Trains.com

Subscriber & Member Login

Login, or register today to interact in our online community, comment on articles, receive our newsletter, manage your account online and more!

Prototype/Freelance Passenger trains

13165 views
98 replies
1 rating 2 rating 3 rating 4 rating 5 rating
  • Member since
    September 2011
  • From: chicago, Illinois
  • 683 posts
Posted by Mr. LMD on Monday, February 27, 2012 8:00 PM

Cool

Mr. LMD, Owner, founder

The Central Chicago & Illinois Railroad

  • Member since
    October 2008
  • From: Canada
  • 1,820 posts
Posted by cv_acr on Monday, February 27, 2012 4:44 PM

Auxiliary tenders were used with large locomotives to provide higher fuel & water capacity so they could go farther without refueling.

The fact that your 4-8-4 is an oil burner has nothing to do with it "needed" an auxiliary tender, although it does make it possible. (A coal burner might be able to use water from an aux. tender, but not coal, since that would require some sort of complicated augur connection.)

A 4-8-4 also is more of a "medium" than "large" loco. I wouldn't think too many of those ever ran with aux. tenders, except for modern ones in excursion service like Canadian Pacific's "Empress", so that it can travel much farther without refills.

  • Member since
    September 2011
  • From: chicago, Illinois
  • 683 posts
Posted by Mr. LMD on Sunday, February 26, 2012 9:55 PM

Texas Zepher

 

 Mr. LMD:

 

@Texas Zepher

The only I seen the UP 844 is in videos, Extreme Trains and Tracks Ahead, and that gave me the idea to give my RI 4-8-4 an auxilary tender as well.

 

Yes, sorry I am so spoiled being here in Denver I see it all the time. 

 

http://www.walkersquawker.net/UP844.htm

I found out a week ago i think, that my 4-8-4 is actually an oil burning locomotive so I will not have to worry about my locomotive needing two tenders unless I use an extra tender to simulate as a water tender.

Mr. LMD, Owner, founder

The Central Chicago & Illinois Railroad

  • Member since
    October 2004
  • From: Colorful Colorado
  • 8,639 posts
Posted by Texas Zepher on Wednesday, February 22, 2012 3:24 PM

Mr. LMD
to all the modelers who posted, how many passenger trains do you have or how many do you make (if you use switchers to make or break trains) a day to run?

That is going to depend on the operating "concept".   At one of the operating sessions I attended last weekend there was one passenger train in each direction (from staging to staging).    At the other operating session we tried a new thing where the passenger trains ran two loops, I was yardmaster so my yard had four passenger trains pass through although there were only 2 on the schedule.

On the Gulf Colorado & Santa Fe there are 8 scheduled passenger trains.  The Texas Chief (trains #15 & #16),  Trains #5 & #6 don't remember the name, The Kansas Citian (trains #212 and #211), and they meet two branchine passenger trains going to Shawnee and Lindsey.   The occasionally we have a troop train or a football game special run through the middle of an operating session.  Why?  Because these are the trains that are prototypical for the area and time being modeled.

Another sad side note.  The last operating session on the Gulf Colorado & Santa Fe (see cover Model Railroading June 2004)  will be May.   The owner is retired and moving to a new home.  Layout will not be making the move.

  • Member since
    October 2004
  • From: Colorful Colorado
  • 8,639 posts
Posted by Texas Zepher on Wednesday, February 22, 2012 2:53 PM

riogrande5761
  I've heard other complaining bitterly about the Division Point Prospector cars - beautiful models but can't run them.

For any one who is interested in the Prospector, Royal Gorge, Yampa Valley, or even the more modern Anshuttes versions of these cars for the 1990s Ski train...

Division Point has announced another run.  They announced this in December 2011, I just saw it yesterday.  http://www.divisionpoint.com/DRGW_light2.html  

Now I have to decide if the looks are good enough vs the electrical problems to get a dome in the four stripe scheme.  I also wanted a 1240 baggage/dorm.  sigh.  I don't make money fast enough to keep up with all the offerings.

  • Member since
    October 2004
  • From: Colorful Colorado
  • 8,639 posts
Posted by Texas Zepher on Wednesday, February 22, 2012 2:49 PM

Mr. LMD

@Texas Zepher

The only I seen the UP 844 is in videos, Extreme Trains and Tracks Ahead, and that gave me the idea to give my RI 4-8-4 an auxilary tender as well.

Yes, sorry I am so spoiled being here in Denver I see it all the time. 

http://www.walkersquawker.net/UP844.htm

  • Member since
    November 2003
  • From: Halifax, NS
  • 405 posts
Posted by THayman on Thursday, February 16, 2012 9:09 PM

Mr. LMD

 

 

When your layout is finally constructed, please take some pics of it for us.

The HO one will be many years off in the future, although when I do get on to it I will be sure to take photos :P

As for the smaller N scale project, progress is actually coming along quite nicely. I was doing basic ground cover in the last couple of days, and it's starting to look pretty good. I'll try to get some photos soon to share, maybe for this weekend's WPF, we'll see :)

-Tim

  • Member since
    September 2011
  • From: chicago, Illinois
  • 683 posts
Posted by Mr. LMD on Monday, February 13, 2012 4:37 PM

THayman

Unlike many model railroaders, my principal interest is passenger railroading (and in the modern day no less!). I'm a big fan of VIA Rail's operations in central and eastern Canada, particularly the Toronto--Ottawa-Montreal triangle, and the route of The Ocean from Montreal to Halifax.

Although my HO layout is still nothing more than a figment of my imagination, I hope that it will someday be able to represent VIA's Montreal Maintenance Centre, and trains going off to the east and west from there.

I already have been accumulating much of the necessary equipment, including P42s from Athearn, and modified/detailed F40PH-2s from Walthers. In terms of complete trains, I have enough of Rapido's LRC coaches and clubs to represent a typical Corridor consist (and will be adding many more in the future). I also have a full consist for The Ocean, using Walthers Budd Stainless steel cars (with some notable modifications, and a Con-Cor Park). The consist I have is:

F40PH-2 - F40PH-2 - Baggage - Coach (8111) -  Coach (8105)-  Coach (8112) - Skyline Dome - Diner (Acadian) - Sleeper - Sleeper - Sleeper - Park

The sleepers are Manors and should be Chateaus, but I'm satisfied (for now) with the stand-in.

 

In addition to this prototypical interest, I also have a freelanced, modern passenger operation running a direct link between Toronto and Ottawa. It's a small, but successful operation, running multiple daily trains led by ex-Amtrak F40s (in an inspiring white, bright blue and silver paint scheme) hauling short (3-4 car) trains of second-hand Budd and Amfleet coaches. The line offers connections with VIA's services, but is still very much in the business of competing (promising faster travel times and better service, direct from Toronto to Ottawa!). I have painted up much of the equipment for this railway (in the form of physical HO models), but it has remained (to this point) simply in my head. Despite the lack of an operating layout, this railway keeps running and up-to-date through an on-going journal, and all the imagining I can do :P

 

----------------------

Now while my dreams (both prototypical and freelanced) are in HO, I am currently working on a small N scale layout in my tiny apartment. It also has a passenger operations bent, but is actually modeled on Cape Breton, Nova Scotia, with a pair of VIA RDCs running "Sydney-Halifax" service. It's a hypothetical setting, imagining that VIA did not cut this service at the start of the '90s, but instead kept it running (I only wish it were true...). It's essentially an elaborated, stretched-out figure-8 over-under layout, with some sidings (to throw in some freight ops) and a single station on a spur track that serves as both departure and destination. As much as I love the fast VIA Rail trains in the Toronto-Montreal corridor, there's something very relaxing about a couple of RDCs crawling at a leisurely pace through the Cape Breton highlands :)

 

 

When your layout is finally constructed, please take some pics of it for us.

Mr. LMD, Owner, founder

The Central Chicago & Illinois Railroad

  • Member since
    November 2003
  • From: Halifax, NS
  • 405 posts
Posted by THayman on Sunday, February 5, 2012 10:55 PM

Unlike many model railroaders, my principal interest is passenger railroading (and in the modern day no less!). I'm a big fan of VIA Rail's operations in central and eastern Canada, particularly the Toronto--Ottawa-Montreal triangle, and the route of The Ocean from Montreal to Halifax.

Although my HO layout is still nothing more than a figment of my imagination, I hope that it will someday be able to represent VIA's Montreal Maintenance Centre, and trains going off to the east and west from there.

I already have been accumulating much of the necessary equipment, including P42s from Athearn, and modified/detailed F40PH-2s from Walthers. In terms of complete trains, I have enough of Rapido's LRC coaches and clubs to represent a typical Corridor consist (and will be adding many more in the future). I also have a full consist for The Ocean, using Walthers Budd Stainless steel cars (with some notable modifications, and a Con-Cor Park). The consist I have is:

F40PH-2 - F40PH-2 - Baggage - Coach (8111) -  Coach (8105)-  Coach (8112) - Skyline Dome - Diner (Acadian) - Sleeper - Sleeper - Sleeper - Park

The sleepers are Manors and should be Chateaus, but I'm satisfied (for now) with the stand-in.

 

In addition to this prototypical interest, I also have a freelanced, modern passenger operation running a direct link between Toronto and Ottawa. It's a small, but successful operation, running multiple daily trains led by ex-Amtrak F40s (in an inspiring white, bright blue and silver paint scheme) hauling short (3-4 car) trains of second-hand Budd and Amfleet coaches. The line offers connections with VIA's services, but is still very much in the business of competing (promising faster travel times and better service, direct from Toronto to Ottawa!). I have painted up much of the equipment for this railway (in the form of physical HO models), but it has remained (to this point) simply in my head. Despite the lack of an operating layout, this railway keeps running and up-to-date through an on-going journal, and all the imagining I can do :P

 

----------------------

Now while my dreams (both prototypical and freelanced) are in HO, I am currently working on a small N scale layout in my tiny apartment. It also has a passenger operations bent, but is actually modeled on Cape Breton, Nova Scotia, with a pair of VIA RDCs running "Sydney-Halifax" service. It's a hypothetical setting, imagining that VIA did not cut this service at the start of the '90s, but instead kept it running (I only wish it were true...). It's essentially an elaborated, stretched-out figure-8 over-under layout, with some sidings (to throw in some freight ops) and a single station on a spur track that serves as both departure and destination. As much as I love the fast VIA Rail trains in the Toronto-Montreal corridor, there's something very relaxing about a couple of RDCs crawling at a leisurely pace through the Cape Breton highlands :)

 

 

-Tim

  • Member since
    January 2005
  • 550 posts
Posted by hdtvnut on Sunday, February 5, 2012 3:23 PM
In prototype or semi-proto, I have all the Walthers name trains, the MTH SP Daylight (13 cars, early ver/markings), The Cal Zephyr, the M10000, The Pioneer Zephyr, an Eastern corridor Amfleet/Viewliner train, a Superliner II train, the MTH Powhatan, the early Fox Valley Hiawatha, and the NH Merchants Limited. Have put lighted drumheads or DCC switched backup lights in some, passengers in some, sound in all. Also have a fleet of misc Branchline and Walthers HW's, and three non-proto enhanced IHC sets, FEC, Frisco and C&O. Paul3, regarding your Merchants Limited, did you come up with 32-seat chair cars somewhere? I'm using 28's for now. Mr. LMD, I'm trying to plan a bigger layout with a city station and longer runs, but rarely run more than two per day on my 11.5 x 16.5. I take a different consist to my two clubs with bigger layouts every week. Hal
  • Member since
    September 2011
  • From: chicago, Illinois
  • 683 posts
Posted by Mr. LMD on Friday, February 3, 2012 3:56 PM

to all the modelers who posted, how many passenger trains do you have or how many do you make (if you use switchers to make or break trains) a day to run?

Mr. LMD, Owner, founder

The Central Chicago & Illinois Railroad

  • Member since
    September 2007
  • From: Wisconsin
  • 450 posts
Posted by Trynn_Allen2 on Thursday, February 2, 2012 3:48 PM

Well the milk train is composed of the a BM at the front, and then 4 reefers in the middle with the combine bringing up the end as a "caboose"

This isn't changed at all through the run save to drop combine at the station and then do a flagged move to the dairy.  there the BM is unloaded and the 4 reefers are exchanged for loaded reefers, the combine is then picked up (no need to turn it) and the return trip is bound.  The BM is unloaded and the empty milk cans placed aboard.

The only other passenger route is a pair of back to back doodlebugs and that just goes back and forth.

  • Member since
    May 2002
  • From: Massachusetts
  • 2,899 posts
Posted by Paul3 on Thursday, February 2, 2012 11:51 AM

In regards to the first post, as a prototype modeler I'm trying to model all the New Haven RR"s passenger trains...just not all at once.  So, for example:

The Merchants Limited
The Advanced Merchants Limited
The Yankee Clipper
The Gilt Edge
The Owl
The 42nd Street Express
The Federal
The Bostonian
The New Yorker
The William Penn

And many more.  The NH ran hourly named passenger trains between Boston & New York City for most of the day, so I have a lot to choose from.

However, there are certain cars that are missing.  Many of the NH's heavyweight passenger cars are not available in any form.  The NH's stainless steel fleet is limited to brass and flat coach & combine kits (that aren't very good).  Rapido's 10-window coaches have been a blessing, but there are still many more types we NH fans need in order to model the best NH varnish.

The only complete "train" I have is The Comet, a 3-car trainset (one that Con-Cor just came out with...but mine is brass).  It ran a commuter schedule between Boston & Providence, and was capable of speeds of over 105mph, doing the 44 miles in 44 minutes with 2 intermediate stops.

Paul A. Cutler III

  • Member since
    December 2001
  • From: Smoggy L.A.
  • 10,743 posts
Posted by vsmith on Wednesday, February 1, 2012 11:01 PM

On my tiny indoor G scale layout so far I've only run a set very very short passenger train consisting of an HLW Mogul pulling an LGB shorty passenger car, my own Hooterville Cannonball.

   Have fun with your trains

  • Member since
    January 2011
  • From: Lancaster city
  • 682 posts
Posted by cats think well of me on Wednesday, February 1, 2012 11:00 PM

The release of MTH's 1949 Powhatan Arrow set really drew me back into model railroading. So I have the five car set and an extra P3 coach. Pouring over photos of the train in Thomas W. Dixon's book on the train showed that it frequently carried 1-2 heavyweight REA baggage cars so I added two Walthers B60b models painted for N&W to my train. The train also pulled an RPO, and as I like Pennsy RPOs I am, because I want to, eventually adding a Walthers BM70 in Pennsylvania lettering, using the rationale that they leased it, or something like that. I know some trains had RPOs from other railroads so it's believable enough for me. Also, by 1955 the streamlined cars had their skirting removed, but on my train they're staying on! I like them and don't relish the idea of performing that bit of surgery on the cars. 

Alvie

  • Member since
    December 2002
  • 1,511 posts
Posted by pastorbob on Wednesday, February 1, 2012 9:15 PM

I model a portion of Santa Fe in 1989-1990 in Oklahoma, including the mainline north/south and the Enid district.  Not much passenger activity on that line during that period except for a Amtrak train which usually had a diesel and two passenger cars.  It comes out of staging, runs the Ark City sub mainline from Oklahoma City to staging.  Just something to run and slow the freight trains down.

Bob

Bob Miller http://www.atsfmodelrailroads.com/
  • Member since
    September 2011
  • From: chicago, Illinois
  • 683 posts
Posted by Mr. LMD on Wednesday, February 1, 2012 8:57 PM

Texas Zepher

 

 Mr. LMD:
To freelance and prototypical modelers,

 

How are all of your passenger cars arrange and which car(s) or destination along your route your favorite?

  The prototype have it easy.  One arranges the train like the prototype did.  A little research will turn up the consist at given points on the route.   Usually the transcons run from staging to staging non-stop.  They don't care about the tiny towns that get modeled on most small - medium size model railroads.     For example the Super Chief of the Santa Fe has very limited stops and the only car change in route is the RPO (drop off / pick up) in La Junta Colorado.   On the other hand the California Limited stopped at any station who had passengers with tickets.

 

my only problem with my passenger service is that i will have to either have a small loop track or a turntable after my steam locomotives arrive at a stub end station.

Mr. LMD, Owner, founder

The Central Chicago & Illinois Railroad

  • Member since
    October 2004
  • From: Colorful Colorado
  • 8,639 posts
Posted by Texas Zepher on Wednesday, February 1, 2012 8:52 PM

Mr. LMD
To freelance and prototypical modelers,

How are all of your passenger cars arrange and which car(s) or destination along your route your favorite?

  The prototype have it easy.  One arranges the train like the prototype did.  A little research will turn up the consist at given points on the route.   Usually the transcons run from staging to staging non-stop.  They don't care about the tiny towns that get modeled on most small - medium size model railroads.     For example the Super Chief of the Santa Fe has very limited stops and the only car change in route is the RPO (drop off / pick up) in La Junta Colorado.   On the other hand the California Limited stopped at any station who had passengers with tickets.

  • Member since
    September 2011
  • From: chicago, Illinois
  • 683 posts
Posted by Mr. LMD on Wednesday, February 1, 2012 2:44 PM

@Motley

When I finally construct my layout, I will use 1-2 Pike Diamond Tool & Engineering for my N scale layout as as a building to house my cars leaving me some space to add details around it. I will only have three stations, two of which are cities and one a logging station.

Mr. LMD, Owner, founder

The Central Chicago & Illinois Railroad

  • Member since
    January 2010
  • From: Denver, CO
  • 3,576 posts
Posted by Motley on Thursday, January 19, 2012 4:29 PM

Hmmm, well right now I add and remove my passenger trains by storing them under the layout.

But when I finish my extension room, I will have a 4 track passenger train station, that will act as storage and staging for the trains.

I have 2 large union stations, one on the main layout (Denver), and other in the ext room (Cheyenne). For destinations.

Michael


CEO-
Mile-HI-Railroad
Prototype: D&RGW Moffat Line 1989

  • Member since
    September 2011
  • From: chicago, Illinois
  • 683 posts
Posted by Mr. LMD on Thursday, January 19, 2012 4:00 PM

To freelance and prototypical modelers,

How are all of your passenger cars arrange and which car(s) or destination along your route your favorite?

Mr. LMD, Owner, founder

The Central Chicago & Illinois Railroad

  • Member since
    September 2011
  • From: chicago, Illinois
  • 683 posts
Posted by Mr. LMD on Thursday, January 5, 2012 1:02 PM

Steven Otte

 

 Mr. LMD:

 

Here's my question(s) for my fellow modelers.

Prototype modelers: Which railroad passenger train(s) are you modeling and how many do you have?

 

 

I model the Cincinnati, Lebanon & Northern, a turn-of-the-century short line that ran from Cincinnati to Lebanon, Ohio, in 1906. Most of the CL&N's passenger business (indeed, most of its business, period) was commuter traffic between Cincinnati and its suburbs. Three trains ran into the city in the morning and three out in the evening. The first train into Cincinnati in the morning was the last to leave at night, and vice-versa. Therefore, even though those three trains didn't have official names, the early train was colloquially known as the Worker, the middle one the Clerker, and the late in-early out one the Shirker. Smile

I'm planning to model the commuter trains using Roundhouse 34-foot Overton cars, even though they weren't prototypical for my era, to keep the trains short enough so I can handle the prototypical amount of traffic in my selectively compressed Cincinnati yard (once it's built, that is). I'm using the justification that they're former narrow-gauge cars set on standard trucks after the road was standard-gauged in 1894, and kept in service as a money-saving measure.

The other trains on the CL&N bore pedestrian titles like the Express and the Accommodation Train (passenger local).

I'm using the Overton cars as well since I haven't found a passenger car, other than the bi-levels, that I want to run on my layout.

Mr. LMD, Owner, founder

The Central Chicago & Illinois Railroad

Moderator
  • Member since
    May 2009
  • From: Waukesha, WI
  • 1,764 posts
Posted by Steven Otte on Thursday, January 5, 2012 12:45 PM

Mr. LMD

Here's my question(s) for my fellow modelers.

Prototype modelers: Which railroad passenger train(s) are you modeling and how many do you have?

I model the Cincinnati, Lebanon & Northern, a turn-of-the-century short line that ran from Cincinnati to Lebanon, Ohio, in 1906. Most of the CL&N's passenger business (indeed, most of its business, period) was commuter traffic between Cincinnati and its suburbs. Three trains ran into the city in the morning and three out in the evening. The first train into Cincinnati in the morning was the last to leave at night, and vice-versa. Therefore, even though those three trains didn't have official names, the early train was colloquially known as the Worker, the middle one the Clerker, and the late in-early out one the Shirker. Smile

I'm planning to model the commuter trains using Roundhouse 34-foot Overton cars, even though they weren't prototypical for my era, to keep the trains short enough so I can handle the prototypical amount of traffic in my selectively compressed Cincinnati yard (once it's built, that is). I'm using the justification that they're former narrow-gauge cars set on standard trucks after the road was standard-gauged in 1894, and kept in service as a money-saving measure.

The other trains on the CL&N bore pedestrian titles like the Express and the Accommodation Train (passenger local).

--
Steven Otte, Model Railroader senior associate editor
sotte@kalmbach.com

  • Member since
    January 2010
  • From: Denver, CO
  • 3,576 posts
Posted by Motley on Thursday, January 5, 2012 12:22 PM

Rich here on the forum (richhotrain) is currently building a huge coach yard for his already outstanding Dearborn Passenger Station in Chicago. We'll see if we can get him to post some photos.

It's a very impressive passenger layout.

Michael


CEO-
Mile-HI-Railroad
Prototype: D&RGW Moffat Line 1989

  • Member since
    April 2003
  • From: US
  • 1,522 posts
Posted by AltonFan on Thursday, January 5, 2012 11:53 AM

Many major passenger terminals had coach yards nearby, either a common yard for all the railroads using the terminal, or the several railroads had their own yards for their own trains.  Passenger trains would be prepared, repaired, and serviced before being hauled over to the terminal.

Large terminals often had a  train shed, basically a covered passenger yard with platforms, where passengers could board and depart.

Dan

  • Member since
    May 2010
  • From: Covina, California
  • 19 posts
Posted by AcadGlade on Thursday, January 5, 2012 12:36 AM

Don't beg for things, Do it yourself, Or else you won't get anything "-Adrock Thurston-Eureka Seven.

  • Member since
    September 2011
  • From: chicago, Illinois
  • 683 posts
Posted by Mr. LMD on Wednesday, January 4, 2012 11:19 PM

This is just a random question, but do any of you fellow modelers have a passenger car yard (sorry for my grammar and lack of the correct term)? If so, how many cars do you have in the yard?

Mr. LMD, Owner, founder

The Central Chicago & Illinois Railroad

  • Member since
    February 2007
  • From: Warren, MI O scaler
  • 553 posts
Posted by el-capitan on Wednesday, January 4, 2012 7:55 PM

leighant

#5/6 - RPO/ baggage, baggage, express box, express reeferse(s), heavyweight coaches, heavyweight sleeper.  (All stops accommodation, no dining or lounge service)

Did the #5 and 6 have actual revenue passengers at any point in it's career? From the pics I have seen they had one coach or combine on the end but I think that was for postal employees. Just curious if you have any additional info.

 Check out the Deming Sub by clicking on the pics:

Deming Sub Deming Sub

  • Member since
    October 2007
  • From: Wisconsin
  • 378 posts
Posted by Wikious on Wednesday, January 4, 2012 7:33 PM

I'm currently working on freelancing (with a slight proto twist) a logging/mining railroad in the 1880s. Mining and logging passenger service will be served with a few Overtons, but for mainline service between a few larger cities, I'm planning to have a combine and baggage car, as well as a few of these:

Pulled by one of these, like so:

I decided to have fun with photo filters. The cars will all be a dark green with very dark gray roofs and trucks. I need to get a good way of doing lots of white lettering, but they will eventually say "Riverside and Great Northern Railway" along the top.

The real R&GN is a tourist 15" gauge line in Wisconsin. I'm going to model as if it was a real railroad.

Subscriber & Member Login

Login, or register today to interact in our online community, comment on articles, receive our newsletter, manage your account online and more!

Users Online

There are no community member online

Search the Community

ADVERTISEMENT
ADVERTISEMENT
ADVERTISEMENT
Model Railroader Newsletter See all
Sign up for our FREE e-newsletter and get model railroad news in your inbox!