Model Train Journal

I have been very fortunate over the years to accumulate a good number of vintage and custom SP locomotives, cabooses, and passenger consists. Many of these items are the fine work of good friends who also happen to be talented modelers. I have long intended to create a showcase video of this equipment, so a few weeks ago I loaded up the layout and got to work. The resulting video can be seen on YouTube at the first link below. The native mp4 version of this video, without ads and at full resolution, can be accessed on Dropbox at the second link. Note that the native file is very large, so will likely take a bit longer to load than the YouTube version, which is compressed by YouTube as part of the upload process:

YouTube version:
https://youtu.be/pEzJOqP9pFE

Native version:
https://www.dropbox.com/scl/fi/2dj9s5nj2tiackppbpssp/Raifanning-the-Southern-Pacific.mp4?rlkey=68xx8bpqe1539nyr4340bhdgl&dl=0

Be sure to stay for the blooper reel
Jim

Wow Jim! So much to say, but the bottom line is you have an incredible collection of locomotives and cars that are as beautiful as they are functional. And, so much history with custom built locos by the gurus who are no longer with us. Thanks for posting.

Plus1
The only thing missing is a Lobaugh locomotive or two.
5114 is a kick, because I rode behind 5115 between Fairbank and Tombstone a couple times.

bob turner wrote:The only thing missing is a Lobaugh locomotive or two

Yea, I get it. A couple of years ago I found myself with a stable of SP passenger locomotives and consists but not much on the freight side of things. I was hoping to find a Lobaugh SP Mikado to balance things out a bit when Charlie Morrill offered me the Max Gray/Kleinschmidt 4-10-2. I was a bit worried that the ten-coupled would be unhappy with the 66" radius curves on the outer mainline, but to my pleasant surprise and endless satisfaction, it cruises the curves with nary a sign of binding. Having said that, I'll continue to keep an eye out for a Lobaugh Mike, as it could go anywhere on the layout, not just restricted to the wider curves of the outer main.

Jim

You have a fabulous collection of freight cars as well and it makes train watching very interesting trying identify the cars as they pass. I've never seen that many tank cars in a model train in my life.

Again, agree.
I could watch it at about half speed to savor the rolling stock.
Maroon is lots younger than me - I am sure at least one Lobaugh Mike will run light to his place before too many more years . . .

Edit: I should add - my Scale Craft Mountain (Thanks, Maroon and Allan) will be coming home tomorrow for new driver tires - inspired by this video!

That happened to the Pacific (motivated by a Carey Youtube event) and I got a great deal of satisfaction out of it.

Edit: Cancel that idea. Wheelbase is too short for center driver flanges. I will test run it and return it to the hangar display.

Wonderful Jim!

bob turner wrote:I could watch it at about half speed to savor the rolling stock.

You can slow down the playback to half speed - on the dropbox link, it's the 1.0x at the bottom left of the screen. Change that to 0.5x to get half speed.

up148 wrote: I've never seen that many tank cars in a model train in my life.

By watching it at half speed, I was able to see that there is a Great Southern tank in that train - I think that's pretty neat for a Texan to have.

Thanks. I'll try. I figured it would destroy the resolution.

Great Southern, although Lorell Joiner's road name, is popular throughout the south. Still, it is a privilege to own pieces of these famous railroads. I have a box car from Godfrey Humann.

Chris Webster wrote:By watching it at half speed, I was able to see that there is a Great Southern tank in that train - I think that's pretty neat for a Texan to have.

Good eye, Chris -- I have seen several of Lorrell Joiner's Great Southern models for sale over the years, but most were locomotives which went for more than I would pay for what is really a novelty item to me, history notwithstanding. Happy to have found the tank car.

And thanks for the tip about how to watch at half-speed on Dropbox. It's a nice trick, but only with the sound turned off!

In regards to identifying the cars in the freight consists, I considered providing still shots and captions, as I have done in other videos. However, this video was already twice as long as the other videos I have made, and I didn't want to push it. Having said that, there are enough vintage and custom cars in the consist to make for an interesting "part 2" video. I would jump on it but for the amount of time it takes to pull one of these things together.

Jim

or, you could do "stills" here?

Yes, I think seeing these cars individually would be a great "part 2". I was really drawn to the train consist.

Great idea, really enjoyed the video.

You have a great collection and some very unique pieces. Nicely done.

Aaron