January 2012 OP Session Clinchfield Railroad

[@z_dog7739]

Still enjoying this video almost 10 years later!

[@lostonwallace1396]

I lived in Clintwood, Va the first 24 years of my life. Clintwood isn't very far from Dante and McClure in Dickenson County, VA. We lived about 60 yards from the Cranesnest River, and on the mountainside beyond that river, I would see the Clinchfield coal trains run about 3 times a day, and twice a night. I saw the old style engines from the '40s/'50s era (like the one around 3:04 mark of your video)--both the gray and yellow, and the black versions daily. My brothers and I would stand in our yard, and wave at the conductors, and they often would tooth the train horns for us. The cabooses often were occupied, and those fellas would wave to us as well. I purchased a HO scale Clinchfield set a few years ago, building up the hoppers with those I remember. Clinchfield and Chessie, primarily. Your video takes me back to my childhood, and brings back wonderful memories of growing up near the tracks in Clintwood. Thank you so much for uploading this. I know this is 10 year old video, but I'm glad I got to see it. :)

[@scotabot7826]

Wonderful story my friend. This is one beautiful mountain layout!!! Very realistic!!!

[@scotabot7826]

I Love the Clinchfield and the Chessie!! What a beautiful and realistic layout!!! WOW!!!!

[@aocruiser]

Very nice operating session, it looks like the new signal system works great!

[@trainman0771]

i enjoyed watching this video. you guys know how to put on the show. real railroads pass in opposite directions on one main line. you dont see enough of that in other rail road clubs

[@JonGrant4472]

Great layout. Bowled over by the sheer size and scope.

[@csxmodeller1]

Bob What can one say but awsome layout, if anyone was to say anything negative about your layout they would be impossible to please everything from the track up looks great the detail on the scenery and loco's is something to be proud off. Greg (Australia)

[@thetrainman407]

Well done! Not only does the trackwork, scenery, and motive power look well done, but I also appreciate the fact that your session methodology looks as though it has a prototypical backing to it. Too often, I see wonderful layouts with great potential who have operators that run trains at breakneck speeds.

[@MrZeldalove]

I agree. I wont be unkind and complain, but when I see some running trains at 160 mph through a yard, I shut off the video and go somewhere else. It has to look real.

[@NSHorseheadSD70]

Very nice video. It gave me some ideas of how to dispatch my own layout at home.

[@lawbench191]

Love your videos and Clinchfield layout. My club is building a new layout in Myrtle Beach and hope to incorporate some of the ideas you have on your layout.

[@400exNick]

Very cool man! Amazing layout and I love all the EMD power! Do you have the dd's set to come on when a train passes a certain point or are you just playing it for the video? Either way its really cool and the scanner chatter really adds to the realism of it too!

[@SportsterXL1200C07]

That is a very nice video. I wish we had the CTC signal system at the club I belong too.

[@modelspoor1962]

Great layout, great video! Thumbs up!

[@rhelmod]

Thanks for the compliment. I have been working on the layout alot lately to make some improvements and changes. I plan to shoot a cabride video soon for 1955 era.

[@SeaboardCentral]

You've got one great layout and these are some of the best operating session videos on the net. Take it from a professional locomotive engineer for the NS, your operating sessions sound just like the prototype! If it wasn't for the models, one would think they were actually listening to the real thing. Great job and keep up the great work!

[@rhelmod]

The defect detectors actually work in sensing the axles, calculating the train speed in scale mph, and give you an actual scale length. I have them play over the radio so crews and the dispatcher can hear them and respond accordingly.

[@rhelmod]

Thanks we have a great crew of guys. We are learning the signals with the new CTC system.

[@rhelmod]

Keep up the dream and you will be there someday on the rails. I started building my first layout at 9 years old.

[@HyndmanHelper]

Awesome video! Love the Clinchfield.

[@Bigjoe29]

love the idea with the two-way radio

[@anthonyferrebee4045]

Awesome layout. Would love to see this thing in person.

[@rhelmod]

Best OP Session we have had and very few accidents.

[@rhelmod]

Did you guys see the ROME 1976 at 10:45? I could pick out David DeVault, Ron Flanary, Ken Marsh, Sid Vaught and Steve King on one of their Railfan trips. Heck Allen McClelland and Tony Koester were shooting up by the U.Baptist church.

[@rhelmod]

The CTC is a huge project and very expensive. The signals alone were over $600. The panel is custom done in JMRI and it difficult to program but it works well. Was worth the time and effort.

[@sony197]

how cool is this nice Job on all of it

[@csxmodeller1]

Look forward to seeing it, do you ever run Chessie loco's on the layout?. Not being from the USA and only getting an understanding of the history of various roads and mergers would i be correct in saying you could bring the time period forward to run trains from the Chessie System and CSX era on your layout. Cheers Greg

[@HellzNord]

Awesome layout! Looks complicated to run one of these big layouts with multiple people. I someday hope to have a large layout like these, but I got a lot of learning to do lol.

[@rhelmod]

my trackplan is posted on appalachianrailroading but I have made a few changes to the layout over the years.

[@rhelmod]

I havent run Chessie system engines in alot of years on the layout but we did at one time. I have not ever modeled more modern than 1981 on this or the former layout. I used to model the CSX era in N scale though in 1991.

[@maquetedoalto]

Super mega wondeful trains ❤❤❤❤❤

[@OutlawRailroader]

VERY cool....had to be fun operating, cuz it was fun to watch...

[@pilotboy1233]

Great job on the layout! I was wondering, is it hard to set up the CTC? I think that's super cool

[@JMcolts95]

where is this layout at?!??!?!?! it looks really cool!!

[@jazzlife1]

This is awesome; do you have a website?

[@rhelmod]

This is not a club layout. It is privately owned by myself.

[@vacsxman]

Where is this layout and do you have a web site?

[@nurarissa7056]

What power the train? Battery or what?

[@SkyhawkACE123]

Love the class lights!

[@jarmolade]

Great video! Do you know what color gray and yellow are used on the locomotives? I would like to model that line as well. Thanks

[@roberthelm5533]

Alot of guys use SCL Freight car yellow. The gray is more of a mix of primer with some blue or you could use CSX gray with light reefer white mix. You could also use CSX yellow with a light reefer white mix.

[@Industrialmodels2]

Wow just discovered this Robert....was this your old ho railroad?

[@rhelmod]

Yes, my old HO clinchfield layout. It was up 15 years until we moved to the new house.

[@Bear34ize]

Where in East TN Are you located

[@Bear34ize]

where in East TN .

[@rhelmod]

My layout has been featured on several different websites. Appalachian Railroad Modeling is one of them. I also started and maintain a Facebook group called Clinchfield Railroad which is open to join. In 1998 I started a Yahoo group that is now called Clinchfield Railroad as well and I maintain a KZbin page. You can see they layout on Modelrailroader and Modelrailroadhobbyist both in videos. My layout is also in Tony Koesters new book on Mountain Railroading.

[@rhelmod]

Thanks man for the comments!

[@chatanugadotorg]

Awesome layout!

[@rhelmod]

Thanks guys!

[@400exNick]

That is too cool!

[@rjl110919581]

THAT BEAUTY LAYOUT TO WATCH ON VIDEO AS JOY WATCH THE OPERATION OF LAYOUT AS SORRY TO BUILD MY FURTHER CLINCHFIELD RAILROAD LAYOUT DOWN UNDER IN AUSTRALIA

[@csxns]

You need to add Bostic yard to that layout.

[@Boohpoop]

Excellent! Thats all I can say!!!

[@curraheewolf]

Awsome! That was great! I subscribed also.

[@santafesammy]

Great Stuff!

[@LeChungProduction]

we run that same ctc program :)

[@rhelmod]

Yeah well we need guys to run the trains. I will pass the word on to my videographer.

[@MrZeldalove]

SD40's were a good choice for a coal hauler that needed a really good lugging engine at low speed.

[@rhelmod]

I am located in East TN.

[@288jh]

Hey.. I See Myself Several Times... XD

[@jerseycentral]

Would be great if you didn't have people walking into the view of the camera. That ruins the effect of the video. # # #