Hennepin Overland Railway Historical Society

[DakotaLove39]

And of course I got a little over-confident in my abilities to manipulate the switches on this line and I sent two trains up at once, intending to have one pass by the other at one of the automatic switches. Well, that didn't happen, because said switch will not open up for down-hill trains if there is an uphill train anywhere on the track. So BNSF #117 and #567 were playing chicken for quite a while until I could get #117 and its short hopper train into the hole at New Bergen.

 

[Iron Horseman]

Boy has it ever. I've seen Skytops and Superdomes going for $200 on eBay. I lucked out and got each of mine for $100.

Cringe. I think I paid $37-$42 for mine in 2008. I've only got one in each paint scheme.

 

[Iron Horseman]

And of course I got a little over-confident in my abilities to manipulate the switches on this line and I sent two trains up at once, intending to have one pass by the other at one of the automatic switches. Well, that didn't happen, because said switch will not open up for down-hill trains if there is an uphill train anywhere on the track.

I hate it when the automatic systems prevent something that is completely reasonable to do. We get that all the time with the control software at the museum. I really really need to throw this turnout but it can't be coded as long as there is a train anywhere within the block.

 

[DakotaLove39]

I hate it when the automatic systems prevent something that is completely reasonable to do. We get that all the time with the control software at the museum. I really really need to throw this turnout but it can't be coded as long as there is a train anywhere within the block.

Yup. There is a way around it, either by having the up-bound train wait on the scrapyard spur at the foot of the hills, or have the downhill train wait on the passing track in New Bergen. Problem with that is some other member has had his train parked in New Bergen since I first learned my membership was accepted. I may have to just carefully and quietly run it down to staging if it's still there next week.

 

[DakotaLove39]

9/29/18: Visiting hours operation, first prototype op
Uhh Milwaukee Road madness describes this weekend. I got to run my first actual operation that wasn't just continuous run. In the case of our layout, this involves a lot of time down on your hands and knees getting to each section to work the switches, so I see why I am the only one doing it. I kind of fudged this run by forgetting the MNS box was there. It was intended to be dropped off at the sawmill. my REA reefer is also a bit old for 1974 but we'll just ignore that for now.

I've already outlined the branch line well enough, so I won't bother explaining this too much. I'll simply post my images in order. AS616 #567 is firmly in place as my go-to locomotive for this run. Today the New Bergen turn will be less than ten cars long.

We catch 567 already at work. Here she approaches Millers' Lake, and her first pick-up.

567 and her crew slowly creep down the grain spur to pick up a loaded 100-ton hopper bound for Centerville. Once the air is on and the brakes are off the train powers out of the spur and makes its way to the scrapyard spur.

At the scrapyard our train pauses briefly to wait for a downhill CP Rail cattle train to pass.

An hour later we're in New Bergen, and we find 567 pestering a couple of lovebirds. This siding reaches around to the town's train station, where an REA reefer has spent the night. Managers of train and track all want the reefer rolling again and out of everyone's hair.

By the time we catch up to 567 she has already cut loose from her train and run around it to empty the sidings.

After tying in the loaded lumber, the crew shoves their train down the line to the Summit depot and breaks for lunch.

An hour later 567 trundles back into New Bergen for its outbound pick-up.

 

[DakotaLove39]

With the loaded box tied in, it's time to power back down the mountain to the scrapyard for the final pick-up.

Once the empty gon is coupled, 567 returns to and beyond the Centerville interchange yard

 

[DakotaLove39]

9/29 - 9/30/18: Visiting hours fun stuff

Today was pretty busy with operators so I chose not to do any switching. I also brought some new stock to try out. MILW 567 kept busy pulling its train from yesterday along side MILW E7A #20B at the head of a short mail train.

This is the first time my UP1989 has run on the club layout, and it caught a lot of glances when it rolled by.

Another member brought this beautiful BLI 4-6-0, but it didn't really care to be tugging on his heavy Walthers Hiawatha train.

My sort of goofy mail train, consisting of E7A #20B, two reefers, a plug-door box, Heavyweight RPO, and an original Hiawatha coach.

And of course, the Prairie Queen herself. So glad to finally use it! Hopefully next time she can pull her rightful train, my '55 Hi.

261 performed very well, as expected, and was not at all bothered by the hills of the branch line or the Helix. She dominated all of it. I can't wait to put her and her legacy cars on the main.

 

[tootnkumin]

That's a great layout, some really nice scenery, extra well done. And that yard and roundhouse. Wow. If clubs are run by friendly people who enjoy each others company, they're a lot of fun.

 

[Iron Horseman]

This is the first time my UP1989 has run on the club layout, and it caught a lot of glances when it rolled by.

In real life it is a head turner everywhere it goes. For a few years the division supervisor kept it captive here in Denver so I got to see it all the time. But he got a better job, the new supervisor is not a D&RGW fan (or a foamer at all for that matter) and it is now roaming system wide.

Another member brought this beautiful BLI 4-6-0, but it didn't really care to be tugging on his heavy Walthers Hiawatha train.

Is that because it doesn't have its traction tires on?

 

[DakotaLove39]

Is that because it doesn't have its traction tires on?

He assured the rest of us that it did. I think it may just be too light of a locomotive, especially compared to a pair of Walther's E7's like mine or a burly S3 Northern. The locomotive never stalled, but you could hear the change in performance when it made the uphill climbs.

On level track it flew just like a Hiawatha should.

 

[DakotaLove39]

10-14 Visiting Hours Running.

Today was the first snowfall of any kind in Minnesota this year and I think this was reflected by our low visitor turnout, so most of us operators were just screwing around with things. I spent about one hour wearing in my new SD40-2 on the Helix.

Someone had taken these irritating log cars out of the hole I left them in at the Centerville yard and brought them all the way up to the sawmill passing siding, not only blocking a lot of viewable scenery but also getting in the way of any switching operation. I moved them into appropriate places and I hope they stay there. Most of them don't like being moved!

 

[DakotaLove39]

I also met another member named Bill whom I hadn't yet seen before. Since no one was running the branch line until I got there, he was running an Amtrak Empire Builder out on the main which he would stop, cut in half, and run one half on through the branch line and back to the main. I think he thought I would be annoyed by this, but I was all for it. The locomotives of his train can be seen in the top-right corner of this photo. They're running westbound on the main, elevated over my home yard's western end. Now that I know a Genesis can urge four Superliners through the branch line tangle, I want to try out my Northstar commuter train next week.

I also had to break out my GP60M #117 and let her run with a short box train to try out my new EOTD. Worth it! Now I will at least have something to bring up the rear when my UP diesels take to the main.

That's about all i've got this time. My collection has increased with the purchase of three boxcars that needed couplers and new wheels, and also I've acquired three new Bowser 3-bay Wood Chip hoppers to use with the layout's sawmill! I'm going to need to develop an actual switch list and maybe a cheat sheet for the sawmill's switch controls (they are very confusing).

 

[Sirfoldalot]

Excellent Layout and Photography of motive power - scenery and details are outstanding!

 

[DakotaLove39]

10/20 Visiting Hours
I went a little fancy for today since I had some friends stopping by to see our club. This is the first time I have run my beloved Hiawatha cars and they did not disappoint. I wasn't sure how they would do on the mountainous branch line, but I will definitely bring all seven next time. Today also marks the first time I have ever seen someone try to release the magic decoder smoke! Someone wasn't paying attention to their mainline autorack train and she hit a switch that wasn't properly aligned. Something inside the lead loco gave up the smoke.

 

[DakotaLove39]

10/21 FIRST MAINLINE RUN

Well gents, I didn't have a super long train but UP #1995 ran the eastbound main today! Traffic "out there" is very different. We have actual automatic CTC which means I need to keep my eye on those little signals, and the number of operators is significantly higher than the branch line so I need to keep my speeds up!

Waiting at the branch to main crossovers for a westbound to clear the helix.

That horn is laying on hard as we fly through Wobegon on our sprint into the tunnel.

Three times around and 4PM hits, marking the end of our visiting hours. Everyone else is already packing up as #1995 returns to the branch line to tie down her train in storage.

 

[DakotaLove39]

Boy, this thread is old by now. So much has changed in the last few years.

Happy to say we weathered the Covid-19 shutdowns, although we lost a couple members during that time. We have since been growing back pretty steadily now rostering about 45 members. These new members, along with returning members have injected new life and new ideas into our club and I am proud to say I am leading the first effort in a list of layout expansions we want to undertake.

We know we'd like a thick, urban city scene at some point. Our current passenger yard area was built with the idea of being temporary. As currently envisioned, the city would stick out of the western side of the layout as a peninsula, featuring several local nods and a spectacular rendition of St. Paul Union Depot currently in development by our Secretary.



So with that in mind, I found myself staring at this.. thing. This goofy area was mocked up for the 1999 NMRA convention so that we would have something new to show off, but has sat as is ever since. It's never really been anything but a cheesed attempt to look like progress, and it's been driving me absolutely nuts. But... what to do with the space? What major industries fit a big city like our Not-Minneapolis?

And then it hit me. Hiawatha avenue district and its towering grain mills are but mere blocks from our club. A local industry recognizeable to the visiting public, that won't overpower the future city or current scenery around it.. thus, Nokomis District was born.

This project has been a heck of a trip, honestly. I made my pitch and got board approval to begin development, and my first crew call got 10 willing people wanting to help somehow. I had assumed I would be doing it entirely on my own, but right away I had a capable carpenter wanting to demolish stuff and begin cutting plywood for our surface.



The spooky thing about it is how easily I can describe this project as 'shovel ready'. Because this was intended to be something years ago, there's already a track lead pointed at it from our Centerville yard, and on top of that the track is already wired to its own individual power bus. I just need to drop feeders and tie into that bus and we can be running.



I started this project with a deadline of September, promising the track would be powered and major buildings in place, ready to operate. Scenery can come later on at any time, likely through a combined effort from me and someone else. Hopefully I can keep up regular progress updates for this, but it's moving VERY quickly.

 

[DakotaLove39]

Oh man, so much has happened since my last post.

This weekend is the NMRA Thousand Lakes Region convention in Minneapolis, and the Hennepin Overland is on the list of layouts to see Friday, the 19th. Stop by and check us out! I'll be there. Look for the giant guy wearing a Milwaukee Road shirt.

 

[KriegslokBR52]

Nice railroad. Some of the city scenes remind me o Billings, Mt where back of the buildings are separated from railroad by a fence. Any chance for stringing some wire on those catenary poles, maybe just for cool pictures? And i'm a big fan of Milwaukee electric operations as far as western railroads are concerned.