Daniel E. Markle's Blog - Trains

DT&I Work Crane and Boom Car

syntax@ashtech.net (Daniel E. Markle) — Thu, 04 Feb 2010 23:48:28 -0500

This DT&I (Detroit Toledo and Ironton) work crane and boom car set by K-Line caught my eye, it's the first set of this type I've acquired in O gauge.

These road name labeled versions are an interesting staple of model railroading that were rare in real life. Actual railroad lines didn't want work cars cleaning up derailments, etc. to have their names on the side (they didn't want to be associated with train disasters) so these actually came in either plain colors or if marked were marked with the manufacturer's name. The 'work caboose' was also rare, these were usually just plain flat cars.

Polar Express and Amtrak Trains

syntax@ashtech.net (Daniel E. Markle) — Wed, 20 Jan 2010 23:41:18 -0500

While working on permanent layouts for trains, we couldn't resist setting up a couple in the living room to run in the meantime.

These O gauge trains include the Lionel Polar Express, which Joyce purchased before Christmas and the extra cars to which she received as Christmas gifts. Also running in this video on the second loop is an MTH AEM-7 pulling the Amfleet passenger cars from the Lionel HHP-8 set; this consist matches the Keystone service trains which run from Harrisburg through Philadelphia to New York.

Mifflin County Model Railroad Club Photos

syntax@ashtech.net (Daniel E. Markle) — Tue, 05 Jan 2010 11:31:23 -0500

Last week I took some photographs of the Mifflin County Model Railroad Club's layout as of Christmas 2009.

Pennsylvania Railroad MP 15 Diesel Switcher

syntax@ashtech.net (Daniel E. Markle) — Mon, 30 Nov 2009 23:54:03 -0500

I picked up this K-Line Pennsylvania Railroad MP 15 Diesel Switcher at Ed's Train Repair and Sales. He often has an interesting selection of used trains, and this one caught my eye for the price.

I've always liked the look of trains with weathering and although this one is clearly unintentionally weathered (i.e. rust, dents, and such), with a little bit of strategic spraying it will do its job in an old turnout somewhere on the line; pushing cars out to the mainline for pickup occasionally, most of the time collecting rust while fancy new engines like the one in the background zip by on the mainline.

2009 Happy Halloween Box Car

syntax@ashtech.net (Daniel E. Markle) — Sat, 31 Oct 2009 07:51:00 -0400

Happy Halloween!

I don't normally purchase holiday cars, but Doris at The Station talked me into this one. She said to think of her as the witch on the left side of the car, so I suppose Dick would be the vampire on the right.

This one is made by MTH.

PRR Jet Snow Blower

syntax@ashtech.net (Daniel E. Markle) — Fri, 30 Oct 2009 19:55:30 -0400

Saw this O gauge model of a Jet Snow Blower in the Lionel catalog and found one in stock at The Station.

Interesting that it has to move to ramp up. In actual use these aren't used to clear long lengths of track, but to clear switches, which is impossible to simulate with the action of this model. A Legacy command control model with remote control of the smoke, noise, and nozzle would be ideal.

1996 Bloomsburg Fair Milk Car

syntax@ashtech.net (Daniel E. Markle) — Thu, 29 Oct 2009 22:48:45 -0400

After finding a 2009 Bloomsburg Fair Car and searching the internet to see what else was in the series, I found this one on eBay. It is an O gauge milk tanker car. This one was made for the fair by Weaver Models and is very nicely detailed.

2009 Bloomsburg Fair Car

syntax@ashtech.net (Daniel E. Markle) — Thu, 22 Oct 2009 21:46:38 -0400

Wandering around the Bloomsburg Fair this year, I was (mostly) jokingly looking for model train cars. A vendor under the grandstand was selling these collectible HO gauge train cars. This is one of 200 that were made, and number 10 in the series according to a certificate provided with the car.