The image hosting site is imgur, I didn't know that it didn't link back (I only rec ently started using it since it is faster).

The name turtle back rings a bell but I do not think i ever visited. I know I went to van song park several times, but I cannot recall visiting turtle back. its possible though!

Yeah, I may be wrong but as I recall, each of their three Locomotives had a different color flag, rather than using the flags for their true purpose. As for that little tank Locomotive, I was actually in the cab for their little ride around the museum. The staff was quite surprised when I proved i knew the what they started talking about, the whole "this is the throttle it does this, these guages show water level, this is the brake, ect." And we had an interesting discussion instead of the usual tour. My only regret is that I was too shy to take them up on the offer to blow the whistle!

I too loved using film, I all but missed it though, having only owned one film camera (my first one) before having to move to digital. That said, you can still get some pretty good photos on even the most basic of digital cameras. I cannot afford a SLR so I have a more simple camera, here are a few photos I've taken though. Light and focus are always tricky.

Wow, amazing layout there. I love the shot of the doubleheader over the river. Incredible. I'm not gonna have anything nearly so grand, I've a simple 4*8 that will have two loops, a yard, and some industry. Nothing special, spectacular, of fancy. But giving it a name does make it MINE ya know? I'm going on what I'd like to build someday when I'm a big successful engineer (I better be or I'll be wanting my tuition back ). I've always liked the idea of a long layout between two points. One point would have a lot of industry or maybe even a track getting coal from the Appalachians  with a few towns or industrial stops along the way until the other end, a large harbor scene of sorts, akin to what Hoboken was for both the Lackawanna and the Erie (and of course the Erie Lackawanna) It is actually quite interesting how many small railroads emerged in NJ during the 1800s, most of them carrying the name of one one or two rivers (the Susquehanna and Hudson spring to mind). Though I now live in Georgia, I've often found that the area around there is more beautiful.

More important than having the most realistic layout though, to me, is to have something that makes me happy. That SY 2-8-2 that I love? I love the Locomotive, it was one of the two that I saw my grandfathers footage of as a child. The SY locomotives werent built until the 60's iirc and the Susquehanna, I believe, didn't get 142 until the late 80's or early 90's when they bought it from the valley railroad. How can I run it with older equipment? Because I want to. Thats why.

I've said this before here and I'll say it again, I've loved trains since I was two. My grandfather got me into them with his photos and stories (Getting in trouble for climbing a water tower in a yard with a friend comes to mine). It was steam Locomotives that made me want to be an Engineer. And when that Didn't pan out I settled for being a Mechanical Engineer instead.

There is no doubt that the hobby is nowhere near as ubiquitous as it was before my time. My generation is the Digital one and the newest Generation is even more-so (Seriously, Technology advances so quickly and is becoming so widespread that I, a 19 Year old, have found myself thinking about how the times are changing and how things were different when I was growing up.. How does that even happen...)

Even with the decline though, I hope to be doing this for a long, long time. Eventually sharing it with my own children, Showing them the steam locomotives that enamored me and scolding them for daring to suggest adding a DIESEL (okay, maybe thats a bit harsh). It is thanks to this kind of thing that the hobby can keep going, that people more experienced share their knowledge with those not so.

So, Thanks to all of you for all the help you've given me in the past, and the help you will no doubt give me in the future when I come in with my next big question.

Everyone, thanks for the advice. I did get that link, yes.

I'm not going to start on this just yet for many, many personal reasons, but I've learned that planning and preparing goes a long way. I hope to get around to it this fall, once the craziness has died down here.

I must say, those photos were another occasion where the talent of the modelers here truly astounds me. I'm very Impressed. I suppose I'll have to add weathering to the list of things I should really learn.

The hardest decal to find/do would almost certainly be the number boards on the Locomotive since they are so small but I suppose caution will prevail.

Thanks again for all of your assistance.

Quote from: lirrman on July 23, 2015, 10:40:14 AM
Yes-but the seller identified it as a cab forward so I'm a bit suspicious. I'm going to pass on this but I was hoping to figure out a way of identifying.  Thanks for your help.

A cab forward? Yeah, unless it was some spectacular bargain that would be worth the risk, good call on the pass.

So I wanted to kind of get a feel for what would be required to re-letter my 2-8-0's to the name I've actually given my layout. to that end I had a few questions for the more experienced among us

1. You obviously have to get the OLD lettering off, I've seen many different suggestions, what have you found works
2. What did you use for re-lettering. I've seen things like Alphabet Decal sheets, but that seems A: expensive since you wouldn't use anywhere near the whole sheet and, since the name I'm using has 3 A's and 3 S's that's a minimum of 6 per Locomotive, that's a lot of sheets. and B: Would I really have to line up each letter by eye? How does one even go about doing that.
C: I love white rim Drivers on Steam Locomotives, its not a necessity, but if it could be done, how IS it done.

For the record, the name is Passaic And Hudson.

I've Several steam locomotives but the 2-10-0 and 2-8-2 I'd want to keep in their Susquehanna Lettering as I love the NYSW and it would run in the same general area so, hey, it fits. The 4-4-0 I wouldn't be re-lettering because, to be honest, I only have it since I got it as a replacement from Bachmann. It doesn't fit with the rest of my stuff so I rarely use it. Similar though not as strong situation with my 2-8-4.  The 2-8-0's though are nice looking, good sized, locomotives that would be neat places to start. I'd likely practice on the remains of the IHC 4-6-2 I used as parts for my other 4-6-2 so its not like I'd be jumping in, and besides, I wouldnt be able to really start this for a while anyway. But for now, I wanted to get a feel for what would be needed,

oh, I'm not looking to get one, I've got too many locos to fit on the layout as it is. I just was curious is all. Incidentally, from what I can tell, since the 4-8-0 had its main rod connect to the 2nd axle, not the 3rd, you'd probably be better off flipping the drivers which would free up space for the truck. yeah, it would be a lot of work but I've seen some crazy projects done before! what I would like is back up lights (which can''t be TOO hard, right) and perhaps shorter tenders like the 2-10-0 has. I'd like a lot of things.

Though I'm not brave nor skilled enough to do so, I was wondering if anybody had attempted to make a 4-8-0 from the Spectrum 2-8-0. It looks quite doable. I've always found the 4-8-0's from the N&W to be interesting Locomotives.

My grandfather has a brass camelback, I believe it is a 2-8-0, for the CNJ. The CNJ having had them long after other roads got rid of them since, due to being in NJ only, they didn't have to remove them from service after the ICC ruling.

well, on a hunch I tested the resistance to rolling of the observation car (which has no lights) to the others (with lighting) and the observation one rolls MUCH better. Guess the lighting kit is causing a great amount of the issue. I don't know this freezing trick but I'm pretty sure I can figure it out. I must say... I ran the full set of four earlier behind one of my 2-8-0's... It is a damn handsome train.


One other thing that you guys might find interesting before I let this all go, the layout was how I discovered that my room is not level. See, the table wasn't built for the room, it belonged to my grandfather, then it was mine many years ago, then it went to his storage when I moved to GA, and now its back with me. Anyway, I noticed that my weaker locomotives were slowing to a crawl or even stalling if they were going slow, when going around a certain section of track. More specifically, the curve that leads to the back part of the layout. It Let me tell you, if I though the chuff per revolution dissonance annoyed me off my only sound loco before, this is far worse. Anyway, I had a suspicion I knew why so I set just one car on the back part of the curve, it rolled to the front. Out came the level to confirm, yep, the foundation is higher in the back than towards the front. there is a grade and it is causing my locos trouble. I'm sure if I wanted to go through the process of leveling the track I could, I just don't have the energy to figure that particular thing out atm.

Anyway, just something neat.

Oh I've no doubt it can be done, and I know it was done in real life, but since I really can't fit it on the layout, I see no reason to undertake it. whenever I feel like running it, I just put it on and take it off when I'm done.

The observation car goes unused as i cannot turn it around, I have no room, and it has no read coupler. it also is the only one of the four w/o lights. I assume this was done because the rear truck on the car can swivel 360 so the prior owner didnt want to risk shorts. I assume you are instead referring to the issue Im having on the baggage car. you cannot reach any wires. in these models, the light was done by soldering a wire to the knut atop the screw that held the truck in (inside the car body) which contacted pickups below that brushed the axles. Since I cannot get into the car body, I cannot remedy what I assume is a matter of wire length.

Never heard of the freezing method, may need to attempt it. Getting them open is less about saving the lights (though that would be a nice bonus) and more about fixing the baggage car issue I mentioned, that the trucks have torque applied pushing the wheels against the rail sides. This is no doubt contributing. I may look into new wheels whenever I have money again (whenever that will be) so thats an idea. I'm going to try to clean some of the contacts oxidation. One thing about these cars that I like is that they can go around my inner curve which is just 18 inch radius (though I usually use em on the outer curve), and they can still do that even after I replaced the couplers with shorter ones so the space between cars is reduced to about 5/16", looking FAR better than they did with their stock couplers.

Edit: About the engine house. I got it along with several other buildings (everything you see on there except the model power station and freight platform) as well as some unseen ones for about 15 bucks on ebay. They were in bad shape but I fixed most of them up enough to use them. you'l notice the engine house missing both front doors and a window. still, great price.

Got around to looking at the cars. I didnt see anything in the journals but I cleaned em out anyway. I put a tiny tiny drop if lube in each of the journals before replacing the wheels. They do run better than before (the 2-8-2 can move them now, though there is some wheel slippage) however it isnt nearly as smooth as my other stuff. I donno. I'd like to open them up to work on that botched lighing job but the previous owner glued em shut, prolly with hobby cement. no way to get them open. As for why the lighting is so on and off, the contacts seem heavily oxidized, that may be why.

I got the 4 cars for about 35 bucks including shipping so I cant complain too much