Santa's little helper

Thanks to the steady easterly Pacific trade winds from China, Santa was able to make a timely pre-Christmas (FY2010) delivery that’ll help spell my depleted fleet of Canadian Pacific motive power. A new O scale (1:48) Lionel no. 28450 CP Rail 4850TM Trackmobile will pitch in to help shuttle locos about the diesel dead line and freight cars along the waterfront wharf and industries Vancouver and North Vancouver.

The die-cast metal construction of this TMCC command-control road/rail vehicle with ElectroCouplers gives it just enough girth to tow and spot maybe 2 or 3 full-scale cars (2lbs.) on the slight, yet slippery grade along the waterfront. Nevertheless, this is just the type of fresh “new” product that the hi-rail world needs to stay relevant.

Dead line downsizing

Just like the real railroads on the slow track to economic recovery, I too have found it necessary to liquidate certain motive power assets. As more and more inactive locomotives lined my prototypical dead line (a yard track designated for loco storage), the accountants soon advised me to part ways with some idled power.

Weaver SD40-2 on the dead line.
See the November 2010 issue of CTT for details

To raise enough capital to purchase new fuel-sipping workhorses, my operation elected to purge high-mileage Lionel Dash 9 (AC4400) and older surplus SD40-2 units. Railroad leasing businesses in Milwaukee, San Diego, and Canada were the first to secure power on auction, but others are certain to bid in the world's largest "yard" sale. For replacement units, Canadian National has already delivered Lionel SD70M-2s, while Canadian Pacific Rwy. has its sights set on new Lionel ES44 Evolution Hybrid power.

Canine conductors

My four-legged pet pals have always been interested in the sounds and smells of the train room – even though they could never actually see the trains! But in October, our elder dog (16-1/2 years) Cinder let us know that it was time to retire from regular service and a lifetime of unwavering companionship. He was my first and dearest rescue dog who gave us so many great memories. We’ll miss him, but Trax (background) was a diligent understudy and he clearly has a nose for the railroad biz!

End of the line for CPR steam program

BREAKING NEWS -- After years of faithfully carrying the torch for the Canadian Pacific Rwy. steam program, Royal Hudson no. 2860 has powered her last train on my layout. As one of the most prominent and most distinctive steam locomotives in North America, no. 2860 recently served as an international ambassador during the 2010 Winter Olympics in Vancouver. Additionally, no. 2860 was the last steam unit in operation on my diesel dominant layout.
CPR officials cite "prohibitively expensive operating costs in these trying economic times" as the chief reason for extinguishing the fire in no. 2860. Although CPR has yet to reveal plans for future fan trips and executive excursions on its private fleet of vintage MTH passenger cars, it is believed that they will continue to operate under the power of vintage CPR diesel F-units (on order -- Lionel ship date of Nov. 2010) or the recently acquired CPR ES44AC Evolution Hybrid unit no. 9860 (Lionel 28320). Alas, no. 2860 will be safe from the scrapper's torch -- she, Unlike previously idled Royal Hudson no. 2851, now sheltered in a Wisconsin railroad museum, CPR's plans to keep Royal Hudson no. 2860 intact are uncertain.

S-P-I-R-I-T Train!

Although the 2010 Winter Olympics concluded last weekend, neither the Olympic spirit nor the Canadian Pacific Spirit Train has left town. In a few weeks, Vancouver will host the Paralympics Winter Games. Accordingly, my version of the CPR Spirit Train will continue to hang loose in the waterfront yard, a location immediately adjacent to a parking area filled with marquee tents featuring Canadian history exhibitions. Weaver Royal Hudson #2860 with TMCC leads MTH ES44AC #8733, plus an MTH CPR flatcar with a custom-decorated container (color copied at 128% for K-Line containers) Lionel Standard O CPR boxcar, Weaver CPR RPO, and a pair of MTH CPR heavyweight passenger cars. On a side note -- can you find all the LEGO parts I used? The forthcoming May 2010 issue of CTT will reveal all!

Inspired by the Winter Games

Since my latest postings are the direct result of my late night Winter Games viewing habits, I ought to add a touch of the Olympic spirit to my layout, right? My post banners are scaled-down color printouts of art posted in a City of Vancouver news release.

To install banner a on my Lionel no. 12804 highway light, I first wrapped a band of black stripping tape around the post. Next I twisted one prong of a Lionel no. 1666E-11 cotter pin around the band and left the other prong extending at a 90-degree angle to the post. After folding the paper banner in half, I used a dab of white glue to attach the two sides. At the top of the banner I left a narrow opening that’s large enough for the prong to slip through.
I raised the Life-Like no. 1851 fire hydrant above grade using a piece of styrene tubing and added a locator flag made from piano wire and yellow stripping tape.

UPS-date an MTH trailer

My mini-modal terminal has plenty of space to display stacked containers, but absolutely no room to park box trailers. Rather than skip out on this part of the intermodal equation, I added a couple of MTH no. 20-98142 CP Rail flat cars to complement the stack train staged in my layover yard. Trouble is, the CP Rail 40’ trailer riding on each car sports a design that’s decades too old for present day.

To update the trailers, I first used extra-fine sandpaper to etch away the CP multi-mark logo. After separating the trailer from its chassis, I glued on strips of Evergreen styrene to represent rub rails. Next, I cleaned, primed, and then painted the trailer Polly Scale no. F414239 E/L gray with no. F414299 flat aluminum trim. Before re-assembling the trailer, I added Andrea no. 26 false eyelashes to represent anti-spray skirts and used white glue to attach the paper UPS logo that I printed from the UPS Web site. Finally, I added Microscale decals and weathering to the front, roof, and wheels for an in-service look.

Freight car graffiti - art or anarchy?

OK, even I’m not quite sure how I really feel about the graffiti that appears on the rolling stock in nearly every freight train riding the rails. Nevertheless, it’s a part of the modern railroad scene that I’m compelled to model. In this case, I’ve got a friend, who has a friend, who knows an “urban artist.” I’ve asked this artist to create some authentic art on both sides of my MTH no. 20-90046 CP Rail 100-ton cylindrical hopper. Turns out I liked it enough to commission another car. Meanwhile, I’m trying my hand at tagging with a Sharpie marker and applying decals to various dark corners of my layout. Conversely, I’ve already painted over some of the graffiti I added!

In with the "factory new"

Thanks to previous field tests (product review) performed on a comparable Lionel no. 28264 UP SD70ACe, I could quickly move my two new CN SD70M-2 diesels into revenue service following a few minor modifications. First, I wanted to make #8002 and #8014 look “factory new” by adding a rusty face to the wheels. As shown in CTT’s subscriber-only video with Mike Reagan, Director of Customer Service at Lionel, there’s a handy feature that makes it easy to remove the trucks from newer Lionel diesels and apply Polly Scale no. F414323 rust-color paint using a cotton swab. Next, to represent the equipment domes that weren’t included on #8014, my son and I used a dab of plastic cement to secure a few suitable white LEGO bricks atop the cab. Yes, LEGOs on my O gauge trains (and throughout my layout)! Finally, after christening them with Labelle Industries no. 107 multi-purpose oil, both units entered service in charge of CN C70751-15, a 16-car Alberta coal drag destined for Roberts Bank.

Chassis storage rack

Space in a container yard fills quickly, so racks are used to store chassis vertically. I found HO scale models for this type of rack, but nothing in O scale. The rack designs looked simple, so I decided to make my own. I used Evergreen and Plastruct styrene parts no. 196 .188" square, no. 256 3/8" square, no. 267 1/4" channel, no. 278 5/16" I-beam, and no. 90520 1/2" I-beam. The 40- and 48-ft chassis are K-Line items with alterations to length, paint, and add-on Microscale vehicle decals.

Compact container terminal

No room for a big intermodal facility? No worries. I packed my version of a terminal into a 48 x 36 x 24 x 20-foot rectangular space framed by the CPR main line, layout backdrop, and a highway bridge. The stacked containers include: 20' boxes from MTH and Weaver; 40' boxes from Atlas O and K-Line; 45' boxes from Atlas O; 48' boxes from Lionel and K-Line box; and tank containers from K-Line. No space for the operating intermodal crane, but a Motorart Kalmar DCE container handler stands just as tall and boasts even better details. To hold unused K-Line container chassis, I built a vertical storage rack using I-beam sections of strip styrene. All that’s left to add is an anxiously awaited O scale version of Athearn’s modern yard tractor!

Intermodal ambitions

I've been an avid fan of intermodal modeling since the 1989 release of Lionel’s no. 12741 operating intermodal crane. And in 1995 came K-Line's O gauge well cars to fuel my desire for a working container terminal on my first "large" layout. Then I came to a harsh realization. Even on my 14 x 48-foot layout, there just isn't enough space to build an expansive container terminal featuring long cuts of well cars, walls of containers, a parade of chassis, and mobile container lifts of all sizes. After reviewing my original plan, I decided I could indeed fit most of these features on the layout -- though not in one location or in any great quantity. In the holdover yard tracks, I could easily showcase an idle fleet of weathered K-Line Thrall and Lionel Husky Stack well cars and MTH articulated spine cars. But what about the walls of containers and other accoutrements associated with the expansive terminal operation in downtown Vancouver, B.C.?

Out with the "old"

At 20+ inches long, this Lionel no. 18271 SD90MAC was the largest locomotive on my layout. But in keeping with current CPR practices, I voluntarily idled #9129 in early 2010. I'd come to love this model, but contemporary is my thing - if the real railroad isn't running them, I probably shouldn't either. Typically I'll store retirees on a dead line before I gather the courage to post them for auction. Not always easy to move forward, but the process provides the essential capital to run a railroad and acquire more modern power.