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Iowa Traction -especially for Andy (298)


shortliner

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Another great find, Jack.

 

I really like video 2. Including a couple of Harleys, The shot across the cornfield. The highway crossing. The interesting switching moves, particularly from 11:00 onwards. Really very good! Nicely filmed and good quality on 720p.

 

Many thanks. Pete.

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Cheers Jack, although I'm hoping it might just be enough to spur others into considering modelling this fascinating operation. It's hard to believe the locos are coming up to their centenary, but are still in regular use.

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Cheers Jack, although I'm hoping it might just be enough to spur others into considering modelling this fascinating operation. It's hard to believe the locos are coming up to their centenary, but are still in regular use.

 

Trust me, considering it is not a problem...doing something about it is a bit different though. ;)

 

They really are so modelleable...

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I have a Red Ball brass kit for a Baldwin B class motor. As supplied , the basic superstructure seems right for an IATR unit , although I reckon some Archer models louvre decals are needed for the vents on the nose sides.

 

The pilots are very different to the kit though , and, as previously discussed with 298 of this parish , I've yet to find any accurate truck sideframes for a Baldwin-Westinghouse loco.

 

Power-wise , I reckon on a pair of black beetles , as I haven't found a suitable chassis otherwise (the Bachmann GE 44 tonner has the right truck wheelbase but the truck centres are too far apart , based on the drawing in Carstens Traction modelling handbook).

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It won't be exact, but the Bachmann "Underground Ernie" chassis (Ebay) is 19' truck centres in HO and the bogies are slightly oversize - You'd need to file down the outside frames of the trucks and add resin castings of a suitable truck frame to the outside with epoxy - which is what I did for the boxcabs on my *149th Street Yard" 2010 Contest entry

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Made two replies to this just now but office system has lost them. Grrr.

 

Basically, Was Googling the Baldwin cabs and saw the red ball kit (not sure if its still available) and thinking of the Underground Ernie chassis (Kieran has one in the loft). Then Supaned and Jack posted the very things I was thinking of!

 

Then thought about doing the Iowa T as a standalone layout but with the UP main to Freemo module standards so it could connect to, but operate separately from a freemo set-up.

 

Original posts were better presented!

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Andy did an intriguing plan for a freemo module of the interchange a couple of years back, that was also the kind of way I was thinking, with the IATR maybe capable of being semi-modular but to tweaked standards - allowing for inserting a stretch of roadside running (see the other vid with the 3x gons) for example.

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  • RMweb Gold

I love the area by the depot - it could easily be the 1940's or 50's:

 

revMasonCityIATR51depotg600px.jpg

 

If modelling the area in front of the depot you'd need smoothly-running models - if you need the 'hand of god' to sort out disruption, the knitting could be a problem:

revMasonCityIATR51Depota24Jul05600px.jpg

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Andy did an intriguing plan for a freemo module of the interchange a couple of years back, that was also the kind of way I was thinking, with the IATR maybe capable of being semi-modular but to tweaked standards - allowing for inserting a stretch of roadside running (see the other vid with the 3x gons) for example.

 

I was just thinking of that...! I'll have to dig it off the desktop PC later.

 

The problem with these locos is the truck centres were just 16' apart, meaning modellers have used the earlier Bachmann 44tonner self-propelled trucks although their UE chassis could be shortened and remotored. There was a recent discussion on a HO traction modelling Yahoo group, where the Cannonball Steeplecab was slated for appearing to be a $30 kit but turning into a $300 one after investing in a quality chassis and finishing bits, and the Red Ball Baldwin won't be any cheaper unless you use a cheap drive.

 

However, I'm sure if Hollywood Foundry were to sell a complete chassis kit (including sideframes) for the Red Ball kit, it'd do alot for sales....

 

 

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How, exactly do they handle the loading of the hoppers at the elevator?

 

Not much is visible from Google Streetview, but it is covered well by Bing's birds eye view. The elavator is an AGP soybean processing plant and it's served directly by the UP, it has it's own switcher (44t?) and there's effectively an interchange track for the IATR.

 

The scrapyard is by the shops and again has a direct connection to the DM&E

 

So interestingly the two current businesses are both served directly by larger railroads, but rely on the IATR to get direct service to an alternative one!

 

There also seems to be a pair of Ethanol plants (one of which is on the DME) and a few other industries that have a siding but presumably are either shut or not shipping by rail...

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I have a Red Ball brass kit for a Baldwin B class motor. As supplied , the basic superstructure seems right for an IATR unit , although I reckon some Archer models louvre decals are needed for the vents on the nose sides.

 

The pilots are very different to the kit though , and, as previously discussed with 298 of this parish , I've yet to find any accurate truck sideframes for a Baldwin-Westinghouse loco.

 

 

I can't even find anything suitable from Precision Scale Models, not even from a Baldwin tender loco or a shortened SP cab-forward lead truck. It might be possible if I made a new master based on one of my MTS B-1 locos and took a mould from it.

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Not much is visible from Google Streetview, but it is covered well by Bing's birds eye view. The elevator is an AGP soybean processing plant and it's served directly by the UP, it has it's own switcher (44t?) and there's effectively an interchange track for the IATR.

 

 

It "looks" too short for a 44 tonner, might it be a EMD model 40 2-axle switcher....?

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Not much is visible from Google Streetview, but it is covered well by Bing's birds eye view. The elavator is an AGP soybean processing plant and it's served directly by the UP, it has it's own switcher (44t?) and there's effectively an interchange track for the IATR.

 

The scrapyard is by the shops and again has a direct connection to the DM&E

 

So interestingly the two current businesses are both served directly by larger railroads, but rely on the IATR to get direct service to an alternative one!

 

There also seems to be a pair of Ethanol plants (one of which is on the DME) and a few other industries that have a siding but presumably are either shut or not shipping by rail...

Thanks Martyn. I thought OHLE and grain delivery wouldn't go together too well, though there are work-arounds, of course.

 

Best, Pete.

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Andy, the locos look very well cared for. How, exactly do they handle the loading of the hoppers at the elevator?

 

Best, Pete.

 

Err....., I've never really thought about it....! Their own critter must do that work now (as in Martyn's post).

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  • RMweb Gold

Back in 2005 (I assume nothing's changed) all the action (such as it was) was at the Mason City end. The Clear Lake track only seemed to be visited by the tram/trolley car on enthusiast 'all line' trips.

 

The exception to this being the scrap metal dealers alongside the depot where the gondola cars head to/from.

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Ah, do I in fact need to be heading the other way to mason City? I read (presumably wrongly), that work was concentrated to Clear lake

 

(From Bing), Start up the Baldwin parked on the AGP Soybean spur, and head across 19th St. SW, head East past the red caboose, over Olive Av...oh hang on, there's another Baldwin in the way. Park the first one, and jump in the second and continue East. Just before the diamond over the UP main there's a spur with fresh ballast that heads north east, that's the interchange track with the UP. Not that far really.

 

Looks like the construction work going on there must be the 19th St. flyover to replace the grade crossing on the UP main.

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