Operations: Trains by Year Updated

In the clinic I did for the NMRA, I noted that one advantage of Prototype Modeling is that it narrows your focus and scope, which can save you money too. For example, you may not need as many locomotives as you think.

Perhaps I should listen to my own advice...

I have a full roster of locomotives, all acquired specifically because I needed them for the trains I'd be running in ops sessions. As my research has continued, along with my honing in on what my operating scheme actually is, I've found that I need a lot fewer than I need.

Why is this?

1. I learned that steam left earlier than expected. I settled on the start of my era as 1946 because I thought that it meant I would be able to run all steam. But the reality is, in order to run steam for the NY/YN freights I have to go back earlier, prior to July 1945 (which means all the way back to 1944 for my late autumn season).
2. I have narrowed my operating focus to the hours that the Yard Crews are on duty. While I haven't really determined exactly what those hours are, I have a pretty good idea of the window.

For example, I originally thought that for 1946 I'd need:

• I-class Pacifics for passenger (mostly I-2s, an occasional I-4 or DL-109)
• J-1 Mikados for YN/NY freights
• L-1 Santa Fes for OA/AO freights
• K-1-d for HDX-5
• R-1-b for ANE-1/EA-2
• T-2-b 0-6-0s for the Yard Crews

What I actually need is:

• I-class Pacific for passenger (mostly I-2s, I could run an I-4 or DL-109)
• S-2s for YN/NY freights
• T-2-bs

There are no other trains during the session. Not nearly as many locomotives, and only 33% steam. In 1946. Actually, this is probably the same as 1945, although wartime traffic probably added a daytime Maybrook freight with an L-1 Santa Fe. To go with all steam and include the J-1 Mikados would be 1944. There's really no reason I couldn't run sessions in '44 or '45, other than I'd need a different mix of freight cars.

Year-by-year roster now based on my actually operating scheme:
For all years - two 44-tonners plus the Stanley Works HK Porter fireless steam locomotive, except in '46 where I'll still need two T-2-b 0-6-0 switchers instead.

1946

• I-2/I-4/DL-109
• K-1-d Mogul 479
• S-2 0605, 0606

1947

• I-2/I-4/DL-109
• K-1-d Mogul 479
• S-2 0605, 0606

1948

• I-2/I-4/DL-109
• S-1 0955 (I just located a photo of 479 in Waterbury on a work train on 9/25/48, so it has been replaced by autumn '48 by 0955)
• RS-1 0660, 0661
• RS-2 0502, 0503 (might still be S-2 0605, 0606)

1949

• DL-109 (original configuration or rebuilt)
• RS-1 0660, 0661
• RS-2 0502, 0503
• S-1 0995

1950

• Comet
• H16-44 563, 569 (or rebuilt DL-109)
• RS-1 0660, 0661
• RS-2 0502, 0503, 0508
• S-1 0994 (assigned by October engine assignments, not in September freight schedules)

I have never seen a picture of a DERS-3 (H16-44) in passenger service on the Highland Line, but they are listed as being assigned when delivered.

1951

• DL-109 (rebuilt)
• FA-1/FB-1/FB-1/FA-1
• RS-1 0660, 0661
• RS-2 0502, 0503

I don't have engine assignments for 1951 (except steam). It's possible that the RS-2s were moved to passenger service by this time (and they wouldn't need to be 0502/3 since they wouldn't need ATS), and the Holyoke freights may have been RS-3s.

1952

• DL-109 0707 (rebuilt)
• RS-3 523, 555, 556, 558
• FA-1/FB-1/FB-1/FB-1

1953

• RDC-1, 2 and 3

1954

• RDC-1, 2 and 3
• RS-3 551, 552 (?? It's listed in the freight schedule, but not engine assignments, these road numbers are from a later year)

It also shows me that the simplest operating session is actually 1953 since there won't be any freights coming through during the session. Once I get both 44-tonners completed, I'll also have all the power I need for the session.

Revised Locomotive Roster 1946-1954:

• 44-tonner 0802, 0805 (W&R with Bachmann chassis)
• Comet (Con-Cor)
• DL-109 (original configuration) 0703 (Proto 1000)
• DL-109 (rebuilt) 0707 (Overland)
• FA-1/FB-1/FA-1 (repainted) (Proto 2000) I can also substitute a Rapido FB-2 in '51/2
• H16-44 563, 569 (Atlas)
• I-2 1300, 1324 (Crown Custom)
• I-4 1383 (alternate) (Broadway Limited)
• K-1-d 479 (New England Rail Services)
• RDC-1 21, 23, 26, 29 (Rapido)
• RDC-2 120 (Rapido)
• RDC-3 126, 129 (Rapido)
• RS-1 0660, 0661 (Atlas)
• RS-2 0502, 0503 (Proto 1000)
• RS-3 523, 555, 556, 558 (Athearn)
• S-1 0955, 0994 (Proto 2000)
• S-2 0605, 0606 (Atlas)
• Stanley Works HK Porter Fireless Steam (kitbash with Mantua chassis)
• T-2-b 2446 and 2???

Locomotives that are now nice to have, but not "required"
L-1 Santa Fe (2)
J-1 Mikado (2)
K-1-b Mogul
R-1-b Mountain
More than 2 RS-1s, RS-2s, and the number of RS-3s is reduced as well.

May not need (these are included in the roster above). In particular train 131/136 in 1948 could be an I-2, I-4, or DL-109.

H16-44
HH660
I-4 Pacific

Depending on some of the choices I make, that's 14 to 20 locomotives that I don't need anymore. Not that I'm necessarily going to eliminate any of these, but it does allow me to consider thinning the herd, or at least prioritize which ones to get running first.

Working on locomotives

It's been a while since I've posted an update. I've actually been working a lot on the layout, although I thought I would be getting a lot more done, but my hours have increased by 40+ hours/week, and we don't have nurses for Emily during the day, since she's normally at school.

But I find that I often get more done when I'm really busy, simply because I have to make the time available to get to it at all. And lately it's been a question of either working on the layout or blogging about, so working on the layout has taken the priority.

I did have a chance to participate in the NMRA virtual meet on Facebook, and presented a clinic. Chris posted links to them on his blog. He did one as well. I think I'll be presenting another at the May 30th one.

Anyway, here are a few pictures of work I've been doing on some RS-2s (New Haven class DERS-2b). I'll need #0502 and #0503. Again, Chris has extensive posts about how he did #0510 on his blog, no need to repeat that. I will provide more information as to any differences in a later post.

In the meantime, some pictures. I'm using the Proto 1000 model, as Chris did.

Experiment modifying a Kato part.

A different approach, using less of the Kato part with the Proto 1000 railing.

 I ordered some KV Models fan grate and fan.

While waiting for them to arrive, I'm using the shell from #0510 as a test. 

A minor distortion on part of the fan housing.

It's all in the details

So this is an interesting little detail that I can easily add to the layout and I didn't know existed.

In the September 1945 issue of Along the Line, the New Haven Railroad employee magazine, there's a one page quiz ("What Do You Know?") with about a half-dozen pictures of railroad items to see what you know. All were pretty easy for somebody with some knowledge of a railroad.

But this one was interesting and useful:

I already knew what New Haven mile markers looked like (although it is possible that there are other options, since the NH was made up of so many predecessor roads and there are differences on each line). The same applies to speed limit signs. But I wasn't entirely sure about the other two options.

I guessed correctly, and now I have another prototype detail that I can add that will also assist my operators - it's indicating how many cars the siding will hold to that point. It's such a simple detail to add but will be extremely helpful to the crews when working Track #5 which is where I'll use these signs.

While I don't have any more details as to how these were used, I'll use it on Track #5 between streets. For example, the number of cars from the start of Track #5 to East Main St, and then the number from East Main St.to Elm St. It will be particularly helpful at the start of Track #5, because I can also use it to mark the start of where a car can be safely left without risking it rolling down the grade into the helix.

Unfortunately, this appears to be the only issue that had this sort of quiz.

New Haven Ballast

This is the ballast chart for the NH Railroad, the NHRHTA forum requires me to pay for a VIP account to post the high resolution version...

The ballast is different over different parts of the system. On the Highland it appears a fairly dark gray as I documented in this post.

In this post, I covered my latest approach in ballasting the layout, using real stone ballast from the same ridge in Plainville that the New Haven used. I think it's a very good match. There is a little brown. It's magnetic, so there's some iron in in, and I think that's what gives it the brownish tinge over time. I might experiment with a brownish wash for that effect.

In photos of the Shoreline, there is more brown in the color of the ballast. So when we do Chris' layout I'd like to go sift ballast from the Saybrook Tilcon quarry instead.

Here's the New Haven Railroad Ballast Chart from 1917, updated through 1921:

And this one is updated through 1959:

They are too large for my scanner, so I just had to take photos, so sorry for the quality of the photos.

Trucks, wheels and couplers

More experimenting...