Number 401!

Somehow, I only noticed that the last post was number 400!  Hard to believe there are that many, but in any case that makes this 401 and I am grateful to have this archive available - and for all you readers who keep an eye on it.  It is a neat little niche in the OC story to have such a neat chronology of the successes and the trials, the mistakes and the learning that has all gone into this.

The next challenge is part of the growing OCS fleet, and that is to model accurately the 1994 version of car 55 - the former ATSF 'Big Dome' that was purchased from Santa Fe by Conrail in 1989 in its stainless steel glory, and repainted to the OCS green in 1993.

I need it painted - and painting over actual aluminum plating is a new challenge for me.  Stay tuned!  The first step is always to disassemble the car, so that much is ready to post here.

Best wishes as we approach Christmas and Hanukah, too, and no matter what you celebrate may peace be with you in the year to come.  

A New Adventure

There is a lot changing 'in the 40's' for me, as there seems to be for many people.  One of those things is a new interest that is growing for me in modeling passenger equipment, thanks in part to detailing up the Hickory Creek last month and also in part to the inspiration delivered by the new Rapido E8A locomotives in Conrail's executive Office Car Special paint scheme.  

Suddenly, I have a need for older passenger cars on the Onondaga Cutoff!

The fabulous research by Wes Reminder, a longtime Conrail modeler and fan of the executive train, is documented and available at his great website:  https://www.the-boring-the-adoring.com/conrail-blog

The basics are there along with Wes's spectacular modeling.  Each car on the prototype train has a whole story to it, and many were modified through the years.  I am working to emulate his work to create models for 1994 that will fit in line with the OC and with the regular operation it supports.  I will model several cars using the Walthers passenger cars available to get models that are close, and then will modify, detail, light and paint them to match prototype photos.

Walthers cars are great, and come apart with the sides as a separate molding of styrene.  When you remove the windows too, now you've got a side that is easy to strip.   

While the parts soak in 91% isopropyl alcohol, I worked on the new paint color. No one makes the correct color available for sale for custom painters, so we have to mix our own.  Here's my first try ever using TruColor paint.  This is a mixture of their Southern Green, PRR Brunswick Green, Pullman Green, and a bit of black.  

Close, but too light, by a slight margin.  So back to the drawing board.  

Too dark.  Hmmm.  A light sanding and back to the drawing board.  

Success!  At least, close enough for my eye.  

With the paint figured out I turned to detailing some of the interior of the first car.  I made the beds and painted the features to match photos I found online of the interior, or at least close enough.  I also installed lighting and replaced the wheelsets to ensure good electrical pickup.  

As you can see, I am getting into this and having fun.  It's satisfying work and will lead to a great new addition to the railroad. 

More coming, soon!

The Hickory Creek

Modeling projects can find us just in the same way as we can discover them.  

Tom Schmieder, a close friend and fellow modeler, set up a great trip for a group of us aboard the former New York Central observation car 'Hickory Creek', a 1948-built streamlined car that was intended and used on the famous NYC 20th Century Limited train between New York City and Chicago.  The trip was the center of a memorable day where we had a great time while the car rolled on its original route from New York City up to Albany and return. 

Out of the blue, Tom presented me a model of the Hickory Creek - a beautiful brass car that had been painted and lettered to match the car in its current appearance.  Only issue, we found, was the the interior of the car was bare brass.  Tom went ahead and installed a decoder and lighting for the interior, marker lights, and rear drumhead, and challenged me with doing the interior detailing to match the car on our trip.  Challenge accepted!

I am a total newbie at interior details on passenger cars.  I ride commuter trains to work daily, I have ridden more than half of Amtrak's routes, yes - but my passenger modeling to date was a pair of Amtrak trains to which I installed lighting and figures, and exterior weathering.  

As it turns out there are companies in the hobby that do interior detail kits.  I decided for this one to try out one of the old Walthers interior kits on ebay - and it turns out it was from the 1970's!  It was intended for the Athearn blue box cars of that era.  Still, with some paint arranging we were off and running.  

The floor is styrene with some of the kid's tissue paper as a 'rug'.  The pattern is very similar in fact to the current rug in the car.  I painted seats to match photos from my time riding the car and arranged the seats in the same manner as the current layout.  

Figures came next, checking carefully for clearances and arranging figures to look natural with the lighting.  Lots of trial and error here.  

I even made a flower vase out of some foliage and an old Athearn headlight lens.  This sits on a small round table at the very back of the car on the prototype.  

This was starting to even be - dare I say it - fun!  These cars are a lot more challenging to model with the interiors and windows and lights, but without a doubt the results are impressive.  

And at night?  Oh man....Tom's lighting really is beautiful and makes this all worthwhile.

Not bad for a first try, right?  I am really excited how this is coming out.  This is opening the door to how I will also model the cars for the Conrail 'Office Car Special' - the famed OCS train.  

More to come!

An Open House on the OC

It has been some years since we have hosted an open house, and so this year we decided to make an effort to do one.  Thanks to an effort to coordinate November as Model Train Month and a website dedicated to tracking open houses, it is easy to see where different layouts in the NJ/PA/DE/MD area are open.

https://modelrailroadopenhouse.com/110924.html is a link to the page for tomorrow, Saturday November 9, and we will be open from 2p-5p.  Details are listed on the page.  We will be running trains during the open house so that visitors get to see the railroad come to life.  

Perhaps we will see you there!

A long-awaited arrival

 Thanks to efforts by Rapido Trains in conjunction with the Conrail Historical Society, HO scale Conrail modelers now have access to the dedicated locomotives of one of the most legendary of Conrail trains:  the E8A locomotives that served on the Office Car Special!

These three locomotives were of PRR and Erie lineage.  The 4022 came to Conrail from Erie Lackawanna in 1976, while both the 4020 and 4021 went from PRR to PC but then to Amtrak in 1971, and so were not on Conrail's initial roster.  In 1983, Amtrak was in need of switchers, and so organized a trade with Conrail where Amtrak would receive 4 switchers in exchange for two E units.  Conrail rebuilt all three for service on the famed Office Car Special, the 'OCS' that every Conrail fan hoped to see.  A train of customized business cars trailed them on the prototype, and custom car sides are soon to be available for those looking to create a faithful model of the train.  

For now, the engines will suffice - it's a big start on the way to doing the whole train.  The only small omission for this run is that the class lights come able to lit, but only white - when Conrail more commonly used the red.  I removed the shell and it turned out with a bit of Tamiya Clear Red enamel paint I could create the red lights.  

You can see the small red rectangles where I painted the light tubes.  Also painted was the back of the lenses in the E units.  

Now, F11 creates a scene that many Conrail guys remembered from when the OCS would overnight near their favorite spot:

While the OC will not see the OCS pass at every session, it will soon be able to see it sometimes, adding to the fun of an operating session.  We are on the way with these beautiful new E8's!

Yard Book has arrived!

 I am thrilled to announce that my second published book has arrived!  It is a thrill to hold in my hands, with a nice glossy cover full of bright colors and a beautiful layout inside.

Thanks to Kristen for the photo, with the book featured in front of the yard that inspired it.  What a pleasure!  These works are an incredible amount of work to create but really do have lasting power.  Here is hoping that this title inspires people like the books before have inspired me.  

If you'd like a copy, they are in stock now at the publisher:  https://shop.trains.com/collections/books-dvds/products/designing-operating-yards

It will also be available at stores soon and at Amazon.com.  Pete was very excited to open the package with me!

Thank you all for your support and for following along with this remarkable journey.

Life, imitating art

Working with the NJ TRANSIT Heritage Committee has been a wonderfully rewarding experience.  Despite considerable odds, there is enough great energy and executive support to allow the committee to continue its work in honoring the past and the veterans of railroads that worked so hard to create NJ TRANSIT as we know it today.  

This year's creation, revealed officially to the employees of the railroad at the annual Family Day celebration at the Meadows Maintenance Complex:  GP40PH-2B 4208, redecorated in full Conrail paint.  Conrail was the direct corporate predecessor of NJ TRANSIT Rail Operations and was the designated operator of commuter trains in New Jersey from Conrail's 'day one' on April 1, 1976 through January 1, 1983.   

This was a months-long project to restore the exterior of the locomotive, design a paint scheme, and work with the mechanical groups to bring it to reality.  Work was completed in the enginehouse at Hoboken Terminal by employees charged with maintaining equipment.  

Nearing completion in the shops at Hoboken.  Check out the quality of the paintwork and masking!

The Heritage Committee team responsible for project delivery.  

Family Day is always a great experience, but when three of our GP40P heritage projects are together, it is extra special!  

4208 was a special collaboration with the passionate crowd of people that are interested in Conrail.  Because many of us remember it, there is a special tangibility to this scheme.  Brett Jones is the reason we have a proper horn for 4208 - an RS3L from his collection.  

DemClams with 4208 ahead of the opening of Family Day, where they will help out this year for the first time.  

NJT President Kevin Corbett was present, and invited Conrail Shared Assets President Brian Gorton to share in the initial presentations.  Brian and Kevin smiled a lot, and shared some time on the locomotive in honor of the close relationship between NJ TRANSIT and Conrail, even today.  

Brian and Kevin on the 4208, with the T shirts I designed for the occasion!

Conrail's era on NJT included painting former Conrail engines, now assigned to commuter service funded by the NJ Department of Transportation.  The 4101, which was completed in 2022, shares a frame with 4208.  I have always loved the clean lines of the EMD hood units.

The biggest privilege is sharing these accomplishments with my family, whose support and enthusiasm allows me to spend so much effort on the projects.  We once again have created a lasting tribute that will bring smiles for many.  Watch for the 4208 to hit the lines in revenue service starting this fall!

'Designing & Operating Yards' - Available for Preorder!

Some very exciting news for us here is the announcement of the pre-order status of my next book, Designing & Operating Yards which is due to arrive in November 2024!  It is available from the publisher Firecrown Media at bookstores and hobby shops, as well as on Amazon.com or your favorite online bookstore.   

Like Signals & Interlockings several years ago, this work is an effort to provide an overview of prototype railroad yard design and operations as well as a discussion on how we can model those same elements on our railroads.  The book look at history, engineering, and operations for a variety of prototypes and includes essays by a variety of experts on how different railroads managed yards.  

This work is only possible because of the generous contributions of many talented people and I am grateful to have had the opportunity to work with them to create the finished product.  

The larger world today seems to be a bit of a wild ride that is accelerating, and this book helps us to focus on real and tangible activity as much as it provides some philosophy on railroading and modeling railroads.  I hope you enjoy it!

The Good Times

This year is the second year that NJ TRANSIT has done the 'Hoboken Heritage Display' setup in September.  Once again I was able to be present with both boys, and this year there were some great displays in place once again.  These are a reminder of the 'good old days' to use a cliché, and also a reminder that there is always a chance that September 2024 will be looked at as the good old days as we move forward. 

We had the 4101 in the NJDOT 'Bluebird' scheme, applied by Conrail crews at Raritan Yard, as well as the 'Erie' decorated 4210 on display.  The GP40PH-2 repaint ideas are some I put a lot of effort into and to be able to share them with the boys is a real joy.  Thanks to Marc Glucksman for the photo!

Also displayed for the first time this year, to commemorate the 'Last Run' of the Edison MU cars is newly restored DL&W Parlor Car 2454, which was a daily car into and out of Hoboken for decades on the Gladstone Branch.  Really cool to see it next to U34CH 3372, and a showcase of how the United Railway Historical Society (URHS) and the Whippany Railway Museum can work with NJ TRANSIT to make good things happen.  

Ahead of the event crews were able to tidy up the yard tracks and to put some time into making the platforms as good as feasible, a benefit that helps customers on regular trains on a daily basis.

The boys loved being able to get into the equipment and look around.

Despite challenges what we do for the railroad can still be a lot of fun and holds a tremendous wonder for our young people.  To be able to share what I do for our family's living with my kids is something I will treasure for the rest of my time!

25 years

Now and again, it is worth nodding here to my day job as a manager at NJ TRANSIT Rail Operations, in the infrastructure engineering group.  The first of September was always a date loosely tied to school starting again, while looking forward to fall colors, crisper air and weather, and football.  

After school I'd hired out as an intern at NJ TRANSIT in Newark, NJ, with my fresh civil engineering degree.  It is a long story that is tied to a longer story, so I will save that for a future post.  But, the key for this post is that I was able to work that internship into a full-time position, my first.  My first railroad job became 'Junior Project Engineer' working out of Red Bank, NJ, on September 1, 1999.

24-year-old Dave Abeles, at CP Plain, Plainfield NJ
Winter 2001

And so when September drew near this year, it gave me pause - as September 1 is my 25th anniversary at work for NJT.  25 years into the Railroad Retirement system, which at NJT is a significant date also as it provides medical coverage for me and my family from here forward.  In my family as many of you might have learned that is no small deal, and it brings me comfort for which I am very thankful.  

Promotion to life in a cubical.  Spring 2004

There is still plenty of time left and a story that is still being written, but I thought for posterity and for all of us who fight the good fight that this date is worth a post of its own.  25 down, and more to come!

Be Prepared

It's an old boy scouts saying that this Eagle Scout won't forget:  'Be Prepared'.   When we think about it, those two words are saying a lot about how to live life.  It is a motto that changes how we look at life.  

Here we have newly outshopped Conrail SD40 6286, a model whose prototype was a veteran locomotive of the B&O, then CNJ, then on to Conrail.  I've modeled it to fit its appearance circa 1994, and it looks the part.  However, that is not the only thing that matters.  The rest is harder to see in a photo.  The wheels are in gauge, and cleaned.  Couplers are at the right height, and work.  The track was cleaned.  New lighting works, sound is leveled and adjusted.  The unit is speed matched to the others in the fleet on the Onondaga Cutoff, just as all the B23-7's in the distance are matched, as well as cleaned and ready.  

It is a lot of work, but cleaning ahead of each session means that dirty track and wheels won't be a problem as we run trains.  In other words, we eliminated a few variables that can make a session less fun. Part of being prepared is doing what we can to avoid problems.  

The Onondaga Cutoff is a small way in which I can live by that same old motto, and thanks to the help of others, it is part of the fun.  It is true that a setup night doesn't fix the other problems in life or in our world, but it is a beginning, and a start, and a way we can make something better.  Being prepared allows us to take a deep breath and enjoy that moment where things are in good shape, ready to start.  It's a good place to be.

Visiting with a Master

 I have a lot of respect for masters of their craft.  That can take many forms, of course, but in the hobby of modeling railroading there are a handful of people that clearly have become a master of their place in the hobby.  Tony Koester is one of them.  

Thanks to the great fortune of having been born in New Jersey, I early on had exposure to reasons to return here after college, and of course this state is also the one where Tony settled many years ago as well.  His career took different turns but he remains a resident of the state, and to add to my fortunate location, his home is about 35 miles from mine.  I am grateful to count Tony as a friend and as someone who has come to operate on the Onondaga Cutoff.  I am a regular member of his crew on his Nickel Plate Road, too.  

A few years ago, Tony was inspired to create a few of his popular and well-regarded 'Trains of Thought' columns that featured my two sons and their youthful exuberance about model railroads.  In each of the December 2021 and April 2022 columns, Tony used a photo of the boys and offered thoughtful reflection on how the hobby is growing - and how to keep staying both grateful and excited for that.  I thought it would be fun for the boys to have Tony sign the columns for them to take with them as life goes on.  The boys had yet to see his railroad, and it was time to change that.  

So,  I asked if we could make a visit.  Tony accepted and welcomed us, giving the boys a full tour of his fabulous masterpiece - the Nickel Plate Road 'Cloverleaf', the 3rd Sub, his HO scale railroad.  

Always a gracious host, Tony showed the boys different parts of the railroad and reminisced on stories he had from people he knew in the towns.  

Before leaving the boys were curious about the stairs and the 'secret passageway' as they called it to Charleston Yard.  Tony invited them up and an iconic image presented itself.  I call this one 'Looking up':

After the tour, Tony sat in the kitchen to sign the magazines, with the boys appreciating the moment and the opportunity that it was to be there.  

It will be a day they remember, and now we have a little token of printed and signed articles to carry along for the ride to come.  There are masters out there, and any time you can spend time with a master you can find ways to learn, to appreciate, and to grow.  I am excited for what the hobby is becoming - and especially excited that the boys enjoy it with me.