Wendell1976

Here's three freight pictures from the Seattle area. http://www.railpictures.net/photo/614610/ http://www.railpictures.net/photo/338576/ http://www.railpictures.net/photo/113772/ Wendell Idaho, USA

Here's some more pictures of the Portland & Western Railroad in the State of Oregon. http://www.railpictures.net/photo/593141/ http://www.railpictures.net/photo/593908/ http://www.railpictures.net/photo/502958/ http://www.railpictures.net/photo/147842/ http://www.railpictures.net/photo/616945/ Wendell Idaho, USA

Very nice pictures, Martyn! I had forgotten that it is a city called Portland in the UK. Yes, there is a city called Brentwood in the State of Tennessee. There is also a city called Brentwood in the State of California(suburb of San Francisco/Oakland). Wendell Idaho, USA

"One of our favourite cities in the USA. We were riding the MAX and Streetcars only just back in March. Superb system and so cheap at just $5 for a day pass." Yes, indeed! Portland, Oregon is a very nice city with a superb public transportation system(including rail lines). I rode the MAX light rail train many years ago when I was an over-the-road truck driver. For the size of the metropolitan area Portland is, I think it is amazing that there are so many passenger trains in that area including Amtrak. Portland is a major city, but it is not a Los Angeles, San Francisco, Chicago, or New York City. Wendell Idaho, USA

I am guessing that you live in Portland, Maine? Wendell Idaho, USA

Here are two pictures of a Portland & Western Railroad freight train running down A Street in Rainier, Oregon(many streets in this town are named alphabetically). Rainier is about 50 miles(80 kilometers) northwest of Portland via U.S. Highway 30(the historic Lewis & Clark Trail). The Portland & Western(Class II railroad) is owned by Genesee & Wyoming. http://www.railpictures.net/photo/69079/ http://www.railpictures.net/photo/334422/ Wendell Idaho, USA

Here are two pictures of a TriMet(Tri-County Metropolitan Transportation District of Oregon) MAX light rail train in Portland, Oregon. The first picture is the train doing street running in Downtown Portland. The second picture shows the light rail train crossing the Steel Bridge over the Willamette River. TriMet runs five light rail lines, a commuter rail line, and a local bus system. All of the light rail lines serve Downtown Portland. The MAX Red Line in both pictures serves Portland International Airport(PDX). http://www.railpictures.net/photo/545169/ http://www.railpictures.net/photo/264452/ Wendell Idaho, USA

More pictures from the State of Illinois. Here are some pictures of the Union Pacific Railroad in Rockford, Illinois. Rockford is about 90 miles(144 kilometers) northwest of Chicago via the Interstate 90(I-90) freeway. http://www.railpictures.net/photo/632903/ http://www.railpictures.net/photo/632899/ http://www.railpictures.net/photo/154405/ http://www.railpictures.net/photo/154431/ Wendell Idaho, USA

Here's some pictures of the Chicago Terminal Railroad doing some street running down Kingsbury Street in Chicago. http://www.railpictures.net/photo/447166/ http://www.railpictures.net/photo/419719/ http://www.railpictures.net/photo/216880/ Wendell Idaho, USA

I have been wondering if Walthers was trying to weed out(get rid of) N scale altogether. That is really good that Atlas will continue to invest in N scale locomotives and cars. I am a N scale modeler myself. Wendell Idaho, USA

Here's some more pictures of the Alaska Railroad in Anchorage, Alaska(alongside 1st Avenue). Enjoy! http://www.railpictures.net/photo/302261/ http://www.railpictures.net/photo/282701/ http://www.railpictures.net/photo/270877/ Wendell Idaho, USA

Nice pictures of Anchorage and Fairbanks. I have seen that white sign in the Fairbanks picture on a video before marking "north end of main line." Wendell Idaho, USA

Snow, mountains, and quasi-street running. Who says Alaskans doesn't know about freight operations? Here are some beautiful pictures of the Alaska Railroad running within 5 feet(1.524 meters) alongside 1st Avenue in Anchorage, Alaska. I am including these pictures in the "street running" category because the railroad track is about the same height as the roadway and the business driveways cross the track. Have fun! http://www.railpictures.net/photo/606239/ http://www.railpictures.net/photo/606240/ http://www.railpictures.net/photo/551346/ Wendell Idaho, USA

Nice picture of the Ballard Terminal Railroad in the Seattle area. Wendell Idaho, USA

This is a picture of a Valley Metro Rail light rail train in Phoenix, Arizona. The train is traversing down Jefferson Street with the Downtown Phoenix skyline in the background. http://www.railpictures.net/photo/416803/ Wendell Idaho, USA

Here are two pictures of the UTA(Utah Transit Authority) TRAX light rail train in the downtown part of Salt Lake City, Utah. The first picture is the train traversing down 4th South(or 400 South) Street. The second picture is the train traversing down Main Street. The UTA has three light rail lines, a streetcar line, and a commuter rail line from Ogden to Provo(via Downtown Salt Lake City). One of the light rail lines serve The University of Utah and Salt Lake City International Airport(SLC). http://www.railpictures.net/photo/356521/ http://www.railpictures.net/photo/371017/ Wendell Idaho, USA

This is Sound Transit's Link light rail train in Seattle, Washington. The train is traversing the median of Martin Luther King, Jr. Way South which is a few miles south of Downtown Seattle. The Link light rail serves Downtown Seattle, the University of Washington, and Seattle/Tacoma International Airport(SEA). http://www.railpictures.net/photo/305790/ Wendell Idaho, USA

Here is a really nice picture of a RTD light rail train in the downtown part of Denver, Colorado. The Regional Transportation District has eight light rail lines and two commuter rail lines in their system. One of their commuter rail lines run from Denver Union Station to Denver International Airport(DEN). I got to ride on at least two of those light rail lines a few years ago as a over-the-road truck driver. http://www.railpictures.net/photo/638410/ Wendell Idaho, USA

Here is another picture of LA Metro's Blue Line light rail train in Los Angeles. The train is at the intersection of Flower Street and Washington Boulevard with the beautiful Downtown L.A. skyline in the background. The two straight tracks in the foreground is for the Expo(or Aqua) Line to Santa Monica towards the Pacific Ocean. http://www.railpictures.net/photo/457418/ Wendell Idaho, USA

This is the LA Metro's(Los Angeles County Metropolitan Transportation Authority) Blue Line light rail train in Los Angeles. The train is traversing the median along Washington Boulevard just south of Downtown Los Angeles. The Blue Line route is 22 miles(35.2 kilometers) long between Los Angeles and Long Beach via my hometown of suburban Compton, California. I used to live about four blocks west of the combined Blue Line and Union Pacific Railroad(formerly Southern Pacific) tracks in Compton. http://www.railpictures.net/photo/228236/#remarks Wendell Idaho, USA

This is the San Diego Trolley's Orange Line light rail train. The Orange Line is 18 miles(28.8 kilometers) long and it runs from Downtown San Diego to suburban El Cajon, California. The light rail train is traversing down Commercial Street just east of Downtown San Diego. I have ridden on this train route when I was stationed in San Diego with the United States Navy many years ago. http://www.railpictures.net/photo/169058/ Wendell Idaho, USA

For a more "authentic" Timesaver layout, check out Martin Hogg's HO scale Brett layout. Hogg had spread the runaround and sidings on his switching layout. The layout is a 1X8(1 foot by 8 foot) and it's modeled after Idaho. You can watch Hogg's video clips on YouTube(titled "Switching Brett"). Wendell Idaho, USA

"Sidings can, sometimes, be very short." I agree with this statement as long as a two-car capacity track is not touching either side of the runaround. I have seen very short siding tracks in real life here in The States. Wendell Idaho, USA

The only things I have a problem with a Timesaver layout is the runaround and three of the sidings are way too short. The sidings that are to the left and right of the runaround can only fit the locomotive and one car(or two cars without the locomotive). That is not prototypical in real life. The runaround itself can only fit two cars on one side of it(or a locomotive plus one car) and only one car on the other side. This also isn't prototypical in real life. The runaround and most of the sidings need to be extended to make the Timesaver more authentic. John Allen never intended for the Timesaver to be based on real life switching; he only intended for it to be just a "puzzle." Wendell Idaho, USA

Nice, Joe! How many cars do you use on your layout altogether?