CSC Locomotion Weekend – 1/13/24 – 1/14/24

[Tim]

The Science Center has set the dates for Locomotion Weekend 2024 – January 13 and 14, 2024. Set up will likely be Friday, January 12, 2024. It’s never too early to start planning.

[PLAYINGWITHECHOES]

Sure. Never too early.

I will have four big beautiful steam engines up and running on Power Functions, ready for service:
4005 Big Boy 4-8-8-4
3985 Challenger 4-6-6-4,
844 UP 4-8-4 “Living Legend”
6755 Mountain 4-8-2 “Sakura”

And the ever reliable Crocodile set for when anyone’s PF/PU train is overheating and needs a break.

That big blue Schnabel car was a hit at Home and Garden. Considering the interest the Science center crowd had with the green nuclear Flask car, they might get a kick out of the Schnabel too since it’s hauling a spent fuel canister.

[Tim]

The first consideration should be do we want to go bigger or try to increase density/detail? We had a fair amount of open space in January so I will suggest that we use the same sized layout but fill more of the available space with more buildings, etc. to increase the level of detail.

[PLAYINGWITHECHOES]

I’d agree but advise leaving some space on the inside corners of track and some along the outside curves too for train overhangs. Buildings can be shells with facades like Josh’s GOB structure. I liked the trees but understand they can be a pain to set up each one.

I can definitely bring more trains for railyard sidings and also some more sports cars for the streets.

[Tim Brown]

Subbed

[Will McDine]

Subbed for the sake of sending something. Likely well not be able to attend.

[Tim]

I have received an email from Nicole at the Science Center asking for participation confirmation for Locomotion Weekend. Set up will be Friday, January 12. The show will be January 13-14. Are we “GO” as a group on this? Please respond here ASAP so I can let Nicole know.

Also for a touch of personal bad news on this, I now have a work conflict that weekend and will not be able to participate (either to display or staff). Major bummer for me personally as I think this is an awesome display event, especially for us Town/Train people (although all themes are welcome).

[PLAYINGWITHECHOES]

I am good to participate. I have an entire fleet of locomotives that I can bring to occupy the grand loops and some smaller trains for the inner loops if needed. All will feature improvements to keep them running long, such as V2 power function receivers or Powered Up system, Lego x37 rubber bands for wheel traction, recharge batteries and axle reinforcements where required. Lessons learned from the last time have been applied to them.

Big Boy 4-8-8-4, Challenger 4-6-6-4, Mountain 4-8-2, UP Living Legend 4-8-4, Shielded Diesel, Chuggs from Easter Bunny Movie, and some standard Lego train sets like the Crocodile and passenger trains. And tons of scientific and industrial rolling stock that’s part of Pennsylvania/Pittsburgh history. In short, there’s no shortage of trains I can bring and swap out thru the day. I can generate a spreadsheet if you’d like to see the roster of trains.

I should be able to staff both entire days this time around and I’ll be brining my own rechargeable batteries.

Only thing to note is that the Schnabel car will have to be the inner R104 loop as we learned from the Home and Garden show how big it’s overhang is. LOL

Also, I could apply the Steel City Lug logo to some more of my cargo cars so when people take photos, it’s there on the side.

[PLAYINGWITHECHOES]

Also will have a few more new trains built by then too so expect an army of locomotives at your service. 😉

[Tim]

PLAYINGWITHECHOES wrote:

will have a few more new trains built by then too

That all sounds awesome. I am sorry I will miss seeing them IRL but look forward to the pictures.

[John S]

I’m in again, if you want the winter town. Working on MILS snow tracks, if there’s room to go around as well. If I get it done…

Also have a train I’m hopefully finishing.

Lots of ifs and maybes haha!

[Benjamin C Good]

I will probably be available to staff. I won’t have anything significantly built for it, although I can set up pine trees if there’s a need. I could probably even build some MILSed baseplates of nothing but snow and pine trees and maybe a few minifigts, if it turns out that there’s a need to cover up some small holes in the display area.

[Dan]

I think we’re a “go”.

I should be able to staff at least one day.

[John S]

Sorry, should have said I can probably staff at least one day, if not both.

[PLAYINGWITHECHOES]

We’re a “go”? That’s great to hear. I look forward to running the trains. And it looks like I’ll have a special award brick coming that we can have on the hazmat train. 🙂

[Will McDine]

I can likely staff in some fashion, and send both MILSd track, and buildings. My off days for next year are Sunday Monday. So I can for sure staff some of the Sunday.

[Tim]

We’ll need to get the large curves from Josh. @pnbrenem is your track available for use?

[Phil Breneman]

Yes, my track should be available.

[Bob Grier]

On my calendar. I should be able to help with set-up and teardown, staff and display.

[Tim]

Ok, thank you everyone for the replies. I will go ahead and email Nicole back and tell her we are good to go. I presume we’ll aim for about the same size display as last year?

[Glenn Holland]

Haven’t checked the forum recently…

I’m interested in participating this year too. Unfortunately life has made it such that I don’t have many new trains this year but I’ll certainly bring what I have.

I can help staff all day Saturday and Sunday in costume/uniform.

[PLAYINGWITHECHOES]

More than happy to see you there, Glenn! Looking forward to seeing your latest and greatest.
I’ve got some new giant models too. My Schnabel car will certainly need the R104 circuit for safely clearing adjacent tracks, LOL. Maybe we can roll our BTA winning trains/consists on the two outer loops for LUG photos. 😀

Hope we can use the sneeze guards this year. I think Josh liked how it turned out at the Home and Garden show and I plan to staff both days entirely to help with the crowds and keep the trains running. Will have spare parts (x37 rubber bands) and recharge AAA batteries in case you or other members need to borrow some.

[Tim]

PLAYINGWITHECHOES wrote:

Hope we can use the sneeze guards this year.

We can use the sneeze guards so long as we use the LUG tables. The sneeze guards do not attach to regular banquet tables (like the Science Museum provides).

[PLAYINGWITHECHOES]

No sneeze guards unless we use LUG tables? Duly noted. If we use their tables, I will gladly help protect Glenn’s trains and my own when we run the outer loops. I noticed the crowds were generally well behaved with only one minor incident that was easily repaired.

Also as an update, I did order the Orient Express so there’s a chance I can get that modded and running in time to showcase Lego’s latest train set. If not, I still have my big four beautiful steamers, Croc, and GP35 diesel so no shortage of trains. If anyone has a Detective Poirot minifigure, I’d love to put that on the train. LOLOL

[Will McDine]

I can take an inventory later this week, but I have a small amount of track all MILSed as well as some buildings I can contribute. Not much by way of rolling stock yet.

[Author]

Posts