Just wondering if anyone is modeling Pan Am Railways. For those of you who don’t know, its a local class II rr in New England. You maybe more familiar with it as the Guilford System. Check the link if you are more interested.
I am going to start a new layout and am tossing a few ideas around. One of the reasons I model the UP in CT is that I am interested in modern railroading and in particular container shipping. Pan Am is in a 50/50 partnership with NS to upgrade the “Patriot Line”, a railway between Albany NY and Boston. Specifically, they are removing 19 obstructions to allow for double stack containers to be shipped in or close to Boston. I might loosely base the layout on the Pt Line or exactly follow a local Plainville Ct yard that they have haven’t decided yet. There is barely any Guilford stuff out there and the stuff that I could find are wrong for their present roster. Pan Am ex-Guilford is currently running mostly GP-40 and SD-40 2’s. So I am going to have to paint engines myself and decal.
So is anyone modeling Pan Am or upgrading their Guilford layout? I see more and more Pan Am loco’s now some are still in Guilford paint, that is becoming more rare. If you are modeling Pan Am what shade of blue are they using?
For container operations, does anyone know what would be appropriate power on the PL line. Seems to me that GP-40 and SD-40’s would be underpowered. Also looking at their roster, a lot of their stuff is ancient history, bought from other RR’s after they where well used. KCS and CN being two of the larger sources of equipment. Would NS provide modern power? Does Pan Am have plans to buy new(er) power to handle this?
Who will interchange with this 50/50 venture for container traffic?
Does Pan Am even have it’s own paint scheme? Some of the locos I have seen in videos of the VT Rail System have locos painted in all sorts of schemes, with a patch somewhere indicating it part of the VT system. You could probably get away with several patch jobs to make it look believeable.
If you are going to the show in Springfield next month, there may be someone doing custom painting with or willing to paint one up for you. Also, there might be someone there from Pan Am that you could ask questions.
Yes Richard, they do have their own paint but have been very very slow to repaint their fleet. Even thought, Guildford bought the name and changed it in 2006, it’s only this year that I have noticed more Pan Am painted locos. There are still old company paint still out there. I guess one at a time in the paint shop with only one painter plus time wasted on the Phase I.
Believe it or not, Lion has posted a pic of their phase II paint. Phase I was a lighter shade of blue and was more reminiscent of the namesake airline’s paint.
Thanks Doughless, I wasn’t aware of the Atlas Loco. Since the layout only exists in my mind I haven’t decided on scale. I don’t even have a spot yet. Need the “landlords” permission. I would lean toward HO as I already have well cars and containers in that scale.
No, you’re not the only one to think about it, but I can’t justify the expense of more locos. After starting with Guilford, I’ve also gone back in time to B&M, MEC and D&H. As much as I like the new PanAm colours, I can’t keep time travelling. I wish I could.
Gilford bought more than the name. They bought the whole darn airline. They brought it out of it’s last bankruptcy, and flew it for a while, but it was a no-go on the routes that they had left, and it was grounded.
Trains (Jan 2010) has an interesting article on the whole thing. (I bought that issue at the news stand because it had a feature on NYP).
I don’t think you need to buy new locos. Pan Am certainly didn’t. Like the prototype, just repaint the locos you have in the phase II Pan Am scheme with some new decals. It will give you a chance to upgrade your modeling skills.
Lion,
Don’t confuse the rail company with the holding company. The airline has now changed into a dealer in airplane spare parts. Interesting to note that the holding company also makes pressure treated rr ties and has a seperate company that recycles them to generate electricity. It is also a real estate company
I’m starting to answer my own question as far as power on the “Patriot Corridor”. Its all over the place. My research on youtube shows NS, UP and BNSF power along with the regular Pan Am power, plus Amtrack can be worked in as well. The thing that might push me over the top is their “Office Car Special” , a two car business train powered by two FP9A’s. What other prototype can you model with high nose GP40’S, FP Power, and the most modern engines out there. Best of all, you are modeling the prototype without any need for some fancy backstory. Sometime truth is stranger than fiction
Some web research suggests “Santa Fe dark blue” or " Bangor and Aroostook blue" as a reasonable match (this is a darker blue than “Missouri Pacific blue”) OR
You can try TCP-169 Pan Am Blue from Tru-Color Paint http://www.trucolorpaint.com/index.php?p=1_2_Paint-Products
Testor/Floquil sell as BAR blue paint.
The trick with this is to get it really shinny. They are always and I mean always washing and waxing the entire train. I actually met the guy who does the cleaning. The good news is once I get the color chosen the paint job is very simple.
Wouldn’t waxing the locomotive (to say nothing of the entire train) be rather difficult given the scale (you know with wax build up in crevices and details)?
Gloss paint as the final finish would work, no?? I do think you have a good solution to the issue of weathering.
HO scale. One boxcar has a DCC EOT like I see in my area. Sometimes I put a tiny red flag in the coupler. I have seen Pan Am do that with short freights in my area.
Pan Am usually runs the locos in reverse heading south toward Springfield, MA and pushing forward when heading back north.
I see this loco on the Conn Line at times in Northampton, MA. servicing a box plant. Sometimes with #352
Mine has DCC/sound.
Once in a while, a couple with Guilford livery. Once in a while, Providence and Worcester. I have seen NW a couple or so years ago.
Thanks for the link and tell Chris thanks for me for the videos. I need to do the thing that must not be named on the forum to more of my rolling stock. I have some but not enough as compared to the vids
