My Tuscola and Saginaw Bay And My Great Lakes Central Layouts Are Complete

This year I concentrated on completing my Tuscola and Saginaw Bay, and Great Lakes Central Layouts. I was able to accomplish this. I haven't been able to run them to often as I have been involved in other pursuits.

Sold my Pere Marquette Locomotive #103

I sold my Pere Marquette EMD E7A locomotive road number 103 so that I could buy some books. I hated to let it go but I needed the books.

Completing My Central Michigan Railroad Layout

I still have a few things I need to get in order to complete the Central Michigan Railroad layout. I am going to have to purchase track, specifically three cards of 15 inch radius nichol silver EZtrack. about 5 cards of 9 inch streight track, and a transformer to power the train.

Picked Up My Central Michigan GP40-2(W) #9712

Now all I need is the track, transformer, and rolling stock and I'll be all set

Re-repairing My GLC Locomotive #391

After getting back my Great Lakes Central locomotive from repair at Brasseurs Electric Trains in Saginaw Michigan and discovering that it had not been repaired. I sent it back to have the job done right. The motor runs but the locomotive does not move. I also placed my N scale Ann Arbor and Canadian Pacific GP35's in for repair. Most likely the motors will need to be replaced in them.

Almost Ready To Start My Central Michigan Railroad Loop

I am $44 and change away from getting my Central Michigan Railroad locomotive out of layaway at Brasseur Electric Trains in Saginaw Michigan. I already have a boxcar from the Lake State Railway. and 2 tank cars that I will be using.

For now I will be using some of my old rolling stock to suplement what I need to run with the locomotive. I also still need to buy track I will be using Nichol Silver Bachmann EZTrack and 12 pieces of 15 inch radius curved track and 16 pieces of 9 inch streight track.

New Tank Cars For My Layouts

Union Pacific

Amoco Oil Company

Gulf Oil Company

My 2 Great Lakes Central Locomotives

Once #391 is repaired I will have 2 GP35's pulling my Great Lakes Central freight train.

Great Lakes Central #391

I just picked up my Great Lakes Central locomotive #391 from Brasseurs Electric Trains in Saginaw Michigan where it was being repaired it wasn't repaired now I need to take it back and have them do it again. I at least had the opportunity to redo the decals.

The Prototype for the Box Car I Just Got

I got this picture from the Lake State Railway Company photographic roster the road number is LSRC #10017 not 10028 as on the model it's the only box car with that paint scheme on their roster.

A New Box Car For My Central Michigan Railway Freight Train

I'm getting delivery of a Lake State Railway box car today that I will be using on my Central Michigan Railway layout. The Lake State Railway tracks are nearby the tracks used by the Central Michigan Railway, so it would make sense that the Central Michigan Railway freight train would be hauling Lake State Railway rolling stock. The box car road markings are LSRC 10028.

This is the locomotive I will be using to pull the Central Michigan Railway freight train.

The Great Lakes Central Loop Update

I have now replaced the Bachmann steel EZTRACK with nichol silver EZTRACK and added some straight pieces of track so the track for the loop is complete. I have also added rolling stock, 4 covered hoppers, giving me a good start on completing the freight train.

Great Lakes Central Hoppers I Am Creating Today

Today I am getting 4 undecorated Acurail covered hoppers from Walthers. I have already created the decals to decorate them into the above pictured hoppers road numbers 4105, 4110, 4127, and 4131. Once I have completed them I will post them here for comparison. The jury is still out as to whether I will paint them green. I most likely will.

I decided not to paint them green.

Central Michigan Railway Locomotive #9712

I have my eye on a locomotive from Barsseurs Electric Trains in Saginaw Michigan that runs $159.95. it's a Central Michigan Railway GP40 road number #9712. I am hoping to get it for my birthday. for $75.00 down I can put it on lay-away.

Central Michigan Railway

There is a good chance I will be looking into modeling this railroad next.

Central Michigan Railway (1987-2003) the Successor is Huron and Eastern Railway runs on the former Grand Trunk Western mainline from Durand to Bay City, Michigan. Through the late 60's and early 70's Penn Central engines and cabooses where a common site in Bay City using the former Meredith Jtc. to then cross the river on the north east side of Saginaw (now owned by CSX), then proceed north. By the late 1980's railroad traffic on the GTW line was minimal and one of the two sets of tracks where removed through Bay City. The Straits Corporation then purchased the line from GTW and established the Central Michigan Railway.  The Straits Corporation purchased and sold the former Detroit & Mackinaw (now Lake State Railway) prior to it's ownership of the Central Michigan Railway. Today we find the line in constant use, servicing a wealth of customers throughout Mid-Michigan.

The Great Lakes Central Loop

Work has begun on the creation of a Great Lakes Central loop. I am temporarily using Bachmann Steel EZtrack until I can replace it with Nichol Silver EZtrack. I have one locomotive in running condition and another one in for repair at Brasseur Electric Trains in Saginaw Michigan. I might need to replace the transformer I am using. I am hoping to get 4 undocorated hoppers for fathers day that I can paint and decal with GLC markings. The rolling stock I am currently using I have borrowed from the Tuscola and Saginaw Bay layout.

My Tuscola and Saginaw Bay Layout

My layout displaying the Tuscola and Saginaw Bay Railway is complete. It is running on a 22 inch radius track using Bachmann EZTrack. I plan to run it along with the layout for the Great Lakes Central Railroad which is still in the development stage. The plan is to run it on 18 inch radius EZTrack. So far I have the Locomotives and some of the streight track. I still need to get the curved track and the rolling stock necessary to complete the freight train.

The Outcome of the Painting of the Great Lakes Central Locomotives

I know it's hard to see but one of the locomotives came out OK it's GLC #385. The other needs repair and decal touch up. At least the one that turned out OK is the one that works. GLC #391 is a work in progress.

Back To The Original Plan

I have decided to stick to my original plan of painting the Great Lakes Central locomotives to duplicate GLC #391 and GLC #385. The work is almost done, I just need to apply the decals once they come in. GLC #391 will need to go in for repairs at Brasseur Electric Trains in Saginaw Michigan as there is a loose wire that needs to be repaired. I had thought that I could duplicate GLC #393 but after careful consideration I thought that the painting would be to difficult.

Great Lakes Central New Paint Scheme

This is the new paint scheme for the Great Lakes Central Railroad