The Randall Museum in San Francisco hosts a large HO-scale model model railroad. Created by the Golden Gate Model Railroad Club starting in 1961, the layout was donated to the Museum in 2015. Since then I have started automatizing trains running on the layout. I am also the model railroad maintainer. This blog describes various updates on the Randall project and I maintain a separate blog for all my electronics not directly related to Randall.
2025-01-06 - UP 8736 on the Mainline Passenger Automation
Category RandallUP 8736 is back on the Mainline Passenger Automation:
Both Athearn engines 8749 and 8736 have been the workhorse of the automation from 2019 up to 2022. Towards the end, they were still working however my notes indicated some speakers “plopping” sounds and the engines being a bit more sluggish. Originally the Walthers UP engines were supposed to replace them, but I had only problem after problem with the Walthers roster -- it took me a year and a half to get the Walthers engine working correctly. In 2024 I was finally able to use them in automation, and yet at the end of the year the Walthers engines already had mechanical problems cropping up. I’ve been very disappointed by all the brand new Walthers engines I’ve used recently.
Recently the automation has been challenging when running in reverse down from the mountain:
and it continues doing so:
That’s why I’m temporarily running without the caboose. I also changed the automation program to slow down in that area, and Orion vacuumed the track where accessible.
For now, 8736 is zooming again through the mountain slopes:
