Canadian Pacific domed observation car

So now that I’ve acquired a fine set of Lionel no. 34582 Canadian Pacific F units, I wanted to add something exceptional to my executive train. While the obvious choice would be to simply purchase the complementary set of Lionel no. 25600 streamlined passenger cars, I couldn’t justify the expenditure.

Instead, I opted to customize my own low budget Canadian Pacific domed observation car with a bit more detail than a standard issue postwar streamliner. I started with an older Williams observation car that I bought at a swap meet for $15. I found the repro “Canadian Pacific” stripes, a repro vista dome, and K-Line rubber diaphragms at another show. Using a razor saw, Dremel rotary tool, and a file, I was able to cut a perfectly sized opening into the aluminum roof and insert the dome I tinted with Tamiya X-25 Clear Green paint. I finished the car by adding LED bulbs to the interior, wipers to the dome, and O scale metal grab irons and vents along the roof.

As the story goes, the real CPR ordered one or more special Lionel no. 2551 domed obs cars to display in Canadian Pacific resort hotels across Canada. I’ve never seen or heard of any paperwork that confirms this is true, but I’ve seen photos of a no. 2551 custom car/display supposedly made by Lionel.

Maroon, gray, yellow…and brass

Fresh out of the CP Shops at Butler, Wis., my Lionel no. 34582 F3AA pairing is poised to ease Canadian Pacific top brass out for a jaunt along the western rails. Due largely to the adjacent heliport, waterfront, and immediate access to the central city, CP execs prefer embarking on The Executive Train (appropriately designated Train no. 001) from the Vancouver Waterfront Yard.
For precisely the same reasons, several other business trains from foreign roads also made this holdover yard an extended port of call during the 2010 Winter Olympics. Following the Games, my CP yard will continue to extend an open invitation to BNSF and Union Pacific executive specials in an unabashed effort to promote international ventures with either road. Already, visits from UP specials (headed by Lionel no. 11131 “844”) have resulted in a power-pooling plan that pairs Action Red and Armour Yellow locomotives.

Command-control cabinetry

I'm finally getting around to a project I’ve put off for almost a year. In hopes of improving the range of my Lionel Legacy CAB-2 in a 48-foot long train room and to make it easier to troubleshoot various issues, I’m making the effort to relocate all of my command control components to a central location in the middle of the room. Almost sounds like I’m working back to a control panel arrangement that I initially said I didn’t need!
Well for now, I’ll refrain from calling my $45 thrift store, particleboard storage cabinet a "control panel." As cheap as it may be, it has all the right parts – a deep drawer for storing batteries, controllers, manuals, and modules; a removable back that makes it easy to route wires, cables, and cords; a single adjustable-level shelf that I tipped downward to make the component more accessible; and two hinged doors that can be closed to protect everything from dust. Even Trax gives his approval!
Perhaps the biggest hassle of this effort involves re-stringing/re-routing the four-conductor cables (with tiny 22-gauge leads) linked to each DZ-1000 switch motor I use to control routes along the main line. Ugh!

Signal switch-a-roo

I absolutely love the look, durability, and functionality of the MTH no. 30-11025 O scale 1 over 1 signal when it’s paired with a magical MTH no. 45-1028 ITAD. I’ve purchased several signals for use in various locations on my layout. Trouble is, there are situations where I really only want a single searchlight target. That’s why I decided to morph the standard signal into three alternative versions—one with an upper target, one with a lower target, and another with two side-by-side targets.

I had to sacrifice the function of one target, but I wouldn’t have wired it for operation anyhow. For my next trick, I’m working to configure a signal with working bi-directional targets!

Sights in the City

After making a bit of progress on my Vancouver Waterfront Station, I decided to snap a few photos. I really don't like shots of incomplete scenes, so I framed a West Coast Express (custom-painted by Jeff Sohn) K-Line F59PHI and Bombardier bi-level commuter cars in an area adjacent to the subject of my recent modeling efforts.
I was inspired to snap this image after viewing several photos on flickr.com. Some old and some new, but both helped me get a better take on the station's architecture.

New year, new projects

From a partially finished Vancouver Waterfront Station to a North Vancouver lumber mill and wharf to a key junction at the center of the layout, I've got no less than a half-dozen projects to finish in 2011. But for each unfinished project, there’s bound to be another completed area that also requires my attention.

The first such area to come to light in 2011 is this Ross Custom Switches curved 0-72/0-54 turnout on the main line. I’m a fan of RCS products, but I was frustrated to find that the semi-fixed pilot on my Lionel ES44 Hybrid won’t clear the DZ-1000 switch machine that came with the turnout. I’ve got a replacement DZ-2500 motor that I could use, but I’m considering if I’d rather install a slow-motion under layout switch motor.