Our Grand Canyon Limited is made up with twelve cars with two head end cars, RPO, baggage, coaches, and three Pullman sleepers. All the cars now have lights that are powered with two battery packs and controlled with hidden toggle switches. Wires run through the car vestibules with gold connectors at that point. |
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The RPO car has two "AA" rechargeable batteries for lighting up 6 cars. Tin plate wire holders keep the bulbs high in the roof area so the light comes from above in each car. Notice how I can remove the car body without disturbing any part of the electrical circuit. A second tiny toggle switch has since been installed through the car floor for controlling the power. The "Grand Canyon Limited" is considered a favorite train as it serves every kind and rail passenger from coach to first class. It stops at all the stations and also drops off food at the Harvey Houses as you see by the "Reefer Car". Barely visible at left is the "Laundry Car" that picks up clean and dirty uniforms and linen for the hotels from Chicago to Los Angels. |
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The well known Santa Fe steam engine #3751 is just the right unit for powering the Grand Canyon Limited as it has all the on board bells and whistles. Running a 10 car passenger train was never possible until I built this new layout with 36 " minimum curves. The passing track centers on curves need to be 21/2" to avoid side swipes with other trains. |
| I remember the days when the old layouts with tight 24" radius curves and short passing sidings with #6 switches limited my passenger trains to three cars. Now with 36" minimum radius curves, 12' passing sidings and #8 switches, I can run a full length train such as the Grand Canyon Limited. The Drum Head says "Grand Canyon Limited" and the LED marker lights are being worked on yet.The last two cars have their own battery pack so they can be switched out at a station junction. The Santa Fe did this with first class cars going to Phoenix from Ash Fork and Williams to the Grand Canyon. There would be people in those cars, so they would be powered up while waiting for connections. |