Up close and personal.

When I got to Spokane in 1967 to live here I found that the Parkwater roundhouse had 2 steam engines stored in there. One of them was the little 0-4-0 Minatonka and the other was the 4-4-0 (count the wheels) #684. They are gone now.

Several years ago I purchased this engine in Southern Railway lettering but that would not do as I don't model that road. I wanted to do it in NP #684 lettering so I changed it to what I remembered.

 

It was a well detailed engine with 3 kinds of smokestacks and 3 kinds of fuel, wood, coal and oil. I liked the balloon stack and the wood look so I changed it to what it might have looked like in the late 1880's. Adding some smoke and steam helps the look as well.

 

I got the camera about as close as I could and for it to still shoot the photo. The bridge is neat as well.

 

Reaching over into the scenery gave me another angle that I never shot before and the moose seems displeased with the arrival of this noisy machine.

Passing over a bridge has the crew a little nervous as one derailment could mean doom!

 

 

 

 

Closeups

Since Border Patrol agents don't have enough to do on the Evergreen Railroad they are now keeping an eye on the second biggest threat in the USA. How did he get here?

 

Across the canyon is Mr. Railfan recording history as rumor has it that the mine railroad is considering replacing their steam engines with the environmentally friendly diesels! This guy could also stop useing up food stocks and lose a few pounds!  A better shot for him would be to take a step to his right!

One of Steve Wesolowski's models last week was a group of SP&S wood chip cars that he weathered up.

 

This flat car done by Steve as he described the load was done with individual wood strips using short pieces for the end pieces so the inside is empty. Give him an award with patience!

 

My flat car was done with commercial loads including the steam donkey. The tie downs are two threads

wound around each other and CA glued together to give it a look of cable. Economical over chain?

 

My favorite caboose for the Great Northern is this custom build wood model of a rebuilt box car into a caboose. It worked around Spokane for a number of years before it was dismissed.

 

 

 

 

 

 

Long live the Santa Fe... the original Santa Fe, not the current BNSF version!

The Santa Fe Railroad was a special railroad, especially the Warbonnet painted locomotives. My favorite locomotive was the Alco PA version with the long squared off nose that impressed me so much when I was just a little kid.

 

Last week I brought my Santa Fe collection down to the club but the only ones I put on the tracks was the PAs in an ABB arrangement meaning a A unit had the control cab and the others were just power sets.

 

I took photos at different locations but knowing I will only show one of them in my weekly reports on club activities. Here this one is pacing a competitor on the service road next to the port district.

 

Same spot as an earlier photo but from a high, look down location giving the shot a much different view of the train.

 

Approaching the port district is our grain tower and the service road with lots of tracks showing the

different railroads of the club.

 

Being the Santa Fe used the big Alcos in passenger service the shot is probably at San Diego or Los Angeles stations. Two EMD cab units are also present with their stubby nose characteristics. Makes todays railfanning kind of boring with so much gone.

 

 

Thursday rumblings

After owning this Santa Fe PA passenger set for years I thought I ought to run it on the layout so here it is. These Alcos were once considered honorary steam engines and I agree. When starting the belching smoke would make you agree as well.

 

Old 684 needs a drink of pure mountain water from the water tank on its way up the hill.

Steve Wesolowski brought in this huge auto rack train pulled by BNSF contempory GE units.

 

Steve is gathering video of our layout with his stuff and others to make one heck of a presentation when he gets done.

 

My Union Pacific Gas Turbine shook the rafters again as it made its way just like the real ones did

in Utah with their jet engine sounds.

The Spokane International merger has started as a hand me down caboose is added to the roster. I saw the C20 many times and we also had a steam era caboose owned by Dan Eagle until a hobo started a fire inside to warm himself up and wrecked it.

Tuesday afternoon at Evergreen.

Milwaukee Road steam is still earning their keep of the branch lines across America so this photo proves! The branch lines were not privileged to have overhead wires so steam had to be used until the diesels arrived.

 

Great Northern Fs still rule the rails back in 1950 as steam engines were bring retired for the "modern" diesels of the day.  This set is crossing Bowden Bridge on the Blue line where nary a fish has ever been caught here.

 

Marvin joined the 21st Century with a purchase of a brand new SD70 in BNSF colors with sound no less.

 

Now all those Boeing aircraft bodies will reach their destination on time and out of the river somewhere.

 

My Spokane International RS-1 was doing some switching in the port district with 2 idler flat cars to make the moves so the diesel did not go on the barge itself.

 

Jim picked up this Harley Davidson Bike Shop building and it fit right in the trolley property. Now the trolley system in making a profit with the added income! Thanks Jim!

Calvin returns to the Evergreen!

Snowbird Calvin spent the winter in Arizona and returned to the club this Thursday. Marvin explains what we've done recently to Cal as Marv's Boeing train passes by.

 

New member Steve Wesolowski showed up with more prize winning models with this beauty of an SP&S FA with all the goodies on it. All that's missing is the weathering!

 

My Big Boy was taken out for a spin as Don's Milwaukee Road steam train makes its way over a bridge on the Green branch.

 

Marvin waits for the arrival of his 3 Northern Pacific passenger locos so in the mean time he was

using my freight units to get it over the line.

New member Richard Mewes passes the stock yard recently installed with his UP SD45

John Schwarze entered the action with his Western Pacific set of GEs and EMD power as it cruises

past the port district.

The Milwaukee Road F45s catch up with Steve's SP&S freight. It shows the seperation between the 2 major rail lines we have on the Evergreen. We call it the Blue main in front and the Red main further away. Got any name suggestions for the lines?  The Green branch goes over the top of the Red main.

The Amazing Wesolowski

The Evergreen club had a special visitor this afternoon and Steve brought in some of his prize models to show us what he has been doing. His first offering to show off was this Montana rail Link SD40-2 model in HO.

 

These units get into Spokane from time to time and Steve has the details on his models almost as good as the real ones.

Working headlights, working blinker, extra real chain on the railings, hoses everywhere, lift handles coupler chain, grabs, etc. Nice work!

His next item was this lumber car showing off the tie down cables just like the real ones.

Must have just come form the factory?

Another was this SP&S wood car for wood chips including some that dropped into the girders!

A few MRL empties done very well. Steve should be an inspiration to all of us modelers to reach up to the next level of modeling our favorite railroad items.

I've been working on the railroad!

My latest 3 projects for some of my customers are as follows. I turned this Southern Pacific wide vision caboose into a pretty SP&S model. It's an O scale model and I was able to weather the trucks but that's it!

 

The next project was to make the B unit to look like the factory painted A unit and I think I nailed it. HO model. No weathering as there was another A unit that went with this set and I didn't want them to look out of place.

 

Probably the toughest paint job I ever did was doing this Great Northern 4-8-2 in the Glacier Green paint scheme for passenger service. The white wall tires were a bear to do. I little grey dusting on the drivers and a dull coat after the photo was taken. Next is an NP SD45 remake of the cab.

 

 

Thursday night action...so we must be in Spokane!

Our newest edition to Evergreen is the cattle pens and we are now filling up the place with real cattle! Well almost real. The driveway is nearly complete along with the rail crossing to get into here.

Scotty showed up with an impressive collection of CP locomotives and lots of Canadian grain cars.

 

Keith had a set of SP&S and BN locos on his train including this #2085 that he actually ran the real one on the BNSF.

 

Keith also had his favorite F units pulling a SP&S passenger train through it spaces.

Burt keeps adding more trees to the new forest we are creating towards to back of the layout. here will be a log reloader up there on the flat to get the logs on the trains for the mill.

 

Chuck showed up this evening and ran his Southern Pacific 4-8-2 around with a terrific sound system. Once you go sound you'll never go back to quiet!