Welcome to Edition 11 of Railroading In America magazine!
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Table of Contents
Slugs: What Are They?..............................................................Page 1
The Whole Picture on Cost Friendly Cameras.......................Page 3
The N&W 611 at North Carolina Transportation Museum...Page 5 The History of the Pere Marquette 1225.................................Page 8 Year-Round Operations on the Cumbres and Toltec..........Page 10 Atlas HO Scale C40-8W Review.............................................Page 13 Lionel O Scale Theater Car with WiďŹ Camera Review........Page 15
Building a Catenary System in O Scale.................................Page 17
A Visit to Steve Zapytowski's HOn30 Layout........................Page 17 Building a Brass Shay in HOn30...........................................Page 19
Rich Melvin's "Highball" Column..........................................Page 26 The Laughing Stock................................................................Page 27
Photo Corner...........................................................................Page 29
Slugs: What Are They?
It’s no surprise that railroads like to rebuild their older locomotives to extend their service life, however not every engine is completely overhauled. Some railroads have taken a very unique approach to rebuilding their engines. They cut out much of the car body, leaving the traction motors and other electrical components in place so the engineer can see when switching in yards. These are called “yard slugs,” since they are primarily used in yards.
Road slugs serve an entirely di ferent purpose from yard slugs. They are essentially cores of older locomotives, most commonly GP40 and GP38 locomotives that are stripped of their prime mover, radiator and alternator. The only main components remaining are the traction motors, cab and the frame. Road slugs are used on both local freights and yard switching, and are paired with a “mother” unit, just like yard slugs. A road slug is a diesel locomotive that can’t move under its own power. They are usually semipermanently coupled to a locomotive that is equipped with a prime mover. Slugs are typically 4axle locomotives, however Union Pacific and BNSF feature a small
number of 6-axle slugs used for heavy yard switching. Slugs are di ferent from B-units, such as an F7B or SD40-2B. B-units have prime movers, but for that B unit to operate it needs to receive a command from a “mother” unit, or A-unit that has a control stand.
Walker Wood
trains or in yards, where tractive e fort is needed for various jobs but there is also a concern with the amount of fuel consumption and pollution produced by a second prime mover.
CSX and Norfolk Southern are the two largest users of road slugs Even though it may seem more among Class One railroads, but practical to use B-units, both yard BNSF and Union Pacific also own a and road slugs have two major select few of 6-axle and 4-axle slug advantages going for them that units. These locomotives can be traditional B-Units lack: slugs save found almost anywhere on the money on fuel and are more CSX and NS systems. CSX rebuilt environmentally friendly than two many of their engines into slugs in conventional locomotives. One the 1990s, while NS has only slug can help produce the same recently started converting amount of tractive e fort as two locomotives to slugs as a way to regular locomotives. The only decrease fuel consumption di ference is that there is only one numbers and the amount of prime mover that is taking power pollution. Other Class One from the “master” or “mother” unit. railroads and short lines/regionals These things are what make a slug use them as well, but they are few ideal for work on local freight and far between.
CSX road slug 2239 sits in CSX’s yard in Bowling Green, Kentucky. Photo by Walker Wood
On Norfolk Southern, road slugs carry out one of three designations: GPTEB (numbers 600-601), RPE4C (numbers 700-755), or RP-M4C (numbers 610-627, 645-660). A majority of the engines were rebuilt from former Conrail/Penn Central GP38s or Southern Railway GP50s, however most of the 600 series and a couple of the 700 series slugs were built on factory-fresh frames at the former Pennsylvania Railroad Juniata Shops in Altoona, Pennsylvania. Slugs 645-660 were rebuilt to be paired with former GP33s, now GP33ECOs. These locomotives and their respective slugs were assigned to yard and local work in urban areas in Chicago and Atlanta. The rebuild project was partially funded by the states of Illinois and Georgia, and some yard slugs were also built to pair with recently rebuilt SD33ECOs for yard work in Macon, Georgia. All of the NS slugs were built within the last 10-15 years, and many of the slugs that aren’t assigned to yards can be found in Pennsylvania on various local freights. On the other hand, CSX rebuilt most of their slugs over 15 years ago. All of them are of Chessie System or Seaboard System heritage, with engine models ranging from GP30s and GP35s to GP38s and a few GP40s. A ter they were rebuilt, all slugs carried out the designation “RDSLUG” or “RDMATE,” the latter
of the two typically being found on more recent rebuilds. These road slugs can be found mainly on local freight trains, but a few can be found in yard service in small to medium sized yards. In recent years, however, CSX has been sidelining many of their slug sets and placing them into storage. Many can be found near the former Chesapeake & Ohio yard in Russell, Kentucky, or at the former Baltimore & Ohio yard in Cumberland, Maryland. It’s unclear why they did this, but it is likely part of Precision Scheduled Railroading (introduced by E. Hunter Harrison during his time as CEO), where trains run with less power if possible.
Above: CSX slug 2287 leads local H784 east through the West Maysville interlock. Photo by Walker Wood Below: A NS Road Slug and a NS GP40-2 lead NS 323 west towards Van Loon through Hobart Indiana on the NS Chicago District. Photo by Larry Amaloo.
The Whole Picture on CostFriendly Cameras Adam Zappacosta
For those of you that are just getting into railfanning and are looking for an upgrade from taking pictures on your phone, or simply looking for a new camera, this guide should swing you in the right direction.
There is nothing wrong with taking pictures on your phone, but everyone has those pictures where they just didn’t get it quite right, or the contrast is o f, or you zoomed in and it’s all pixelated. You just know that there is one camera that you want more than anything, but it’s an insane amount of money. There are quite a few cameras that take good quality pictures for a more reasonable price, which is what we will be reviewing in this article. The Olympus Stylus FE-46 (Mirrorless DSLR) The first entry level camera is the Olympus Stylus FE-46. This small, easy to handle camera has a large three inch LCD display, a pop up lash, as well as a 18x mechanical zoom lense. The Stylus is a small, compact camera that is easy to carry as it is small enough to fit in your pockets. This rugged camera is easy to operate, however a downside to it is that you can not change many things on it such as the lens, some important settings, and other minor details. This camera is also o fered in a variety of di ferent colors including the most popular colors of blue, red and black. You can buy the Olympus Stylus FE-46 for $70.00. The Nikon Coolpix B500 (Mirrorless DSLR) Nikon has a rich history in photography starting out in 1917 with their first cameras. Since then, they have grown to be one of the largest photography
brands, and for the last 82 years have been in large competition with the next brand of camera. The Nikon Coolpix B500 is a very impressive camera not only for the price, but also for the settings and abilities included. You can find one at any chain store like Target or Walmart, but good ones can still be found on eBay and other online sites. You can find newer/updated models of the Coolpix B500 easier online than in retail stores. Built in to the camera’s base is a 26x mechanical zoom lens with 11 di ferent modes to choose from - giving it a significant advantage over the Olympus Stylus. For a wallet-friendly, fully digital camera, you sure can’t beat it’s price tag of $229.99. This camera will be highlighted on its incredible videography ability in Railroading in America Magazine’s 12th Edition.
The Canon Rebel T6 (Mirrored DSLR) The Canon Rebel series of cameras has a colorful history in photography dating back to 2003 with the Rebel EOS line came out with a sale price of $999.99. Since then, the Rebel series has grown to 21 di ferent models since its release. The one in focus is the T6 - which was released a few years ago. You can still find these cameras at places like Best Buy, Target, Walmart and online at Amazon. This camera has a shutter speed of up to 4000, has a multiple settings to maximize the quality of your pictures, and comes with a built in lash - this camera also features a “hot shoe” so you can attach an external lash or another accessory to the camera. This is the closest of the three to a professional camera, and when in “manual” shooting, it takes phenomenal pictures. For those who have no idea what a shutter speed is, or F-Stop, or aperture then
this camera still takes those great pictures in the “auto” mode where it turns the camera into a “point-andshoot” type camera. This means that all of the settings are pre-set by the onboard computer, and all you have to do is press the shutter button. You can buy a Canon Rebel T6 starting at $219.00 with the 18-55mm lens. You can also upgrade slightly from the T6 to the T6i, which includes Wi-Fi capability so you can transfer photos to your electronic device without having to take out the SD card. In my opinion, it is best to buy this camera in a set which will come with an 18-55mm lens, battery, and wall charger. The best part about the Canon T6 is that you can get di ferent lens sizes giving you either a higher amount of zoom (75-300mm lens as an example) or a higher range in aperture. Each of these cameras have their own advantages and disadvantages. A ter testing each, I would have to recommend the Canon T6. This camera has the best performance and photo quality of the trio. The Olympus and the Nikon are completely digital, so there is a delay between the time you push the shutter button to when the camera actually “snaps” the picture. Due to the delay, I have experienced issues with the locomotive passing as I'm taking the picture, which either results in the locomotive being out of the frame, or blurred with streaks. The Canon T6 is more exact since the shutter instantly reacts.
This photo was taken with the Olympus Stylus FE-46
This photo was taken with the Nikon Coolpix B500
This photo was taken with the Canon EOS Rebel T6
The Norfolk And Western 611 at the North Carolina Transportation Museum
Knowing what a steam locomotive is is a good thing. Experiencing one is a far greater thing. The folks at the Virginia Museum of Transportation (VMT) and North Carolina Transportation Museum (NCTM) have done an excellent job of showing the public what steam is all about, as the late W. Graham Claytor said, “Let another generation know what a steam locomotive is”. Though the 611 faces an uncertain operational future, she still let out one big last hurrah when I last saw her at a nighttime photoshoot in September 2018. I got up early on September 1st, leaving before six am for Spencer. Along the way, my dad and I made two stops: the Tastykake factory store in Danville, and the MESDA in Winston-Salem. Beyond this, the road trip was uneventful. We rolled into Spencer in the late a ternoon. The museum grounds were thick with the acidic smell of coal smoke and lubricating grease. There were tall clouds forming all around us, and they seemed to promise rain. The first order of business was to check on what was happening with the 611. They were running on the
Jonah Collins
outside track, doing the last of the “At the Throttle” sessions for the day. There, I had some of my senior portraits taken with the engine and chatted with some nearby photographers. The second order of business was to check in and chat with the train crew. On this day, engineer Sandy Alexander was running things. It was my second time with him; the first was in June 2016 when I rode behind the 611 for the first time in Manassas. He remembered this experience and was open and very friendly towards us. Mr. Alexander gave us a rundown of what he expected to happen that night. With that information, I went o f to eat in the dining car. They served fried chicken, biscuits, a salad, and apple pie. The food itself wasn’t bad; actually, I quite liked it, but what made this particularly memorable was that here, I met some special people: one, a man named Eric Jolly, who was a very pleasant individual; the other, Col. Bud Je fries, author of N&W: Giant of Steam and a classmate of my grandfather. This struck up a pleasant conversation, and soon I had managed to land myself into a position to get in the cab later
that night. A ter dinner, the group disbursed; some went home, others stayed for the photoshoot. I was part of the latter group. They had us board the train, and we were o f to the first spot: the open field by the sanding tower. They backed the train beyond the roundhouse, and ran her forward, inching closer, blowing darker smoke, picking up speed, and blaring the beautiful sound of the Hancock 3-chime. They ran forward, back, forward three times in the late summer evening, and we boarded back on the train shortly before dark. Once on board, we waited. We waited a long time. The tall clouds had moved in, and they were aggressive; they held a thunderstorm. The rain never started in our area, so eventually, despite the threat of lighting, the o ficials let us out of the train to begin taking photos at the station. I was one of the first o f, and made a beeline towards the front of the engine, where I watched and waited. It was really something:
the actors were being debriefed on how to pose themselves, and the engine crew was was doing lastminute maintenance. Soon, we were instructed to make a photo line in front of the engine and along the hill. Lights were slowly put into place and I began shooting photos. O f in the distance, the thunderstorm raged, providing a gorgeous backdrop for our photographs. We stood for over an hour in that spot. Once the last of the lights were set up and the actors in place, they began doing extra steam
leto fs and whistle blasts. That whistle blew for all her dead sisters; she was the last of her kind and we knew it. Her fire was soon to be let out, too. The next spot required no boarding. We walked across the museum’s parking lot to the south track and waited. Lights were again put in place, but this time, the 611 ran through them. Extra props were also put in place: a state line marker and the actors were, too. They ran up and down the track, back and forth three times, with and without the actors, before stopping by the actors, and letting o f steam. This scene went by quickly, though, as we soon found ourselves walking to the next photo spot. Here, the train ran down the track from beyond the photographer’s bridge to us. The train reversed and headed back, and this was the last runby. The whistle blew for us, and then the 611 detached from its train and headed toward the roundhouse. At the roundhouse, the 611 was
turned on the turntable three times. They moved slowly; the engine’s wheelbase is huge and barely fits within its rails. There is significant overhang on either end and mere inches between the wheels and the edges of the table. This was a dramatic scene; the lights and angles both provided for a series of excellent photographs. Later, the crew backed the 611 to be bracketed by two diesels: Southern FP9 No. 6133 and N&W GP-9 No. 620. This was the final scene of the night and there were actors doing maintenance to each engine, which gave a fitting close to a steam locomotive’s day. While the lights were being shut o f and the last photographers going home, my dad and I snuck around to the back of the engine. Col. Je fries asked Engineer Alexander for permission for me to climb
into the cab. Recalling our prior interactions, he readily accepted, and I soon found myself in the hot, smoky cab. Once aboard, I got introduced to all the other members of the crew, and we talked. We discussed the 611 mostly, knowing this could very well be among the last times she operates in the near future. We spoke of how she’d be missed and what wonderful memories we’d made with her in the past three years. A ter all of the experiences from my jampacked day, I made a promise - another generation will stand to know what a steam locomotive is. And that’s a good thing.
The History of the Pere Marquette 1225
Located thirty-five miles northeast of Lansing, Michigan is the town of Owosso, Michigan. Owosso is known for museums and the vast amount of historic events the city has seen; however this is not the only main attraction for the city. Owosso was the first stopping point for the Grand Trunk Western RR, a ter Durand, MI, on its way up to Traverse City, in fact, the station and freight house still stand to this day. Owosso was once home to the Ann Arbor railroad which acquired by Conrail in 1976. The line then became part of the Tuscola and Saginaw Bay Railway soon a ter, and is now dubbed the Great Lakes Central Railroad (GLC). The GLC shares trackage with the Steam Railroading Institute (SRI), which is home to one of the most famous steam locomotives ever created. Built in 1941 by the Lima Locomotive Works, Pere Marquette (PM) 2-8-4 no. 1225 is one of two PM Berkshire-type steam locomotives le t in existence, and the only one under steam. The 1225 was the second Berkshire the PM ordered. The PM classified their 2-8-4 locomotives as “N” to “N-2,” 1225 is an N-1 class locomotive. PM 1225 has a driver diameter of 69 inches, is over 100 feet long, can hold 22,000 gallons of water and 44,000 pounds of coal. The monstrous locomotive weighs more than 800,000 pounds fully loaded. While most steam locomotives today are fueled by recycled fuel oil, no. 1225 still runs on the same fuel it has always seen… coal. Even in her short ten-year career, 1225 put over half a million miles on her odometer. The locomotive was used in regular service on various classifications of
Clayton Cook freight trains until the railroad merged with the Chesapeake and Ohio (C&O) in 1947. A ter the merger, 1225 was used in regular service with the C&O until her retirement in 1951. In 1954 the locomotive was sent to be scrapped in New Bu falo, Michigan. However, C&O Chairman, Cyrus Eaton, had other plans for the 1225. Believe it or not, Eaton did not want to scrap any of the C&O steam locomotives, but ran into one predicament. He was unable to find museums or cities that wanted to host their steam locomotives for preservation. In 1955, Eaton made a deal with Michigan State University (MSU) trustee, Forest Akers, to put the 1225 on display so that MSU engineering students could have a tangible piece of equipment to study. Akers liked the idea, so he pitched the idea to MSU President, John Hannah. Fortunately, the deal with MSU was successful and plans were made to move the locomotive adjacent to Spartan Stadium. The C&O then instructed the yardmaster at New Bu falo to send a locomotive to the C&O shops in Wyoming, Michigan, for cosmetic restoration. The 1225 was repainted to resemble a Chesapeake & Ohio locomotive, however her number remained the same. The 1225 sat still and silent next to Spartan Stadium never to run again... but salvation for this locomotive was near. In 1969, a group of college students wanted to change the fate of this locomotive. In 1969 a group of college students were sitting in the cab of the worn out locomotive and decided to restore the time machine back to its former glory. Because of this, the MSU Railroad Club (MSURRC) was formed.
Work began early in 1970, and on October 5, 1975, the 1225 steamed up for the first time in 22 years!. A ter nearly six years of work, the MSURRC revived the city with the sound of a steam locomotive as the whistle wailed under pressure. While she did not stretch her legs at this fire up, she did put on an extraordinary display and evoked a feeling for those standing by that only a steam locomotive has the power to do. The MSU Railroad Club was itching to crack the throttle valves open on the 1225 and send her down the track, but they couldn’t find a place to restore the locomotive back to operating condition. In 1978, the MSURRC and supporters of “Project 1225” formed the Michigan State Trust for Railway Preservation (MSTRP), and was given ownership of the 1225 by MSU soon a ter. The Ann Arbor Railroad was a short-line subsidiary of the Detroit Toledo & Ironton Railroad, and was unfortunately bankrupt throughout the late 1970’s. The railroad declared bankruptcy in 1980. The MSTRP made a deal with the Ann Arbor to move the 1225 to the former backshops and the move to Owosso was underway in 1983. A ter being turned down to use parts o f of no. 1223 for restoration, the MSTRP had to make new parts for the locomotive from the original blueprints. In November of 1985 Pere Marquette 1225 moved under her own power for the first time in 34 years. As she eased her way out of the backshop, the rails started creaking and groaning under the weight of the 800,000 pound locomotive. The 1225 pulled her first excursion in 1988, on a twelve mile trip up to Chesaning, MI In 1991, Pere Marquette 1225 attended the National Railway Historical Society’s annual convention in Huntington, West Virginia. During the convention, 1225 pulled a 31 car passenger train alongside Nickel Plate Road 2-8-4 (built in 1944) no. 765. Shortly a ter, the 1225 was added to the National Register of Historic Places. In 2000, the MSTRP founded the Steam Railroading Institute (SRI). 1225’s fame skyrocketed in 2004, when it was used as the locomotive in the movie The Polar
Express. Warner Bros bought 1225’s original blueprints from the MSURRC in 2002. They then came to Owosso and took pictures of and measured the 1225, and recorded sounds of the locomotive for the movie. With 1225’s mandated 15 year Federal Railroad Administration (FRA) inspection coming up, the SRI decided to host “Train Festival 2009” to help raise money for the rebuild. Seven steam locomotives showed up for the event including some more famous locomotives such as Southern Pacific 4449, and NKP 765. Over the four-day event, the SRI managed to raise $900,000 for the rebuild of 1225. This took three years to complete, and on October 20, 2013, the 1225 fired up once again and was ready for another 15 years on the rails. Today, Pere Marquette 1225 runs excursions over the Great Lakes Central Railroad, and every year runs from Owosso up to Ashley, MI throughout November and December. The crew members at the Steam Railroading Institute put in as much e fort as the boiler can hold… maybe a little bit more to keep this piece of history alive. Without their e forts, Pere Marquette 1225 may still be sitting at MSU.
Year-Round Operations on the
Cumbres and Toltect Railroad How does the Antonito Terminal of the Cumbres & Toltec Scenic Railroad (C&T) operate yearround? Well let’s take a look around the yard and look at some of the current projects. Antonito is most importantly home to the State Commission o fice, which is the foundation of the C&T itself. This minute depot is a hub of financial organization and is the host of state business relationships required by the railroad. All of the accountants and funds pass through this o fice and the dedicated employees working there. They are the actual ones that keep the trains moving, even though they hardly even touch them. This o fice also houses the C&T’s commissioner and assistant commissioner. The railroad is jointly owned by the states of Colorado and New Mexico, and
this mutual ownership has greatly benefited the railroad. When required, the governor of the respective state selects a citizen to represent their state at the Cumbres and Toltec. This group is known as the Commissioner Board, which looks over the railroad. Antonito is home to the passenger car leet, and each car goes through the Antonito Shop during the o f season. Each car is li ted o f of its wheels to be inspected and repaired. A complete cleansing of the brake system is performed and the inspection ends with the car undergoing interior and exterior repairs. On top of all of the maintenance work that can be performed at the C&T Antonito shops, we can convert it into a paint and lettering shop if need be. The Antonito yard is not
Carlos Llamas
considered historic, which permits the possibility for expansion and growth. In the last 15 years, the Friends of the Cumbres & Toltec has built an extensive restoration facility, tent shop, and has expanded the original shop to allot more space for projects. The tent shop - although it is not heated continues to operate year-round and work inside has been both rewarding and exciting. Last summer the Denver & Rio Grande (DRG) Coach 292 was completed by C&T shop employees. Coach no. 292 was the first project to roll out of the shop and we have gained a great deal of experience in the last few years. This has helped not just me, but all of the employees drive our determination to continue with our restoration work. Currently, D&RG Railway Post O fice (RPO) coach no. 65 occupies the tent shop, and is undergoing restoration to convert the historic car into a first class concession car for the historic train set. This set will accompany D&RG ten wheeler no. 168, which is also being rebuilt at this time. Although the work is tedious, we are almost complete with coach no. 256. You may be wondering how all
of this is made possible... The state of Colorado has provided a tremendous amount of funding, and we have three master carpenters working on coach no. 256. Additionally, Antonito is home base to the Maintenance Of Way (MOW) crews and a ter the snow falls and track maintenance is not able to be performed, crews can volunteer to stay on duty in other departments. We now have 3 MOW crew members and an extra employee working with our master carpenters. This is the purest example of employees doing whatever it takes to keep the railroad running and their passion for keeping living, breathing, historic locomotives alive with a ďŹ re in their belly. Work in the main shop is going beautifully. This progress is only possible with the help of our season shop employees. You simply can not ask for a better person to adjust and maintain a braking system than the guys that deal with them on a daily basis. On tracks numbers three and four, a brand new passenger car is being built alongside the regular car servicing facility. Track one houses locomotive no. 488 which is undergoing its annual inspection and Federal Railroad Administration (FRA) inspections. Track number two houses our most exciting project at the moment - D&RG locomotive no. 168. 168 is coming along beautifully as the tender is completed; drive wheels; and braking system have been installed and work is starting on
the boiler as we speak. We are expecting the delivery of the lues and tubes by the end of March, and installation will begin immediately. Out on the line the quality of the track has vastly improved which provides passengers with a safe and smooth ride. Work continues on an eight month schedule with a ballast regulator and tamper machine stationed in Antonito. Distribution of ballast starts with the four key locations: Chama Wye; Milepost 305; Cumbres Yard; and Antonito. We have also been able to turn the Antonito shop into a motor car restoration facility, and we maintain a leet of almost 10 motorcars for MOW and Fire Patrol crews. When a work train operates, regular service steam crews may be assigned to diesel 19, and will spend the day dumping ties or moving ballast. With new diesel engines paired with regularly serviced traction motors, diesel no. 19 is highly capable of moving three loaded ballast/ tie cars along the railroad. Special cars based in Antonito also enable the movement of heavy machinery along the right of way. Antonito has become an integral part of the C&T operational facilities and with multiple projects underway, the Antonito sta f members have continued to shine. The process has been fun and exciting and we believe that restorations and operations will continue to be found in Antonito for years to come.
Atlas HO Scale C40-8W Review The GE C40-8W was once a popular locomotive with many railroads, but it has seen a decline in use in recent years. This doesn’t stop modelers, however, and the C40-8W is a popular locomotive on model railroads everywhere. Atlas has made several versions of this engine in O, HO, and N scales, with each one having equally as impressive detail as the last. The real-life prototype began seeing use in the late 1980s/early 90s, and was widely used across America for fast freights and heavy unit trains. Notably, CSX owned nearly 400, Conrail (split between NS and CSX a ter Conrail was split between the two) owned nearly 250, Union Pacific owned over 200, and the Santa Fe (to BNSF a ter the Burlington Northern-Santa Fe merger) owned just over 150 locomotives. Canadian National purchased about half of the BNSF leet in the late 2000s, and can be found roaming their system. CSX and Union Pacific have been storing and selling a number of theirs, as the C40-8Ws are nearing the end of their useful service life on Class 1 Railroads. The N Scale version of the C40-8W has been made many times by Atlas, and each model is packed full of great detail. We will be taking a look at NS 8417, a “patched” Conrail engine that was in one of their most recent production runs. It features separately applied grab irons on the front and rear of the engine, handrails, a horn, and a bell. All models feature road-specific details as well. In the case of this engine, it has red marker
Walker Wood
lights, railroad-specific headlight and ditch light placement, and other railroad-specific details. The Accumate couplers on the model are very nice, and work well with most other N Scale knuckle couplers available. The couplers are body-mounted, making it easier to remove the shell of the locomotive. The paint on the model is very crisp, with accurate colors and the correct livery for this specific engine. Most of the writing is legible without magnification as well. The engine is a very smooth runner. It runs at a prototypical speed compared to other engines, and has operating front and rear lights depending on the direction that the engine is moving. However, the marker lights do not illuminate. It is a strong engine and shouldn’t have any issues pulling trains of 15-20 cars in length by itself. Overall, this is a fantastic model that is worth adding to any N scale collection. There are a wide variety of road names available that come DCC-ready or DCC and Sound equipped.
Lionel O Scale Theater Car with Wifi Camera ReviewedEvan Cihlar
Once again, Lionel’s release of new technology has been making waves in the industry. From swinging bells, to Bluetooth, innovation can be seen everywhere. One of their latest advances has been a Wi-Fi camera, which is being incorporated into several types of rail cars. Perhaps the most unique implementation of this new camera has been in the venerable theater car. Ever since the theater cars came out, rail-fans and railroaders alike have been awestruck by them and have always wanted to see what it’s like to ride one of these gorgeous cars. Unfortunately, not many of us get the chance to ride in one of these luxurious and stellar passenger cars… but Lionel wanted to change that. What is a theater car? A theater car is a special type of observation car that is commonly found on the rear of O fice Car Special (OCS) trains that are operated exclusively for the executives of a railroad and their guests. What makes the theater car so special is its distinctive rear window, which takes up nearly the entire car. However, what’s a view without being able to see it? In order to address this problem, designers made a unique theater-style seating in the car, where as the rows of seats draws backwards, the height of the seats increase, just like normal bleachers. Lionel has always been a leading innovator in model railroading technology, and lately one of their technological advances in the industry has been conquering the use of Wi-Fi. Everyone knows of (and probably has) Wi-Fi in their household. It’s how we communicate with others from our cell phones and laptop computers. But what if I told you that there is another use for Wi-Fi that isn’t necessarily made for large amounts of data transfer or internet
surfing… what if I told you that you can gain an immersive railroading experience without leaving the comfort of your model railroad? With the Wi-Fi theater car you can watch your entire model railroad as if you were the CEO or another executive taking a trip on your mainline. With an impressive 1080p camera, you are guaranteed to get a crystal-clear image from this car. From the app that you have on your laptop computer, tablet, or smartphone, you can not only view your layout live from your personal business car; but you can also record videos, take pictures, or even live stream it with the use of a device that mirrors your display (such as an Apple TV). The app is extremely easy to use, however I do wish that Lionel had a WPS mode on the car so that you do not have to change Wi-Fi networks while using the car (Ex: my normal Wifi
network SSID is teamcihlar08198_5G, but while using the car I have to switch over to the car’s selfbroadcasting Wifi network, versus with a WPS mode, you can connect the car’s Wifi unit to your existing network - meaning that there is no need to change your Wifi settings to access it). Throughout my testing of the car, there was only one time where it lagged slightly (and I clocked ~ 24 hours of use on the device). Lionel did not just stop at the ease of use and camera quality of this car - they continued to add great details to the undercarriage and interior of the car. I am quite pleased that I received the pre-production sample of this product, as it allowed me to see the detail far easier than if it were painted black. From generators, air conditioners, to the simple air brake pipes, this car has every detail down to the rivets. On the inside of the car, it features realistic seating (but no figures) and LED lighting for licker-free running. The lights on the outside of the car are very cool (it almost looks like a subway) and adds a nice touch to the realism of the
model. Overall, I would recommend this theater car to any railroad enthusiast. It was very interesting to see my layout from the point-of-view of a passenger, and the level of detailing on the undercarriage of this car was nothing short of stunning. The Wifi camera performed exceptionally well and provided a consistent and high-quality HD 1080p stream from the rails of my layout. Although I cannot vow for the paint scheme of these cars as the model I received was unpainted, I can definitely assure you that the paint will be crisp, clear, and stellar based o f of my experience of previous Lionel models. The lighting on this car is bright, detailed, and lickerfree. With a price tag of $339.99, this car is a steal. While you’re at it, you may want to also take a look at ordering one of the Lionel Wi-Fi cabooses that perform the same task as the theater car, only from a forward-facing perspective from the cupola of a caboose.
Building a Catenary System in O Scale When I first began building my O scale layout, my intention was to accurately portray the railroads near my hometown of Philadelphia. With this great city being along the Northeast Corridor, a catenary system was pretty much a given. A catenary system is a system of overhead wires that run above a set of train tracks to supply electrical power to the train via pantagraphs mounted on the roof. The Pennsylvania Railroad electrified their Northeast Corridor and Keystone Corridor in the 1930’s, and nowadays Amtrak, SEPTA, and the New Jersey Transit run electric trains on the same system that powered trains nearly a century ago. I see trains on both of these lines almost daily, so I figured I would go ahead and put one of these electrical systems on my layout. This feat was much easier said than done. However, a ter about two years and lots of blood, sweat, and tears, I have a cosmetic catenary system on my layout to run my electrical trains with. In this series I will be describing the process of creating a catenary system, share my personal experiences, and how to do everything right the first time. Part one will focus on preparing the poles for installation onto your layout. The catenary system spotlighted in these articles is made by MTH Electric Trains. This kit includes poles, wires, extension pieces, and a mount to apply power to the wires. The first step is to obtain some of these poles, which can be di ficult. As of when this article was published, finding these poles is fairly di ficult, but eBay and other auction sites generally have a few listed. Hopefully MTH will send more out to dealers in the near future. Once you have some poles, you need to adjust the
Max Harris
height of the crossbar. The poles out of the box are way too high for any pantograph to reach in my experience, so I would recommend lowering them to five inches above the rails. Make sure all the poles are the same height, as adjusting them when they are on a layout is very di ficult (trust me on this one). If you like, you can cut o f the excess height using a dremel tool or a hacksaw. I personally felt this made the system look neater, but this all comes down to personal preference. If you do decide to cut the bars, remove the cap on top of the pole, mark where you want to cut, slice carefully, sand the top, and replace the cap. The excess bar can also be saved for a scrap metal load in a gondola or what have you.
Now comes to painting. Please note that if you do paint the poles I made the decision to not use my system for powering trains before I installed the system, so I painted the poles a rusty brown color. I used Testor’s spray paint on the poles and then clear coated them to prevent scratches. I also added some slight weathering details with Scenic Express chalks to give some parts a faded look. Another note, once you paint the poles it is signiďŹ cantly harder to move the height so you should triple check with your trains to make sure everything works. That’s all for part one of this series. Tune in next time for when we install the poles on the layout and begin testing with the trains. See you next time!
A Visit to Steve Zapytowski's HOn30 Evan Cihlar Layout
I recently had the pleasure of meeting Steve Zapytowski, Master Model Railroader (MMRR) and the creator of the Tillamook and Astoria Railroad. The Tillamook and Astoria Railroad (T&A) is based in a remote area of Oregon, with both standard gauge and narrow gauge steam locomotives operating on a daily basis. Founded in 2007, Zapytowski has added many enticing features into his model railroad - including touch buttons for throwing turnouts and a complete DigiTrax control system. The railroad features rolling hills filled with vast amounts of foliage and deep rock cuts on the opposite side of the railroad.
magazine) for years now, and is truly a master model railroader. His previous experience as a theater professor at the Kent State University has allowed him to incorporate many theater techniques into his work, such as the use of “exciter” speakers (speakers that mount to a surface and vibrate the surface instead of a regular cone) that are used for producing background sounds of rolling waves, seagulls, and railroad “clicks and clacks.” Since his models do not have speakers in them (mainly due to the limited amount of space in the models) this is a great touch, and for his layout produces more pleasing and realistic sounds than any sound unit would be capable of.
The Tillamook and Astoria Railroad is runs through communities such as Tillamook, Boring, Idiotville, and Astoria, OR. These four cities are actual cities in Oregon that Zapytowski has a connection to. Zapytowski has also created the fictional towns of Outer Astoria and Three Sisters, OR. The layout is designed to service the lumber camps in the area. Lumber camps 12 and 18 are served by the narrow gauge line, which interchanges with the standard gauge line of the T&A. The T&A also interchanges with the Oregon and California and the Astoria and Columbia River railroads - which are both former railroads that operated in Oregon.
Zapytowski’s skills do not end with the aforementioned features of his layout. His scenery work is nothing short of marvelous. His steady hands and prowess for art translates into the amount of detail and time Zapytowski spends creating realistic and provocative scenes. Without his amazing scenery work, I have no doubt that this model railroad would not be as stunning as it is. Zapytowski’s incredible work with modeling water is sure to impress even the most stubborn model railroader with its liveliness, and his work with ground cover is equally as impressive. Recently, Zapytowski has finished the mountainous rock work by the town of Idiotville.
Although this layout has a very interesting and intriguing history of how it was created, the main reason why I wanted to visit Zapytowski’s layout was because of the great attention to detail. Master Model Railroader Zapytowski has scratch built many buildings and models, and has won prestigious NMRA awards for his work. He has built bridges, cars, and locomotives (see his shay project later in thjs
Master Model Railroader Steve Zapytowski’s layout is unable to be expressed fully in written form. The only way to experience these provocative and prodigious scenes is by seeing it in person. His use of techniques he has learned through previous model railroads and his time as professor at Kent State University have translated into his layout to make anyone, railfan or not, awestruck.
Building a Brass Shay in HOn30
Steve Zapytowski
This is the first article in my adventure of scratch building a two-truck Shay locomotive. This project represents the latest aspect of my long admiration for geared locomotives - and Shays in particular. This story began with the purchase of an old United Shay on eBay many years ago. While super detailing the model presented no unusual di ficulty, I found the model had a number of issues with the frame and universal couplings on the drive sha ts. The trucks, also, were mounted at two di ferent heights beneath the frame which made the loco appear to always be running downhill. This was an unsuccessful modification made by a previous owner. Additionally, both universals interfered with each other and on curves forced the trucks right o f the track. My attempt to fix the universals only resulted in breaking one of them. The model then sat unused for many years until I became confident (or foolish) enough to attempt scratch building a Shay. Salvaging the trucks, engine, and gearing from my old shay, #6, I set about building a frame for this new locomotive. As the brass channels in my collection of base shapes were all too deep I ripped them down to a more
appropriate depth using a miniature table saw fitted with a metal cutting abrasive blade. The new frame base plate was cut from 0.032” brass sheet using a sheet metal shear and sized according to the dimensions of #6. Likewise, the openings in the frame base were scribed to match the original. A ter drilling holes in the corners of the marked openings I cut them out using a jeweler’s saw. Then I cleaned the openings using small files. My next goal is to make the trucks, universals, and gearing work since there is not much point in proceeding with the project until this Shay has a working drive system. Right now it seems that three of the four universals couplings must be rebuilt. As work on the new Shay continued a few things came to light. The engine needs a spacer block to hold the engine at the right depth below the frame, which is not di ficult, but appeared to be tedious. The spacer was cut from a small block of brass using hand saws. Then it was filed to the proper thickness and width. The diagonal slot in the spacer was made with a jeweler’s saw and then filed into its final shape. This slot accommodates a worm gear that
extends diagonally from the frame deck to engage the cranksha t gear at the bottom of the engine. When making small parts it’s much easier to work at the end of a much larger piece. This practice employs the concept of “sacrificial material” that is cut away a ter the desired part is finished. Larger pieces are much easier to hold, clamp, and manipulate than a small part that measures a minute fraction of an inch long. Note: when drilling small holes mark their centers with a center punch and then pilot the hole with smaller bits. Don’t drill the finished size holes first. If you do so the center of the hole is more apt to migrate during drilling. A small drill press is also useful to ensure that the holes are drilled perpendicular to the piece. I used the Dremel Workstation drill press for this operation. When installing these new parts into the coupling rings you will need to dimple the center of both ends of the sha ts in the ring with a center punch in preparation for drilling out the old sha ts. Don’t tap the center punch with a hammer; just press it into the brass. The metal is so t enough that a depression su ficient to start drilling with a #80 bit. Once the hole is piloted use progressively larger drill bits until the old sha t is drilled through and removed. This operation must be done by hand as a power drill rotating at such a
high RPM can cause massive damage. I urge patience during this operation. Note: Only one of the two sha ts involved runs all the way through the coupling ring. The second sha t is in two parts, thus leaving a gap in the center of the coupling ring allowing for the first sha t’s location. About a month later, Shay #6 enters another critical phase of its reincarnation: mounting the gear train and installing the motor. The first step was a trial mounting of the engine and trucks with their rebuilt universal drive sha ts on the frame. Once the engine was mounted the gear supports were carefully placed in their approximate locations their positions were adjusted by eye and then adhered in place using Cyanoacrylate (CA) adhesive. This is only a temporary mounting solution, but gluing the gear supports in place allows turning of
the gear train by hand to check their alignment. Be sure to operate the gears in both directions. I was lucky and found the “sweet spot” on the first try. If I would have missed their locations the gear supports could easily pop out of place. A drill bit with a diameter that passed snugly through the mounting holes on the gear supports was turned until the Shay’s deck was slightly dimpled by the bit. Though the bit was too large for the actual mounting holes this operation neatly marked the centers of the holes for drilling with the proper sized bit. Next, the gear supports were removed from the deck. The adhesive residue was thoroughly cleaned from all metal parts and the gears were scrubbed with a brush and mild solvent to clear all of the debris that remained. The previously marked holes were then prepped and drilled. A ter the drilling was one, I
tapped them for 2-56 screws. The motor I used was a Northwest Shortline #16309-9 can motor that I found in my box of unused motors. This particular motor was replaced later on with the NWSL #1630D-9 motor. The motor was attached to a small 0.010” thick brass plate using the mounting holes in the motor and the screws that came with it. To account for slight misalignment between the motor’s sha t and the gear train input sha t a double universal joint connection was made between the two sha ts. For the universal joint I purchased a Northwest Shortline #482-6 and found that the receiver cups were a snug fit onto both ends of the sha ts. With the motor, universal joint, and the gear supports in place it was time to test the assembly. A ter applying a small amount of Labelle #106 grease to the gears I clipped the motor directly to a power pack and slowly applied voltage to it. The motor performed lawlessly, and #6 is ready to come to life on my test track. To start this process, excess solder on the truck frames had to be removed. This was not an essential operation, but one that provided clean parts for me to work with. With electrical pickup it always seemed better to pick up from all the wheels on a truck instead of half of them, thus providing eight contacts to transmitting signal from the track to the decoder on my two truck Shay instead of only four. To achieve this I used CA glue to attach a small piece of printed circuit board to the underside of each truck frame on the insulated wheel side. A piece of 30 gauge stranded wire and a short length of phosphor-bronze wire were then soldered to both bits of printed circuit board.
A ter adding some spacing on the “bolsters” of the locomotive, the trucks were attached for a trial fitting . I then moved on to installing the electronic components of the locomotive, which included isolating the trucks from power to avoid a potential electric short. To complete the electrical isolation of the rear truck I needed an insulated shoulder screw. I made one from a 2-56 Delrin screw and a piece of 1/8” diameter styrene tube. The center of the tube was drilled out with a number 43 drill which was followed by sanding the outside of the tube until it fit inside of the hole in the rear truck. A ter cutting a small portion of the tube I glued it the head of the Delrin screw with a small amount of CA adhesive. As space inside the loco’s body is expected to be very limited I chose to use a TCS M3 decoder. I used shrink tubing to group the M3 wires by function and to help control their eventual placement inside of the locomotive. To prevent a future issue when it comes time to paint or repair the locomotive, I did not solder any of the decoder wires to the frame, which lead me to solder washers onto the ends of the wires . Due to a need for grounding the power from the track, I used the mounting screws from the gearbox as ground lugs. An insulated lug was made by drilling and tapping a 1-72 hole in the frame and then using a Delrin hex nut to isolate the conductors from the frame. All was held in place by a 1-72 Delrin round head screw. Finally, the new #6 was sent for a spin on my test track. Having completed the electrical and drive aspects of this project I will turn to completing the firebox, truss rods, and the brake system before moving on to the boiler, cab, and tender in the coming months. Stay tuned for a project update in the future!
The HighBall Column
A Prototype for Everything
Rich Melvin
Do you model in 3-rail scale? Do have friends who model in 2-rail O scale or one of the smaller scales like HO or N scale? Have they ever put you down because your track uses three rails? Have they ever told you that there is no such thing as 3-rail track in the real world? Have they also told you there is no prototype for a railroad with three rails? You can now tell them that they were wrong. A few years ago, while running an Ohio Central switch engine in Norfolk Southern's Haselton Yard in Youngstown, Ohio, I noticed that NS was preparing to replace the rail on Yard Track No. 1. This track had been out of service for several months because the rail was badly worn and many
of the ties needed replaced. The new rail was set in place and tie plates distributed along the track. What’s unusual about this is the placement of one of the new rails. They laid it right smack-dab in the middle of the running rails, and it looks for all the world like 12-inchto-the-foot scale 3-rail track! So the next time one of your 2-rail friends take a pot shot at you because your trains use three rails, show them these pictures and remind them that there's a prototype for everything. One other thing...even though I looked very closely, I couldn’t see any pickup rollers on the NS diesels passing by on the main track. Maybe they’ll be installing them later?
Photo Corner
Edition 11 of Railroading in America Magazine was made possible by...
Evan Cihlar, President and CEO Garrett Monnin, VP and COO Max Harris, Publisher and Adman Walker Wood, Writer Adam Zappacosta, Writer Carlos Llamas, Writer Clayton Cook, Writer Riley Ginger, Writer
Special Thanks To...
Larry Alamoo and Jonah Collins for submitting photos! Steve Zapytowski and Rich Melvin for guest writing! Lionel Trains for giving us a product to review! John Brahaney for drawing a comic! Our Readers for their continued support!
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Edition 12 of Railroading in America Magazine releases May 31st!
Note from the Publisher Max Harris
As I normally do, I wrote my note from the publisher about two weeks before publication. But soon before we published, something happened that justiďŹ ed me to totally re-write my note. Something happened in my life which once again showed me why trains are so important. Something that made me realize how lucky I am to have a passion that I can always rely on for a smile. Trains are more than a hobby for me; Trains are a passion, a profession even. But in this case trains can be even more meaningful than both of those things: A coping mechanism. Life o ten swerves o f course and plunges you into the unknown, whether it's for the better or the worse. When life takes me to the dark side, its nice to be able to go down to my trainroom and work on my layout and zone out from reality for a bit. I'm seldom brought to this place in life, but when tragedy strikes, trains have the unique ability to let me escape to my own little world and live there in spirit. While it is, all in all, only temporary, and of course my problems will still exist when I return to Earth, having a place where my troubles are ignored and I can let my mind rest is a great opportunity that trains give me. And yes, this method of coping shouldn't be used on its own, as simply forgetting problems exist can be harmful to your mental health. Coupled with having friends and family to talk to, and having a constructive and safe way to cope with your problems, like model trains, is the best way to get through hard times. I'm grateful that I have a method of coping through trains, because when life gets rough, I know I can always count on trains to be there for me.
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