I’m so happy to finally have steam locomotion on the Alaska Railroad. Eventually I’ll number it 557, and change the roadname.
Category Archives: Model Railroading
Up and Running
Got it up and running! Actually, it’s been running for a few weeks now. I’m just terrible at blogging my progress. 😅
I even installed a new siding (seen in the foreground). I needed a nice long siding to park a train.
Watch “How do trains change the tracks?” on YouTube
I thought this video would be helpful for identifying derailment issues at switches.
Smoothside Passenger Car Trucks
I’m forever looking for replacement parts etc. I found KATO part numbers for my passenger car trucks. Parts 800033 and 800043 are the silver ones that match my ARR set. I found them available for purchase on https://www.n-scalemodeltrains.com. They are Boston and Albany Hobbies out of NH.
836 Candia Road
Manchester, NH 03109
(603) 305-5023
Kato catalog #800031 (Smooth Side Passenger Truck, Black w/o Coupler, 1 ea)
Kato catalog #800032 (Smooth Side Passenger Truck, Gray w/o Coupler, 1 ea)
Kato catalog #800033 (Smooth Side Passenger Truck, Silver w/o Coupler, 1 ea)
Kato catalog #800041 (Smooth Side Passenger Truck, Black w/ Semi-Automatic Knuckle Coupler, 1 ea)
Kato catalog #800042 (Smooth Side Passenger Truck, Gray w/ Kato Knuckle Coupler, 1 ea)
Kato catalog #800043 (Smooth Side Passenger Truck, Silver w/ Semi-Automatic Knuckle Coupler, 1 ea)
Kato catalog #800045 (Smooth Side Passenger Truck, Black w/ Fully Automatic Knuckle coupler, 1 ea)
Kato catalog #800046 (Smooth Side Passenger Truck, Black, Observation w/o coupler, 1 ea)
Kato catalog #800093 (Smooth Side Passenger Truck, Silver w/ Kato Magnetic Knuckle Coupler, 1 ea)
Kato catalog #800102 (Super Chief Pullman Truck, Silver, 2 ea)
Kato catalog #800104 (Pullman Passenger Truck, black w/ Fully-Automatic Knuckle Coupler, 2 ea)
Coupling Problem
I’m not sure what to do about this problem. In an S curve, the body mounted couplers are offset too far. I’m thinking a short, straight piece of track may be needed.
On the Move
It’s been a long time. Today I moved my table. It’s going to take some time to get it set up again. I’m excited to get back into modeling.
Photo Update
Updated Plan – Added a spur for a future train station
Here are some photos from this past weekend. My focus has been on laying track so the scenery needs a lot of work. I have a few more switches to wire up then I may begin filling in scenery.
I really like working with the curved turnouts, they add a lot of flexibility to my industry options. I find that using a curved turnout at the exit end of a curve allots the industry to be larger because space isn’t wasted by turnouts after curves.
All Aboard the Alaska Railroad
Sherry Ott, a freelance photographer, has some tips for taking photographs from trains. Check out the blog post here.
A “container-boose”?
The Alaska Railroad has, in typical Alaskan ingenuity fashion, fabricated what appears to be a transfer car made out of a shipping container. These special cabooses are used in transfer service between yards or on short switching runs. As such, they lack amenities such as a bathroom and cooking or sleeping spaces. The ends of the car are left open and will include railings and chains to protect the rail-workers.
Source
Modeling Alaska 