Supaned Posted October 1, 2013 Share Posted October 1, 2013 Ian - I thought you had eyes on the Harrisburg/Altoona line? lots of SD40E helpers....(but no Winnebagos) Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
RMweb Gold roundhouse Posted October 1, 2013 RMweb Gold Share Posted October 1, 2013 Ian - I thought you had eyes on the Harrisburg/Altoona line? lots of SD40E helpers....(but no Winnebagos)It was Roanoke but we shall see as the layout won't be started for a while yet. Metra does appeal so looking for locations where we can run Metra, NS and UP! It's due to this thread that's making us think about Chicago Ian Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Adrian Wintle Posted October 1, 2013 Share Posted October 1, 2013 Ian - I thought you had eyes on the Harrisburg/Altoona line? lots of SD40E helpers....(but no Winnebagos) That's the area I like, although my interests have spread further south as well. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
RMweb Gold Barry Ten Posted October 1, 2013 RMweb Gold Share Posted October 1, 2013 Snapped this one a few weeks ago: I've also acquired some N scale Metra equipment in recent months due to two visits to Chicago. I'm very taken with Elmhurst as the basis for a setting, on the UP west line about 30 minutes out of the Ogilvie station. Kato has just released their kit of a North American commuter station, too, which also includes a couple of options for Metra stations. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
DaminKeenan Posted October 2, 2013 Share Posted October 2, 2013 Metra does appeal so looking for locations where we can run Metra, NS and UP! It's due to this thread that's making us think about Chicago. Hi Ian, Try looking at this website: http://www.dhke.com/CRJ/index.html. It talks about the various RR junctions in the Chicago area, what railroads use them, and what kind of traffic can be seen there. Thanks, Damin. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
RMweb Gold roundhouse Posted October 2, 2013 RMweb Gold Share Posted October 2, 2013 Snapped this one a few weeks ago: metra.jpg I've also acquired some N scale Metra equipment in recent months due to two visits to Chicago. I'm very taken with Elmhurst as the basis for a setting, on the UP west line about 30 minutes out of the Ogilvie station. Kato has just released their kit of a North American commuter station, too, which also includes a couple of options for Metra stations. Elmhurst is a favourite of ours and really I should be modelling Metra and UP. Damin - thanks for that link as that will be useful. The NS territories I am not so familair with in the Chicago area so will be useful. Regards Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Glorious NSE Posted October 2, 2013 Share Posted October 2, 2013 Elmhurst would probably be more compatible with your current staging yard than most junction-based locations as well, and you can always fit in NS loco's as runthroughs... Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
RMweb Gold Barry Ten Posted October 2, 2013 RMweb Gold Share Posted October 2, 2013 Some more Metra action: F40PH at the Ogilvie Transportation Centre: Wider views of Ogilvie: Finally, another F40PH at Elmhurst: I've got some more general shots of UP freights at Elmhurst but I won't clog up this thread with them. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Supaned Posted October 2, 2013 Share Posted October 2, 2013 Perhaps a new "Chicgoland modelling" topic might be in order? there seems to be a lot of interest certainly. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
HeavyDuty Posted October 2, 2013 Share Posted October 2, 2013 Did someone say Elmhurst? Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
DaminKeenan Posted October 3, 2013 Share Posted October 3, 2013 Elmhurst is a favourite of ours and really I should be modelling Metra and UP. Unfortunately, the Winnebagos don't run on the UP lines! What happened to the idea of modelling Aurora? - Damin. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
RMweb Gold roundhouse Posted October 3, 2013 RMweb Gold Share Posted October 3, 2013 Too many locations to do!! My other half likes NS and with her wanting the heritage livery locos my next USA N scale needs to have them on it, so it was gonig to be Roanoke but wuth the Metra stuff now available, ideally it needs to be around Chicago. I hadnt realised that the Winnebagos only ran on certain routes. Ian Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
RMweb Premium steam-driven boy Posted October 3, 2013 RMweb Premium Share Posted October 3, 2013 Hi, Perhaps a new "Chicgoland modelling" topic might be in order? there seems to be a lot of interest certainly. I've taken a shine to Homewood Illinois architecturally (Mission Style - so far north ) - I wanted UP/NS/Amtrak and with the newer Metra offerings from Kato I've now added these Winnebago to my wish-list, hopefully I can act on that before 'Chrimble' - this years, that is! CN is the icing on my cake... Unfortunately, the Winnebagos don't run on the UP lines! I understand I am in the midst of such niceties, I appreciate them highly when applied to the likes of Santa Barbara and those of similar persuasion. With the admittedly gigantic compromises in that I'll be 're-dressing' my UK layout to what limited extent I'm able - no overhead lines and turning a 'deaf-eye' to the third-rail - it'll be a terrible mish-mash I know, so I hope my application of Rule 1 doesn't appear laughable or offend greatly... including all the anachronisms I plan 8) Regards, Gerry. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Glorious NSE Posted October 3, 2013 Share Posted October 3, 2013 I hadnt realised that the Winnebagos only ran on certain routes. If it's not changed lots since I went over in 2000, they were concentrated on the BNSF (ex Q) and the old Rock Island, at that time the UP lines seemed to be solidly more conventional F40s, there were still F40Cs running up on the old Milwaukee routes, but I missed those (kicks himself again!) - since then though the MP36s have come in, so I expect there's been some shuffling? Plenty of NS power run throughs on the BNSF main line - http://www.chasingheavymetal.com/blog/?p=20231 or http://www.chasingheavymetal.com/blog/?p=20189 for example - are there still UP trains running that way as there used to be? (a hangover from SP trackage rights over BN from the 80s) Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
RMweb Gold roundhouse Posted October 3, 2013 RMweb Gold Share Posted October 3, 2013 Just had a look at Homewood, IL on Google Maps. Does look an interesting place so might have to visit there in the near future. Even appears to have a train watching shelter across the tracks from the station. Here are a couple of shots of WInnebagos taken from the hotel next to Aurora station back in 2008. Martyn - Nice shots in those links of a Heritage NS loco! Ian Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Supaned Posted October 3, 2013 Share Posted October 3, 2013 To summarise , the Metra Winnebagos are primarily used on the BNSF line to Aurora - as Martyn has posted the link to the excellent Chasing Heavy metal blog , this gives a great idea of the variety of trains to be seen on the "racetrack" - probably why I want to model it . A handful of Winnebagos are allocated to the Rock Island line trains out of La Salle Street terminal , these do run to Blue Island and Joliet where of course there is a lot of freight activity , and I believe on the southern end of the line , Metra and Iowa Interstate run over the same line (Rock Island GEVO anybody...?) The MP36s are mainly used on the trains on the Milwaukee lines from Chicago Union North , though again , a small batch is allocated to BNSF lines and also some on the Rock Island, the F40PHs are really used system-wide , as all lines have them assigned , though the UP lines see more of them than any other , with only a few based on BNSF and Rock Island divisions. Nominally , F40C units 611 and 614 are still on the books and did see occasional use on Milwaukee lines , but now are parked up at Western Avenue depot having not turned a wheel for several months. Oglivie Transportation Centre , as featured in Barry Ten's photos is an interesting place in that it features a small servicing point on one side of the station , in the middle of the day , locos are removed from their push-pull sets and go there for fuelling and inspection , and then just prior to the afternoon peak , light engines come off the shed to shunt onto their trains - not an everyday sight in the US. OTC usually also has a UPY switcher there for moving empty cars etc. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Supaned Posted October 5, 2013 Share Posted October 5, 2013 A bit of an update , courtesy of one of the US forums. It seems that the majority of the Winnebago units are now on the BNSF line , an extra batch having been transferred in from other lines , with the new MP36 units moved away from the BNSF. The state of play is as follows: Metra Locomotive Assignments as of 06/06/13BNSF/SWS: 105, 112, 113, 114, 116, 117, 183, 185-201, 205, 209-214Milwaukee District Lines/NCS: 100-107, 111, 115, 118-120, 122-124, 215, 216, 402-405, 411, 413-415, 417-427Heritage Corridor: 108, 109, 110Rock Island: 179-182, 184, 202-204, 206-208, 406-410, 412, 416UP: 121, 125-178Out Of Service: 401, 414, 611, 614 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
DaminKeenan Posted October 7, 2013 Share Posted October 7, 2013 A bit of an update , courtesy of one of the US forums... Hi Supaned, Can you let us know which forum? I'm always looking out for a good source of info on Metra operations. Thanks, Damin. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Supaned Posted October 7, 2013 Share Posted October 7, 2013 The information came from Railroad.net , under the Chicagoland Commuter section. Lots of useful info and discussion on there. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
DaminKeenan Posted October 8, 2013 Share Posted October 8, 2013 The information came from Railroad.net , under the Chicagoland Commuter section. Lots of useful info and discussion on there. Thanks Supaned! I learned something new today! - Damin, Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
RMweb Gold roundhouse Posted March 5, 2014 RMweb Gold Share Posted March 5, 2014 The Winnebago 3D body arrived a couple of weeks ago. It does look superb. Its been cleaned but yet to be painted and I need to order the BLMA parts etc. Now to work out what colours to use that I can get my hands on over here in the UK. Ian Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
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