Hi all,
I’ve noticed that not many people model a shortline. If your interested in the aspect of kitbashing locos and interesting scenery, check out this website:
http://southcapecoast.org/SouthCapeCoast/Home.html
I model Cape Cod, and a mixture of south eastern Massachusetts. We have weekly videos about the life of modeling a somewhat small and obscure shortline, so check it out!
Here is our latest video:
Thanks for the links. Some neat ideas and very clean engines.
Joe
WOW, very clean indeed. maybe I should model that short line. I just can’t bring myself to put graffiti on my beautiful new equipment.
Thanks for the video as well
Derek
I know, after I finish a job It’s hard to put graffiti or lots of rust on a nice paint scheme.
The prototype line today (Mass Coastal Railroad) actually keeps their motive power surprisingly shiny. Even their painted rolling stock. I’ve noticed that trend with many shortlines.
OK, that’s enough talk about graffiti. That subject is taboo here.
I like that, it really shows pride in ownership unlike some other lines in the Hartford area that I could name.
But Jeffery said no more on the taboo subject ,
Jeffrey said no more graffiti… but he uses a sharpie on his locomotives… and everyone knows after the rattle can, a graffiti guy LOVES a sharpie! That’s funny!
Back in April 1999, I worked for the Cape Cod Central fixing up some of the ex-LIRR coaches that we had. We were fixing them up in the Quincy Shipyard as the owner of the Cape Cod Central was also the owner of the Quincy Bay Terminal. When the cars moved to Hyannis, I didn’t think the job was worth the 70 mile commute at $10 per hour (and then I heard it was reduced to $7). [B)]
At any rate, we had 10 ex-LIRR coaches. They were all P-S smoothside coaches with 3-2 seating and round “porthole” vestibule door windows. Three of these coaches were put into tourist service that summer, painted dark red with yellow trim. The power was a pair of ex-CN M420’s, eventually painted in a dark red, gray and yellow scheme. Yard power was the QBT S-4, still painted QBT colors (MEC Harvest Gold & Forest Green). There was also an ex-CN diner and two ex-BAR kitchen cars. These cars, AFAIK, were never used. The three ex-LIRR coaches are still in use today. The engines and other cars are all long gone, IIRC.
The old “Cape Codder” Amtrak train was almost always crewed by a long-time engineer named Herbie Clark (since deceased). He hired on the New Haven in 1951, and retired from Amtrak as the No. 1 by seniority engineer of all of Amtrak in 1996. Herbie had a summer place on the Cape, so it never bothered him to operate the train to Hyannis and layover for the weekend. And since he was so senior, he could bid and get the job whenever he wanted. I knew Herbie through the NHRHTA, and he had a number of stories to tell. His son is an Acela engineer.
The RS-3m on your layout was called “Lulubelle” by the crews on the Cape. The radiators did her in.
Paul A. Cutler III
I remember Lulubelle. Great engine. I miss that engine, it would have been nice if that engine was salvaged. I hear it also had freight car wheels, and an abysmally low horse power of 1200. #1502 went as well. Currently building 1502 out of a Proto 2000 gp7 to go with 1201. 
Just got word that rail service is RETURNING to Cape Cod this summer!!! for real this time, I think. They’ve even named the train the Cape Cod Flyer. $30 round trip, with food drink, wifi, etc. From Boston to Hyannis. Stops at all points in between. Uses the MBTA cab cars and comet cars, and is made possible with Mass Coastal’s/Iwoa Pacific holdings merge. [tup]
The Narragansett Bay and Navigation Railroad is an On30 (I think) modular group in the Free-Mo tradition. Their focus is also on Cape Cod. The layout is a beautiful setting of old steamers running alongside sand dunes. It’s the highlight of my visits to the Springfield show in January.
This week’s video is up! I review a hornby product this week: