MNS grain train

[zephyr1934]

 

I'm happy to present my most recent build, a midwestern grain train from the late 1970's in the US. I've been working on it for most of this year, though the inspiration and some parts purchases date back to 2006.

Towards the end of last winter I had been train watching and after about a half dozen trains, each led by a couple of black locomotives pulling a mile long monochromatic string of cars, it got me thinking about an underappreciated heyday. Between 1960 and 1990 American freight cars were a burst of color, and even had a few hints of the old school railroad pride shining through, e.g., Milwaukee Road spending the extra dollar to weld a plate on the side of their covered hoppers declaring themselves "America's Resourceful Railroad." The freight cars were 100% utilitarian in design, but in the bright colors they went a little further and said, "look at me," with each car taking a different hue. Since then, freight cars have drifted back to browns and grays only flashing a random graffiti tag for flare after a night of hanging around with the wrong crowds. I wanted to capture that era in the days just after KarTrak Automatic Car Identification's failure showed how dirty railroading in America can be.

 

But how and what? I've always had a soft spot for covered hopper cars, in particular those based on the Pullman Standard 3 bay design. I had a go at these cars in 2006

 

Shortly thereafter, I started collecting 1x2 door rail plates and double convex inverted slopes in yellow to build a Milwaukee Road version. Those parts sat in a box and I hadn't returned to that prototype until now. On the flip side, I had most of the parts in hand that I needed to start testing this build.

 

Happy with the prototype, I expanded to 5 different liveries. These covered hoppers are 6 wide, featuring custom decals. With their weight they need roller bearing trucks, to ensure the trucks match the width of the car they use custom truck sides from TrainedBricks.com. At this scale it is impossible to get all of the details, so in this design I focused on capturing the essence, e.g., a continuous slope for the bins from the end of the car to the bottom of the chute, using thin vertical and horizontal members on the ends of the cars. Several of the cars have prototypical placards 1/2 plate out from the ribbing. A couple of the cars consumed almost all of the double convex inverted slopes available on bricklink in the given color. As with most of my designs, these cars are designed to negotiate R40 curves, and in turn, replicating the form of the prototype gave me a true appreciation of the design of the actual cars.

Of course, once you start down the rabbit hole of looking at covered hopper cars, you wind up seeing lots of other cool cars... and the potential to build in colors that do not have door rails (dark green). Well, next thing I knew, I also had a design for the ACF center flow covered hopper cars. Once more the covered hoppers are 6 wide. These cars were designed as a complement to the Pullman Standard cars to fill out the fleet and bring in a few more colors/liveries.

 

Why stop at 8 cars? Good question, of course you need a Canadian cylindrical covered hopper, who doesn't need a cylindrical hopper car? So I built one too.

Now I know you've all been there, you build a MOC and then discover you need a second MOC to support the first MOC (or in this case, a 10th MOC to support the first 9).

When I started out I did not worry too much about what would pull these cars. I have a few period appropriate 9v locomotives, most recent of which are from 2014, a pair of SW1200's.

While there was one major solution (FX Track) two problems remained, (1) my old 9v locomotives were not powerful enough to pull the full train, and (2) it has been over a decade since I've run 9v trains in public. I originally thought that I would eventually address #2 at some later point in time, but #1 escalated the need. So off I went to build a period appropriate PF locomotive.

I returned to MNS, the same road as the SW1200's. Minneapolis Northfield and Southern was a spunky shortline with a long history and a large fan club for a railroad with just over 80 miles of track. They had a history of unusual locomotives starting with their predecessor, the never electrified Dan Patch Electric Lines and the first successful gas-electric locomotive that was the predecessor to diesel electric locomotives, to a fleet of massive Baldwin center cab locomotives built in the late 40's (nicknamed the "blue dragons"), and their last purchased locomotives the SD39's in 1968. These were essentially SD40's with smaller prime movers (and thus, lower horsepower). They were painted in a distinct dark blue with a single white stripe running the length of the locomotive. The SD39's served until the MNS was purchased by Soo Line in 1982 and one has returned to the shortline (Progressive Rail) that now operates a portion of the old MNS route.

My 6 wide SD39 has a lot packed inside, including 2 PF train motors, 1 rechargeable PF battery pack, an IR receiver, a pole reverser, and four weight bricks. Fitting it all in required some compromises, like filling the cab with the IR receiver, and my desire to make the white stripe brick built as much as possible made fitting the battery a lot more complicated. One obvious tradeoff is that the long hood is 5 studs wide to hide the battery, I would have preferred to keep it 4 studs wide. But also a little ingenuity to plow through some of the challenges. If you look closely at the side views, just above the fuel tank you can seek a small patch of dark gray from the battery. I used an old school 4.5v motor plate with 4x8 cutout to drop the battery down below the white stripe and snotted studs to hold the tiles on that cover the side of the battery. The build uses custom stickers, 3-axle motor covers and fan housings from trainedbricks.com, and custom railings to keep them closer to proportional than the brick built alternatives. But I did have to use the classic train wagon ends as a nod to the fact that this is a Lego train after all.

 

Okay... just one more problem, I didn't have a respectable MNS caboose. So now I needed an 11th MOC to support the 10th. The MNS purchased 3 new bay window cabooses in 1972 and like the SD39's, these served until the MNS was purchased by Soo Line in 1982 and one has returned to the shortline (Progressive Rail) that now operates a portion of the old MNS route. The caboose is 6 wide (8 at the bays), featuring custom decals, roller bearing trucks to match the hopper cars.

 

The net result is my all new MNS grain train, with 5 Pullman Standard 3 bay covered hopper cars, 3 ACF 3 bay covered hopper cars, 1 Canadian cylindrical covered hopper car, an MNS SD39 and MNS bay window caboose. All in liveries that would have been seen in the late 1970's or early 1980's. The total length is about 11 ft. All of the cars are 6 wide.

 

Click here for a mediocre video of the train in action

 

I hope you enjoy the train. Questions, comments and constructive suggestions are always welcome

The full album is here
 

 

[SD100]

Wow. That's a lot of work right there, but that's an awesome looking set of equipment! I'm actually sitting here building your GP40 but that SD unit is giving me all kinds of bad ideas. And all the detail from the decals just takes everything to a whole new level!

 

SD

[Murdoch17]

I agree with what @SD100 said: "Wow!" I will also add to that that both the train and the grain elevator behind it look amazing! Keep up the good work @zephyr1934!

[JWBDolphins]

That's Awesome!  

 

[idlemarvel]

Lots of detail in 6-wide. The grain cars with the grain store loots great. Thanks for sharing.

[GoHabsGo]

Very nice !

[Feuer Zug]

Gorgeous collection of classic grain cars. I like the various styles of cars with all the colors. The entire consist with locomotive and caboose is quite the show piece. Even the 3D printed parts on the bogies look good.

[zephyr1934]

Thank you all for such kind words. @SD100 Yes, for almost any train build it is truly amazing how much difference a few decals do in making the build pop. @Murdoch17 funny you should mention that, the elevator is an old build and all of the silos fell apart last time I transported it (inside its all duplo and quatro) so I had to rebuild it just to take the photos. Gray 4x8 curved plates are now available in quantity from S@H so it is on deck for a structural redesign soon. @idlemarvel 6 wide all the way! @Feuer Zug indeed, I needed something to cover the open wheels of the roller bearing wheel sets, the cars would have looked naked without them.

[JopieK]

Great job @zephyr1934. Maybe add some stickers on the building too! I like the cars and locomotive very much.

[Yperio_Bricks]

Fantastic set of grain cars, locomotive and caboose Love the colors and all the details. The stickers make it even better!

[Eki1210]

Impressive looking MOCs, fantastic!

I really don´t know what i like the most  It´s really nice how colorful all the freight cars are, must be great seeing them run by.

The Loco with fitting caboose is also great, i like how you stickered everything 

(your factory-building in the background really adds purpose and meaning to it all, top notch!)

[bogieman]

Well done! Love all the colors, especially the dark blue and dark green. 

Dave

[vijv]

I love the cars and locomotives! Awesome!!

[_TLG_]

Really nice and clean builds!

[Space78]

Very, very impressed.  I'm a Lionel train enthusiast, and Lego train enthusiast and I must say your builds are fantastic.  The cars, engine, and caboose look very realistic.  How do you make your custom stickers?  I'm from Wisconsin (live in La Crosse), so love seeing all those midwest railroads!  Thanks for sharing.

[LEGO Train 12 Volts]

So after sitting down and calmly admiring this new work of art I can say that:

- the six studs width makes the level of detail even more valuable
- the decals give great realism to the carriages
- the varied colors are a joy for the eyes
- the 3D printed parts for the bogie details are crazy
- the locomotive is splendid
- the caboose with the protruding niche is the icing on the cake!

Top notch work!

 

[cbqmp27]

Fantastic models, especially all the different type of grain cars.

Like many on here, Custom Decals are asked about all the time, do you have a source or did you make your own?

I saw this railroad in action and you really bring it to life again.

Thanks

[zephyr1934]

Again, you are all so kind, thank you. @JopieK Oh, I like that idea, the "some-good-name elevator". @Eki1210 and @bogieman it seems like every rail fan who is old enough to remember the late 70's that I talk to about this never really thought about how colorful the freight trains where back then and they typically let out a sigh (sadly I missed the heyday of the even more colorful passenger trains... sigh). @vijv got any blue milk? @Space78 La Crosse is a great place, as for the stickers, see below. @LEGO Train 12 Volts from one of the kings of amazing builds that means a lot. @cbqmp27 would your handle be mile post 10 on the Burlington? See below about the stickers. As for the MNS operations, I like the way they would just mix and match different engines, it was common to see one of the SD39's coupled to a pair of SW1200's on the point of a train. My pair of 9v SW1200's are on deck to get their wheels updated and a matching unpowered truck so that they can ride along with the SD too (but back to the 9v motors when on "electrified territory", grin). MNS also did flat yard switching as if it were a hump yard, go fast, cut off a few cars and let them roll down the respective track, it was crazy.

 

So for the stickers, I lay them out on my computer and then go to a commercial sign shop to have them printed. It is expensive per sheet, so I pack a lot on a sheet to make it cost effective. For a while I had a shop where I could get kiss cut stickers (that was great) but my contact moved on. So now I print cut lines just outside of the artwork area. Then lots and lots of cutting, e.g., MILWAUKEE was 9 different pieces, but I made them extra long so that they go to the the bottom of the door rail plates which I then used for alignment.

[Space78]

@zephyr1934 when you say the two 9V engines were not powerful enough to pull the train, is that due to the wheels slipping?  Assuming this is an issue of not having enough weight in the engines.  The SD39 looks more massive.  Might two 9V motors on the SD39 have worked?  Just curious as my small Lego train layout is only 9V (track and motors) as I much prefer it over power functions motors.  However, when need be I can run power function motors over the 9V track, but I tend to just buy more 9V motors rather than go that route.  I dislike constantly messing with batteries.

[Duq]

@zephyr1934 That's a great train you have there! Must be great to see that running on a large layout.

I love the colours, but also the texture of those hoppers, very nice. And a very recognisable story. Who doesn't have a few tubs/ boxes with a bunch of parts set aside for a future project? I just finished my Dublin tram, but I have 4 or 5 more half-built projects on the top shelf, some for many years. One day...

[zephyr1934]

@Space78I think the 9v motors and the PF train motors are about the same power-wise (one might be a little better than the other, but in the noise). My MNS sw1200's are very light, so more weight probably would have worked but it would have been a completely new build anyway at that point. I agree, I hate messing with AAA batteries, but I still have a couple of the PF rechargeable batteries. I'll probably cry a little when I use the last one. At any rate, no, I cannot easily switch the SD39 to 9v because the wires to the PF motors are built into the locomotive. It would require a lot of disassembly. It would be easier to build another copy (#41) and swap it between 9v and unpowered.

@DuqThank you thank you. Truth be told, I can't wait to get it on a large layout. Right now it has only run on my shop layout (about 12'x12') but that's big enough to appreciate the train. My club has a show scheduled in two weeks but that layout is even smaller, 6'x10' (!@#$%). One of these days I'll do a big layout though.

[Toastie]

On 9/27/2023 at 11:00 PM, zephyr1934 said:

I'm happy to present my most recent build, a midwestern grain train from the late 1970's in the US.

What a fantastic train ... others have said what I feel and admire, there is nothing to add.

Well, maybe just this: It is personal, I know, but I love the way, Dave is presenting "That's Railroadin!" on his channel (https://www.youtube.com/@ccrx6700). They operate something >remotely< related to what you built (OK, they haul coal, with all lookalike coal cars), at least with regard to the appearance of their locomotives - and their color scheme. Yes, I am color-blind, but rather good on blue and white. And yes, your locos are of different make - I believe. Not the point. It is the love for Railroadin that I believe is common ground here ...

I instantaneously thought about Dave's channel, when seeing your beautiful train, the story behind it - simply wonderful.

Congratulations and a slight bow (after tipping hat).

With very best regards,
Thorsten

 

[zephyr1934]

<blush> thank you. And yes, that is a good connection with Railroadn, probably the modern equivalent to MNS. They were a strange line, if the engine crews caught you trespassing along the right of way they were likely to invite you up for a cab ride. That's probably why they have so many fans.