Train sets!

First topic message reminder :

Thanks for the update Arthur

Hello everyone,
Don't have a lot to share in here again (as of 8:50 AM CST on 1/28/2020 but I will say that going slow in and around the yard tracks has helped to ensure that the problem cars behave. Unfortunately there has been no offers in terms of getting GP9 8827 fixed or the M.O.W cars modified. 

The railroad's story will continue in the next update.

Thanks for the update Arthur

Hello everyone, here's another update!!!

I don't have much to report (as of 11:40 AM CST on 1/31/2020), but I can say that former CN Rail cylindrical hopper 109832 (which wears the "Red Canada" scheme) has received some minor maintenance after being involved in a derailment. 

The railroad's story will continue in the next update.

Thanks for the update Arthur

Hello everyone, got some information to share.

As of 5:00PM CST on 2/5/2020, the FULL roster of the barley & Grain hopper fleet goes as follows. 

Section A: Arthur

Part 1: Active cars

8x Athearn (2x ATSF ACF 4-bay, 1x SP ACF 4-bay, 2x ATSF PS 3-bay, 2x Cargill 54' PS 3-bay, 1x DRGW PS 3-bay)
11x Bachmann cylindrical (2x ALNX, 1x ATSF, 2x CN, 1x CN Multi-color, 1x CNWX, 1x CPWX, 3x SKNX)
6x Intermountain cylidrical (3x Red Canada CNWX, 1x ALPX assembeled, 2x ALNX unassembled)
2x Roundhouse (1x DRGW orange, 1x USLX blue)
1x Walthers cylindrical (Brown & Gold CNWX)
 
Total: 28 cars 

Part 2: Inactive cars

1x Playart cylindrical (Red Canada CNWX, in shops for rebuild)

Total: 1 car
 
Section B: Charles

Part 1: Active cars

5x Athearn (1x Undecorated ACF 4-Bay, 1x CP Trinity 3-bay, 1x CNW PS 54' 3-Bay, 1 Soo Line PS 54' 3-Bay & 1x Undecorated PS 54' 3-bay) 
7x Bachmann cylindrical (1x CP Pac-man, 2x CP Script, 2x brown CPWX, 1x Red Canada CPWX & 1x Yellow/Silver CPWX)
6x Intermountain cylindrical (1x ALPX assembled, 1x ALPX unasembled, 2x Red Canada CPWX assembled & 2x SKPX assembled)
6x Roundhouse (1x MDC brown, 1x USLX blue, 3x USLX pink, 1x USLX white)
3x Walthers (1x ALPX cylindrical, 1x PS flat-side, 1x SKPX cylindrical)

Total: 27 cars 

Part 2: Inactive cars

1x Athearn (1x MILW PS 3-bay)*
1x Model Power (Yellow/Silver CPWX in shops for coupler refit)
1x Playart cylindrical (brown & yellow CPWX, in shops for rebuild)
1x Walthers (1x MILW PS 54' 3-bay)* 

*This car yet to arrive

Total: 4 cars 

Section C: Totals

Part 1: Active cars

55 cars

Part 2: Inactive cars

5 cars 

Unfortunately I have doubts about the pair of Playart cars returning to service, as it is hard to find parts for equipment made by this company. I also have no clue when the Model Power car will enter service.

The railroad's story will continue in the next update.

cool thank's for the updates art

Hello again everyone, just thought I'd share some more information with you.

404910

Ex-CP. Built as 70' Heavyweight Baggage-Express car 4365 by Canadian Car & Foundry (CC&F) in 1921. Acquired by CP and renumbered as its 2nd 4547 in 1963. To work service by end of year. Car repainted into CP Maroon, given "service" markings in white on front sides, railroad's "Script" paint scheme in white between side doors, renumbered as tool and cable car 404910 in white on alternating end sides & given 1960's lightweight information in white underneath new car numbers. Side lettering changed to CP's large "Block" paint scheme by October 1979. Removed from service and stored in Ogden Industrial Park (Calgary, Alberta) in January 2011. Sold to Liptonville Central Valley Railroad in 2013. Began operating on LCVR in 2014, but removed from service due to truck issues in following month. Car derailed by railroad in May 2014. Car's body & trucks separated, and both taken to LCVR's equipment storage yard in New Roanoke by heavy-duty flatbed trailer. Inherited by Phoenix Line in March 2018, and reunited with trucks by new owner. Car currently still in storage at New Roanoke as of 11/2019, but now waiting for modifications to its coupler gearboxes.

411296

Ex-CP. Built as 82' Tourist sleeper 6206 (14 open sections with own kitchen) by CC&F in 1919. Air conditioned in 1940. Modernized (with 12 open sections & a drawing room) and named as 'GAINES' in December 1951. To work service as sleeper (repainted into CP Maroon, given railroad's "Script" paint scheme & "Do Not Hump" markings in white underneath side windows, labeled as "work sleeper" and renumbered as sleeper 411296 in white on alternating end sides as well as car ends and given 1960's lightweight information in white underneath new car numbers) in August 1960. Side lettering changed to CP's large "Block" paint scheme by October 1979. Retired from service (exact date unknown). Sold to Liptonville Central Valley Railway in 2013. Began operating on LCVR in 2014, but removed from service due to truck issues in following month. Car derailed by railroad in May 2014. Car's body & trucks seperated, and both taken to LCVR's equipment storage yard in New Roanoke by heavy-duty flatbed trailer. Inherited by Phoenix Line in March 2018, and reunited with trucks by new owner. Car currently still in storage at New Roanoke as of 11/2019, but now waiting for modifications to its coupler gearboxes.

411297

Ex-CP. Built as 82' Tourist sleeper 6221 (14 open sections with own kitchen) by CC&F in 1919. Air conditioned in 1940. Modernized (with 12 open sections & a drawing room) and named as 'GAME' in December 1951. To work service (rebuilt as Pullman 36-seat diner, repainted into CP Maroon, given railroad's "Script" paint scheme and "Do Not Hump" markings in white underneath side windows, labeled as service diner and renumbered as 411297 in white on alternating end sides and given 1960's lightweight information in white underneath new car numbers) in August 1960. Side lettering changed to CP's large "Block" paint scheme by October 1979. Retired from service before 1985 (exact date unknown). Sold to Liptonville Central Valley Railway in 2013. Began operating on LCVR in 2014, but removed from service due to truck issues in following month. Car derailed by railroad in May 2014. Car's body & trucks separated, and both taken to LCVR's equipment storage yard in New 
Roanoke by heavy-duty flatbed trailer. Inherited by Phoenix Line in March 2018, and reunited with trucks by new owner. Car currently still in storage at New Roanoke as of 11/2019, but now waiting for modifications to its coupler gearboxes.

I may have discussed this before, but I will mention it again. The triple-axle trucks that these cars ride on are having issues with a place I call Linen Closet Corner (one set binds while the other two just fall off) and this makes them unusable on the setup. I am frustrated by this, but all I can do for the moment is keep them in their boxes and wait until I can find someone willing to do the fine-tune work that constitutes the modifications of their coupler gearboxes.

Please stay tuned for further updates as the railroad's story continues.

Thank's for the update's art

Hello everyone, here's another update on the Phoenix Line!

     As of 12:10 PM CST on 2/9/2020, the railroad has plans to standardize the passenger equipment used by its Maintenance-of-Way train (as it currently uses both heavyweight and streamlined passenger cars). According to the information available to me, the three former CP Rail heavyweight cars that the railroad inherited from its predecessor along with one that it wants to purchase from CSX Transportation are going to provide accommodation and food service for the track workers. Even though this change will give the track workers dedicated dining & sleeping space it will force the railroad to lay 8 track workers off, hire 2 cooks as well as a 2nd sleeping car porter (the railroad currently employs 44 track workers and a sleeping car porter in its passenger train, but doesn't offer any food or sleeping berth service on its work train).  

     While its unwanted, laying off the 8 workers will be needed as there will only be space for 36 of them. It will probably be a while before this change happens though, as talks about this car (12-1 work sleeper 493731, which was built as Pennsylvania 8916 Retort by Pullman-Standard in April 1925 and converted to work service by this railroad in May 1966) with CSX Transportation have not been completed yet. The 3 ex-CP Rail service cars remain unusable due to issues with their coupler gearboxes and 3-axle trucks as well, but continue to be kept in open air storage at New Roanoke at this time. 

Please stay tuned for further updates as the railroad's story continues.

Thanks for the updates Arthur

Hello everyone. here's another update!!

As of 16:35 PM CST on 2/11/202, some more barley and grain has been moved plus the passenger train has reverted to its winter operating configuration but not much else has changed. Also, the railroad plans to operate its former CP Rail heavyweight 12-1 work sleeper (411296) with its drawing room near heavyweight diner 411297 due to the crew of this car being assigned to the first 6 sections of the sleeper (the sleeping car porter, dining car steward & head cook share the accommodations provided by this car's drawing room). 

Please stay tuned for further updates as the railroad's story continues.

You should be getting some new train cars soon from what I hear TTFan .

Thank for the update art

Brandon wrote:You should be getting some new train cars soon from what I hear TTFan .

Well, yes and no as shipping containers usually aren't considered as cars.
The railroad is also supposed to be getting some new equipment all the way from England, but this has been delayed due to issues with customs charges (or so I've been led to believe anyway).

Hello everyone, here's another update on the railroad.

As of 2:45 PM CST on 2/16/2020, employees of the PLRX have somehow managed to find an operational former Rock Island railroad 250-ton rail crane and its boom tender that was stored on the LCVR's property. From what I've been told, this crane and its tender car will be the background of its wreck train (which will be used to clear train wrecks). Its other train will be used for track maintenance, but will be getting a smaller burro crane at some point in order to make this work a little easier for the track crews. 

Please stay tuned for further updates as the Phoenix Line's story continues.

Thanks for the update Arthur

Here's another update on the Phoenix Line folks!!!

As of 1:00 PM CST on 2/20/2020, the railroad has installed switch towers close to its main yard at Hillside now. Unfortunately, some of the railroad's locomotives & hopper cars are having issues with the switch points that allow access to this yard now, but the PLRX's engineering department is working on the problem as we speak. Lastly, operations currently remain restricted to grain trains travelling from the main yard to Rustyville's Cargill grain elevator and back again.

Please stay tuned for further updates.

cool thank's for the update art

Hello everyone here's another update!!!

     As of 9:30 AM CST on 2/22/2020, the Phoenix Line has managed to find a power source for its wreck train. This will be former Consolidated Rail Corporation (or Conrail) GP38-2 8276. Unfortunately the railroad's plan to purchase a 25-ton industrial crane for its track maintenance train has not been completed as yet, but the process continues.

There is a plan to add the former PPR work sleeper to the wreck train as a place for its crew to rest, but such is on hold at present as the car has not been delivered to PLRX property yet. The railroad is also working on providing this train with meal service as well, but this plan also has an official "In Progress" title for the time being.    

Please stay tuned for further developments as the railroad's story continues.

TigerTankFan wrote:Hello everyone here's another update!!!

     As of 9:30 AM CST on 2/22/2020, the Phoenix Line has managed to find a power source for its wreck train. This will be former Consolidated Rail Corporation (or Conrail) GP38-2 8276. Unfortunately the railroad's plan to purchase a 25-ton industrial crane for its track maintenance train has not been completed as yet, but the process continues.

There is a plan to add the former PPR work sleeper to the wreck train as a place for its crew to rest, but such is on hold at present as the car has not been delivered to PLRX property yet. The railroad is also working on providing this train with meal service as well, but this plan also has an official "In Progress" title for the time being.    

Please stay tuned for further developments as the railroad's story continues.

Why do you need a crane? You can just pick everything up with your hand .

Its true that we can pick things up by hand if/when needed but its always best to avoid this as much as possible. Also, it was common to see 25-ton cranes on work trains from the 1950's to the 1960's (I for one am trying to keep the time period being modeled by the Phoenix Line as 1960's to present day). The other crane owned by the railroad is a 250-ton, and this type of crane was only used to clear train wrecks.

Thanks for the updates Arthur

Hello everyone, here's another update!!

As of 4:10PM CST on 2/25/2020, the Phoenix Line has managed to acquire another 3 twenty-foot shipping containers. Two of the containers work for common North American shipping lines (Genstar and Itel) while the 3rd one is owned by a company that isn't well known in North America (this comapany is called Cotunav, and is based in Tunisia). All 3 will have their tracking numbers added to the railroad's list of tracking numbers regardless, and this will be happening very soon.

Sadly there is no other developments at this time, but I will try to keep you all informed as best I can.

Hey Art, you know what would be cool, if you post some pictures of your setup.

BlackScorpion wrote:Hey Art, you know what would cool, if you post some pictures of your setup.

I did have some pics but these are old now and I've gotten rid of them. As of 8:00 PM CST on 2/25/2020, I am working on getting new pics but this will take a little time as I have relationship obligations to look after first. I am committed to getting this done however, so there is no need to be worried. 

What I will say for now is that the train room is 25' long x 10' 10" wide, but has been subdivided into a bedroom area that is 10' 4' long (including a queen-size bed, I think) and a Main area that is 15' long (the width of these areas has not changed). I should also mention that plans to add a 2nd level to the setup (or the Oakdale Subdivision as I like to call it) have progressed a little bit. I am uncertain as to when construction on this part of the Phoenix Line will begin however, as the priorities of life (such as working to get money, using this money to buy food and other supplies as well as paying bills) always take priority.