MoPac and ATSF Express Operations

NOTE: This model railroad video is not intended for anyone under 14 years of age due to the use of small parts, dangerous tools, electrical items, glues, and paints.
This video shows the interchange of the Missouri Pacific's Missourian # 9 and the ATSF Fast Mail Express 2nd # 7. Sometimes express cars are ready too late leaving the East Coast to get to Chicago so they are routed to St Louis and the MoPac to then be taken to Union Station to meet the Fast Mail Express.
NOTE: The music is courtesy of KZbin and is titled Skylines by Anno Domini Beats.

[@NewHavenRails]

Great video and ops session. Well done on the passenger and mail express switching. Very nice touch. You also have a great looking layout. I model HO scale but will be building a traveling N scale switch layout/ module.

[@tanzj]

Thanks for your kind words and your interest in N scale modeling….John

[@robtman9199]

You have an awesome railroad John, they were not hesitations but a short pause to admire the train. Have a nice week.

[@tanzj]

Hey Rob, Thank you for all of your comments. Passenger cars can be troublesome at times but I do enjoy that kind of switching…..John

[@DruSteel69]

Love seeing the long train. Very cool ops session, John. 😎👍🏼

[@tanzj]

Drew, Thanks for watching and commenting, I appreciate it….John

[@DiggerEvans]

I love your layout John, my friend you need envy no one when it comes to modelling skills the layout it top notch and fantastic running sessions too. It's a pleasure to watch trains in operation on your layout my friend

[@tanzj]

Many thanks Digger. I appreciate your comments very much…..John

[@davestrains6816]

I have the same trouble with my only sound locomotive. Great ops session. Thanks for sharing. Dave

[@tanzj]

Hi Dave, Thanks for watching. I initially used some of the less expensive Digitrax sound decoders in a lot of my engines. The Soundtraxx Tsunami2 KN-1 kits fit the Kato E, F, and PA units. I plan to convert over to the KN-1s in those engines over a period of time. I have several engines already converted but the decoder is not cheap so the conversion process has to be budgeted…..John

[@JosephMusgrove]

Gotta keep the mail running! Looking good John!

[@tanzj]

Thank you Joseph. It was very interesting when researching how mail, newspapers, magazines and the like were shipped from the east to west coast all those years ago….John

[@georgiasunbelt]

Like the long passenger trains John…didn’t know there was a dedicated mail train…nice Ops

[@tanzj]

Thank you Anthony. Back during the transition era the only way to get magazines, newspapers, mail, and the like was via the westbound mail express trains……John

[@KerleyExpress]

looking great you done a lot of work on your layout

[@tanzj]

Hi Dwight, Thank you for your comments. It takes me a while to do things since old age slows one down….John

[@cruiservin0212]

Nice running! Amazing layout!

[@tanzj]

Hi, Thank you for watching and commenting…….John

[@craiglordable]

Thanks John, nice stuff.

[@tanzj]

Thank you Craig for watching and commenting…..John

[@phil36310]

Nice Ops John. Happy moel railroading & greetings, Filip

[@tanzj]

Hi Filip, Thank you for watching and commenting.. I really appreciate your support……..John

[@atsf-3415]

I had the issue, especially with sound units, shorting out on some of my Peco turnouts. I had to add a little black paint just past the frog to fix a few. The rails where close enough that a wide wheel tread would contact both rails and short it out. A very little bit of paint (or clear fingernail polish) can fix that problem if that is happening here also.

[@tanzj]

Hi, I am currently in the hospital but I am still checking my channel. Thank you for your comments. I have fingernail polish on the insulfrogs on the staging level which helps tremendously there. The turnouts on the main and top level are all electrofrogs and are a mix of both old and new ones. I will look into what you did when I get home. The problem turnouts are usually the older ones where the closure rails are connected to the frog via a slide connector…..John

[@TouchoftheBrushModelWeathering]

Passenger operations are always fun!

[@tanzj]

Yes they are..😊

[@gerdeguelle1967]

A great video John.

[@tanzj]

Thank you Ger….John

[@anfieldroadlayoutintheloft5204]

great vid thanks lee

[@tanzj]

Thank you Lee for your support….John

[@grandparails8858]

Cool op session John.

[@tanzj]

Thank you JD …..John

[@Longshadowsmodeltrees]

Looking good kido.😉

[@tanzj]

Thank you Bob I appreciate that. 😊

[@mysticrailroad]

love that ATSF switcher tandem! I enjoyed the ops. say- do you have your decoders set to almost no momentum? curious about that. nice vid John :)

[@tanzj]

Hi John, Thanks for your comments. One of the switchers is a BLI and the other is a Bachmann. I prefer momentum to be off in my consists. Some of the steam engines that I have still have momentum in them but none of the diesels…..John

[@VirgotheDrusky]

where did you get your curved switches from? id love to use them to build a super complicated yard and engine facilities

[@tanzj]

Hi, All of my track and turnouts are Peco code 80 except for two Peco code 55 3-way turnouts and two Atlas code 80 crossings. I like Peco turnouts because you can flip them by hand and they lock in place. I had a lot of turnouts from my previous layout but when I needed more I would buy them from the Hobby Shop with the best price…..John

[@VirgotheDrusky]

@@tanzj thanks a ton!