Mount Hood Model Engineers in March 2008: Part 1

I originally posted these pictures on my old website on March 11, 2008.

(NOTE: This website is NOT affiliated with the club; visit http://www.mthoodmodelengineers.org/ for current info)

The Mount Hood Model Engineers railroad club is located at SE 55th & Belmont in Portland, Oregon. The club's HO-scale layout is freelanced, but has a Pacific Northwest theme, based around the fictional Mount Hood Railroad (which is distinctly different from the real-life Mount Hood Railroad in Hood River, Oregon). The layout is set in a 1950s-1960s era, and the equipment on the layout generally fits this era.

March 8, 2008

Saturday, March 8, 2008 was the club's annual "Run Your Train Day," on which members of the public were invited to bring their own HO-Scale model trains to have them inspected by club members and then get to run them on the layout. The club members were also running their own equipment.

At one end of the layout a yard is under construction. In contrast to the rest of the layout, the scenery here is in its earliest stages, but a number of examples of Mount Hood Railroad equipment and equipment for members' private roads was on display.

Mount Hood Railroad Alco S3 switcher #12 rests in the yard.

Mount Hood Railroad caboose X112 appears to be based on a steel cupola caboose of the Atchison Topeka & Santa Fe Railway, only with a side door added and fewer windows.

Here is another view of Mount Hood Railroad caboose X112.

Oregon Central Baldwin S12 #19 represents one of the members' private railroads.

Wishram, Oregon & Western Alco #439 is another representative of a member's private railroad.

A number of locomotives were grouped together at the end of the yard, in what appears to be a future engine terminal, including Mount Hood F7A & F7B #106 & #106B & H24-66 Trainmaster #862, Great Northern GP20 #2012, & General Motors Electro-Motive Division GP20 demonstrator #300.

Here is a closer look at Mount Hood Railroad H24-66 Trainmaster #862.

Here is a closer look at Mount Hood Railroad F7A & F7B #106 & #106B.

Three Mount Hood Railroad cabooses are at rest in the yard.

Also in the yard is the Mount Hood Railroad's streamlined passenger train, the Pioneer, powered by an A-B-B set of EMD F7s led by #310A.

Here is another view showing the full length of the streamlined Pioneer.

Rivestown

After leaving the yard, the first major location is this wye, which gives the option of proceeding straight, to the town of Rivestown and a reverse loop, or taking the diverging route to the tunnel and the rest of the layout.

The Mount Hood Railroad's streamlined Pioneer, powered by an A-B-B set of F7s led by #310A, is shown taking the diverging route.

Here is a view of the town of Rivestown, which consists of a small yard and engine terminal and several industries.

Here is another view of Rivestown from the opposite direction.

Mount Hood Railroad caboose #120, a Santa Fe-style steel cupola caboose, and another older wood drover-style Mount Hood Railroad caboose sitting next to the single-stall brick enginehouse in Rivestown.

Mount Hood Railroad EMD SW1500 #50 rests outside the enginehouse in Rivestown.

Mount Hood Railroad GP7s #248 & 240 near the depot in Rivestown with a freight train. Both lack dynamic brakes, and #240 features an extended fuel tank and roof-mounted "torpedo tube" air tanks.

Here is another view of Mount Hood Railroad GP7s #248 & #240 in Rivestown.

Later, Mount Hood GP7 #240 is in Rivestown with a mixed train including express boxcars, passenger cars, and piggyback flat cars.

Here is a closer look at Mount Hood Railroad GP7 #240.

The mixed train included two streamlined baggage cars in different Mount Hood Railroad paint schemes.

The mixed train also included two 40-foot box cars in different Mount Hood Railroad paint schemes.

Finally, the mixed train included two 50-foot flat cars carrying 25-foot trailers. The flat cars and the trailers displayed two different Mount Hood Railroad paint schemes.

A train that takes the diverging route around the wye can proceed on to the rest of the layout. The first major point it would pass is Muletail Falls, which is shown here.

Milwaukee Jct.

Milwaukee Road SD9 #2315 is on the point of a short freight train at Milwaukee Jct., on the interchange track that connects the Milwaukee Road line to the Mount Hood Railroad line.

At Milwaukee Jct., the Mount Hood Railroad crosses over the Milwaukee Road's electrified main line. Milwaukee Road SD9 #2329 at Milwaukee Jct. has emerged from a tunnel with a freight train. Milwaukee Road caboose #01935 is on the end of the train on the interchange track.

Here is an aerial view of Milwaukee Jct., showing both Milwaukee Road trains and the crossing of the Milwaukee Road's electrified double-track main line and the Mount Hood Railroad's single-track main line.

Shaniko

Just outside of Shaniko is a logging line that is still under construction, but there were a few examples of logging equipment on the line, including a pair of disconnect log cars, an unusual boxcar and a Mount Hood Railroad logging caboose.

Mount Hood Railroad F7A #130A and an F7B in an earlier paint scheme are in the siding at Shaniko with a freight train.

Here is another view of Mount Hood Railroad F7A #130A in the siding at Shaniko with a freight train.

Here are some views of the town of Shaniko, which includes several industries, including the Mount Hood Packing Company and Mickelson Alcohal Plant #2. Northern Pacific Railway SW1200 #135 is parked in the industrial area.

Here is a closer look at the Mount Hood Packing Company in Shaniko.

Here is a closer look at Mickelson Alcohal Plant #2 in Shaniko.

Continue to Part 2…