From Dec. 26th to New Years Day Mt. Rainer N Scale Club is a part of a rather large Railroad Exhibit at the Washington State Museum in Tacoma Wa. I got a chance to take a visit there and run some trains. Here are some photos of my train running the layout. Milwaukee Road Train #202 with units SD40-2 #18, 149, 136, and GP35 #1500. 65 cars in consist including hoppers, boxcars, TOFC, COFC, and Autoracks. We begin with Train 202 heading towards the main local town. Crossing the local river just before town Train 202 reduces her speed to 30 MPH. Rounding the curve as she snakes through town. The crew works their way through town as the locos are hidden behind the tall buildings.
The crew still works their train through town as they obey the 30MPH speed restriction. Coming out of town the engineer throws his locos into run 8 as they proceed to the large trestle over the canon. Train 202 speeds over the large canon. I rushed ahead to meet my train at the army base but got there ahead of her. Instead I just missed another freight. So I took to pics of the base while I waited.
Soon enough the late afternoon Santa Fe passenger train flew by the base. My Milw train showed up just as the Santa Fe passenger was leaving the scene. View 2 of army base and Train 202. A photo of some TOFC/COFC as they travel through the base.
The next photo was taken a few miles away from the base where the train rolled on by a grain elevator. The next huge scene Train 202 would pass through was the intermodal yard. Milw Caboose brings up the rear of Train 202 as she leaves the intermodal yard. I did my best to race forward and catch my train at the curve but she already made it.
Train 202 slows down as she approaches by the nearby staging yards. Our train rolls by the staging yards with a view of Milwaukee Road hoppers. Last pic of Train 202 as she blows her horn and increases speed.
Greg, I couldn't make it today, sorry I missed you, but it looks like the layout is working! I'll be there tommorrow. Thanks for the great tour. BTW, several of these modules will be on the expidition to Louisville this summer! Greg O.
Louisville!! I wanna go! Greg O it took a while to work out the kinks but were running better in the afternoon! See ya later Rob
Was that Army train actually ruunning or was it just for show? Man that would be a long and interesting train.
Thanks, Greg! Have those military modules been expanded? It's been a few years, since I last saw that area up close. Does Jim Y still have his woo woo woo&S enginehouse module? Boxcab E50
That's a great looking modular layout with some long runs, I see that like at most halls or venues at shows the lighting has alot to be desired by the use of members adding own lighting on backgrounds, I use to think it was my eyesight when I went to shows but now I have realized that to see one should wear a miners hat w/lite. Very nice layout,thanks for the pictures!!!
Mike- A few years back, I was living in that area. Was able to view the MRNS NTRAK layout a few times. It's outstanding. I remember one swap meet, where it was just across from my sales table. I didn't spend a lot of time selling... Wish I'd taken more pictures! Boxcab E50
For years now, my desktop has been a photo I took of a MRNS module. That was back in 1998, at the UNW Swap. Boxcab E50
Thanks for the kind words guys, we really work hard to put together a nice layout, and when people express their appreciation, it makes it worth all the effort. It is N-Trak, though, so it's not with out it's problems! We had to make some serious adjustments yesterday and today as it was about 90 degrees in there and track and modules were springing and sproinging all over. Ken, I know you're a big fan and we appreciate it. If you manage to get over here again, make sure you bring a train to run, or at least stop by and hang out. Mark added another 6ft module a few years ago so it is now 18ft long. And yes, he does run the train. He has about 150 cars and uses about 8 Kato F units to pull it, as many of the loads are pewter, so the train weighs a ton !!! Jim Younkins retired his mill modules a few years ago. The mill can be seen in Rochester on his woo woo woo&S layout. He has a 2 and a 6 that is in one of Greg L's pics. Its the one with the cement plant and small farm. He also did work on our new club corner and 6ftr that is in the first pic. Mike I know it's on the Left Coast, but they let me run all the Lackawanna/E-L stuff I want!! Phoebe looks good going through snow sheds, past the big timber! Don't forget, some of the modules will be making the trip to Louisville, so make sure to stop by! For more pics of the layout, visit mrns.org. Diane's been posting lots of new pictures in the Past Shows area. Also, Keep an eye out for us in an upcoming issue of a certain publication. I'll go look for a pic of Mark's train for bfc.....
