Chicago South Shore around 1968

Some slides I just scanned from an excursion I took on the Chicago and South Shore probably in 1968. I was clueless about light and cameras. 

A short look behind the scenes at Roco

Helmut Uttenthaler on Soviet Sleeper cars in service throughout Europe

A twitter post with long thread on Soviet Sleeper service on International Trains.

Fundstück: #WARS-#Speisewagen in #Oslo. Muss wohl ein Sonderzug gewesen sein...
Quelle: https://t.co/nRgiLI1ZQ7 (übrigens ein sehr interessanter Thread, auch wenn man nicht russisch spricht)@_DiningCar @TrainTracksEU pic.twitter.com/vbJ7LxreKU

— Helmut Uttenthaler (@vorortanleiter) April 13, 2019

Kato Noch VT18.16

This is what I do when snowed in for the weekend in Wisconsin.  I set up my Kato oval and run Kato Noch's VT18.16.  A model of the DR's TEE train.

Forest Park Illinois SOO Line Depot

A picture via a friend of the SOO Line Depot in Forest Park, Illinois.  I believe the B&O's Chicago Terminal Transfer RR owned the structure.  Their tracks ended just north of this picture at Madison Street and the SOO Line began just north of there.  I remember this station from passing it on trips to Hines Lumber across the street.  It was stucco building.  Unusual for a station in Chicago although common for homes in the area.  I grew up in one.

ScaleTrains.com Award Presentation and Trainfest Booth Overview

B&OCT's Homan Ave Yard

Industrial History blog has a nice post on the B&OCT's Homan Ave Yard. One of those once busy now forgotten parts of Chicago's Industrial History. This is on the B&OCT's Altenheim Sub which has long been a favorite of mine.

Proses Multiple Gauge Rotating Locomotive Cradle

This looked pretty useful... I'd be such a great modeler if I had all the cool tools!

China launches direct rail, sea freight service between Kunming and Karachi

Credit of #Kunming to #Karachi
Rail and sea links is in the bucket of Raheel Sharif :) #CPEC pic.twitter.com/kADVGNTOmG

— Nomy Sahir (@Nomysahir) December 1, 2016

Brass Expo 2016 - Chicago, Illinois

James takes us through Brass Expo 2016. I should have gone but Door County called me this weekend. Thanks to JIWII2000 I still got to see it.

Accurail's new C&NW 1200 series wood reefers

Just bought a pair of these at B&G Trainworld and they're some of the best paint jobs I've seen from Accurail. I've got another pair on order with Lombard Hobbies.  I've seen photo's of C&NW wood reefers with Yellow and Green sides, and the older ones with Grey sides but I had never seen a solid yellow side before on a wood reefer.

So I wrote Accurail and Eric Cote responded,

The photo of that paint scheme came from the book The Great Yellow
Fleet by John White.  It's on page 83 and it even has a caption that
specifically points out the colors. 

That's the only photo I was ever able to find.  All the others are in
the green bottom/yellow top like you mentioned, or the older light gray ones.

And here's a picture from Accurail, 

A nice addition to my C&NW freight car roster

Horizon Hobby specifies MAP for selected Athearn products - Model Retailer Magazine

Horizon Hobby specifies MAP for selected Athearn products - Model Retailer Magazine



I'm curious what's the justification for this kind of Business Model.  It doesn't seem to serve the modelers very well in a hobby that's already pricing many of us out of it.

بوستر أعلاني عن سكك حديد العراق A poster as ad on Iraqi Railway Network

بوستر أعلاني عن سكك حديد العراق
A poster as ad on Iraqi Railway Network #نخلة_من_بلادي #IRAQesque pic.twitter.com/z8wKgddXnf

— Baghdad Dar Al Salam (@baghdad_salam) July 23, 2016

Review: Bachmann GG1 with Sound Value (SoundTraxx) HO Scale

How To Clean HO Scale Train Trucks 5-1-11 Podcast

Rolling the Freight on the Chicago & North Western System - American Rai...

C&NW Weber branch Sept 1989

C&NW Weber branch Sept 1989

Schalchia shops, Iraq, March of 2008

Schalchia shops, Iraq, March of 2008.. a great place if you were into heavy Ukrainian Lugansk Diesl Works locomotives and a Bryansk Russian TEM. A friend took these... I was back in the IZ at my desk.

ScaleTrains.com's Big Blow Turbines

Lombard Hobbies is Chicagoland's exclusive distributer for Scale Trains and Jeff the owner is saying there's only a short time left to get your reservation in for the new UP GTEL Turbine.

This is going to be a fantastic model. Don't wait.

Plano Products Roof Walks added to an Accurail Hopper - part 1

Last weekend I started adding Plano Product's Roof Walks to one of my Accurail Hoppers.  The plastic is soft and I didn't find removing the original walk much of a problem  Plano provides a template for drilling holes for new supports.  

Here's how things look after adding the new supports from Plano.

Next I shaped the new walk and used canopy glue to add the new walk.  I used an old door stop as weight.

Haven't made up my mind yet on replacing the ladders.  I'm thinking of just using some black paint to make them look a little thinner.  Otherwise it's drilling a bunch of holes.

TEM1 / TE10M CCCP HO russian model ( scale:1/87) Русский тепловоз

REE Modeles Product Review New HO French PLM Class 231 Pacific

My wife wouldn't be keen on the smoke in the house but it's otherwise a perfect model and on my wish list.

 ....and more on REE Coaches also available at Reynaud's.

 

Nearly realistic model train layout from France

Pretty impressive...what else can I say.  Go watch

Review: Budget Friendly Athearn RTR SD40 w/ RTR Sound

I like this guy's youtube channel.  Here's his review of Athearn's new RTR SD40 w/ sound.

Louisville & Nashville 2551-2563 Smoothside Modernized Heavyweight 48-Seat Coaches

From the folks over at Brass Car Sides comes a nice modernized L&N coach.  I'll want a couple of these.

Sides for Louisville & Nashville 2551-2563 Smoothside Modernized Heavyweight 48-Seat Coaches.  We have been commissioned by Michael Welborn to produce HO brass sides and separate door pieces for this distinctive series of modernized heavyweight cars.  These sides will represent the cars in their earliest years of service and will feature the original full skirting.  Jerry Lachaussee has kindly provided these photos.    

Because the prototypes were only 70 feet long at the sills, both the Atlas/Branchline and Walthers HO heavyweight plastic cars must be shortened 5-6 feet to be used for the structure.  Models from other manufacturers may also be candidates.  See L&N 2551 parts for drawings of the left and right sides as well as door pieces sized for both the Atlas/Branchline and Walthers models.  Skirt details are rendered as both partial etchings and openings but this difference cannot be seen in the drawings.  The material is 0.010" spring brass and the parts are tabbed together.  Extra doors are included.  Modelers interested in sides with partial skirting could be accommodated since the center skirting can be removed, either by the modeler or by request by us for modest additional charge.  

The design and engineering of these brass parts are well along and we expect to begin the first etching run in August and deliver these sides in September.  Michael has generously agreed to make these HO sides available to other modelers and Brass Car Sides is soliciting e-mail reservations at this time.  The price for these sides on a special-order basis is $39.75 per set, plus flat-rate shipping of $4.50 for any quantity.  These items are covered by our quantity discounts (see catalog listing below.)  Reservations for an N-Scale version that would cost about $30 per set are also being accepted.  Please contact us if you are interested in either the HO or N-scale versions of these sides.

CB&Q Rapido Cabooses

I've got a couple for sale out on ebay.

Morning Sun Railroad Books on Sale at Lombard Hobbies

Lombard Hobbies selling a huge selection of Morning Sun Books at a nice price of thirty four bucks.  I picked up four of them yesterday and will probably be back for more next week.  Here's some pictures of what's offered.

Baureihe VT18.16 Kato ( VT 18.16 05 DR ) 1/4

I picked up the last one of these Eurorail Hobbies has sitting around.  They were able to track down a set of the two add-on cars too and those are on their way.  Here's a video set to music of the Kato set.  Very classy model and the start to my East German prototype collection.

Accurail's Pullman-Standard 4750 CuFt Grain Hopper

Jeff over at Lombard Hobbies had some of Accurail's new PS Hoppers in CNW green.  I was a little skeptical how these would come out but note they shot these in green plastic so the paint covers very well and the decal of the herald is very crisp.

I'll be back for more once the budget recovers from Jeff's Athearn Genesis deals.  Here's a pic.  Not bad for around fifteen bucks.

Lombard Hobbies: Broadway E Units

A picture of some of the Broadway E Unites on Sale at Lombard Hobbies.

more Lombard Hobbies Deals: Athearn Genesis GP9s at $100

More stuff on sale.....



And Broadway California Zephyr cars...



And Branchline Freight Cars for $6.99

Lombard Hobbies Deals: Athearn Southern Pacific Cabooses $34.99

 Was over at Lombard Hobbies and took some pictures on some of the deals going on for the Holidays.

 

Branline Passenger Car Sale at Lombard Hobbies

Lombard Hobbies offering Banchline Pullman and Coach kits for $9.99.  Hard deals to pass up.  Kits only available in the store or by mail with check payment.  They won't be available on their Website.

Here's about have the inventory (I think).  They were unpacking yesterday and I think about half way through it.  They have 150 different road schemes available.

 

And here's my haul. A lifetime of building ahead of me 'cause I'll be back for more.

 

Bowser’s Hi Hood Century C-628s

Bowser’s doing Hi Hood Centuries in C&NW in both paint schemes.  I’ve waited a long time for this.

New Products

How To Disassemble Walthers Passenger Cars - Keith Turley "Twist"

I wince watching this....

Glendower - Spectacular OO gauge model railway layout in a 4ft high basement!

Check out how he enters his layout room....

OFFICIAL Paragon2 PRR T1 As Delivered, HO Promo Video by Broadway Limited Imports, LLC

Mixed feelings on the smoke but it's a beautiful piece.

Atlas HO REA Steel Express Reefer

From Atlas’s announcement (link) below.  Not new I’m sure, gotta be the Branchline version, but a very nice model to see.  Thanks Atlas!

New Model!

(Click thumbnail to enlarge)

 

In 1947, REA ordered 500 of these all new steel express reefers from ACF, in an effort to handle express and parcel traffic. During the same time period, Atlantic Coast Line purchased 50. These cars were added to the front of passenger trains traveling coast-to-coast on all major railroads. These new steel express cars utilized welded construction and a new high speed truck design. They were able to carry both refrigerated loads as well as parcel loads due to their collapsible ice bunkers that were stored away when not in use.

Atlas HO REA Steel Express Reefer

3D printing - Bob's Workbench

Great post on 3d printing!   I’ve got the CAD software downloaded and want to give this a try… 

3D printing - Bob's Workbench

Passenger Car Window Tinting | Model:160 N Scale Model Railroading

Good post on tinting Passenger Car windows.  It’s N scale but the concept’s the same across scales.

Passenger Car Window Tinting | Model:160 N Scale Model Railroading

Model Railroad News: HO-scale InterMountain Railway Paducah GP10 Diesel

Old news but still exciting…  lets home for some in Chicago Central red; Model Railroad News

Milwaukee Road 1946 - "A Railroad at Work" - American freight & passenger trains

More old promotional video... I love these.

Athearn Genesis 57' FGE Mechanical Reefer

I'm sort of old school and make my own sounds but these have a generator sound that turns on randomly just like the prototype. Kind of cool...  considering you need whole blocks of these cars, I doubt I'll buy many with sound though. 

Chicago & North Western System - "Rolling the Freight" - 1947

CNW Flambeau 400 in 1963

Some great video of a long gone train (and time).  Check it out and leave Gerry a thanks for sharing.

Treasure Island Special

This will be a spectacular but awfully expensive model.  Were Walther’s only to do it in plastic…..

Over at Coach Yard: Treasure Island Special

IHB and BRC Gensets

I didn't even know the IHB or BRC had any Gensets but sure enough here are pictures on the IHB and more of the BRC's trio.

Atlas is announcing these in HO due spring of 2013.

And here's some video to enjoy until then.

The correct RPO for those Walther’s Pere Marquette Cars

The RPO car coming out with the new Walther’s Pere Marquette cars is all wrong.  Now, if I can only get the guys over at NKP Car Sides to give us the sides for the correct car shown below from the Pere Marquette Historical Society.  Link below.

H/T Pere Marquette Historical Society Photo Gallery

Broadway Limited’s IC E6A

This looks like a very nice model in a much needed scheme.

2339 EMD E6A, IC #4002, Chocolate & Orange Scheme, Paragon2 Sound/DC/DCC, HO

View Larger Image

Your Price: Order from your dealer today!

Item Number: BLI-2339

Product Line: Diesel, HO

Expected Delivery: Feb-13

A BRIEF HISTORICAL OVERVIEW OF THIS MODEL

EMD built the E-Units between 1937 through 1963. Originally the name E unit referred to the fact that these units boasted of eighteen hundred horsepower. This designation remained throughout the E unit production even though later models incorporated higher horsepower ratings. Due to the technology of the time, E units like many locomotives used multiple units to achieve the required power. EMD offered cabled units called B or booster units. Some railroads ordered AB, ABB or ABA units depending on power needs.E6s were manufactured by EMD in La Grange, Illinois, between the years 1939 and 1941. To achieve 2,000 horsepower, EMD combined two 1,000 horsepower, 12 cylinder, model 567 engines inside of the engine compartment.

2339 EMD E6A, IC #4002, Chocolate & Orange Scheme, Paragon2 Sound/DC/DCC, HO

HO Single Window and Paired Window Heavyweight Coaches

Nice to see Atlas bringing these Branchline Coaches back.  I hope they do the UP Overland scheme.

HO Single Window and Paired Window Heavyweight Coaches

Santa Fee Railroad Historical and Modeling Society Books

A pretty impressive sounding book from the Society.

Sleeping Cars of the Santa Fe is the final installment in our Passenger Car Reference Series. A comprehensive overview of Santa Fe sleeping cars from the wood car era through the heavyweights to the end of the lightweight era, this volume covers Wooden Sleeping Cars, Wooden Sleepers Acquired from the Pecos Valley and Northeastern, Wooden Emigrant Sleeping Cars, Wooden All-Section Tourist Sleepers, Wooden Sleeping Car Assignments, Heavyweight Sleeping Cars, Heavyweight Cars Purchased for Work Service Only, Heavyweight Cars purchased for Business or Special Purpose Use, Foreign-Line and Pullman-Owned Heavyweight Sleepers used on AT&SF Scheduled Trains, 1950-1959, Lightweight Sleeping Cars, Lightweight Sleeping Cars Not Built, Lightweight Sleeping Car Assignments, Foreign Road Sleepers on the Santa Fe, Santa Fe Sleepers on Foreign Roads and Dormitory Cars.

11" x 8 1/2" library found with dust jacket, 406 pages, 459 photos (41 in color), 101 drawings, 58 maps and ephemera, Appendix (including Glossary of Santa Fe Lightweight Sleeping Car Names and Reservation Cipher Code), Bibliography. ISBN: 978-1-933587-27-1.

SFRHMS Books

Wisconsin Southern, Madison, June 2012

Shot these Sunday in Madison by my kid's dorm. Hard to get a good shot from this angle but it was all that was available to me without stepping into a busy street.

Sparkling clean SD40-2's in Wisconsin Southern's classic scheme.

Athearn Good News / Bad News????

via Trainorders.com

Just got a call from my Horizon rep and found out that the retail prices on products will most likely hold where they are but the discount to dealers will be lowered by 8%. That is a big hit for the hobby stores. First Walthers with their 10% hit to dealers, now Horizon on Athearn products.

Bottom line good news for the model railroader bad news for the local hobby shop.

Athearn Good News / Bad News????

It’s bad news for everyone concerned with the hobby.  The prices are killing Model Railroading.  What’s bad news for the retailer is bad news for all of us, because it’s the retailers who grow the hobby.

Important Update: ExactRail Dealer Network

An email from ExactRail.  I’m expecting others to follow suit and I’m not happy about what this means for the hobby.  The Hobby Shop plays a critical role promoting our hobby. I can’t imagine a business model that works without them.

Important Update

As of May 1, 2012, ExactRail will no longer offer a dealer discount and will discontinue our dealer network. Cost of production has increased considerably for ExactRail over the last two years. We have absorbed most of these increases through our margins, however this is not a supportable model for our business. Our conclusion is that we can keep prices reasonable by serving you directly. We believe we can both benefit from having direct interaction.

The future of ExactRail is bright with many exciting and innovative new products coming soon. Over the past year we have been busier than ever in new product development, the quality and authenticity of our products will exceed anything that ExactRail has released to date. You have a lot to look forward to from ExactRail.

Keep an eye on ExactRail.com and our Facebook page for some exciting upcoming announcements!

Happy Railroading,

The ExactRail Team

Important Update: ExactRail Dealer Network

Welcome to French and European Model Trains

Check it out….  saw their ad in Rail Road Model Craftsman

Welcome to French and European Model Trains

The SNCF steam is really impressive.

Update: and some nice video of French trains....

MTH SD70ACe ExactRail BLMA Trinity '64 Reefer Union Pacific Produce Train

A lot of BLMA Trinity reefers! All spanking clean.... I've seen this often on the UP West Line but never ever once without plenty of graffiti on 'em. All that white surface just too tempting.

Johnsonville Tower by Railway Heritage Models

They had an ad in the latest Railroad Model Craftsman for this kit.

It'll be in HO and N versions and their site is: http://www.thenarch.com

Indiana Harbor Belt GP40-2 by Atlas at Lombard Hobbies

Test running one of the Atlas GP40-2's in the IHB scheme with sound (it's loud).

It's http://www.lombardhobby.com by the way. They're fussy about that. Not lombardhobbies...



Also, a couple of shots of a Santa Fe step-up coach I bought. Walther's has outdone themselves here. The pictures don't do the piece justice.

Lombard Hobbies Feb 14, 2012 Checking out new Athearan RTR

Checking out some of the new Atheran RTR SW1500's at Lombard Hobbies.  Here's Illinois Terminal 1510,

And in Indiana Harbor Belt,

Here's some of the specials: Athearn Genesis SD70ACe's in UP Heritage schemes,

And some video....

Ashmore Hotel - Kit (Plastic) -- Walthers Model Railroading

Walthers just announced this: Ashmore Hotel - Kit (Plastic) -- 8-5/8 x 4-7/16 x x 13-7/8" 21.9 x 11.2 x 35.3cm (933-3764) -- Walthers Model Railroading

Reminds me of the Hotel Gayon at Pulaski and Washington Blvd in Chicago, Nice feature is the kit comes with three different facades for different eras. That means you'll have to buy three kits and then swap them out depending on what era's trains your operating.  Maybe a fourth kit to modify for the boarded up era.

...and a fifth for the coming renewal?

Test running an Intermountain CN ES44DC units at Lombard Hobbies

Testing out my Adroid Phone Camera over at Lombard Hobbies. John was testing running one of the new Intermountain units for a customer. Results below...

PRODUCT ANNOUNCEMENT: HO California Zephyrs are coming Summer 2012! Don't miss them, PREORDER today!

That’s a lot of Zephyr cars.  Nice stuff, great product, but how about a C&NW 400 instead?

PRODUCT ANNOUNCEMENT: HO California Zephyrs are coming Summer 2012! Don't miss them, PREORDER today!

PRODUCT ANNOUNCEMENT: HO Paragon2 PRR M1a/b's are coming Summer 2012! Don't miss them, PREORDER today!

Glad to see this back.  It was a wonderful model.

PRODUCT ANNOUNCEMENT: HO Paragon2 PRR M1a/b's are coming Summer 2012! Don't miss them, PREORDER today!

Finding Minnesota: Model Railroad Museum

Lombard Hobbies Jan 9, 2012

Trying out my new iPhone camera at Lombard Hobbies.

That P&LE unit is pretty sharp.

Fox Valley Models Hiawatha at Logan

Proof for those who doubted that little Atlantic could pull the train.

"How to Paint a Steam Locomotive" demo video

They make it look easy....

Check Out The Details And See It In Action: The HO GG-1 Electric |

Over at Mike’s Train House.  I didn’t realize they were doing them.  Check Out The Details And See It In Action: The HO GG-1 Electric

Great time for Eastern and New England modelers with Con Cor doing a Reading Crusader, a New Haven Blue Comet, and PPR MU Cars.  Now how about some IC electrics for us Chicagoans?

Video below….

Bachman Trains' FAs

Saw these over at Lombard Hobbies last night and they looked great. Told they run great too. The Canadian National units looked especially good. A complicated paint scheme done very crisply.

Eddie's Rail Fan Page: The original Snackville Junction restaurant. Located on South Western Avenue near west 115th street. Chicago Illinois. January 1976.

Eddie's Rail Fan Page: The original Snackville Junction restaurant. Located on South Western Avenue near west 115th street. Chicago Illinois. January 1976.

I remember my folks bringing me to Snackville as a kid. I had a cheese sawndwich as I remember.

Trainfest 2011: Athearn HorizonHobbyTrains.com

Accurail's Trainfest Specials

A picture at left of one of the new Accurail steel reefers done up in Milwaukee colors for Trainfest I clipped off the Accurail site. I don't know much about the prototype this car based on. The Atlas site has a little chat on it.

I'll probably buy a few of these Milw cars and some of the PFE ones when they come out. I remember long lines of the PFE cars on the C&NW through Oak Park in the 60s.

Finding the Perfect Model Railroad Set | Model Railroad Blog

Finding the Perfect Model Railroad Set | Model Railroad Blog

A helpful link for Christmas time when people are searching for sets for their kids.

Rapido HO "The Canadian" Tour Blog

Rapido HO "The Canadian" Tour Blog:

This past Monday, November 7, 2011 Rapido made model railroad history by commissioning from Creaform to perform the first-ever 3D scan of a real MLW/ALCO FA locomotive: FPA4 #6765 at Exporail, Canada's national railway museum in Montreal, Quebec. Jason, Dan and I all were in attendance as were about 30 of our customers who came up to join in the day's events.

Rapido using the kind of technology that's made it the best of times to be a Model Railroader.

HorizonHobbyTrains.com - Trainfest 2010: Fox Valley Models

The Fox Valley Models guys at trainfest in Milwaukee. I've got a Hiawatha plus extra cars, a bunch of the seven post Boxcars, and three out of the four B&O Wagon Top cars. Amazing products and Lombard Hobbies has them at a nice discount.

I hope they do a C&NW 400. There logical ones to do it!

Lombard Hobbies goes online

Hey, they're finally online here!

Congratulations to a great store on a great site. Wish you the best!

What a consist!

Nice video of the odd power combinations we'e blessed with now around Chicago since the EJ&E sold to CN.

...but geez I just noticed this was shot up in Trout Lake Michigan! The EJ&E up in Trout Lake!

40' Steel Plug Door Refrigerator Cars from Accurail

Accurail has some good looking stuff on their website. Forty foot plug door steel reefers. I'll try and zip over to Elburn with my camera and see if I can snap a few pictures of Accurail at work on 'em.

Can you find All Nation's Hobby Shop below?

Stumbled accross this photo of a long gone Madison Street. I remember my Dad telling me not to walk any further west because I'd walk into skid row.

Lombard Hobby's website

Jeff over at Lombard Hobbies said he's got a guy working on a new webpage for the job, and he'll also be selling over the site. About time!  Should be a great way of keeping up with he what he's got on stock.

New C&NW/UP Pool Cars from Walthers

A friend assures me the 400 can’t be far behind if Walthers is doing these cars. Just announced this Month and due Feb 2012.

New links for the blog

Some new and interesting links,

http://elgincarshops.com/

http://dprailmodels.synthasite.com/

http://www.railyardmodels.com/

http://www.greatthirdrail.org/index.html  

http://coastdaylight.com/trains.html

Belt Rail of Chicago viaduct on Wet Jackson Boulevard

Over at Eddie's Rail Fan Page,

Belt Railway of Chicago viaduct on West Jackson Boulevard with old BRC advertising. Chicago Illinois USA. Early October 2006.

Very cool.

Fox Valley Model's HO B&O Wagontop

More pictures over at Facebook from Fox Valley Models...pretty impressive.  I'll need a lot more than one!