When my wife suggested I start a blog I really wasn't sure what I would write about. I thought about it for a while and then realized I had already been "blogging" for quite a while. I just wasn't using the accepted venue. My website, www.kelticsylk.info has more than a few "blogs". On the homepage there are several links to my "articles" on model railroading. There is also a link called "The Other Side" which is meant to be more personal in nature. So I decided to go with what I know.
Hence "Milepost 15" which is actually an extension of the original series, just now it will be in this new venue, which for me is totally untried. If it works out, I'll probably do as many other do and add other blogs for other interests and endeavors. This particular blog centers around my love of trains in general, including the real thing, scale modeling, and to some extent toys. Hopefully I will have something meaningful to say on the subject.
For my first flight into the "blogosphere" I think I'll take you on a railfan trip around my uncompleted N scale layout, the Allegheny Eastern.It's based (rather loosely) on the Pennsylvania Railroad between Altoona and Gallitzin PA or as it is sometimes called "The Hill". It's roughly a twelve mile long section of four track mainline where the Pennsy twisted it's way to the summit of the Allegheny Mountains. I'm not trying to build an exact replica, that would be impossible in any scale in the space allotted in my garage. I just want to capture the impression of mountain railroading as it was practiced by "The standard of the World", the Pennsylvania Railroad.
The video starts with the camera "pacing" an Pennsylvania L1s class "Mikado" The model is a Kato heavy 2-8-2 rebuilt with the GHQ L1s "kit". I purchased it at a local train show. It has no traction tires or other aids and is able to pull a ten to fifteen car train on level track. It's shown pulling a short mixed freight "westward" up The Hill. The camera then switches to an A-B set of class EF15 cab units. EF15 is the Pennsy's classification for Electro Motive 1500 HP F-7 product. The models are Bachmann "Spectrum" locomotives that had the dreaded "cracked gear" syndrome. I replaced the wheel sets with Northwest Short Line part number 2574-6. This took care of the gear issue, but I found I had to swap out the electrical contacts to get them to run right. The ones that came with the unit were painted black and were no longer able to conduct electricity. I used the contacts from Bachmanns PCC trolley and now they run fine. The train is a mixed freight with empty coal hoppers heading downhill "eastward". As the eastbound freight passes the camera pans to another eastward train, this one a short passenger consist pulled by an A-B set of AP20 class Alco PA's. The stainless passenger cars are ConCor models of Budd Company lightweights. The model AF20 units were made by Kato. Only the A unit is powered, the B is a "dummy" unit. While freight trains actually need multiple locomotives to make it around the layout, the passenger trains are currently short enough for one powered unit. As the train arrives at the west end of Altoona the camera pans again to follow a westward passenger train pulled by an A-B set of EP20 class cab diesels. These are Electro Motive E-6 units rated at 2000 horsepower. They are pulling a short train of heavyweight cars trailing an REA express boxcar. The heavy weights are all older Rivarossi / Atlas products. The REA car is an Athearn model.
I had backdrops in place all around the layout separating the various areas from one another. While this is the "recommended" practice in the model rail press, I find I actually enjoy seeing all the trains running at the same time. Not very realistic, I know. I still have a ways to go on the layout yet (as if you couldn't tell) and as the scenery goes up I will have to use those backdrops. No other way to separate the mountains scenery from the city.
