Monday, August 29, 2011

YouTube Video from This Saturday


This Weekend on the Miami Sub: Epic Power Both days

We SFL Railfans had a field weekend here on CSX land. EMD power has been in charge of Q453 both Saturday and Sunday, with Saturday featuring an HLCX leaser. To add insult to injury for those who missed, tonight's leader was an SD80MAC! A first for Miami. I was 1/2 though, catching the HLCX leaser and the CSX SD60I on Saturday. Oh well, but priorities exist.

Here's a still of Q453-27.


Saturday, August 27, 2011

CSX Freight Train 14 Running Lite


One hell of a rare operation, Train O917 ran today (Saturday) up to Amerigas for some priority tanks. I wonder why. Though, the need of an extra op sounds really promising business-wise.

FEC Train 101 Hollywood, FL 1/09/2009 FEC/RA SD70M-2 Leading


Yes, this one's on the other side but I can't ever get over that horn!!! This is the type of horn every locomotive should have.

FEC Train 101 Hollywood, FL 1/09/2009 FEC/RA SD70M-2 Leading


Yes, this one's on the other side but I can't ever get over that horn!!! This is the type of horn every locomotive should have.

8/26/11 CSX Q452 SINGLETARY SIDING OCALA FL



When at school it's always nice to follow up on someone's 453/452 postings to keep an idea on traffic. I believe the train had a distinct size due to the Fire in Okeechobee which disrupted service, especially with a long Mildred pick up. What I also noticed was a remarkable and conspicuous Y120 and O721 cut. O721's cut is hard to tell at first, but starts at the Plastics Hoppers at 02:42 and continues on to the CEFXs. I would've loved to document this 14 car cut going north on Wednesday night. (or was it Thursday after all?) Y120 looks to be broken in 2 as I can't imagine where a covered hopper and open would go on the DT spur, but two Miami Iron cuts can be noticed.

Thursday, August 25, 2011

Another YouTube Video

Just a bit of CSX action in this one. The conclusion is coming tomorrow.



Friday, August 19, 2011

CSX #O717-17 Switching Customers

Here's my video of O717 switching Sun-Sentinel and Home Depot.


#O717 Video Update

Logging my updates on here, I am glad to say the video is 46% uploaded in the 6 hour window I am dealing with. It has another 4 hours roughly till it's fully 1080 and up. You guys, both railfans of the Miami Sub, model railroaders, and switching fans alike will love this! Lots of time and energy was put into this and it is also a research project for my layout. I'll embed it when it's all done.

Meanwhile, my buddy Rudy ran right into CSX O717-19 at the same spot I caught the home run today. A much more gloomy catch in overcast weather, I'm still looking forward to see what it picked up. Its late operation showed though that it was busy today nonetheless.

Thursday, August 18, 2011

O717 Video & Job Frequency

I have produced an 8-minute video showing O717 working Home Depot and Sun-Sentinel as well as moving through Pompano Beach and Fort Lauderdale. The Fort Lauderdale catch had its size double from Pompano as the job picked up more cars coming south. It will probably see the YouTube light tomorrow. From something like this you can easily deduce that the busiest customers are Home Depot and even Sun-Sentinel, though Sun-Sentinel doesn't get daily service. But I want to also say that Amerigas is busy, and that place was not switched yesterday. Well, they WERE switched today, so I could suppose they are pretty frequent. Next in the line is Boise-Cascade, not the most frequent in switching, and the frequency chart goes down with Allsteel, WR Grace, Publix, Cross Dock, and the remaining of the 14 customers.

#O717Nation - Spoiler Alert!

I'll let the pic do the talking.


Wednesday, August 17, 2011

#O717Nation - CSX O717-17

Today's double 17s had an interesting hodgepodge of manifest. I caught him three times today at work in the area, only considering all three times due to its very changeable consist. First was switching Pompano Beach's big Home Depot warehouse/Distribution Center and its departure. Second was Deerfield Beach's Sun Sentinel warehouse. Lastly was its home run after picking up from customers like Fast-Dry Courts and WR Grace.

Here is its home run, which was noteworthy.


#O717Nation - Today

Today's objective is to score four big locals. They are Y120, FEC Downtown Miami, O722, and O717. If I can I'll get 960 as well as 965, and O720. Stay tuned for updates, trackside photos, and video. I will definitely be along the "O717 nation" photographing and trainwatching.

The hash tag reflects the fact that posts get cross-posted to Twitter.

Tuesday, August 16, 2011

#CSXMiamiSub - Rock Train Empties

Sometimes when empties and loads accumulate they can make for monsters. Check out my catch of O721 which was the longest to date in my YouTube endeavors.


#CSXMiamiSub - Trip Tomorrow

 (pound symbol title is because the posts get fed onto Twitter)

Time to see O717 out on the field tomorrow morning. I'll also score classics like Y120, O722, and the FEC locals as well. Wednesday is truly the best day to catch freight action. Y120 works the Downtown Spur, and 960 works the Pompano lead. It also often means long Q452s. O717 will very likely be working Sun-Sentinel as well for some decent shots.

Monday, August 15, 2011

#O717Nation - Leg Diagram

Will be stopping over at Home Depot this week to buy two 8' long studs for DFB as a test.

I have designed something whereas the legs are to be removable. The screw joints are to be #8x2.5" bought from the Home Depot as well.

Here's a concept drawing at how it will look like.

  • The stud element I bought from HD can be cut in two as I said to form the 4' perfect-posture legs. I will buy two each visit, to maximize the free cutting limit, 2 items. Each item, almost an extra dollar each. 
  • 1.5" think makes a sturdy support.
  • Felt pads can be bought for pocket change from Walmart, and eliminate scratches and stress on the surface.


Sunday, August 14, 2011

#O717Nation - Boards are Up and De-Warping

After the boredom of sanding the two model railroad boards, they are up and will be pounded with heavy containers as to flatten out. Studs are coming in as I type and the construction of such sections, plus the purchase of studs as legs, will begin this Saturday.

V149 and Q452

It was just about the time again for a coal train! Two ES44ACs haul V149 and a mostly Y220-based Q452 appear after.


Saturday, August 13, 2011

Sanding

I am happy to announce electrified sanding is done on my two 2'x8' board sections, both looking spiffy. From there they will be taken upstairs and laid flat to de-warp (it's humid).

I will be sanding the sectional studs only after I use the Black & Decker WorkMate bench to cut them to size, 21" in length. After which I will be screwing the boards onto these sections first, eventually followed by the 8' long studs. The way my table legs will look will then be decided (Boy do I have a lot of time to figure that out!) out of two options, L-shaped and Square based. Legs will be 4' high not to damage my back.

Friday, August 12, 2011

O717 Today

6 carloads this morning, caught by Rudy through Pompano Beach, FL. No video. They are at the moment working one of the nicest stretches over by Sun-Sentinel and Publix. The 6 car count may be inaccurate as the train may pick up more cars, especially from SB mammoths like Allsteel, Amerigas, Boise Cascade, etc. Feel free to keep in mind this is a 5-day a week local so for there to be one this way means the line is in good shape.

Tuesday, August 9, 2011

Double Heritage Luck

It's interesting when two days later, another heritage unit comes down P097. Today AMTK P097-08 has the 145 (Phase III) leading. Due to food poisoning, and the weather, no go for me. It's even more interesting, though, when I noticed I had titled my P091 post "Amtrak 97 Hollywood...". Seems like a vision of the future, I guess. ;)

Monday, August 8, 2011

Amtrak 97 Heritage Unit Hollywood Area



Seized the moment to score me a heritage unit on the good old Miami Sub. Note the poorly maintained track where Cemex is ;)... Overgrowth and modest conditions do occur on the O717 stretch, too, but of course, such is limited to industrial house tracks.

Sunday, August 7, 2011

[HD] Miami Sub Layout - Episode 3: Sanding

Video of a bit of yesterday's work...

Saturday's Progress At A Glance

  • In the 7 month planning time, my grandmother stayed here in Miami. She occupied living space in the room where the layout is going to be set up. As she left everything was intact for the last two months until yesterday August 5th whereas the bed was picked up, clearing space for future impending reorganization of items.
  • The first board was re-sanded (I did a manual attempt but it didn't suffice at all) about 80% of the board. It will be finished either this afternoon if the neighborhood doesn't ban noise levels during the day at a reasonable time, or into the week.
So lots of pre-setup work has been done on Saturday. I'll be continuing trips to the Home Depot today as well as other days in the week to obtain essentials. I still have to finance some cars from someone though so money is a wee bit tight now ;)

Look for episode 3 of the Miami Sub Layout series later today. This episode: Sanding.

Saturday, August 6, 2011

Sanding

Sanding is an important treatment process for wood, and since my surface of choice is indeed wood (no rivers and pretty flat terrain), it needs to be sanded. Home Depot has a 29.77 USD 4x8'x.75" board (worth an "As Seen on CSX" Banner? lol) that is already sanded, saving the hassle of sandpaper, BUT the edges will still need it.

Hence I suggest this to all modelers majoring in wood, if you haven't already, when in the pre-benchwork phase, SAND your lumber if bought unsanded, but if bought sanded, still, give it a quick run. There's room for error. But the main part you WOULD need to sand, as I said, is the edges. You do not want blisters in your fingers!

Today I am going to be sanding the split-in-two 4'x8' I bought this past Monday on the edges. Then, after that, they are going to be carried to the room.

Friday, August 5, 2011

For the Driver 1 Fans

A little OT here, but hell, I discovered this on a Homestead Sub bike-ride. Went on Red to see if there was a Y220 (there wasn't) but discovered this when waiting on SW 8 ST.

Image from Google Street View

It's not like this is a landmark of sorts, but this is one of the lower level buildings recognizable from the Driver: You Are the Wheelman game in the Coral Gables area. There are like four of these, LOL. A childhood memory reconnected.

I couldn't find an ingame screenie to compare, can anyone help?

Thursday, August 4, 2011

The Point of Trainwatching

The weather is beautiful, you have a nice seabreeze. 90º but it feels nice. You take a stroll on a bicycle (which later screwed the gears up due to a gutter strike @ Sunset Dr.) Your sources say nothing is coming; everything "Arrived" into Miami Terminal. Inching upward past a nice shadowy stop at AD Barnes Park and photographing a historic FEC wooden trestle (Still there today!) you finally inch in to Coral Way after noting THREE Voodoo sacrifices. (This sight was hard to look at)... No train yet, and a stroll to SW 21 ST. Time to decide, head back, blaze it to SW 70 AV, or have a Café Cubano at Rinconcito Latino? The second option almost won, and I made it to the east sidewalk, when I finally hear a K5LA. O721-04 was honking bravely through the neighborhoods of West Miami like God intended with the 6061 leading 4307, and 22 empty Yelvington cars, which would be to my knowledge later on. The honks get louder, and I get in position to get set for a hopeful 1.25 mile chase to SW 41 ST. I turn on my HD Camera, and it screams "NO CARD"... #$%#!!!! But my backup was ready to fire, a Cybershot Digital. I was expecting one AEX hopper followed by two to four Cement hoppers, but was spared when I found out it was an ordinary train. Nonetheless, the manual horses run, as few as 10 feet away from the train (Public Street), and I begin recording a little clip as I pass the Bus Terminal. The train picked up speed and I had no hope of speeding up, unfortunately. But I managed to complete the shot at Waterway Drive. While with the attest to the lack of an HD camera to film the chase I was duped a great deal, I was still enjoying it. The chase, the 20mph pace. It was a different feeling and an utter first to drag race an empty rock haul. And the road... all to myself. Welcome to Miami, railfans.

CSX Q453 W/ SD70M & Awesome Crew meets Q452!!!



Yesterday it had a rare leader, ex. EMDX leaser SD70M, which is usually in the confines of Central Floriduh. Caught by my friend Rudy. Had a classic Hollywood (R) meet, lol, double entendre there, with Q452. 452 was a flat out monster train. On top it had its "Y120s" and in the middle, as Q453 interrupted, passed a little glimpse of coal ash empties. Y220 worked the Lehigh Spur under a bit of my radar, though I valued a shower and bed more than Y220 that night (Tuesday). I believe this train should've also had these 7 empties from Orr WTP I caught on Tuesday. The DD @ Manatee (Oakland Park) gave 396 axles. 96 cars, eh? Not bad.

Now I have achieved a part of my sanding process for the two boards, and one of the warps is balancing off now. As I wake up in the morning, if the warp is completely balanced, it's comin' inside. Model O717 here I come!

Wednesday, August 3, 2011

Atlas New Stuff

20700 gallon tankers look good, but the price point is ridiculous. 40 bucks must be the new 25. http://www.atlasrr.com/HOFreight/ho20ktank3.htm

I actually am shocked at finding the Ethanol Tankers 10 USD cheaper than a 20,700 gallon. The 20700 is 2/3 the scale capacity! If I were to choose one of these though I'd go for DOWX, with the WR Grace Co in mind.

The Berwick 50' looks promising, and much more forgiving in price, LOL. 25.00 USD. http://www.atlasrr.com/HOFreight/hoberwick50bc.htm

Hence at times I still recommend the purchase of Trainman stock before these overshadow it.

Looking at my customers it is really unlikely I'll need any of these unless I do FLL Yard in a separate layout. Maybe a BNSF Berwick.

Tuesday, August 2, 2011

Miami (continued)

You may have to be on foot or really, at street level to experience Miami. As I did a new tradition, chasing O721 by bike, I intercepted upon it @ Sunset Drive/Galloway Road. South Miami has a back-woods feeling but in the intersection, there are Cafeterias and the BP there is very much in Lance's standards. When buying the Gatorade (I felt Cafe Cubano would not be right for a bike ride) I stumbled upon an interesting character, chanting the likes of "oye papo" to try to impress a 30 something woman. Unfortunately the lady was taken, but I felt right at home witnessing that. On a more subtle note my exchange w/ the clerk at the BP was in pure Spanish. She immediately said "uno cuarenta y nueve" as the total (1.39 USD + Tax 7%) and I handed the 2 bucks, got the 0.51 and we both said gracias, to me for the business and to her for the labor.

I also did a bit of meandering and on a lesser note, despite a rush, experienced West Miami and its very exotic "Voodoo and Palmettos" material. Encountered a lot of mosquito rich areas though, gotta bring that OFF!

It's things like this that make me appreciate Miami much more. A melting pot of character and culture.

Video of the O721 coming soon.

Fort Lauderdale

As much I find the area an interesting mecca for switching, I decided and realized it will be excluded through this layout until I secure more space, which in a tiny room in a townhouse, is impossible. Fort Lauderdale has TRANSFLO, two Team Tracks, F05 (where O717's cars go), and the White Lumber Lead. However, I guess as they say I have to finish my plate up before helping myself to more. A net 40+ square feet of track is already going to be in need of detail anyway.

Lance pointed me in this direction anyway, which I thought was very viable since his Downtown Spur has zero staging. AFAIK trains can only really turn around at FP&T.

The Fort Lauderdale area would poise the layout with two more needed hours of operation, the purchase of much more pricey ethanol tanks, and another couple months of detailing. I can do the pair of yards some other time (Fort Lauderdale and Dania).

O717 already eats up six (6) hours switching between Fort Lauderdale, Deerfield, and back. The train customarily runs around at Rankin but I'm catering to run-arounds at Pompano-Parker now. So I will be spending 6 hours an op myself switching. So I still have a bit to eat on my plate.

Not much of a change to the latest plan, just the top deck will rule up and chances are I'm looking at a 7' long straight track on a wooden deck (removable) to house cars and switch them out, like roller coasters load up, leave, load up, with the unloading in another platform.

Home Depot Installment 1

I made my first Model Railroad Purchase from Home Depot, in 2 years of dreaming. ;)

The 4' x 8' x 23/32" was a good place to start. I bought the fine one as it, though 12 bucks more pricy, is better off. To allow that benchwork to be done, I also but only bought 5 "2x4" studs. The arrangement is as shown. The fifth one is what is cut in 1/4s in the diagram.

The future Deerfield Beach and Pompano Beach sections!

















 The big board (cut in two) cost 29.77 USD. The studs each... 2.80 USD. (x5 = 14.00)
Screws on the side? 7.25. The total price? Little more than an Athearn Auto-Max in discount retail.

I wanted to hold off on the supports mainly because of the cutting price. I hit my "free" limit... Two cuts, the big board and studs, are free. Excess cuts are .80 USD each. HD will be on my way tomorrow so the gas won't factor much to offset the savings, 2 supports are 2 cuts. $1.60.


Besides, I am undecided on the supports. I am leaning towards getting the 6x6x8 but also am thinking of going w/ the ol' studs in an L shape (5"x3.5" gross L/W)

Monday, August 1, 2011

Home Depot This Week

Expect benchwork progress to be added this week as I take my trip to the Home Depot tomorrow evening. My "funds" for it have arrived. :)