Mill Creek Central: A backyard railroad on a reclaimed strip mine 

It has a signal system using B&O style CPL signals.

Steam engines are still around the price of a luxury car. The diesels are closer to the price of a used work truck. The little 4 wheel electric critters are closer to the cost of a used motorcycle. Keep in mind: nothing is mass produced in this hobby. It's all made by hand domestically.

Maybe next time.

it doesn’t take a lot of land to build a nice little railway. 5he bigger they are, the more people it takes to maintain it.

@@MillBrookRailroad My yard isn’t very big . 2 10x10 tents cover the whole back yard 😅 I could probably get away with a short point to point in the basement with about 30’ of track and maybe a switch or 2 to play with . I’d like to build a loco ( electric/compressed air) though over the winter . I have a neat one to try and replicate

I did! I plan to make the trip again with a different loco at a future meet there. I'm going to have to build a loco and a riding car for future trips into 7-1/2" gauge land.

I totally agree!

Looks like part of a signaling system to keep two trains from being on the same track

The “flags” are whisker arms on industrial limit switches. They complete the circuit to claim a block between passing sidings. There are others that break the circuit to release the block.

@@steamlogger So then I assume there must be some "signal light trees" placed accordingly along the route.

@@THE_BaconPirate Yes - B&O style signals that show red, yellow, and green aspects

​@@THE_BaconPirate yep exactly. I took some video on my own channel and filmed at the same time Mill Brook did. That video should be releasing August 1st. I think I have some of the signal operation in it. But there's two different posts for each block. A green post and a yellow post. The green posts clear the section behind you, and the yellow ones takes the section ahead. White Creek Railroad's in Michigan are a little different in signal indications but the activation method is the same. The only difference is it's a PVC pipe with a relay switch in it and a floating PVC pipe end that you push on to take the block and/or clear it.

Thanks!

@keithknott8307 I think it's about 9 acres. Most parts can be found at www.discoverlivesteam.com.

If your talking about the 50 gallon barrels and the spigots by the track, they’re for the steam engines to refill their water tenders.

@@davidwilken3584 Nope. I saw quite a few tanks and spouts for steamers. I'm talking about the white PVC (?) posts with smaller, clear plastic jugs spaced all along the line. Probably not much of a drink for any steamer in need. Maybe about 1-2 gallon jugs.

@@rogerhuber3133 I totally missed those 2-liter pop bottles filled with water. I could guess it’s for small fires or personal rehydration for someone working on the rails. Your guess is as good as mine.

Those water bottles are for putting out lineside fires from ash or hot coals dropped from a steam locomotive.

Dang it! I'm too heavy... 😂

Gravy Train 🚂

@@slider0915 The Mill Brook track is 7-1/2, which is compatible with 7-1/4" gauge. Mill Creek Central is 7-5/8" gauge.

Each railroad has its purpose. I've learned to appreciate each one for what it is.

@@MillBrookRailroad kind of like mine in HO scale, its only a glorified test track, bare minimum scenery, etc, and i can run either DCC or DC engines on it. But i have two passing sidings, allowing me to run 3 trains alternately.

@@richardwilkens4577 It's all volunteer.

They schedule a maintenance day once or twice a month march through when the snow stops them. And they're adding a significant loop. Finished up another 100 foot tunnel last fall. Looks like they have it open, actually, that's it at 11:53

@@brandenloman6925 No need for radio when the signal system works.

@MillBrookRailroad but most of the track ar one track way

@Jjonathanhart Indeed, they have. The railroad is 25 years old this year. That's normally how long these railways last. This one, however, is turning into a club.

It must be so much fun being involved with that miniature train railroad.

Batteries

@@MillBrookRailroad NO! That's a sound card??

I was wondering the same thing!

The bottles have water in them for putting out fires started by hot steam locomotive coals or ash that falls from the firebox.

Fire suppression although I was told that they could be used for emergency water as long as they are replaced

​@wesbrackmanthercenthusiast4695 you wouldn't want to use that water for anything else. It's usually kinda gross after the first weekend in the spring.

*their

The signals are all manually activated by the locomotive operator. There's a switch on a post at the beginning and end of each siding to capture and release each single track block. The sidings are dark.

Water to put out fires from the steam engines, if one starts

The driveway crosses the track a few times. Cars and medium duty trucks go over the tracks.

i think Titan Trains makes them.

I can, but I need to re-gauge to do it. this track is slightly wider gauge than mine. Just enough to not fit.

Don't be too hard on LALS. Model railroad design has changed a lot between the times the two tracks were built.