Coloma Rails - N Scale Model Railroading

First off, Merry Christmas to everyone... When I first wanted to get (back) into Model Railroading, the one locomotive that I knew I really wanted was a Chicago Metra locomotive.  Growing up on the West Line and riding the Metra into the city, I always loved this locomotive. So last night on Christmas Eve, my youngest child, wife and I opened presents.  To my behold, my wife got me a KATO EMD F40PH in the Chicago Matra liverly along with it being the “City of Elmhurst”, Elmhurst is the suburb I grew up right next to on the West Line. Since I knew I wanted one for my collection, I already had a TSC DCC K5D7 decoder ready for it, so this morning I followed the directions and got the decoder soldered into the locomotive and then programmed on my layout. It really is a Merry Christmas!

Back at  Trainfest in November  I met Lowell Smith in the vendor area and loved the cars that he designs and sells.  Back in 2010 he came out with the Disney Christmas Train line and each year reveals a new car at the Walt Disney Family Museum.  These cars sell out very fast and I was lucky enough to be able to purchase the 2011 ‘Mickeys Good Deed’ and the 2013 ‘Bambi’ cars from him while there.  The 2017 car was releasing on December 2nd and I knew I had to get my order in right away or I’ll miss out. Well I am glad that I ordered when I did.  My car finally came in the other day, and when I went back to his website this morning, the car is already Sold-Out, along with every other year.  It will be challenge to find/collect my missing years. Here is the 2017 Disney Christmas Car ‘Donald Duck’.

Well last night I got to complete the City Park for my layout.  Minus a few bushes here or there that I may add, it is now complete.  Since the pictures from the other day, the fencing was added, statue and cannons, and the trees. In the background is where my C&NW Terminal will be going, and on the rail with double bumpers, that will be the track to showplace some of my locomotives.  The Park will double also as a Train Park.

I am a little late on this post, but a few weeks ago I was able to add another diesel freight locomotive to my roster with the KATO Chicago & North Western #6847 EMD SD40-2. “As a prototype, the SD40-2 was the most popular second-generation diesel with sales of over 3000 in the U.S. and more than 700 in Canada.  There were many variations of this popular diesel because of the long production run.  “Early” units featured an 81” nose, chicken wire grills and a ratchet brake vs a brake wheel that would be found on later units.  C&NW #6847 and #6858 would carry the “as delivered” paint scheme that adorns them through their entire operational life, with the #6847 remaining operational to this day at the Illinois Railway Museum in Union, IL.”

It has been aboout three weeks since my last update and things are moving along on my little N Scale layout.  The first week in December I had my son visiting from out of town so not much was accomplished, then doing scenery work takes a lot of time.  Waiting for paint to dry, waiting for glue to dry and so on.  So here is a litte update on how things are going with my City and Park.  It is still all a work in progress, and it will probably still be awhile before I get to any actual buildings.  I am working on the areas where the building will go first, then the actual buildings.