Athearn Genesis Union Pacific Caboose Observations

Hi folks, just passed another birthday, more than I care to think about really, but there it is, another one in the rear view mirror. Last year I pre-ordered one of the U.P. CA-8's with DCC and Sound, just because I thought it would be fun. I remember hearing the UP hacks having and using whistles while switching and thought that would be a fun detail to emulate. Well funny thing was, I got a call from the place I ordered the car a day or so before my birthday, which turned out to be a funny coincidence. They shipped quickly, the car was in Illinois on Wednesday, and I had it the following Saturday, one day after the "big" day; pretty great service if you ask me.

The model is pretty darn nice. The cupola is a little wide, sticks out about a scale inch or so beyond the cars side, which is obvious, but not a deal breaker. All the other points on the model are spot on. The trucks, the markers, the railings, the grabs, the paint and lettering all up to normal Athearn Genesis standards. The car is a real beauty.

What I did not realize when I ordered this model was, I was buying something quite more than a model train car, I was buying something therapeutic for today's troubles.

The "clickity-clack" sound on jointed rail is a sound I'd not heard in decades. The DCC chip in this model has that sound as an option that matches the speed of the car (more or less), so I just set the throttle at the desired cadence and enjoy the sound I once was so fond of; music to my troubled soul. 

Well done Athearn!

Thanks for visiting, write or comment should the mood strike ya.

Enjoy Your Trains,

John Huey

Visited the Colorado Model Railroad Museum

Needing a time out, a chance to get away from the insanity of SoCal for a few days, the wife and I went to Colorado for our anniversary. While there one place we went to was the Colorado Model Railroad Museum in Greely, Colorado.

A most interesting place to visit if you get the chance, both I and the wife had a great time at the museum. Both of us coming away with some more modeling ideas. Let me post some photos as they are a lot more entertaining than my words.

Click on a photo to see a larger version...

So, in conclusion, let me say if you get a chance to check out this place, both the wife and I recommend that you do so.

Colorado Model RR Museum Link:  https://www.cmrm.org/

Thanks for visiting, drop a note or say something if the mood strikes.

Enjoy Your Trains,

John Huey

A Local Cement Dealer Goes High Tech

Greetings from the rattle snake infested fringe of the Sonoran Desert region of southern Arizona. A sparsely populated area to be sure, yet we have a tight knit community which shares many similar values. Those that don't fit in do not seem to stay around too long, funny how that seems to work; ya just gotta love the desert. Folks out here are practical, they don't throw something away because it has a few years on it, they keep it up, fixing as they go along, which gives this area a lot of interesting cars and trucks to look at, stuff long since crushed and made into razor blades by city folks still are in use out here. So it was a little suspicious to the locals when one of the cement dealers on the outskirts of Siete Madres showed up with a set pneumatic dump trailers a little while back, sometimes new things have to be gotten used to I guess. To the dealers credit, the new trailers were not really new, just new to this area. 

Seems the manager of the local no tell motel is also a big trucking fan, as most of the photographs coming out of this region seem to be taken behind his establishment; we're sure this is just a coincidence. All the rooms have very good air conditioning and trust me that is a very big draw when a working person needs to catch up on their sack time.

The trailer models are from Shapeways and they needed a lot of sanding. They were bought several years ago and have languished in a box due to work required to get them somewhat presentable, between some filler and a lot of sanding they have come this far, so they are finally being shared here.

Thanks for visiting and reading this far. Please leave a comment, good or bad, or just say howdy if the mood strikes.

John Huey

Arizona Southern RR

April 1st Report

I guess this is what house arrest must feel like, well except I can leave to go to the market and such. I don't go all that often though as we live in earthquake country and routinely have a few extra cans around the house along with other supplies. 

This situation has given me the impetus to start building some more models, model trucks to be more precise. The latest "rig" is a cut down White Freightliner. It began life as an Athearn model that was found on FeeBay and then it was heavily modified after it arrived here in pieces. I only wish I could have just started from scratch with it as a few things were not done as well as they might have been and the photos were strategically missing the bad news. Then again, I like a challenge and now I know that I'll need to address the problem areas in the near future. Still though, its not too bad, just not as good as it could have been, you be the judge.

For a bigger image, just click on the photos...

....and another view...

...and one final photograph.

This has parts on it from Alloy Forms, A-Line, Athearn, and Plano. It was a fun repair job, but the photos tell me what else I have to do. This truck is the lone WFL in a sea of Peterbilt cab overs owned by Thunderbird, the only other odd duck is a lone Kenworth W900.

Well, that's all for now, thanks for dropping by. Leave a note or drop us a line if the mood strikes you.

Enjoy Your Trains,

John Huey