Category: Prototype Topics, Railfanning & Museums

This category includes posts on prototype topics, railfanning, and railroad museums in North America and Europe. The primary focus of this category is supposed to be how study of the prototype relates to accurate prototype modeling.

Layout Visits, O Scale & Proto 48, Prototype Topics, Railfanning & MuseumsLeave a comment

No. 201: Visit to Minneapolis, Part 2

Golden1014

This is Part 2 of my trip to Minneapolis back in August 2024. Part 1 can be found here: https://railroadprototypemodeler.com/2024/09/19/no-200-visit-to-minneapolis/ After spending a fun Thursday with my buddy Clark Propst in Mason City, I drove north on Highway 65, which parallels the old Rock Island, to Northwood, Iowa, to try and find some inspiration on the railroad. I wanted to go to Manly but there was practically nothing left of the big yards, enginehouse and junction there. Then I drove north to Albert Lea, Minnesota to photograph the ruins of the old Milwaukee Road and M&StL there. The Rock Island, … Continue reading No. 201: Visit to Minneapolis, Part 2

Layout Visits, O Scale & Proto 48, Prototype Topics, Railfanning & Museums3 Comments

No. 200: Visit to Minneapolis, Part 1

Golden1014

What a fitting subject for my 200th post–a visit to Minneapolis, my home away from home during my youth. Above: A westbound Milwaukee Road freight train at Chanhassen, Minnesota in August, 1980. This is the first train picture I ever took. I was 16 years old. My mother was from Chanhassen. Her father–my grandfather–owned a large dairy farm just west of town and we visited the farm every summer. Minnesota is where I started railfanning, and Chanhassen is where I learned to admire The Milwaukee Road. Above. I broke the trip into two days so I could visit Jason Klocke … Continue reading No. 200: Visit to Minneapolis, Part 1

Freight and Passenger Car Modeling, O Scale & Proto 48, Prototype Topics, Railfanning & Museums1 Comment

No. 195: Atlanta, Illinois Grain Elevator Walk-Around

Golden1014

On the way back from the O Scale National in Lombard, Illinois I stopped in Atlanta, Illinois to visit the J.H. Hawes Grain Elevator museum. The J.H. Hawes Grain Elevator was built in 1904 on the former in Atlanta. The east-west crossed the busy, double-track Chicago & Alton RR a block east from the elevator. According to town’s website, found at https://atlantaillinoistourism.com/grain-elevator-museum/, The historic J.H. Hawes Grain Elevator Museum was in operation for 75 years and is one of the few all-wooden grain elevators in America — and it still runs! A unique piece of American farming history, this museum … Continue reading No. 195: Atlanta, Illinois Grain Elevator Walk-Around

Hermitage Road Layouts, Prototype Topics, Railfanning & Museums1 Comment

No. 190: Track Scenery on Hermitage Road

Golden1014

My wife and I went to Brugge, Belgium over Thanksgiving to celebrate my 60th birthday. Two of our three children were able to join us. We’ve been to Brugge many times and we love life there. It was a wonderful week and being there made us feel ready to live in Europe again. For the railfan in me, a highlight of the trip was taking a train to Ghent for a day of sightseeing and waffle-eating. The ride was fast, clean, efficient, and of course electric. The train below was photographed at Ghent on our way back. This wasn’t our … Continue reading No. 190: Track Scenery on Hermitage Road

Hermitage Road Layouts, Prototype Topics, Railfanning & MuseumsLeave a comment

No. 186: Hermitage Road 2: Painting Track

Golden1014

With track laid, wired and tested on the new layout, it was time to paint the track. Painting track is a big step, as all the trackwork should be operational and perfect before painting. Painting usually introduces a few other problems, such as problems at switch points and so forth, so the more work done prior to painting, the better. Hermitage Road is supposed to be an urban industrial layout, so weathering track appropriately is important. Here are a few motivational examples from around the U.S. that helped guide my painting. Below. This view is in Kansas, on a Union … Continue reading No. 186: Hermitage Road 2: Painting Track

Hermitage Road Layouts, Prototype Topics, Railfanning & Museums1 Comment

No 180: Rebuilding Hermitage Road, Pt. 1

Golden1014

I went to Paducah, Kentucky last weekend–about a two-and-a-half-hour drive–to attend my daughter’s swim meet. Between the morning and afternoon races I took an hour to drive around the old Illinois Central locomotive shops, now run by NRE, and I also railfanned some old factories downtown. Downtown by the Ohio River is a nice display of railroad equipment, including this IC 2-8-2 and a rebuilt caboose. The last time I was at Paducah was in 1988 when I stopped for an evening on a family trip–35 years ago. I wasn’t able to get into the NRE facility last weekend but … Continue reading No 180: Rebuilding Hermitage Road, Pt. 1

Freight and Passenger Car Modeling, O Scale & Proto 48, Prototype Topics, Railfanning & Museums1 Comment

No. 178: Freight Car Modeling, November 2022

Golden1014

Above. This former PRR Express X29 greets you at the gate of the Age of Steam Museum in Sugarcreek, Ohio. Unfortunately for me, this was as far as I got into the museum, as they were closed the day I got there. In September I flew to Baltimore to pick up a car at the port and drive it to St. Louis.  I flew to Baltimore the morning of Sept 20th, picked up the car, and drove all the way to Sugarcreek, Ohio.  On the way I stopped in Blue Ridge Summit, PA to visit Mainline Hobby Supply—that was cool—and … Continue reading No. 178: Freight Car Modeling, November 2022

Prototype Topics, Railfanning & Museums1 Comment

No. 177: The Latvia Railway History Museum

Golden1014

About a month before leaving Germany I took the family on a week-long vacation to Oslo, Norway. On the way we stopped for a few days in Riga, the capital of Latvia, and we absolutely loved it. Imagine my surprise when–riding a trolley from the airport to our center-city Airbnb–we passed right by something that looked a whole lot like a railroad museum. Sure enough, it was the Latvia Railway History Museum and it was about a mile from our apartment. I went to the museum the next day. The museum is small, with collection with small locomotives, a model … Continue reading No. 177: The Latvia Railway History Museum

Freight and Passenger Car Modeling, Prototype Topics, Railfanning & MuseumsLeave a comment

No. 173: The Rapido Pennsylvania Railroad X31 Model

Golden1014

It has been a very busy year at home and at work, and I’ve only been able to post three times on the blog. since January 1st. My last post was last week after a good railfan trip; the last modeling post was more than 60 days ago. Here’s a catch up. Despite the lack of modeling and railfanning I was able to take the family on a few trips. Covid restrictions here are 99.9% history and everybody’s traveling again. I took the family to Eindhoven, Netherlands in late February for a long weekend–that was beautiful–and in March I took … Continue reading No. 173: The Rapido Pennsylvania Railroad X31 Model

Prototype Topics, Railfanning & Museums1 Comment

No. 172: Roundhouse Day

Golden1014

Even though I model American railroads, I find railfanning in Europe very exciting. There are lots of trains to admire and photograph, and lots of older facilities still standing for modeling inspiration. Here are some words on a railfanning trip to Frankfurt yesterday. I took the day off of work on May 6th and drove to Frankfurt to railfan and also visit four roundhouses still standing in the area. I didn’t expect to get to them all. Last weekend I went to Darmstadt to photograph two roundhouses extant there. I was unable to photograph either of them. One is deep … Continue reading No. 172: Roundhouse Day