M10000 Enters Portland

Debut of Union Pacific M10000.
1 minute, ambient sound. Notice new Union Station Clock Tower signs.



Also HD version video here

Original 1996 OWNRy video

Thanks to Al Lowe up in Seattle who took this old Video back in 1996, we have an archive of my original layout in Kirkland, WA/ Actually not original which was on a 5x9 plywood but that is a different story. This video was taken during a local NMRA layout tour. Mark Bridgwater can be heard on the video discussing theautomated layout during video. THe train control I used was Jocotek which ran on Win 3.1 (they never upgraded to Win 95 which is why I abandoned it for DCC when I moved. The Jocotek system used analog cab block forwarding and routing to set up automated train control so I could program a route the train over a particular route. it would run around, turnouts would turn. it would stop and start. In the video I was running 3 or 4 trains at the same time, all automated. Wouldn't that be neat today on the layout? Actually pretty neat and you can see the bluff scenery is similar to current Pasco side of layout representing Eastern WA. first scene opens with a little branch line scene unfinished. you will see some buildings that currently reside on layout. I gave many away to UNW buddies before I left.
The large yard represented Pasco, my main yard. The bridge is Joso bridge and it was given to Mark Bridgwater who incorporated it in a scene on his Feather River layout. it ran through a tunnel to the family room where I had a reverse loop staging yard. Oh, yes, here is the link

real men ballast their tracks

Spent last week with Jim Younkins here working on layout in between operating sessions elsewhere.

Jim took some photos and posted on Picasa (click here for album)

More work on details and checking out track and turnouts for proper electrical and functioning.

Also here is some shots of "before and After"

remember, "real men ballast their tracks"

Twitter is cool!!

I have a twitter account (kentwilliams) which you can follow if you want. I subscribe mostly to interesting digerati because they sometimes say cool things. Twitter is becoming more mainstream though. I also now subscribe and read Lance Armstrongs twitters, among others.

recently I subscribed to Pete Carroll (USC football coach) and Steve Sarkisian UW coach). Pete noticed and actually sent me a real tweet. I knew I would like this guy even if I am a lifelong Husky. See photo..

FM - H 15-44's

Was railfanning the owNry and saw these UPRR H15-44's today on the southbank of Columbia River. Pulling an MOW train. Amazing considering only 35 units were built for American railroads.

From Wikipedia:

The FM H-15-44 was a road switcher manufactured by Fairbanks-Morse from September, 1947–June, 1950. The locomotive was powered by a 1,500-horsepower (1,100 kW), eight-cylinder opposed piston engine as its prime mover, and was configured in a B-B wheel arrangement mounted atop a pair of two-axle AAR Type-B road trucks with all axles powered. The H-15-44 featured an offset cab design that provided space for an optional steam generator in the short hood, making the model versatile enough to work in passenger service as well as freight duty.

Raymond Loewy heavily influenced the look of the unit, which empasized sloping lines and accented such features as the radiator shutters and headlight mounting. The cab side window assembly incorporated "half moon"-shaped inoperable panes which resulted in an overall oblong shape. The platform (underframe) was shared with F-M's 2,000-horsepower (1,500 kW) end cab road switcher, the FM H-20-44, as was the carbody to some extent. The platform and carbody was also utilized by the H-15-44's successor, the FM H-16-44.

No H-15-44 is thought to exist today in any shape or form.

Truckee station on Timber Creek RR

operated tonight at Gordon Briggs' Timber Creek RR. Proto 48 layout.




here is a shot at Truckee Station. SP freight coming through the yard.

Rebuilding West Portland Depot track

Time to rework Portland Depot tracks. Currently we have a depot siding next to station and then mainline then huge freight yard with industries, engine terminal and coach yard. Need to add a way for Inbound Shasta Daylight to get over to station so passengers can disembark or get on train without crossing mainline. In addition, need to improve ability of yard goat to exchange head end express/baggage cars and rear end pullman/diners on the passenger trains.

I have extended the west depot track switch to Willbridge crossing and added a spur long enough to handle 80 ft passenger car and 4 axle locomotive as you can see in lower right. In addition I am adding a 3-way switch at the freight yard throat capable of routing traffic to main or, through a double slip, over to the depot track. Recently, "Fast Tracks" has produced a jig for both of these turnouts that enable switches to be built with code 55 rail.

More soon.

Fast Flying Virginian (FFV) 10 minutes

Shasta Daylight

HO Version

Snow removal in Columbia Gorge

While you have had a lot of fun the past 2-3 weeks iwht snow up in Pacific NW, we have had our fun here on the OWNRy also. Photos here.

Best wishes for a more prosperous and fun 2009!!