Prototype/Freelance Passenger trains

[bigpianoguy]

My layout is a ceiling train, on a variety of shelf sizes as per diorama. So it's the Minard Mountain Rail Road, which allows for lots of trestles (the more rickety the better!), tunnels, & sheer cliffs.

I'm becoming heavily invested in the Rapido series cars. I've recently started assembling a 1954 CN consist, pulled by a 'Bullet Nosed Betty', a 4-8-4 in the same green livery. There's only one 'named' car in it, the 'Greenbrier' sleeper, which I HAD  to get, that being the name of my subdivision & public school. I recently acquired another Skytop Lounge & plan to repaint it in the same livery, although CN didn't actually have one at the time.

I've also developed a CN Supercontinental, pulled by a re-bodied F7A from the Lionel Railscope set & an F7B unit by Stewart. This consist has a number of named cars, including a 'Thunder Bay' sleeper, a 'North Park' (after my high school) Superdome, & a repainted Skytop, renamed 'Grand River'.

I also have a Hogwarts Express; this will be finished with the addition of its own Skytop, with a mini plasma ball in the end dome, as a giant 'crystal ball'...

And last but not least, I have a circus train, almost 20 cars now & pulled by a variety of engines. I've got a shell for 'Corky's Carnival Train' engine and a N&W J4-8-4 without a train yet, so I guess I'll figure that out somewhere down the road.

 

[Mr. LMD]

bigpianoguy

My layout is a ceiling train, on a variety of shelf sizes as per diorama. So it's the Minard Mountain Rail Road, which allows for lots of trestles (the more rickety the better!), tunnels, & sheer cliffs.

I'm becoming heavily invested in the Rapido series cars. I've recently started assembling a 1954 CN consist, pulled by a 'Bullet Nosed Betty', a 4-8-4 in the same green livery. There's only one 'named' car in it, the 'Greenbrier' sleeper, which I HAD  to get, that being the name of my subdivision & public school. I recently acquired another Skytop Lounge & plan to repaint it in the same livery, although CN didn't actually have one at the time.

I've also developed a CN Supercontinental, pulled by a re-bodied F7A from the Lionel Railscope set & an F7B unit by Stewart. This consist has a number of named cars, including a 'Thunder Bay' sleeper, a 'North Park' (after my high school) Superdome, & a repainted Skytop, renamed 'Grand River'.

I also have a Hogwarts Express; this will be finished with the addition of its own Skytop, with a mini plasma ball in the end dome, as a giant 'crystal ball'...

And last but not least, I have a circus train, almost 20 cars now & pulled by a variety of engines. I've got a shell for 'Corky's Carnival Train' engine and a N&W J4-8-4 without a train yet, so I guess I'll figure that out somewhere down the road.

 

Do you have a schedule format or do you just let the trains run?

[Trynn_Allen2]

Enough to make running the evening train interesting.  It get's priority, but the route is a single track, and depending on who is out on the main and what season.  I model both the early fall and late spring.  So depending on what harvest or no harvest is being collected can influence how much traffic is acutally on the road at the time.  In the spring it's not so bad, much of the traffic is already off of the road, but in the fall I have 3 trains (having to borrow power from either the CNW, GB&W, MILW, or SOO, because for the rest of the year all they need is one steamer (two for repairs), and the 3 steeplecabs.

Right now the milk train gets priority over everything, except the coal drag...and the only reason it doesn't is because there isn't a passing siding big enough to take either train.  So as soon as the milk train makes it 3 pm, the coal drag starts making it's way south.  It also gets priority over any local switching, but there are times that the coal drag hasn't cleared Portage in time for the Milk train to get started until 7 or 7:30 PM according to the fast clock.  Since it is the last run of the day, it's not the worst thing.

Overall switching is at Endeover/Westover...interchange with the CNW, enough room for 8 cars, livestock, grain, and feed on a seperate 5 car siding.  Montello, 10 to 15 cars depending on day(Montello is a seperate branch and doesn't foul the main).  Pulp logs, coal to a paper mill, coal to a small power plant, machine tools and explosives to a quarry, and cans, and produce to a Del Monte Plant. Outbound is paper, and stone of various types and sizes, and more cans.  Coloma has  room for about 15 cars, mostly livestock, grain, sugar beets, corn,  and a farm supply co-op.  Plainfield/Bancroft is an interchange with the CNW and mostly duplicates Coloma.  Finally Plover has some switching for interchange with the SOO and GB&W.  Plover recieves chemicals, paper and goods from points along the line.  It is also the final destination for the midmorning & evening milk run, a reefer and a seperate goods run from Madison (off layout, comes in from Portage).  There is just enough switching to lull a guest operator into thinking that the milk run is...well a milk run. 

[Mr. LMD]

Trynn_Allen2

Enough to make running the evening train interesting.  It get's priority, but the route is a single track, and depending on who is out on the main and what season.  I model both the early fall and late spring.  So depending on what harvest or no harvest is being collected can influence how much traffic is acutally on the road at the time.  In the spring it's not so bad, much of the traffic is already off of the road, but in the fall I have 3 trains (having to borrow power from either the CNW, GB&W, MILW, or SOO, because for the rest of the year all they need is one steamer (two for repairs), and the 3 steeplecabs.

Right now the milk train gets priority over everything, except the coal drag...and the only reason it doesn't is because there isn't a passing siding big enough to take either train.  So as soon as the milk train makes it 3 pm, the coal drag starts making it's way south.  It also gets priority over any local switching, but there are times that the coal drag hasn't cleared Portage in time for the Milk train to get started until 7 or 7:30 PM according to the fast clock.  Since it is the last run of the day, it's not the worst thing.

Overall switching is at Endeover/Westover...interchange with the CNW, enough room for 8 cars, livestock, grain, and feed on a seperate 5 car siding.  Montello, 10 to 15 cars depending on day(Montello is a seperate branch and doesn't foul the main).  Pulp logs, coal to a paper mill, coal to a small power plant, machine tools and explosives to a quarry, and cans, and produce to a Del Monte Plant. Outbound is paper, and stone of various types and sizes, and more cans.  Coloma has  room for about 15 cars, mostly livestock, grain, sugar beets, corn,  and a farm supply co-op.  Plainfield/Bancroft is an interchange with the CNW and mostly duplicates Coloma.  Finally Plover has some switching for interchange with the SOO and GB&W.  Plover recieves chemicals, paper and goods from points along the line.  It is also the final destination for the midmorning & evening milk run, a reefer and a seperate goods run from Madison (off layout, comes in from Portage).  There is just enough switching to lull a guest operator into thinking that the milk run is...well a milk run. 

After reading everything you just posted, I must say you must have one impressive organize schedule and layout to aww your friends and other modelers :)

[Motley]

Mr. LMD

 

Motley:

 

 

Mr. LMD:

 

 

Motley:

 

I have recently been fascinated by the named passenger trains. They are so good looking. That I want all of them.

So my excuse for 50s passenger named trains on my modern 1989-Present D&RGW layout is excursion/museum restoration trains.

I have the following trains

Colorado Ski Train
UP 844 Steam Excursion train
NYC 20th Century Ltd
SP Daylight
Broadway Ltd
Super Chief
El Capitan

 

 

Do you have the extra tender with your 844 to replicate the water tender?

 

 

I sure do!!! I actually just got it last week. The Athearn Veranda Turbine Tender.

 

 

Congrats :) i seen the 844 on the history channel show extreme trains and on tracks ahead. I have a 

4-8-4 Rock Island and planned on doing the same thing :)

Yes I saw the same show, in fact I have it saved on my DVR. It's one awesome train, one of my favorites now.

Here's a video I shot of my 4-8-4 before I got the new tender. I still need to renumber it, as I have the 840 right now.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=08887ZmgId8

[Mr. LMD]

Motley

 

Mr. LMD:

 

 

Motley:

 

 

Mr. LMD:

 

 

Motley:

 

I have recently been fascinated by the named passenger trains. They are so good looking. That I want all of them.

So my excuse for 50s passenger named trains on my modern 1989-Present D&RGW layout is excursion/museum restoration trains.

I have the following trains

Colorado Ski Train
UP 844 Steam Excursion train
NYC 20th Century Ltd
SP Daylight
Broadway Ltd
Super Chief
El Capitan

 

 

Do you have the extra tender with your 844 to replicate the water tender?

 

 

I sure do!!! I actually just got it last week. The Athearn Veranda Turbine Tender.

 

 

Congrats :) i seen the 844 on the history channel show extreme trains and on tracks ahead. I have a 

4-8-4 Rock Island and planned on doing the same thing :)

 

 

Yes I saw the same show, in fact I have it saved on my DVR. It's one awesome train, one of my favorites now.

Here's a video I shot of my 4-8-4 before I got the new tender. I still need to renumber it, as I have the 840 right now.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=08887ZmgId8

 

Your 4-8-4 look almost naked without the second tender.

[SMassey]

On my new layout I have currently a passenger service that runs twice daily and it is simply some Amtrak equipment.  The engine on this run is the 822 used in the 40th Annaversary train and my cars are still to be decided apon.  My layout has mainly 18" curves so long equipment is not all that great on the layout and not the best in reliability but looks the best all and all.  I have some Athearn coaches that can be used but they dont looks as good even tho they run better.  *sigh*  I have not had the chance to purchase some extended couplers to see if I can make the Amtrak cars run better.  Sorry no snappy name for my commuter train.

I would love to get a hold of the Amtrak Cascades engine and cars.  That train is local to me being that it stops at Seattle. 

For the freelance stuff I was planning on doing a semi freelance excursion train on my first layout.  The story goes like this.  The South Massey Railway (in and unknowm place but near enough to NS and BNSF to borrow their equipment and interchange with them both)  bought the N&W Class J #610 to use as the centerpiece for the planned musuem of rail transportation.  The museum restored #610 (even tho it was thought to have been scrapped) and a couple of old heavyweight cars as well.  This was going to be a summer weekend excursion run around the SMRY mainline to promote the railroad and also keep the past alive and well. 

#610 turned out to be problematic as the design of the drawbar that Bachmann used was not friendly to bumps or changes in elevation.  The excursion plans were scrapped durring the testing phase of the project and the engine was then used as a display untill sold at auction.

 

Massey

[Trynn_Allen2]

No not really.  Right now it's barely a plywood wonder.  The tracks are mapped out, the majority of the track is down, I have about 1/3 of the buildings, and of the engines I need I have 2, with a 44 ton stand in for the third.  I haven't built the HMCs that I need, nor have I built the GAs with side racks for the sugar beets.  The quarry is an outlined hole with the tracks taped down in the approximate position (Gaffers tape is also good for temp track), the Del Monte plant is a foam block with tracks taped down.  The only think for certain is the depot.  Plainfield/Bancroft has it's siding and team track but no buildings, Coloma has two of the buildings and no team track yet.   An virtually none of the scenery is in place.  We've done three sessons, where the three other operators were trying to figure out the hen scratch.  (Got to come up with a more coherent car card and waybill system). 

Basiclly I suffer from the same problem that the real P-line suffered from.  Passing sidings not long enough for the through traffic, so they are either held in Portage or Plover, and with the exception of Montello, mostly seasonal traffic.  So if I were to say do an early summer run we would be trying to figure out how to shoe horn in the thru coal train to the Portage, the Milk train, the lone doodlebugs, whatever scant traffic is heading for Montello, and the evening Reefer train from Madison to Green Bay (again to big for the sidings).  I now have to figure out what is going to be an acceptable break from reality to justify Plainfield and Colma in the "off season".

[Motley]

Mr. LMD

 

 

Your 4-8-4 look almost naked without the second tender.

I know. I also got 2 of the new Walthers UP Heritage Fleet cars.

I'll shoot another video with it.

[riogrande5761]

Mr. LMD

I meant to say if you do not have a sturdy well built trackwork the brass train would derail often. I'm sorr for the  exaggeration.

Well, in my experience, and also what I've heard others say who have also tried to run brass passenger trains, you can have great track which has relatively generous curves and good geometry, and still have brass passenger cars not track well or derail.

One of the biggest reasons for this is often brass passenger cars are built with a high degree of fidelity to the prototype, who's curves are FAR broader than model curves.  Many typical model railroads have curves in the high twenties or low thirties radius and even at this, many brass passenger cars still won't run without some signitifcant modifications.  Often truck details hang up or hit underbody details on the brass passenger cars causing them to derail.  Often more attention is paid by the manufacturer to appearance and detail, and less to running qualities.

So often, brass passenger cars will derail or not run well, even if you have generious curves and good smooth well laid track.

[Mr. LMD]

Trynn_Allen2

No not really.  Right now it's barely a plywood wonder.  The tracks are mapped out, the majority of the track is down, I have about 1/3 of the buildings, and of the engines I need I have 2, with a 44 ton stand in for the third.  I haven't built the HMCs that I need, nor have I built the GAs with side racks for the sugar beets.  The quarry is an outlined hole with the tracks taped down in the approximate position (Gaffers tape is also good for temp track), the Del Monte plant is a foam block with tracks taped down.  The only think for certain is the depot.  Plainfield/Bancroft has it's siding and team track but no buildings, Coloma has two of the buildings and no team track yet.   An virtually none of the scenery is in place.  We've done three sessons, where the three other operators were trying to figure out the hen scratch.  (Got to come up with a more coherent car card and waybill system). 

Basiclly I suffer from the same problem that the real P-line suffered from.  Passing sidings not long enough for the through traffic, so they are either held in Portage or Plover, and with the exception of Montello, mostly seasonal traffic.  So if I were to say do an early summer run we would be trying to figure out how to shoe horn in the thru coal train to the Portage, the Milk train, the lone doodlebugs, whatever scant traffic is heading for Montello, and the evening Reefer train from Madison to Green Bay (again to big for the sidings).  I now have to figure out what is going to be an acceptable break from reality to justify Plainfield and Colma in the "off season".

My layout is in that phase as well. Right now, I'm getting all of the rolling stock that I want to have on my layout.

[Mr. LMD]

Motley

 

Mr. LMD:

 

 

 

Your 4-8-4 look almost naked without the second tender.

 

 

I know. I also got 2 of the new Walthers UP Heritage Fleet cars.

I'll shoot another video with it.

The U.P. 484 is different from the rest of the model 4-8-4, just like the N&W

[twhite]

riogrande5761

With all the Yuba this and that makes me think of northern California up near Quincy and Chico State University, where the WP ran partly.  Are you from up that way?  I had an old friend who lived up there and who's family had a cabin that way - but lost track of him years ago.

Rich: 

I'm from a little further south than Chico or Quincy, actually from Nevada City (yes, it's in California, LOL!) and grew up in the Yuba River area--North San Juan, Downieville, Sierra City, Sierraville--it's kind of my back yard, so to speak.  Still spend a lot of time up there during the summers, especially around Sierra City and the Sierra Buttes.  The Yuba River Sub is 'imagineered' through that country. 

You're right about the Rio Grande passenger cars--the locomotives are pretty easy, I've been able to get Rio Grande brass steam at pretty decent prices, usually from Caboose Hobbies in Denver.  But the passenger cars are another matter entirely.   I've had to 'make do' with cars decorated for Rio Grande from Walthers, and though they are FAR from accurate, I kinda/sorta get by with them.  SP (which has trackage rights) is much easier, of course. 

I do have a BLI California Zephyr 9-car set, but I hardly ever run it--it seemed a good idea at the time when I bought it (first run), but I actually find all that silver kind of boring.  Which is odd, because Pullman Green and Rio Grande Gold don't bother me at all, LOL! 

I've been waiting for photos of the new Division Point 1946 "Prospector" (black and gold), but I know when it's released (if ever), it will be prohibitively expensive for me.  So right now, it's Walthers Grande Gold and silver or nothing, sorry to say.

Tom

[Mr. LMD]

riogrande5761

 

Mr. LMD:

 

I meant to say if you do not have a sturdy well built trackwork the brass train would derail often. I'm sorr for the  exaggeration.

 

 

Well, in my experience, and also what I've heard others say who have also tried to run brass passenger trains, you can have great track which has relatively generous curves and good geometry, and still have brass passenger cars not track well or derail.

One of the biggest reasons for this is often brass passenger cars are built with a high degree of fidelity to the prototype, who's curves are FAR broader than model curves.  Many typical model railroads have curves in the high twenties or low thirties radius and even at this, many brass passenger cars still won't run without some signitifcant modifications.  Often truck details hang up or hit underbody details on the brass passenger cars causing them to derail.  Often more attention is paid by the manufacturer to appearance and detail, and less to running qualities.

So often, brass passenger cars will derail or not run well, even if you have generious curves and good smooth well laid track.

Is cork a good material to use to use your trains on because i was watching john gray on youtube and he mention cork being used because his LARGE fleet of brass trains run silent.

[Motley]

Oh boy, tell me about it. I really want to get a set of the BLI zephyer cars.

I've been keeping my eye on this set, but dang they want to kill you on the price. They've been on their for a few months.

http://cgi.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&item=320818875483

[tstage]

LMD,

Just a suggestion.  You don't have to include ALL the prior quotes in your responses.  Only include the actual quote you are responding to and erase the rest.  Otherwise, pages become

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Tom

[Mr. LMD]

I'm sorry @tstage

I just wanted to make sure the right person who I'm talking to find my response a lot easier.

[twhite]

Mr. LMD

 

Is cork a good material to use to use your trains on because i was watching john gray on youtube and he mention cork being used because his LARGE fleet of brass trains run silent.

Mr. LMD:

I don't know about cork being any more quiet than the roadbed that I use, which is the WS foam roadbed.  It pretty much depends on the locomotive, in my case.  I have a very large (50+) fleet of brass steam locos, and the more recent ones run very quietly on either cork or foam.  Some of my older locomotives have a 'coffee-grinder' sound to them no matter what the roadbed material, but that's the older gear mechanisms and/or open-frame motors. 

The layout I had before this one was laid with cork roadbed, and I've not noticed any difference between the cork and the foam.  Reason this one isn't laid with cork is that it's in an uninsulated garage (the infamous "California Basement"), and seasonal temperature changes tend to dry the cork out pretty quick.  Hence, the foam roadbed, which has proven more reliable for me.

Tom

[Mr. LMD]

@twhite

I guess particleboard is out of the question lol

[SMassey]

depends on  the type.  I live in WA which is known for being wet and I built my layout in a shed that is not insulated or heated unless I turn the ceramic space heater on.  I used a particle board called OSB (Oriented Strand Board) for my benchwork top and I have had no issues with it at all.  OSB is used in sheeting houses and some times floors and stairs.  It is made from large wood chips that were pressed into a board shape and adheared with a resin type glue.  It is more waterproof than MDF (see below) but not 100% water proof.   From the beginning I built the layout knowing that there would be some changes in the wood and I left small gaps not only in the top of the benchwork but also in every couple of rails to prevent warping.  My track was laid last summer and I have run the layout through most of the summer and all of this winter with no problems. 

Another form of particle board is MDF (meduim Density Fiberboard) which is basicly sawdust mixed with a resin and pressed into a common board shape.  This  stuff is everywhere any more and it is also very durable.  Most of your Walmart furnature, Ikea, and even professional office furnature is made with this stuff, kitchen cabinets have some parts made with it as well and it holds up to just about anything but water.  Water will make it all swell up and deform.  It also does not like having screws or nails near the edges so it does not make the best building material for model layouts.

 

Massey

[riogrande5761]

twhite

I'm from a little further south than Chico or Quincy, actually from Nevada City (yes, it's in California, LOL!) and grew up in the Yuba River area--North San Juan, Downieville, Sierra City, Sierraville--it's kind of my back yard, so to speak.  Still spend a lot of time up there during the summers, especially around Sierra City and the Sierra Buttes.  The Yuba River Sub is 'imagineered' through that country. 

You're right about the Rio Grande passenger cars--the locomotives are pretty easy, I've been able to get Rio Grande brass steam at pretty decent prices, usually from Caboose Hobbies in Denver.  But the passenger cars are another matter entirely.   I've had to 'make do' with cars decorated for Rio Grande from Walthers, and though they are FAR from accurate, I kinda/sorta get by with them.  SP (which has trackage rights) is much easier, of course. 

Tom,

Jim here - I grew up, well, from the 6th grade up well into college in the Davis and Sacramento area's between 1971 and 1983, so bit south of there!  Of course this is why I have a major soft spot for Southern Pacific.  I suppose it's just as well I didn't live in the area during the final fall of the SP in the 1990's when it was near the ragged end.  I drove up to Chico with some friends from Sacramento State University once and went camping at lake Oroville, but mostly my experiences have been camping or back packing up near Lake Tahoe.

For brass steam, there have been some "relatively cheap" options but even at 400 or 500 for an older brass articulated, I still couldn't really afford that before I was having to pay for private school tuition for my teenage daughter!  Passenger cars are an order of magnitude higher!

I do have a BLI California Zephyr 9-car set, but I hardly ever run it--it seemed a good idea at the time when I bought it (first run), but I actually find all that silver kind of boring.  Which is odd, because Pullman Green and Rio Grande Gold don't bother me at all, LOL! 

I've been waiting for photos of the new Division Point 1946 "Prospector" (black and gold), but I know when it's released (if ever), it will be prohibitively expensive for me.  So right now, it's Walthers Grande Gold and silver or nothing, sorry to say.

Tom

In some ways I see your point.  On the one hand the BLI CZ is very handsome, but yes, certainly not colorful.  The main thing that adds color is a set of D&RGW yellow/sliver diesels up front!  So far I have resisted buying the Walthers foobies, but right now there are too many "correct" pieces of rolling stock I need to collect to spend my limited dollars on to spend it on foobies right now.  Hopefully by the time I get around to giving serious consideration to foobie passenger cars, Walthers will have produced a few new ones which actually match!

Oh boy, tell me about it. I really want to get a set of the BLI zephyer cars.

I've been keeping my eye on this set, but dang they want to kill you on the price. They've been on their for a few months.

Yes, what $869 for 6 cars?  Thats still arond $144 per car.  I don't think I could even bring myself to buy them for $99 right now.  Lets hope BLI offers another run.  I was broke when they made the last run and still need to pick up the "silver colt" and "silver pine" to a full RGZ set.  I already have 3 extra dome cars since I bought BLI CZ cars first to collect all of the Rio Grande Zephyr cars available, a total of 7, back when they were first out.  I ordered them from my vendor at about $54-56 each.  A year or so later I had the opportunity to buy 8 more "mixed" cars at about $37 each, for the purpose of building a complete 12 car California Zephyr that was made up of an even mix of WP/CB&Q/D&RGW cars.  The person selling them had 3 more cars but they duplicated the D&RGW diner, observation and one other car.

[CP5415]

With my CPR/D&H based layout running between Albany NY & Montreal &  my love of passenger trains, I will be having a CPR, a D&H,a VIA & an Amtrak passenger train running along the tracks.

Throw in the occasional railfan trip using steam from the local rnilway museum, there will be an abundance of passenger trains here.

Gordon

[Texas Zepher]

Mr. LMD

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

That is a loaded question because many people model different things and, well,  I model passenger and mixed trains.  

So let's start with the Santa Fe.  Now I could not model all of these at the same time but as many trains are built from pooled equipment or hand me down equipment a special set of cars can create --
Train #3 & 4 the California Limited, 1953
Train #1 & 10 the Scout - 1948
Train #1 & 2 the San Francisco Chief - 1954, 1964, and 1970
Train #23 & 24 the Grand Canyon, 1949, 1954, 1968
Also a 1971 version of #24 the last passenger train to run on the Santa Fe.
The Fast Mail & Express (hmm don't remember the train number).
Train #25 & 25 the Chief
Train #17 & 18 the Super Chief  1955 -  aka Walthers.
Train #21 & 22 the El Capitan 1955.
Train #67 & 68 the Wichita -> Pratt Mixed train daily.
I am working toward a 1949 Heavyweight Chief (pulled by a Hudson).
could probably make many more but haven't figured out the sets yet, especially the heavyweight ones.

Burlington - Texas Zephyr (less the E5 motive power).

Burlington & Rio Grande - California Zephyr 

Rio Grande - Royal Gorge
                        Yampa Valley Flyer
                        Prospector

Milwaulkee - HIawatha 1950s both orange and yellow versions  aka Walthers.
                     - Hiawatha  1930s    aka Fox Valley.

Great Northern - Empire Builder  1950 (century), 1955 w/domes, 1969 big sky blue except for the SD40P locomotives.
                              Western Star
                              Badger & Gopher
                              Red River

Burlington Northern - Empire Builder 1970

Northern Pacific - Mainstreeter
                                 Oriental Limited
                                 North Coast Limited
                                 Alaskan

New York Central - 20th Century Limited   aka Walthers.

Freelance modelers: How many passenger trains are you running on your layout and if they have a catchy name, could you list them?

I don't have a layout.  They run at the musuem, on friends layout, or on of the clubs' layouts.  The Platte Valley & Western has several named passenger trains. 
Frontiersman - all first class
Stampede       - all coach
Flying Buffalo  - signature train
White Buffalo  - off hours train
Gold Rush      -
I only have enough equipment to make a very short Frontiersman.  Another one of my TO-DOs is to make a train set for each one.  I have had the decals for over 10 years but they sit and wait.....

I think I kept BLI in business for a while.  Not all the cars in the photo below are mine.  I only have four Zephyr train sets.  I got two of the Calfornia Zephyr sets undecorated and did two freelance trains.  For example the baggage cars are Silver Moose and Silver Squirrel.

[Mr. LMD]

@Texas Zepher

WOW!! At first, I was wondering if you have a large amount of space, but knowing you describe your local club trains seem impressive and i would love to see them one day.

[dehusman]

I have 2-4 passenger trains per sessions, they consist on 1 or 2  coaches and a baggage or express car.

[Texas Zepher]

Mr. LMD

@Texas Zepher

WOW!! At first, I was wondering if you have a large amount of space, but knowing you describe your local club trains seem impressive and i would love to see them one day.

Don't be decieved, These trains have never all been assembled at one time on one layout.  I am just listing the equipment that I have to make the trains.  Usually only one or two show up on a layout at a given time.  For example we used to have theme nights at the club.  The theme would be something like "Hill Lines" so I would bring down a Twin Cities Zephyr or the Empire Builder for that operating session. 

And Oh I forgot Amtrak Trains....

[Texas Zepher]

Mr. LMD

Motley:

 UP 844 Steam Excursion train

 

Your 4-8-4 look almost naked without the second tender.

  Actually not,  It often runs with out the auxilary tender, especially on the Denver trains like the Cheyenne Frontier Days.   In fact the first time I saw it with the auxilary tender was when it was running out East of Denver on the Kansas & Pacific (April 27, 2006).

[Texas Zepher]

riogrande5761

Mr. LMD:

riogrande5761:

Unfortunately speculators are monopolizing the market for BLI passenger cars for the past year or two.

 

I believe the market has been flooded with Union Pacific everywhere just as well.

 

No, actually the problem with the BLI CZ cars right now is speculators have bought up a lot of what was on the market and is now asking prices around 2 times the Retail price.  The original MSRP price was $64.xx to 69.xx and now you see these listed on fleabay for $99 to $16x prices. 

And even more funny is that a couple years ago (between the first and second run) while some people were paying $129 for a dome observation on eBay I was getting them for $39 from a clearance house.  I sold a few to pay for the others but think I finally ended up with 5 or 6.

I've just started collecting the UP City series cars, since they have just started going on sale.

[Texas Zepher]

riogrande5761

The brass train we tried to run was a set of C&NW heavy weight passenger cars, fully painted and finished - gorgeous cars.  They would not run on my 30-inch curves - I think the truck side frames hit the models metal underbody and shorted or something.    I've heard other complaining bitterly about the Division Point Prospector cars - beautiful models but can't run them.

Yup that is true.  Having the cars and actually running them is a different thing.   I finally solved my shorting problem with the Hallmark Santa Fe El Capitan cars by replacing the wheel sets with ones that were double insluated.  That is neither wheel was electrically connected to the axle.    I have not tried that with the DP cars yet, but  I think the problem there is the truck hitting the frame.   They are "too much" in scale and clearances aren't sufficent enough for electrically charged models. 

[Motley]

Speaking of the UP 844 tender. I just shot a few new pics of that. And the two new Heritage Fleet cars. The Colorado Eagle & Willie James.