Yes, I have included a subway (Proto 1000 Redbirds) with both below ground and above ground stops in my layout. My subway tunnels have an open wall. They run along the face of the benchwork, so they are always visible. The layout is DCC. The Redbirds are still DC, but are scheduled to be converted. All other engines are DCC, two have sound.
I also have an in mountain (out of sight) small staging area for Thomas the Tank Engine and Hogwart's Express to hide when the grandchildren are not present. Yes, they have been converted to DCC, and can be summoned to the visible world by selecting them on the throttle.
Dave
Lackawanna Route of the Phoebe Snow
Phoebe Vet wrote: Yes, I have included a subway (Proto 1000 Redbirds) with both below ground and above ground stops in my layout. My subway tunnels have an open wall. They run along the face of the benchwork, so they are always visible. The layout is DCC. The Redbirds are still DC, but are scheduled to be converted. All other engines are DCC, two have sound.
Can we get some photos?
BTW, the P1K subway sets are sold out at Walthers, and it's not clear to me that they will be doing any more of them. You can still get them at Trainworld for a big discount. I picked up a set of the green ones a few months back. I don't really have room for them, but I wanted to get a set before they become an eBay-only item.
It takes an iron man to play with a toy iron horse.
MisterBeasley wrote: Phoebe Vet wrote: Yes, I have included a subway (Proto 1000 Redbirds) with both below ground and above ground stops in my layout. My subway tunnels have an open wall. They run along the face of the benchwork, so they are always visible. The layout is DCC. The Redbirds are still DC, but are scheduled to be converted. All other engines are DCC, two have sound.Can we get some photos?BTW, the P1K subway sets are sold out at Walthers, and it's not clear to me that they will be doing any more of them. You can still get them at Trainworld for a big discount. I picked up a set of the green ones a few months back. I don't really have room for them, but I wanted to get a set before they become an eBay-only item.
I don't know how to post pictures.
I saw the redbirds in my LHS. When I returned a few days later to buy them, they had been sold. Lucky for me. I searched the web and found Trainworld. The same set that had been $189 at Hobbytown was $79 at train world. I bought them. They still have them for a simlar price in both red and green. They have the NEW brown ones for $189.
It is a 4 car set. All are lighted, but only one is powered. They are individual cars with knuckle couplers and the powered unit can be placed anywhere in the consist. They are not DCC ready. They are always limited run at Walthers, but soon after they are sold out they bring them back in a different color. When I bought my redbirds, the green ones were $189. I wonder if stainless will be next.
IN STOCK NOW!! #30166 PROTO 1000 NEW YORK CITY R17 SUBWAY SET $189.99 http://www.trainworld.com/lifelike/lifelike_proto.htm
I do run regular steam passenger service on my 1941-based layout but, more unusual, I also have an inner-city elevated rapid transit line, as shown in the image below.
CNJ831
Phoebe Vet wrote: IN STOCK NOW!! #30166 PROTO 1000 NEW YORK CITY R17 SUBWAY SET $189.99 http://www.trainworld.com/lifelike/lifelike_proto.htm31015PROTO 1000 R17 Subway Cars 4-Pack (1 Powered, 3 Unpowered) -- NYCT Red Bird #6604, 6513, 6529, 661979.99
The picture of the "New" 30166 units look like the first "redbird" set they came out with - a darker red with the silver roof. That's my first set, which I bought almost 3 years ago. The redder "redbirds" came out later.
When you get around to figuring out pictures, we'd love to see them. If you e-mail a couple of them, I'd be happy to put them up on one of my sites and link to them for you, with appropriate credits, of course. I just like seeing what other people are doing with subways.
I'm mostly an industrial modeling kind of guy, but my 9yr-old daughter loves doing "people trains"; so I installed a pair of P1K Budd cars for her to operate. Someday I'll get around to painting them in a proto-lanced commuter rail scheme.
-Ken in Maryland (B&O modeler, former CSX modeler)
Alex
paulsafety wrote: dinwitty wrote: I have to scrounge an IC electric from passenger cars to make them. This is a ground up designed in plan. Sounds great! Which IC cars are you looking to build? The older ones:http://davesrailpix.com/ic/htm/ic115.htmOR the bilevels?http://ihphobby.tripod.com/hoimages/highliner02.jpgPaul F.
dinwitty wrote: I have to scrounge an IC electric from passenger cars to make them. This is a ground up designed in plan.
Sounds great! Which IC cars are you looking to build? The older ones:
http://davesrailpix.com/ic/htm/ic115.htm
OR the bilevels?
http://ihphobby.tripod.com/hoimages/highliner02.jpg
Paul F.
The older cars, since I am doing circa early 1950's. Still keeping my eyes open on the perfect car to bash, just saw an IHC car that looks closish. I wont be afraid to bash on an IHC car...
The perfect car would be the cholesteroy roof and even windows, not paired with 4 wheel trucks.
Guilford Guy wrote:I model with an MBTA commuter set, although I am still looking for 3 coaches. I also have a pair of Budds that run a trip from The MBTA station in Fitchburg to Bellows Falls Vermont and ultimately Westminster Vermont
Guilford Guy, do you have any layout photos of "Bellows Falls" from your layout?
I grew up living in Springfield, only 15 short minutes from Bellows Falls. As a little boy, I remember cab rides on the GM Flyer. :)
This space reserved for SpaceMouse's future presidential candidacy advertisements
Guilford Guy wrote:Actually it runs on Yoshi's layout. The equipment from MNER, PCRR, WRS, and VAST all operate under the cover of NEAT. NEAT can be compared to Vermont Railway, who operates Green Mountain Railway, Vermont Railway, Washington County, and Clarendon & Pittsford...
Is there a link to this "Yoshi" persons layout?
BTW, check your PMs. Fun little fact for you in there :)
Harrumph. Bunch of effete Easterners
Not a mention of SP's commute line between SJC and SFO where, for a short time, bi-levels were actually pulled by steam.
Andre
Here's a great example of a prototype for a commuter operation.
The Staten Island Railway.
It started operations in 1860. It was a subsiduary of the B&O. It had interesting equipment, running wooden commuter cars behind camelback 4-4-0s. In 1925 it converted over to electric, third rail, with nifty looking steel cars. Currently, it operates modified subway cars as part of Metropolitan Transit Authorty.
It also had freight operations and recently reinstituted them.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Staten_Island_Railway
http://www.thethirdrail.net/0201/sirt1.html
http://nycsubway.org/nyc/sirt/
http://trainsarefun.com/sirt/sirt.htm
http://www.statenislandmuseum.org/railroad.html
http://www.forgotten-ny.com/SUBWAYS/SIRT/sirt.html
http://thejoekorner.quuxuum.org/nycmetro/sirtindex.html
I think I got this photo thing mastered.
Osibisa wrote:Now if only the Proto end gates were spring loaded so that the cars could be close coupled!!! And aren't we due for the next Walther's series? Maybe some IND Silverliners.
& DCC with traction sounds .........
Actually, they just reintroduced the brown ones (though I believe they call it dark red).
andrechapelon wrote:Mark, Is that a San Francisco Muni PCC car to your left in the photo?
Mark, Is that a San Francisco Muni PCC car to your left in the photo?
GraniteRailroader wrote: Guilford Guy wrote:Actually it runs on Yoshi's layout. The equipment from MNER, PCRR, WRS, and VAST all operate under the cover of NEAT. NEAT can be compared to Vermont Railway, who operates Green Mountain Railway, Vermont Railway, Washington County, and Clarendon & Pittsford...Is there a link to this "Yoshi" persons layout?BTW, check your PMs. Fun little fact for you in there :)
I beleive this is the only one. No pictures......
http://vastrailroad.googlepages.com/
BTW: I'm one of the NEAT members, as I model the White River Southern.
OOOOH!!! I got mentioned without initiating conversation!
Heh heh, allright, peppyness under tabs.
Hello GraniteRailroader. I am the "Yoshi" person. The site linked above by Tyler, and again: http://vastrailroad.googlepages.com/, is the site I have for the railroad right now. I don't have any pictures on there, but I do have a construction log that is reasonably up to date. The route map is also there, which should give you a good idea of what I am modeling. I haven't posted progress in the WPF recently simply because I can't bring myself to spend time taking photos or posting on this forum as opposed to working directly on the railroad . However, chances are I will bring myself around to it by next weekend.
You grew up in one sure beautiful place. If you ever drop down this direction, I'd be happy to welcome you to the VAST in person. I'm just 3 minutes off Route 2.
Back to the topic and as a correction, the VAST Budd service runs from Worcester, MA to Bellows Falls and Westminster. Somewhat trivial, but I thought I'd make the correction anyways. Although operating with Budds, the service really is more intercity than commuter or transit.
andrechapelon wrote:Harrumph. Bunch of effete Easterners Not a mention of SP's commute line between SJC and SFO where, for a short time, bi-levels were actually pulled by steam.Andre
CPD95 wrote:Amen on the traction sounds!!! A nice compressor and traction motor sound would be wonderful!
Don't forget the screeching sqealing wheel noises for curves!!
A traction modeller named Fred Miller has created some traction sounds for the Sound Bug. He's made the file available for free download through the Digitrax site, but you would need a PR-2 programming unit to install them. If your LHS has one, I'm sure they'd be happy to download the file if you buy a decoder from them. Tony's probably does the same.
Here's a link to the Digitrax page. Follow the links on that page for more info.
http://www.digitrax.com/depot_traction.php
This looks like it's trolley-oriented, from the info on Fred's site. However, he provides some other details, and that might be enough to create a custom set yourself. I HAVE NOT TRIED THIS. However, he mentions that the computer program is available for free, so it looks like you could make your own recordings of other transit trains and create your own sound files.
I've been thinking of static sound systems for the screeching as the trains enter and leave the stations. They would need detectors, but would be independent of the trains themselves and would give those sounds without operator intervention.