Dean Freytag, 1924 - 2010

Model railroading lost a friend and an icon Christmas evening with the passing of Dean Freytag in an assisted living home in Ashland, Ohio. Dean, 86, was well known for his scratch building and kit bashing, particularly of steel mills. He was published widely in the model press, with more than 50 articles in Model Railroader alone. He was also the author of two popular modeling books, one about using styrene and Plastruct, the other about the history and modeling of steel mills. Many of us have Dean Freytag structures on our model railroads. The Paducah & Lake Erie has a Freytag kit bashed nine-stall engine house and a scratch built refueling and sanding facility, as well as a series of covered hoppers from his South Ridge Lines. Dean was preceded in death by his wife Ann (1999) and is survived by a sister, Carol, brother-in-law Jim, and a niece and nephew. Rest in peace.

Leads Going In

The lower level leads are going in on the Paducah & Lake Erie. I have also finished connecting the long siding to the main line on the lower level. It's an interesting process; since we hooked the leads to the buss wires prior to fastening down the plywood sub-roadbed, I now look underneath to see where the leads are attached, drill the holes for the leads, drop foam roadbed pins (about 3" long) down the holes to make it easier to find the holes, and then follow the pins out of the holes with the lead wire up to the track, rather than the normal solder-to-the-track and fish down to the buss wires ... a long explanation for a relatively simple task. As soon as I get the remainder of the leads in, I plan to build Attica (my hometown in Indiana) Yard on the lower level. The four-track yard will be about 17 feet long and will have on/off switches to each track. Then it's back to wiring the Tortoise switches to power the turnouts.

Happy Thanksgiving

To all of you, Sue and I wish you a great Thanksgiving and the very best of holiday seasons.

Rolling Stock Appears on P&LE

Rolling stock is slowly starting to appear on the Paducah & Lake Erie. First to show up is the Peabody coal train, shown here crossing from the helix to the ramp that will take it to the lower level. Not all play today, as I put in the loooong passing siding on the lower level. Next is hooking up the lower level power leads as there is a significant decrease in power on the new trackage.

Main Line In, IR Receiver Installed

Wow! What a week! David James and Ken Heyl arrived last Saturday (Nov. 6), and we started working on the railroad. David had to take Sunday evening, and Monday thru Wednesday for a business meeting in Little Rock, but Ken stayed here and we put in long days. David returned Wednesday evening and worked all day Thursday and Friday and Saturday morning. Local neighbor Bob Gouirand chipped in on several occasions as well. End result? The main line -- complete with return loops to allow continuous running -- is in! The 1.67% down slope, which connects the helix with the lower level, is complete and operational. An impressive interlocking, now and forevermore to be known as Heyl Junction -- conceived and designed by Kenny Heyl and built by David James -- works like a charm and allows trains coming off the lower level loop beneath Paducah to return trains on either track up the ramp, or on either lower level main. The Digitrax electronics have been consolidated, and include the installation of the IR wireless throttle and receiver. Photos above, top to bottom: #1 - connector between the bottom of the helix and the start of the down ramp; the tracks below are the entrance and exit to the lower level return loop beneath the helix; #2 - the down ramp to the lower level; #3 - Ken Heyl (left) and David James install the interlocking, and #4 - short freight heads back up the ramp through Heyl Junction.

Ready for electronics

All bench work is done, the lower level buss wires are in (photo left), and the plywood sub roadbed is nearly all in place. Time now for the electronics (i.e. move and consolidate the Digitrax power system -- David James expertise) and we'll be ready to start laying track on the lower level. It's moving quickly, thanks largely to David and Ken Heyl.

Switch motors, bench work

It's been a busy weekend on the Paducah & Lake Erie. Thursday evening was a big (and hopefully, the last) lumber purchase; Friday and Saturday were spent installing the Tortoise switch motors. Then Saturday evening, David James (Brecksville) and Ken Heyl (Ashland) showed up from Ohio. The three of us spent a couple of hours measuring and planning for the lower level of the P&LE, and Sunday installed the last of the upper level switch motors (top photo) and started putting up the lower level bench work (bottom photo). The goal is the have all the bench work done, some lower level track laying completed, and the electronics (Digitrax) consolidated and completed by the end of the week. David had to leave for Little Rock, to return Wednesday; Ken and I will be here all week.

Fall PA Trip

Here are two of the photos from our recent Fall trip to the Horseshoe Curve area in PA. The top photo is from the Curve, while the second pic is also from a curve, this time Mance Curve, near Sand Patch, PA on the old B&O route. About a dozen of us from several states meet twice annually at the Station Inn Bed & Breakfast in Cresson, PA. This year, we were about a week behind the peak period for the color, but still managed to find some good patches. For more photos of the PA trip, you can go to http://billlinson.rrpicturearchives.net/archivethumbs.aspx?id=61776.

David James and Ken Heyl show up Saturday for several days of model railroad building; most of the lower level and virtually all of the electronics should be done when they leave.

A Little House

This is a craftsman laser cut wood model I just completed as part of a project for the Gateway Division of NMRA. It's the first wood craftsman kit I have ever done, the first time I have ever used chalk for color, and the first time I've ever weathered any structure!

Particulars for those interested in such things: it is an American Model Builders, Inc. (of St. Louis) laser kit; the house and trim are all done with chalks (house is green, with dirty yellow highlights), the trim is very light dirty yellow over brown, the roof is painted steel gray, the chimney is painted Tuscan red, it's ALL weathered with grimy black chalk powder, and it's all sprayed with Dullcote; I also added a little rust colored chalk to the roof (probably a little heavier than necessary); the chimney is dusted with white chalk after the Dullcote to highlight the mortar. The model is glued together with white plane-modelers glue, and the trim pieces are "pick & sticks" reinforced with CA.

I thoroughly enjoyed it and am looking forward to doing more such projects, including a model of MO Tower that once stood at Cresson, PA -- but first, back to installing Tortoise switch motors and getting trains running.

Gary Hoover's Incredible Railroad

I had an opportunity to visit Gary Hoover's incredible model railroad this evening. Gary, featured in Model Railroader on a number of occasions for his outstanding modeling, was a most gracious host. He is a prototype modeler with his large Cajon Pass and Chicago railroad replicating the western reaches of the Santa Fe in the transition period from steam to early generation diesel power in August, 1951. Gary loves to build prototype model railroads, and this layout will be torn out in the next few weeks to make way for his latest effort, which is already started. As I understand, this newest effort will bring us the Norfolk Southern and its heavy duty coal-hauling mountain railroading.

Tomorrow, it's back in the basement and back to the installation of Tortoise switch machines. We got the accessory buss wires put in today.

New look to blog

I have updated the look of the blog to something I think looks a little more contemporary. I hope you like it ... but feel free to comment either way. The nice thing is that it can be changed with the click ... okay, a couple of clicks ... of a button.

For those looking for the installation of the Tortoise machines, that starts tomorrow and I'll have photos posted by the weekend.

Mainline Leads In; Next Come Tortoise Switches

The leads on the upper level mainline of the Paducah & Lake Erie are in, thanks to some help by Bob Gouirand. Next come the Tortoise slow-motion switch motors, which I am using for all switches on the main line, and hard-to-reach turnouts. Industrial tracks will be hand thrown switches. Anyway, I have to install 14 of the Tortoise guys on the upper level as it stands right now, and there will be more. The good news is that I have found them in the moving boxes (we could have done a better job labeling boxes when we packed up the railroad in Ohio).You will recall that I'm trying to get all the "under the bench work" wiring on the upper level done while I have easy access before installing the lower level.

Trains Running; Dropping Leads

Trains are running again after the visit by Digitrax expert Brian Post. It was, as I suspected, a matter of some recent wiring by yours truly being done incorrectly, and it took Brian about 10 minutes to see the errors of my ways. As most modelers will attest, when trains are running - even just a short distance - it's much easier to get motivated to work on the layout. That's especially true this week in St. Louis when the thermometer has hit 100-plus degrees every day (heat index in the 112 range)! Now it's to the task of dropping leads every six feet to assure even distribution of power. Rather than soldering to the buss wire, I am using 3M "suitcase connectors" (photo above). They can be a pain to work with, but are quicker than soldering every connection. Anyway, we move forward.

Changes are coming, help on the way

I continue to have power problems, but have contacted a DCC expert, Brian Post, here in St. Louis who is going to help. It will be great to get trains running, and a great morale boost to get busy.

I have once again decided to make this a two-level railroad, since I have gotten quite interested in operations, and simplky need a larger railroad to do that effectively. Impetus for this move has been visiting Bob Buschart's two-level railroad and seeing how I can combine my present helix with some long 1.67% grade elevation changes to give me a lower level of about 30 inches off the floor. His lower level works quite well and I am committed to doing it.

Once I get trains running (hopefully this weekend) and start building again, I'll get more photo evidence posted. Thank you for your patience.

Back from trip, hospital stay

I'm back to working on the railroad after returning from the private railroad car trip to Washington D.C. and back. But first, an update. Photos above, from top to bottom and all from the vestibule of the Cimarron River, are departing the nation's capitol, just after having passed through the Sand Patch PA tunnel, and leaving Chicago's Union Station with the former Sears Tower rising in the background. It was a great trip, but four days later, I landed in the hospital for three days. But, I'm home now, walking increasing distances very day, dieting religiously, and losing weight. It's back to the Paducah & Lake Erie Railroad in the basement.

Ready for trip

Ken Heyl is in town getting ready for our private car rail adventure to Washington, D.C. and back. Ken helped on the final piece of track work. We leave Friday via a private car (as part of a National Railroad Historical Society trip) tacked on behind Amtrak. We go to Chicago Friday night, join on behind Amtrak's Capitol Limited Saturday evening for the overnight trip to Washington, spend Sunday through Tuesday nights in Washington, return to Chicago overnight Wednesday, spend Thursday night in Chicago, and on down to St. Louis Friday. All nights are in our private compartments in the Pacific Union rail car. We're looking forward to it.

Upper Level Mainline Is In!

The upper level mainline of the P&LE is in, as of 3:40 pm today. Top photo is yours truly putting down the final piece of track. Bottom photo is the first train running the entire loop, here entering what will be the Yard Limits of Paducah; four of the cars are recent acquisitions from the defunct Buckeye Western, owned by the late Dave White of northern Ashland County, Ohio. Next on the agenda is the dropping of feeder wires to the buss wires.

Isolation worked ... kinda!

I'm happy to report that isolation, as described in the previous post, worked in partially determining the power problem and preserving (after a fashion) my sanity. Simply, a different engine runs just fine on each of the throttles; the "problem" unit does not run on either. Thus, the problem - still to be determined - lies with the one unit, but now I can take it to one of a couple of Digitrax "experts" I know and get it fixed. I have called Home Depot and put the chain saw order "on hold".

Operation Lifesaver Trip

Several of us went on a UP-sponsored Operation Lifesaver trip between Pacific, MO and Washington, MO today, a trip of just under two hours. The push/pull operation had a Heritage Unit, painted for the Missouri Pacific, on one end. Weather was rainy, photography certainly not optimum, but a fun trip.

Tomorrow, it's back to the model railroad, and installation of the final 6-7 feet of track and three turnouts on the upper level main line. The saga of getting the Digitrax to work properly continues; tomorrow is "isolation" day, i.e., changing the throttle and keeping the same engine, changing the engine and keeping the same throttle, and changing both. If none of that works, there may be a chain saw in my future (just kidding ... I think).

P & LE Makes Acquisition

The Paducah & Lake Erie has made an acquisition from the defunct Buckeye Western Railroad, purchasing two engines, a GP 40 and a GP 40-2 (both Atlas), and four pieces of rolling stock, a 50' box car, a high-side gon, and two MOW cars. The engines are slotted for yard work, and the rolling stock will be integrated into the P&LE operations. Now, on to track laying.

Time Out for a trip

I've been away from the railroad the past couple of weeks on our annual trip to the Horseshoe Curve area and the Cresson PA B&B with friends Ken Heyl (Ashland, OH), Stan Swope (New Philadelphia, OH), Allen Silverberg (Lexington, KY), Jim Martin (Selkirk, NY), and Dick Perry (Corning, NY). My photos from the trip can be found at http://billlinson.rrpicturearchives.net/archivethumbs.aspx?id=56356. My trip started in my hometown of Attica, IN, and this photo shows a westbound NS mixed freight knocking down the signal at the east edge of Attica on what was the old Detroit-to-St. Louis Wabash line. Track laying work on the P&LE renews tomorrow (Friday).

Fuel & sanding facility

Trackwork continues on the P≤ top photo shows the turnout that will lead to a coal-loading siding; bottom photo is of the turnouts at the fuel and sanding facility at the entrance to the yard at Paducah. The middle turnout that appears to direct the track off the benchwork will lead around to a large yard on a 16-foot peninsula; the turnout coming out of the curve leads into the fuel and sanding island; the turnout at the bottom of the photo comes back into the mainline.

Back In Business

After nearly three months hiatus, I'm back in business ... sort of. Getting back to laying track for the Paducah & Lake Erie, I quickly ran out of rail joiners. No problem, right? Wrong! A quick visit to my favorite hobby shop found them out of the preferred -- Atlas Code 100 Rail Joiners -- and the explanation that they had been back-ordered the last three times the hobby shop owner had requested them and that they were "on a container ship somewhere between here and China." Why didn't I try the Peco brand rail joiners he suggested, adding "They fit a lot tighter than the Atlas brand, you'll probably need a set of needle-nose pliers to install them." I bought a couple of packages, brought them home and immediately tried to use them. Forty-five (45) minutes later, I still had not joined the first piece of track. Gave up. Went to another hobby shop. They, too, were out of the Atlas brand. Last week, on a completely unrelated trip to a small (20,000 pop.) Kansas community, found a hobby shop that had two (countem' 2) packages and immediately snapped them up. NOW, I'm back to laying track, and anyone wanting three packages of Peco Code 100 track joiners can have them by paying the postage. Photos of continued track laying to follow in the next couple of days.