The BNSF Layout For My Grandkids

Two of my Grand children are coming over while their mother runs a few errands. I have their BNSF freight train all set up for them to play with. Billy picked out a new building that I've added to the layout, and I've added a better transformer to the track to make the train run smoother.

I Am Fondly Remembering A Visit From The Grand Kids

The Grand Kids came over the other day and I had their HO train set up for them to play with. I was in heaven watching them. I will never forget how Emma would say Moose when she ment Caboose. and how Billy would love to play with the speed controls of the BNSF freight train to make it stop and go. Jackson Just loved running around the kitchen island following the train and pointing at it as he was chasing it. Mackenzie sat there following the train with her eyes which stayed intently fixed on the locomotive as it went around the track. Getting them the train was one of the better things I've done. I am so glad I am sharing my hobby with them.

New Car For The Grand Kids Layout

I broke down the other day and bought a Bachmann 4 bay centerflow hopper on E bay for the grand kids BNSF (Burlington Northern Santa Fe) freight train It should be arriving soon in the mail. It is a Canadian Pacific centerflow covered hopper and the only covered hopper in the consists of this train.

The Grand Kids Railway

The grand kids are coming over today so I set up their train in the kitchen. The BNSF (Burlington Northern Santa Fe) freight train is running just fine. I hope they have some fun playing with it.

The grand kids simply love the train

The Grand Kids BNSF Railway

I tried to put the grand kids BNSF Railway layout under the family Hanukkah Bush. It looked great but took up to much space. and diden't leave enough room for the gifts. I have upgraded the track from metal alloy to nickle silver Bachmann EZtrack. The layout consists of a small oval with 3 rerailer sections on the straight aways. I think I am going to need to replace the coupler on the locomotive as it uncouples at random if the train is not on a completely smooth surface. Considering the size of the layout I believe it is large enough for the kids to enjoy without needing to grow it in size.

The above map is the Burlington Northern Santa Fe Railway or BNSF Railway system map. As you can see it is a combination of the old Burlington Northern and the old Santa Fe Railroads. My layout is, as you can tell a lot smaller.

My Inventory Is Growing

I have been using the program called "Yard Office" to log my inventory of Locomotives and rolling stock that I have collected to support my hobby of model railroading. I have managed to log in all the stock into this program which allows me to print off a wide variety of reports. I can also create custom reports. so my every need is met with information on my stock at my fingertips. I have concentrated primarily on HO scale and supplemented my inventory with G scale to occupy my summers. There is a large G scale track out in my backyard.

Lately however, I have become interested in N scale. I began by creating a coffee table layout featuring an Ann Arbor freight train. The layout is progressing along and will provide me with a lot more hours of enjoyment as I complete the landscaping.

I have planned a new much larger N scale layout that is still in the planning stages. My plan is to have two tracks powered by separate transformers allowing each track to run a train independently. The first track I have already decided will be a Canadian National freight train I have already began to accumulate the rolling stock and the track to support this effort.

The second track I have not yet began to plan out so far I was thinking a passenger train would be nice.
I began pricing the passenger cars in N scale and discovered the cost is a bit prohibitive. so I am still wide open as to what the second track would run.

Lastly I began putting together an HO layout for my grand kids. Its a BNSF freight train. So far I have been working on creating a model of their house and barn.