copying prototype consists

One of my favorite "sub-hobbies" in model railroading is replicating a particular photo of a real train on the model layout. For me, it's not a planned activity, it's more of an urge that I give in to when the following conditions are present:

(1) someone posts or publishes a photo of a real train in my era (1970's) and location (western WA).
(2) I see the photo (this could be on Facebook or in a magazine such as FOBNR or MRHA).
(3) I realize that I have the same or similar equipment on my layout as in the photo
(4) I don't have a pressing deadline keeping me from acting on the urge to replicate the photo in HO.
(5) the urge to do it is stronger than the discipline to stay focused on building my layout.

These conditions being met, some focused fiddling around with locos and cars and camera(s) can turn into a photo of an HO copy of a prototype locomotive and/or train consist and/or full-on scene. If you work at this hard enough, on a large enough scene, there is even a certificate you can earn in the NMRA's Achievement Program (AP), but that's a story for another time. Today is about yesterday (irony intended).

So, on Sunday 24 May 2020, Brian Elchlepp posted on Facebook three great shots he had taken of a late 1970's BN consist moving southbound through what looks to be Stacy St. yard in Seattle. The consist was unusual - an Alco C-425 on the point, with three back-facing F units. All the conditions listed above were present, and I rushed downstairs to get to work replicating two of these photos.

I didn't get the camera angle quite right, but it sure was fun trying. The hardest part was finding my BN C425 Alco unit. I knew it was somewhere. Eventually, I found it under the layout in a tray, half-way through a decoder installation that I had long forgotten about. This explains why it has no headlight or number boards. However, it is numbered 4258, close enough to the 4260 of the prototype photo. The F units, I didn't pay as much attention to, but it turns out the first F unit in my photo is #826 - a perfect match for the second F unit in the prototype consist. At least I got them all pointed in the correct direction!

I also enjoy trying to match the cars as well as the locomotives, so you can see I took a stab at that. The hardest part about it, on an operating layout like mine, is keeping track of where you grab the specific car from, so you can put it back where it came from after the photo shoot. Those bright yellow Railbox cars are some of my favorites, but they weren't built until 1976, and I supposedly model 1973, so I get a little squishy with time frame sometimes. The most illuminating part is how much more weathered the prototype cars are than the models. When I finish a few more minor track changes on the layout, I'll get back to weathering more of the cars. I've been saying this for at least ten years, and keep discovering more "minor track changes" that I "need" to do.

The sheen and brightness of the model locos is appalling, but this is how we learn. Not to mention the sheen on the backdrop. Interesting! Who knew?

I didn't try replicating Brian's third photo, because I was annoyed that my model didn't (yet) have number boards or rotating beacon (plus, look at the cool rust spot on the side!), but I'm including it here just to celebrate the Alco C-425's that BN ran for its first ten years. Built in the '60's, they had served the SP&S well, and continued to show up here in the Seattle area during the '70's.