CFNR SD9

What seems like a lifetime ago, I started a project on an SD9E, which was one of the first locos in service with the CFNR. they had 4, of which two ex SP units. I'm modeling one of them, CFNR 203.
I've been at a standstill with this project for a while, sometimes you just need to put things aside for a while. Today I decided I didn't like the remnants of the ladders on the hood, which i tried to remove as best as I could, and replace with new ladders from Details Associates. I tried removing them before, but bits of casting remained. I think I managed to clear the rest of them away today, and I now need to touch up the cream/white paint, before I proceed with masking the loco to be able to airbrush on the green.
Here's a picture of it's (SP) sister, no 202, back in the '90's.

Happily biting of more than I can chew?

It had to happen, yet another project on my list of never getting finished ones so it seems. I'm sure I'm not the only one who get's him/her self into such situations, call it enthusiasm. :-)

So what's next? By now, you've probably guessed that I've got a weak spot for the Southern Pacific. Mostly it's Scarlet and Grey diesel years, and I'm focusing on their last years of service. Purely because this ties in with the subject of my layout, the California Northern. I'm not taking that time constraint too seriously, and allow myself a bit of 'modelers license'. In those final years, GP9's were getting thinner on the roster, perhaps even completely phased out, I still have to find some documentation about that to make sure.(UPDATED: I've found several survived, although quite a few got retired between 1994 and 1996, some were still active until the UP merged with SP)  But yes, you've guessed it my next project is to model a Southern Pacific GP9, initially a phase III version. So attached a photo of the real thing, and my chosen road number 3841.  Mainly because it has the full SP 'light show' on the nose :-) I found it was still active in 1994 at least...
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Or should I try and finish off another project first (my wood chip gondola's perhaps?....)

Southern Pacific E9

While I was cleaning up the hobby'room' a little, I came across a locomotive that had been sitting in a box for quite some time. A great model of a SP E9. I hadn't used it much because it's from a railroad era I don't model , it hasn't been converted to DCC yet, and I thought it was much too big to do justice on my small layout. But then I came across this picture; here we have a once big mighty E9, hauling only two passenger cars, probably during their last days / years of service, no longer in front of a long express train, but a short and humble local. I'm now researching until which years the E9's could still be found in this service. Perhaps could I 'stretch' reality enough to do the same on my layout? (it will require a repaint of the loco as the grey is much too light, and some heavy weathering too. :-) ).  To be continued at some point....

 oh, and aparently this is my 200'th post since the start of this blog :-)

Tunnel Vision

Here are a few progress pics of the tunnel I'm building in a corner of the layout, Cordelia Tunnel.

Cordelia Tunnel is a short tunnel on the CFNR, and in reality is straight. It's not going through a 'huge' mountain, just an annoying hill that got in the way of the railroad :-)  I'm going to try and capture the feel of the area so also in my case, the 'hill' isn't tall, and will be populated with some trees and part of a vin yard area. I've test fitted a portal (be it a wrong one, this one is european in shape, but I've got a couple of Woodland Scenic ones available), and part of the surface is painted with an earth tone latex paint. 

Railflyer products drive progress

It's been a while that I reported on the progress in regards to the new drive (traction motor) developments made my the small manufacturer Railflyer products.
Here's a YouTube video of one of their 6 axle chassis operating, with one powered axle, proving the concept. circuit board developments are on going to power all 6 axles simultaneously. Progress is steady, and as quick as can be expected from such a small company. Very promising stuff.

SP action in HO

I managed to be attending my local club meet this Saturday, and had fun meeting the others, and seeing a lot of SP action. We had a coal drag doing 'rounds' headed by a pair of SD45's, and almost 50 coal cars in tow. In the yard, an SP GP9 was doing the switching duties, while a pair of SD9's were being readied for snow service at the service facilities.
The picture captures a little of the atmosphere. The SD9's owned by Brian Moore, the GP9 by Rob Mallet. Photo by Brian Moore.

Magical modelrailroad video

What more can I say, magical. The kids loved it. :-)