Donner Pass Wishlist

[MadMike1024]

PapaExpress is going to do up a proper breaker bar for this, but here's the base all ready to go.

Here's 4840 for realz... the snow covers for the air filters are interesting.

[USRailFan]

SD70Mac: SP never had Macs, they had 25 SD70Ms; yes, please

Were these really very much used over Donner tho? It seems to me that the SD70Ms (including the leasers) were mostly used on LA - Portland freight (i.e over Cajon, Tehachapi, Cascades), while Dash 9s were mostly used on LA - NO/Chicago and Donner was the domain of the AC4400CWs?

[Chessie8638]

That's correct. SP liked to keep certain locomotives on certain routes (this always didn't work out). The SD70M's were mostly kept on Portland / Roseville route across the cascades. As well as Cajon &Tehachapi. Older GE's on the Sunset Route. The AC4400CW's used on coal trains out of and on the and former DRGW tracks in Colorado. Meanwhile Donner was still home to ratty grimy Tunnel Motors, SD40's, SD45's and Geeps.

[MadMike1024]

A Russell plow from Britkits, painted in SP colors. Still trying to get the headlight working properly, but mostly it's ready

There's some debate as to whether or not SP had Russells, but D&RGW did for sure and SP should have inherited them when they merged. There's also a video out there of a set of SP locos pushing what really looks like a Russell plow.

[gleno747]

I got the headlight on that to work, it's not in exactly the right spot but I can move it.

[MontanaRails]

Certainly not interested in 'starting something' but I stumbled across this - take a look (just for the heck of it) at some of Diesels West's SP equipment:

http://www.dieselswest.com/SPpack2release.htm

[dejoh]

Very sharp artwork, thanks for showing it. Always liked their products.
Wish all this was RW compatible without having a headache converting it

[PapaXpress]

Certainly not interested in 'starting something' but I stumbled across this - take a look (just for the heck of it) at some of Diesels West's SP equipment:

http://www.dieselswest.com/SPpack2release.htm

I've seen that site, and its been my goal to get as many SP repaints done to match it (yea I am laughing at myself as well). Now that Donner is coming out, I am sure we are going to see a increase in the number of repaints. Hang in there.

[MadMike1024]

I got the headlight on that to work, it's not in exactly the right spot but I can move it.

If you would, please share! I got the location right, just can't get it to light.

[MadMike1024]

I found this;

Code: Select all

<ControlValues>
         <cControlContainerBlueprint-cControlValue d:id="90078136">
               <ControlName d:type="cDeltaString">Active</ControlName>
               <DefaultValue d:type="sFloat32" d:alt_encoding="0000000000000000" d:precision="string">0</DefaultValue>
               <MinimumValue d:type="sFloat32" d:alt_encoding="0000000000000000" d:precision="string">0</MinimumValue>
               <MaximumValue d:type="sFloat32" d:alt_encoding="000000000000F03F" d:precision="string">1</MaximumValue>
               <BriefDescription d:type="cDeltaString">Controller for Vehicle Messages</BriefDescription>
               <DetailedDescription d:type="cDeltaString">Controller for Vehicle Messages</DetailedDescription>
               <ApplyToConsist d:type="cDeltaString">eTrue</ApplyToConsist>
                    <InterfaceElements/>
         </cControlContainerBlueprint-cControlValue>
</ControlValues>

It's the new 2012 control pass scheme. If you add this to the control section in the .bin file, it will transfer the driven locomotive commands to any wagon, allowing the full range of lights to be used.

The Russell plow now has a functional headlight that turns on and off with the regular controls.

[PapaXpress]

Would I need to add this to the engine, or the wagon (or both)?

[MadMike1024]

Would I need to add this to the engine, or the wagon (or both)?

All the locos, new or old should already have this. The only wagons that would need this would be ones that you want to add directional lighting to. An example; rear red lights on a passenger observation.

[PapaXpress]

Strange. I don't see this in the BLLW caboose, but the red point light is working. It turns on when the engine lights turn on.

[William_Putnam]

What would I wish for?

There is one steam engine that was designed specifically to cope with the long snow sheds in Donner Pass, the mighty Cab-forward 2-8-8-4 articulates that worked that route. Having the engineer and firemen ahead of the smoke stack prevented asphysiation in the snow sheds.

There was a charistic on these locos I have not seen on any other steam locomotive; the steam injectors/compressors exhausted directly into the air, giving a high pitched "chew chew" sound that could be heard for miles1

Being a raw recruit in the US Navy in 1947 traveling home for Christmas, I watched one couple-up onto the front of my passenger train to help pull it over the pass...a magnificant thing to see!

That needs to be included in the Donner Pass route1

[dcushing]

The last cab-forward run was around 1955. This route is set in 1994. I don't remember seeing any stream of any kind then.

Duncan