Mike is busy sorting out freight cars in the yard.
Another successful operating session was held on the Wheeling Freight Terminal. Mike visited from Las Cruces and ran the team yard job while I took the freight house work. A total of 75 freight cars were switched among the inbound and outbound movements. A description of the session processes was started a few months ago. The last operations update described using undecorated and partially completed models among the freight car fleet. It’s time to wrap things up with how outbound cars are handled.
Compare the trucks of these two box cars. Follow the post for tips on weathering wheelsets and trucks.
In our freight car building and detailing adventures, we sometimes forget about finishing the wheelsets and trucks that carry the latest builds around our model railroads. Here are a couple of tips to enhance these components and the final freight car effort.
A look at some of the freight cars used in a recent operating session.
Another pre-Depression Era railroad modeler visited recently and operated the Wheeling Freight Terminal. Dave has a focus on the Toledo & Ohio Central line near Bellefontaine, Ohio, circa 1928. He has been building a multi-level HO scale layout in his garage but has had few operating experiences. We have been communicating via email for a few years, so I invited him to sunny El Paso for some throttle time.
Harris & Ewing, photographer. U.S. CAPITOL. DOME FROM RAILROAD YARDS IN SOUTHEAST SECTION. Photograph. Retrieved from the Library of Congress, <https://www.loc.gov/item/hec2008007160/>.
The Wheeling Freight Terminal layout hosted another op session recently, which prodded me to continue the freight car movement discussion. The photo above is similar to many team yard images I’ve seen from the Teens through the 1940s. These have inspired my layout work. Click on any image here to review a larger size.
One of several fine HO scale locomotives Fred Lass displayed at the recent RPM-East meet.
As mentioned earlier, I participated in the RPM-East prototype modeler meet held in Greensburg, Pa at the end of March. It was another festive weekend of railroad history, ideas, models, and time shared with old and new friends. Nearly 500 models were on display and 37 presentations filled the schedule. About 165 attended this two day event. A couple of photo galleries are available for viewing. These offer a decent review of the models on display at the meet.
That’s always a good question for me. In addition to the time at the prototype meet, I visited many of my family members in the metro-Pittsburgh region. I arrived back in far west Texas in time to be hit by spring allergies that are now loosening their grip. I need to survey a few hobby projects and dust off a couple of drafts for the blog to keep this fresh. There are always a few more ideas to share. Stay tuned!
