Large Scale Central

The Good, The Bad & The Ugly

General Discussion
#1

I’m groggily writing this post from my desk at work.

Today I awoke to torrential rain. The 19th rainy day out of 28 this month. HEY this is NEW ENGLAND, not WASHINGTON STATE. Boat has been in the water for over a month, but has only seen about 4 hours of use due to bad weekends. Thats the bad and with only 4 hours of sleep last night, when I looked in the mirror this morning I saw the ugly.

The reason I only got 4 hours sleep is that my son and I put in our second night of railfannming this week, getting home last night just before 2 AM. Monday we sat for over an hour to be able to chase a special move on the Housationic Railroad of two GE 44 Tonners coming up to the Danbury Railway Museum from a donation by General Dynamics / Electric Boat in Groton, CT. The 44 Tonners were towed by a vintage GP-9 in a consist with a half dozen empties as part of the regular train NX-10. After NX-10 dropped the switchers off at the museum, we attempted to chase them North to New Milford, CT but somehow the train unexpectedly got ahead of us and we lost them.

Tuesday we decided to go meet the nightly stone train of the Providence & Wooster, CT-2, that delivers full hoppers of crushed stone to the Tilcon Stone Plant in Danbury, CT. This is the same operation I’ve posted about several times. As we approached our waiting spot we heard the Housatonic NX-10 doing their brake test for the run North from Berkshire Junction. They were in communication with P&W CT-2 who was proceeding West toward Berkshire junction. What Luck :slight_smile: The 2 trains were going to be in the same area at the same time. We had a hard time deciding which train to chase and finally decided to catch the loaded stone train from a new spot near a road underpass. 4 GE Engines and 30 loaded stone hoppers make quite a racket when your 10 feet away!

We moved to another favorite spot, under I-84 where it crosses the tracks to watch the switch move from the rear power of the train. Another noisy spot chosen for just that reason :smiley: There was a lot of chatter on the radio between the two trains, and fun poking at the inexperienced Housatonic crew who was having radio problems and the ground man not knowing his light signals. We decided to leave CT-2 and see if we could catch NX-10’s Northbound run. We timed it perfectly and crossed the tracks just behind the train as it accelerated from its final empty pick-up. The road North parallels the tracks for many miles and we were able to keep pace along side the engines (at 11 MPH) for nearly the entire run North. We waited patiently as thy attempted to make one final empty pick-up, but gave up because of the radio problem and no visibility to the end of the train. They left their train on the main (normal procedure) for later pick-up by another train, and ran their power light to the New Milford station where we watched them tie up for the night.

If today hadn’t been a work day, we might have waited for the Southbound (NX-12 I think) to arrive with fresh loads for today and to take the empties back North for interchange with CSX at Pittsfield, MA.

That was the good :slight_smile: :smiley:

JR

#2

Jon

The weather sure is doing some strange things as you have our rain and we have the desert’s high heat here in Portland Oregon. Last few days we hit 102 which extremely broke old records.

Cheers,

#3

Jon,

Sounds like a good use of time. Probably doesn’t feel that way about now. If nothing else, these will be great memories of “time with Dad.”

Darryl,

We’ve been watching your weather and quite shocked by those high temps. Didn’t even have an idea it could get that hot in your part of the World. Though we had an extremely hot late Spring with temps and humidity hitting in the high 90’s, the last couple of days have been high 70’s low 80’s and quite pleasant. We had an evening sail last night that dreams are made of - Just enough breese and a beautiful sunset.

Always interesting to watch the weather when you know people in areas that are being impacted. Try to stay cool.

#4

Go figure ?

In the morning news rag it said in the surrounding Portland area that there were 30,000 AC units sold in the last week !! Little too late as the high has came down to the low 80’s …

Time to buy shares-stock of AC manufactures ?

Ice and cold bheer on hand, bring on that bad ol’ weather again…I can take it… Hey honny turn down the AC another notch…

#5

<Today I awoke to torrential rain. The 19th rainy day out of 28 this month. HEY this is NEW ENGLAND, not WASHINGTON STATE.>

I would give anything (Well almost :slight_smile: ) for some rain. We’ve hit close to a hunnert every day for the last three or four days, with no end in sight. But that’s Eastern Wa for yuh. My central air is finally paying for itself. :slight_smile: :slight_smile:

jb

#6

Hey … the 44 Tonners going to the Danbury museum… is one of those the 0800, formerly of the Valley RR (ex LIRR #400?)

If so, how long are they going for, or is this a permanent move? If so, what happened?

Matthew (OV)

*** Edit: Whoops. Read that wrong. Thought originally you’d said they were coming from the CT Eastern museum… nevermind.

*** Further edit: That GP-9 wouldn’t happen to be the old Connecticut Central one, would it?

#7

Today’s Date = 6/29 Days with Rain = 20 Today’s Forecast: Severe Thunderstorms with heavy rain

At 8:30 AM EDT it’s still dark outside my office window. I though light related depression was a wintertime affliction :frowning:

On a brighter note, we did see the sun yesterday afternoon for a few hours. I managed to get another cement pour done on a flood control project at WALK. At least all this rain has proved my efforts there have been productive. I’ll do a new thread detailing the project when it’s done.

Matthew -

I don’t know the origin of the 44 tonners prior to General Dynamics / Electric Boat. I don’t think either one is from the Valley RR. Isn’t that one an older side-rod version? At least one, perhaps both are operational. They were a gift to the museum from GD.

The GP-9 is the HRRC 1802, formerly P&W 1802 and still in P&W colors with the name painted out. According to my roster info, it is the ex CC #53.

JR

#8

Ah, well then, I was one for two … rode that locomotive from Middletown to Cedar Hill and back, before it had gone from SP gray to CCCL blue … and through the “shoofly” grade crossing across Rt 66 by Palmer Field in Middletown… required MPD to block the street both ways because stopping would have been … well, bad, given the grade you’d then have to go up in either direction to get out!

The ex VRR 0800, which is also ex LIRR #400 is currently at the Conn. Eastern museum in Willimantic (originally when I read your post, I thought you were talking about a move from the CT Eastern to the Danbury RR museum, having misread the bit about General Dynamics), and is not a side rod locomotive… it’s a four motor 400 horsepower (well, as built it was…) 1956 GE 44 tonner … and last I knew, only one of its prime movers worked, the other having died at the abrupt end of its career at the VRR. The side rod you’re thinking of, I think, is a 45 Tonner, very like the Bachmann one (albeit with the low hoods instead of the Bachmann’s high ones) and is at the RMNE in Thomaston, which is the new location of the old CVRM (which was originally the driving force behind the one in Essex … so it’s all related.) but was acquired after the move away from Essex.

The two General Dynamics locos are, I guess, new arrivals on the museum scene … though their next door neighbor from Pfizer is now Valley RR 0901, an 80(?) tonner that 's supposed to be the oldest operating centercab … well, anywhere local at least. The 0900 which is their primary diesel is a 90 tonner is the one that came from the Berkshire Scenic (the old one, in Lee, MA.) That one uses parts from ex US Army 7145, which has what’s left of it in the Valley RR south yard. The Army 44 tonner #7926 (which is also down to one prime mover/one truck went to the Conn. Trolley Museum in East Windsor (Warehouse Point) some years ago, and from what I’ve heard they’ve got it running, sort of, on its good engine and one truck.

I think that accounts for most of the available center cabs in CT, and then some… though Tilcon Wallingford has a near twin to the 0900 that I think used to belong to the New Haven … not sure on that one.

Matthew (OV)

Matthew (OV)

#9

Matthew -

I’m impressed with you knowledge of the center cabs in CT :smiley:

Tell me more about the museum in Thomaston. I took a side trip there 2-3 weeks ago on a weekday. Of course they were closed. I could wander around the station building, but didn’t see much of the collection. It’s mostly stored elsewhere, yes? I’d love to see that 45 tonner.

Jon

#10

I don’t know as much about the RMNE as I probably should.

I can tell you they have in their collection NH 529, ex …well, NH 529, an RS-3 that (last time I knew) was servicable. They have ex NH 2525, which is a U25-B … last time I saw either of these pieces they looked GREAT … though I think they may have had some generator issues with the 2525. They’ve got a center cab 45 Tonner with siderods, and a string of coaches … I think they’re also working on an FA-1 that was once a LIRR power car, and may have been NH before that … and some other stuff. I’ve never actually been on the property, but my understanding is they keep the stuff someplace other than the station at which you board the actual train trip…

So… having de-expertized myself, check out www.rmne.org … it appears they’ve recently updated the works, and you can see and read a lot about them.

The RMNE also owns a bunch of stuff in less good repair in a fenced in yard off Bokum Rd in Old Saybrook … it was here that a month or so ago, kids broke in and burned a WWII troop sleeper and damaged a “washboard” car … and a bunch of paper artifacts inside. They’ve also got an EF-4 hidden away back there, and a couple of switch engines (The EF-4 is supposedly the prototype for Bachmann’s HO one…) You can’t see much from the street at that location.

The RMNE was formed by the “movers and shakers” of the old CVRM … there was a lot of politics involved, but the short story is that the CVRM was the outfit that originally restored and reopened the first parts of the Valley line, and formed the Valley Railroad Company to run the now iconic steam train and riverboat there. Over the years the “company” and the “museum” headed toward different objectives (one being preservation and display, and the other being more toward operations and revenue) and consequentally the museum eventually departed, and reinvented itself as the RMNE in Thomaston… one notable difference is as far as I know, the “new” museum tends to focus more on New Haven history, artifacts, and material, and not at all on steam, while the new “company” is less about preservation and display than operating a solvent railroad ‘attraction’ and is still geared toward steam operations.

Matthew (OV)

#11

Jon Radder said:
Matthew - I’d love to see that 45 tonner. Jon

Well, here 'tis.

#12

Okay Guys -

What is that under the horn, in front of the exhaust stack and with the American Flag attached to the front edge of it. It looks like a square box, 6 inches thick on edge with holes in it??? Maybe some type of filter???

#13
Ric Golding said:
Okay Guys -

What is that under the horn, in front of the exhaust stack and with the American Flag attached to the front edge of it. It looks like a square box, 6 inches thick on edge with holes in it??? Maybe some type of filter???


That is the Mark I Mod A CIWS, commonly called the bottle rocket, a forerunner of todays Sparrow Close In Wepons System, rockets that go out and attack the bad guy…

hmmm… not buyin that, huh.

OK. I dunno, what is it? Sure looks like some sort of rocket launcher, though, doesn’t it?

madwolf

#14

You can see there’s one on each engine, and just about where the air intake is located up top. The back side of the box is solid, and there’s a latch arrangement that would allow you to change out the filter part inside … I would guess the engine air filter guess is accurate. Besides … if it’s missiles, you’d only be able to defend the engineman’s side … oh, wait, maybe that’s the point!

#15

Thanks Matthew.

It doesn’t look like it would be a major job to detail the Dizzie to look just like this guy. I’ve got 2 new ones still in the shipping boxes waiting for some time to do something with them. I still think the roof line on the Bachman is a bit odd, as compared to most of what’s out there anyway.

Jon

You didn’t say where this guy lives. I didn’t see it or the RS-3 (?) at the station in Thomaston.

#16

Well, from what I can find in captioning the yard’s in Waterville (Waterbury end) and this seems to be where that thing lives, along with a bunch of other stuff. Oh … as to the roofline: Most of the 45 Tonners you see in museums, etc. are refugees from military and industrial service and were built in the 40’s. This gives you the flat deck, and the low hoods that you’re used to seeing on this type of locomotive. The Bachmann model is from the mid 50’s (and actually, up into the present time) where the carbody was the same for everything from standard gauge on down, only the trucks changed size for the needs of the railroad buying the locomotive … and the high hoods like you see on the model became standard. Some “real world” examples:

Now, while these are all standard gauge examples, you can see that sliding in two 36" gauge trucks (assuming you could find some) would not be a huge deal. Incidentally for a good study in these locomotives, see: http://www.northeast.railfan.net/diesel132.html Note that in all cases, this locomotive is HUGE compared to the draft truck 45 (or therabouts) tonner locomotives that you’ll see on some of the surviving 36" gauge railroads … many of these were designed with tiny carbodies or specially modified cabs to get in or out of tight places, or draft trucks to take REALLY tight curves … the Bachmann 45 is a model of a MUCH bigger (bodywise) locomotive. The difference is often made up in weight (look at deckplate thickness, extra steel on trucks, and still more metal weight where you don’t see it right off… so you can have several different size 45 tonners, or an 55 and a 65 tonner, or an 80 and a 90 tonner that look exactly alike to most folks.) Matthew (OV)

#17

“Draft Trucks”? Is that is what is on the EBT M-7?

This is a great thread. I’m still wanting to convince Don Niday to create some standard gauge trucks for this unit. He hasn’t said a flat out “NO”. :wink:

#18

“Draft Trucks” … meaning that the coupler’s attached to the truck, not the body of the locomotive. The M-7 has this, as do the assorted GE locomotives at the MNGRR and Edaville, the ex Oahu centercabs most recently of GLW, the ex EBT engines at the D&SNGRR … and the monsters from US Potash:

http://narrowmind.railfan.net/NG_Diesels/USP-GE70T-CC-(7).jpg (sorry, doesn’t like the link, but cut/repaste works.)

And you thought we just argued about it in the model world … :slight_smile:

Oh … and if you really want one in standard gauge, I think Barry Olsen made some axle extenders at one point … at any rate, it’s been done; there were photos awhile back of someone who’d widened it out, and replaced the siderods with journals (which in a prototype sense would take you from two traction motors to four, along the lines of the more modern 44 tonner…) On the model this means moving the wheels out a scale 10.25 inches on each side, and modifying the sideframes (and if you’re brave, siderods, cranks, etc.) to fit.

** Finally: Jon, this seems to have departed from your original “CT railfanning in the deluge” topic … didn’t mean to hijack you!

#19

Thanks Matt,

I had never heard what that type of truck was called. I doubt if Jon will mind finding out more info on a piece of EBT gear.

#20

Hey , chaps ,
Scratch building two sets of sideframes for a standard gauge job is not difficult you know . Look at my model railbus in "modelling " , it has a scratch built front bogie which took all of a day to build from strip brass , nuts bolts and spare springs . The bogie is properly equalised and the springs work as on protypes . If you don’t try , you will never know , will ya ? It follows general practise , not an exact prototype .
Mike