Bralick Building

Greetings Blog Followers,

This past week I purchased and assembled a City Classics building kit known as 106 East Ohio Street. The kit consisted of four walls with windows and store front molded in, styrene for the roof, clear plastic for the windows and a cardboard view block for inside the building. The building was brush painted prior to assembly using hobby acrylics. Window glazing, decals and window treatments were then added. After allowing time to dry I assembled the building gluing the four sides together with Bondene. I held the building together with rubber bands and allowed the glue to cure overnight. The next day I used a clear latex caulk inside the four sides to further hold the building together and fill in any gaps. The building was set aside to dry and cure. I then touched up the paint. I named the building the Bralick Building using signs from a Walther's kit. 

The Bralick Building houses a BB&T Bank, a doctor's office and law offices.

The Skyline

Rear view

A Passenger Train is Born !

Greetings Blog Followers,

This past week saw the addition of some new passenger cars from Walther's.
1. B60 Baggage Car / Penn Central / Green
2. Baggage Car / Penn Central / Silver / Corrugated sides
3. Baggage Dormitory Car / Penn Central / Silver / Corrugated Sides
4. 44 Seat Coach / New York Central / Two Tone Gray
5. 10-6 Sleeper / Penn Central / Green
6. 10-6 Sleeper / Penn Central / Green
These cars will be added to previously owned Walther's cars
7. 4-4-2 Sleeper / New York Central / Two Tone Gray
8. B60 Baggage Car / Pennsylvania / Tuscan

The eight cars make up a standard length train for the layout and will be mostly powered by an E8A.
All cars came equipped with metal wheels and knuckle couplers. The trucks are also metal and the manufacturer directs a drop of oil be added to each axle end prior to use. All cars are extremely free rolling and handle the 24" curves on the layout. 

Penn Central 10-6 Sleepers pull into Empire City Station

PC 10-6 Sleeper at rest among the Great Steel Fleet

New York Central 4-4-2 Sleeper mixes in nicely with the NYC equipment

 Penn Central B60 Baggage Car 

Pennsylvania B60 Baggage Car

New York Central 44 seat coach

NYC 44 seat coach. Note factory applied grab irons

 Penn Central 10-6 Sleeper

PC 10-6 Sleeper leaving Empire City Station

Penn Central 73' Baggage Car on the High Line

Penn Central Baggage Dormitory Car on the High Line

Gotcha !!

Greetings Blog Followers,

The local constabulary were caught having some fun with an Empire City resident who sought relief from an over full bladder outside of a local bar.

 The Empire City Police Department enjoy a humorous moment at the expense of a bar patron who could not wait for the men's room to become unoccupied.

Even the platoon commander got into the act suing the bull horn to use a famous police line "Drop that thing and come out with your hand's up" 

Another bar patron has stumbled out to see what the commotion is all about. Car enthusiasts note the cutting edge Brown Mercury Bobcat. 

Traffic is starting to back up as another E.C.P.D. car arrives on the scene and tractor trailer waits to proceed. 

Employees at Drywell Inks around the corner from the incident work diligently loading up some NYC Pacemaker trucks while a New York Central freight train rumbles by in the background.     

American Hardware Supply II

Greetings Blog Followers,

Walther's has made good and the replacement decals have arrived. Here is a photo of the latest building with an additional decal added...

Before

After

New Building...Amercian Hardware Supply

Greetings Blog Followers,

This past week I was able to paint and assemble a new building for the New York Central Train Layout. The building is a Walther's Cornerstone background structure. Background structure meaning that the building is shallow, has no rear walls and meant to be placed against the back of the layout. The building is marketed as "River City Textiles" but the kit included decals for other names including American Hardware Supply. Here are a few photos...

A close up shot of American Hardware Supply. The building was brush painted using hobby acrylics. The doors and water tank were spray painted with standard rattle cans.  

The American Hardware Supply sign is a decal supplied with the kit. The decal sheet however was damaged upon receipt and the additional decals for the building were ruined. The manufacturer's customer service has been contacted and a new sheet of decals are on the way.  

A 50' Boxcar ready for loading has been spotted in front of the building

American Hardware Supply is now ready for additional decals, weathering and final layout placement. 

Shark Week !!

Greetings Blog Followers,

Citizens of Empire City have been nervously approaching the New York Central tracks as the word is out that Sharks have been sighted. The police chief is thinking of closing the stations. The citizens are fearful of that a knock on the door may hide the dreaded Land Shark on the other side. So far there have been no casualties and only an occasional dorsal fin sighting.  The city council is considering hiring a private contractor to find the shark(s). The contractor say he will find the shark for two thousand dollars. But for ten thousand dollars he will catch him and kill him.

Coincidentally The New York Central System foreman of engines reported the theft of an RF16 locomotive last night. When the train was leaving the yard the perpetrator was heard yelling "The taxidermy man is gonna have a heart attack when he sees what I brung him"

Empire City rail fans however know better and are flocking track side to catch a glimpse of these elusive predators....

A New York Central RF16 A-B-A lash up leads a passenger out of Empire City Station. The RF16s were nick named Sharks due to their unique nose profile. Built by Baldwin Locomotive works to compete with  EMD F units and Alco FA units the NYC sharks were built in 1951-52 and served until 1967 when a number were sold to the Monongahela Railroad. 

A shark infested station. An A-B-A consist leads the New England States into Empire City Station as the station agent on the left checks his watch.   

The New England States leaving Empire City Station behind a 3 shark lash up

The New York Central Sharks swim under the pedestrian bridge with a passenger train "right on the advertised"

Sharks at rest.

A nice shot of an A-B-A lash up of Baldwin RF16 Sharks as they await clearance to depart with the New England States passenger train 

 Not be outdone rival Pennsylvania Railroad roars into Empire City with an A-B Shark lash up.  

An A-B  Shark lash up pulls into Empire City Station with train #135, the West Side Mail Train  

The B&O joins the fun by sending the Royal Blue out behind spiffy looking A&B sharks.   

The Broadway Limited Calls at Empire Station

Greetings Blog Followers... Empire City rail fans were rewarded today when the Pennsylvania Railroad's flagship passenger train, the "Broadway Limited" called at Empire City Station.  Word went out yesterday that the "Broadway" would be diverted due to track work and would arrive today in the early morning. 

EMD E8A # 5700 leads the Broadway Limited into Empire City Station

 

 1 of 2 Baggage cars on either side of an R.P.O. are the head end cars on today's Broadway Limited  

No longer all sleepers a Broadway Limited parlor car is now part of the consist

Sleeper car "Paul Revere" is part of today's Broadway Limited consist. On a personal note this was the very first Pennsylvania car I purchased for my son. His PRR empire has grown steadily ever since.

A heavyweight observation car brings up the rear of today's "Broadway Limited"

The Railway Express Agency meets the Broadway Limited track side to unload and load express packages.  Not wanting to break up the train and take the cars to the R.E.A. platform the R.E.A. agreed to meet the train. This will allow the Broadway to keep to it's tight schedule.  

Engineer and Fireman check their watches as the R.E.A. concludes it special loading.