My Layout in April 1998

I posted pictures of my layout on my old website beginning when I started it in November 2002. I never posted these pictures on my old website, but am including them now for completion.

These pictures of my layout were taken in April 1998. They feature a group of Budd RDC cars painted for BC Rail. They were originally custom-painted by my dad for a travel agent who arranged charter trips on the BC Rail, who used the models to promote the charters. When my dad painted the cars he put seats inside. The owner later decided he wanted figures added, and brought them back to my dad with figures to be installed. (I don’t remember if there were no figures at all, or if he just wanted more.) The figures he supplied were figure kits by Kibri that had to be assembled. My dad didn’t think he could handle the tiny parts, so I put the figures together and put them in the cars. After that, the owner of the cars passed away before retrieving them, and since I did the work that hadn’t been paid for, they became mine.

There are a total of six cars. Four are Athearn cars. There is one powered RDC-3 and three unpowered RDC-1 cars. The other two cars are old RDC-2 cars made by American Train & Track. One is powered and the other is not. The Athearn and AT&T cars are different enough that they don’t run well together.

These are the Athearn cars. Also note the Montana Rail Link locomotive in the diesel servicing area. It’s striped nose is barely visible.

These are the American Train & Track RDC-2s. Also note the modern freight cars in the yard. My layout is in the modern era at this time. The era changed a few times.

Here are the AT&T RDC-2s again. Note that they have unprototypical swinging truck-mounted pilots for operation on the sharp curves of old train sets.

Here are the AT&T RDC-2s again.

Here are the Athearn cars passing the AT&T cars in the siding on the far left.

Here are both sets of cars. The Athearn cars are on the left and the AT&T cars are on the right.

Here are the four Athearn cars. The rubber-band drive of the RDC-3 is powerful enough to pull the three dummies on level track, but it has trouble pulling them up grades.

Here are the AT&T RDC-2s with my Mantua 4-6-2.

Here are the Athearn cars with my Southern GP59 #4610 and my GATX GP38-2.