Test Track: Amtrak "Freight" (1 of 2)

[wwemtalover123]

i want it ill give u 200

[RailRide]

@wwemtalover123

Ha! You Funny :D

Roadrailers from Weaver models: $44.95 each

MTH Amtrak 4-car set: $200

MTH material handling cars: $59.95 each

Weaver custom-run boxcars: (maybe $30 each)

MTH Genesis diesel powered: $430

MTH Genesis diesel non-powered: $200

Might want to re-think jumping into O-Gauge with both feet :)

[p42Amtrak83]

Where did you find the Amtrak roadrailers? I heard they're really hard to find now!

[RailRide]

@p42Amtrak83

Weaver Models makes them now...every so often.

The ones I have I bought direct from Bowser at a couple of TCA train meets years ago when they were a more-or-less current item.

[ltlman692]

@RailRide

Where did you get the amtrak set.

[RailRide]

@ltlman692

It wasn't bought as a set. The cars and locomotives were purchased separately over a period of time many years ago.

[joebob3719]

How did you interface that atlas switch with the lionel tubular track?

[RailRide]

@joebob3719

O27 track pins soldered to Atlas rail joiners.

These switches are the old 1970's-era 2-rail ones. I bought them back in the 1980's since they were cheap (under $10 apiece) and I could make "3-rail" them by snipping out the guard rails and spiking in Code 148 "third" rail. The main attraction was getting yard tracks a lot closer together than with 027 switches.

The joiners were low-profile HO-style ones, so soldering on a track pin made them match height almost perfectly.

[joebob3719]

@RailRide I wonder if that solder trick would work on a modern atlas switch. I doubt atlas would change their tooling too much to accommodate the third rail. I mean, even with that third rail atlas' track uses a low profile HO style connector for all three rails.

[RailRide]

@joebob3719

At as O already produces adapter joiners for 'O' tubular track. Not so sure about O-27.

[puzzler19]

do the road railers come with the coupling device to hook up to regular cars? i was looking on weavers website and it doesnt say much

[RailRide]

@puzzler19

Weaver's site isn't terribly well laid-out. I didn't find them there either. Googling "weaver couplermate" only brings up Bowser's listings (Weaver acquired or licensed the tooling from Bowser) from when they carried the cars.

The CouplerMate is sold separately from the RaodRailers. Only one is needed per train.

[mcrrocks80]

thats a different kind of amtrak.

[EsotericDesi01]

Amazing... I love it how it's spread across the home...

[RailRide]

@EsotericDesi01

Well, just across the living room. Only shadows extend further into the house.

[gtasandman]

@RailRide why is the truck trailers on wheels

[RailRide]

@gtasandman

Those are RoadRailers. They're like trailer-on-flatcar, without the flatcar. Amtrak used them to carry mail.

[gtasandman]

@RailRide yeah afer i posted the comment i read discription an sheah roadrailer then i found out but i did not want to remove comment becase it and its reply can be helpful to others

[mcrrocks80]

@gtasandman I don`t know.

[SonicbusterX2000]

I liked it when the Genesis blows steam out.

[Snorkey53]

Really like your "creative" layout. Now to convince my wife to let me do that in our crowded apt.

[RailRide]

@Snorkey53

That's why I joke about the couch shots being the "proof I'm not married" shot :D

[StR8LuCkYSh0T]

wheres the cabos

[UP5853]

For a second at 1:48 , I thought the train was going to tip over.

[madwolf4149]

All it need now is a ratty old heavyweight combine on the end to make it "real."

[acdcrocker]

reminds me of the Three Rivers that they had, then the contract ended as you know with USPS...sad, Nice train, and horn!.

[howardkevinm]

honestly thats the first thing that came to me the second i seen the title (didnt have to watch to figure it outq

[trainfan1143]

where did you get the sound decoder.

[RailRide]

It's built-in. Almost all MTH locomotives come with factory installed sound electronics. That's the "Protosound" mentioned in the description.

[baseball8610]

what is this engine called

[RailRide]

Usually known as the "Genesis". It's also known as the AMD-103, P40, P42DC, etc.

Wikipedia has a complete entry on the real-life one under "GE Genesis".

[baseball8610]

i wanted to know because i want this engine, but couldn't find it. So now I know what to look up. THANKS

[Trainlover4ever2006]

The Three rivers has Amfleet 2s.

[RailRide]

AF2's were intended for long-distance runs, so yeah. I had the misfortune of getting the only AF1 in the train on a return trip from Pittsburgh on the Pennsylvanian (end-to-end) this past summer.

Nobody has made AF2's in O gauge yet, though.

[uniqdymand]

thats a long amtrak lol :D love the train where did u get it

[RailRide]

Didn't get it from any one source. I got the locomotives seperate, the MHC's from a combination of mail-order, dealer orders, and train shows. The Amfleets were from a train show, as well as the boxcars and Roadrailers. It took maybe 2-3 years to assemble this one.

[ogauge47]

looks like the old 'Southwest-MEGA-Chief' with all those roadrailers

[IVEMER]

nice train

I have the same exact engine; except different roadnumber :)

I'm planning to get those new Phase V amfleets from MTH to go with the Lionel Acela HHP-8 set I've preordered

[ThEBoOgEyMaN666]

arnt those transition pieces horrible you role over them and its clunk clunk , with mine its 0-27 going to fasttrack and its horrible

[RailRide]

They also serve a purpose--shaking up the couplers to see if any are prone to letting go under stress.

I've actually broken one of the adapter joiners from all the pounding I've subjected them to (they're 027 track pins soldered to 2-rail O scale track joiners).

[JERRYR708]

18 baggage cars for 4 coaches. Some women need to take everything for a trip don't they.

[RailRide]

The real "Three Rivers" actually carried packages (in the boxcars) and mail (in the trailers) before Amtrak decided the revenue it was getting wasn't worth the hassle and delays they caused.

[Vortex173]

Hey nice train and what scale is that train on

[RailRide]

O scale.

[railfan95]

Oh Boy, the EPA is gonna get a kick out of this one!

[RailRide]

Believe it or not, I've heard of venues (like certain malls) where train displays are forbidden to run smoke units--even though the "smoke" is actually mineral oil vapor--the same thing as fog machines.

So that's actually not that wild a thought :D

[WJ165]

how many transformers do you use for the layout? 1?, 5?

[RailRide]

Just one. The 'layout' os just a little smaller than 12'x17'.

[furryfurball1221]

I just bought a set of 2 amfleets and a transition superliner and 2 superliners, they are BEAUTIFUL!

[RailRide]

RailKing or Premier?

[furryfurball1221]

premier, are thse premier?

[RailRide]

This train is all Premier. My Williams Superliners are, however the 15" versions.

[OScaleAmtrak]

Nice consist! Are the first two material handling cars the same road number? Are your newer material handling cars,(the 5th & 6th) ones different road numbers?

[RailRide]

Each paint scheme has its own road number. I just looked at the boxes. Only recently has MTH started offering their Premier-level freight cars in two road numbers per item number.

[DRfermasMs]

hi i find you railroad here very imteresting could you maybe send me videos of it often if you put me on your frineds list or somthing??

[furryfurball1221]

the second unit is a P40DC, very nice, well done

[Weiberts]

Huge train i wish i had those genissis engines

[amtrak60]

All the Conventional boxcars are gone as well, Amtrak dropped the mail contract. No freight is carried on Amtrak anymore, only cars that don't carry passengers are baggage cars & MOW cars now.

[RailRide]

I heard somewhere that the mail contracts weren't bringing in enough revenue. I don't know how true that is, but I have seen former Amtrak roadrailers in Triple Crown service still wearing their Amtrak striping.

I assume the 50' boxcars were sold? They didn't seem to be old enough to have been scrapped.

[amtrak60]

Probably, Amtrak's mail problem was revenue (and delaying the train for being too much of a hassle to put on and off), revenue was a problem though. The 50' boxcars were most likely sold, just to say. The old Material Handeling Cars (first 5 on your train) were most likely sold or scrapped (based on date).

[RailRide]

@amtrak60

Spotted one of the 50' boxcars in /watch?v=fkSg2bZ7tdU as the 68th car.

[amtrak60]

Used by a secondhand owner now, a leasing company probably got them. I've seen a few myself, just haven't gotten around to uploading the video yet. I have, however, seen and uploaded ex-Amtrak Roadrailers:

watch?v=n5PRVcHnuB4\

The second train, at least 5 of them, haven't seen this video in a while, so I'm not sure how many are on there.

[OScaleAmtrak]

Nice Video! Is the PS-1 cab #64 geared the same as the PS-2 cab #825? I've been wanting to try this with my PS-1 & PS-2 Genesis locomotives and It seems like they run a bit differently in speed when ran alone. I know the PS-1 F40PH is geared to run real fast.

[RailRide]

I don't have the PS2 version (the second unit in this consist is a newer dummy unit), but I'd imagine you would at very least have to turn the speed control off on the PS2 unit.

[free2rtmey]

This consist almost looks like the three rivers.

[RailRide]

Yup. That was the intent :)

[MartyLJ57]

Well, You pulled out another one.

Have you thought of making the layout more permanent by adding bridges etc...

[RailRide]

Not really. The basement layout is supposed to handle that. I'm building a half-inch-scale replica of the basement in an effort to figure out how to fit a decent layout in there.

[MartyLJ57]

That sounds like a whole other endeavor and a lot of work.

Hope it turns out for you and maybe we'll set it on You Tube as well?