Working on the Railroad

[xl_target]

Some relatively recent photos of our layout:


The entrance


As you walk in


Laying out a town


The cattle pens



The cattle pens with the processing plant in the background


A small engine service facility by one of the yards


A detail shot of the engine service facility

[aadhaulya]

XL, Thanks for sharing, Ages ago I also tried to do some railroad modeling. But it didn't work out as parts are not available in India. There was no internet hence no designs to follow. Basically it was a total failure.
You guys in the USA have all the fun.

Atul

[xl_target]

Atul,
When I was really little, my dad took me to see a model railroad layout in Pune. I was so impressed that I told myself that I would do that someday.
You are correct in that there aren't many options in India. I did have a little tin clockwork train set, when I was about five and I played with it till it broke. I didn't have any more opportunities after that but I never forgot that visit.

After I came to the US and I got married, my father-in-law suggested that we set up a train set one Christmas. We went out and bought one and set it up. I could never get it running properly and being kinda OCD about things like that, I stopped in a hobby shop to get more information. There I met a guy, who is one of my best friends now. Together, we joined this club just a few months after it was founded. Since then we have been going there every Thursday night and Saturday afternoon. That was back in 1989. This is the fourth layout that we have built (as members of this club) and the second building that we have had to move to. It's been a very gratifying experience and a satisfying hobby.

Our club website: http://roundhouseinc.org

[aadhaulya]

[ckkalyan]

Very nice, xl_target - wow!

Didn't the club house front have an awning of sorts? I remember hanging out there for a smoke.


Here is an image from my visit to the Club during the end of Aug 2013 from the post Midwest Meetup!

I was thinking - would it be an idea to replicate mini models of your clubhouse, the whole setup caboose and all as it is now and incorporate as a starting point (Home) on your layout?

[xl_target]

Yes, CK, it does have a small porch now.

[essdee1972]

Wooooo! You guys haven't made a model railroad, XL, that's a model country!!

[xl_target]

A new video. The Locomotive is unpainted as yet.

It is shiny because it is handcrafted from brass.
It represents a 2-8-8-4 Yellowstone that belonged to the Duluth, Missabe and Iron Range Railroad that ran through North Eastern Minnesota.
These were some of the most modern and powerful steam locomotives ever built. Built during WW2, they helped haul vast quantities of Iron Ore to the steel mills. Iron Ore that became ships, vehicles, guns and munitions.
They ceased service in 1960 (ish) when diesels took over.

The sound dubbed into the video is sound from actual Missabe Yellowstones working on the Minnesota Iron Range.

[ckkalyan]

Wow! That 'Yellowboy' looks great

Great compilation xl_target (including the engine audio-over), the whole set looks like a dream and very realistic too.

Super work - Congratulations to you and your team!

The Saturday - Beers, Pizza and Movie are on me the next time I am there at the Railroad Club!

[xl_target]

Thanks CK
I'll remember to extract the beer and pizza next time you are over.

[xl_target]

Earlier this summer, I went into Northern MN and stopped at the small town of Two Harbors to pay homage to one of the mightiest steam locomotives ever built. It is one of three surviving Yellowstones of the Duluth, Missabe and Iron Range Railway (mentioned several times previously in this post). You can get some size of the scale of these locomotives from the photos below.


The locomotive is basically two locomotives in one and is 128 ft. long



The tender holds 25,000 gallons of water and 25 tons of coal.

Below is the painted and sound equipped model on my club layout. It is a microprocessor controlled model and has sound and smoke installed. The motor control includes back EMF control for very precise speed control. The smoke is synchronized to the sound and puts out a puff with every chuff. It also has railroad specific radio chatter. Control signals are fed to the locomotive through the rails. You can even open the couplers with the remote controller. The whistle, bell and many other controls are operated remotely with the hand held controller.