GP-40s & a 44 Tonner for Christmas

[on30gn15]

Hey Y'all;

Nothing like DCC GP-40s & a 44 Tonner for Christmas.

Parents are in town for Christmas and plotted with Mike, owner of LHS, without my knowledge  
When they got in town the called him and asked if he knew and locos I might want.
He told them about the Chessie System GP-40 and Western Maryland 44 Tonner I'd started on lay away and the red & white Western Maryland GP-40 still on the shelf I had commented on wanting.

Mom & Dad paid off the layaway and bought the WM unit.

Nice Christmas, eh  

I have for them a G scale Durango and Silverton passenger set I'm doing some extra detailing on.

Toy train for each other - is that Christmas or what!

& now it needs a caboose, something like this maybe
http://www.bachmanntrains.com/home-usa/products.php?act=viewProd&productId=3809

This is the HO Scale Western Maryland Northeast Steel Caboose (#1816)
                   from the Bachmann® Silver Series®.
                      Suitable for Ages 14 & Older.

Or the

HO RTR Eastern 4-Window Caboose, Chessie/WM#901803
by Athearn

Or both  

[jward]

in the diesel era the western maryland only had one type of caboose. the bachmann model, and a similar one by proto2000, are the ones you want.

[on30gn15]

Ah, thanks, did not know that. I don't know much detail about WM, just generalized stuff like that it became part of Chessie System via merger in to B&O, and that WM has a huge Shay.

[jward]

i grew up along the wm in its final days. much of its mainline is now a bike trail. from a modellers standpoint they were noted for running well maintained first generation locomotives like f7s and rs3s long after most lines had gotten rid of them. they were also a link in a network of railroads called the alphabet route, and had significant overhead traffic which ran the length of the line, being handed off to other railroads at each end.

[on30gn15]

Thanks 
I grew up in Virginia, the Carolinas, and Georgia, and have more experience with SCL, SOU, N&W, and Chessie System.

Have also heard of WM have nickname of "Wild Mary". Is that for real and how did it come to be?

[jward]

yes, the wm was known as the wild mary. it is my understanding this nickname came about due to the sparsely settled areas it ran through. most of the west virginia lines were in the monongahela national forest, and even the main line from hagerstown to connellsville, pa passed through only one city (cumberland, md)....the lines out of elkins, wv featured sharp curves, steep grades and heavy coal trains. there are few photos of these lines because access to them was difficult due to the remoteness of the line and the lack of intersecting roads. to catch trains on these lines you had to know when they were running, and walk into a spot and wait for the train. because of this. chasing the train was next to impossible.

[on30gn15]

Think come payday I'm going to LHS and order these
http://www.bachmanntrains.com/home-usa/products.php?act=viewProd&productId=2132
40' Gondola Road Name: Lehigh & New England
&
http://www.bachmanntrains.com/home-usa/products.php?act=viewProd&productId=3809
Northeast Steel Caboose Road Name: Western Maryland® (speed lettering)

....the lines out of elkins, wv featured sharp curves, steep grades and heavy coal trains.

For someone in to large model RR layouts that could make a fun one it sounds like. My home layout is a little On30 shelf type with insanely sharp curves.

These locos will do most of their running on the club layout; which has no grades at this point. Would be neat if we could do about a 12 foot long 2% grade up, a flat section, about a 12 foot long 2% grade down. That would only be a 3inch rise but with a 25 car train some throttle changes would be required to keep a constant speed.

[on30gn15]

Aha!
Now I gotta have this - wondered if it was in print.

http://carstensbookstore.com/wemadilobypa.html

Home > Railroad Books > Appalachian Railroads > Western Maryland Diesel Locomotives by Patrick H. Stakem and Patrick E. Stakem
Welcome to the Carstens Book Store

Western Maryland Diesel Locomotives by Patrick H. Stakem and Patrick E. Stakem

Item# A17272
$24.95

About this item
Complete roster data, official diagrams and background material on the development of the Western Marylands fleet, and its use on this very popular line. Filled with FAs, BL2s, as well as the more common units and paint schemes, from the elegant and well respected fireball to the three-color Circus scheme on into the Chessie System paint.

Hardbound, 106 pages

[jward]

if you can find it, also get:
Western Maryland in the Diesel Era by Steve Saloman and William Hopkins (both family friends)

also, in the kalmbach book 43 layout plans (not sure of the exact title) is a short piece on my dad's lauout, which is based on the wm around elkins, but operates under his own railroad name. look for "modelling junctions in coal country." this layout also appeared in model railroad planning a few years back.

[on30gn15]

Cool!

Just found it - Page 52, Coal Country, Designed by Roy Ward.

My Dad doesn't do HO or anything 3 dimensional but he also got a copy of that mag to use in designing layouts for Trainz RR simulator.

[jward]

that's the one. the original piece in model railroad planning concentrated on the junction itself, but the railroad is much more than that. it operates as a point to point line with 3 points and the junction at the center. as such, trains tend to accumulate where not needed, and the equipment has to be rebalanced with special deadhead trains all the time. it's the third prong which makes this possible, and it's what sets this line apart from most other model railroads.

[on30gn15]

... as such, trains tend to accumulate where not needed, and the equipment has to be rebalanced with special deadhead trains all the time. ...

Dang, now that dude is a seriously hard-core model railroader if he's also modeling the headaches of real life railroading 

[jward]

those headaches are what sets that layout apart from the others i've run.