Triangle Mall Model Train Show: November 1997

I originally posted these pictures on my old website on February 9, 2008. I have rescanned them and added some that I hadn’t included before.

These pictures were taken at the model train show at the Triangle Mall in Longview, Washington, in November 1997.

A trio of Union Pacific SD40-2s pull a unit iron ore train through the expanded town on the Longview, Kelso & Rainier Model Railroad Club's HO-scale layout. These locomotives belonged to Brian Christiansen, but they are pulling my 50-car Union Pacific iron ore train. Brian and I teamed up to operate the LK&R layout with modern Union Pacific equipment for part of the show.

Modern Union Pacific locomotives, some belonging to me and some to Brian Christiansen, dominate the engine terminal while the Union Pacific ore train passes on the main line and a Burlington Northern coal train passes on the branch line on the Longview, Kelso & Rainier Model Railroad Club's HO-scale layout.

My dad’s trio of Mountain Pine Lumber switchers brings his “People Express” excursion train back to the sawmill on the logging line of the Longview, Kelso & Rainier Model Railroad Club's HO-scale layout.

Later, the Longview, Kelso & Rainier Model Railroad Club's HO-scale layout had given way to Burlington Northern and BNSF equipment. BNSF Dash 9s pull a double-stack train on the main line while a BN GP50 leads a train on the branch line.

Among the other attendees at the show were some HO-scale dioramas of logging scenes. I believe these dioramas were built by or were associated with scratchbuilder Lyle Noah in some way. This scene features small skidders and trucks.

This HO-scale logging diorama, presumably by Lyle Noah, features an old-fashioned steam tower skidder on rails.

This HO-scale logging diorama, presumably by Lyle Noah, features a modern tower yarder, loader and log trucks.

This HO-Scale logging diorama, presumably by Lyle Noah, features logging railroad equipment including a Shay steam locomotive.

This HO-Scale logging diorama, presumably by Lyle Noah, features a log train being loaded. I got a little too close for this picture.

I don't remember anything about this small layout, but I think is was associated with the HO-scale logging dioramas. It appears to be N-scale and features a number of scratchbuilt items including a tower skidder that may have been made by Lyle Noah.

Back on the Longview, Kelso & Rainier Model Railroad Club's HO-scale layout, my dad’s Southern Pacific Black Widow GP9s pull his Southern Pacific Piggyback TOFC train on the main line alongside a steam-powered freight on the branch line.

Here is another picture of the Southern Pacific TOFC train on the Longview, Kelso & Rainier Model Railroad Club's HO-scale layout. I didn’t get the timing quite right. The train was probably moving pretty fast, too.

Here is another attempt at a picture of the Southern Pacific TOFC train on the Longview, Kelso & Rainier Model Railroad Club's HO-scale layout. It is difficult to get good pictures of moving model trains. The Union Pacific steam locomotive on the branch line came out better.

Al Belanger’s Shay steam locomotive is charge of my dad’s “People Express” excursion train of tourists on the logging line while a steam locomotive pulls a heavyweight passenger train past on the main line on the Longview, Kelso & Rainier Model Railroad Club's HO-scale layout.

My dad’s pair of Great Northern GP9s in the simplified Omaha orange & Pullman green paint scheme pull a freight train past the sawmill on the branch line on the Longview, Kelso & Rainier Model Railroad Club's HO-scale layout.

Here is a steam locomotive pulling the heavyweight passenger cars on the main line while a freight train runs on the branch line on the Longview, Kelso & Rainier Model Railroad Club's HO-scale layout.

Here is a look at the town on the Longview, Kelso & Rainier Model Railroad Club's HO-scale layout with the new industrial park section in place. The Great Northern freight train is visible on the branch line in the background.