Rescue Attempts Part 2

Greetings All,

Last entry we looked at the first part of the "purgatory box" rescue attempts. The projects covered in the prior installment were three gondolas and a flatcar that I was happy to get on the layout and in revenue service. An outstanding project that was introduced was a Model Power Gulf Gasoline flat car. Today we'll take a look at that car and another flat car that has come out of the purgatory box and joined the fleet.

The blue Model Power Gulf Gasoline flat car awaiting a new start. The car has received a new brake wheel and assembly and is ready for repainting. 

A fresh coat of rattle can jade green, flat black trucks and weathered wheels has the car off to a good start.

I plan to use this car mainly in yard service as a shoving platform. Note the car is spanning the insulated rail joiners from the yard lead to the yard track. With a DC layout and Terminal Yard being a stub yard all yard tracks are isolated from the yard lead. An arriving train has it's locomotives at the far end of the track. Using this flatcar allows me to pull the cars from the arriving train while maintaining electric isolation on the yard track.

I/87th scale Sir Neal and PC Ralph test the newly numbered NYC 506787 under the watchful eye of 1/87th scale Engineer Ed to the right. 

The crew are hooked up to 1/87th scale Dir Neal's private observation car, Nassau County.

The second flat car project is this Bachmann depressed center flatcar. Originally armed with a missile, whereabouts unknown, the car has no identity and rarely if ever was called into revenue service.

Using the Fallen Flags Penn Central website I happened onto car #766053 which looked pretty close to the Bachmann car.  http://www.rr-fallenflags.org/pc/pc766053swa.jpg Another candidate was PC 766055

http://www.rr-fallenflags.org/pc/pc766055akg.jpg So with that information and some modelers license I present my 1/87th scale PC 766053.

The newly painted PC depressed flatcar sits on Terminal Yard track 9. 

The car was painted with Krylon rattle can sea glass green. Decals from Microscale

Freshly painted and in revenue service. Note the new brake wheel.

Some road dirt weathering from Doc O'Brien's Weathering Powders and the car is showing some miles and more importantly some earnings.

NYC 506787 has had it's deck painted and has been weathered. It is now earning revenue with the Caterpillar bulldozer load. This car will mostly be found in and around Terminal Yard in switching service.

Three of the new flatcars from the 'purgatory box' pose here in Bedford NY 

A TYCO cement pipe load is looking pretty cool on this car. 

And there you have it. Two new cars added to the fleet from the 'purgatory box' These cars have been transformed from flatcars that languished unused for years and years into decent working models for the New York Central Train Layout. Thanks for reading!

ALCO FA Issues Continue

Greetings All,

Penn Central subsidiary the Lehigh Valley RR recently sent an FA-FB-FA set of engines to the New York Central Train Layout Locomotive shop for evaluation and possible repair. The N.Y.C.T.L. Shop Foreman inspected the units and found 1 FA unit with no defects noted. 1 FA and the FB unit were found to have severe structural frame cracks and outer shell damage. These two units were immediately removed from service and brought into the shop. After several days the FA unit emerged from the shop and was put back into service. The FB unit however could not be repaired it's frame is damaged beyond repair.

So what exactly is going on? Zinc-pest or zinc-rot as it is commonly known.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Zinc_pest
This issue has been plaguing these Walthers models for years. This is the second time I have addressed the issue of expanding and cracking frames with these specific units. I contacted Walthers earlier this year to see if I could purchase new frames but was informed there were none available and none expected. I also have a couple of A.T.S.F. units that suffered from the same issues and needed to be replaced.

In 2012 I posted here about the problem with these engines;
http://newyorkcentrallayout.blogspot.com/2012/12/walthers-trainline-fa-issues.html
Check the link. It has a lot of pictures of the issues that won't go away.

Lehigh Valley FB #531 showing stress cracks in shell   

FB #531 with it's expanding frame is forcing both ends outward 

Lehigh Valley 538 shows a large cracks where the frame has pushed out the back of the shell

The only available solution for the FA unit was to cut the back of the frame off with a hacksaw.

I needed to drill and install a new coupler box but the repair worked (for now)

The newly repaired FA couples up to the other FA that is not affected by the zinc rot. 

The FA units were tested extensively on the Empire Belt Railroad 

Empire Belt train, the Terminal Yard Transfer, from North Side Yard passes Bedford Tower and gets orders from tower operator 1/87th scale John B.

The next day Train NB-3 (Terminal Yard to Selkirk) has departed Terminal Yard and is passing thru Bedford NY behind a U30C and the two FA units that will be given back to the Lehigh Valley. The LV FB awaits an uncertain fate. 

Thanks for reading!!

Guest Appearances on the Layout

Greetings Gang,

About two weeks ago while enjoying the cool of the basement I took the opportunity to run some of my lesser used model trains to make this blog entry. It was nice blowing the dust off some of the stuff and watching it run. Will definitely do this again.

First out of the gate was this Bachmann Plus F7 A-B-A lash up. The set and the B&O cars belong to my youngest son who is a U.S. Marine and on deployment overseas. I purchased the lead unit just recently for his birthday and finally got it layout ready. 

Hohman Ave Tower Operator 1/87th scale Larry D. has come out to check out the foreign power and give the engineer the high ball.

Passing Bedford Tower and Tower Operator 1/87th scale John B who gives the green signal to proceed.

The engine crew check out the tower and the small loading platform

Three New York Central Train Layout Trainmen have made their way to Bedford Station to enjoy a day of rail fanning. 1/87th scale PC Ralph, 1/87th scale Engineer Ed and 1/87th scale Sir Neal Himself check out the foreign road power.

The B&O train holds on track #3 as it awaits clearance to enter Terminal Yard

A local freight lead by a NYC GP7 in the classy lightning stripe scheme heads towards Bedford Tower and North Side Yard

The 1/87th scale rail fans enjoy the rare glimpse of a NYC GP7 with dynamic brakes

The 5694 did indeed have dynamic brakes as did a few others in service for the West Virginia mines the NYC had access to. Early in the railroading game the Commodore made sure that his NYC would not be held hostage for the coal needed to power his locomotives. See here for a prototype photo;

http://www.rr-fallenflags.org/nyc/nyc5694s.jpg

Coming round the bend passing Hohman Ave and entering North Side Yard

1/87th scale PC Ralph, Engineer Ed and Sir Neal Himself check out the latest government attempt to help the Northeastern Railroads. Amtrak, born in 1971.

At this juncture the Mail and Express traffic at Bedford Station is almost non existent  

An Amtrak F40PH is today's power. The 209 was built in March 1976. Click here for some prototype shots;  http://www.rrpicturearchives.net/locopicture.aspx?id=41892

1/87 scale John B has come down from the tower to check out the new engine

Seeing the F40PH means that Conrail is now the big Northeast rail carrier. The gang check out the new 'Big Blue' GP38-2 #8276 with the can opener logo. The 8276 was built for CR in 1979. See here for further info: http://www.rrpicturearchives.net/LocoPicture.aspx?id=73915

Conrail engines pass Hohman Ave and the Empire City Police Dept at a crime scene. Also prototypical for this time period 

The CR units get a wave from 1/87th scale Larry D. The later Conrail Quality logo is on the trailing unit, GP40-2 #3297. For some prototype photos of the 3297 click here;

http://www.rrpicturearchives.net/locoPicture.aspx?id=52734

At this time if I remember correctly parts of the Northeast did not yet have clearance for double stack trains 

CR 3297 in the lead past Bedford Tower and tower operator 1/87th scale John B has come down to hand up some train orders.  

HLCX SD40-2 #6773 a former BN unit poses at Bedford Station behind 1/87th scale Engineer Ed's big Cadillac Eldorado

1/87th scale Engineer Ed and Sir Neal look over NS GP60 #7140 with the Operation Lifesaver painted on the side. PC Ralph admires the green on the HLCX engine and thinks to himself... not bad. But he decides he'd rather be 1/87th scale PC Ralph than 1/87th scale HLCX Ralph..

A Leased Engine and an NS Operation Life Saver Engine signal that time continues to march on at Bedford

The NS60 is a 1991 EMD graduate. See here for more photos;

http://www.rrpicturearchives.net/locoPicture.aspx?id=2164 

Time has indeed marched on and the 1/87th scale rail fans check out CSX C40-8W #7664. This engine was built for the CSX in 1991 and is still in service today in this paint scheme. See here for most recent photo 

http://www.rrpicturearchives.net/showPicture.aspx?id=4529688

You can almost here 1/87th scale Engineer Ed giving 1/87th scale Sir Neal the business saying "CSX! What a funny name for a railroad! Heck it's not even a name it's just some letters!' And you can also almost hear CSX rail fan 1/87th scale Sir Neal's reply "It's how tomorrow moves..."

The CSX train passes Bedford Tower under the watchful eye of 1/87th scale Tower Operator John B.

 CSX 7664 now in the lead leaves North Side Yard and gets a wave from Hohman Ave Tower Operator 1/87th Scale Larry D. Note the double stacks coming out of the yard. 

Thanks for Reading

A.H.M. NYC 499043 Heavy Duty Flatcar

Greetings All,

Another beat the heat train project is in the books! An A.H.M 8 axle heavy duty boxcar with a plastic log load held on with copper wire has been rescued from the bottom of the box. I've owned this car for over twenty years and at some point I did convert it talgo mounted Kadee Couplers. I ran it a few times here and there but it has languished in the bottom of that train box we all seem to have for the 'lesser' or not in service model trains we own. This was a great bang for buck project as everything needed was already owned and no further expenditures were required. A win-win all the way!

 A.H.M. Heavy Duty Flatcar with log load from the purgatory box

With logs removed it's not a bad looking car

After a visit to the mechanical shop and getting better wheels and replacing the pins holding the truck in place with screws the car was heavily weathered.

A Chooch Enterprises Heavy Cable Spools load. Cast resin and quite heavy. The load to the left has been weathered and it made a big difference.

A heavy duty flatcar with a heavy duty load

Both Spools are now weathered and sit atop the car. Kadee long underset shank couplers like the # 21 or #31 were used and also weathered. The car has been tested both loaded and empty and it is running very well through both of my yard ladders. With 8 axles just getting it on the tracks is tough enough. Having it derail is a PAIN in the neck.

During a long shove test I used this Athearn BB P&LE #312 bay window caboose. Newly minted conductor 1/87th scale PC Ralph is solo and protecting the shove move. Here he is getting orders and congratulations from Bedford Tower Operator 1/87th scale John B.

With a heavy duty Caterpillar load at Empire City Caterpillar

Two Baldwin S12s from Terminal Yard are also being tested and are the power for this operation.

The second unit was in need of some TLC which it has received and is now running very well. 

Both units will be seeing a lot more service in the weeks to come. 

Now for some even better modeling news! I researched this car through the Canada Southern website;

http://www.canadasouthern.com/caso/NYC-MODELS-FREIGHT2.htm

Much to my surprise this old A.H.M. car is actually a pretty correct prototypical model! Number and build date match prototype. This project is even now more rewarding. According to the research the car was built in 1951 by DSI (Despatch Shops Inc) and was in service until 1977. It was a single car order, #796-F. It has a weight capacity of 250.5 tons and was termed a 44'4" Cast Steel Special Flat.

Check links below for further prototype information;

http://www.canadasouthern.com/caso/images/lot-796.jpg

http://www.canadasouthern.com/caso/images/nyc-499043.jpg

A better photo, #499042 built 9 years earlier and about two feet longer in length; It had a 198 ton capacity. http://www.canadasouthern.com/caso/images/lot-725.jpg

http://www.canadasouthern.com/caso/images/nyc-499042.jpg

 Thanks For Reading!!