The New Oakville Sub

I was there all day Saturday - had a personalized tour of the NYC passenger car Dover Strait - beautiful restoration in progress - hit all the barns, #11 for the first time (500 feet long, four tracks; the under-cover total at Union is now 3.5 track miles) and rode a bunch of trains, including North Shore 747 fresh out of a 14 year restoration - looked like it just rolled out of the factory - a three car CA&E steel set and a three car CA&E wood set - went back to where we were staying and picked up the wife, back to IRM (only 10 minutes away!)for night operations - rode more trains, a chance to see the campus with all the signs lit - and the signal garden.

Went back with our host Sunday and pretty much rode trains all day: the CNW bilevels, the heavyweight passenger riding in Inglehome (ex Chief Illini) lounge observation, some EL cars, and watched that 23 car freight under different power.

Got an escorted tour of the famed Barn Two, the Diesel Shop - never been in there, was drooling, as good as Strasburg only bigger - and watched as they combined the heavyweight and lightweight passenger trains into a 12 car monster pulled by three E9s.

Already looking forward to next year, when it's almost certain there will be steam for the first time in many a year - they are working on three steamers and almost got Frisco 1630 (Russian Decapod) running but couldn't pass the FRA hydro :-(

So for two days and a night I rode trains - and never the same one! That's how much equipment was running! My favorite place.

 

The AAR tells us intermodal traffic is rebounding significantly across the country. That's certainly the case on The Oakville Sub This week as a northbound and southbound meet a couple miles north of Oakville:



And just a few minutes later a Z train blasts by the same spot northbound.

 

IRM Steam Team Shop Update: 9/28/10

It finally passed on a second try on the 23rd.
:thumbs_up:

 

Now that the scenery is all roughed in, it's sheer pleasure to crank it up and run a few trains before or ofter working on detailing. Was running the three trains I shot this morning, every thing running beautifully, just walk along and eNjoy! The high scenery to track ratio makes it very relaxing.

 

Looking great Jim!

 

With all the talk about UP passenger this last week, I was surprised when this extra showed up around one of the latest detail areas - locals now call it wedding cake curve - there used to be a tunnel there until UP daylighted them all for the sake of double tracking the whole line.

 

Mmmmmmmmmmmm....cake. Jamie

 

Your pictures have a yellow tinge to them .. all of them.

 

So does the prototype...

 

My dad would slap me upside the head for sayin' something like that.


Jim,
I love the pics. Especially the modern water tower. My son liked it so much too that I had to paint mine pretty much the same shade of blue.

 

Get defensive if you want but he's quite right about the yellow 'tint'. Whether it be the lighting or just the white balance on your camera, you're losing some of the blue in your photos.

Here's a slightly over corrected image to make the point.



And the original.




Jason

 

While the tint is a solid point..

I think it makes a unique look..

 

Jason,
Now I have to admit, this is the way to say the photos have a tint to them if you are going to say something. Wasn't being defensive, just pointing out that my dad taught me different.

 

Ahhhhh, the colors of California

Growing up in Martinez in the Bay area and Bakersfield in the south end of the big valley, California is mostly browns and yellows except for the months of January thru March usually. They you get the greens. You got used to brown as a color as you couldn't do anything about it.

I lived on the east side of Bakersfield, 1 block from the SP mainline that went toward Edison and then on to Tehachapi. That is what started down the path of model railroading. I remember the uncovered auto racks the most. Nothing like seeing old Dodge's and AMC product on them. I think I remember them along with some of the early GEs that SP had at the time (1970-1973). Hard to believe that some people no longer respect anything that belongs to others.

HoosierDadIndy

 

I just thought it was all the UP in the pictures!





dave t

 

I prefer it for some reason. My photos have too much red in them. I think it has to do with fluorescent bulbs and I can correct it, but I like it as it is.

 

Yep. Bad combination with photography. Sometimes we have no choice though.