my work area all the time to watch them passby the plant where I work .rambo1....

I have a Walthers F40PH in GO livery and an Atlas GP40-2 also in GO livery. I realize they are not the current GO power but they meet my needs. One is assigned to a rake of six cars and the other is assigned to my other rake of six cars. Guess I'm running Milton or other "non-Lakeshort" trains, or do they run less than 10 car rakes on the Lakeshore line? I understand someone in Canada is making a resin shell of the F59PH in GO livery but it seemed a lot of money for just a shell. Check with George's Trains on Mt. Pleasant, I think I saw the kit listed on their site.

Dale

[cnw4001]

QUOTE: Originally posted by rambo1

I live in Toronto Canada where GO Transit runs. I have a set of Bombardier GO transit cars and cab car and a Tri Rail coach. GO Transit locos are F59PH which are not made by anyone. I hope someone will soon. I leave my work area all the time to watch them passby the plant where I work .rambo1....

Another post mentions's a Kaslo product which George's Trains on Mt. Pleasant should have information on. I run a Walther's F40PH in GO livery with one rake of six cars and an Atlas GP40-2(TC) in GO livery with my other six GO cars. I realze this is not the current power but it meets my needs. I also have a set of CNW Gallery cars pulled by an F7, all HO. Ironically I got the CNW Gallery cars at George's. They are wooden, not the Walter's ones. How about that, have to come up from the states to Toronto to get US cars!

Dale

[cnw4001]

Hi,

Although my two posts are slightly different, the second was due to the "learning curve" as I thought the first "disappeared" when In fact it hadn't.

Sorry for using extra bits 'n bytes.


Dale

[DocDan]

I too am planning to model a commuter railroad and would like to use NJ Transit deisels. I have an F40PH already in service but now I want to get my hands on at least one GP40FH-2. in transit colors. I am ready to kitbash one based on an article from RMC two years ago.

Dougal -

Where are you getting your GP40FH-2s? Do you have asource or are you kitbashing also?

[cnw4001]

QUOTE: Originally posted by DocDan

I too am planning to model a commuter railroad and would like to use NJ Transit deisels. I have an F40PH already in service but now I want to get my hands on at least one GP40FH-2. in transit colors. I am ready to kitbash one based on an article from RMC two years ago.

Dougal -

Where are you getting your GP40FH-2s? Do you have asource or are you kitbashing also?

The one I have in GO livery is an Atlas, they had two road numbers in GO, don't know about any others as I was specifically searching for GO Transit.

[DocDan]

CNW4001 -

I just checked Atlas and I didn't see the GP40FH-2s. Are you sure the one you have is the MK rebuild of GP40? My understanding (and I may be mistaken) was that only MN and NJT had these units. Maybe I'm looking in the wrong place. Either way, thanks for the heads up.

[Anonymous]

QUOTE: Originally posted by DocDan

CNW4001 -

I just checked Atlas and I didn't see the GP40FH-2s. Are you sure the one you have is the MK rebuild of GP40? My understanding (and I may be mistaken) was that only MN and NJT had these units. Maybe I'm looking in the wrong place. Either way, thanks for the heads up.

The Atlas units are GP-40M's and they're distributed by Canadian Model Trains. The FH-2 will be done by Imperial Hobby Productions, but he's a very small operation so it takes a while from concept to production (i.e. it's been about 4 years since the last run of SPV2000's). But then, how many of us are really in a huge rush? I know I still have to finish my F40PH-2C and that's going to take a while. I'm a huge fan of the T (MBTA). Commuter rail modeling is a good thing!

Here's the link for the geep:
http://www.modeltrains.com/WEB%20-%20CMT/Atlas/Atlas%20-%20HO-scale/atlas-ho-go%20transit.htm

-Tom

[cnw4001]

QUOTE: Originally posted by tmurray

QUOTE: Originally posted by DocDan

CNW4001 -

I just checked Atlas and I didn't see the GP40FH-2s. Are you sure the one you have is the MK rebuild of GP40? My understanding (and I may be mistaken) was that only MN and NJT had these units. Maybe I'm looking in the wrong place. Either way, thanks for the heads up.

The Atlas units are GP-40M's and they're distributed by Canadian Model Trains. The FH-2 will be done by Imperial Hobby Productions, but he's a very small operation so it takes a while from concept to production (i.e. it's been about 4 years since the last run of SPV2000's). But then, how many of us are really in a huge rush? I know I still have to finish my F40PH-2C and that's going to take a while. I'm a huge fan of the T (MBTA). Commuter rail modeling is a good thing!

Here's the link for the geep:
http://www.modeltrains.com/WEB%20-%20CMT/Atlas/Atlas%20-%20HO-scale/atlas-ho-go%20transit.htm

-Tom

Tom,

Thanks for the research. I looked at the link and indeed the one shown as 728 has road number 726 and is the one I have. The other one listed as 721 has road number 720.

I got mine off the shelf from a hobby shop in Columbus, Ohio and I would suspect the Canadian shop would be just as good a source and probably better because the Columbus shop might no longer have their other one. Getting anything Canadian here in the states is a challenge. As I said in an earlier post my CNW bi-level commuter train was purchased in Toronto, how's that for irony?

Dale

[joecool1212]

I have 1 station for passenger, Amtrak and NJ transit run to it. It is the Heartville station so named for the town of Heartville witch my wife is mayor. She loves hearts. (and i'm not kidding). At least it keeps here intrested. This town puts alot of restrictions on railroad expansion though so my layout doesent take up the whole room like I would have wanted it to.