The Bureau of Unexplained Phenomenon's train does not officially exist and you never saw it. All photograph's taken of this train are mangled by some unknown force while still in the camera, and it never seems to stay still for long enough to get a glimpse at the engine crew. The passenger cars are are only marked with the Bureau's logo on the sides for a clue to their ownership.

The 2-6-0+0-6-2 Garratt steam locomotive pulls a four car train, consisting of what seems to be a baggage car, a sleeper, diner, and observation car. All four cars (and the engine) are marked in a dark blue with light gray accents and the Bureau of Unexplained Phenomenon's logo on the sides (not shown).

According to the scattered reports of varying age, the train's scientist crew catalogs the odd happenings around the USA since the Bureau's founding by Abraham Lincoln in 1863, such as un-dead uprisings in the 1970's, ex-confederate vampires in 1875, time travelers from the 1980's in the 1880's, attacks by mutant giant ants in the late-1940's, and an entire town being held hostage by a giant blob from outer space in the early 1960's, just to name a few of the more prolific cases that we know of.

Other reports suggest the train is not merely cataloging the happenings, but tracking them via a rip in space-time continuum in the Pacific Northwest that is waiting to be opened to it's full inter-dimensional potential.

This man on the far left is supposedly one of the senior operatives of the mysterious Bureau, a Mister Graves. Mr. Graves has more recently (as of 1926) been keeping tabs on Lord Sam Sinister (far right) Senor Palomar (second from left) and Alexis Sinister's (second from right) plans for the inter-dimensional portal that is located in the pacific northwest of the USA. Mr. Graves has ingratiated himself into the evil trio's inner circle but is keeping deep cover on his plans for the portal. Rumors suggest the three are looking for the portal to release a being of immense power into our world, a event that Mr. Graves is no doubt trying to secretly prevent at all costs.

This steam locomotive was originally designed by Anthony Sava but with fake pistons and with small-size friction bearing wheels. I added working pistons and Big Ben Bricks medium flanged and blind driver wheels as see here at Ben's website. In my model, gear wheels are used as stand in for the custom wheels that are not in LDD. Even with the added pistons, the engine easily can go around corners and switches.

The rear of the loco.

The baggage car is supposed to contain all kinds of mobile equipment for tracking strange type of hyper-matter and ecto-plasmic energy fields, among other things. (In reality, all these cars are empty)

The dining car and sleeper. This is where the on board crew sleeps in one car and eats in the other.

This car is called the war room. In reality, it's a remodeled business car, turned into a room full of charts and chairs and devices for listening for Sasquatches and detecting dragon smoke. It also messes with enemy listening devices and destroys track-side cameras of passers-by. Can't be too careful with the future of the world on the line!

NOTES: In reality, I just wanted to build a small passenger train out of dark blue pieces to match the engine I posted a couple months ago to Flickr. I thought at first about making it for the president of the railway line, but a fictional secret government agency from the 1920's works just as well.

Comments, questions, and complaints are always welcome. This train could possibly be built in 2019, but I'll have to see.

Edited October 27, 20186 yr by Murdoch17

How are you accomplishing the doors ... Just a 1/2 stud offset and static bricks?

I like the overall look to the train ... The solid rear of the observation gets me as usually these were deco iron railings.  

Are you planning on motorizing pf,pu,9v?

23 minutes ago, Roadmonkeytj said:

How are you accomplishing the doors ... Just a 1/2 stud offset and static bricks?

I like the overall look to the train ... The solid rear of the observation gets me as usually these were deco iron railings.  

Are you planning on motorizing pf,pu,9v?

Your guess is 100% correct @Roadmonkeytj, they are indeed a 1/2 stud offset with static bricks. As for the rear railing, the solid type I made was my only option with the size of rear platform used. If a 1 x 2 x 2 fence existed, I would use it here on either the left and right sides in a heart beat. Also, as with all my trains, hand power if what I use, though 9v can be easily be switched in by replacing a coach bogie.

40 minutes ago, Murdoch17 said:

Your guess is 100% correct @Roadmonkeytj,  If a 1 x 2 x 2 fence existed, I would use it here on either the left and right sides in a heart beat. 

What about using the telescope piece with a tile top ... Its the same height ... I can give you a picture of my observation car later tonight if you like ... I used that method abd it looks swell

On 8/11/2018 at 8:01 PM, Roadmonkeytj said:

What about using the telescope piece with a tile top ... Its the same height ... I can give you a picture of my observation car later tonight if you like ... I used that method abd it looks swell

Sorry for the late reply, but i like the method I'm using.

First post updated with revised text and new pictures, including one real world one to tie it to my Adventurers story!

I've been thinking about remaking my 2-6-0+0-6-2 Garratt steam loco in a different color, and adding a matching it to the passenger consist. I decided on dark blue with light bluish gray sections and wanted some opinions on adding it the mystery train seen in the first post...

What do you guys think of this?

Edited October 27, 20186 yr by Murdoch17