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 Posted - November 13 2014 : 1:39:10 PM
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I had mentioned before about volunteering to help with Brockton's new little model train museum. The owner is putting me in charge of designing an operating HO-scale layout setup, one that the kids can enjoy. The layout will be built using Bachmann E-Z Track. Here's the plans for it...
/tyco/forum/uploaded/wiley209/20141113131615_museum HO layout.jpg
The one on the right is sampled from TYCO's Layout Expander System manual, and the one on the left it partly based on a track plan in the first issue of Bachmann's Model Railroad Club magazine. That inner loop of track I'll be getting with this train set I bought a while back, which should hopefully arrive by the end of this week:
It has the old Union Pacific GP40 and caboose, and also includes a bunch of Plasticville building kits, including the Suburban Station, Barn, Farm Building set, School House and Signal Bridge, along with a picket fence set, park assortment accessory set, and the usual figures, signs and poles. According to the blurb in the 1996 Bachmann catalog, it says the set "not only gives you a fantastic train, it also gives you an instant rural community!"
We also have the Bachmann Silver Series "Trail Blazer" train set from 1996 that we'll be running as well, as Conrail used to run through Brockton (they used to own the track line until the MBTA bought it in 1997.) The set is powered by a Bachmann Plus Conrail B23-7 locomotive that runs really well.
Here's a sampling of what we have for HO-scale in this museum...
/tyco/forum/uploaded/wiley209/20141113133245_hogiesHOlayout03.jpg
The TYCO Chattanooga steam locomotive came from me (doesn't run), and you might also remember when I tested that TYCO "Inter-City" Amtrak set, the Spirit of 76, Rock Island and Midnight Special locomotives for the museum as well. Any functional locomotives we will also run on this layout, along with much of the rolling stock seen here.
/tyco/forum/uploaded/wiley209/20141113133627_hogiesHOlayout01.jpg
Just a test loop of track for running stuff. That Bachmann Action Depot and the Consolidation locomotive (1980s version with the pancake motor) are also mine that I donated to the museum.
/tyco/forum/uploaded/wiley209/20141113133756_hogiesHOlayout02.jpg
TYCO trolley! This is the older version with the Mantua MU-2 drive.
/tyco/forum/uploaded/wiley209/20141113133836_hogiesHOlayout05.jpg
This weekend we will begin putting everything together (we will apply grass mats to this before the actual assembly.)
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Posted - November 13 2014 : 2:54:03 PM
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the Coca-Cola boxcar is on my gimmie list 
Who made it?
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Posted - November 13 2014 : 3:19:22 PM
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quote:the Coca-Cola boxcar is on my gimmie list
Who made it?
Originally posted by microbusss - November 13 2014 : 2:54:03 PM
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IS there anything, , that's NOT on your gimmie or wants list ???
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Posted - November 13 2014 : 3:42:54 PM
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It looks like the museum is off to a good start.  I'm a little jealous, I'd love to work on something like this. No way I'd ever have the time or funds to get something like this off the ground though. You say all the functional engines will be run on the layout...how much run time do you expect them to get? I'm curious how well the PT powered Tyco engines will hold up. Keep us updated on the progress!
quote:
IS there anything, , that's NOT on your gimmie or wants list ??? |
Do things already crossed off count as being on the list?
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Posted - November 13 2014 : 10:11:46 PM
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quote:
IS there anything, , that's NOT on your gimmie or wants list ???
Originally posted by walt - November 13 2014 : 3:19:22 PM
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yeah See the pic of all the trains on the wall?
85% I got already
Some I have in my basement are duplicates 
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Posted - November 13 2014 : 10:13:23 PM
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Very cool Wiley a great project for a model railroader guy.Good for you.
quote: You say all the functional engines will be run on the layout...how much run time do you expect them to get? I'm curious how well the PT powered Tyco engines will hold up. Keep us updated on the progress!
Originally posted by DaCheez - November 13 2014 : 3:42:54 PM
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I don't know about PT TYCO but, I know of a guy who was playing with his trains just before he left for a 3 day vacation. He got distracted and left for his trip with one train still running around the tracks. When he got home 3 days later it was still going around the layout. I don't know what variety loco it was. I'm gonna guess Bachmann. I wonder how many actual miles it traveled that weekend?
Unspoken expectations are premeditated failures.
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Posted - November 13 2014 : 11:52:53 PM
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Not bad, Wiley. My favorite in terms of looks in those photos would have to be the Bachmann 2-6-0.
-Steve
"A lot of modellers out there who go to these train shows see broken HO stuff and go, 'This is useless' when, in reality, they can still be used for modeling whether it's as a prop on your layout or a cool project to make something old new again."
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Posted - November 14 2014 : 12:05:58 AM
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| Good deal, Wiley! Glad it's not me, I'm too slow...
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Posted - November 14 2014 : 09:27:20 AM
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quote:
I don't know about PT TYCO but, I know of a guy who was playing with his trains just before he left for a 3 day vacation. He got distracted and left for his trip with one train still running around the tracks. When he got home 3 days later it was still going around the layout. I don't know what variety loco it was. I'm gonna guess Bachmann. I wonder how many actual miles it traveled that weekend? |
I believe it. The Atlas website claims a Life-Like BL2 ran continuously for 50 days.
http://www.atlasrr.com/news/mrting.htm
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Posted - November 15 2014 : 10:08:01 PM
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Got in a bit more work today on the museum HO layout...
We tried out setting up one of the planned loops. We still need an additional switch to make this possible. Fact is, the owner plans to have this setup be entirely steel track, with the other outer loop being nickel-silver with an inner steel loop. Looks like we'll need to get a steel E-Z Track Expander set or something...
Some of the track needs to be cleaned, too.
A signal bridge I built for the layout today. Got it in an eBay auction of assorted Life-Like stuff I bought for this museum.
A temporary "inner loop" for the other loop of track. Soon we will remove everything from the table and apply the grass mats. Hopefully my Golden Star train set will come in soon by then, so I can bring it into the museum!
While I'm on the subject, here's a little retro O-scale layout also part of the museum...
Much of it came from an old Marx "Big Rail Work Train" set, with additional buildings and accessories added. The track does need to be cleaned in some areas though. When we first brought out the set last year, the locomotive operated like new!
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Posted - November 15 2014 : 10:59:16 PM
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| Suggestion - get rid of all steel track and use Nickel silver only
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Posted - November 16 2014 : 01:35:07 AM
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quote:Suggestion - get rid of all steel track and use Nickel silver only
Originally posted by Brianstyco - November 15 2014 : 10:59:16 PM
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aww but steel track is sooo much cheaper
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Posted - November 16 2014 : 10:27:31 AM
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quote:
Cheez - that is a fascinating article. Thanks for posting it. We talk about Chinese manufacturing in the hobby in mostly negative terms, I suppose because we never get the other perspective.
http://tycodepot.com/
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Posted - November 16 2014 : 10:46:45 AM
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quote: quote:
Cheez - that is a fascinating article. Thanks for posting it. We talk about Chinese manufacturing in the hobby in mostly negative terms, I suppose because we never get the other perspective.
Originally posted by JNXT 7707Â -Â November 16 2014Â :Â 10:27:31 AM
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 I guess that's a good way to see how long modern trains last. It's fairly average. I do have to agree though, neat article.
-Steve
"A lot of modellers out there who go to these train shows see broken HO stuff and go, 'This is useless' when, in reality, they can still be used for modeling whether it's as a prop on your layout or a cool project to make something old new again."
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Posted - November 16 2014 : 12:24:22 PM
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quote: quote:Suggestion - get rid of all steel track and use Nickel silver only
Originally posted by Brianstyco - November 15 2014 : 10:59:16 PM
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aww but steel track is sooo much cheaper
Originally posted by microbusss - November 16 2014 : 01:35:07 AM
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And it requires about as much maintenance as nickel-silver. Remember, this is the owner's preference. It's also like "We have lots of steel track, and d**nit, we're going to use it!"
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Posted - November 16 2014 : 12:28:16 PM
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true & I was kidding 
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Posted - November 17 2014 : 6:57:36 PM
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quote:the Coca-Cola boxcar is on my gimmie list
Who made it?
Originally posted by microbusss - November 13 2014 : 2:54:03 PM
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Athearn Blue Box kit
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Posted - November 17 2014 : 7:02:14 PM
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ty thats what I wanted to know in the 1st place
But the museum displays looking good
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Posted - November 17 2014 : 7:06:09 PM
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| looks like a fun side project
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Posted - November 30 2014 : 12:25:52 AM
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Here's a little setup we made for Brockton's annual holiday parade...
We're getting more nickel-silver E-Z track for the outer loop. (The inner loop will use steel track.)
Not HO, but look at this cool O-scale toy train layout we also set up! Complete with a vintage Marx train running on the tracks.
Even K-O the Kangaroo of the Brockton Rox loves model trains! *winks*
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Posted - November 30 2014 : 12:28:39 AM
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oh & you think I a freak for being a furry?
proof I'm not crazy
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Posted - November 30 2014 : 12:41:33 AM
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| Pretty cool Wiley. Neat that Brockton has such a thing.
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Posted - February 02 2015 : 7:45:48 PM
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Well, we'll soon be getting ready to build the actual layout! We're going to build benchwork for it, and it will be an L-shape, similar to my layout. We're considering using 22" radius curves for the outer oval, so we can run an MBTA commuter train on the layout as well (if we can find any HO MBTA rail cars.) I'm thinking we could do a track plan similar to the "Burlington Route" layout from "The HO Model Railroading Handbook" (1998 edition) and the first issue of Bachmann's "Model Railroad Club" e-magazine.
This new layout will be built starting with Bachmann's Digital Commander train set:
I will say I do enjoy the options Bachmann has to get started with DCC. As I said, I went with their package that includes the E-Z Command control unit and a decoder-equipped locomotive, as it was ideal for upgrading existing layouts and getting started right away with DCC operations.
We'll still keep the Santa Fe engines and caboose, but most of the road names we plan to run on the layout will be local ones of the past and present, including the MBTA, Amtrak, Boston and Maine, New Haven, Penn Central, Conrail and CSX. (The MBTA owns the track line running through Brockton, and the CSX runs local freights on it as well.)
Here's a few shots of our temporary HO layout in its current state...
/tyco/forum/uploaded/wiley209/20150202192727_museumHOlayoutbeginnings1.jpg
One of the owner's friends has this newer Bachmann DCC Sound Value steam locomotive. I do enjoy the crystal clear sound quality on it! (Though I may get one of AHM, IHC or TYCO's electronic steam sound cars for my layout.)
/tyco/forum/uploaded/wiley209/20150202194048_museumHOlayoutbeginnings2.jpg
Running my Walthers Santa Fe GP9M on the layout. The owner said we can bring our own locos and such to run on the layout!
/tyco/forum/uploaded/wiley209/20150202194127_museumHOlayoutbeginnings3.jpg
We also got Bachmann's crossing gate for the layout as well! Function-wise, it's identical to the original 1976 version, complete with the gates not staying down all the time, but it's got nickel-silver rails and more prototypical colors!
/tyco/forum/uploaded/wiley209/20150202194256_museumHOlayoutbeginnings4.jpg
I also recently bought a TYCO Howard Johnson's building for the layout, as the store owner thought it'd be a great idea, given how Brockton used to have one.
/tyco/forum/uploaded/wiley209/20150202194648_museumHOlayoutbeginnings6.jpg
Overview of what we currently have.
Edited by - wiley209 on February 02 2015 7:47:03 PM
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Posted - February 02 2015 : 8:36:44 PM
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That's look fantastic. Especially the overall display.
-Steve
"A lot of modellers out there who go to these train shows see broken HO stuff and go, 'This is useless' when, in reality, they can still be used for modeling whether it's as a prop on your layout or a cool project to make something old new again."
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Posted - June 01 2015 : 11:20:00 PM
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Well, we now have the framework for the real layout set up!
Our track so far. We ordered 22" radius curved track that should be coming in later this week. We also plan to get an E-Z Command unit for the museum layout (currently one of the volunteers brings his own in for testing equipment.) We might get one of those packs where it comes with a decoder-equipped locomotive, probably the one including a Conrail GP40 (since Conrail used to run through Brockton.)
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Posted - June 02 2015 : 09:18:36 AM
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That's looking pretty sweet. If this museum you're making was near my house, I would definitely take a look at some point.
-Steve
"A lot of modellers out there who go to these train shows see broken HO stuff and go, 'This is useless' when, in reality, they can still be used for modeling whether it's as a prop on your layout or a cool project to make something old new again."
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Posted - June 05 2015 : 5:05:16 PM
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Well, the track is laid!
As we planned, the outer loop uses 22" radius curves, while the inner loop has 18" radius curves. One of the club members suggested a trolley line running in the downtown part, and we thought that was a good idea. Currently it uses old Code-100 brass track, but seeing as it's just the trolley line, which is going to be controlled independently from the main E-Z Track layout, it seems to make sense.
This BNSF locomotive is property of the museum. It does look like mine, except this is a GP38-2 (mine is a GP40-2).
The TYCO Howard Johnson's is already where it will be placed on the layout.
A car stops at the Bachmann crossing gate. We'll be installing another one of them somewhere else on the layout, as well as setting up another railroad crossing with working signals.
The trolley line is still a work in progress. Yup, that's a TYCO trolley there. One of the club members recently cleaned and lubed it to improve performance (this is the Mantua MU-2 version.)
This Amtrak train is mine. The Amfleet cars operate very well on the 22" radius curves.
The Amtrak train passing a steam-powered freight.
We have more plans in store for the layout. We're going to do more landscaping soon, including the grass, roads, a swamp and a mountain. We also plan to install a few operating TYCO accessories, and we'll also be getting a KFC, Dairy Queen, 7-11, even a drive-in theater!
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Posted - June 06 2015 : 9:31:17 PM
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| I like your track design Wiley.
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Posted - June 07 2015 : 5:11:44 PM
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A few more updates...
A mountain we're going to put on the layout. We plan to put cloths and plaster over the newspaper, and take it from there.
We already did a little bit of the landscaping so far...
Life-Like Town Church I built for the layout.
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Posted - June 08 2015 : 5:05:03 PM
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Here are some more updates...
We put in the makings of a rail yard, along with the second crossing gate and a TYCO unloading boxcar! As you can see in the third pic, I eliminated that S-curve.
TYCO Arlee Station building kit!
The station next to a crossing.
The Life-Like station is now being used for the trolley line.
Amtrak train at the Arlee station.
Overviews of the layout so far.
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Posted - June 08 2015 : 10:51:23 PM
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| Looking real nice Wiley. Looks like a fun design to run trains on and I really dig the trolley loop to serve the town area you've got going on.
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Posted - June 11 2015 : 10:12:46 PM
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The mountain is finished!
Some of the landscaping is already being done, too.
We even put some deer near the mountain!
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Posted - June 13 2015 : 12:13:25 AM
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Brought some more updates to the layout!
We now have a 7-11 set up! It's the Life-Like version from the 1970s and 1980s (now sold as the Ace Supermarket.) We did this because there are quite a few 7-11s in my area.
TYCO log dumping bin.
Some more landscaping has been done in this area.
A photo of when I tested the log dump car. It works pretty well! We will soon wire it up in the group wiring style.
BNSF freight train on the layout, with both TYCO cars. I've already swapped out the horn-hooks with knuckle couplers. I'm going to get some more soon, so we can upgrade any rolling stock we plan to use a lot on the layout.
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Posted - June 22 2015 : 12:17:28 AM
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Here are a few more updates I haven't shared yet...
We now have part of the roadway laid! A bit more landscaping was done here too...
We're also wiring up the TYCO Prestomatic accessories for layout use.
The parking lot for the 7-11.
This is actually an O-scale accessory, but the guy that put it there says he'll try and modify it to make it look more like HO. I'm not sure who made this; probably Lionel or MTH.
My Amtrak train again. We laid some shrubbery along the track here, like I see at real train stations. We're using Woodland Scenics landscaping material for the most part.
I also bought a TYCO Center St. barber shop for the layout, and I'm also getting the Center St. school building, as it does kind of resemble Brockton's older school buildings (late 19th/early 20th century at least). We also plan to get the new Walthers Dairy Queen building kit once it comes out, too!
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Posted - June 22 2015 : 10:13:06 PM
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I have a lot of stuff to share today!
The TYCO Center St. barber shop building kit is finished! I didn't actually assemble it, but the guy who did says he does like these TYCO/Pola building kits, and I told him I do too. Now if only Walthers would bring back the Center St. series, if they can find the molds (if Pola doesn't have them)...
I had a whole container of Woodland Scenics grass that had been sitting with my layout stuff for a year unused (after I had finished landscaping my own layout), so I figured since the hobby shop/museum was short on the stuff, I'd bring in the rest of my grass for landscaping the rest of this layout!
I also had a spare TYCO truck terminal that I donated to the museum layout.
Some more grass and a tree have been placed around the mountain.
Bachmann Hayes bumpers have been installed at the ends of these sidings.
Here's a swamp that is being set up.
A rather long freight train.
A bit more landscaping was done here by me.
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Posted - August 05 2015 : 10:44:42 PM
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Been a while, but here's some more updates! (The shop owner was on vacation for a while.)
Get a load of how the TYCO Center Street School has turned out. (A friend of mine re-painted it to make it look more like the older school buildings in my area.) He also plans to put shades in the windows, and a few more details.
My friend also got an MBTA F40PH locomotive for the layout! It's a Walthers TrainLine model, and had custom detailing added. Now he plans to put a decoder into it (incidentally, the real MBTA F40PH prototypes like this have all been retired now, in favor of their brand-new HSP46 locomotives and the early 90s F40PH-2Cs.)
Some more detailing with the Arlee Station.
More landscaping.
We've also been using 2015 Brockton Rox magnetic schedules for the roads (very flimsy, floppy refrigerator magnets that are quite weak.) Hey, since the season's almost over and all...
Another shot with my Amtrak train.
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Posted - August 06 2015 : 8:31:12 PM
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| Enjoy the photos Wiley.
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Posted - August 07 2015 : 08:14:02 AM
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Looks good! I'm surprised at how fast the progress is. If only I could do that...
-Peter
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Posted - September 12 2015 : 4:52:25 PM
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Finally some more updates!
Some more landscaping has been done!
New roadwork.
An MBTA train on the layout. I got a couple of old Walthers MBTA cars secondhand; one regular and one cab. The cab one is missing screws for a coupler cover, so that one's going to need a bit of working on.
Some shots of the commuter train in action. The locomotive is standard DC right now, but the owner of that one is already ordering a decoder for it, and plans to do a bit more custom detailing as well. We may detail the passenger cars as well (probably add handicap-symbol and "Wi-Fi" decals as well.)
A bit more landscaping has been done here, too.
Edited by - wiley209 on September 12 2015 4:53:31 PM
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Posted - September 12 2015 : 11:47:50 PM
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| Looks to be a busy little community there Wiley. Thanks for posting the photos; seems like not much activity these end of summer days. Looks like you folks are havin' fun getting that set-up together.
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Posted - September 15 2015 : 3:56:46 PM
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The other MBTA car has been fixed up, and runs great on the MBTA train...
I will be selling both cars to the guy who owns the MBTA locomotive. He plans to install lights in them, maybe add some more detailing, and also install a decoder into the locomotive for DCC operations (same TCS T1 I use in my Walthers TrainLine locomotives.)
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Posted - September 22 2015 : 11:08:23 PM
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Some more updates have been going on...
A New Haven passenger train. The locomotive is a customized DCC-equipped Bachmann GP9, and some Rivarossi passenger cars that had knuckle couplers installed.
A bit of landscaping was done in the rail yard...
The two main trains on the layout; my Amtrak "Pepsi Can" Dash 8 locomotive and Amfleet cars, and another volunteer's Bachmann Boston & Maine sound-equipped DCC GP9 pulling several freight cars.
The Amtrak train passes through one of the crossings.
A skier on top of the mountain!
Check out the little wall added outside the Arlee Station.
We now got the TYCO log dump station wired up on the layout!
Here's some neat landscaping around the Plasticville freight station...
Edited by - wiley209 on September 22 2015 11:09:41 PM
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Posted - September 23 2015 : 9:02:13 PM
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quote:A skier on top of the mountain!
Originally posted by wiley209Â -Â September 22 2015Â :Â 11:08:23 PM
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I foresee problems for that skier. Once I was skiing along and hit a small stump sticking up out of the snow. It knocked off one ski and in less than a second I was on the ground. I almost landed on a pine marten (ferret-like animal) who was eating a bird. I'm glad I didn't land on the bird. Martens, like most polecats, can be pretty aggressive.
Anyway, skiing on only one ski is only for experts.
Carpe Manana!
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Posted - October 27 2015 : 10:56:54 PM
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It's been a while but here are some updates!
Double-header Boston & Maine diesel freight.
The TYCO log dumping car in action!
TYCO trolley. It does run, but the tracks really need improvement...
Most of the MBTA-owned railroad crossings are like this, with gated signals.
On this layout, older steam trains and modern diesel trains run together!
A swamp.
Construction scenes.
More landscaping progress.
For the upcoming holiday season display, I also set up the TYCO Railroad Empire II train set from the early '90s.
Like most of the early '90s TYCO train sets, it included their "Quik-Clik" track clips to keep the sections together. Mehano actually makes them, I think, and I know IHC included them in some of their train sets using conventional snap-track. (I wonder if these were also the same "True-Lock" track clips that were included in AHM train sets of the '80s?)
It took quite a while and some effort to put the track together, being an over/under figure-8 using that old-style plastic bridge and trestle set. No wonder not many model railroaders use them these days!
The initial finished setup, with the full train on the tracks.
From another angle, now with a few more accessories added. This gives an idea on how a model railroad could start out using this train set...
The train itself. As I said, the locomotive is Mehano's Alco C628 (the same kind AHM, IHC, Life-Like and Model Power used to sell over time), painted up like TYCO's old Santa Fe Alco 630 (same road number and everything.) Ironically, it's a better runner than the real TYCO locomotive. The two dump cars also appeared to be actual Hong Kong-made TYCO models, while the other cars were also made in Yugoslavia (and are similar to IHC's old rolling stock.)
Edited by - wiley209 on October 27 2015 11:00:25 PM
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Posted - October 28 2015 : 01:09:13 AM
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Is that a Rock Island F-45 up in the display case? I would be interested to see that up close if that is the case.
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Posted - October 28 2015 : 2:24:26 PM
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H-D Matchbox semi!
Do want!!
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Posted - October 28 2015 : 4:00:53 PM
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quote:Is that a Rock Island F-45 up in the display case? I would be interested to see that up close if that is the case.
Originally posted by metalsmith1Â -Â October 28 2015Â :Â 01:09:13 AM
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Naw, that's a TYCO Rock Island Alco 430. I remember last year when the shop owner got a bunch of old TYCO locomotives and rolling stock, and he had me bring them home and test each one, maybe clean and lube them if possible.
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Posted - October 28 2015 : 8:28:23 PM
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| That picture above where you wrote "more landscaping"; I really like the way the tracks merge in from different curves.
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Posted - March 08 2016 : 8:06:48 PM
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Well, we're getting ready to build an expansion to the layout. Been a while though, so here are some photos of the layout in its' current state...
Overview.
More lychen and such has been placed on the mountain, and a small mine was built as well!
/tyco/forum/uploaded/wiley209/20160308194546_museumHOlayout113.jpg[/img
Yep, I got another Bachmann Amfleet car to make my Amtrak train a bit longer.
Bears on the mountain!
The Amtrak train again.
An interesting comparison, of my Amtrak train with an older TYCO one (belongs to the museum.)
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Posted - March 09 2016 : 09:59:45 AM
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Looking great! Those s curves bother me though, especially with the passenger trains.
-Peter
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Posted - March 09 2016 : 3:11:05 PM
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Looking for that Tyco Amtrak set
Plus you needs that Hot Wheels tanker with Construction on the side for that construction yard
looking good too
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