With Standard Time right around the corner (for most of us anyway), we are “officially” in
“train mode”.
That said, what is running on your layout, right now ??
On my main track is a 8600 MPC 4-6-4 “baby” Hudson, one of my favorite MPC era engines.
The elevated track has a RailKing Chessie System/B & O F-3 AA set. This engine was finally put back into running shape, thanks to numerous forum “helpers”, a bottle of liquid electric tape, and some help from another bottle named Jack Daniels (LOL).
as I type this our year old cat ! imperial rk big boy ps 2 k-4 and 3rd rail 260 and lionel legacy gs-4 oh the bb just chased cat threw the mth hellgate wow what a scene wish I had it on tape! cbq
Outer loop - recent release of Lionel Texas Special and a TMCC rocket launching locomotive pulling a variety of postwar cars on the theme of ‘Lionel cars that launch things’.
Middle loop - Williams GP9 in NYC lightening stripe livery pulling Lionel NYC streamline passenger cars.
Inner loop - MPC era NW GP9 pulling an assortment of MTH, postwar and recent Lionel freight cars. A #600 switcher and track cleaning car are parked on a siding here too.
All my trains are on the layout. On the main lines ready to roll (if there wasn’t so much dust) There is a K-line Allegheny with 30 or so hoppers on the upper outside loop, a Lionel U-36B with mixed freight on the upper inside loop and a Santa-fe FT A-B-A with passenger cars on the lower loop.
Lionel Chessie GP 30 with Dummy with TMCC and RS5.0
And a bunch more are parked ready to go including the Lionel GG 1. My track plan enables me to run and park several trains at once. The most I have ever ran at one time is five and the cruise control makes it all work.
-Thomas with Annie and Clarabel on his branch line. -James pulling the Express (a set of Santa Fe streamliners that match his color) -Percy pulling six troublesome trucks and a home-made brake van. -#520 with a train of the rest of the Thomas freight cars - a gon, flat (though carrying a clockwork mechanism from a Rail Zepp) and the rest I can’t rightly recall. On the sidings ready to go is the #248 and its passenger cars, the now-powered Rail Zepp, a #41 US Army switcher and five Reading ore cars, a long Marx tin-plate train of tankers and hoppers, and a smattering of other cars. I can run four trains at once using conventional control.
At this moment a N&W 2-8-8-2 (mth railking) is getting ready to leave a Lionel pre-war coaling tower with a load of coal hoppers. While on the narrow gauge line (s gauge) an American Flyer 4-4-0 general pulls into the coaling tower to unload its hoppers.
I really like these threads. Right now I’ve got a 2025 on the outer loop pulling a 6461 transformer cars and a cut of 6464 boxcars. A 6417 caboose is bringing up the rear.
On the inner loop, I’ve got an MPC era 2-4-2 starter set engine pulling 5 billboard reefers and a Penn Central starter set SP caboose. Been buying MPC reefers lately; the decoration is really good, and the prices are great.
Jwse30 - It seems to be a small world. My son and his wife are living in Hobart. I’ll give you a heads up next time we head up that way. Maybe we could meet for a sandwich or something.
On the main line my newly aquired 2354 NYC F3 A-A set pulling postwar streamlined cars, on the inner loop my 736 pulling my collection of soda box cars, cant remember them all I know I had my pepsi and Dr. pepper ones in there.
] I have some serious cleaning to do.