Welcome to my Blog. The scope of this blog is to record the trials and tribulations of building and maintaining an HO scale layout, the trains and all of the ancillary projects that go with it. In 2017 New York Central subsidiary short line Empire Belt Railroad came into existence. The New York Central / Penn Central and Empire Belt are now the major railroads featured.
Empire Belt GP30s
The EBRR GP30s round a curve on the Empire City Belt Line.
The Holiday Season is in full swing on the layout with numerous passenger trains, foreign power, freight trains handling the Holiday Traffic.
Today is Christmas Eve!!!
December 21st is the shortest "day".
June, 6th (1944) is considered the "longest day".
December 24th is definitely the "longest night"!!!
Empire City Station is decorated for the Holidays as passenger trains and subway trains are handling record amounts of traffic.
The city is looking quite festive!
Wreaths and Santa give the layout a nice holiday appearance.
The New York Central Lightning Stripe Fleet will handle most of the Holiday traffic this season with special appearances from foreign roads enjoying trackage rights and pool power agreements.
The Baldwin RF16 Sharks have been lugging a lot of freight traffic this season. Renowned for their pulling power they could pull anything including the yard office but at not more than 45 miles per hour.
The NYC had the largest FA-FB fleet. Three of the four unit consist lead a train out of North Side Yard.
New Haven Fairbanks Morse H16-44s are working hard in passenger service hauling long trains with a lot of head end traffic. New Haven tidbit: The sixty locomotives bought by the NH in 1956 , including fifteen H16-44s were dual purpose locomotives.
Fairbanks Morse Erie Builts earned their keep this season as well.
EMD FTs, "the diesel that did it" bring a Pacemaker freight train past RA Tower.
EMDs and BLH lightning stripe cab units are recorded by 1:87 Emery.
The New Haven Quartet was a Holiday favorite this season.
The combined family fleet is on display at North Side Yard with B&O and PRR freight trains hauling priority holiday freight traffic.
More of the combined fleet at Empire City Station. The Lehigh Valley "John Wilkes" and Erie Lackawanna "Lake Cities" call at Empire City Station.
Alco products were definitely showcased this season. NYC RS2s bring a freight train past RA Tower.
A New Haven PA has departed Empire City Station with the "Merchants Limited".
CB&Q F3s are running off some owed power pool miles behind an FM C-Liner.
It's starting to look a bit like New Jersey in Empire City!
Maybe even Pennsylvania!!! The PRR "Blue Ribbon Fleet" dominated this time slot at Empire City Station.
PRR Erie Builts and C-Liners were also prevalent hauling holiday tonnage.
From the west coast comes a Santa Fe freight train behind an A-B-B-A warbonnet set of Alcos. I know the ATSF did not have FAs and FBs but they sure look good on the layout..
Heading back to the west coast is SP Train #3 the Golden State Limited with E7A 6003 doing the honors.
A Santa Fe GP20 adds owed mileage and muscle to a Selkirk bound freight train crossing the EC Viaduct.
From my layout to yours Merry Christmas, Happy Holidays and Happy New Year.
If there is a toy or model locomotive that says Christmas more than this I don't know what it is.
Merry Christmas, Happy Holidays and Happy New Year!!!!
It's been a busy few weeks on the layout and there several items to report today.
From the Purchasing Department
The two BAR State of Maine Products 40' Boxcars in typical Athearn BB kit form.
Assembled with Kadee couplers, metal wheelsets and a spray of Testor's Dullcote the new BAR cars deliver State of Maine blueberries from Caribou, Maine to Empire Produce.
The writing in the white box states the car is in specialized service and when empty is to be returned to the BAR via reverse route.
The new BAR cars join BAR 5226, a PCCM veteran delivering potatoes to Ralph's Grocery Warehouse.
On another trip back to the layout more State of Maine Products are spotted at Consolidated Grocery Distributors.
Passenger Car Purchases
A Walthers Budd built 46 seat coach is getting ready for service in the Terminal Yard Shop.
A Walthers Budd PRR 10-6 Sleeper.
And a Budd built NYC dome car. What!!! I know the NYC didn't have such cars but the price was right and some RR had one or something close for me move into an early Amtrak car. Come to think of it I have quite a few non prototypical dome cars!!
From The Car Shop
The Walthers passenger cars were derail prone right out of the box. A check of the wheel spacing with the HO scale NMRA gauge revealed the wheels were too tight. The wheelsets are split axles connected with a plastic sleeve.
Repair Procedure
Unscrew one of the side frame screws and loosen the one next to it. This allow the side frame to swivel for easy removal of the wheelsets. After removing one of the split axles I used 2-56 screws on two of the cars as seen below and red Kadee washers on the dome car to meet the NMRA gauge specs. After reassembly add a drop of oil to each axle side frame connection and ensure wheels turn freely.
This a was an easy fix and the cars are rolling well in a long passenger train around 22" curves without any issues.
From The Paint Shop
This former Athearn BB NYC diner has been re-lettered renumbered to Penn Central diner 4553 based on a prototype photo.
The PC diner is part of an ongoing project to add some 72' BB PC passenger cars to my fleet.
From The Engine Shop
Cotton Belt GP40s 7602 and 7606 have cycled thru the engine shop and been upgraded with some prototypical enhancements.
The SSW 7602 and 7606 as delivered to the layout.
Upgrades include number board numerals, rattle can gray primer painted handrails, yellow handrail ends and ACI Labels
The 7602 is now the powered unit. The enhancements add a nice touch of realism to the models.
The rear numerals are applied like the prototype with the number boards painted to match the red end. In this case I brush painted them with an acrylic hobby paint called red spice that I happened to have on hand.
Engine Shop Report #2
Last but certainly not least APRR GP38 #358, colloquially known in and around Empire City as "The Sir Neal", is back in service after having some work done on its prime mover. Railfans from around the area gathered to check out the fan favorite being pulled from the shop. We look forward to many more years of service from one of the favorite locomotives in the fleet!!!
Coming Soon
Empire City is ready for Christmas and the various railroads in our family's combined fleet will be enjoying their Holiday Trackage Rights time on the layout.
It's that time of year again when dad digs deep under the layout to pull out and run the varying locomotives of the family's combined fleet. Today we take a look at some of the Baldwin locomotives on the roster and some of their prototypical offerings.
"Baldwin Locomotives ready for shipment to France in 1918 NARA165-WW-283A-029" by over 26 MILLION views Thanks is licensed under CC BY-NC-SA 2.0. To view a copy of this license, visit https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-sa/2.0/?ref=openverse.
"ATSF 3751, Baldwin 4-8-4; ATSF Diesel Locomotives, GE C44-9W; PAssnger Train; Barstow, CA; August 1992" by San Diego Model Railroad Museum is licensed under CC BY-NC-ND 2.0. To view a copy of this license, visit https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nd-nc/2.0/jp/?ref=openverse.
Between 1947 and 1948 Baldwin built three coal-fired steam turbine-electric locomotives of a unique design, for passenger service on the Chesapeake & Ohio (C&O), who numbered them 500 to 502 and classified them M-1. The 6,000 horsepower (4,500 kW) units, which were equipped with Westinghouse electrical systems and had a 2-C1+2-C1-B wheel arrangement, were 106 feet (32 m) long, making them the longest locomotives ever built for passenger service.
"C&O Baldwin Steam Turbine locomotive" by kitchener.lord is licensed under CC BY-NC-ND 2.0. To view a copy of this license, visit https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nd-nc/2.0/jp/?ref=openverse.
Some of the Baldwin Diesels
The Baldwin DR-12-8-1500/2 (known informally as the Centipede) was the Baldwin Locomotive Works' first serious attempt at a production roaddiesel locomotive. The Baldwin type designation was 'DR-12-8-1500/2,' meaning Diesel Road locomotive, with 12axles (8 of which were driven), and two engines of 1,500 horsepower (1,100 kW) each. The trucks were configured in a 2-D+D-2 wheel arrangement. The nickname came from the numerous axles set in a nearly unbroken line, much like the legs of a centipede.
"Centipedes" by Trainiac is marked with Public Domain Mark 1.0. To view the terms, visit https://creativecommons.org/publicdomain/mark/1.0/?ref=openverse.
Dual Cab Locomotives for the CNJ
The Central Railroad of New Jersey ordered six DRX-6-4-2000 locomotives for its then-subsidiary Wharton and Northern, #2000–#2005, which were unusual for North American diesel locomotives in that they had driving cabs at both ends. The first three #2000-2002 had the cab doors on the same level as the locomotive frame, and were delivered with an orange roof. The last three had their doors on the cab floor level and were delivered with a dark blue roof. On the CNJ they were known as "Double-enders". The cab style was nicknamed "Babyface" and was used by several other Baldwin models.
"Baldwin diesel locomotive" by Trainiac is marked with Public Domain Mark 1.0. To view the terms, visit https://creativecommons.org/publicdomain/mark/1.0/?ref=openverse.
The Sharks
The BLH RF-16 is a 1,625-horsepower (1,212 kW) cab unit-type diesel locomotive built for freight service by the Baldwin-Lima-Hamilton Corporation between 1950 and 1953. All RF-16s were configured with a B-B wheel arrangement and ran on two AAR Type B two-axle road trucks, with all axles powered. A total of 109 cab-equipped A units were built, along with 51 cabless booster B units, for a total of 160 locomotives built. As was the case with most passenger locomotives of its day, the RF-16s came equipped with a retractable, nose-mounted drop coupler pilot. Unlike competing units from EMD and Alco, the RF-16 used an air-powered throttle, meaning that it could not be run in MU operation with EMD or Alco diesels without special MU equipment.
"New York Central Baldwin RF16 3815" by Digital Rail Artist is marked with CC0 1.0. To view the terms, visit https://creativecommons.org/publicdomain/zero/1.0/?ref=openverse.
Transfer Service Locomotives
The BLH RT-624 was a twin-engined diesel-electric locomotive, built by Baldwin-Lima-Hamilton Corporation between August 1951 and February 1954.
The RT-624, an improved version of the former Baldwin DT-6-6-2000, was a center-cab transfer locomotive. Twenty-four locomotives were built using 6-cylinder turbocharged 606A prime movers during 1951–1954. Penn Central operated ex-PRR #8955, and was retired in October 1969, and scrapped in July 1970. The MNS purchased a single unit that is pictured below."IRM.07.09.24.R1.16.WD" by contemplative imaging is licensed under CC BY-NC-SA 2.0. To view a copy of this license, visit https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-sa/2.0/?ref=openverse.
The ubiquitous S12 Switcher
The BLH S12 was a 1,200-horsepower (890 kW) diesel-electricswitcher locomotive. Utilizing a turbocharged 6-cylinder version of the powerful 606A dieselprime mover, S12s were known for their "lugging" power, despite being temperamental. Like most BLH switchers, the S12 had AAR Type-A switcher trucks in a B-B wheel arrangement. 451 units were built between 1951 and 1956, when BLH left the locomotive market.
"Baldwin Locomotive Works # 1200 diesel locomotive (S-12) 2" by James St. John is licensed under CC BY 2.0. To view a copy of this license, visit https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/2.0/?ref=openverse.
To the Models!!!
On the the layout we find an A-B-A set of Sharks sitting in North Side Yard after delivering a freight train from Terminal Yard. A brace of five EMD F7s lead a swollen holiday train thru Empire City to Terminal Yard.
Three S12 switchers have been assigned to North Side Yard for this holiday period. The NYC received 21 S12s (9308-9328)
A B&O A-B set of Sharks swim towards Terminal Yard with a priority Time-Saver freight train. The B&O signed up for 19 A units and 12 B units.
The PRR heads back to home rails. The PRR was the biggest buyer of the RF16s purchasing 72 A units and 31 B units.
The Erie Lackawanna delivers a transfer freight to North Side Yard. The Erie purchased 12 S12s (617-628).
A PRR S12 does the honors delivering a transfer run to North Side Yard. The always loyal PRR purchased the most S12s with 87 in their stable in various number groups.
With the freight transfers now delivered the Empire Belt crew gets ready to move the freight to their local customers.
A last look at the Sharks and S12s of the New York Central at work during this holiday period. That is a cool photo!!!
