Unknown Photo

Here is a photo I would like to identify.  I think it is the Canton Railroad in Baltimore, MD.  The hopper full of coal being shoved up the incline by the mole to a rotary dumper.  The dumper in turn filling the smaller hoppers which may be self-propelled or on a incline, going to a power plant.

Unknown Photo

I now believe this is the PRR Coal Pier at Canton in Baltimore.  The small hoppers are cable cars.  Here is the reference at the Library of Congress site.
http://www.loc.gov/pictures/collection/hh/item/md0988/

Hagerstown and Frederick Railway Documentary

This revised and updated video is may possible by grants from Frederick News Post, the Hagerstown Trust Company and WJEJ AM. Based on the video by Carroll James.  Be patient as this is a 30 minute video and depending on your speed, it may take a while to load.  However, it is worth the wait.

I hope to find some way to include a small portion of this interurban trolley line at least based on the real railroad on my layout.  The real H&F interchanged with the WMRY in Thurmont, MD.  It also ran in Hagerstown along with the WMRY but I don't believe there were any connections there.

Troels Kirk's photos mentioned in the email of 12/7/14

Cricut Explore for cutting Model Railroad Structures

This and many more videos are available at Train Masters TV (http://trainmasters.tv/).  This is an affiliated service of Model-Railroad-Hobbyist E-magazine.  I believe if you are a subscriber to this free E-magazine there is a discounted subscription available to Train Masters TV.

GG1 Engine Acquired

Saturday I attended the O Scale sale in Strasburg, PA.  I purchased a Weaver Brass GG1 in two rail for a very reasonable price. It is painted as number 926 in Amtrak colors.  When Amtrak acquired some of the GG1s that PRR had in 1971 they dropped the 4 from the number.  So this engine would have been 4926.  Currently this engine has been restored and is on display in Syracuse, NY and is owned by the Central New York Chapter of the National Railroad Historical Society.

As you may recall we are running DCC and in most cased sound DCC.  This engine was equipped with Lionel's FMCC system.  So I needed to take a look under the hood to see what was needed. Below is the shell.  All of the various lights on the engine are connected with some small two pin connectors which will make it easy to connect to a decoder and also easy to remove the shell for working on the engine. Six small Phillip head screws attach the shell to the chassis.

Below is the engine's chassis.  The Lionel unit (OEMEP5C) is still in place on the left.  In the center is a weight and on the right is the speaker for the sound.  I removed the speaker and the unit.  There is a huge amount of room for two speakers and the QSI decoder and even additional weight if needed. Currently the engine is very heavy. 

Here is the Lionel sound and control unit.  It includes the unit, speaker, and two small slide switches. I believe when new the engine had a Weaver lighting system in it.  I am not sure but I think this TMCC unit made by Lionel/FAS and was added later.  I have listed it on eBay as I have no need of it and perhaps someone else can use it.

All that remains is to decide to re-paint to PRR colors or leave it as it is. If it is re-painted and re-numbered the lighted number board will have to be changed.  It may be possible to obtain a new one from Weaver.

Bob Johnson's WV Midland

Took these photos with my cheap point and shoot.  So some are not as sharp as they should be. Guess I need to start carrying my good camera around.  This was the monthly meeting of the South Mountain Division at Bob's house.  Well attended and covered "after the convention" business and other matters.

Photos Taken During our Open House by Wayland Moore

West of Hillen in Baltimore, MD

Baltimore Harbor Outline of SS District of Columbia

Coal and Iron Junction the young boy is running the Atlas 0-6-0. I am running the double header of Atlas GP-9s that will soon pass the steam train on the near West Bound track.

Twin Bridges over Elk River

Same

Double Header with a mixed train including two Atlas very heavy hoppers

First two cars are the Atlas WMRY hoppers

15 car train of empties West Bound pulled by an Atlas 0-6-0 

Rest of the train

O Gauge Trucks

NMRA MER Convention Handouts

As promised at the two clinics here is how to obtain the handouts for the Rock Carving and C/MRI Clinics given by Warren Hart and myself.  The Rock Carving handout was written by Warren.  The C/MRI handout was written by Dr. Bruce Chubb and is used by permission with him.

Materials Used By Warren and mentioned in his clinic.

Dap 00204 Weldwood Plastic Resin Glue - Amazon.com

Pacon Craft Supplies (PAC52720) - Amazon.com   (Plaster Cloth)

Just send me an email with the subject of "Convention Clinics" and indicate which or both of the clinics you would like.

Request Convention Clinic Handouts from Jay Beckham

I check my email regularly so you should receive the handout the same day you request it.

Hope you enjoyed our clinics as much as we enjoyed presenting them.

Below are the Power Point Presentations by Jay and Warren:

This Week on the Railroad and the NMRA MER Convention in Hagerstown

Here is the schedule for this week including the convention.

 Start work at 10:00, lunch break is 12:30 – 2:00, coffee at 4:00, and quit at 7:00.

Sunday 12^th:          Working on railroad

Monday 13^th:         Working on railroad and finish Power Point presentation for convention

Tuesday 14^th:         Working on railroad

Wednesday 15^th:    Working on railroad

Thursday 16^th:        Clean up, hang black curtains below fascia

Friday 17^th:             Final testing of running trains.

Saturday 18^th:         10:00 Warren’s Rock Carving Clinic at the Ramada

                                11:15 Jay's C/MRI Clinic at the Ramada

                                OPEN HOUSE 1:00 to 6:00

Sunday 19^th:           OPEN HOUSE 12:30 to 6:00

Our Rail Fan Trip without the rails.

Today my wife and I did a “rail fan trip without rails”.  We drove up to Grantsville, MD and had breakfast at Penn Alps.  Then we proceeded to Meyersdale, PA to begin our rail fan trip.  From the WMRY Meyersdale Station we proceeded on the ROW west to the East end of Salisbury Viaduct.  This bridge is 2000 feet long.  I rode my bike out about 500 feet. Then I stopped and took some pictures as a train going west went under the bridge. 

At 100 feet in the air I was uncomfortable.  I have been across this bridge at least 20 times, but not this time.  So we walked back to the East end. We then proceeded east to Meyersdale, PA,

The old B & O Bollman Iron Bridge from Wills Creek near Meyersdale

The WMRY Keystone Viaduct,  The viaduct consists of several plate girder bridges and one camel back truss.

 Sand Patch area on the WMRY

The Continental Divide and engine 9401

And finally to and through the Big Savage Tunnel which is 3,300 feet and lit..

West End of Big Savage Tunnel

East End of Big Savage Tunnel

We rode 24 miles which took 3 hours.  Half of the trip was up a grade.  The CSX trains going east as we were all had helpers. The ruling grade from Meyersdale to Big Savage is less than 1% but it is tough.  The ride back to Meyersdale was a dream, however.  For example the grade from Cumberland to Forstburg is about 1.5%.  We also want to do that bike trip from Cumberland.  There again the ride back to Cumberland will be all downhill.

Convention Update

My Layout will be open on  Saturday October 18th 1:00 to 5:00 and on Sunday October 19th 1:00 to whenever.  The layout will not be open on Friday October 17th.

Warren's Clinic on Rock Carving will be presented Saturday October 18th at 10:00.

Jay's Clinic On C/MRI the Basic will be presented Saturday October 18th at 11:15.

Both Clinics last an hour with a 15 minute Q & A session.

South Mountain Division Regional Convention Web Site

Temporary Signal Bridge on the PRR mainline

Here is the new signal bridge installed and operational under CTC control.  These use the single and double heads build by Bill and Gail Carr and myself installed on a simple structural bridge made from some Plastruct shapes I had.  This will be replaced in the future by a detailed PRR signal bridge/catenary support with proper position light heads.  For now this allows us to test the CTC and ABS function and operate.

Green over Red North Bound at Bay View Yards On PRR South Bound Track

Looking South/West at Bay View Yards

Progress Report Today September 8, 2014

Today I cut in and rolled 85 feet of Valance.  Basically from C&C Jct’s A/C Vent west to the A/C Vent at Big Spring Run Trestle.  And from the West end of Hickory Lick East to the A/C Vent at Laurel Bank.  Also re-coated some of the Fascia in the same areas as needed.  Before the open houses in October I plan on painting the remaining fascia and valance and adding about 80 feet of black drop under the fascia.  We are doing it in 10 foot sections where ever that works.  My wife is doing the hemming and I will be using Velcro to attach it to the fascia.   I also plan to put up Plexiglas or Lexan strips to protect the trains near the edge.

I have almost completed the construction of a temporary signal bridge for use over three tracks.  It contains two double head signals and three single head signals.  It will be used near Bay View Yards.  I may need another one nearer Penn Station due to closeness (spacing) of tracks along that narrow piece of layout.  Next year when I start building permanent signals (after the CTC is operational) most of the PRR tracks I will use signal bridges integrated with the catenary supports.  In Penn Station will use dwarf PRR type signals.  The entire WM will be signaled using standard US&S style L or R-2 color signals.

Any painters out there that would like to help with painting valances?  Also looking for help with ballasting the PRR tracks.Don't forget the convention in October.  See the previous posting for the link to the convention information.

Coming Soon, My Clinic on Bruce Chubb's C/MRI - 101 The Basics

I am preparing a PowerPoint presentation for the upcoming Middle Eastern Region Convention in Hagerstown, MD.  The convention which is hosted by the South Mountain Division of the National Model Railroad Assn. will be October 16-19.  Warren will be presenting a clinic on Rock Carving and I will be doing a clinic on C/MRI.  When the PowerPoint is finished it will be posted here.

Our Local Regional Convention: http://www.smdnmra.org/hubcity.html

Test of Video

Last Two Local Control Panels

Today I finished and installed the last two Local Control panels.  There will be two additional panels needed when the Harbor Area in completed and the Port Covington is completed.  They will just be turnout control panels, not local control, because they are in dark territory beyond CTC.  The trestle will be installed tomorrow and then the remaining bends will be built and added.  In the meantime, the railroad will be operational again after about a year or more of no operation.  Once operation is restored it will be time to finish the signaling and be available to test the signal system.