Construction Update #9 - Preston Miller (Bowling Green) Yard & Rolling Stock

Preston Miller Yard

 

The last two weeks have been spent working on Preston Miller Yard in Bowling Green.  All the track and electrical is in on the east end of the yard and the engine facility.  The west end will have to wait for additional materials due to arrive next week.

 Looking west.   

Looking east.  The Southern Kentucky Feed & Grain elevator (red structure) is new.

As each section of the layout come online, I like to run a train.  Not only does running a train insure the newly laid track is bug free and functional, it's fun.  And, the satisfaction of seeing something move inspires me to keep building.  Noticing that the yard was pretty full, I decided a eastbound BGC-1 was in order.

BGC-1 is a eastbound Bowling Green to Chattanooga general merchandise freight.  A quick survey of the engine facility revealed that plenty of power was available

Two recently shopped U30-C's and a CSX B23-7 are the power. The "Bigs", as the U30's are refferred to by MBG&C crews, will be required for the 2.25% ruling grades between Westmoreland and the summit at Crockett.  Coupled on to the first half of their train, the units are about to double over to the adjoining track and pick up their remaining cars.

Ex Chessie System bay window caboose brings up bottom of the train as BGC-1 departs Preston Miller Yard in Bowling Green for Chattanooga.

Rolling Stock

 

In the last update, I included several pictures of my rolling stock.  Those cars, for the most part, were higher end rather delicate models from Intermountain, Athearn Genesis and Atlas.  For an operating layout, where rolling stock is likely to get handled, I like many of the more entry level cars with cast on details.  Walthers Mainline. Accurail, Stewart/Bowser, Atlas Trainman and some Athearn/Roundhouse cars fall into this category.

Norfolk Southern 17734 is a old Roundhouse car.  The stirrup steps have been replaced and it has been weathered with Bragdon Enterprises powdered pigments and some light airbrushing.  Kadee #58 couplers and metal wheel sets have also been added.

Southern 557 is a Walthers Mainline car "right out of the box" RTR car with replacement Kadee #58 couplers and metal wheelsets.  It was lightly weathered using Bragdon pigments and a airbrush.

Here is the Accurail version of the same car.  I had never seen a picture of the prototype with green doors so I fired off a email to Accurail asking about the doors.  It turns out, the prototype doors were originally unpainted aluminum which appeared green in the photograph Accurail used as a reference to paint the doors.  To their credit, Accurail painted up some replacement doors and sent them to me.  I kind of liked the green doors so I decided to leave them on the three cars I had already built.  I have several more of these kits so any future builds will have the correct color doors,  Again, the original wheel sets and couplers were replaced.

Penn Central #888248 is another Accurail car.  Again, all that been done is to change out the couplers and wheel sets and add a little weathering.

And finally, here is a Athearn Genesis car that was weathered by a young friend of mine, David Howland.  Its really nice to see young modelers this talented.  Fortunately, David has the support of both his parents when it comes to pursuing the hobby.  Dave and his father Roy prefer more modern equipment so you probably won't see one of these rolling around on the new layout they are building in their basement.