RailRoadFan.com

The recent weather has inspired me. No, it's not snowing in my basement but it seemed that a snowplow extra would be appropriate. The extra consists of a snowplow, an F7 A-A set, a tool car and a caboose. I dug thru some boxes of stored cars to find my old wooden Ambroid snowplow from the 1960s. The...

Success! GR-7 made a successful trip north (thru the wall). Sorry I don't have any pictures. To do that I would have to enter the twenty-first century and I haven't made it there yet.

Extra time off around Christmas allowed me to begin building a staging yard on the other side of the basement's center wall. Access to it is thru the wall, representing travel from Sault Ste Marie Michigan to Sault Ontario.The new yard represents Steelton Yard on the Algoma central. Some track is no...

When this project was first announced there was a crop in the field where it was to be built. After the harvest this past fall I expected to see something begin to happen. I've driven past there a few times this winter expecting to see some surveyor's stakes or something, but have been disappointed....

I have several things in my railroad room to help set the atmosphere. There are old train pictures on the walls as well as emblems for the Pennsylvania RR, the Algoma Central and also a large emblem for the GAP Route. The GAP Route is my fictitious railroad that extends north from St Ignace to Sault...

This Sunday (October 28) is the train show at the Kalamazoo County fairgrounds. 10 a.m to 3p.m.

Is anyone else planning on going to the national model train show in Grand Rapids August 3, 4 or 5? Admission is expensive but I went to the one in Madison WI about 20 years ago and there was EVERYTHING there. I figure it's too big of a deal to miss so close to home.

There is a public boat launching site in Escanaba (Wells) that is directly next to the E&LS where the dead Baldwins are stored. A chain-link fence is there but the engines are very visible. Highway M-95 runs parallel to the yard in Channing. Also US-2 runs right along the CN yard in Gladstone where ...

If you head south from Coldwater Michigan along I-69 what good railfanning sights are along the way? Where do you cross the NS and also the CSX? Anything else of interest along the way?

I thought I heard that they laid some continuous welded rail on the Seney stretch last year.

I own the book but its been quite a while since I have read it. The M&LS was a true U.P. backwoods railroad that sometimes seemed to be held together by "haywire," hence the name. The track arrangement in Manistique seems really unusual and that is because quite a bit of it around the paper mill is ...

To celebrate NS's 30th year I'm hearing that the #765 will be operating around the system including to or from or thru Elkhart. I haven't been able to find any dates or times though. Can anyone provide more info? It would be great to see a big steamer without having to travel far.

I'd heard there was going to be a model train show (swap meet) in conjunction with the NYC Historical Convention in Elkhart. I can't seem to find out anything about it. When? Elkhart? EssenHaus? Open to the public? Can anyone shed light on this event? Haven't seen a flyer. Can't find it on the inter...

The "junk yard" siding I was referring to is in Kalamazoo. Actually it's just a spur east of the old GR&I depot but it's where Kalamazoo Metal Recyclers (KMR) occasionally loads gons with scrap. KMR's actual place of operation is over on King HIghway and processed scrap metal is trucked over to the ...

I've heard that pipe for this project will also be staged in the CN Kilgore Yard in Kalamazoo.

Saturday (April 7) there were 4 KELX boxcars on the "junk yard" track waiting to be scrapped. Nearby there was another one on its side and several freight car trucks from previously scrapped cars.

The Kalamazoo Model Railroad Historical Society will be presenting its Annual Spring Show and Sale on Saturday April 7 from 10 am til 3 pm in Room A at the Kalamazoo County Expo Center/Fairgrounds. Room A is at the north end of the Expo Center Complex. Admission is $3.

An observer from another board reports seeing "a dozen or so" on Grand Elk 302 today heading for Kalamazoo. They did take the scenic route after all. I imagine they will be scrapped on the "junk yard" siding like the ALAB cars were a while back.

Fortunately I'll be able to make it again this year. I've always enjoyed this show but sometimes it conflicts with granddaughter #3's birthday party. My nephew and I go together and we end the day eating take-out from the Dairy Queen take-out while sitting at the Nappanee depot. CSX usually provides...

I've managed to acquire several boxes that computer keyboards came it. They are approximately 2" x 10" x 24" with flip-up tops. The cars lay on their sides and all are completely visible, not buried under another layer. I keep boxcars in one, gondolas in another, etc, so its easy to find the car I h...