Steam in the snow

After plowing out the main line, we had some freight to haul, just a short train

More live steam action from Phippsburg...

Hello again,

I thought I would include another photo of my SR&RL #24 and a video in which it is featured:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ncKSvmS0Utw

The Loco is 14 years old from England made by Roundhouse. A "new and improved" version is available still. Mine is a pretty good representation of SR&RL #24, rivet counters will have to do some work though. I do not know what the new version is like, but I think they have better details than my loco has. She is radio controlled...trottle and johnson bar (forward/reverse) each have a servo control. The radio is a bit touchy as the train gets a little ways off, the servos twitch which can stop or otherwise distrurb a nice smooth run -- I just switch off the transmitter and let it go.

Steam is cool especially on days when the steam shows up well (cool humid days) The vapor can hang around for a bit and really looks good. they have a built in natural sound system, in the video you can hear the exhast chuffs and the burner whine (sort of sounds like a turbo-generator. ) The power and handling feels real too!

Some of my other engines (including my battery powered engines) are manual control. This is acutally quite fun. You follow the engine and keep track of its progress. Usually I do not have to change much...my track is pretty level.

I do not have track power. no messing with wires, dirty rails or bad connections.

Huge Christmas Model Train Display

I remember when I was a youngster and went to the Jordan Marsh Department Store at Christmas time to see their magnificent electric train display. This was the main store located in Boston. You got to go up in an elevator to the 5th floor. It was the kind that someone operated and had the gate type door that they pulled back to open and the operator would announce what was on that floor. “Santa Claus, Toys and Trains” is all I heard. They had what seem to me the biggest possible train layout in the world! It was mostly Lionel which was the most popular trains of the day. I also remember Marx and American Flyer. It was a great time to be a kid! Other store fronts would put trains in the window and they would always attract a crowd. Of course there is no video of those old time displays, but I found one modern day clip that reminds me some of those great store displays of the past. Of course it pales in comparison to a young boy’s memory. But it does give you a little idea of what they were like. This video has a lot of new action gadgets plus a ’moving highway’ which was something I had not seen before. If you enjoy lots of detailed animation look at the ‘more from ppiker’ the author of this video. He has a whole collection of videos that you can see many more details. To watch the video, please click here.

Snow train on Winnegance and Quebec

Sunday was the final official run of the season here on the Winnegance and Quebec Railway. A light but sticky snowfall was very pretty and the cold wet air made the steam superior.

Here the engine crew is going over number 24 as she builds up steam while the yard guys shovel out the switches.

A Train around the Christmas Tree

There will always be fond thoughts when we think of a train going around a Christmas Tree. Here are a few videos I found with that as the theme. These are not from people we know. Perhaps some of our own members will be inspired to set up their own train this year. If you do, please take a picture and post it, or send it to another member to post for you. We would all enjoy in sharing in the happiness they bring.
Click on the individual video clips below to view them:
Clip number-1
Clip number-2
Clip number-3

The Real POLAR EXPRESS

Still lettered for the movie in which it starred (partiallly), Pere Marquette 1225 is presented here during an excursion from Owosso to Cadillac, Michigan in 2005. The big 2-8-4 is a classic example of a Lima Locomotive Works Super Power steam locomotive.
Watch the Video - click here.
Here is another video - Same Engine different cars.
Sorry, Can't stop finding more videos i like, here is one more!

Winter is good too

Now, please don't get me wrong, I do enjoy the flowers, plants and frogs that garden railroading offers, but I miss the blinking lights, switches, sounds and standing up straight that my indoor layout has. And, I love it when I take a $3 dollar HO whistle and hook it up to have a passing train activate it! I even enjoy it months later when I spend an hour trying to figure out what I did! So please take a quick look at some of the action on my indoor hobby. Thanks, John

Just for Xmas

Just a temporary Christmas Trolley on the border. AND the snow is REAL.

Kind of puts you in the Spirit doesn't it!!

Paul's Christmas Spirit

Her are some pictures of Paul Corbett's layout that he built for the Festival of Trees (Dec 2-6th) in Westbrook. Paul displays the MGRS Banner and does all his work for free. Any money raised by the event goes to the local food bank. This is just the first of five different events he has scheduled for this month!

FAST UPON US

US Army

This is a New Decal Car to honor our Grandson Sam, who will be graduating on Dec 17, 2008 from U.S. Army Basic Combat Training at Fort Leonard Wood, Missouri. The first two pictures are the actual decal images

Here is a picture from Dec 17th Graduation Day of Sam and his dad (John) who is wearing a hat which used to belong to my father, who Sam is named after. He would be proud also.

A New Season

New additions for this year have been the "Gathering of Christmas Trees" (that came from Lowes) and a little package of street lights that I just hung over my Billboard to see how they will fit. (Perfect for me). When I finish they will be cut down in back and look built in.

Blog Challenge

First, Thanks to Ray for the interesting post on Maine's logging railroads. Here is the challenge question. 'Which of the railroads listed was also the subject of a member blog? It is a nice interesting story, but you have dig deep. Good Luck.

PS: Don't do what I keep doing which is to click on the blog title. Thanks, John

A little Maine Railroad History

The following was copied from Google Search:
The first railroad in Maine was the Calais Railroad incorporated by the state legislature on February 17, 1832. It was built to transport lumber from a mill on the Saint Croix River opposite Milltown, New Brunswick two miles to the tidewater at Calais in 1835. In 1849, the name was changed to the Calais and Baring Railroad and the line was extended four more miles to Baring. In 1870, it became part of the St. Croix & Penobscot Railroad.

The second railroad was the Bangor & Piscataquis Railroad & Canal Company incorporated by the legislature on February 18, 1833. It ran eleven miles from Bangor to Oldtown along the west bank of the Penobscot River and opened in November, 1836. In 1854-55, it was extended 1.5 miles across the Penobscot River to Milford and the name was changed to the Bangor, Oldtown & Milford Railroad Company. In 1869, it was absorbed into the European and North American Railway.

The third railroad in Maine was the Portland, Saco and Portsmouth Railroad, incorporated by the legislature on March 14, 1837. This was a crucial railroad in the development of railroads in Maine because it connected Portland to Boston by connecting to the Eastern Railroad at Kittery via a bridge to Portsmouth. This railroad was opened on November 21, 1842 and was 51.34 miles in length.

How Perceptive are You?

Google will not help you at all. This one is just for MGRS Blog Viewers. See if you can locate the latest addition to the Left Hand Side of the Blog, and within that, the question is "What does not belong?" or what item seems out of place?

Hint: [The answer is not in Station Stop. I know, nothing makes any sense in there, that is why I like it.] This is a brand new Item. Good luck, look around and see if you can find what I am referring to.

Happy Veterans Day

Veterans Day Slideshow (90 sec. Use Back Arrow to return to Blog)

Railroad Trivia Question

This is a warm up to test your Railroad trivia knowledge or your Google capabilities.
The question is. At full throttle how quickly could a GG1 locomotive go from zero to 100 mph?

Here are all the Specs
Note:The half of the GG1 that contained the steam boiler was designated the "front"

Hello to Hansel

Hansel, I enjoyed your web site. You are doing a great job! I posted the pic of your great-great-grandfather, John Alonzo Small and yourself beside #470 on your visit to Waterville.

Enjoyed your blog also. Hats off to Chris Fardon a great trivia answer man. I like that idea and invite you to leave a question for us on the MGRS Blog.

Link to Hansel

Hansel is one of our younger (very enthusiastic about trains), member who has his own web site. I think I've posted it before but didn't realize that this is the one he made up. You can see his excitement in his hobby and how he is learning about it. Someday he hopes to have his own layout for now he enjoys our clubs tracks and he always brings his train to run. Check out his web site at www.steamrailroader.zoomshare.com