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.