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HO Scale Blackwolf Mountain |
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So the Blackwolf Mountain is my Freelanced Railroad. A Class 3 that shares a partnership with Class I Giant, Union Pacific. Through shared track lines and cargo exchanges, the Blackwolf Mountain manages to survive and keep their older locomotives maintained.
This layout all started when I bought a Boston & Maine F7A Athearn Blue Box model that was custom painted to resemble Boston & Maine F2A 4226 with it's unique paint scheme. From there the Blackwolf Mountain was born. Since then I've added a custom modded F2B (Reshopped as an F10B), A GP40-3X (Custom Reshop from a GP40-2), a Slug Unit, etc. But today after scoring an auction a new breed is to be brought around.
"After Union Pacific began the purge of their Dash-8 CW40's, most of which had leases expiring, one unit was delivered to the Blackwolf Mountain as BWM 717. The Blackwolf Mountain reshopped the unit, brought it's prime mover up to EPA Tier 0+ emissions (just like their F10's and GP40-3X), and cosmetically reshopped it to resemble a Dash-9 CW44. Because of it's pulling capabilities, only this unit will be needed, until the Railroad grows even larger. No longer was the GP38-2 Union Pacific Loaner needed, and so the exchange was made at the main interchange tracks in (fictional) Pine Ridge, Wyoming."
The auction was for an unpainted brass Dash-8 CW40 from Overland Models. My idea to rehab the unit into a CW44 will stay in place. A Tsunami Soundtraxx Decoder to control lighting functions and sound will be added. I will also paint it the same as the GP40, In the old Boston & Maine Bluebird scheme (White/Black front/roof with blue sides, McGuiness Logo on the side of the body with the Number and "Blackwolf Mountain" under the cab). The auction came bundled with a second brass car that plays into my Freelanced theme.
A CB&Q Brass Business Car #1 Burlington. Now I already have Kato's business car painted up in BN Executive colors (Not on the business train) and numbered for Mississippi. So this unit will become Blackwolf Mountain Business Car #1 Canis Lupus (The scientific name for Wolf. Go Figure.)
"Passenger cars come and go and as they age they either go into MOW Service or end up in the scrappers bin. When a former Budd Business Car was about to be scrapped from LMX Leasing Corp, The Blackwolf Mountain Pounced, literally, on it. The aging car was brought home to the Blackwolf Mountain Car Shops in Pine Ridge, Wyoming and began it's transformation. Refitted with onboard HEP and Track sensors, the Heads of the Blackwolf Mountain are now able to more efficiently inspect the line. The car has been pulled behind 4226 and 311 respectively and will continue to be pulled by newly purchased/rehabbed CW40 717. Numbed as #1 on the roster, it was named Canis Lupus or "Black Wolf". It is the pride of the railroad. Finally something new, well rehabbed into new, instead of the usual second hand equipment."
This coach will be painted to match 4226's booster unit, 4227. Black Roof and partial body stripe and underframe with the Boston & Maine Bluebird Blue side body. A Wolfhead Drumhead (Custom designed by me with a howling wolf head and blue moon, no text) will be added to the rear along with a DCC Lighting board, rear tail marker lamps and a Ring Engineering Flashing Rear End Device. Preiser business figures will be added to the observation deck. I am also adding modern antenna and GPS Dome details as per some of Union Pacific's equipment. I also have added lighted Track Lights (pointed towards the track) and Reverse headlights. MU Cable ports and brake hoses and Kadee Couplers compliment the unit. The Interior will be based on BN/BNSF Mississippi River. It's my Blackwolf Mountain tribute to the Burlington Northern. I've also added speed recorder cables as per Santa Fe's business cars. The plan is to run the car behind the C40 locomotive.
So what happens to the GP40-3 and her Slug? MOW Wrecker Train. For now. I plan to run them on their own freight train in the future bringing the roster to 3 major trains. I still need some switchers and the plan is to aquire 2 Genset switchers. One for the yard and one to work the MOW Train. I also need a baggage car for carrying spare and repair parts for the Business Car, but that is still up in the air at the moment. Most hardcore rivet counters don't like my freelance. I love it. My units aren't "Prototypical" because they represent what class 1, 2 and 3 railroads to to maintain by using whatever parts they have on hand. So wait, in reality, my units are a partial "prototype" in that I'm following RL railroad practice.
Blackwolf Mountain is my layout, my railroad, my creation. And it will always be.
-~Shadows Fall. Darkness Consumes All. This Is My Twisted Illusion~-    Kaori Syen · Thu Sep 01, 2011 @ 09:43pm · 0 Comments |
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