To anyone who models 1960's-present, do you run the occasional steam special, and if you do, how do you do it?
For example, I was thinking of this for a train:
1PRR K4s
1 Water car (single dome tank)
1 baggage car
6 or seven PRR passenger cars between heavyweight and streamline. Ending with a custom designed Theater car.
(My Model Railroad, My Rules)
These are the opinions of an under 35 , from the east end of, and modeling, the same section of the Wheeling and Lake Erie railway. As well as a freelanced road (Austinville and Dynamite City railroad).
I like steamers, and have a number of them that run well. On the real B&M the last steamer was scrapped in 1957. So, I set my layout in the 1950's and use steam to do about everything, pull commuter trains, freight trains, ordinary passenger trains, do so yard switching. I have some diesels, and they get to pull the first class passenger trains, and other stuff as the mood strikes me.
David Starr www.newsnorthwoods.blogspot.com
Any post steam era layout can run an excursion train, there are plenty of prototypes. A modern layout can even run them with first generation diesels, if there is one that strikes the owners fancy.
There are several ways to do it. A train passing through is the simplest, going from one end to the other and off to staging or wherever. You could have a restored station with an excursion train on a siding, which takes a couple of runs on weekends only. The prototype I last rode on went out to the next station, did a runaround (even did that when it was steam), then back to its home station. Another alternative is to have a railway museum on the layout with old cars and locos sitting on the tracks, some in need of restoring and some ready to be the next excursion. The cars in such trains don't necessarily need to match either by type or road. They just use what is available. Such a museum even gives you the chance to show off a few of those older model automobiles.
Have fun,
Richard
Norfolk Southern ran some steam excursions this spring/summer. The way they did it was to have the steam engine with it's tender in the lead with two freshly painted SD40-2s behind (to help maintain track speed on grades and provide braking power). After that they had some of their passenger cars (the ones they use for employee specials, Operation Lifesaver trips, etc..). There are photos on websites like railpictures.net. I would model a steam excursion just like NS does it (unless you are modelling a museum or tourist railroad).
I model Durango to Silverton, Colorado in the 1960s. The way we run steam is on a regular schedule
A sizable fleet of modern narrow gauge diesels is available, but our management has made a commitment to maintaining and operating historic steam locomotives into the indefinite future. Besides, it's great marketing for our continuing schedule of passenger trains that allows you to levae the driving to us while you take in the great views out the windows,
Our agents are standing by to meet your needs by booking anything from a one-way ticket to an entire chartered train.
Mike Lehman
Urbana, IL
An interesting possibility for a 'steam' excursion train - copy the Clinchfield's procedure. #1 (six drivers, slide valves,,,) on point, with two Pullman green B units in trail, followed by a train #1 could never have pulled the length of the coach yard. The steamer was there to provide smoke, chuffing noises, whistle, bell and the delicate aroma of burning coal.
Japan's transition era was rather later than America's, so I still have steam running in scheduled service. Lots of steam, lots of trains on the train sheet.
Chuck (Modeling Cetnral Japan in September, 1964)
no rules or mind games here, I just run what I like.
be happy in your work,
Charlie
I don't get it, your by line says: "My Model Railroad, My Rules" You've got the essence of building a model railroad empire by the short hairs, why question what type of motive power you run?
NP 2626 "Northern Pacific, really terrific"
Northern Pacific Railway Historical Association: http://www.nprha.org/
I was a diesel guy, until I ran across a sound-equipped steamer at my LHS that I just had to have. "I'll run an excursion train," sez I. Then, I found another steamer...
Now, I have a dual-era layout. Swap out the locomotives, the automobiles and some of the era-obvious rolling stock and set the Wayback Machine for the 1930s. Most of my structures are pretty generic, although I've got a theater that I'm planning to make swappable once I build the saloon.
Think about it. Who wouldn't want a perfectly good reason to have twice as many trains?
It takes an iron man to play with a toy iron horse.
I purposely chose the mid-1950s for my current HO scale layout so that I could run steam.
However, I now view steam engines as less than impressive in HO scale.
And, after 7 years of making my track work as bullet proof as possible, I still have occasional problems with derailments.
So, when I build my Dream Layout, the era will be mid-1960s, such that I will only run diesels and focus on passenger trains.
Rich
Alton Junction
The single dome tank car concerns me. Somebody with more knowledge of tank car construction might have something to say here. Purpose-built tenders and "canteen" water cars have baffles to prevent sloshing when the tank is not completely full. I know a lot of tank cars --- maybe most or all of them --- lack those baffles. If that tank car is being gradually drained enroute, I suggest that a purpose-built canteen or spare tender might be a better choice.
Tom
ACY The single dome tank car concerns me. Somebody with more knowledge of tank car construction might have something to say here. Purpose-built tenders and "canteen" water cars have baffles to prevent sloshing when the tank is not completely full. I know a lot of tank cars --- maybe most or all of them --- lack those baffles. If that tank car is being gradually drained enroute, I suggest that a purpose-built canteen or spare tender might be a better choice. Tom
I agree, a tender would be used instead. Remember that a tender carries not only water but also coal or oil. A tank car cannot carry both.
I would like to again point out Norfolk Southern's steam excursions. They have a steam locomotive in front followed by it's tender, then the two SD40-2s. However if there is no where to fill up water (doubtful), then you might have the tank car sitting on the siding, along with the coal hoppers.
ACYPurpose-built tenders and "canteen" water cars have baffles to prevent sloshing when the tank is not completely full. I know a lot of tank cars --- maybe most or all of them --- lack those baffles.
The Rio Grande had some water cars used as loco canteens that were tank cars. The spotting features that were visible were various fittings, dome arrangement was "wide-mouth" to fill easily, maybe a backup light. You wouldn't be able to tell by looking at it whether there were baffles installed, but I presume there were. Note that the ones I'm talking about were standard gauge only.
I'd use the single dome tank car, try to scare up some pix of a similar car set up like an auxliary tender, and go from there. It what's visible that counts here, I think. I'm not having any luck with the right images online, but these were old, WWII or before.
If a tank car was going to be modified for use as a canteen it would have baffles installed. No big deal.
For that matter, what were the baffle arrangements in the water end of a Vanderbilt tender. Not exactly new technology.
Chuck (Modeling Central Japan in September, 1964 - without canteens)
Even though my model railroad was diesel, I had a bunch of steam locomotives that I loved so I made up a railroad preservation/historical society. I had 6 streamlined Santa Fe passenger cars, complete with dome car, as well as a heavyweight dining car. All rolling stock was lettered for the railfan group while the locomotives were left in original paint.
My railroad represented a 20 mile short line with a mainline connection at each end. My railroad never adavanced facilitywise.Even though I was diesel my layout still had steam era facilities. Since we were "steam friendly" my railroad was the "destination" of the excursion trains. The train arrived from off line, covered my 20 miles, the locomotives got serviced and turned at my steam era engine facilities ( My miniature railfan photographers loved all the photo ops!) Then the train would back track over my railroad and it would go back offline to wherever the excursion had come from. (The shelf under the layout where all my excess equipment was stored) Thus any steam locomotive (or early diesel for that matter) that met my fancy had a reason to run on my layout, regardless of what it was or where it came from.
My modern layout is 1989 - Present. I have D&RGW, UP, Sante Fe/BNSF, and SP.
I have lots of steam excursion trains.
UP 844 & 3985
Colorado Ski Train
C&O H1 Alleghany
ATSF 3754
SP Daylight
Michael
CEO- Mile-HI-RailroadPrototype: D&RGW Moffat Line 1989
Jimmy_Braum1 Water car (single dome tank)
Many excursion trains I have seen use a converted tender as an auxiliary water car. The coal/oil bunker is removed to increase water capacity. It basically a big box filled with water.
Also, you do not need to have it a home road train. Excursion trains travel around, so you could get your favorite steamer lettered for its home road and have it just passing through your location.
George In Midcoast Maine, 'bout halfway up the Rockland branch
G Paine Jimmy_Braum 1 Water car (single dome tank) Many excursion trains I have seen use a converted tender as an auxiliary water car. The coal/oil bunker is removed to increase water capacity. It basically a big box filled with water. Also, you do not need to have it a home road train. Excursion trains travel around, so you could get your favorite steamer lettered for its home road and have it just passing through your location.
Jimmy_Braum 1 Water car (single dome tank)
I already have several passenger cars for the Pennsy (I was going to model that), so I figured I may as well use "restored" equipment from the museum I am planning to put on my eventual layout.
In additon to a water car you might consider a tool car, this can be anything from a converted troop sleeper to a lightweight, the possibilities are endless.
Dave
West Coast S In additon to a water car you might consider a tool car, this can be anything from a converted troop sleeper to a lightweight, the possibilities are endless. Dave
What he said, and maybe also a HEP car -- say an old baggage car with an EMD C-Block in it...
-Dan
Builder of Bowser steam! Railimages Site
My layout (not running yet) is post steam. But one of my ideas when I get other things done, is a occasionally have a movie filming special. I will approach my layout like a movie studio location scout, finding places that fit a particular story or mood or time. It might be a World War II scene with a train carrying the hero away to battle, or returning to his loved ones at the depot. With a Pacific or Northern and heavyweight cars. Or it might be a depression era story, or roaring 20s, like "The Sting." I have a Wild West era train but no suitable location on my railroad.
The train night have to run through the same motion several times for the actors and all elements to get it "right", and possibly for different camera angles. This would have to be fit between regular scheduled operations. A movie train would probably be considered operationally like a WORK EXTRA. It would not have a separate order each time it repeated the scene but would operate back and forth in some defined area in some defined time.
It would mostly depend on what type of excursion you are running. If your excursion is based in one place and it goes out and comes back then you probably wouldn't need any mobile support equipment as it would stay at where ever the train is based on.
If the excursions at a temporary location and goes out and comes back to the same siding for several days, then the support equipment would be left in the siding.
If the excursion travels long distances and stays at different places throughout the trip, then the support equippment would travel with the consist.
My Iron Mountain Lumber Company uses diesels during the week to haul logs,but come the weekend out comes the steam!The company found out they can enhance the bottom line bigtime by giving those crazy railfan some trains to ride and take pictures of.They also will buy all kinds of souvenires and stuff to eat.It also keeps the shop guys busy building copies of old wooden passenger cars,coverting old freight cars to haul these nuts(like old gondolas with benches),and maintaining these special cars.Yes sir,sometimes the road make more from these trin nuts than from logging.
I have thought of having a branch that ran steam. The story would be that a rail fan bought the railroad, and really isn't in it for the money. As long as he makes enough money to pay the bills and live comfortably, the owner is happy. Excursions are run on the weekends with the tickets covering the cost of coal, and maintenance. Extra money is saved for future repairs, and keeping the cabooses and rolling stock in good shape.
The turntable actualy earns the railroad money by letting railfans ride it, and the profits go to keeping the shops and roundhouse in excellent condition.
Finally a thread on Steam Excursions! I run a lot of excursions, on speaking of the auxilliary water tenders, I took 2 bachmann tenders (off of their generic 0-6-0, 2-6-0, & 2-6-2), took a hacksaw and sawed the coal bunker off, covered the gap up, and put roller bearing trucks on it, you have to put a washer on each stub above the trucks. Enough with the seminar, I have a 2 level railroad, a double track mainline on the bottom, and a shortline (The Knoxville Southern) on the top. Mainline trips include mostly a fleet of custom NS Coaches, Southern and N&W. Engines include Southern 630, 4501 (both of which are custom and 4501 in black by athearn and green by BLI), 722, 765, a pair of genesis 4-6-2's, BLI N&W 611, and BLI N&W 1218. The shortline runs trips too, with a custom Southern 154, Susqehanna 142, Sou 724, and a bunch of other bachmann spectrum, and other smaller engines. For some reason I just like excursion trains. Hope this was interesting!
1964 was the heart of the transition era in Japan, so my JNR steam is in regular service. The diesels are all brand new (but no longer squeaky clean) as are a few of the juice motors. Since there's no catenary from Tomikawa to Takami...
As for the shortline, it only exists to move coal from the collieries to the JNR. The only diesel on the property is a four-wheel 'critter' (frequently indisposed) used to move explosive cars to the magazine - the prefectural government having decreed no fires within 150 meters of same. When the 'critter' is down the car is moved by a group of women wearing conical bamboo hats and baggy pajamas, blue, with big white polka-dots.
Chuck (Modeling Central Japan in September, 1964)