Showing posts with label videos. Show all posts
Showing posts with label videos. Show all posts

Thursday, December 30, 2010

Back in Kirksville (again, and again...)

Daughter has wanted to go to taekwondo almost every day the past week or so, so I've gotten to hang out trackside in the overcast, gray twilight, gloom watching trains, just 5 minutes away.

Below two clips from yesterday and the day before. Yesterday was great with lots of action, one train following the next. As the dispatcher said, lot's of traffic, and better to be moving more slowly than not at all...

Follow an east-bound intermodal out of East Syracuse CSX yard, and then catch a west-bound manifest freight and finish off the evening with an east-bound Amtrak along Saintsville Rd. In Kirkville, NY. Thought not audible on the video, the first train with 4 engines was only powered by 3 as one was out of service...



As we drive east along the North Runner of the East Syracuse CSX yard we catch a glimpse of a waiting stacktrain, and one heading out of the yard that we chase down, only to see a manifest passing it along the 2 mile or so stretch of Saintsville Rd. Then another manifest soon follows, followed by a nice surprise in the form of a Santa Fe powered ethanol train. We finish with the only west-bound of the day, a fast auto rack.


Tuesday, December 21, 2010

Sitting in the Cold on Saintsville Rd in Kirkville

1 hour along Saintsville Rd in Kirkville, NY. Five trains, including a surprising (because I wasn't paying attention meeting of a a westbound autorack with an eastbound mixed freight.








Monday, December 20, 2010

West End of East Syracuse CSX Yard




Saturday, April 3, 2010

Norfolk Southern Coal Drag in Ithaca

Watch Norfolk Southerns northbound coal drag to Miliken Station on Cayuga Lake pass by the Ithaca Farmer's Market and waste treatment plant. No connection between the two. Filmed April 3, 2010.



Sunday, November 22, 2009

Going West

Going West is a short stop action film created by Andersen M Studio that blends two of my passions, books and railroads. You'll have to imagine the train, but the tracks are there...

The film's "book" is by Maurice Gee and the film was mode for the New Zealand Book Council.

Amazing imagery!



Monday, November 9, 2009

Trains in Motion

Our modular layout was part of Euro-East at the Great New York State Model Train Fair in Syracuse this past weekend, November 7-8. More on the train show here, and some pictures of trains further down...



Below an overview of the layout that you can read more about here. The screenshot above, from the Fair's website shows me and a young railfan with the right hand module below in the foreground.



The image above shows how the Bend Track modules were connected on tables rather than using our benchwork. Put the layout at a kid friendly level, something appreciated by the kids and their parents. No damage... whatsoever (we did have to look cross-eyed once or twice but that was it. So, put away the stanchions and rope... The pink blocks are what is used to hold the modules in the correct position on the benchwork. In this case, they also provided a place to hide the wiring. Velcro is used to pull the modules snuggly together. Layout got gently bumped on occasion and no separations. While I had always thought it could work, and wrote so, very glad to see it actually work. Small bits of cardboard were used to level the track...

Here it is with a DB class 23 pulling two brown boxcars and four 3-axle Umbauwagen. The DB 26.4 meter bi-levels are running in the back.

Below some views down the layout as it was set up. Attendance seems sparse (those are not the ghosts of attendees past), but these were taken just as the show opened. Attendance actually seemed good and on par with or better than last year.



Here some more pictures of the trains...

The DB 26.4 meter bi-levels pulled by a Class 65 tenderlok pass Sofia's module.

DB class 23 pulling two brown boxcars and four 3-axle Umbauwagen approaches the bridge from the right while the Class 65 pulls the bi-levels across on the left.

DB class 23 pulling two brown boxcars and four 3-axle Umbauwagen approaches the bridge from the right and crosses it (below).


One of the trains below does not belong on this layout. Which is it?


Finally, there's a report on our local cable news outlet about the Great New York State Model Train Fair that shows some of the modules beginning at 6 seconds in (2 second duration).

Here's the first of two videos from the Fair...
See in better resolution at YouTube
.





And here the second...
See in better resolution at YouTube
.





Sunday, June 28, 2009

Finger Lakes Live Steamers, 2009

Took advantage of a beautiful day head out to the Finger Lakes Live Steamers' annual open house in Marengo, NY (near Clyde). Lots of action and happy faces as folks got pulled around by live steam and faux diesels.






Saturday, May 23, 2009

Trainspotting off the Willis Ave bridge in Solvay (Syracuse), NY


After a four-week break decided it was time to go trainspotting again and this time headed West to the Willis Ave bridge in Solvay, a part of greater Syracuse. This location in interesting because there are great views of downtown Syracuse through the trees, Onondaga Lake (our local Superfund site and beautiful in spite of it), as well as some larger local industries and a power plant. 5 trains in almost 3 hours isn't bad (The first train arrived as I was parking - a boring westbound stack train) and the Finger Lakes Railway GE B23-7 with a (very) short freight was a treat. Below an overview of the location.



And here some stills...





Here a video of the morning... from my YouTube site
Click here to watch video with better quality


Monday, March 23, 2009

Steamcourse and Video Digitization

Been spending lots of time converting old VHS based tapes to digital, among those from various railfan trips to Germany, Maine, and elsewhere. Also gathering various silent clips shot with a plain old digital camera and uploading them to YouTube as well.

A big theme was the steamcourse I took at the Boothbay Railway Village in Maine during the Fall of 2003. A complete report is here.




There are six videos total of the experience starting with introductions and firing up and going all the way to parting shots as I had to head back to Syracuse after what would be an amazingly long, wonderful experience... The smell of anthracite followed me all the way home and still lingers in the gloves and lumps of coal I grind up to use on the layout.

Below video 1... Click to view the video at YouTube and see all the rest too. Several other videos from Boothbay and the Wiscasset, Waterville, and Farmington Railway (WW&F) there too.


Sunday, February 22, 2009

Reichsbahn Allerlei

Took all my DB stock off the layout 2 weekends ago and am running my
DR stock for a while...


Click here for larger and more pictures.








Reichsbahn (DR of the DDR) allerlei. Locals pulled by a BR114 diesel and a BR78 tank engine changing directions in Pappendorf, freights on the mainline pulled by a BR120 Taigatrommel and BR132 Ludmilla (both built in the USSR), expresses pulled by the BR01.5 steam engine, BR143 electric (one of the last engines designed by the DR for mixed use and still running strong in a reunified Germany), and the BR175 diesel railcar the connected the DDR with Scandinavia, Czechoslovakia, and Austria. Even catch a derailment...


See more videos on the Papphausen2 YouTube Channel

Monday, February 2, 2009

Reichsbahn Action

Posted some new videos on YouTube today featuring my Reichsbahn (DR of the DDR) stock. Been a while since I ran some of the consists so they were grateful for being able to roll.



18 201 with an express, SVT137, 01.5 with an express, BR114 with a short local and BR132 Ludmilla with a freight.


Saturday, January 3, 2009

Gliederzug (articulated train) of the DR

I recently acquired this Sachsenmodelle gliederzug set of the Deutsche Reichsbahn (DR) that was built starting in 1952 by the VEB Waggonbau Görlitz based on pre-war designs of the LBE. More info can also be found in the Wiki. The basic unit was a 4-car bi-level, designated DB13. The axle configuration was 2 + 3 + 3 + 3 + 2, total length 73 400 mm, whereby 2 cars shared a 3-axle bogie.


A two-car configuration, DB7, was also used particularly on branch lines.


While not "normal" 3-car units were occasional run if one of the cars was out of service.


In the 70s some were reconfigured to run in push-pull operation with the addition of control cabs. The model represents early era 3 before the 2nd and 3rd classes were combined (klassenreform). The car sets could also be found coupled into other consists with "normal" coaches as well.

While the BR 114 diesel in the pictures above post-dates the markings on the coaches, it needs to be understood that this is a "museum" consist owned by the VEB Waggonbau Görlitz and occasionally gets used in regular service. ;-)

To make the model work I replaced the original couplers with a 6574 Fleischmann close-coupling mechanism that is height adjustable and a 40396 Roco Universal coupler head. Installing these required cutting away some bits on the bottom of the end cars as well as an opening between the buffers so the mechanism could pivot. The bellows between the cars are made of paper and are in great shape. Wheels were swapped to 10.4 mm diameter Sachsenmodelle replacement AC wheelsets that brought the unit down to the proper height and really improved running and reliability through turnouts on my Märklin AC layout. The wheels were made by Bernd Thomschke (benno002-2) who sells all types of brass wheels and buffers via his eBay store at<http://stores.ebay.de/benno002-2> or direct at <http://www.modellbahn-radsatz.de>. From the US, the eBay store is easier. Very responsive vendor.

6574 Fleischmann

40396 Roco

In testing I tried just about every combination I had including some s-curves and tight turnout combinations in the main yard at increasing speeds and went through absolutely smoothly. Night and day difference in running - now completely reliable. It's a nice set, one I look forward to detailing, gently weathering, and most of all running.

Thanks to all the helpful people on the Drehscheibe Online, Railways of Germany, and WorldRailFans, and the Stummi fora.

In the video below a BR78 steam engine is pulling the consist.
For better quality video view it on YouTube.


Thursday, January 1, 2009

Running trains

Decided to take a break from the modeling activities of the past few days to actually run trains... Below are some videos, with more (and higher playback quality possible) on the Papphausen2 site at YouTube. Actually getting better at filming and editing, but it is very hard to hold a camera with one hand, and control the trains with the other, especially when there are turnouts and signals to be operated... Still good fun.

BR 151 electric pulling an express in hilly terrain.



While the BR 151 of the Deutsche Bundesbahn (DB) was designed to replace the BR 150 electric in heavy freight service such as unit trains carrying ore, coal, or tank cars, it occasionally saw service pulling passenger trains, especially in hilly country where its lower speed would not be a factor.

BR 10 of the Deutsche Bundesbahn (DB) with bi-level passenger coaches.




A BR 10 of the Deutsche Bundesbahn (DB), the last heavy steam passenger engine built and one of only two, pulls a rake that includes early bi-level coaches. In 1950, the (DB) had a small batch of bi-level coaches built. The first were 22.5 meters long. A second batch that was made in 1951 were 26.4 meters long, the new UIC (International Union of Railways) standard coach length. Bi-level coaches were not something that was new in Germany with the first having been developed by the Lübeck-Büchener Eisenbahn (LBE) in the 1920s. These were used with tank engines outfitted for push-pull operation.

These new coaches were used to test the new high-speed Minden-Deutz bogies and rubber car end seals, with the second also being used to test new openable window constructions.

While bi-level coaches never took off with the DB, the DR in East Germany embraced them at about the same time, something which may have contributed to the non-adoption of the design in the West. Before and with reunification of the German railways in 1989, the DB began to purchase large numbers of modern bi-level coaches from the East, using them in local and regional service.

Below an advertising film of the DB introducing the new bi-level cars with lots of construction footage





Branchline action on my layout.




BR 132 Ludmilla of the Deutsche Reichsbahn (DR) pulling a freight.


Monday, November 24, 2008

Some more Syracuse views from the summer...

Some more pics from this summer at the East Syracuse CSX yard. No CSX among this batch... An eastbound ethanol train with UP and SP power, UP caught with flash in daylight showing the reflective paint, and a westbound BNSF powered manifest.





The videos below were shot from near the Willis Ave Bridge in the Solvay part of Syracuse.

Westbound CSX power with empty coal hoppers.



Westbound CSX power with construction debris / trash.



And some noses from the Central New York Chapter of the National Railway Historical Society's collection. The GG-1 of the Pennsy and an E8A of the Lackawanna. The diesels were operational until recently.



Ethanol and AutorackTrains in East Syracuse

And another video... 2 engines, one protection car, and 100 tankcars loaded with ethanol. Video was taken in the East Syracuse CSX yard this past August.

Und noch ein video... 2 Loks, ein Schutzwagen und 100 Kesselwagen mit Ethanol... Aufgenommen im August in der East Syracuse CSX Yard.



And one of an empty westbound autorack train... Most of these seem to move around the rails empty...

Und einer von einem Autorackzug mit leeren Wagen. Die meisten scheinen einfach leer durchs Land zu fahren.

Saturday, November 22, 2008

Fleischmann BR94 aus 185101 Set

Pictures and video of the H0 Fleischmann GBAG set 185101 with the BR94 for Märklin. Notice in the videos that the engine gets hung up on the uncoupler tracks. Also jumps slight through the X-turnout and gets thrown off the track in one direction only on the 3-way turnout. Engine is factory weathered with a reddish hue, the cars less so. Aside from hanging up, this is a nice set to have, the engine runs smoothly with a Märklinish sound coming from the gears. Engine was run analog as that is what I have. Bilder und Videos von einer Vorbeifahrt der H0Fleischmann GBAG 94er aus dem 185101 Wechselstromset. Auf meiner C-Gleis Anlage bleibt sie mit dem Schleifer auf Entkupplungsgleisen leicht hängen, humpelt durch die DKW, und schaft die 3-wegweiche nur in einer Richtung (wird richtig aus der Spur geschmissen - Hängt wohl mit dem Schleifer zusammen). Lok leicht in rostigem Ton gealtert, Wagen nicht so sehr. Abgesehen vom aufhängen und der 3-wegweiche fährt sie ganz schön im Analogbetrieb mit einem märklintypischen Sound von dem Getriebe. Digital nicht getestet. Im Ganzen ein schönes Set.
Weiter gehts bei / Continued in Slider Modifications On Fleischmann

A train you can model | Ein Moba gerechter Zug

Seen heading east on October 26th from Syracuse NY's CSX yard towards Kirkville. A nice short freight that would work as a model.



Sunday, November 16, 2008

A trip to Binghamton, NY to the Canadian Pacific/Norfolk Southern Yard

On October 12, I headed to Binghampton Yard with a trainspotting buddy where we caught some different action than our usual CSX stock. Our location was at the west end of the yard, in the middle of the map where the entrance to the yard forks off of Holmes Pl.

Am 12. Oktober fuhren ein Kollege und ich zu den Bahnanlagen in Binghampton (ca. 100 km südlich von Syracuse) wo wir mal was Anderes als die üblichen CSX Sachen sehen wollten. Wir waren am Westlichen Ende der Anlagen wo die Einfahrt zu den Anlagen links von Holmes Pl abbiegt.



First in was this manifest freight heading south headed by this Norfolk Southern and four others including one still in Conrail paint. Shot some video too.

Als Erstes sahen wir diesen Zug der in südlicher Richtung fuhr, angeführt von dieser Norfolk Southern Lok und vier Anderen, darunter eine noch in Conrail blau. Habe auch ein Video gemacht.








Then, coming the other way was this manifest pulled by two Canadian Pacific units. The first picture is by my friend Scott.

Aus der anderen Richtung kam dann dieser gemischte Zug angeführt von diesen zwei Canadian Pacific Loks. Das erste Bild stammt von meinem Kollegen Scott.



After hanging out at the CP/NS yard we came by the New York Susquehanna and Western yard where there was no action but some engines, including the black SD-40. Pics by my friend Scott.

Nachdem wir einige Stunden dort verbrachten fuhren wir zu den New York Susquehanna and Western Anlagen wo nichts los war, aber wir einige geparkte Loks sehen konnten. Mit dabei diese schwarze SD-40. Bilder stammen von meinem Kollegen Scott.