I am pretty excited about today's equipment delivery.  This includes my first InterMountain locomotive. LokSound equipped IC GP10 8394 is now a member of the Meridian Speedway fleet!  Overall a great looking locomotive though I would prefer that the number board numbers be less transparent.  There will be many more GP10's added to the Meridian Speedway stable in the future!

I found a couple of images of the prototype IC 8394 on-line.  The most recent image captures the IC 8394 as  the second unit on an Illinois Central coal train.  Is photographed is creddited to Tom Golden and can be found in the Sam Beck collection on rrpicturearchives.net.

The next image was take by Ralph Hawkins at a place I visited often in my childhood--Covington, Louisiana!  In this January 1985 view we see the same locomotive wearing orange-and-white dress as ICG 8394.  What a great photograph!

Today's shipment also included a couple of freight cars.  I got Broadway-Limited cryogenic tank car UTLX 80074 decorated for Liquid Air Corp.

Athearn RTR 50' FMC 5347 Box Car SRN 5281 completes this new equipment delivery.  The Sabine River and Northern ranks among my top-ten favorite shortline railroads.  I recall seeing the distinctive red box cars quite a bit in the 1980's and 1990's.  

Chris

I have a few Canadian grain hoppers over the years.  Canadian Pacific grain trains made their way to export terminals via the Illinois Central with some regularity in the 1990's.  CP grain trains have always had a place in my Meridian Speedway playbook, though until now I have not purchased any power for these trains.

The latest offering from Bowser I found to be irresistible!  Nothing says Canadian quite like a "Red Barn" SD40-2F!  I ordered their version of CP 9017 factory-equipped with LokSound.  This is a beautiful locomotive!  Now I will have to order a couple of regular CP SD40-2s from Bowser to complete the consist....

Chris

It has been a long time coming.  The ex-Santa Fe GP7Us acquired to become Y&MV 200 and Y&MV 201 have recently been primed and painted white on the cabs and frames.  Today I masked the white parts and painted them black.  Y&MV 200 and 201 are closer to completion.

Chris

Here are some video clips from a trip made in 1994 to an AL&M passenger train excursion.  The train ride would be a round trip between Crossett, AR and Monroe, LA on Georgia Pacific;s newly acquired Arkansas Louisiana and Mississippi.

First is a quick video clip taken of a five-unit locomotive consist laying over at the KCS Vicksburg Yard on September 30, 1994 - KCS GP40 4759, KCS GP40 4763, KCS GP40 4781, KCS GP40 4760, and MSRC GP10 1043 idle away - Video by C.M.Palmieri.

Next we catch KCS Train No. 30 as it hustles through Mound, LA - KCS GP40-2 4799, KCS GP40 4749, HATX GP38-2 202, and KCS GP38-2 4014 lead 117 cars - Video by Patricia Palmieri - 9-30-1994.

On Saturday October 1, 1994 Russell Tedder and the AL&M railroad hosted a passenger special powered by two spotless green-and-white GP28 locomotives. This was a round trip from Crossett, AR to Monroe, LA and back. Three freight cars were picked up at Bastrop, LA on the return trip making it a mixed train at the end of the day! There were several photo run-bys and cab ride opportunities. Video by Patricia Palmieri and Christopher Palmieri.

On Sunday October 2, 1994 the KCS (Former MidSouth Rail) Freight Yard in Vicksburg, MS was a busy place! There were 19 locomotives on the property with hostlers and yard jobs keeping busy! Video by Patricia Palmieri.

KCS train No. 29 climbs out of Vicksburg, MS - KCS GP40 4755, KCS GP40 4770, KCS GP40-2 4798, KCS GP40 4753, and MSRC GP10 1048 blast out of the tunnel and into the famous Kudzu-lined cut with 137 cars on Sunday, October 2, 1994 - Video by Patricia Palmieri.

The final video of the trip was during a stop on the way home to catch southbound Illinois Central Memphis, TN to Baton Rouge, LA train MEBR as it rolls through McComb, MS with IC SD40-2 6129, IC SD40-2 6148, and 64 cars - 10-02-1994 - Video by Patricia Palmieri.

Chris