2018 Annual Report

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B&O Shepherd Branch (O Scale)


The Anachronistic Region operating crew (a round-robin group) participated in seven operating sessions in 2018. We continue to run six trains during each operating session: Port Shepherd Job, Uniontown Turn (U-Turn), Twining City (TC) Switch, Second Port Shepherd, the B&O Coal Extra to the Potomac Electric plant and a yard job switching cars between Benning Yard and Alexandria Branch yard transfer.

The National Capital Brewing Company, an independent garage/gas station, an office building, and another apartment building were added to the Nichols Avenue area. A Korber factory kit and an AHM engine house kit were sold.

B&O Locomotive Shops

NWSL geared wheel sets were added to Red Caboose EMD GP-9, B&O #6464; Weaver Alco RS-3, Washington Terminal #61; and AtlasO EMD SW-9, B&O #595.

The shops made no progress on diagnosing the erratic behavior in the operation of the kit-bashed Weaver Alco RS-2 Southern #2118.

B&O Car Shops

An Atlas/Roco insulated box car, DT&I #19194, began interchange service on the Shepherd Branch.

Potomac & Patuxent Railroad (O Gauge)

No significant improvements or additions were made to the P&P this year. A Bachmann Plasticville set of farm buildings was acquired, but have not been placed on the railroad.

Ohio River & Western Railroad (On30)

The railroad is operating. On May 22, the first train ran over the entire mainline of the railroad. This was the result of focused effort throughout the winter and spring. The sub-roadbed is mostly foamcore over plywood. The roadbed in a combination of homabed, cork, and foamcore. The track (code 83 flex) and the turnouts (#5) are from Micro Engineering. As of the end of the year, all turnouts are in place and all but three turnouts are powered by Tortoise switch machines. Cinders acting as ballast is in place on some stretches of the mainline and there is rudimentary scenery in some sections of the railroad.

A number of wood structures now appear on the railroad. One is a blacksmith shop; another is a B&O prototype pump house; a third is now a grist mill, but the previous owner called it a barn. A fourth building will become a dry goods store after I make some alterations. The last two buildings were purchased from the estate of a deceased Capital Area O-Scaler. Other wood structure kits are on the shelf.

OR&W Locomotive Shops

The shops added a Kadee long shank, center-set coupler to the pilot of 2-6-0 #7. The pilot wheels of #7 and #16 were swapped so that the whitewall wheels were on the passenger locomotive. Locomotive #5, a 4-4-0, was activated with the installation of an Soundtraxx Econami decoder, Keep Alive, and speaker.

OR&W Car Shops

The car shops weighted and numbered or renumbered about 75% of the freight cars and one passenger coach. The gauge of all wheel sets were checked and corrected where necessary.

Conventions and Shows

All three railroads were open for viewing by attendees at the National O Scale Convention in August and the Mid-Eastern Region (NMRA) Convention in October. Both conventions were held at the Hilton Hotel in Rockville MD. At the end of the MER Convention, I completed my second and last 2-year term as regional secretary.

In 2019, Shepherd Branch management intends to continue adding background scenery to the Twining City area of the railroad. Management also plans to sell unopened or incomplete brass locomotive kits. P&P management will focus on adding more scenery and operating accessories to the three-rail display railroad. Ohio River & Western management hope to activate the hidden staging tracks; refine the operating scenario; and add structures and scenery.