Nick got me wondering… how many of you are modeling Cascade Green in 1:29?
John
ME!!! Here’s what I’m modeling specifically:
BN between 1970-1972 in Western Washington, on two specific subs: 7th Sub (BNSF woodinville Sub) and 8th Sub (BNSF Issaquah) Why 1970-72? I like the early BN years, mix match of paint jobs from NP, GN, CB&Q, SP&S, etc, and the Redmond depot (8th Sub station) was inactive in 1970, but torn down in 72. Because I want to build a model of it that’s what I’m left with.
I’m going to try model these towns: Redmond, Issaquah, Woodinville, Bellevue, Kirkland and some smaller stations. I’m also trying to keep everything is correct scale ie: using #9, and #11 turnouts, not selectively compressing structures, trying to build correct bridges in the correct locations. We’ll see how it goes.
Craig
Wow, Craig…that’s ambitious! I hope you have lots of land available to build it on.
Steve
When I was into HO I was pretty hardcore BN (1980) and am slipping back into it since I have GN/CB&Q and a couple BN units and a few odd ball locos that more than likely will head for the spray booth. Of course decals are always an issue.
I know there are a few of us out there !!
Steve Seitel said:
Wow, Craig...that's ambitious! I hope you have lots of land available to build it on.Steve
I hope some day I do too. Right now our house back in WA is about a 1/3 acre (right now at MSU my land is a small second bedroom!). Not quite enough to build everything I want. Regardless of the amount of room I have (less or more currently) the order of priority to build town sections would be this; Redmond, Woodinville, everything else.
Why Redmond and Woodinville? Redmond is my home town, and I’m working on building a feed store that existed (~6’x7’x4’ actual), besides the feed mill, only a couple of other structures would be needed, the depot, old hotel, and a few buildings between the feed mill and the depot.
I want to model Woodinville because it’s got an amazing wye; 2 industries, a branch line, 3 bridges, a depot, MOW shack all within the single wye.
So I may never model everything that I want too, but I’m dreaming! I know I will have to compromise on curves, and track distances, but it would be nice to represent the actual bridge lengths (if not then selectively compressed bridges). But I’m sticking with my turnouts!
Craig
John,
I think the last unit got painted into BN colors in 1979ish, so you could get away with modeling 1980 and having a few old GN, CB&Q units.
My current roster includes a BN GP9, NP GP9 (which I’m going to patch with a BN), and a F3 AB in NP (also going to patch). Ideally I’d like one more locomotive GN EMD, or SP&S ALCO?
Craig
ahhh C-636 or a C415 haha.
I don’t know how often one of these ugly beasts came west but it would be a fun project! I think most of the Alco’s tended to stay in the Spokane area as SP&S had a loco shop complex there?
(http://www.trainpix.com/bn/ALCO/C636/640X400/4366.JPG)
Craig Edit- It would make for interesting Operation Sessions as 6 axle units weren’t allowed on the Issaquah sub.
You still see some Greens out on the mainline and in the yards.
16 years after the merger with SF.
The other day I saw two cream and green SD 70 Macs in a coal drag, along with Pumpkins.
BNSF isn’t quite as concerned about repaints as BN was. I’ve even seen some old GN, NP woodchip cars in the last 4-6 years. I think most of them got sold, but seeing old NP, and GN paint schemes 30+ years after the merger was quite interesting. Motive power seems to get repainted a little faster. Plenty of BN Green out in the Pac NW! Interbay shops has some old SD9’s (I think I remember seeing at least 1 dual control stand at one point in time) boarded up that are in BN Green. 
Craig
my only Alco’s are my snowplow power set FA/FB in the BN scheme - which never actually made it onto any of the SP&S FA’s.
I would like to see a SW-1500 and an SD-9 some day. Guess I need to play the lotto more often.
My most valued BN item is my complete set of BN motive power annuals.
Craig Townsend said:
I don’t know how often one of these ugly beasts came west but it would be a fun project! I think most of the Alco’s tended to stay in the Spokane area as SP&S had a loco shop complex there?(http://www.trainpix.com/bn/ALCO/C636/640X400/4366.JPG)
Craig Edit- It would make for interesting Operation Sessions as 6 axle units weren’t allowed on the Issaquah sub.
Yeah, the AlCos were limited to Spokane to Portland, the old SP&S route, because the shops were familiar with them and could keep them running.
John Miller said:
my only Alco's are my snowplow power set FA/FB in the BN scheme - which never actually made it onto any of the SP&S FA's.I would like to see a SW-1500 and an SD-9 some day. Guess I need to play the lotto more often.
My most valued BN item is my complete set of BN motive power annuals.
All the BN annuals? Wow! I just got the 1994 annual on inter library loan from my school (MSU) and I plan on scanning as many pages as I can. I wanted the 1994 because it has snow dozer drawings (on my half completed project list). Any good stuff in the annuals that I should know about?
A SD9 would be a nice model to see. If I modeled a little later I think I would make a fuel tender.
Those SW1500’s are still around. I’ve ran quite a few on yard switch jobs (former BNSF engineer 2003-2011). They are great little goats. As soon as you throw the throttle, they respond. Put on some steel brake shoes and you can kick cars all day long. Big difference between a Goat and a SD40-2 trying to kick cars… Okay sorry for the distraction…
Other BN models I would like to see- Steel Wood Chip Hoppers with the end door (not the standard 3 bay hopper w/extensions like the USA model)
Any cabless B unit other then a F unit, the BN seemed to like those for a while.
B30-7, or B32-8
MOW equipment- trucks, on-rail equipment, side dump hoppers, etc (doesn’t have to be BN specific)
BN Snow Dozer
That’s about all I can think for right now. Most of those could be kitbashed, or scratchbuilt in the future. I’ve found that limiting myself to a specific time frame helps because I force myself not to model something out of context. For example I really want to build a Thrall All door boxcar, and have a couple on hand. After looking at the ORER’s of 1970-1972 there was only 1 in 1970, 2 in 1971, and 4 in 1972 that were in service. So if I made a model it would have to only 1 or 2 and at that it wouldn’t be seen on the layout very often. The same thing with centerbeam flats… Oh the joys of trying to do prototypical modeling in large scale.
Craig
Looking at many railroad sites and pictures over the last few years it has often surprised me to see how many fallen flag colors are to still be seen on locos - them being only patched in most cases. Equally lots of fallen flag cars still seem to be around.
Just look at this, sadly faded beauties, history.
http://www.flickr.com/photos/frvr11/6649309803/in/photostream
There’s a “chop nosed” SD9 running around the Yardley yards in Spokane from time to time. Every time I see it, I’m sans a camera.
(http://freightsheds.largescalecentral.com/users/jebouck/bnsd9.jpg)
I still haven’t forgiven them for making the GN, NP and the SP&S Fallen Flags.
And, no, I won’t get over it! 
Steve, I agree. There is an article in this months Trains about some railfans catching a SP GP60 outside of Baltimore and the excitement of chasing them down, reminded me of a time all not that long ago. Can’t stop progress… BNSF, CSX, NS, UP, Walmart, Home Depot and Lowes.
Even though I am a stones throw from Cajon Pass, I rarely railfan anymore since there is next to no diversity. So I will stick with the BN of 1980 in my head. Craig is a few years behind me, but close enough!
John
What’s funny is that I grew up in the 90’s watching BN SD40-2’s rolling down the mainline all the time, but yet that’s not what I wanted to model.
Craig
Hey Craig, I noticed from your earlier post you where an Engineer for BNSF. My son-in-law is a conductor for BNSF and finished his Engineer school this last summer. So do you still work for the railroad?
Chuck
Chuck,
I left BNSF this summer after 8 years (6/13/03-8/2/11) to go back to school and get my masters degree in History. I tried to get a leave from BNSF, but they didn’t want anything to do with that. It was a fun job, but it’s more like a lifestyle. I had decent engineer seniority (I was able to hold switch jobs as an engineer most of the time on nights) but I gave it all up. If I ever hire back with a RR all of my past 8 years of service gets credited towards retirement, so I didn’t really lose anything, other then seniority. I couldn’t and still can’t see myself working for the RR for 42 years (hired out at 18, can’t retire until 60!). I learned a lot about RRing, and can apply towards modeling. But they say “Once a rail, always a rail” so it’s kind of in my blood now, I guess?
Craig