Now it looks like the BNSF is doing the trespassing on the Evergreen Railroad property.

Not one but two sets of powerful locomotives from the mighty BNSF make their way across the mountains of the Evergreen Region.  Evergreen

Security better check on their Green cards, environmental impact, calorie intake and mental health!

 

We checked this guy out and he passed all the tests so far. Steve Weso does video recording of

Steve Ray's train so we can look forward to more viewing enjoyment!

 

Marvelous Marvin had his Boeing Airplane bodies on the rails praying that they can make it through Montana before they become seaplanes again.

 

Scotty Smith had these large UP diesels in charge of a 39 car coal train and what a sight it made

winding through the entire layout last night. No coal dust was found after it passed.

 

Brand new to the club was Janis Ledum and Rod Huffman's commuter train called the Sounder. They are

the trains that serve the needs of the Washington State that live along the coast of Pudget Sound.

 

The Milwaukee Road is always represented by Don Carnegie but this time he includes the #156 Bi-centennial,

a standard U boat and in the middle is a Erie Lackawanna Bi-centennial in red, white and blue as well.

Colorful? Different? Believeable? Don has an answer! After all it's what you make it. But would

Colin Capernick stand for it as it passed? Probably not.

 

Old friend and visitor gets track priviliges on the Evergreen!

Steve Ray and me, back in 1980, joined the old River City club some 36 years ago in the Spokane Valley,

paid us a visit today and ran his special train on our tracks. He's the one with the black shirt while Steve

Weso, Greg Domme and young Eliam watch as his train starts up hill.

 

 

 

Steve nails the Paloue River & Coulee City 3651 almost to a tee. The yellow safety stripes may have

been added to this engine after the photo was taken. Railroad was located west and south of Spokane.

Amazing capture of the prototype.

 

Typical of shortlines they switch power from one line to another depending on traffic, repairs,

etc. to help a sister railroad out of a jam. The 799 is owned by the same entity but different location.

 

Steve did his own decals for this private car and he had 6 or more of these cars on his train.

 

The PCC served a large grain growing region so grain cars are the norm.  Thanks Steve, for sharing this with us!

 

 

Project Grandson

Hi Guys,

Making foam look like a mountain side.

A grand mother from Spokane wants a 2 foot by 4 foot portable display

made for her grand son who has Dept. 56 collection

and wanted me to build one for him. This is how I did it. Jerry

 

From: Karen Lindberg

Sent: Thursday, October 13, 2016 2:27 PM

To: Jerry Quinn

Subject: Re: Project Grandson

 

This looks amazing!  You are the best!  I can't wait for my grandson to see this masterpiece.  He will be so excited.

I am not able to meet you on Friday but can do it any day next week except Friday.  Please give me a call so we can discuss.

If I bring you the snow can you glue it on for me?  Also, are you going to be able to drill some holes for the electrical cords? 

Thanks, and I look forward to talking to you.  Karen 

 

On Thu, Oct 13, 2016 at 12:19 AM, Jerry Quinn <Jerry@signalsigns.com> wrote:

Hi Karen, Here are a few of the steps I took to get the platform for the eight Dept. 56 buildings.

Figuring out how to do the hillside to accommodate the buildings and allowing a road/trail to connect

all of the buildings to make it believable. I started with 2 " dense blue foam and had it cut with a

bandsaw.

 

I then cast the plaster molds to allow pieces of the detail to be glued to the blue foam and then I

connected them with spackle. Several steps were used in the coloration of the rocks.

I also used my "oatmeal" formula of 2 kinds of insulation, glue, and water to make the contours

for the roadways or the ramps to get to each level. Side panels were also installed.

 

Finally I added ground cover and grey gravel to tie everything together. I purchased 2 handles to make

it easier to move from one place to another because of its size and bulk. If I remember right you said

you had snow to make it a winter scene so we need to glue the snow on if that is your direction.

I will have it at the ad agency at 727 West Garland this Friday afternoon if that fits your schedule.

I hope you and your grandson have lots of pleasure when you complete it with the structures, trees

and people.  Jerry Quinn 939-5845.

 

 

Leftovers anyone?

The Northern Pacific lives on with our models, memories and fondness with several members of the Evergreen. This set of SD45s passes our oil

industry on the back side of the club layout. Not bad for a iphone camera photo?

 

New to the hobby are these aged BN locos with the faded look. All that is needed is a little grimy

black and some rust colors? Anyone know how to do that?

 

This one is new to me as I never saw this car before. The new way to ship metal coils protected from

the weather and such, the brackets on top is for stacking the tops when they are unlading the coils.

 

My Spokane International train passes a government road project that has taken 4 years so far and they

are still not finished with the project. I see the trucks in the background still waiting to get through!

 

Jim Bowden and Marvin Sheppard watch as a potential customer checks out the deals on the table

at the Spokane Train Show this past Sunday.

 

A contrast in history s an aged steam engine still works the Green Branch while the Red Main gets

to have SI locos work upgrade past Beaver Canyon.

 

 

Open house proves to be fun night.

 

 

Saturday Night and the place was hopping with new stuff like a 15 car Great Northern passenger train in Big Sky Blue. That was Keith Wiles

contribution to the evening while Jim Bowden had his two beautiful Eastern Canadian Alcos pulling a freight train.

 

New member Robert Case had a new BN GP30 as his first power unit crossing Bertley Bridge.

 

Marvin added a chip to my forth RS-1 so we added that to my consist passing Bakersville.

 

Marvin's pride and joy is his MRL passenger train just like the real one that came to Spokane about a year ago.

 

Jim Bowden also ran this Great Northern 4-8-4 and not only is it gorgeous and it was putting out a neat smoke

pattern as well.

 

We had about 40 guests over the 4 hours of our open house but without media coverage we don't

get the crushing numbers that it becomes standing room only. These kids seemed impressed.

Big weekend at the Evergreen!

I will be running 3 of these RS-1 in Spokane International colors during our open house Saturday night with a set of UP work train equipment.

I painted this loco!  We all hope you will stop in!

 

Jim Bowden has these Santa Fe units for his passenger train set.

 

There are the 3 units for the SI that have a UP work train to tow.

 

Marvin will surprise us as to his train but this one is a favorite of mine with 4 SD45's in the lead.

 

Clean are a whistle Canadian Pacific power on our layout but it seems the real ones never get washed!

 

I think I'm showing favoritism showing my RS-1s on the move passing the port district where Cobbleton

connects with the world with barge service to the outside of the Evergreen Empire.

 

 

....and these are my friends!

 

 

 

 

 

The Big Weekend starts with the big night at the Evergreen!

Three photos to a limited amount of names on this e-mail as the computer keeps me in denial as the

message, photos or list is too large. Anyway we start at 5 pm on Saturday and go to 9 pm with our

open house to show off our layout to the public. Some of us plan to be there around 4 pm to get ready.

Sunday is a gathering at IHOP on E. Sprague at 7 am for breakfast before heading over to the train show.

See you there! Jerry

 

 

 

Oil cars heading back for another drink

 

Two Dash 9 GE locomotives rated at 4400 hp each has a spacer car between them and the oil tank cars for safety in case something goes wrong and

they would have more of a chance to get away from  the inferno. In the distance there is another unit pushing to help keep the couplers from too much

stress and brake apart. The engineer runs that one from the front unit as there is no crew member in the rear cab.

 

I saw this one crawling towards Pines Road eastbound and it was easy getting into position to shoot

him at Irvin Bridge across the Spokane River. The trees seem to help the view.

 

This set is a lowly pair of Geeps doing switching on Railroad Avenue in the Valley! The BNSF merger

was in 1995 and still the BN colors are still going strong even though the lettering may not be.

The ditch lights work! But where are the ditches?

 

 

Hoboken ... part 2

 

 

 

I think this is ground zero where the lady from Brazil was killed by falling debris from the accident.

It was on track 5 so we are standing at danger close.

 

There's Kent, my brother Ed and Burt walking into the station with one of the new engines to the right.

They are European in design and Kevin says they are junk! What's the matter with GE or EMD?

 

It's a busy and important station for New York workers that live in New Jersey and need to commute

to the city. When trains come east to Hoboken terminal they go through the Jersey Meadows, tunnel

through the Bergan Hills and drop down at grade towards the terminal. Brakes are needed for this

drop is some hundreds of feet from the crest and a brake malfunction could be the cause. Nephew Kevin

Quinn may have an update for me soon and I will pass it on!  Jerry Quinn

Hoboken ... part 2

 

 

I think this is ground zero where the lady from Brazil was killed by falling debris from the accident.

It was on track 5 so we are standing at danger close.

 

There's Kent, my brother Ed and Burt walking into the station with one of the new engines to the right.

They are European in design and Kevin says they are junk! What's the matter with GE or EMD?

 

It's a busy and important station for New York workers that live in New Jersey and need to commute

to the city. When trains come east to Hoboken terminal they go through the Jersey Meadows, tunnel

through the Bergan Hills and drop down at grade towards the terminal. Brakes are needed for this

drop is some hundreds of feet from the crest and a brake malfunction could be the cause. Nephew Kevin

Quinn may have an update for me soon and I will pass it on!  Jerry Quinn

Welcome to Hoboken - Part one!

SECOND TIME I MADE THIS E-MAIL AS THE COMPUTER TO CRAPPING OUT ON ME!

Most of you watch the news this week and the big story was the Hoboken crash. I took a trip to New Jersey back in 2014 with my son-in-law Kent,

and my buddy Burt and we visited the terminal while we were there for football. Here is what it looks like from the water side of the terminal when we

toured the New York Harbor as tourists and as you can see it's a very impressive building with 5 ferry platforms that for decades carried people and

cars across the Hudson River to New York City. The green color is copper metal that has oxidized over the years. The station used to belong to the

Delaware and Lackawanna Railroad, now NJTransit. Trains bring them in and the subway to NYC takes them under the river. Plus the water taxis!

 

The inside is fabulous as old stations go. The lead train control car came into this room from the left of

this photo.

 

This is a nearly identical shot the I saw the locomotive in the news looking out towards the tracks

from the station waiting room.