Switcher Saturday: 2015-Nov-28

have a great day eating all those leftovers!

I like all renditions of "hammerheads."

working the yard.

Hey BA-by! It's SWSAT Time!!!

Hope all of my fellow "switcher geeks" had a great and glorious Thanksgiving Day with the one(s) you love.

As many of you know, I am/will be loosely modeling a Kansas City urban industrial area based in the "early 1960s".  (In "Weinie Scale".) I want to represent all of the Class 1 railroads during that era. (On the belt trackage of KC, through almost any given area, essentially all of the KC lines would be seen in the form of "transfer" trains/etc.) This little desire means I need to represent 13 railroads. (In addition to "my" railroad, the Kansas City & Gulf.) 

Now, I don't want to just "wing it" and run paint schemes of a prototype that aren't appropriate for the early 1960s. I'm not quite wired that way.  So, this desire will (has) resulted in some basic "research" into the lines that operated in KC. (I have already done so with some of the lines.) Much of what I have learned has been fascinating and is part of the fun of model railroading for me. 

For example, I really was surprised to learn that there were a TON of lines that originally received their switch engines in basic black. The brighter colors/schemes on the switchers of the early 1960s on many lines were typically applied AFTER delivery. FAR more that I would have thought.

(As a side note: As you learned in my SWSAT post last week, a notable aberration to the "basic black" delivery scheme was my own beloved Frisco: They went the opposite direction! The Frisco went from a colorful "first" switcher scheme to basic black!  The Frisco was unique in many ways... that was one of them!)

ANYWAY (my lands I'm long winded)...

One of the iconic (to me) schemes of the KC lines was "The Q" (CB&Q). Imagine my surprise to find that the very familiar (to me) gray and black "Slogan" scheme was NOT their ORIGINAL scheme. Nope, it was an all black scheme.

Along that train of thought (oooh, I'm so PUNY!), I offer the following pictorial "Builders Photo" evidence of the Q's "original" switcher paint scheme:

Gotta' admit, even their basic black was a cool scheme!

Now, according to my research thus far, of the 13 lines in KC, the following KC lines originally received switchers in basic black:

CB&Q

Union Pacific

Rock Island

Missouri Pacific

Wabash

Santa Fe

Kansas City Terminal

Kansas City Southern

Thus far, my research has not yet reached the following KC lines:

Gulf Mobile & Ohio

Missouri-Kansas-Texas

Chicago Great Western

Milwaukee Road

Like I said: I was highly surprised to unearth this fact in my research. Now, the fun thing about it is that I now have an opportunity to incorporate my findings into the evolutionary process of my own Kansas City & Gulf line. I think it will be a lot of fun to have KC&G switch engine examples still puttering about on the layout that reflect the original black scheme (and variations of same) in addition to the later applied Gulf Coast Blue and Mountain Mist Gray scheme(s). I like variety in paint schemes... sort of like was found on the old Rock Island.

There you have it!  That's it for my SWSAT post. Ain't you SMARTER?  See? SEE? I told you before: Ain't I AMAZING???

EDIT: Decided to add the remaining pics of the above subject. Don't know why I didn't originally. What a maroon.

I hope everyone had a wonderful Thanksgiving!!  

Here is a photo with end cab switchers of "Maryland Short Line Power Trio" all of whose railroads ran into and within Baltimore City Limits .... Canton still does.  

On my railroad " The Free State Junction Railroad" I model all 4 of Maryland's class one and 3 short line railroads during the transition era.  ( of course my Canton switcher is a modern era one but its all that was offered at the time of purchase ).  I also model Reading which had some trackage rights over the WM into Hagerstown.

The two videos are of the "Power Trio Entering Patsburg" for the daily switching activities.

The second is the "Power Trio" exiting Patsburg after the chores are completed.  

  I hope you all enjoy!

The year is 1949 and several PRR yard engineers and conductors were talking about their engines in the break room on a November afternoon.  A young engineer of a Baldwin built B28 was talking about how well his 0-6-0 pulled a string of coal cars when a seasoned engineer of an A5 interrupted by saying his little Juniata built 0-4-0 could out pull that Baldwin switcher.   This led to the young engineer challenging the “old man” to a sort of tug-a-war to see which engine was better.  The youngster knew his engine had 39,000 lbs tractive effort to the A5s 30,000 lbs so he figured this was going to be an easy win.  Several of the yard crews started betting on which would win.

The two engines maneuvered around to a vacant classification track and coupled their tenders together.  A brakeman from another engine was called upon to watch which way the coupler moved when the flag was dropped.   

The flag was dropped and the young engineer’s inexperience became evident when he applied too much power resulting in his drivers slipping.  The A5 engineer’s power application was much better resulting in more traction and the A5 moved ahead a couple of feet.  At the same time the yard foreman drove up and both engineers pulled their power off. 

After being reprimanded by the foreman, both engineers went back to work.  Those few yard workers that bet the A5 would win earned some extra money that day.

Enjoyed your imaginative narrative CAPPilot!

Goes well with saying of John Allen, that highly creative and imaginative model railroader during the late 1940's through the 1960's:

"There is a little thing called imagination which must play an important part on any model railroad."

Must be photoshop....where's the Belpaire fire box?. 

I fear this will be the eventual fate of my undecorated Atlas USRA 0-6-0, although I'll probably forego the usual Brunswick green paint job.

Thanks for the pics, Dave.

Bruce

GBW Alco S2#201 & Transfer caboose#101.

Very nice scene and modeling, there, BAR GP7 #63!

Ron,

  I have a few B6 crews who want a rematch!

  Nice story.

Tom 

Tom,

While the B6's tractive effort is less than that of a B28, it is still considerably more than an A5.  With an experienced engineer, that great looking B6 of yours should win with little problem.

Trying to get in just under the wire on SWSat. 

Here are are some images of a K line Porter and it's prototype. Strasburg #1 and 18 ton PPrter that was the first engine used by the tourist RR and it is still on the roster. I'll include some of the little brother (another even smaller Porter) Strasburg #2 as well.

The K-line engine does look like a pretty good representation. 

GP9 road switcher leads the Brewers Limited, quickly following is another GP9 leading an identical train consist named the Brew Master Express.... which is followed by the Aero Train running in the opposite direction.

This 25t Whitcomb will be involved moving cars at the feedmill on my under construction short line.

Ian

 Thanks laming, I am glad you like it. Johan

WOW!  What a Switcher Saturday week, awesome pictures, videos, comments, and stories!!!

I'll try to write a short story for pictures next week too, let's see how it goes.

All the best and thank you to everyone for contributing.

Best...Rich

did someone say Belpaire?