Great NYS Model Train Fair: Nov. 5 & 6

Two great days at the Great NYS Model Train Fair this weekend. Attendance up by 15%+ over last year, lots of folks and more kids than ever. This one below was completely mesmerized and couldn't get enough. From http://cnynrhs.org/:

2011 Model Train Fair a Big Success!

Nov. 6--The numbers are in... and the 2011 edition of the Chapter's Great New York State Model Train Fair was an unqualified success! Attendance was up 15% over previous years. Vendors reported good sales. The results come after years of flat attendance. This year's show condensed every vendor and exhibitor into one building -- the 90,000 sf Exhibit Center at the Empire Expo. The show also eliminated admission fees for youngsters 15 and under. Next year's show is scheduled for Nov. 3 and 4, 2012.

My star of the show, Sofia who although promised she wouldn't have to spend a day did due to an emergency and absolutely rocked during take-down, loading/unloading, and putting everything back at home. She brought her guitar and worked on her songs while there... Thank you, Sofia. <3

Was really great to have this layout set up again and to run the littler trains (we also have z-scale) these past two days. We put a lot of effort into the modules and it showed. Despite having been invaded by oversized tent caterpillars from outer space (dust and other dirt) during the two years the modules were stored under/next to the H0 layout they cleaned up really well and didn't look tired at all.

Ready for the Great NYS Model Train Fair: Nov. 5 & 6

All packed up and ready to go to the
Great NYS Model Train Fair this Nov. 5 & 6

More about the modules at here and here.

Railfanning both ends of the East Syracuse CSX yard

Currywurst, in Syracuse?

Anyone who is a regular visitor to my webpages will likely have noticed my affinity for the industrial haze of Germany's Ruhrgebiet, in particular the ubiquitous kiosks that are everywhere serving up news, sweets, other essentials, but most importantly things like currywurst mit pommes (fries) and mayo. Anyhow, before I digress too far while going for my haircut today I noticed a trailer with Walking Taco on the top and Currywurst below. I knew I just had to stop and try one, nevermind the pouring rain.  Ordered in German, the owner didn't skip a beat and it was delicious. No pommes (fries) and mayo though. :-( Will definitely be back, either there in Manlius next to Sno Top or at their other location in Paradise Market. The trailer is definitely the more authentic venue...

Walking Taco's Currywurst truck in Manlius, NY, next to Sno Top in the parking lot.

Eine glückliche Kundin!

The currywurst is said to originate in one of three places, the Ruhr, Hamburg, or Berlin. Franz Rogmans Walking Taco's is modeled on the Berlin variety  and served with a good roll even though he grew up next to the Ruhr. It is even namesake to a fair movie based on the novelle by Uwe Timm. Most famous of all is Herbert Grönemeyer's song of the same title. For those non-German speakers, the New York Times had a good article.

Our first batch with curryketchup made from scratch. Yes that's mayo on those fries!

Other links:

• http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/newstopics/howaboutthat/2959505/The-Invention-of-the-Currywurst-Film-sends-Germanys-sausage-war-from-bad-to-wurst.html
• http://www.trailerseite.de/archiv/trailer-2008/9746-die-entdeckung-der-currywurst-film-trailer.html

Anyway, I love this kind of food and ambiance, and have modeled at least one such kiosk on my layout in the form of Bochum's Bergbau-Grill (original and model below). Those that want their own should visit the page just linked to.

West End Trains

An hour along the tracks in East Syracuse watching trains... Came through slower than usual and seemed to be backed up... Saw a manifest freight, an endless ethanol train, and some others... Very relaxing on a hot and hazy afternoon...

Far From Home – Canadian Pacific in Syracuse

Happened by the tracks at the West end of the East Syracuse Yard and noticed this Canadian Pacific (CP) powered manifest freight. Pulled into the lot and snapped a few shots on my cell. Lead unit is GE ES44AC number 8856. After a minute or two the engines revved up and the train pulled out. Fun to see something more exotic here. The last time I saw CP was when a colleague and I headed down to Binghamton, NY where CP and Norfolk Southern are plentiful. Pictures of that trip are here.

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.

Back in Kirksville

Wow, almost 3 days in a row. What gives? First train, two Dash-8s heading West that seem to have lost their load. Didn't seem to be in any hurry either.

Next train, this VERY slow intermodal leaving the yard and heading East up the grade...




As this was making its way slowly East it was overtaken by a long Amtrak consist powered by 3(!) Genesis units and ended by a private coach. Camera batteries had died by that point and I all was able to do was watch it disappear into a swirling mist of snow... Dang!

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.

Click here to watch in (slightly) better quality on YouTube

West End of East Syracuse CSX Yard

Intermodal coming on the North Runner with a Dash-8 (?) still in Conrail colors, an Amtrak heading west, an ethanol train going no where slow, and a surprise UP powered reefer train heading East on this snowy, blustery day... Not my best quality in part because of no tripod, shaking hands, and shooting out of the car window... Been a real long time since I did this. Next time with a tripod and more coffee...

Click here to watch in (slightly) better quality on YouTube

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.

Finger Lakes Scenic Railway Fall Foliage Tour 2009

Follow the Finger Lakes Scenic Railway's Fall Foliage Tour from Camillus to Cayuga, NY with stops on the return leg in Skaneateles Junction (missed the train there) and Martisco Station. Power for the double-ended train of 5 coaches (3 in NYC grey) on the way out was 2301 (GE B23-7) and on the way back 1751 (EMD GP9). Below are images of the power and stations in Martisco, Skaneateles Junction, and Cayuga along the way as well as a nice truss bridge, an RDC railcar, and a small crane car.

More about the Finger Lakes Railway (FGLK) at http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Finger_Lakes_Railway and http://www.fingerlakesscenicrailway.com.

View a chaser's-eye video of the trip at YouTube

2301 (GE B23-7) and 1751 (EMD GP9) in Camillus at the boarding point

The station at Cayuga, NY along the shores of Cayuga Lake. It is now home to the town clerks office...

1751 (EMD GP9) viewed from above with Cayuga Lake in the background
during the stop in Cayuga, NY

Truss bridge at Cayuga

Station at Skaneateles Junction (aka Harlot). Missed the train running by...
The station is now used by the
Central New York Model Railway Club for their layout.

Martisco station, one of the homes of the Central New York Chapter of the National Railway Historical Society. They have an RDC and the small crane car here among things.

Train Action in Syracuse (again)

Two new videos shot in and east of Syracuse, NY. The first is a tripfrom the West end of the CSX yard in East Syracuse to the a bit west of the grade-level crossing in Kirkville, NY. Action filmed on August 24 and 25 shows an engine move along Track 2, some Amtraks, and a SD40-2 switching on the South Runner (all in East Syracuse). Next we see 2 short silent clips of westbound trains passing under the pedestrian overpass in Minoa, one of an autorack whose power included CSX 1191(MP15AC) and the other of a UP-powered reefer train. Finally we see yet two more Amtraks along the straight at CP 280.5 near Kirkville and a stack train.

View it in better quality at Papphausen2 on YouTube.

The second video was shot at milepost 280.5 along the straight of Saintsville Rd showing a westbound CSX stacktrain, the eastbound Amtrak Lake Shore Limited pulled by two Genesis units and stills of another (eastbound) CSX stacktrain.

View it in better quality at Papphausen2 on YouTube.