3rd Rail PRR M1b Part 1

[@JerryClarksurferdude]

Norm, not a modeler, not even close but just wanted to express my profound appreciation of your well, artistry. I have spent a great deal of subscriber time watching your vids to my great delight. Your focus on the Pennsy is of course even more compelling. The former Atlantic Division runs nearly through my backyard. I wistfully waxed about seeing it but never came upon any film/video until a Foxtone newsreel found Train to Blimp Transfer on the former Speed Graphic Film Video channel. It showed an M1b doing this wacky maneuver with a vintage Army blimp taking cans of newsreel footage. Ironically Lakehurst NJ where the Hindenburg crashed is about 5 miles north. What was stunning was that it showed a train running on the track that was ultimately abandoned in 1950 and in my backyard. The line continued to cross the nearby Barnegat Bay over a swing bridge onto the barrier island here in New Jersey and onto NYC linking it with Philadelphia far away from the NE corridor. It even diamonds with the Jersey Central here and the route of the Blue Comet. Anyway just wanted to let you know how much I enjoy your craftsmanship and your sharing it so old dogs like me can revel in the fact that though the year I was born steam was just about done, I can get a sense of it thanks to you.

[@elj320]

Great videos! Thank you for the hard work!

[@ajmayowskijr]

Excellent video Norm

[@dennisb-trains23]

What a beauty she is. ❤❤❤❤

[@BrentsTrains]

Excellent video! I don't know much about 3rd Rail and I've been curious - very informative for me. Thanks!

[@williamruss8830]

wow amazing loco and layot

[@markmccummins8049]

Another excellent video, Norm.

[@centeroftheearthmining4095]

Fantastic! Thanks for sharing

[@SidsTrains]

Amazing video Norm. Very informative and can't wait to see your insight into this locomotive and other models. I am personally into the electronics so I am looking forward to that, but the artistic side of things with weathering and details is always fantastic, especially with your models. Can't wait to see how this project goes. Sid

[@phillipsakalik4877]

Excellent video! Very cool to learn all this stuff.

[@av8tor1908]

Thanks for the videos you’ve posted recently. Very interesting. The older 3rd Rail stuff is fantastic and I’ve been busy buying/modifying their models for the past several years. The gear boxes, Pittman motors, and brass details are well beyond die cast products. Bonus is they can be picked up cheap. Great stuff, more videos please!

[@ctskifreaks]

That reveal is so smooth.

[@northpennvalleysteamrailroad]

Nice Locomotives! The layout is looking great as always!

[@kevinjohnson7468]

Good morning Norm. I just bought my first 3rd Rail locomotive. It’s the SP AC-4 cab forward . I bought it for a price of $825 off of Ebay. The livery is what Lionel released for their SP AC-12 GREY BOILER version . Do you have any advice for me on handling it or maintenance? I believe it was made around 2005 but I’m not exactly sure but I read on a forum that the gears are brass and should replace it with bronze gears.

[@normstrains]

Be careful what about what you read on those fourms. I wouldn't do anything but lube it properly then check it out for TMCC function and performance. Get some decent tools and check out the rods, etc., and make sure everything is in good order.

[@jaybriscoe6385]

Your layout is everything I hope mine will become - your layout looks like it was lifted straight from a Don Ball book or a Phillip Hastings photograph. I own and watch your DVD (NUMEROUS times) and I watch all your KZbin vids (NUMEROUS times). The M1's are gorgeous and I cant wait to see the M1b once you work your weathering magic. Where were you able to locate an NJ International book for the M1? If 3rd-Rail isn't already a sponsor to your channel, they should be.

[@normstrains]

Thanks Jay! I wouldn’t mind a Harbor Freight sponsorship come to think of it.

[@mjc6184]

Stunning locomotive - on an even more stunning layout.

[@mike6206]

I've got 3 M1's from Broadway Limited (HO Scale) and I love mine! I have 2 M1a's and my first BLI engine, an M1b, that just got it's QSI sound replaced with a Tsunami2. The 2 M1a's and the newer BLI'S I own have the Seuthe smoke units. They stay off, not only the reason you give but also the smoke itself is strong enough to give me a headache. Asthma, bad allergies, smoke units are off on my engines.

[@normstrains]

I love BLI’s trains!

[@mike6206]

@@normstrains I'll post the M1b video on KZbin soon.

[@mike6206]

@@normstrains new video for ya! kzbin.info/www/bejne/Z4PPf3tjpaeFe9E I linked your channel on it so everyone can see your aawesome trains

[@normstrains]

@@mike6206 that was cool, nice engines and layout!

[@mike6206]

@@normstrains thanks. The M1a has the Original Paragon2 sound, the M1b, my first Pennsy and BLI, has a new Tsunami2 sound unit.

[@fastmail55]

I see Stobe's railroad salvage in the background. Any connection with Stobe the Hobo?

[@normstrains]

Just a tribute to the late great Mr. Stobe.

[@ecpcharles]

I would love to get into 3rd rail/o scale but I dont have the $$$ nor modelling abilities to create anything like that. Lovely stuff!

[@theblocksmith645]

Charles Li then start with ho or g they are cheaper and allow more room for mistakes also i would recommend watching KZbinrs like bolder creek railroad for ideas and tips

[@ecpcharles]

​@@theblocksmith645 I model HO. So yea. I'll get some cheap steam engines to practice on first, thats a good idea.

[@theblocksmith645]

Also start of with a small engine in a set

[@ecpcharles]

@@theblocksmith645 I'll just buy a whole bunch of cheap junk at whatever my next train show occurs lol before painting my HO samhongsa NYC L-2a (it has a pretty simple paint job)

[@theblocksmith645]

@@ecpcharles and leave some engines unwethered and keep them near yards

[@Steven_Williams]

Beautiful engines! Love the details that 3rd Rail does on their engines, especially their steam .

[@trainbros89]

great video! any chance of doing a weathering tutorial for an engine in the future?

[@normstrains]

I will most likely film a bit of the weathering process on this engine when I get into it..

[@tomstarcevich1147]

How about a layout tour sometime

[@normstrains]

I’m hoping to film one soon, probably after the car shop is in place.

[@markmichel6802]

Just picked up a 3rd Rail M1a. Haven't run it yet but your videos are very helpful. I'm fairly new at 3rail stuff and with all the different systems out there it's pretty confusing. My biggest beef is the standard 2 chuffs per turn.

[@normstrains]

In command mode, try hitting aux-1 twice then 5, it will scroll through the different rates (1, 2, or 4). You can do it while it’s rolling.

[@KPen3750]

I like the M1s. One of the coolest pictures I’ve seen was an M1 or an M1A with a little K4 or L1 tender. For some reason it looked kind of cute.

[@Sardschka]

Do you experience any danger for the layout ans scenery when running a smoke unit? Will the vapor settle on it? Thanks!

[@normstrains]

Unburnt drops of fluid can get ejected from the fan driven puffers more often than I care for. Of course it lands right on adjacent engines, rolling stock, and structures. I hosed one of my Decapods not too long ago. Very annoying as the smoke fluid tends to stick to flat painted surfaces. The most damage is done to the engines themselves. A lot of times the smoke fluid tends to collect internally making a nice mess.

[@1940limited]

I understand Third Rail made a highly detailed D&H Challenger, although I've never actually seen one. Supposedly it had a lot of problems, but tuned up I bet it would be an amazing unit.

[@gettonmoreorless3741]

Is that in Brunswick green? The lighting makes it look pretty black.

[@normstrains]

Yes, compared to everyone else, I think 3rd Rail’s Brunswick is the best/darkest.

[@seansonscaletrains3048]

I beat Burnzy!

[@frankceeko4596]

Your audio is way too low is my speaker is at 100% and I strain to hear you had to use CC !

[@normstrains]

Sorry man I’m just using my iPad Pro. Sounds ok on my end.