# my pictures/CN trains



## Big Mike (Dec 2, 2011)

not yet finished with layout yet but its comming along


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## Timb (Jan 7, 2012)

I'd say it's comming along nicely...wow, very cool indeed!! Please keep posting your progress.

Tim


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## Dave Sams (Nov 24, 2010)

Looks great!

How do you reach the center of the table?

I have to take my shoes off and walk on mine.


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## Big Mike (Dec 2, 2011)

Dave Sams said:


> Looks great!
> 
> How do you reach the center of the table?
> 
> I have to take my shoes off and walk on mine.


yea, I just get up there,I had to build it very strong because I'm not a small guy,I have lots of accy.stuff ,but I have to finish inside of my building first,and I have a very good idea of how to reach any place on the board after its done with out damaging anything, i will have to post pics. to show how it works once its in place..................mike


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## Big Ed (Jun 16, 2009)

That is not finished?
Glad you told us that. 


It looks like a nice start, what are the dimensions?
Can you walk around it? 
If you can you might be able to reach the middle.

All depends on which way you are "BIG".
Tall & big......or short & big?
Tall & big you might have the reach, short & big maybe a center drop down built in might be more appropriate.

Did you see what a FRED was?


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## Big Mike (Dec 2, 2011)

big ed said:


> That is not finished?
> Glad you told us that.
> 
> 
> ...


its "L" shaped,20'by16' O84,O72,060 curves and the smallest curve o48

I can't walk all the way around it because its on the wall on two sides

I an't to tall ,just kinda wide... a little on the heavy side

no ,I haven't seen what a fred is yet ,I going their now


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## Big Ed (Jun 16, 2009)

Nice size.

Too bad you can't move it out a little over a foot from the wall.

You might be better off making a drop down in the middle.
Put something stationary on it so when you drop it down it will stay on.

You might not be able to see the wiki link on FRED, as they are protesting today.

Edit, yes the link won't work today, check it out tomorrow.


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## Big Mike (Dec 2, 2011)

big ed said:


> Nice size.
> 
> Too bad you can't move it out a little over a foot from the wall.
> 
> ...


kool Big Ed,........and thanks !



O, and I wish I could pull it out from the wall ,but its nailed to it ,but I'am working on a system to access the top of the layout very safe and easy ...........mike


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## gunrunnerjohn (Nov 10, 2010)

You mean this link Ed?

Fred Figglehorn

You just need to know how to get to the link.


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## Big Ed (Jun 16, 2009)

gunrunnerjohn said:


> You mean this link Ed?
> 
> Fred Figglehorn
> 
> You just need to know how to get to the link.



Who the h eck is that?

we are talking about FRED on the RR.


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## gunrunnerjohn (Nov 10, 2010)

I figured that, but that's the first Fred that came up for Wikipedia. :laugh:

However, since you insist: FRED - Flashing Rear End Device from Wikipedia


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## Big Mike (Dec 2, 2011)

O, I got it ,
F. freaking

R. ridiculous

E. electronic

D. device LoL.........mike 

this is what I call my computer most of the time


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## eljefe (Jun 11, 2011)

Big Mike said:


>


This looks way too green to be the Great White North!


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## Big Mike (Dec 2, 2011)

eljefe said:


> This looks way too green to be the Great White North!


yes , you are right, I live in the deeeep south ,Louisiana and CN trains pass all day and most of the night not more than two blocks from my house,so thats why I have so many CN trains, I just love the colors.
also see some old I.C.,G.T.,B.R., all onwed by CN,sometimes see the zebra striped CN locos
and then also see Amtrak .

I need to finish my layout ,most of that green will be covored up,hopefully..........mike


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## seabilliau (Dec 12, 2011)

Great shots. Looking fwd to seeing the rest.


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## Big Mike (Dec 2, 2011)

seabilliau said:


> Great shots. Looking fwd to seeing the rest.


Thanks ,yea me too, ....... did you get my last pm to you?


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## seabilliau (Dec 12, 2011)

Sure did. Thanks. Will let you know when I get and when the return package is en route.


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## Big Mike (Dec 2, 2011)

seabilliau said:


> Sure did. Thanks. Will let you know when I get and when the return package is en route.


good deal ..........mike


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## eljefe (Jun 11, 2011)

Big Mike said:


> yes , you are right, I live in the deeeep south ,Louisiana and CN trains pass all day and most of the night not more than two blocks from my house,so thats why I have so many CN trains, I just love the colors.
> also see some old I.C.,G.T.,B.R., all onwed by CN,sometimes see the zebra striped CN locos
> and then also see Amtrak .


Well that makes sense since Canadian National bought the Illinois Central which extends down to New Orleans.


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## marh415 (Dec 30, 2011)

Looks great, I can't wait to start on my setup. Love those diesels loco's!!


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## seabilliau (Dec 12, 2011)

The train pulls out at Kankakee
Rolls along past houses, farms and fields
Passin' towns that have no names
Freight yards full of old black men
And the graveyards of the rusted automobiles...


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## Big Mike (Dec 2, 2011)

seabilliau said:


> The train pulls out at Kankakee
> Rolls along past houses, farms and fields
> Passin' towns that have no names
> Freight yards full of old black men
> And the graveyards of the rusted automobiles...


thats the train we call the "city of New Orleans"....hmmm, sounds like a song in there somewhere......mike


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## Canadian Car Knocker (Feb 8, 2011)

If you want to make it look 100% authentic put maybe 35% of those coal cars on a siding jack em up and roll some wheels off. Lord knows I would not loose any sleep if I didn't have to change a impact on a coal car ever again.


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## Big Mike (Dec 2, 2011)

Canadian Car Knocker said:


> If you want to make it look 100% authentic put maybe 35% of those coal cars on a siding jack em up and roll some wheels off. Lord knows I would not loose any sleep if I didn't have to change a impact on a coal car ever again.



O,. you worked on the real coal cars? so maybe you know the answer to a question I 've been wondering about, what are the two cylinders that are on the bottom of the rotery dumper cars for? what do they do?........mike


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## Canadian Car Knocker (Feb 8, 2011)

Big Mike said:


> O,. you worked on the real coal cars? so maybe you know the answer to a question I 've been wondering about, what are the two cylinders that are on the bottom of the rotery dumper cars for? what do they do?........mike


Yup Ive worked on a few here and there. Working out of a Prairie terminal I usually get the potash and grain hoppers but we have a few unit grain trains roll out our way. As for the cylinders can you try and post a pic of it? Frieght cars have about 20 thing that can be classified as a cylinder. lol


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## Big Mike (Dec 2, 2011)

I wil try to get a good picture of what I am talking about,I figured I was not being clear enough on the cylinder thing, heck,... it may not even be called a cylinder ,but thats what they look like.............mike


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## SouthernGent (Feb 12, 2012)

Wow! very nice and realistic looking CN. I see them two or three times a day in the Spillway. It is a flood control project in Norco, Louisiana. The elevated tressels allow the trains to cross above the flood waters on their way to the Gulf of Mexico. I will be looking at your layout to developed. Thanks for building and choosing CN. 
SouthernGent


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## Big Mike (Dec 2, 2011)

SouthernGent said:


> Wow! very nice and realistic looking CN. I see them two or three times a day in the Spillway. It is a flood control project in Norco, Louisiana. The elevated tressels allow the trains to cross above the flood waters on their way to the Gulf of Mexico. I will be looking at your layout to developed. Thanks for building and choosing CN.
> SouthernGent


thanks, I now have six CN Legacy locos one is the old blue I.C. C44w-8,have one ICG gp 30 and one switcher, It don't have a road name ,just says "coors light" and the number 2008,I bought it cuze I tought it looked cool,

question: where is all that coal going? every day two to three unit trains pass ,going south, I here its being loaded into ships going to China,then I heard there is a tipple in Newroads where its dumped for the plants,do you know?

are you going to the TCA train show in Ponchatoula this saterday?.........mike


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## armymedic80 (Mar 24, 2011)

Will look very impressive when you're finished.


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## SouthernGent (Feb 12, 2012)

*The CN coal hoppers*



Big Mike said:


> thanks, I now have six CN Legacy locos one is the old blue I.C. C44w-8,have one ICG gp 30 and one switcher, It don't have a road name ,just says "coors light" and the number 2008,I bought it cuze I tought it looked cool,
> 
> question: where is all that coal going? every day two to three unit trains pass ,going south, I here its being loaded into ships going to China,then I heard there is a tipple in Newroads where its dumped for the plants,do you know?
> 
> are you going to the TCA train show in Ponchatoula this saterday?.........mike


They Go to the Valaro and Shell coke plant and the rest are used to generate electricty. Some are still coal and the rest are mostly natural gas power plants.


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## SouthernGent (Feb 12, 2012)

Hey Mike,

I had to work in the Spillway today and missed the show. How come they only do Saturdays? I am off Sunday. 
Skip


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## Big Mike (Dec 2, 2011)

*train show ?*

not sure, but I think its because the Ponchatoula trade day is on the same day ,and people are all ready in town for that,or it may be because its all ways at the baptist church gym,and it might clash with services if it was on a sunday,I will ask Clay at the next TCA-LA meeting.

I was looking for you there thought, you would have had a ball, lots and lots of "Southern" trains..........mike


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## Big Mike (Dec 2, 2011)

armymedic80 said:


> Will look very impressive when you're finished.


Thanks, I sure hope so, I really wish I had the time to finish the ceiling in my train room,I can't set up any more accys. until I do because stuff would get crushed and ,or broken when I can do the work, so I gotta wait,I do have lots of good stuff waiting to go on the board though............mike


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## armymedic80 (Mar 24, 2011)

Big Mike said:


> Thanks, I sure hope so, I really wish I had the time to finish the ceiling in my train room,I can't set up any more accys. until I do because stuff would get crushed and ,or broken when I can do the work, so I gotta wait,I do have lots of good stuff waiting to go on the board though............mike


You're welcome. If your layout is dedicated to 1 whole room in your place, then I'm sure it will be so amazing. That's what I'm thinking of doing. I built 1 4x8 benchwork for my MTH trains but you need a few more of these 4x8s to connect together to have a huge layout for track, buildings etc. Check my 4x8 layout on Youtube. It's titled MTH Penn Freight and you'll see what I just started myself.


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## Big Mike (Dec 2, 2011)

armymedic80 said:


> You're welcome. If your layout is dedicated to 1 whole room in your place, then I'm sure it will be so amazing. That's what I'm thinking of doing. I built 1 4x8 benchwork for my MTH trains but you need a few more of these 4x8s to connect together to have a huge layout for track, buildings etc. Check my 4x8 layout on Youtube. It's titled MTH Penn Freight and you'll see what I just started myself.


yea , but its only a 20 x 24 foot room, its not that big,I would say its kinda mid sized, but its all I got... I'm gunna look for your video.........mike


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