Pere Marquette Passenger Train Almost Complete

As of today I have all of the cars for the completed passenger train with the exception of a 52 seat Coach Car and a 10-6 Sleeper Car and 2 EMD E7A  Locomotives. I had to loose a lot of weight in order to put this train together. I still need to loose 10 lbs to complete the task.

52 Seat Coach

Standard 10-6 Sleeper Car

EMD E7A Locomotives nos 103 and 105

This will compete the set

The Train will consist of 2 EMD E7A Locomotives followed by an RPO Baggage Car, then 2 Standard Baggage Cars, 3 52 Seat Coach Cars, then a Diner Coach Car, and a Lunch Counter/Lounge Car, then finally 3 10-6 Sleeper cars.

New Areas I'm Developing on the Layout

There are two areas I am currently working on for the train table:

1. The Prison Area
2. The Tennis Court

The Prison Area is currently a fenced in exercise yard, a parking lot and a water tower.

The parking lot does not show up in the photo as yet but I have a lot of detail work to do yet. I need to find guards and possibly some more prisoners for the yard and a bus for the parking lot.

The Tennis Court currently shows the court itself with players playing a game of doubles. a ball boy is kneeling down by the sidelines while the judge sits on his tower seat calling the play. There are two park benches for the players to sit between sets. I plan to add bleachers with spectators to watch the action.

If there is anyone out there who has any ideas please feel free to leave a comment and share your ideas with me.

Tuscola and Saginaw Bay Locomotive

I was able to locate a Tuscola and Saginaw Bay locomotive from a member of a yahoo group on the Ann Arbor railroad. We struck a deal and I should be receiving it in a week or so. It is number 389 called the City of Traverse City. I am excited. The Locomotive belonged to the Ann Arbor railroad and was sold to the Tuscola and Saginaw Bay railway. The Locomotive then became property of the Great Lakes Central Railroad.

here is a photo of the real locomotive#389

What it looked like before when Ann Arbor owned it

What it looks like now that Great Lakes Central owns it

The Tuscola and Saginaw Bay Railway operated the northern section of the former Ann Arbor railroad trackage north of the city of Ann Arbor. It was purchased and renamed Great Lakes Central railroad

Weight Loss Spurt gives me the Lunch Counter / Lounge

I guess I just lost another 5 lbs so the lunch counter lounge car is now part of my passenger train. Little by little I am getting the train together.

One more and then I start filling in the extra cars. Like the 2 coach cars and the 2 extra sleeper cars.

The Dining Car is Mine Now

Well another 5 lbs down and I was able to add the dining car to my Pere Marquette passenger train. My next goal is the lunch counter lounge car. once I get it there will only be one more car to complete the set and that is the 10-6 sleeper car. After that I will be filling in with 2 more 52 seat coach cars and 2 more 10-6 sleepers.

10-6 sleeper car

Lunch counter / lounge car