Railroading in America Magazine Edition 9 by railroadinginamerica

Welcome to Edition 9 of Railroading in America Magazine! Note from the President

Edition 9 is a great move forward for us and is a milestone, as it marks the end of our Volume 2 publications. I would like to deeply thank all of our readers and partners for their support during two years! I personally am very humbled by this experience and am grateful for all of the opportunities to work with amazing people along the way. I can’t stress enough the fact that the magazine sta f should be getting recognized for our success, not me. I could not have done it alone, and I am fortunate to call them all my closest friends. With Edition 9 closing out our Volume 2 series, I would like to make some announcements that can be seen in this publication and future publications… A ter a recent survey, Railroading in America Magazine was rated at a 4.89/5 stars by previous customers - and we were awarded the Honorable Mention MTH Electric Trains Blue Comet Award for 2018! We are very proud of what we have been able to accomplish. On top of publishing our ninth magazine, we have also released a subscription service! This service starts out with our ninth edition. By subscribing, each edition of RIAM, a bimonthly publication, will be either mailed right to your door, or an email with the digital download will be automatically sent to you! To go with your digital subscription, an exclusive page with bonus content is available only to subscribers. Digital subscriptions start at just $8.99!! We are all proud of this huge step we are taking towards producing a more professional publication and would like to thank our readers for their continued support and feedback. So… what are you waiting for? Subscribe at www.railroadinginamerica.com/subscribe today!!

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Evan Cihlar RIAM President and CEO

Railroading in America Magazine is a newly founded magazine written by and run by the next generation of railroaders. We pride ourselves on taking a di ferent and more lighthearted perspective than our competitors, and take extra steps to ensure we are reporting on quality and factual news.

Table of Contents

Page 1............................................................... The History of the EMD F40

Page 3........................ Interlocking Towers: The Past, Present, and Future Page 4............................. History of the Southern 4501 Steam Locomotive Page 7............................ A Legend of an Engine: The Milwaukee Road 261 Page 9.......... A Dollar, a Fireman, and a Passion: Santa Fe 2926's Revival Page 12..................... The N&W 611 and The Citizens of Roanoke, Virgina

Page 15.................................................... MOW on the Cumbres and Toltec

Page 17.................................................................... Steam in the Valley 2018 Page 19........................................................... Lionel Santa Fe SD40 Review

Page 22... Lionel 21" Broadway Limited Soundstations Diner Car Review Page 25......................................................... MTH New Haven EF-3 Review Page 28................................. Custom Painting and Detailing a SP GP38-2

Page 30............................................................... Super-Detailing a SP GP60 Page 32.............................................. Scratchbuilding an AEM-7 in S Scale

Page 35........................................................................... The Laughing Stock

Page 36...................................................................................... Photo Corner

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The History of the EMD F40 Walker Wood

In the mid-1970’s, Amtrak was looking for a new engine to replace their unreliable leet of EMD SDP40F and GE P30CH diesels, as well as their aging secondhand units from a hodgepodge of railroads, ranging from the earliest F-units to the latest E-units. Amtrak desperately needed a new engine, and once again turned to EMD for a solution. In 1975, EMD rolled out the F40PH, the passenger equivalent to the very successful GP40-2. The two shared the same V16 645E3 prime mover, developing 3,000 horsepower at 893 RPMs. The F40PH’s prime mover constantly ran at this speed to provide head-end power to the train, making them noticeably louder than most other diesel engines. This led to many railroads and railfans dubbing the engines "Screamers". 30 of these engines were initially ordered by Amtrak for short and medium-distance intercity passenger trains. As more problems mounted on the SDP40F, and an unusually harsh winter hit the United States, Amtrak decided that the F40PH was their longterm solution for their shortage of reliable diesel power. Soon a ter, 40 SDP40Fs were traded back to EMD to be rebuilt as F40PHRs. They included a bigger fuel tank and a more powerful HEP generator, which had become standard on the F40PH. By the 1990’s, Amtrak owned over 200 F40PH locomotives, which were the standard motive power for almost every Amtrak train at the Picture on top of page: A northbound pair of F40's pass B. & P. Junction as the train slows into Penn Station at Baltimore, MD. April 1981. Photo by George Pitz. 1

time. The F40PH model was so successful that many commuter railroads purchased them, including Chicago’s Regional Transit Authority (later METRA), Massachusetts Bay Transit Authority, and CalTrain. By the time production of the F40PH and subsequent variants ended in 1992, EMD had produced 475 of these iconic engines. Morrison-Knudsen, and later successor Motive Power Industries, built 31 F40PH variants for commuter agencies such as MBTA, Coaster, and Caltrain between 1988 and 1998. Today, many F40s can still be seen in revenue service on almost all of the commuter railroads that initially purchased them. Amtrak has retired their entire leet as motive power, however a number have been rebuilt into non-powered control units (NPCUs). All of the engines that were part of this rebuild program had their prime movers and traction motors removed, the fuel tank ﬁlled with concrete, and a roll-up door installed to carry baggage. NPCU 406 maintains its original carbody, and was repainted into the Phase 3

From the cab of one F40 to another. An eastbound Amtrak from Pittsburg passes a westbound around Lancaster PA. May 1985. Photo by George Pitz.

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paint scheme to celebrate Amtrak’s 40th anniversary to pull the now defunct Exhibit Train. Two other Amtrak NPCUs, 90208 and 90221, are painted in an "Honoring Veterans" scheme. Additionally, CSX

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owns four ex-Amtrak F40PHs (rebuilt as F40PH-2s) for use on its o ﬁce car special. These iconic locomotives continue to serve railroads just as they did when they ﬁrst rolled out of EMD's shops in the 90's.

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The 2018 CSX Santa Train departs Dante Yard in Virgina, with three F40s for power. Photo by Todd Sayers.

METX #1311 arrives LaGrange Road station at LaGrange, Illinois with F40PH-3 #182 and F40PH-3 #119 as power. Photo by Larry Amaloo.

Amtrak #336 heads south through Northbrook, Illinois with Veterans NPCU #90221 leading. Photo by Larry Amaloo. 2

Interlocking Towers: The Past, The Present, and The Future Interlocking towers once played an important part to railroads across the country. They were used to control a group of signals at a busy place on a railroad. They could o ten be found at diamonds, busy junctions, crossovers, or any place where one was needed. All of the signals closest to the interlocking were centralized and were controlled by an operator, who worked inside the tower. At the time, technology didn’t allow for these signals to be controlled by a single dispatcher in their o fice. These interlocking towers (or “cabins” on the Chesapeake & Ohio) were extremely common. However, once technology began advancing, dispatchers were able to control these interlocking plants from their o fices, making the jobs of interlocking towers and their operators obsolete. There are very few interlocking towers still in use in the United States, but many still stand. Some of these towers, like AC Tower in Marion, Ohio, have been preserved for future generations to learn about how they work. Other towers, like RU Cabin in Russell, Kentucky, are waiting for their final disposition.

Pictoral by Walker Wood

NS 7658 is on the point of NS train 218 as it heads south through Marion, Ohio. It is seen from the second level of AC Tower’s viewing platform. Photo by Walker Wood.

BE Tower is pictured as a westbound Norfolk Southern train races by. Photo by Walker Wood.

(Above) A westbound autorack train is seen in the background as it passes AC Tower. Photo by Walker Wood. (Le t) The now demolished NJ Cabin, which was located about 20 miles west of the Chesapeake & Ohio’s massive yard in Russell, Kentucky. Photo taken by Todd Sayers.

History of the Southern 2-8-2 #4501 Nikhil Jammalamadaka

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In this modern day and age, it can o ten be di ficult to imagine what railroading was like in the glory days, when steam locomotion reigned king of the railroad. However, not many know that many steam locomotives are still being restored to operating condition, and are now “Rolling Out Again” as Norfolk Southern’s (NS) band, the Lawmen, say in their song of the same name. In the Southeast, among all the restored locomotives that are now operating, one of the most famous engines is Southern Railway’s 2-8-2 Ms class Mikado #4501. This majestic locomotive was built in 1911 by the Baldwin Locomotive Works for the Southern Railway. It was the first locomotive for the Southern Railway’s Ms series of Mikados, and spent its life hauling freight across the system. Since the first user of this arrangement was the Nippon Railway of Japan, the word “mikado” was chosen as the name for this class of locomotives. Americans also associated Mikado with “emperor” in Japanese. As the Southern Railway replaced its steam locomotives with diesel

power, 4501 was sold to a small, coal-hauling railroad known as the Kentucky & Tennessee (K&T) Railway, which was headquartered out of Stearns, KY, in 1948. Here, it lost its Southern identity and was renumbered #12. In February of 1964, a ter 16 years of service, the K&T replaced the tired 12 with one of the 3 ALCO S-2s that they purchased from the Denver & Rio Grande Western (D&RGW). In fear of seeing another Southern locomotive feeling the scrapper’s torch, 4501 was sold at scrap value of $5,000 to Paul Merriman, who also served as the Tennessee Valley Railroad Museum’s (TVRM) first president. On June 6, 1964, the fruits of hard labor had become realized, as 4501 was to head south to Chattanooga from Stearns on the infamous Cincinnati, New Orleans, and Texas Pacific (CNO&TP) line, also known as the Rathole. Since this was the first steam powered move on this line in nearly a decade, the Southern and TVRM planned to make the most of this giant PR opportunity. Despite a hotbox on the tender, the trip was successful and thus paved the way for future excursions on the railroad.

Upon arrival in Chattanooga, TVRM embarked on a 2-year restoration in the Lucey Boiler Company, which was near TVRM’s repair facilities. During the restoration, 4501 received the Southern Railway’s signature Sylvan Green with gold linings, which was adorned by the railroad passenger power, including the popular Ps-4 Pacifics. In August of 1966, 4501 hauled its first public excursion between Chattanooga, TN and Richmond, VA. In 1969, #4501’s original tender was replaced with a larger, exCentral of Georgia tender that was salvaged from a train wreck in Georgia. In the 1970s, 4501 le t the Southern Railway and ventured onto several other railroads, including the Norfolk & Western, Illinois Central, Chicago & Northwestern, Milwaukee Road, and the Rock Island. Throughout the 1970s, the engine made various appearances in films and public events. In 1971, it was repainted as a Baltimore & Ohio (B&O) locomotive for the comedydrama film Fools’ Parade. In 1973, it pulled a circus train called the Old 4

Milwaukee Special, which ran on the C&NW line between two Wisconsin towns – Baraboo and Madison – and the MILW line to Milwaukee, WI. Johnny Cash admired the locomotive enough to incorporate it into his 1974 TV special, Ridin’ the Rails: The Great American Train Story. The scene from the show where Cash is shown at the throttle of the Mikado was used in the music video for Cash’s cover version of the song “Hurt,” originally sung by the rock band Nine Inch Nails. Other ﬁlms used the engine, such as Hard Times, Eleanor and Franklin, Summer of My German Soldier, and the 1999 motion picture October Sky, where well-known rail photographer O. Winston Link was the “engineer” of the engine. Due to the 4501’s newfound signiﬁcance, it was added to the National Register of Historic Places on March 28, 1979. While hauling an excursion from Atlanta, GA to Chattanooga, TN on April 11, 1981, 4501 cracked a lue sheet at Dalton, GA. While a diesel locomotive pulled the rest of the excursion, the steamer was taken to the Irondale Shops in Birmingham, AL, where it underwent an extensive rebuild. The excursion star was outshopped with a newly-welded tender body with roller bearing trucks. Therea ter, it continued hauling passenger specials for TVRM for another decade. In 1991, Norfolk Southern celebrated the 25th anniversary of its steam

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program. In order to commemorate this event, 4501 and two N&W locomotives – the Class J #611 and Class A #1218 – hauled a tripleheader excursion from Chattanooga, TN to Atlanta, GA. At the Chattanooga suburb of Ooltewah, 4501 picked up passengers and whisked them to Cleveland, TN and back while 611 and 1218 steamed on to Atlanta. In 1994, NS terminated its steam program due to safety issues and the rising costs of insurance as well as steam locomotive maintenance. Additionally, the rail network became busier with rising freight tra ﬁc. So on April 30, 1994, 4501 le t for its last trip from Birmingham to Columbus, GA. Unfortunately, the locomotive broke down at Alexander City, AL because of overheated bearings. As a result, NS GP59 #4610 came to the rescue and concluded the trip. A ter this ﬁnal excursion, 4501 was returned to TVRM and was relegated to museum excursions through North Georgia on the Chattooga & Chickamauga Railway shortline, which was an ex-Central of Georgia line. In 1996, during TVRM’s 35th anniversary, 4501 was repainted from the Southern Railway’s Sylvan Green scheme back to its original black livery. On September 20, 1998, due to its boiler ticket expiration, it was retired. NS began its 21st Century Steam program in June 2010, where they announced that they would host

Photos courtesy of Railroad Picture Archives. 5

excursions using the equipment of rail preservation groups. Those locomotives involved with the program from 2010 to 2016 included 4501, Southern Railway 2-8-0 #630, Nickel Plate Road 765, and Norfolk & Western 611. A ter years of hard work by countless volunteers and contractors, the newly restored 4501 was publicly unveiled at TVRM’s annual Railfest celebration on September 6, 2014. A test run was made from Chattanooga to LaFayette, GA on the C&CR on September 25, which broke the engine in for use on the museum passenger trains.

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The year 2015 marked the ﬁrst time that 4501 would polish the rails of a class I railroad since 1994. On June 26, the black mikado took charge of the Radford Rambler from Bristol, VA to Radford, VA. Numerous other outings were made, such as the Lonesome Pine Special, Nancy Hanks Special, and more. The Piedmont Limited was scheduled, but ultimately cancelled due to looding caused by Hurricane Joaquin. Since the end of the 21st Century Steam program, 4501 has remained at TVRM and serves as the main locomotive for the Summerville Steam Special trips. On September 9, 2016, a documentary on 4501, named And Then There Was One, was premiered to kick o f TVRM’s Railfest. The documentary describes the locomotive’s history, all the way from its initial construction to its current

Photo courtesy of Railroad Picture Archives.

state. Some of the people interviewed included the TVRM Operations Coordinator and Conductor Steve Freer, the lead restoration project contractor (Jason Sobczynski), and the TVRM President (Tim Andrews). Subsequently, the main ﬁlm was made available on YouTube and a 2-disc DVD set was released. The show received positive reviews from Norfolk Southern, TVRM, and others, including O-Gauge Railroading Magazine sta f member Rich Melvin. Throughout her life, this legendary Mikado has had a fascinating track record in the history of steam excursions and continues to delight thousands with her majesty and charm, while taking those who hear its melodious whistle on a trip that no excursion can provide: A trip back in time.

The Legend of a Steam Engine:

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Elijah Jackson and the Milwaukee Road 261 Riley Ginger

It was a warm Saturday morning in Milwaukee, Wisconsin in August of 2008. A nine-year old rail enthusiast named Elijah Jackson opened up his back door window to get some fresh air, when he heard a strange noise. There was an usual, but simultaneously hypnotic sound echoing o f the valley. It didn’t take long for Elijah to realize he was listening to the whines of a steam locomotive whistle. He could even hear the faint ringing of the bell. Elijah went to his parents and said that there was a steam engine in their town, and asked to go see it. However, his parents didn’t believe him. The locomotive Elijah heard that day was Milwaukee Road 261, an S3 class 4-8-4. Since that day, Elijah had been enamored with steam locomotives and made a vow to get involved in hobby more to see his mystery locomotive. “I didn’t want to miss these opportunities again,” said Elijah. Unfortunately, it wasn’t an easy feat seeing 261. Poor timing and sheer luck made it so he and the S3 wouldn’t cross paths for a while. He had seen many locomotives 7

expectations.” commented Elijah as he reminisced his weekend with 261.

MILW 261 is seen here being hostled by her crew, preparing for the excusion the next say. Photo by Elijah Jackson.

since, but it took a long ten years to see the locomotive. It wasn’t until the engine’s 2018 dinner train hosted on the weekend of September 7th-9th that Elijah would finally have the opportunity to see 261 in person. “I think, along with my happiness and excitement, it was a sigh of relief that I finally managed to see it. To finally see a machine that served my hometown, and to see a machine that a relative of mine has more than likely worked on... It went above and beyond my

Chasing the locomotive was intense, according to the 19 year old railfan. Locations were sparse, especially leaving Minneapolis, MN. Freeway tra ﬁc was stressful, and there were people everywhere chasing the train. Overall, though, Elijah said it was a pretty positive experience. The crew of 261 were very friendly, and very passionate about their locomotive. “One of the best parts about chasing 261 and the towns that it went through, is the local people who aren’t railfans, who have never seen a steam locomotive, and those who don’t know anything about it. I love to see their reactions, and I appreciate when they actually come to ask us, what it’s about, why it’s here, where’s it going, and just helping them out. “When 261 was held up by a derailment in Hopkins, Minnesota, the line parallels this bike trail. There was a couple with their bicycles, and they noticed us standing at the crossing. 261 was about a mile out, it was still visible

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down the line. The couple asked me what was going on, and I gave them the information about the 261 and where it was going, and they genuinely seemed interested. So I suggested for them, to get a closer look, to head down the bike trail to 261 to get a closer look while it was still. A little while later, when I saw the couple again, they thanked me for telling them about the 261, suggesting for them to go see it for themselves, and I felt good. Even though I wasn’t a member, I still felt like I played a role,” said Elijah as he recounted a story with some Minnesota locals. “It really goes to show, as much as we know about 261 and steam engines in general, it makes us realize how very underrated they are to the rest of society, and how much of a gem they can be to the average person who sees them in person. It’s way di ferent than seeing a video of a steam locomotive. Seeing a steam locomotive behind the screen is nothing compared to being there with it. You hear the raw noise, you feel the vibrations as it moves, and it gives o f a smell that you don’t smell every day. An average person doesn’t catch a whi f of hot steam engine and

The 261 gracefully charges across the Missippi River o f of Nicolliet Island. Photo by Elijah Jackson.

coal smoke, you don’t smell those kinds of things every day. And once you do, you never forget it.” Elijah also has a deep rooted connection with the Milwaukee Road. His great grandfather, Sylvester Jackson, worked for the Milwaukee Road for 50 years. He worked from 1917-1967, and he was one of their ﬁrst African American employees. He started work at 17 as a yard oiler, gradually moving from job to job within the system. He oiled switch lamps, freight cars, and eventually locomotives. As he grew older, he took up work in the engine shops, and then became a ﬁreman in the steam era. Unfortunately, he wasn’t promoted to engineer until the 1960’s at the end of his career. Jackson saw the height and the demise of the steam era. He was already 44 years old when 261 was brand new, and possibly served the locomotive when it was in it’s revenue years. Jackson retired in 1967, and passed away in 1991 at 91 years of age. He passed along his passion for railroading onto his family members, which has given Elijah such a personal connection with not only the 261, but the fallen Milwaukee Road as whole.

While stopped for a nearby grain train, Elijah Jackson takes the opportunity to get a photo with the ﬁred up steam engine in the background in Plato, MN.

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A Dollar, A Fireman, and a Passion: Santa Fe 2926's Revival Story

Santa Fe 2926, a 4-8-4 Northern type steam locomotive, has a success story that is certainly like no other. When the Atchison, Topeka, and Santa Fe (ASTF) began to phase out steam in the 1950s, the iconic Northern found refuge in a local park in Albuquerque, NM. 2926 sat here until 2000, when a retired Santa Fe Fireman, Ed Bukove, took interest in restoring the engine, as he believed it was in great condition. He convinced the township that the engine was leaking asbestos into the ground, and a ter a few years, the township sold the engine to Bukove and his friends for a grand total of $1.00. They requested the engine be moved out of the park as soon as possible. From there, the 2926 sat on a siding until 2002, when the newly-formed restoration group found a place to begin their work. This location was suboptimal, with all the track needing to be re-laid in order to support the weight of the massive steam locomotive, but the spot was good enough for the group, eager to get the 2926 back in steam. Once the engine was moved, a through inspection was done on the boiler, which revealed that the locomotive was in worse shape then the group originally perceived. Due to this, the society started their restoration on the tender. Mike Hartshorn, the group’s president, told me: “We started with working on tender because we ﬁgured it would be easier, cheaper, and would help us learn to work as a team. Well, it wasn’t easy, wasn’t cheap, but we learned to work as a team”. Through the next 16 years, The New Mexico Steam Locomotive and Railroad Historical Society would completely rebuild the locomotive and tender from the

Max Harris

The Santa Fe 2926 in Coronado Park, NM. The engine sat here from November 1956 until late 2000. Photo courtesy of the NMSLRHS.

inside out, with a dedicated team of volunteers from all backgrounds and professions, and a dedication to history. Flash forward to 2018. The 2926 has awoken a ter a 62 year slumber, and with fire in her belly, the crew of volunteers are anxious to get the 2926 prepared for a run on live rail. The next task the group faces includes the installation of the boiler jacketing. This is a very tedious process, involving constant climbing onto the engine and performing painstaking adjustments to ensure the perfect fit. Additionally, The New Mexico Steam Locomotive and Railroad Historical Society is working on creating new sight glasses, refining the throttle valves, and getting the whistle ready to scream again. The group’s current goal is to have this beast of a 4-8-4 fully completed by the end of 2019. As the group gets closer to finishing work the locomotive, the modern components of running a steam locomotive are coming into play. As with most mainline steam engines, Positive Train Control must be installed in the engine in order for most mainline operators to allow the engine to run.

The 2926 will be the ﬁrst locomotive in rail preservation history to have PTC hardware installed during the initial restoration. The group plans on installing the same hardware used on the Santa Fe 3751, called LEAPTC. This equipment allows for a steam engine to link with a diesel helper, so the two are controlled in sync, and the steam engine piggybacks o f the PTC from the diesel engine. This technology was patented by a member of the 3751 group who also works on the 2926.

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Once the restoration is complete, the group plans on running the engine at the Grand Canyon Railroad, a scenic rail line that takes guests to and from the beautiful landmark. Here the engine would have the opportunity to run alongside former Santa Fe equipment and plenty of other steam locomotives. Additionally, the engine could run on a stretch of track from Albuquerque to Las Vegas. The track is owned by Burlington Northern Santa Fe (BNSF) and the New Mexico Department of Transportation (NMDot). When approached by the group, NMDot has cooperated in helping ﬁnd The New Mexico Steam Locomotive and Railroad Historical Society a place to run their engine, and even has done assessments on their infrastructure to see if the track could support the weight of this steam powered piece of history. However, actually getting the locomotive rolling will be a challenge the group will face head on.

Removing several pieces of the locomotive to begin work on the boiler in 2008. Several crew members joking started calling her "Naked Lady". Photo courtesy of the NMSLRHS.

Boiler work continues on the 2926. This process was not only tedious, but labor intensive and time consuming. Photo courtesy of the NMSLRHS.

Of course, every mainline steam engine needs a trustworthy sidekick, or a tool car. The 2926 has a tool car, a former Santa Fe baggage car numbered 3939. The car is currently being worked on in Bellevue, Ohio, where it will receive Amtrak certiﬁcation so it can be moved to Albuquerque. Behind the 2926, the 3939 will carry parts for emergency repairs in case the 2926 encounters a Crew members begin to remove the drive gear in 2010 to problem while on the main line. Additionally, the

allow work to be done on the wheels. Photo courtesy of the NMSLRHS. 10

Steam! The engine is wide awake here getting a steam cleaning inside the boiler. Photo courtesy of the NMSLRHS.

Santa Fe 3939, 2926's future tool car, is being li ted onto it's trucks. Photo courtesy of the NMSLRHS.

tool car will provide housing for crew members while riding behind the 2926, and hold additional electronics that do not ﬁt on the locomotive. The New Mexico Steam Locomotive and Railroad Historical Society has been hard at work getting their queen of steam back in service. Their hard work and dedication is a testament to the e fort to preserve the history of the industry that built America long ago. This engine will be a magniﬁcent sight once it steams again, and with the end in sight, it will not be long until all of New Mexico hears a distant whistle from a Santa Fe Legend.

A wide shot of the Northern. No matter what background, rail enthusiests from all over New Mexico have come together to get this steamer ﬁred up once again. Photo courtesy of the NMSLRHS.

The Norfolk and Western 611 and the Citizens of Roanoke, Virgina

Riley Ginger

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"The Norfolk and Western Class J numbered '611' is an iconic steam locomotive and a symbol of Virginia history"

Built in 1950 at the end of the steam era, 611 was one of the many locomotives built at Roanoke’s East End Shops. The engine had a nine year revenue service hauling crack passenger trains. However, as steam locomotives became increasingly obsolete in the 1950’s, the locomotive was retired in 1959. Since then, 611 has had two careers in preservation, one in 1980’s to the mid 1990’s, and one recently beginning in 2015. The locomotive has touched multiple generations and has created bonds between people that possibly wouldn’t have ever met. It takes a hard-working individual to make one of these locomotives come to life and keep running. Zac McGinnis is one of these individuals. Zac started out with the Fire Up 611! campaign spreading the word about 611’s restoration in 2013 by passing out lyers, and eventually helped restore the engine when the money was raised. He then became part of the engine crew, serving as ﬁreman for the locomotive, and also heads the volunteer coordinations for the locomotive. “During the restoration, I would come to Spencer a couple times a month since I live in West Virginia. I assisted with any and everything that CMO Scott Lindsay or General Foreman Tom Mayer assigned me to.” said McGinnis. Some tasks that McGinnis completed while working on the locomotive were tender cleaning and inspection, superheater work, boiler and ﬁrebox work, and the reassembly of the locomotive. They had a strict deadline to meet, so everything for the locomotive’s restoration was planned out in advance in order to complete 611’s

restoration on time. McGinnis was able to recall one story that was told to him by a crew member. “... They [611] were ferrying west to Roanoke with over 20 passenger cars and the coal gons. Near Elkhorn Tunnel they received a stop signal on the steepest part of the grade. Once they got a clear, engineer Jack Taylor had to start that heavy train on the grade and they said before you knew it, he had the throttle wide open and the reverser in the corner. Steve Webb was ﬁring and they said all he kept saying was “Awesome, just awesome,” as the engine marched up the mountain.” Jack Taylor was 611’s engineer in the 90’s, and McGinnis has had a chance to work with some of the crew that restored and operated the locomotive during its ﬁrst preservation years. He’s formed some close bonds with the crew members and volunteers who have worked on the 611 in the past several years.

The 611 chugs by a photo line as a storm brews in the background. Photo by Jonah Collins.

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“These people have not only became mentors to me but also close friends and family… We are such a tight knit group that most will never understand. We celebrate birthdays, vacations, kids’ birthdays and graduations all together. Long a ter these steam locomotives are done running, we will all still be friends and family! I’ve had so many great experiences with the engine that I don’t take for granted how lucky of the things I’ve been able to do with it.” A locomotive’s crew is quite important, but the ones who stand track side and take pictures are also quite special. They share photos, spark discussions, and donate to support their favorite locomotives. One such person is Gavin Wilkes, a life long railfan who lives in the New River Valley district. Wilkes’ encounter with the locomotive dates back to the 1980s when he was a young child. His dad took him to a crossing somewhere in Georgia to watch

Zac McGinnis poses with his pride and joy. Photo by Kevin Gilliam.

the locomotive roar by. Wilkes’ next encounter with the locomotive would be years later, when 611 ﬁrst returned to steam in 2015, where he and his family were able to watch the locomotive together in Vinton, Virginia. It wasn’t until 2017, though, that Wilkes and his wife, Kathy, were able to volunteer as part of the train crew. They were car hosts for the late spring excursions that

The 611 marches up a grade hauling 20+ passenger cars. The sound of the engine as it lumbered up this hill was deafening. Photo by Gavin Wilkes. 13

went out of Greensboro, North Carolina, Lynchburg, and Roanoke, Virginia. Wilkes has also chased the locomotive in 2016, 2017, and 2018. “...Volunteering on the trips last year helped us get to know a lot of great people, and it's one of the adventures my wife and I have had that we look back fondly on. I think she's a beautiful engine that's a great ambassador for the Roanoke area and is a great example of home-grown engineering. I always have a so t spot for steam, but the experiences I've had with her make her a special one.” Since Gavin is trackside a lot of the time, he’s met some other railfans and even some locals who come out to see the locomotive. “The locals I have met when around her have all been

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The Norfolk and Western 611 basks in the moonlight at the North Carolina Transportation Museum. Photo by Jonah Collins.

positive. Most of them are much older then, many more people have came out to support the locomotive. than me and share stories of their Whether it be standing trackside or gripping the throttle, the Class J experiences either with her or with the certainly has le t a lasting impact on the rail community. N&W. I even had a couple that say seeing and hearing her brought back happy memories of family members long gone. My favorite thing is to see how children react to seeing and hearing her. I see that and know that's how the love of trains starts for many. For anyone that volunteers with steam engines, those young ones are the very reason we do it. We know that history is being shared with a new generation.â&#x20AC;? 611 is quite the icon for steam power, garnering such a large fanbase from both railfans, crew members, and local individuals alike. Over 10,000 came to see 611 when she ďŹ rst arrived back home to Roanoke in 2015, and since

Maintenance of Way on the Cumbres and Toltec Scenic Railroad Carlos Llamas

Welcome back to Antonito, Colorado and home to the MOW train crew and the MOW crew itself. In the past there was in fact a New Mexico MOW crew based in Cumbres, Colorado and a Colorado MOW crew based in Sublette, New Mexico thanks to the unusual geography of the railroad. That has changed and now the crews are based solely in Colorado. With a whole crew of MOW sta f, two backhoe operators, two ballast regulator operators, a highly qualiďŹ ed tamper operator and 6 engineers based in Antonito there is basically nothing that can't be accomplished out of the Colorado terminal of the railroad. Most people assume that once the summer season ends train operations cease. Well in fact it can become the busiest point of the year for full time crews, and we continued to run steam powered trains all over the railroad. Antonito based crews have continued to run ballast rock trains out of Chama using locomotive #487 with rock being loaded out of the Cumbres parking lot and the interior of the Chama Wye. With snow on the ground, a fully loaded rock train and a D&RGW caboose, this train powered by #487 provided a unique look at real railroading on the Cumbres & Toltec railroad and not a single photographer was to be seen anywhere along the tracks. Some of the most amazing and jaw dropping events happen on the Cumbres & Toltec railroad and not a human soul except for the crews are there to see them. The ballast train out of Chama consists of a 5 car train with 3 ballast cars, a open passenger gondola for crew observation and a caboose for crew protection. The train operates with the caboose in the lead and the locomotive in a push conďŹ guration. This allows us to keep the loaded and very heavy ballast cars above the locomotive on the steep grade for runaway protection. 15

An aerial shot of a one-man track crew. Today this small crew is inspecting track and making minor adjustments by hand. Photo by Carlos Llamas.

The train crew consist of four employees with no o ďŹ cial positions, there are simply two crew members in the cab of the locomotive and two in the caboose. This allows for a equal distribution of the workload if one of the crew members gets tired. A Colorado based crew consisting of 4 engineers allows the crews to rotate through the positions and avoid over exertion on one crew member as the job of dumping ballast can be tough at altitudes nearing 10,000 feet. The Cumbres & Toltec is 64 miles of railroading treasure but that means there is a huge amount of ties and the job of changing and keeping them solid falls to our track crew. We have been delivering 400 ties at a time to them and our latest deliveries are aimed at the Whiplash curve and soon this historic location will be completely revitalized and new ballast will be added. This job falls upon our Diesel #19. First purchased by the

Oahu Railway & Land Company and now based and maintained in Antonito, Colorado. Diesel #19 has had new motors installed in Antonito in the last few years and has all the power we need to move work trains up the line from Antonito. It can be thrilling to run Historic steam locomotives but Diesel #19 is just as historic and is always fun to run. All this work results in what has a become a narrow gauge roadbed in remarkable condition allowing us to run our trains safely and smoothly. It can be all too common for the steam trains to get all the glory and all too easy to forget all the behind the scenes work done by the Cumbres & Toltec employees. I hope my little article has allowed the MOW crews to come into the light for just a second and get the absolute credit they deserve for all the work they do to maintain this amazing railroad.

The view from the cab of the MOW train. Snow on the ground just means more work for the MOW crew! Photo by Carlos Llamas.

Our whole MOW train can be seen from the cab of this steamer on one of our horseshoe turns. Photo by Carlos Llamas.

Steam in the Valley 2018, Featuring the Nickel Plate Road 765 Berkshire

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Once again, fellow magazine executive, Evan Cihlar, and I found ourselves deep in the Cuyahoga Valley National Park. September 28th marked the kicko f of the second and ﬁnal weekend of Steam in the Valley, featuring the famous Nickel Plate Road 765. The 1944 graduate of the Lima Locomotive Works has been operating these trips and delighting thousands of passengers for seven years now, and 2018 wasn’t any di ferent. The Berkshire was in great shape, as she was fresh out of a rebuild. Our Saturday excursion came to be uneventful, except for the companionship of another friend of Evan’s, named Kaden. Upon boarding, our group chatted about everything, from the latest in the rail industry to what we were going to have for lunch. Soon, the time photo runbys had come. As usual, the Nickel Plate veteran shot steam and cinders high into the atmosphere, and she produced enough noise to shake the heavens. A ter the runbys, the four of us (Kaden, Kaden’s father, Evan, and myself) continued to engage in random discussion while on board. Evan is quite knowledgeable of the area, so he served as our “tour guide”. Something di ferent, however, was that a quartet of gentlemen sang for the enjoyment of passengers. The group sang several classic songs and each member wore a ﬁne red and white suit. Soon a ter, we arrived back at Rockside Station, the four of us enjoyed each other’s company for the duration of the evening. Fast forward to Sunday morning. Evan and I elected to chase the ferry move south to Akron, since Sunday’s departures originate from Akron instead of Cleveland. Our original plan was to

Garrett Monnin All photos by Garrett Monnin

NKP Berkshire #765 Thunders Past Monnin and Cihlar's Camera at Merriman Rd. in Akron, Ohio.

catch the train at Jaite and Indigo Lake. As I know, plans o ten change, and we ended up getting to the crossing at Ira Road just in time, as the very second I stepped out of the car, a golden headlight lit up the railhead. I scramble to get my camera settings adjusted, and start releasing the shutter like a madman. The very second the gates go up, we’re back on the road and wound up in Portage, which served as more of a commercial setting. Again we arrive in the knick of time, and we get our photos and meet the train again at the Akron Northside station, and participate in discussion with several railfans and engine crew members. From all of the action that unfolded in the last two days, being able to observe the engine up close and simply idling was quite calming. As we were enjoying the time machine in all her glory, when we had gotten word that 765 would need to pull forward to make room for those riding the normal scenic train to board. I ﬁgured this would be an appropriate time to leave, so Evan joined me in my walk to the station, where we purchased some merchandise before heading home.

Overall, Steam in the Valley 2018 proved to be extremely memorable, as always. I would like to give my utmost gratitude to the Fort Wayne Railroad Historical Society, Cuyahoga Valley Scenic Railroad, and all of their respective volunteers and other associated parties for choreographing such an event for the public to enjoy.

Lionel Santa Fe SD40 Review Evan Cihlar

With today’s modern technology, model railroading has become very advanced with control systems, featuring amazing sound units and speed control. Lionel, a brand that everyone in the hobby and most people outside of the hobby have heard of, has been a leading innovator in these technological advances for many years now. Lionel has come out with some fantastic and enticing sounds and control options starting with TrainMaster Command Control (TMCC) and now, the leader in model railroading technology, Lionel LEGACY. LEGACY models feature exceptional detail, sounds, control, and lighting. There’s not a single LEGACY locomotive one could say isn’t the coolest thing out there, and lucky for you – we’ll be looking at one of the locomotives from the 2017 Signature Catalog: The Atchison, Topeka, and Santa Fe SD40 #5006. This model was released with an MSRP of $649.99, which is a great price for all of the features and control systems you get with it. The locomotive’s detailing is extraordinary. Featuring many separately applied details such as handrails, the horn, and road speciﬁc antennas. The grills and fans on the locomotive are also very exquisitely detailed. In fact, there is so much to see on this locomotive that every time you look at it, there’s something new that you notice. The detailing on the locomotive isn’t the peak of how well done it is – in fact, it’s just the beginning. The sound unit in this locomotive is the best one I have ever heard for a diesel locomotive. The quillable horn, bell, prime mover, air releases, creaking, lange squeals, and brake squealing are just a few of the sounds you’ll hear roaring out of this locomotive as it passes by. In my opinion, the creaking and lange squeals that you’ll hear as you crawl along the

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Lionel LEGACY SD40 Loco Stats:

Minimum Curve: O54 Length: 17" Most Recent Catalog: 2017 Signature Catalog Kinematic Pilot Coupler IR Transmitter with LCS Sensor Track Odyssey II Speed Control Road-Speciﬁc Pilots, Trucks, Horns, Bells, Antenae, Battery Box Covers, and Dynamic Brakes

layout are my favorite. The horn is a lot of fun to play with. There are three di ferent “tones” or “chimes” that you can choose from and each one is very well done, and the transitions between chimes is smooth. The horn on the engine has a funky sound to it – but in a unique way, as it adds a lot of character to the locomotive. The horn is still melodic but has an odd harmony to it which is what I like about it so much. The bell is standard to most diesels in that era and suits the locomotive very well. Lionel’s audio team mastered the prime mover sounds on this locomotive. The wail of the EMD prime mover revving up sounds amazing, and just as amazing revving down. The startup sequence is nice as well, as you’ll hear the fuel pumps, starter, and turbo even in the short startup sequence. The extended startup is very nice as well and each time you ﬁre it up, there is a di ferent dialog between the tower and the crew telling them to start the locomotive. Which brings me into yet another sound e fect out of the hundreds this locomotive possesses… crew talk. Although some people do not like crew talk, I love it. The crew talk in this locomotive is stunning! From “Dispatcher, are we clear through the next block?” to “Dispatcher, we have clear boards!” this locomotive

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has a dialog for everyone. The only thing that I would like to see removed from the crew talk is the “Dispatcher, are we clear through the diamond?” because not everyone (including myself) has a diamond on their layout. In lieu of this, maybe something along the lines of “Dispatcher, are we clear through the next junction?” would be more appropriate for everyone’s layout. I would love to write down a list of all the di ferent crew talk messages down, but it would take up too much space. On top of the enticing sound unit that evokes a feeling of realism to anyone who runs it or hears it, the locomotive’s control system is equally amazing. The brand new iteration of Odyssey Speed Control (Odyssey II) is equipped in this locomotive and allowed it to climb our 6% grade on speed step one with 25 cars behind it! I turned Odyssey II o f just before taking photos of it and let me tell you, it makes a massive di ference in how the locomotive operates. It wasn’t even able to move on speed step one without any kind of grade, yet with Odyssey enabled, it crawled like a champ! On top of the new Odyssey II speed control system, this engine obviously comes with Lionel’s LEGACY command system. Although it is recommended that you run

this locomotive in LEGACY so you can access all of the advanced features such as the quillable horn, extended start up/shut down, and many other great features, you can still run the locomotive in TMCC or conventional mode. I ran the locomotive in TMCC mode by using the DCS remote hooked up to the LEGACY base (as you can only access TMCC features through the DCS remote even if you have a LEGACY base attached) and it still ran like a champ… I did miss the quillable horn and other features but it still ran wonderfully. Overall, the Lionel LEGACY SD40 has great and eye-catching details, advanced lighting features, an impressive sound unit, and as usual, is a great performer. If I could choose one part of the engine I liked the most, I would reply with “The whole thing”! I would highly recommend this engine to anyone that has an O scale layout. Even if you layout only has conventional or TMCC capabilities, this engine is still worth the money. Priced at a reasonable and a fordable $649, this engine’s advanced and regular features are worth every penny.

Lionel 21" Broadway Limited Soundstation Diner Car Review

Evan Cihlar

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The Broadway Limited was the Pennsylvania Railroad’s lagship passenger train, which operated from New York to Chicago. From New York City to Harrisburg, the road’s famed GG1 Electrics were put in charge. From Harrisburg, the famous K4 pacifics whisked the excited passengers to the Windy City. The consist included RPO (Railway Post O fice) cars, sleeper and diner cars, and one observation car. Lionel’s rendition of the diner and sleeper cars feature the latest StationSounds technology. Adorned in the iconic tuscan red paint scheme with golden pin stripes, these cars never fail to turn heads. In order to really make these cars look at home, pair them with other Pennsy passenger cars, or perhaps a mighty K4 or a magnificent GG1. Although these cars look ordinary from the outside, it’s what’s inside that makes them truly unique. The StationSounds passenger cars that Lionel has been producing feature a LEGACY control system, sound unit, and simple lighting features. StationSounds was created to provide another level of realism to your layout, which is what Lionel has been doing for a couple of decades now. Similar to Lionel’s Railsounds box cars, the StationSounds passenger cars imitate the lange squeal and “clickety-clack” sound e fects that can be heard from real freight cars. As the cars thunder down the line faster, the “clickety-clack” will get faster as well in scale speed proportions. On top of these amazing features that add yet another cool sound set to your collection, you will also be able to play dialogues similar to the LEGACY Crew Talk or “Towercom” that is found on LEGACY locomotives. All of the StationSounds diners have railroad and

Lionel StationSounds Broadway Limited Diner Passenger Set Stats:

Minimum Radius: O54 Length: 21" per car, 42" total Most Recent Catalog: 2016 Lionel Volume 2 Catalog LED Lighting with Capacitors for FlickerFree Running All NEW Body Tooling Flush-ﬁtting Windows Separately Applied Details on Undersides and Bodies 22

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train-speciﬁc announcements. For example, one of the announcements say “the Broadway Limited is now boarding.” There are two separate types of announcements on the cars just like the locomotives: station announcements and incar announcements. The station announcements can only be played while the car is stopped, and the in-car announcements change to “watch your step” or “thank you for riding the Broadway Limited!”, depending on if the car is moving or not. Each of these can be controlled by using the AUX 1 key on the LEGACY remote, just like on any other LEGACY locomotive. While the car is rolling down the track, it will make the aforementioned “clickety-clack” and lange squeal sounds. You can also play in-car announcements to recreate a whole passenger trip journey. Right a ter the cars start moving a ter a station stop, if you

press the microphone button on the LEGACY remote the conductor will say “Tickets please! Tickets! Thank you for riding the Broadway Limited. Tickets please!”. And later down the road, a hostess will announce that the dining car is open for its ﬁrst seating. Lionel even added a little boy asking if he can go eat, but unfortunately for him, he is in the second seating and will have to wait. A ter pressing the microphone button again, you will hear the same dining car announcement, only this time it is for the second seating instead of the ﬁrst - and of course, the little boy exclaims his excitement in being able to go have dinner. A ter dinner has been served, you have the option to activate the announcement that cocktails and snacks are being served in the lounge car. This is activated by pressing the microphone button, as with the other announcements. Finally, pressing

the AUX 1 key on the LEGACY remote and then the microphone will enable the conductor to announce that the train is arriving, and that the porters will take the passenger’s bags and prepare to disembark. To top it all o f, the conductor has a New York accent! However, the sound set doesn’t end there. Other prototypical sounds randomly play, such as air brake releases and applications, brake chains clanging, and more. The train brake squeal varies in intensity, based on how much braking power you have put on the train while you are moving. The dining car is where the speaker and control system’s heart is located, and the dining car lights are able to be turned o f from the LEGACY remote. The sleeper car lights can only be turned o f from the switch located on the underside of the car. In addition to all of features and sound that are packed into this model, the mechanical and aesthetic details of the cars cannot be forgotten. The undercarriage is highly detailed and the switches for the electronics are very well hidden, but easy to access. The paint on these cars is realistic; the tuscan red paint is perfect, and the gold pinstripes are also very well done. The cars also feature one of Lionel’s latest innovations, which is the kinematic coupler. The kinematic coupler keeps the connection between the cars realistically

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straight while going around curves, and is also equipped with a sensor to notify the control system that there is strain on the coupler. The kinematic coupler also keeps the diaphragms of the cars pulled together in all situations. When a strain is detected, coupler slack can be heard. I personally love this feature, and truly sets these cars apart from anything else that has ever been produced in O scale. Overall, these cars successfully capture the same

luxury, sounds, and sights that the passengers on the real Broadway Limited experienced. I highly recommend these cars to anyone in the hobby, and they are almost a necessity to any passenger train operator. Lionel o fers a wide variety of road names to choose from, including Amtrak, Penn Central, CSX, and Southern PaciďŹ c just to name a few. This set of cars retail for an MSRP price of $499.99, which is a pretty fair price for what you are receiving with these wonderful works of art and technology. 24

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MTH New Haven EF-3 Review

Max Harris

No prototype deserves a model as much as the New Haven EF-3. These electric motors are unsung heros and su fered from poor management that lead to the scraping o f these units well before they were no longer useful. The New York, New Haven, & Hartford Railroad (O ten Shortened to New Haven) ordered ten EF-3 locomotives from Westinghouse and GE in 1942 to replace a number of their older freighthauling electrics. The units were geared for freight service, producing 4,860 horsepower continuously and up to 9,100 horsepower to start heavier trains. The EF-3’s would serve on the New Haven lawlessly for years, with some even converted to passenger service by adding a steam generator. However, in the late 1960s, the New Haven underwent a management crisis causing these engines to be sidelined as the electriﬁed freight line these engines called home was converted to exclusive diesel use. While still in their prime years, all EF-3s were removed from service, never to return to active service. MTH’s model of this electric gazelle gives the model justice from its early and forced retirement. Featuring tons of separately applied details, exceptional sounds, and even motorized pantographs, running one of these engines gives a glance back in time to the days of electric powered freight trains. MTH’s model was last 25

cataloged in 2014, however many of these engines are still in stock at MTH dealers. The engine comes in two di ferent paint schemes, the green version that is shown here, with two road numbers, and a fantasy McGinnis paint scheme that was synonymous with the New Haven. The engine comes with standard features, such as MTH’s Protosound 3.0 system, and features everything one would expect from a high-end model, such as remotely ﬁred couplers, lights in the cab, marker lights, and headlights, and even features a die-cast metal body, giving the engine a substantial amount of pulling power.

EF-3b Locomotive Stats:

Intricately Detailed Die-Cast Body Die-Cast Truck Sides and Pilots Lighted Cab Interior, Number Boards, and Lighted Marker Lights Motorized Operating Pantographs Metal Chassis 2 Engineer Cab Figures 2 Remote Controlled Proto-Couplers Directionally Controlled Constant Voltage LED Headlights Catenary/Track Power Selector Switch

Looking closer at the model, the trucks feature lots of great cast-in details. On each end, there are Protocouplers, and something unique about this model is that the couplers are tucked way under the trucks, which brings the trailing cars much closer to the engine. Moving up, the sides of the shell are crisply painted and feature seethrough vents in the middle. There are several separately applied grab irons on the sides and the fronts of the engine, along with cast-in rivet details all around. The cabs on this locomotive feature hand-painted crewmen, separately applied windshield wipers, and simulated glass windows. The top of the engine has tons of great rivet details and a few li t rings. My favorite area on this engine is on the top as well: the Pantographs and the base around them. With a horn piece, several cast-in details, and of course, motorized pantographs, there is not much to be desired beyond what this area has. The pantograph motorization works as such: The pantograph on the opposite side from the leading cab is automatically in the upright position. Additionally, you can control which pantograph raises and lowers with the DCS

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This engine features motarized pantographs that will automatically raise in the correct position based on the direction of the locomotive.

Remote or DCS App. The pantographs also feature a locking mechanism to leave them locked down at all times. For those operating a live catenary system, the engine can even get its power from the overhead wires, controlled via a switch under the engine. Upon start-up, my ﬁrst impression was “Wow! That is loud!” Generally, electric locomotives are quiet in comparison to their diesel and steam counterparts, but the EF-3 does its own thing. These engines historically were loud and proud, and MTH captured the hearty prime mover in their model. The horn is excellent and ﬁtting, sounding like a blasting single chime, similar to what a GG1 would wear. The bell is also well done, not being totally uniform like modern equipment and capturing the pneumatic hiss of the striker being forced to move inside the piece of brass. I have been running this engine quite frequently upon receiving it, and have had no problems. MTH engines continue to be reliable and strong on my layout. Overall, this model is perfect for northeastern modelers with a catenary system, or anyone wanting to pay homage to this brute that had a long and successful career that was ended too soon.

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Custom Painting and Detailing a Southern Pacific GP38-2 Clayton Cook

There is no doubt that one of Southern Pacific’s most iconic features was their snow-fighting equipment used on Donner Pass, mainly SD9’s, GP9’s, an GP38-2’s. This project will be the GP38-2, sans-snow-fighting equipment. If you follow the Southern Pacific Modelers group on Facebook, then you may have seen the GP38-2 I built with the snow fighting equipment, number 4843, and I was very pleased with how that one came out. This time I would be modeling the unit as if was summer, and all the snow fighting equipment was o f the unit. The road number I would choose to replicate is SP 4823. Now with everything planned out, and a road number to replicate, let's start this build Like I do with all my builds, I studied prototype photos of the unit to get an idea on where everything goes. I like to use old Athearn Blue Box locomotives for my builds, but you can use whatever you like. The first thing I did was install the correct anticlimber for the unit. Instead of ordering a new anticlimber, I took one o f one of my other locomotives, made a rubber mold, and cast one out of resin. I let this cure for 1 hour.

This unit is a real "ﬁxer-upper". I plan to add SP speciﬁc details to this engine and give it a fresh coat of paint.

A ter the resin had hardened, I glued the new anticlimber to unit and covered the antclimber and walkway with red spot putty. A ter the putty had hardened, I sanded the putty down, ensuring a smooth and ﬁnished look to the front of the unit. With that done, I focused my attention to the main body of the unit. One of the things that made the SP unique, was their ﬁve light package. Details West makes the SP light castings for both the front and rear, however I only had a few, so I did the same thing I did for the anticlimber. I made a rubber mold and cast them out of resin. I had to cut a hole in the nose to glue in the casting for the front of the unit, the rear one, just simply glues on to the end of the long hood. I drilled holes for the grab irons on both ends of the unit.

If you look at SP prototype photos, you will know that the majority of SP’s locomotives have no class lights, and no numberboards on the rear. I modeled this e fect by gluing styrene on the inside of the model, then applying putty along the outside of the model and then sanding it down to make it smooth Moving upwards, I focused my attention on the roof of the model, making sure all the piping was in the right spot. I kit-bashed the dynamic brake fan hatch and drilled out the molded on fan for an Athearn RTR fan. I also drilled out the main fans on the locomotive and replaced these with Atlas Q-fans. I installed the radio antenna stand on the engineer's side of the model, but ﬁrst I had to make it. I made the stand out of 0.016" 28

brass wire, and 0.010" in styrene, using the styrene as the main part of the stand, and the brass wire as the posts for the stand. I also cut some cab sunshades out of some 0.010" in styrene, using the original brass sunshades as a template. Along the way, I noticed that this model had a brake lever in the nose, instead of the brake wheel like the SP prototype, so I had to cut that out and install the correct piece in the nose. The last thing I did to the top of the model was add an SP Style Nathan P3 horn and the correct roo top air conditioner. That wraps up this part of the build. In the next edition, I will go into an in-depth look on how I paint my models, what techniques I use, and what tools I use to paint my models. You will also see what I use to apply decals on my models, and ďŹ nally, to ďŹ nish it o f, an outdoor photo shoot of the completed model.

I drilled out holes for the grab irons, and added the rear SP light cluster

(Above) Here, I drilled out the fan and replaced it with a see-through fan

(Le t) Here is the anti-climber I cast out of resin, then ďŹ lled with putty to make it smooth

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Super-detailing a Southern Pacific GP60 in HO Scale Clayton Cook

As a modeler of the Southern Pacific in the mid 1990’s, I wanted to get my hands on a GP60 in the Southern Pacific Speed Lettering. I did end up getting one (actually I ended up getting ten). Some of the HO trains manufacturers today make great models of SP GP60’s, but I didn’t want great, I wanted perfect. So, naturally I built my own. As always, I started out this build by picking a road number to replicate, then studying prototype photos of the unit. Since SP had just under 200 GP60’s between them and their partner company the Cotton Belt, choosing a road number wouldn’t be easy. However I did end up narrowing the 195 road numbers to one, 9743. This time, I won't be painting the engine, I’m simply renumbering an existing engine, and bringing it up to the correct specifications for that road number. The first thing I did to the model was take o f the existing road number, 9715, to put the new road number on the model. I did this with a Microscale decal sheet for SP GP60’s. Next I installed grab irons on the ends of the model. I painted these with Tru-Color SP Scarlet Red to match the ends of the unit. Turning my attention to the top of the model, I installed li t rings, and did a little detail work on the fans as well. I painted these Tru-Color SP Lark Grey to match the unit. Finally, I installed an SP

A wide shot of the completed engine. The additions I made may seems small, but they add a ton of character and realism to this model, which is all the di ference to me.

Here, I added Grab irons to the snowplow, and non-working ditch lights to the anti-climber

(Above) Here, I added grab irons to the rear of the unit, and bent handrails for the rear of the unit

(Le t) Here, I added roof detail a beacon and a P3 horn. 30

style Nathan P3 horn

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A ter I ﬁnished with the top of the model, I turned my attention to the bottom of the unit, I added sanding lines to the trucks as well as some brake pipes coming o f the brake cylinders. I also dismantled the trucks to paint the truck frame, as well as weather the wheels a little. Moving up the unit a bit more, I added white paint to the edge of the steps to simulate re lective stripes. I then added coupler cut levers and Details West MU hoses to both pilots. I painted the coupler cut levers SP Lark Grey, and I painted the ends white. I also painted the MU hoses with three di ferent colors, SP Lark Grey, black, and silver. A ter that was done, I focused my attention on the anticlimber, sanding down the edges to make them more realistic, and give them a more uniform look. I followed this up with paint, then decals. I installed non-working ditch lights to the front anticlimber, hoping to one day convert these into working ditch lights. I painted these

with SP Scarlet Red. Once I ﬁnished that, I bent the correct end handrails for the unit out of 0.016in brass wire. A ter I bent the new handrails, I painted them with SP Lark Grey, and painting the ends white. One of the things SP did in their ﬁnal years was paint their walkways and nose lat black. I painted the walkways black with regular Testors lat black paint, masking o f the sides of the model, ensuring that I didn't get any black paint on the red and grey parts of the model. The last things I did to the model was add the SP style snowplow, then masking o f all the windows and lights and spraying the model with three coats of Testors dull coat. A ter the dull coad had dried, I took o f the masking tape and put the windows back into the model and put it on the layout for a photoshoot of the completed model. I am extremely pleased with how this one turned out.

And with that, SP 9743 was done, and ready for the layout.

My Experience

Scratch Building an AEM-7 in S Scale

Jerry Poniatowski

Scratch building is a challenge that I enjoy, and in S scale, there comes a time that it may be a modeller’s only option if they want a representation of that underlooked piece of rolling stock. Some of my methods are tried and true, and some are rather unorthodox. Being that there are so many ﬁne “How To” articles and so many di ferent ways of doing such projects, this is just simply how I executed the task.

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I ﬁrst saw a review of the AEM-7 in O gauge o fered by MTH years ago, and was so pleased with the unit that I wanted to have one in S scale. Model Railroader even published drawings in a 1993 issue, so I called Kalmbach Publishing to get the back issue. It was even drawn in S scale, so I could take measurements directly from the very well made and detailed drawing! Styrene plastic was the obvious choice of material, since it comes in so many shapes and contours. In addition to the drawing in the magazine, I assembled as many prototype photos that I could from the internet. The body sides were fabricated from .080” styrene as a base, and .040” spacing “metal siding” was laminated along with di ferent thicknesses of sheet styrene to form the sides and depict the recessed windows and doors. Each door (four) was cut out and later hinged using very small S scale brass li t rings and bent brass rods as hinges. The rounded cab ends were formed by immersing .100” styrene in boiling water, and removing it with tongs, bending it by hand and letting it cool under cold water. With two di ferent end arcs, one for the lower body and the other for the windshield area, each one

became a trial and error operation. All parts were cemented in place with MEK (using adequate ventilation). Any gaps in the pieces were filled with a mixture of home-made filler. The filler was made by cutting scrap styrene into a small jar containing a few ounces of MEK until the styrene was dissolved and the mixture had the consistency of toothpaste. The filler will shrink, so a week was given for it to assume its final size before sanding, and the roof was formed in a similar manner. Two layers of .010” styrene were laminated, then filed and sanded to the correct contour. Other thin sheets of styrene simulate the access hatches.

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It was the roof details that really proved to be cumbersome. Various versions of the AEM-7 had slight di ferences, but I stuck with items and configurations seen in the majority of photos and drawings. Most details were fabricated from styrene and microscreen, such as the roof vents, air conditioner units, ventilator housings and electrical boxes. Insulators were cut from a scrap N scale latcar load; the cable connecting the two pantographs is an actual wire to conduct power to the motor. Small beads depict other insulators, and a list of S scale detail manufacturers complete the other small items like MU receptacles, door handles, li t rings, air hoses, horns and roof lights. All 46 grab irons and hand holds are made from . 020” brass wire. Side mirrors are .005” brass shim stock soldered to .020” brass wire bent to right angles. All windows were cut to fit lush in the openings. However, the pantographs is what I am particularly proud of. Various diameter brass rods were hammered lat in places and soldered for the upper arm. The lower arm was formed from a brass rod, again hammered and soldered to a brass tube. Brass pins from a cra t store became the hinge pins for the arms. The base was cut from a .032” brass sheet following a cardboard pattern made beforehand. The geometry of the pantographs was configured by using a sheet of paper and compass. The pantograph shoe is a brass channel cut and bent to shape. Although the actual pantograph has a two stage arm, I made 33

it a single stage for simplicity’s sake. Brass was also selected for the frame, which is made of . 120” sheet stock. The truck bolsters are strips of . 120” brass bars that were bent and soldered to the frame. The power trucks are from American Models, as is the motor and u-joints. Side frames are made of styrene with real (but nonfunctioning) springs. The eight journal bearings were cast in urethane from a mold made of Play Doh using an American Models truck as a master. As said before, this construction proved to be quite unorthodox.

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A Lionel reverse unit is part of the electrical system with DPDT switches to allow either AC or DC operation. A DPST switch allows power from an overhead catenary to power the unit. I wish I could take full credit for the lighting e fects, though. I contacted Richmond Controls and told them what I wanted, and a very small board was purchased that allowed for directional headlights, tail lights and roof strobes powered by either AC or DC current. All I can take credit for is the simple constant voltage circuit for the number boards. Two Micro Mini 2-pin connectors between the tucks and body allow the model to be disassembled for maintenance. Painting was done using Floquil paints, which are no longer made. Following the general rule of painting lighter colors first, I sprayed Platinum Mist as the base coat followed by a LOT of masking for the successive coats of Reefer White, Amtrak Blue, Amtrak Red and finally Locomotive Black on the roof. Final details were brush painted. Nobody makes S scale decals specifically for the AEM-7, but I gathered every O and HO Amtrak decal set I could find and found perfect replacements. Getting the decals to snug into the luted sides required generous amounts of 34

Solvaset followed by a lat finish to complete the model. It’s great to see the AEM-7 in operation. The lighting starts around 3V and the non-synchronous strobes are fun to watch. The unit has a weight of 21 ounces and a 9 ounce drawbar pull, which is fine for the two or three cars I usually have in its consist. When constructing the model, I made wheels out of styrene for determining ride height and clearance since the prototype’s wheels measure 51” in diameter. When it came to make the final set of wheels, I used aluminum with my drill press as a crude lathe. By the way, the larger wheels allow the model to achieve the prototype’s 125 mph speed easily (scale units, of course). This project took a long time to complete, but it was very interesting and rewarding. Although this is a very unique model in S scale, I’m also interested in all aspects of S scale, from high end models to the classic American Flyer items. My home layout has been “In Progress” for years due to the many small projects I have going. But it’s functional, and can handle just about any S scale train.

*This cartoon does not depict any opinions of the 2926 restoration group. It does not reflect the opinion of the members of the 2926 restoration group or Railroading in America Magazine team. The cartoon above is solely the opinions of the cartoonist.

Photo Corner

For this photo corner, our staff took to the OGR Forum to find some of the most detailed and realistic O scale layouts in existence. Here are some of our favorites, with the creator's OGR forum username credited near the picture.

4th Place, built by forum member "Big Boy 4005"

3rd Place (below), built by forum member "Dave C" 37

Second Place, built by forum member "3rail 2"

First Place, built by forum member "laidoffsick"

Edition 9 Was Made Possible By...

Executive Board Evan Cihlar, President and CEO Garrett Monnin, Vice President and COO Max Harris, Publisher and Adman Jonah Collins, Editor-in-Chief Sta f Members Walker Wood, Writer Clayton Cook, Writer Riley Ginger, Writer and Graphic Design Carlos Llamas, Writer Nikhil Jammalamadaka, Intern

Check out our Business Partners at

O Gauge Railroading Magazine www.ogaugerr.com Larry Amaloo, George Pitz, Zach McGinnis, Kevin

Special Thanks To...

Gilliam , Gavin Wilkes, and Todd Sayers for submitting pictures! MTH Trains and Lionel Trains for sending us products to review! John Brahaney for drawing us a comic! Jerry Poniatowski for guest writing this edition! Our readers for their continued support!

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Edition 10 of Railroading in America Magazine Publishes January 30th! 39

Note from the Vice President Ever since I can remember, my life has revolved around my passion for railroading, especially steam locomotives. From my obsession with Thomas the Tank Engine to volunteering at the Fort Wayne Railroad Historical Society, I o ten ďŹ nd myself re lecting on my immense growth as a railfan. Of course, a vital element to my advancement in the hobby is the ďŹ ne publication that I am extremely proud to be apart of, which is of course, Railroading In America. I have been with RIAM since the very beginning, and there have been so many advancements that I cannot begin to describe all of them in detail. From the days of C- Lines Railway Productions to becoming partners with O Gauge Railroading, I never could have predicted that what started o f as a fun little side hobby would turn into a groundbreaking magazine that thousands of readers enjoy. In 2018, I have been lucky enough to have had several opportunities to visit various rail attractions throughout Illinois, Indiana, Ohio, and Pennsylvania. To close out the year, I have plans made to visit at least one Christmas-themed train trip, which will be covered in the next edition. Personal narratives have always been a favorite of mine, and I hope that my past, current, and future articles bring joy to our amazing audience.

Garrett Monnin

Railroading in America Magazine www.railroadinginamerica.com contact@railroadinginamerica.net (888)-204-0087