N Scale Southern Pacific Passenger Service at 3rd & Townsend
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- Опубліковано 7 жов 2024
- Southern Pacific’s 3rd & Townsend Station in San Francisco was a fantastic place to watch trains!
With a “Commute” schedule of more than 30 trains arriving and departing throughout the day, one could not become bored due to a lack of ‘action’.
In addition, SP’s famous name trains, the “Daylight” and the “Lark” made both morning and evening departures.
The station was constantly busy with switch engines sorting and rearranging trains from one track to another.
Road power was serviced and turned at the Mission Bay Roundhouse.
It must have kept the 4th St. Tower operators busy indeed!
Join with me for a day of great train watching as I - for the first, for me - narrate the comings and going’s of the action there in 1958.
Hope you enjoy it.
Personally for me John I never ever even realize you had no sound I just enjoy watching your trains on your layout so much I didn’t think about sound at all and my only focus was just how amazing your layout is thanks for all the videos John😁😁😁
Thank you, Sean.
I’m with you:
I just like watching.
While the new sound technology is so good - and I really like it - it really isn’t necessary… at least for me.
I just hope my ‘narration’ didn’t bore anyone!
Thanks once again for looking in - and I really appreciate the feedback!
Looking forward to seeing your progress.
You’ve been doing a great job! Keep it up!!
@@johnpetrovitz935 John thank you so much I really appreciate it I have to be honest with you this was your best video yet you did amazing job I look forward to seeing your next videos with your voice narrating👍😊
Great video. It was great to have background commentary regarding Trains and the train numbers. Keep up the great work.👍👍👍👍👍
Glad you enjoyed it. I do wonder, if at times, my ‘commentary’ isn’t ‘too much’.
So I’m very glad you enjoyed it. Thanks for looking in!
@@johnpetrovitz935 no it’s just right. Keep it up.
Hi from the U.K. What a layout. I spent some time back in 1980 and 81 photographing and riding the commuter runs during a couple of railfanning holidays. I’m getting some stock and locos together to run an N Scale SP 1950’s era shelf layout, so your layout has provided lots of inspiration.
That sounds great, Andrew! Can’t wait to see your layout! Indeed, there is something quite special about that era… (maybe ‘cause we came along about then? lol) Very glad you enjoyed visiting here. I would love to see your pictures!
Thanks so much for looking in. I am very much looking forward to seeing your layout!!
I absolutly love this! Thank you for the show! More-more 😂
Thanks, Mark. I’ll have to figure out another one.
Thanks again for looking in!
I must say that your layout is quite impressive! The scenery and structures represent San Francisco extremely well. I liked the fog represented on the backdrop. Very, very nice!
@@prowordsmith Thank you! Yes… we’ve got to have the fog, eh? I’m currently working on a new addition below. It’s the old branch line that used to run up to Colma and Daly City (what used to be the original main line into town before the “Bayshore Cutoff” [1906]). It runs at the foot of San Bruno mountain. I haven’t made up my mind about low fog below… perhaps I will!
Thanks for the kind words - and - for looking in!
Great video. It brought back some memories from my youth and later from my early work years. In the mid 1950’s my father drove a Yellow Cab in San Francisco for a couple of years. Later in the early 1970’s I commuted between San Carlos and San Francisco for my job as a computer programmer for The Pacific Telephone and Telegraph Company. BTW, your narration was spot on.
Thank you!
Trying to recreate some of these scenes on the layout in order to ‘preserve’ memories was the major goal of mine.
So glad you enjoyed it. That is always my greatest ‘satisfaction’.
Those were the days, eh?
Thanks for looking in and I’m so glad you enjoyed it.
Hi john you have an awesome layout even without sound. Please keep filming and posting
Thanks!
Will do. Working on some more ideas.
Definitely like the commentary! It was very interesting hearing about all the different trains. I would love to hear commentary on the freight trains that you run on your spectacular layout!
Thank you for your response, Jeff. I very much appreciate it. One can never know how folks may or may not like ‘the content’. (Sincerely not wishing to be - how can I say? - overly ‘humble’ (?) …
I only want to share some views of the layout - just so, by chance, others (who are ‘nuts’ as much as we are, eh?) might wish to take a look… if they’d like to.
When I finally tried to do some narration, I really had to ‘fight through’ the thought: “Nobody cares about your stupid stories”…
But then again, I also thought it might help ‘bind’ the presentation together a bit.
(The idea of running one commute after another from the same station seemed pretty dull to me.)
(However… I once saw a ‘time lapse’ that someone had taken down at San Jose. He simply put up a camera all day, and filmed a FM switcher pulling commute trains off their power and switching them to other tracks for their ‘turnarounds’.
It was great! … but I could see where others folks would have simply got dizzy watching it!)
As for the freights…
I will ‘spin it around’ in my head a bit and see if I can come up with something that might not be too boring!
Thanks again. I really do appreciate it.
Great video. The narration showed how vast your knowledge is.
I am very glad you enjoyed it. I certainly am no expert - but it has been fun trying to recreate those times!
Thank you for looking in!
Love your layout and another great video. Narration is great, but your silent video's are very relaxing to just watch the trains roll by.
Thank you. And I appreciate the feedback.
(Frankly, I like the ‘silent films’ better)
Trying to put together another one…
Still ‘debating’ on ‘narration’
Thanks again for looking in and thank you for the kind words!
AWESOME!!! Keep up the good work.
Thank you! I’ll try to!
This is the first of your videos that I've seen so I can't comment on the "silent movies". I certainly enjoyed this one, a very interesting style. Maybe something to do with your photography, I kept forgetting this was N scale - it looks bigger.
You have a fine layout there. For a city location, it doesn't seem cramped or forced and it all seems to work beautifully. I was surprised, shocked even, to see how few subscribers you have. I've added myself to the total and hope to see the channel grow as I check out the silent videos. 👍👌😁
Cheers for now from sunny Scotland,
Dougie.
Thank you!
Yes… there are quite a few ‘silents’…
With exception of the first I did. (I didn’t mute the noise - and all you hear is a tic-toc of a noisy wall clock!! Quite annoying!)
Hope you enjoy the silent films!
Thanks so much for looking in!
Sounds great, looks great!
Thank you! Appreciate it!
Remarkable narration John!!! I thoroughly enjoyed how you called each train as they arrived and departed. The gaps of narration in between each one was perfect.
Thank you, Joe.
To be frank… I really didn’t know how my narration would ‘go over’.
I was worried that calling out a bunch of train numbers would be horrible and boring…
But… I also thought it might help ‘bind’ the story together. As for the gaps in narration… I think luck had a lot to do with it!
Thank you very much for the comments.
More than that, I’m very glad you enjoyed it!
Very impressive layout and very informative video. Thanks for sharing. TMRCI.
Glad you enjoyed it. Thanks for looking in!
Love the new “talkie”. The narration adds another element to your great videos. Keep up the good work. New subscriber. I grew up in Marin county in the sixties. Love the city.
Thank you!
Not sure yet if ‘talkies’ are my thing or not….
But I’m quite glad you enjoyed it!
I am conjuring some ideas for another…
Not sure about a narrative though.
(Have to keep all of you North Bay folks interested… especially with the NWP ‘at my disposal’!)
Thanks so much for looking in! And thank you for your kind remarks. Appreciate it!
:-) ...you've been doing something right so far! I've always loved your presentation of exceptional modeling (you may be modest, but yes, it is exceptional), interesting operations, and magnificent videography!
Thank you very much, Tristan. I really appreciate your very kind comments.
The main thing is: you wonderful folks who are ‘tuning in’ are actually enjoying it.
That’s what counts!
Thank you again. I’m most [embarrassedly] flattered. You’re much too kind! Thank you.
Well done, very nice video.
Thank you, Travis and Jody.
Glad you enjoyed it.
Tickets are still available for a trip down the coast!!
As they say… “Next time, try the train!”
Appreciate you folks looking in! Thanks!
Hi John Yes to one modelrailroader to another collecting for years in d.c. anfand thinking of going dcc can be very very costly!!! If the layout works in D.C. with little flaws leave things as is. That's my motto. Enjoyed coming across your site.
Indeed a two-fold problem, Warren!
One is cost…
The other is being able to see anymore!!!
Thanks for looking in!
Gorgeous layout! Love the history lesson through your narration.
Thank you very much. So glad you enjoyed it. I wasn’t too sure I was talking too much… but I’m very glad you enjoyed it.
And thanks so much for looking in! I appreciate your kind comment!
@@johnpetrovitz935 it was perfect!
@@LJ-qj5pu Thank you! Too kind.
“Perfect” can be “interpretive” I imagine. As much as I do try hard to ‘put a picture together’ perfectly (or as best I can), I just hope the viewer enjoys it “ perfectly”!
Again, I thank you for your kind comment. Perhaps you’d be interested in my other posted videos. (Certainly not trying to “plug” them… just thought you might enjoy them as well.)
@@johnpetrovitz935 I will look.
quite a nice layout!!! And I much prefer the sound!
Thank you! And thanks for looking in!
I’m trying to put together another ‘sound’ video pretty soon.
@@johnpetrovitz935 I realized that your layout had so many memories for me. My grandfather worked at Hamms. Seeing one of P.I.E. trucks reminded of shipments that my dad would get.
@@oshtoolman so glad to share!
The City has provided so many memories for me. It’s been a lot of fun trying to recreate and capture them!
So glad that the layout has revived them for you as well!!
Great stuff!
@@NitroStarGT Thanks. Very glad you enjoyed it! Thanks for looking in!
Love the model Hamm's brewery! Need to rig up some leds or something to get the glass to fill up and empty. :P
@@Rubycon99 yes!!! That was - bar none - THE greatest sign ever! I actually have a good friend who wants to attempt getting it to fill and empty with the foam pouring over the side! It’s beyond me - but I think he might just do it!
Thanks for looking in!
Hi John. I loved this video, just brilliant. I really enjoyed the narration and the historic and technical information you included. All videos of your incredible layout are a fabulous watch and I agree with your comment that just watching trains and details incorporated in the scenes on the layout is an absolute treat. The SP station and neighbouring structures and urban details are incredibly well modelled and the realism you model is inspiring.
This was great. It was full of informative content about the Southern Pacific, SF railroading, and passenger service in an interesting era. Your narration was very well done. Your description of the trains as they entered or left the station was excellent and very easy to listen to. I was already subscribed to your channel but I'm eagerly awaiting future installments now. You have hit a home run on your very first at bat!
Forgot to include: the modeling is beautiful and very impressive. Great!
Thanks, Rick. I appreciate the feedback.
Well… it was an ‘experiment’
So, I guess I’ll try another one.
Just have to figure out some new content.
Thanks again for looking in! I’ll try and come up with more.
The silent films where good too, but I do like the narration. So it’s good both ways from me 😃
Thanks for the feedback.
Thinking about some ideas for another.
Thanks for looking in! Appreciate it!
Awsome I’d love to see a little more focus on your PMT operation in the foreground
Ok… I’ll see what I can do.
I think I might be changing something around on the layout before I shoot a video of that however… (because)
At San Francisco, the cars were backed onto the flat cars from the north (railroad west) side - so that the trailers were always ‘facing’ SF.
On my layout, I put the trailer ramp on the ‘wrong’ side (which has the cars ‘facing LA).
So…
To get prototypical, I need to change some things around.
But I sure appreciate you looking in!
Might be a while before I get it together for PMT… but you’ve given me some incentive to start moving on that!
Thanks for looking in!
Excellent! I love the history lesson again. You captured how busy the station was back then with the many different trains coming and going. Not like that now............I first thought you somehow resurrected Walter Cronkite to do the narration, but then I just figured YOU must have taught him how to narrate as well as he did!
Marty’s brother Pat once told me that I had a good ‘radio’ voice. Of course, I thought he was nuts…
But frankly, it was a little scary when ‘the light came on’
(Absolutely nerve-racking!!!!)
Thanks for your ‘on-going support’!
(You’re my best fan!)
Keep that fire train ready!
Watching with some concern for guys up that way!
Stay safe!
“And that’s the way it is.”
@@johnpetrovitz935 The fire train was in use today! Take a look - this is the Dixie Fire in the Feather River Canyon. UP asked for my assistance. Always glad to help out the firefighters by giving them a ride! This is a video one of the firefighters took. facebook.com/1134150077/videos/982737738960471/
@@hiddencanyonnscalerailway6927 Your modeling is so real!!!!!!!!!
And how’d you get sound into those n scale firefighters??????
You’re amazing!
That train is fantastic!
Stay safe.
(Be sure the IP returns your train!!!!!)
(May be needed again!!)
@@johnpetrovitz935 who do you think was driving the train? I had a great time running down the canyon! Stay safe and hope to visit soon.
@@hiddencanyonnscalerailway6927 I bet you did! Wish I could have come along!!!!
And yes!!!
Come down for a visit! Ride the fire train down!!!!!!
Well done!!! As an original California boy and SP fan, I really enjoyed it. Question; where are all these trains, on the layout, going to and coming from? Do you have hidden storage?
Ah… great question!
I can assure you they don’t make it to San Jose!
In reality… (on the layout) they really have no where to go. If you check out my track plan (another video), you’ll see they run right back onto SF, at the Ferry Building ( on State Belt trackage, of all things!).
From there, they magically disappear under Coit Tower and reappear at Petaluma!!!!!!
Go figure
But I do have staging below and can ‘park’ them there.
Thanks for looking in and I’m glad you enjoyed it!
Nice to hear your voice John, now for music background will next, it's easy and another great video. Bob
Thanks Bob. I’m currently hearing auditions from the thousands at my door who want to do the background!!
(As I feared… this is turning into a nightmare!)
Good to hear from you! And thanks again for looking in.
@@johnpetrovitz935 Don't feel obliged to add background music. Many, many channels are spoiled by the constant babble of background musak, which adds nothing to the video and can be distracting and annoying.😁
@@2H80vids Thanks for your comment!
(I tend to agree!)
Voice in your videos never bothered me, i enjoy watching different parts of your layout. Love the switching videos, as for DCC it's your choice. I have DCC , DCC sound locomotives. Sometimes it's hard to figure out what locomotive is running. DCC is very expensive to start, keep up the fantastic work, videos John.
Hey Jeff! Good to “hear” from you!!!
Thanks for the encouragement.
If you don’t mind me asking…
When did you start up in the hobby?
My cousin, Marty Coil, got me going way back in the 60’s.
DCC wasn’t even a dream of anyone back then!
But you can imagine… we were just happy to have an engine that would run!!
I guess if I were starting out again, I would surely go with DCC. It amazes me how n scale trains can have sound! So neat!!!!
The only ‘sound’ I can enjoy is from my 50 year old Rapido Geeps! And THEY are loud!!!! … just not making any kind of noise a real engine would make!!!
I very much appreciate you looking in. And I’m thrilled you’re enjoying this stuff of mine!
Thanks again! John
@@johnpetrovitz935 I been collecting trains for 30 years, just a few years ago i started a layout. Then DCC was available, so i figured i would try it out. Like it a lot, you can set your speed for 5 trains a one time.
@@bigsparky65 WOW
I wasn’t aware of that!
I knew it was possible to have “head-ons” (which is another reason I wouldn’t trust myself to it)
…but 5 trains!
(Jeff - I might be having nightmares tonight!)
That’s cool! …actually incredible!!
Nice video.
Thank you and thanks for looking in!
Whoa!! Wow! Your sound did give me a coronary!! I’ll have to be more careful next time!! Cheers, Steven
Lol
So sorry, Steven!
Yeah, it was a shock to me too!
Thanks for looking in. Send me the medical bills!
Cheers
@johnpetrovitz935 Haha! Will do John. I'm gradually working my way through your layout videos. I'm a long time N scaler and SP fan, especially the 70's through 1995. I'm very impressed by the scenes you've captured on your layout. It's a bonus to hear the history and operational details of each location. By the time I visited and then lived in the Bay Area, Caltrain had long since taken over the commuter operations. It is fascinating to hear in your commentary about how things used to be on essentially the same rails. As an example, the terminal at 3rd and Townsend is instantly recognizable even though I've only seen it with Caltrain equipment. Very much enjoying your videos!! Thanks!!
@@coxsj Glad you’re enjoying (?) the videos. The old “Freindly” (the SP) was really something. And it’s history around here in town and the Peninsula was most interesting for sure.
I haven’t got around to it, but I’m hoping to do some steam action in the future.
I’m’toying’ with a layout expansion of the old main line (the Colma or Baden branch) but am still in design phase.
…we’ll see (at my age, I’d better get to it!)
Thanks again for looking in!
@@coxsj Thanks again for ‘having the patience’ to hear me ‘drone on’
Another resin had commented on the ‘current’ Mission Bay’ area…
I mentioned that I hardly know where I’m at anymore when I’m down that way these days!!!
Great video, really pleasant presentation. Just felt like we were all hanging out in the layout room running some trains.
I may be in the minority on this one but I cannot stand noisemakers in model trains. They sound tinny and fake, and are almost never making the right sound for what the locomotive is doing at the time. Honestly I find listening to the model train sounds of motors humming and wheels on track to be a lot more relaxing than fake sound effects. It makes even less sense in N scale where the locomotives are already short on pulling power.
Anyway, layout looks fantastic and this was a nice way to show it off. Thanks!
Thank you! Very glad you enjoyed it.
I’m with you… the sound of the trains is very satisfactory.
But I must admit… I am amazed one could get sound effects out of something so small!
Really amazing.
I very much appreciate your comments. My ‘aim’ is just to share some ‘comfortable’ viewing for folks…
Just something to relax with.
Thank you for looking in. Very glad you enjoyed the ‘relaxing time’!
great job but we still want to hear the trains run etc also need to do a tour of your great layout with details on the vehicle, structure models and where you got them so we can search for some. the natural gas storage tank in corner looks way over sized like 20 plus story's tall St Louis has lots of them like all big cities but 10 stories tall is about max is that hiding a water heater or something? you can buy a separate sound generator made by MRC to ad sounds. I also am stuck with analog wiring but your layout runs very smooth with multiple locos very impressive
As for ‘sound’…
My roster is old and not equipped with any sound technology. Sorry… I’d like some too!
As for a layout tour… I posted a video of the plan and a ‘round the layout’ viewing if you’d like to check it out.
And yes… the gas holder is large (about 11” by 16” or about 145’ x 215’ scale). But I can assure you that there were bigger ones! (The gas co. I retired from had a 17 million cu ft “piston” holder that was a lot bigger!
Anyway… you’re probably right: it does ‘overwhelm’ the scene. But modeler’s ‘license’, I guess.
I am considering a video on structures. (Just might take a while.) A lot are ‘scratched’ and many are ‘bashed’.
I could recommend one 3D printer that has produced some gorgeous n scale stuff: “Gold Rush Bay”. Check ‘em out!
Thanks very much for watching and for you comments!!
EXCELLENT!!! Loved your presentation, being that train naturally make noise the silence left something missing. I have had the pleasure of riding in SP alco s4 1474 at the SoCal Railway Museum. Both times the engineer was kind enough to allow me to stand right next to him a watch what he did and toot the horn.
Question: is that steam equipped SD7 #5427 the locomotive that would eventually be numbered 1518 and is preserved? I know SP had only 1 steam equipped SD7, and it also had dual controls and 2 horns!?!? It had a P3 and a M5
Hi Ian!
According to Joesph Strapac (who is THE definitive source of info on SP’s diesels [amazing resource!!!! He’s published many, many books on them]) , the 1518 was, indeed, the only SD7 equipped with dual cab controls (and hence, the only SD7 that ever had “wings” painted on both ends.
(The 1518, was originally EMD’s “demonstrator”, numbered ‘990’.)
Of the 43 SD7’s SP bought, 21 of them did have steam generators.
Many of these pulled ‘local’ passenger trains throughout the SP system.
Many ‘passenger equipped’ SD7’s ended up on the NWP in freight service, although they pulled passenger Trains #3 &4 as well.
‘My’ 5327 did have a steam generator.
It ended up as #1519 after its ‘upgrade’ in 1980.
It was also numbered #2734 in 1965, and #1434 in 1973.
(Hard to keep track of!!!!)
But I most highly recommend Mr. Strapac’s various books! He has done an amazing, masterful job of chronicling SP’s roster!
Thanks again for looking in!
(Wish I could have been along for the cab ride in the S4!!!! -- lucky you!!!!! Must have been fun!)
John. Excellent video and awesome model railroad. Will you be doing a video on the SP piggyback overnight train operations?
Thank you Robert.
(I see your SP&S herald… love it! Great road!! My mom was from Vancouver, so I got many chances to watch trains there. Go ALCO!!!!)
(I’ve got quite a bit of SP&S equipment, collected over many years.)
To your question…
Yes. I will put something together with the piggybacks and the ‘Overnights’. It’s coming… might take a bit though.
Thanks for asking and thanks for looking in!
@@johnpetrovitz935 most excellent - i am very interested in your schedule you keep for your trains - is this an operating layout for others to participate or ran by you on a train-by-train type of sole operation. I was fascinated in the Model Railroad Planning 1997 issue when they did a story on a Santa Fe station and all of the express, RPO and coach and car movements as a focal point of operations.
@@robertscott9756 I don’t know many modelers, so I run it solely.
Action at ‘the station’ is indeed most fascinating! The possibilities for movements is endless!
Where’d you find the platform canopies and especially the station building?
@@mitchell5259 unfortunately I couldn’t find either made by anyone, so I scratch built them. The station was something I always wanted to model and include on the layout. Took a bit of time but I’m happy with it. I very much enjoy scratch building with styrene!
Thanks for looking in!
prefer no sound than having to turn down annoying music tracks -- just me . love narration however .
Thank for the feedback. I, too, am not much for music.
Thank you for looking in!
Hope you enjoyed it.