My Father's Model Train Projects

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02/05/2013 -

Above are some photos of my Dad's new N-scale model train layout that I'm putting together for him. He has decided to call his model railroad GLENSIDE TRACTION as of 02/05/2013.

We've been planning on doing this since the 1970's, so now at his age of 83 I decided that it is finally time to do this.

I started this project on 01/01/2013 & hope to be finished with laying all of the track & simulated roadbed by February or March.

I had the layout board (28" x 50") custom-made when I was stationed in the Navy in The Philippines in the early 1990's. I had 3 of these boards made at $5.00 each.

My father & I both like trolleys, subways & light-rail vehicles (LRV), so that is what this layout is based on theme-wise.

Unfortunately the US model train manufacturers specialize in making only working models of the no-longer-made real versions of the Peter Witt streetcars (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Peter_Witt_streetcar), PCC trolleys (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/PCC_streetcar) & Brill trolleys (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/J._G._Brill_Company), so for a more modern look I have to go with the Japanese manufacturers, Kato & Tomix, since Japan has a much wider variety of more modern looking model trains. Too bad that the US model train manufacturers don't change their production line because there are currently many in-place & developing modern-looking real light rail systems here in the US, so it would be nice to see some working or even non-working models of these vehicles for hobbyists & train fans like myself.

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07/20/2014 - Finally, after starting this project in January of 2013 for my father, at 4:45 am this morning, I finished installing all of the main tracks for his model railroad layout which he previously named as GLENSIDE TRACTION since this layout is based on running light rail & streetcar/trolley trains.

When I originally started this project, we decided to use the ATLAS brand of N-scale track since that brand is the most common one of many. Little did I know was that ATLAS had moved their manufacturing plant to China & something happened over there to their production facilities, so some of the track stock has been delayed in shipping to the USA for over 1 year. We had already spent over $100.00 on ATLAS track for my father's layout, so once I found out about their shipping problem & the switching tracks scarcity, I used the ATLAS track that I had purchased for him & it turned out to be a pretty nice system containing two loops that were all one continuous system.

The ATLAS shipping problem made me decide to no longer exclusively use their tracks on any other N-scale layouts that I was going to design & build, so I began to use the KATO brand of tracks which have the plastic roadbed as part of the individual tracks. Their tracks are so easy to assemble & disassemble. The KATO switching tracks incorporate the motor mechanism underneath the track assembly so that there is no separate switching machine on the outside right next to the track like the ones on the ATLAS tracks, so this gives a much more realistic & neater appearance.

I also began using the KATO Unitram series of light rail track along with two small pieces of ATLAS track on a small layout that I built.

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This is a list of my father's N-scale rolling stock of light rail vehicles (LRV's), streetcars, trams & trolleys.

The red text date in parentheses next to each train type indicates when he acquired them.

1. Bachmann PCC Philadelphia SEPTA Trolley - 1 each http://www.modeltrainstuff.com/Bachmann-N-PCC-Trolley-SEPTA-p/bac-62997.htm

2. Kato #14-801-2 UNITRAM series TLR0607 PORTRAM Light Rail Vehicle (white color body with two vertical purple stripes) - 1 each

a. http://www.katousa.com/N/JSE/pics/14-801-2.jpg - photo of model train

b. http://www.katousa.com/N/JSE/LRV.html - info about Kato's CENTRAM & PORTRAM light Rail Vehicles

c. http://www.lightrailnow.org/news/n_toy_2006-05a.htm - see the story behind the real light rail vehicles that the models are based upon

3. Bachmann #61092 New York City "Third Avenue Railway System" Brill Trolley - 1 each http://shop.bachmanntrains.com/index.php?main_page=product_info&cPath=265_668_388&products_id=2624

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This is a list of my father's HO-scale rolling stock of light rail vehicles (LRV's), streetcars, trams & trolleys.

The red text date in parentheses next to each train type indicates when he acquired them.

1. Bachmann #84606 Spectrum series "Peter Witt"-style St Louis Railways streetcar with full interior, lights & DCC capability (12/17/2012) - 1 each http://shop.bachmanntrains.com/index.php?main_page=product_info&products_id=5052

2. Bachmann "Desire" Brill Trolley, custom-weathered & wrecked on an ATSF flatcar (07/03/2013) - 1 each

3. AHM (Mehano/Mehanotehnika) Trolley #5301-04 "Philadelphia Transport Co. (PTC)" powered unit (06/22/2013) 1 each

4. AHM Mehano/Mehanotehnika) Trolley #5301-04 "Philadelphia Transport Co. (PTC)" powered trolley unit w/unpowered trailer trolley (09/20/2013) - 1 set

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This is a list of my father's O-scale rolling stock of light rail vehicles (LRV's), streetcars, trams & trolleys.

The red text date in parentheses next to each train type indicates when he acquired them.

1. Corgi #U55208S "Brooklyn New York - Cypress Hills" Birney Safety Car Trolley (05/03/2013) - 1 each www.corgi-usa.com

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My father's artwork - https://sites.google.com/site/blindartisthenrymitchelljr/

Please feel free to contact me by email at ProwlerRaven32@hotmail.com. Thanks.

Logan Mitchell Sr (Baltimore MD)

This website was created on 01/27/2013 & was last updated on 10/22/2021 by Logan Mitchell Sr. © All Rights Reserved 2008-2021.