Southern Pacific Extreme Trains at the Colorado Model Railroad Museum

Mid fifties Southern Pacific trains are featured in this edition of Extreme Trains:
A 106 car mixed freight with three cab forward helpers
The City of San Francisco streamliner with Alco PAs
A PFE refrigerator train with two cab forward locomotives
See the CMRM website for museum location and hours:
cmrm.org
The museum store has a two volume DVD/BluRay set that includes 11 Extreme Trains videos:
www.cmrm.org/shop-cmrm/

[@AZRonK]

Just Fantastic , love all the levels, all the trains running at the same time, 👍👍😉😉

[@riogrande5761]

Made a stop in Greeley to visit this layout a couple years ago on the way from Virginia to Salt Lake City. I found out it is based on Oregon scenery.

[@kendrawatkins8290]

that idea of showing the extra view of the path of the train was a lovely idea.

[@craigmcdowall5493]

What an amazing layout . . the length of the SP cab forward freight with two cab forward helpers is unbelievable . .

[@michaelmorgan7893]

The most beautiful layout I've ever seen. All those working signals, etc bring it alive.

[@fabiopeluso3688]

Wonderful layout, scenography and models!

[@currentbatches6205]

2:49 - Got to give you props for the view and the schematic; really helpful in visualizing the length of the train and the next 'appearance'.

[@TheCondoInRedondo]

Sensational! Great balance of panorama views versus close-ups and cab rides.

[@BrianXMoore]

Excellent!

[@charliepress6629]

Thanks for another great video!!! It reminded me of your Southern Pacific in the Cascades railroad...

[@RobbieSongwriter]

Spectacular! Loved the cab views - VERY effective. Thank you for sharing this.

[@dietergoldschmitt9651]

Great video. I really enjoy the cab ride views.

[@msalfi6166]

Another truly excellent video!

[@bandman2404]

Superb photography! Professional grade videography!

[@patrickmcconville9908]

Very nice footage gentlemen

[@J3scribe]

One of your finest videos yet! Your skills as a videographer and editor have improved by leaps and bounds since this series has started. I always look forward to your next installment. Keep up the great work! And thanks.

[@paulsmith6616]

It's a cold and rainy Saturday morning here in Sydney, following an extreme period of unending heat. Eggs at the ready, I saw the video notification, after 40 mins of great viewing and noticing all new camera angles and closeups, I also took the time to notice a couple of the rather peculiar residents of this layout, not least the little girl with two pet skunks..... and the lady on horseback taking her cow for a walk along the trackside? Most pleasurable Bill as always and a great treat. I will now go and hold a brief memorial for the neglected eggs, thanks a lot!

[@billr991]

Thanks Paul. Sorry about the eggs. Dave Trussell (the Designer Builder of the layout) has written a series of stories about several of these vignettes that appear on the layout. The museum is developing a project to bring these stories to video.

[@paulsmith6616]

Thanks Bill, but it was worth it. I have also noticed, from time to time, very intense activity in areas off the mainline. Perhaps a video collection of these may be popular, although I have the attention span of the average 6 year old for shunting and yard work. Nevertheless who knows?

[@billr991]

We have switching videos on our list of projects. I don't know when we'll actually get around to doing one.

[@attackeagle]

The inset layout photo and camera icon are very cool, like the ride along camera as well. Enjoyed it very much!

[@TrainLordJC]

Another amazing video of a spectacular layout, very well filmed, outstanding scenery with maps and camera angles. Can't get much better. Well done.

[@billr991]

Thank you Train Lord.

[@tommachut7167]

Another great one Bill ! Always enjoy watching your video's .

[@billr991]

Thanks Tom

[@tommachut7167]

Bill This is one great video . The crew did a very good job in handling the trains .

[@billr991]

Thanks Tom.

[@currentbatches6205]

29:22 VERY nice lighting 'adjustment' on the cab interior.

[@billr991]

Thanks Current Batches.

[@rogberube6422]

Wow !

[@user-mp2tl8zv2t]

Hi. Very good lokomotiv. Lake.

[@trainknut]

Can you imagine a train like that if you had to operate it prototypically? As in, every single helper is individually controlled by a different person. Obviously that would be terrible for the couplers, and the equipment, but I can imagine some pretty funny derailments happening as some overeager helper driver squeezes the whole train right off the tracks.

[@anetajohnson8446]

Fantastic! where did you ever find people small enough to fit in the locomotives ? "only kidding!"

[@indycar101]

Engineer on passenger ran the red!

[@matteffm2090]

❤️👍🏻

[@hellboundslayer]

Southern Pacitic huh, dont know that railroad lol but anyways awesome video

[@karlrovey]

Question about the signalling system used at the museum: Does it interact with the controls for the locomotives to get them to stop at a red signal? I have seen some videos where the locomotives stop for red signals but don't know if this is done manually or if it is programmed to interact with the signalling.

[@billr991]

A very good question. Actually the layout can be operated in CTC Mode or Docent Mode. In CTC mode the layout operates like an actual railroad, with a dispatcher at the CTC machine and with a crew for each train. In Docent Mode the layout operation is entirely automatic and is completely controlled by the layout computer. The Docent Program was created to allow a small crew, or even a single person, to run the layout. The Docent Program handles all aspects of running the layout including; CTC Machine simulated operations, full control of track switches, full control of train signals, and full control running up to nine trains. There is much more information about the layout operation on the Colorado Model Railroad Museum website at: www.cmrm.org/oce-operation-docs/

[@struck2soon]

I am guessing the Cab Forward is yours? I seem to recall seeing it on your own layout. Is that Hancock whistle correct for the Cab Forward? I had assumed they would be the standard SP whistle.

[@billr991]

At least six different cab forwards were used to make the video. They belong to three different people. BLI might know where the whistle sounds came from. I don't.

[@jacksalvin364]

The 4-8-8-2

[@canadianlocomotivelogistics]

Do you ever have any modern locomotive running nights?

[@kiwitrainguy]

At 37.19 I notice some of the trees moving as if being blown by the wind. Was there an actual breeze going through where the layout is or are they being moved by servo-motors? Have given the Train Lord comment a like as it echos my sentiments exactly.

[@billr991]

Thanks kiwitrainguy. The trees are moving in the breeze provided by the HVAC system.

[@benjih4173]

What are you using for the cab angles?

[@billr991]

A Sony FDR X-3000 mounted on a depressed center flatcar

[@Teddybear861981]

What were the numbers on the cab forwards on the PFE produce freight train? What were the numbers on the SP Black Widow F7's? Please let me know, thank you! Good video, and love the cab forwards,...I bought a few years ago, the SP Cab Forward #4294 from Intermountain w/Sound in HO Scale, after the fact that I saw the real one in Sacramento Railroad Museum! What a beautiful iron horse!

[@Thewallbert]

kkkkkkk