Updates

The GP7 that hit the floor and wouldn't run came back from Bachmann a few weeks ago. The fix from Bachmann was to replace the entire chassis. It was put on the track and ran perfectly, but when it was compared to its two sisters a glaring error was discovered. First, it had silver trucks under it instead of the black ones that are correct for the Pennsylvania units. The fuel and air tank detail was also much different, glaringly obvious when in a lash up with her two sisters. Upon closer inspection it was revealed that the new chassis was from an RS3 (part number 64257), not a GP7 (part number 62457). It has been sent back for repairs and, according to the USPS, is in transit back to the PVRR and should be returning shortly.

The train room re-construction proceeds nicely, today the new linoleum floor went in and the baseboards were reinstalled. I should have painted the baseboards while they were out, but I didn't and now will have to paint them in place. I also missed two staples from the previous carpet install and didn't catch them until I was putting the baseboards down, they poked through the linoleum and had to be removed after the fact. Fortunately the holes are small and should be covered by the train tables. Next will be to paint and install the door trim and then the trains can once again be brought in. I'm looking forward to that.

I also attempted to double-head the J class locomotives and discovered that 601 is a touch faster than her sister. I am attributing that to the fact I removed the radio suppression caps from 601's tender during the DCC install and will be doing the same to 611 to see if that is the case.

I am still anxiously awaiting the arrival of the Norfolk and Western cars to go behind the J class locos but I do have a few I can run...and what the hell, since it's my railroad they can pull some Pennsy varnish for a while (they are both part of the Norfolk Southern system now anyway).

On a related note, the streamlined shells I had gotten for my Hudson are at the painters to be painted in a purely fantasy scheme to match the Erie cars, and the semi-streamlined Pacific will get somewhat the same treatment. I told the painter to just let his imagination run wild, I'm curious to see what he will come up with.