A Few New Photo’s

Some Stuff I Got At The Great Train Expo In Ontario On Dec 5th. 2009

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

And A Random Shot Of One Of The “Real” Trains That I Photograph.

 

This One Was Taken In Summit,Ca

 

 

Interesting UP Tunnel Story From The Sacramento Bee.

Union Pacific altered its tunnels for more cross-Sierra cargo

By Tony Bizjak
tbizjak@sacbee.com

Published: Friday, Dec. 4, 2009 - 12:00 am | Page 1A
Last Modified: Friday, Dec. 4, 2009 - 10:06 am

Union Pacific crews spent the last year raising the roof.

The task, now complete, was to gouge notches in the arched concrete roofs of 15 tunnels between Rocklin and Donner Summit so a new generation of taller, double-stacked container freight trains can squeeze through.

Michelangelos, they're not.

The historic tunnels, some more than 100 years old, look like they've had their cheeks scraped by oversized iron knuckles.

It's not about esthetics, UP officials said. It's about economics.

Although rail freight shipments have been down nationally for more than a year, officials at the nation's largest railroad company see light at the end of the tunnel.

With its mountain tunnels no longer impediments, the 140-year-old rail line, parallel to Interstate 80, is expected to handle more freight than ever to and from Chicago and points east, spokesman Wes Lujan said.

"We're using the slow-down in the economy to get this work in," he said.

As for the rough-hewn nature of the fix: "It's functional," Lujan said. "It works."

In some tunnels, where the notching couldn't safely be done, crews temporarily removed the train tracks, dug the floor lower, and then re-laid the tracks. The company also built crossing tracks and upgraded signal systems.

The project is part of $2.6 billion in work UP did on its system in 23 states during the last year, Lujan said.

Until the tunnel project was finished last month, double-stacked trains had to traverse a longer route along the Feather River, limiting the amount of east-west shipments passing through Northern California.

UP officials say the project is the first of several steps to upgrade the historic corridor, route of the first transcontinental railroad.

UP wants to add a second set of tracks in some mountain sections where there currently is only one, and to make changes in the Roseville railyard to move freight more easily there.

The work, national rail officials say, reflects the ongoing resurgence of railroads as movers of commercial goods in the United States.

Ironically, the former owner of the line, the old Southern Pacific company, ripped out many double-track sections a quarter century ago as a cost-saving measure when freight rail was on the wane.

UP officials say they would like state and federal financial help for more improvements. That has proved to be a contentious issue.

UP shares its tracks with Amtrak passenger trains, including, in the Sacramento region and Bay Area, with Capitol Corridor passenger trains.

The entities failed to come to an agreement last year when UP first sought state "goods movement" funds to help pay for tunnel notching and double-tracking.

State officials and local transportation agencies in Sacramento and Placer counties said they would assist UP, a private company, in securing taxpayer money if UP would agree to free up more track space for passenger service.

UP refused, instead scaling back its plans and doing the work entirely with its own money.

UP officials argued that the state funds they were seeking were for goods movement, not passenger rail. Besides, they said, expanding freight-moving capacity frees up highway space by reducing commercial truck traffic.

UP officials remain adamant about putting freight first on their tracks.

"We support passenger rail only if our ability to grow with our customers and increase freight capacity is not hampered by passenger operations," Omaha, Neb.-based spokesman Tom Lange said in a statement e-mailed to The Bee.

In recent weeks, however, UP and Sacramento officials quietly have begun talking once again about cooperating.

UP officials say they would like the Roseville Amtrak station moved to the west to create more space there for the UP mainline.

Capitol Corridor passenger rail officials, in turn, say they would like UP to accommodate plans to run 10 Capitol Corridor train trips daily between Sacramento and Roseville.

The rail company and local government officials say a joint request for state and federal funds could strengthen each group's chances.

Local officials say they are willing to extend an olive branch.

"UP might see we can be helpful as friends," said Celia McAdam, head of the Placer County Transportation Planning Agency.

Happy Thanksgiving From FunTime Trains,RFRR & RD/CP Productions

Here Are A Few Photos To Hold You All Over Till After Thanksgiving :-)

 

 

 

 

 

 

Also Our Photos Are Now Hosted On Railroad Pictures Archives.

 

 

 

 

Have A Wonderful Thanksgiving

 

Chris Payne

Owner/Operator

FunTime Trains/Rialto Flyer Railroad

Here Are A Few MOW Photo’s

These Were Taken Today (11-09-2009) In San Bernardino Ca.

These Of A Track Inspection Car (If I Am Incorrect About This Car,Please Feel Free To Contact Me At rfrr@funtimetrains.com For Any Corrections.)

 

  

Exiting Announcement From Walthers.

Walthers Has Announced There Release Of The Amtrak California’s

“California Car” & “Surfliner” Superliner Cars.

Expected Delivery: March 2010

Cost: $64.98 Each

Model Features:

Metal Plate Finish & Proto MAX Metal Knuckle Couplers.

 

My Take On These New Exiting Items,There Going To Be Great & I Would Love To Own A Few To

Go Along With My Amtrak California F59PHI Athern Locomotive,However It’s The Price That Will Be Preventing Me From Buying These Nice Cars.

Walthers Seems To Be Getting More & More Pricier Over The Years & Also Seems To Me That There Also Trying To Dominate The Model Railroading Industry Market & A Lot Of People,Like My Self,Can Not Afford The Products From Walthers,Or Any Other Company For That Matter.

But In Any Instance,It Is Great News That Someone Did Decide To Release These Very Hard To Find Superliners In H.O. Scale. 

 

(These Are Not Walthers,But Another Co. That Produces These In N Scale)

***Hobby Store Of The Month***

 

FunTime Trains Presents ARNIE’S MODEL TRAINS As Hobby Store Of The Month:

 

Arnie’s Model Trains Is Located In Westminster California:

 

Mailing Address: 6452 Industry Way. Westminster,Ca 92683

Phone: 1-(714)-893-1015

Hours: Weekdays & Saturdays:10 AM-6 PM

Sundays 12 PM-4 PM

Open 7 Days A Week.

 

To Check Out The Website Click The Banner Below.

 

Some Train Photo’s

 

 

Amtrak to Run Metrolink Commuter Trains

 

Found This On LA’s Fox 11 News Website:

 

{ Text Story by:
Associated Press

Posted by: Scott Coppersmith

Los Angeles - Amtrak has agreed to run Metrolink commuter trains in Southern California, replacing the contractor involved in the Metrolink crash that killed 25 people last year.
The national train service announced Friday that it's reached a memorandum of understanding to provide Metrolink train crews beginning in July.
However, a final deal is still being worked out.
Metrolink considered hiring its own train crews or using outsiders to replace Connex Railroad LLC, which provided the engineer blamed for the crash in September 2008.
Metrolink has been critical of Connex after investigators found the engineer was text-messaging and ran a red light shortly before the Metrolink train hit a freight train.
Connex defended its safety record but announced earlier this year that it wouldn't extend its Metrolink contract.}

Inside Santa Fe EMD FP45 #95

These Were Taken At The Craft & Rail Show In Barstow On October 17 2009.

 

Here Is A Little History About The Locomotive:

[From Wikipedia: EMD FP45 Page.]

 

“The EMD FP45 is a cowl unit type of C-C diesel locomotive produced in the United States by General Motors Electro-Motive Division. It was produced beginning in 1967 at the request of the Atchison, Topeka and Santa Fe Railway, which did not want its prestigious Super Chief and other passenger trains pulled by freight style hood unit locomotives, which have external walkways. The Santa Fe preferred a cowl unit.”

 

 

 

 

  

 

 

 

 

Sorry,When I Saw The Toilet I Had To Take The Photo

 

 

More Photo’s From The Show Going To Be Added Soon.

 

And As Always: All Photo's Property Of RD/CP Productions,FunTime Trains & Rialto Flyer Railroad.

The World Of Rolling Stock Kit Building Has Officially “Died”

Well The Folks At Athearn (Technically Horizon Hobbies) Have “Killed” The “Blue Box” Line.

 

Here Is The Email That Was In My Inbox This Morning:

 

[Greetings,

Effective immediately, we here at Athearn have made the difficult decision to discontinue the production of our Blue Box line of kits.  There were several factors that contributed to this extremely challenging decision however, the primary issue revolved around affordability and ensuring that our Blue Box kit pricing remain aligned with what the market can bear.  Unfortunately,  due to increased manufacturing and labor costs it has been determined that we are no longer able to continue offering kits at competitive price points as compared to our already assembled products.

For over 50 years the Athearn Blue Box kits have been sold worldwide, bringing happiness, joy and excitement to thousands of model railroad enthusiasts. Your passion for these products has allowed us to thrive and grow into the industry leader you still support today, and for that we are eternally grateful. Moving forward this will allow us to dedicate more resources to new and exciting projects in our Ready To Roll, Genesis and Roundhouse lines for another 50 years, or more.

We will continue to support all service and warranty needs on Blue Box kits from our headquarters in Long Beach, California. You can find our contact information here.

The Folks at Athearn]

 

 

In A Way I Kind Of Can See Were They Were Going With This,However This Is Not Really Going

To Go Quietly,I Feel (And I’m One Of Them) That A Lot Of Model Railroaders Will Not Really

Like This At All.

 

Personally I Don’t Think They Should Put An End To The “Blue Box” Kits,Put Them On A Hiatus,But

Not Stop Completely On The Production Of Them.

 

But Then Again,Like They Say, All Good Things Must Come To An End.

 

R.I.P

Athearn “Blue Box” Kits

1948-2009

May Your Kits Bring Joy To Those Up There In Hobby Heaven.

 

Here Is  A Photo Of A Completed Athearn “Blue Box” Kit:

 

 

Chris

Co-Owner/Operator

FunTime Trains/Rialto Flyer Railroad

ATSF BEEP (Baldwin Geep/SWBLW)

These Photo’s Were Taken At The W.A.R.M In Barstow On 10/12/2009.

For The History On The BEEP Click Here.

(All Photo's Property Of RD/CP Productions)

 

 

Some Newer Photos Of RFRR’S Motive Power

 

  

 

 

 

 

 

Podcast’s Coming Soon

Rialto Flyer Railroad & FunTime Trains Will Be Entering In To The Podcast World Soon (All Produced By RD/CP Productions).

Right Now I Am Just Looking For The Best Podcasting Software To Use (Preferably Free & Windows Based).

Also Thinking Of The Name For The Podcast As Well.

 

Here Is The RD/CP Productions Website:

 

Video’s From San Bernardino Station

Here Are A Few Vids That Were Taken Today (9/30/09) At The San Berdo Station.

 

Some New Train Photo’s