The A.P.R.R. Celebrates An Anniversary!

Greetings followers of the Atlantic Pacific Railroad! This weekend is the 5 year Anniversary of the A.P.R.R. in its present form - a new layout and new controls!

I can't believe it's been only 5 years since the A.P.R.R. went live with a new layout and converted from DC to DCC. Some of you may remember pics of when I started to build the first layout in this room. This is from layout #1 back in 2007.  

First image is the south wall...

North wall which was the yard area...

The section on the left was the area for a tremendous stub passenger terminal...

A view of the old passenger station. This section was 15 feet long and 4 feet wide...

The layout ran fine, but I designed it for running trains with some sidings. Operations and DCC were not a thought. 

Fast forward to 2012 and I was introduced to some guys from the local hobby shop. I was taken to a friends house, where I saw not only DCC, but a helix in operation. That summer, I flew to Atlanta to not only see the National Train Show, but to meet two fellow model railroaders, one being Sir John and another guy from South Carolina. All of us had met online from a site called Trainlife. Sir John and I had met earlier in the year at one of NYC's Irish Bars in midtown Manhattan.  I had shown them some track plans that night and the three of us had a great time. In 2013, I started construction on the new and improved layout, which is a 2 track, 2 level layout with a 2 track helix, lower level staging, fully operational engine terminal with a turntable, and most important, a fun railroad to run!

In October 2014, the A.P.R.R. held its first end of the month operating session, which was very interesting to all of the guys. No one had seen so much trackwork in a small area, yet when they started to run trains and switch industries, a railroad was born!

This was the Cargill area, without the cork painted. 

Rock Ridge Yard, again without the cork being painted...

Look familiar? This is the Reynolds Intermodal Container Terminal...! 

This was the first panel I had made that controlled both West Harold and Little Jamaica. This lasted less than a year as it was so busy to look at and operate, that it confused me, and I designed it!!

This is the new panel after cutting it in half and making it smaller. and easier to operate. An additional feature that was added to the railroad were signals for both interlocking areas...

West Harold Interlocking Control Panel

Little Jamaica Interlocking Control Panel 

A railroad wouldn't be complete with an engine in its maiden launch, right? APRR #300 - A GP38-2 diesel...

And the first APRR Caboose - #50

A railroad needs its own freight cars as well. Sir John, a man of many talents, offered to open up his N.Y.C.T.L. Patti-O Paint Shop and he painted the first set of APRR box cars... The first car out of the shop, #60358 was sent to some of the first followers of my railroad. 

Sir John was challenged again by A.P.R.R. management and painted more freight cars for me. Hopper cars were done in both A.P.R.R. and his Empire Belt Railroad.

You can never have enough box cars!! 

And his latest masterpiece of work, the 57' Mechanical Reefers for our railroads....

While 5 years may not seem to be so special to most people, it is for me. My trains run well, I host operating sessions 6-8 times a year, which includes the Sunday monthly operating session, a Wednesday mid-month bring your trains to run session, and on occasion, a weeknight operating session. 

That being said....

HAPPY 5 YEAR ANNIVERSARY TO THE ATLANTIC PACIFIC RAILROAD!