Moving coal the old way in N Scale: tipples, a dumper, Barney and kickback

20 minutes of coal railroading on NtheBasement's layout.
5 minute version is here: • Moving coal the old wa...
Truly awesome HO dumper model: • McMyler Coal Dumper - ... • Shorty Parker's HO Sca...
Prototype video: • NS loading the Algoma ...
Timeline:
0:00 - Assembling the train
1:47 - Empties up
3:02 - Spotting Green Goblin
5:02 - Up again
7:14 - Balloon loop
7:55 - Pushing to Calcifer 1
8:57 - Loading Calcifer 1
10:10 - Return to Green Goblin
12:15 - Loading Green Goblin
13:33 - Back to the yard
15:42 - Dumper ops

[@davestrains6816]

A absolute joy to watch. Your layout is definitely a work of art. Thanks for sharing. Dave

[@GarrettTaylorLeedy]

This is really awesome now could some people do this in HO scale. This is impressive how you build everything to do live coal loads

[@kevinguthrie5495]

It would be easier in HO. And the square cube law would make gravity work much better on the kickback yard.

[@WestSenecaValleyRailroad]

The Niagara Orleans Model Railroad club in Niagara Falls, NY had a module like that for their layout. As I recall, it was modeled after the power plant in Somerset, NY with an automatic system. The guy who created it also modified a series of cars to have rotating couplers at one end like the prototype. The locomotives pulled the first two cars in, and then an indexer handled the rest. I don't know if the owner is still alive, but it was an impressive model.

[@WestSenecaValleyRailroad]

Found a video of it... kzbin.info/www/bejne/f2aUmaykirZ8b6c

[@ericwilliams1023]

@@WestSenecaValleyRailroad wish I knew of them when I visited in August! Dagnabbit!!

[@Rubberduck055]

NSmodeler24 has live loads in HO scale. It's pretty sweet. 😁 I wish someone could figure out how to modify the gates on the bottom of the hoppers so they actually work. I saw one gentleman managed to do it but it required a lot of special tooling to do it

[@hobbyhermit66]

Beautiful. Thank you for sharing. Been wanting to build an N layout since I was a kid. I have a bunch of equipment, but working 3rd shift 60 hours a week. I don't have much time for anything else.

[@michaelricks1618]

Fabulous N-Scale layout. Beautiful scenery and great action. Very inspirational. Thanks so much for sharing.

[@StanleyFlinn]

I liked when the hand came in and I found out N scale is way smaller than I assumed.

[@jimm3756]

This layout is outstanding. A realistic looking coal operation. Good job.

[@lhunter325]

Nice layout….The GP30 is great……one of my favorite locos.

[@mikeday62]

This is the largest and finest N scale home layout of all time. The hillside rock formations and landscaping are stunning.

[@kevinguthrie5495]

Thanks! It is by no means the largest layout, the room is 11 by 13 feet.

[@KitClan]

Kevin, This is one of the most active, real-life layouts I think I've ever watched. BEAUTIFUL! Thanks for sharing. YourConscience

[@lowcountryrailroad7701]

Kevin your layout is awesome. Looks very fun to operate. Thanks for sharing your work. Thanks David@ low country railroad

[@mustachemike802]

That is absolutely the coolest layout I have ever seen! Your attention to detail is on a scale I can only hope to accomplish and your working coal shoots and that hump dumper are ridiculously mind-blowing! Congratulations on such a fantastic feat of model building, sir! My hats off to you!

[@kevinguthrie5495]

Thanks! I sure enjoyed building it.

[@robrobason]

This is amazing! It's the essence of what I've dreamed about after getting into N-Scale: a complete microcosm of a purposeful railroad operation. Congratulations for this achievement, and thank you for inspiring me!

[@TheKubelman]

GREAT layout and detailing. That said, I'd rather listen to whatever noises or loco sounds are in the room than music of any one else's taste.

[@jefwisse1957]

I couldn't believe this was a N-scale layout until I saw the finger at 3.15. It's looking so realistic, great job. Greetings from the Netherlands.

[@iainm1256]

First of all I would like to say what a good video this is. I have enjoyed watching it twice and will likely be back a few more times as it is very relaxing to watch - good music choice. Then there is the model and operating system which is absolutely great to watch. Brilliant and fun and technically superior to most of the content you see on KZbin. Thanks for sharing - I loved it.

[@compasspointenc-owners]

The 'Dead?

[@paulvail2850]

WOW, I am awed and amazed at what you have done. Such planning.

[@McHeisenburger]

I could actually watch this all day.

[@kevinguthrie5495]

Thanks. There is the 20 minute version on the channel.

[@franzbrunner499]

"lack words" well, well done -was staring 20 minutes at my screen -totally fascinated -coal loading and dumping are unique

[@786freight4]

Absolutely awesome! Excellently done! Thanks for sharing you’re work!

[@johngibson3694]

That’s the best layout I’ve ever seen. And the way you run it isn’t to the purist not quite up to their standards I love it. Keep up the great work.

[@FrogandFlangeVideo]

One of the coolest layouts that I have seen. Your rock walls are incredibly realistic. James.

[@leeedsonetwo]

Fascinating layout and an excellent film.

[@TonisalpenmodellbahnN58]

Hello, this layout is outstanding..Very nicevideo. Toni

[@michaellipousky9143]

Very cool! I love it! You must have gone berserk making rocks and ledges! I think it looks absolutely fantastic and you must be a professional rock maker by now! Rock on! 🍻🍻🍻

[@dibsyardshuntinglayout]

That layout is amazing for operations!

[@strongjohn10956]

Very cool - thank you. The rock faces and fallen debris are spot on - very realistic looking.

[@annieyahu676]

Excellent Work!! Very Creative ❤️. Love the realistic details. Camera views are a bonus and good music. Thanks for Sharing ❤️

[@Dave-po2mz]

Right there with the best of for rocks, and greenery. Hats off!

[@samsharkman4423]

The best I've seen in a long time.

[@KatoOnTheTrack1]

Can’t wait to build mine my functional rotary dumper. Won’t be impressive as yours though lol

[@Longshadowsmodeltrees]

Great Op's video Kevin, enjoy it a lot. Bob

[@FutureGPTranscoDriver]

That's just amazing your layout is truly one of a kind!

[@NscaleCSXandRioGrande]

Awesome layout. Great to see live coal loading and unloading in n scale.

[@garykreitz2428]

The scenery looks good 👍

[@markhayes6407]

Awesome layout and operations! The dumper is so cool.

[@simonjacobs9616]

I think this is just fantastic, music and train footage superb. Thank you

[@carlrambow1277]

the hopper dumper is such a fun device

[@davehtoo9612]

Cool loading,impressive,unloading awesome,love the kickback

[@tyleradams4633]

You have one Bad Ass layout, love the operations videos... 👍

[@georgejetson4378]

Awesome operation!

[@MartoNscale]

Wow this is very cool, I will share this video with the members of my club.

[@tonyromano6220]

Wow this is a very nice RR!

[@rockforce55]

Amazing layout you have here. All the details are spot on. I'm really liking it.

[@trickywho7463]

Can’t stop watching, this is epic. 👌🏼 Thank you sir ThX 🙏🏻

[@aeronerd22]

This is one of those things I would love to play with, but don't have the 1000 hours available to build among my other hobbies :)

[@donaldshroyer8633]

Nice vid! Outstandingly impressive. I'm somewhat surprised you can move all of that real weight with a single loco.

[@kevinguthrie5495]

Thanks! The loco is at it's limit pulling loads uphill out of Calcifer 1. One more hopper causes it to slip in place.

[@paulchamberlain3359]

Nice railroad

[@Ramash440]

Damn, just found your channel and from the looks of it you've been making this for diorama for the past 2 years or so, definitely seems like more. I'm assuming the loader mechanism works with a simple hopper and auger system, from the looks of it.

[@althejazzman]

Wow N scale POV is cool.

[@thomasedwards7243]

Amazing work! This is by far one of the more entertaining scale train videos out there! Subscribed!

[@brian-te4xs]

Way cool just cool.

[@budgetwebsiteservice]

What a fantastic layout! I only wish I had the space to build a layout on this scale...

[@kevinguthrie5495]

It looks bigger than it is. The room is 11 by 16 feet.

[@budgetwebsiteservice]

@@kevinguthrie5495 I don't even have a spare cupboard! lol...

[@robbyjetswest6110]

Really nice job

[@johnhood9567]

Amazing. Magnificent.

[@ronaldstokes4841]

We used to go down to Philly pier 122 and watch a similar operation. the kickback was steep, and a brakeman would ride the car working the brake... looked like a rodeo rider.

[@kevinguthrie5495]

Its the closest thing to a roller coaster that railroads have to offer. kzbin.info/www/bejne/r5_NhJqhrKl_bsU

[@ronaldstokes4841]

@@kevinguthrie5495 LOL... when I first saw a kickback I thought it was for launching old train cars into the river. I was lil' then...

[@yankeefist9146]

Ok, that is impressive. Nicely done👏

[@AmtrakTBL]

That’s awesome

[@ffhaywood]

You win the internet! Best video I’ve seen on model trains. How are you decoupling the cars and I’m guessing you built the coal dumper yourself.

[@lawrencekraemer1123]

I work for the company that makes these tipplers in Pittsburgh

[@kevinguthrie5495]

Do they give factory tours?

[@ATSF1317]

This is awesome 👌

[@timosha21]

I'm a train and I approve this video choo choo! :D

[@meruliouslacrimens5154]

Superb,amazing modelling, but what was the accompanying music please?

[@kevinguthrie5495]

Unicorn Heads and Chris Haugen per the credits. The songs are Bleeker Street Blues, Front Porch Blues, My Train's A Comin', Soul Food and Swampland, all from KZbin's song library.

[@kenhorne5650]

Looks so much fun

[@neil442]

Would love to see your automated loaders in more detail Kevin !

[@kevinguthrie5495]

There is an early video of Green Goblin showing how it works. A foot switch lets me have both hands on the throttle. kzbin.info/www/bejne/bWKtYZKjppaSirc I replaced the motor with a quieter one.

[@canoesino9290]

Amazing!

[@tomasbenedictomaza]

sencillamente espectacular

[@frankgeurts3912]

Awesome 👍👍👍👍👍👍

[@Keyboardman88]

Not only is this one of the best coal layouts I've seen, but it's also C&O...one of my top 4 railroad choices. I'm amazed at the coal loading of the hoppers.....how is it done?

[@kevinguthrie5495]

Thanks! See the N scale coal loader video for how it works.

[@joeystrains.9316]

Epic layout. Gp30s rock!

[@Arch007]

Very nice✌

[@railswithethan3715]

How many cars are you running on your consists as I’m from over the pond and I can only just make 9 trucks up with 2 engines but then my grade is a 4% as I’m tight on space

[@kevinguthrie5495]

There are 15 hoppers total, 5 at Green Goblin and 10 at Calcifer 1. There is an upgrade from Calcifer 1 and 10 loaded cars is pretty much the max for that engine. The long grade that the empties are hauled up is slightly under 2% grade. For the train seen in the "new way" video, typically 20 cars, my DC engines could haul those alone; DCC engines are lighter and I have to double head them.

[@SevenWelt]

nice Video👍💯

[@fakenoobyup5492]

Hehehe !Working the hard way by being cool !

[@dogyerf21]

Very nice!

[@richiebeck5121]

really cool. im new to model trains and I really want to do something like this eventually with actual working parts, did you buy the coal dumper/loader or did you build them yourself?

[@kevinguthrie5495]

The up-and-over dumper is bashed from a kit that is long out of production. cs.trains.com/mrr/f/88/p/264087/2980912.aspx The big mine is from a kit, readily available. www.amazon.com/Walthers-Inc-River-Mining-Company/dp/B000VZEYBU Everything else is built from scratch. The loader with the spring auger was the easiest to mechanize.

[@toadsilverstone4193]

Very very cool. Im guessing that the “mines” storage units have to be refilled by hand then? Not come up with some sort of genius automatic refill system yet?

[@kevinguthrie5495]

😄Nothing genius, just unscrew the jar under the dumper and pour back into the silos.

[@kevinguthrie5495]

The coal runs by conveyor to a mini power plant that generates the electricity needed to run the layout...

[@walfarw77]

wonderfull

[@wjsj69]

Phenomenal!

[@raymondo162]

i'm building a tabletop railway with rocky scenery like yours. i have been wondering the 'reason' for my layout and thought about putting in a similar coal-loading system - with various of its features motorised. gonna be tricky in N tho

[@kevinguthrie5495]

Found another approach yesterday, an animated truck dump. Now I'm wondering where I can add one on the layout. kzbin.info/www/bejne/fKO9k3Rvp8uJbLc

[@raymondo162]

oabtw: your rocky scenery is probably the best i've seen.

[@lisamccombs7433]

awsome

[@boonpub]

nice

[@iggybeauchance7406]

Amazin

[@robertsimpson9403]

Fantastic, is the dumping all custom made? Can it be purchased?

[@kevinguthrie5495]

The dumper itself is a cast metal kit from State Street Models. I bought it 30 years ago, long since out of production. cs.trains.com/mrr/f/88/t/264087.aspx The only other functional kit out there that I am aware of is an interesting pair from Baldylox on Shapeways of a rotary dumper for about $100. It certainly looks more prototypical than the rotary dumper in my New Way video. Everything else on the layout is scratch built.

[@johnflurnoy3273]

I want to do Conrail and ns

[@nscaler454]

absolutely incredible. how much weight does the coal add to the train?

[@kevinguthrie5495]

Thanks! 4.83 ounces this run, see 19:02.

[@thomasschmidt2272]

👌👌👌👏👏👏👍👍👍🤓🤓🤓 Dankeschön

[@OvantheWise]

Is the facility in front of your kickback hill, is that another rotating dumper as well?

[@kevinguthrie5495]

There are two dumpers, the up-and-over kickback dumper with the barney, and a rotary dumper in the building behind the kickback yard. See the flood loader video for that one.

[@ericwilliams1023]

What type of camera is that to get the moving view from the tracks?!

[@kevinguthrie5495]

The cab view video is from a DJI Osmo Pocket - see the credits. There are other videos on this channel showing the setup. Focus is challenging but smoothness is top notch. Warning: the Osmo Pocket does *not* comply with NMRA N scale clearance standards.

[@mississaugaicedogs]

Are you able to do continuous loading while the cars are slowly pulling thru the loading like in real life?

[@kevinguthrie5495]

I do it when I'm impatient. The trick is not to let coal fall on the couplers between the cars. For continuous loading see the "new way" video's flood loader. kzbin.info/www/bejne/h6vQc4RqdtiSo8U

[@johnflurnoy3273]

I'm starting a ho scale layout any advice is very appreciated

[@kevinguthrie5495]

Best advice is join some of the model railroad forums out there; plenty of good advice there. Your first layout is always a learning experience so start small.

[@DennisShea-mf8wk]

What size is this layout ?

[@kevinguthrie5495]

The room is about 10' x 16'.

[@justingarlock4473]

What do you use as the simulated coal?

[@kevinguthrie5495]

That is Woodland Scenics fine cinders ballast. I previously used real coal but the dust was a health risk.

[@ryanm9318]

Unrealistic sun. Looks like office style 2x4 light fixtures. 👎. 🤪. Really amazing build hard to believe it is N scale. So much detail on the cars.

[@kevinguthrie5495]

Thanks! Drop ceiling fixtures and shop lights. Started with GE 50k daylight fluorescents (lots of blue), replaced with drop-in daylight LEDs when they dimmed out. I'm happy with it but it looks a little different on camera.

[@jjseibert]

NS modeler21 has videos for one

[@kevinguthrie5495]

Thanks for the heads up, that's a nice operation. I like that his dumper goes directly into the bin for the loader, but if I had to take the loads upgrade I would need more locos.

[@orjanbark4261]

What a beautiful mountains! Delete the music and add the original sound...

[@kevinguthrie5495]

Thanks. Alas, the star of the show is from the silent era.

[@andrekoning9967]

you need better locos that creep