I have several updates to post on the model railroad. These will include pictures. For those of you who are already in the large-scale hobby, I will leave a few tidbits right here:
Wendell and Ann Hanks, who are a visible part of the on-line LS community visited the CRD about two weeks ago. Wendell wrote a few words about his visit here:
"Alaska: A visit to Ron Simpson's Copper Center Rail Depot Bar".
I now have the Phase II part of the line in full operation, having completed the basic line this summer. The Phase II line, also known as the
ALCANEX Consolidated Railways System, operates off of battery-powered, mostly diesel-type modern engines, including three AKRR Mac SD-70s, a Burlington E-8, a Burlington F3A-F3B, a Milwaukee Road F7A-B-A unit, an AKRR 40-2, a Great Northern F3A-F3-B, and an AmTrak Genisis Phase III. I also have an Aristo Mikado and an Aristo Great Northern mallet, plus one Shay that are occasionally used in that system. All the diesels except the 40-2 are used to pull a variety of passenger consists, including a "heavyweight" Canadian Pacific, Milwaukee Road and a rare Burlington Northern consist. One even older style passenger line is a mixed line of short narrow gauge-type LGB, Aristocraft and Bachmann cars. The Bachmanns are rare Milwaukee Road and Great Northern.and the Aristocraft are rare Jack Daniels limited-edition cars.
The other passenger coaches are of the new USA-type. These are Northern Pacific, Great Northern, ATSF, and one AKRR (custom). Finally I have some LGB, USA and Aristocraft AmTrak streamline coaches.
Over in the Phase I operation--the original Copper River & Northwestern Railway line--I use two LGB moguls to pull a mixed consist.