Switcher Saturday: 2015-Oct-03

Also...

Last week trumptrain posted pics of his MTH Baltimore & Annapolis SW9 #87, here's a couple "real world" pictures from "rrpicturearchives.net" of this diesel switcher, notice how much more rust the engine has in picture two than picture one, amazing what 11 years of sitting outside will do!  I'm "interested" in this engine because I live less than one mile away from the Baltimore & Annapolis Bike trail,  which used to be a rail line.

http://www.aacounty.org/RecPar...andatrailhistory.cfm

picture 1: http://www.rrpicturearchives.n...picture.aspx?id=2649
picture 2: http://www.rrpicturearchives.n...ture.aspx?id=3263014
http://www.rrpicturearchives.n...picture.aspx?id=2649

Note/disclaimer:  these are not my pictures!  The photographer's information can be found on the links above.

Atlas / Andy Petersen SP&S switcher.

    Bill T.

Just making sure the best looking switchers (is that like an oxymoron?) are represented.

Tom 

Why is this man smiling?

Because the RDC he's riding is being moved into the shade by a switcher!

Rusty

A couple of neat old shots of the Raritan River...

To piggyback on CNJ3676's post regarding low emission and experimental switch engines in the New York City area I have some pictures of new switchers for the New York New Jersey Railroad. They took delivery of three SE10Bs from Knoxville Locomotive Works This summer. Two are working now in New Jersey and one in Brooklyn. 

KLW is a relatively young company founded in 1998 rebuilding and maintaining engines for the G&O and they started building and repowering engine using their own designs in 2011. Here are some pictures of some of thier road switchers and switchers some of which are only in planning stages as well as some prototypes. Mostly these seem to use parts like frames and trucks from donet engines but they have new engines. They are not Genset engines because they only have one engine.

KLW SE10B

KLW SE24B Roadswitcher 

Hey guys... guess what time it is??

It's SWSAT TIME!!!

Had a great time in NJ flying 100+ MPH control line "combat" airplanes with the East Coast Crazies (BTW, fastest time of the day was 125 MPH with a .36 ci glow engine on 50% nitro.)

Here's a pic of yours truly taken last weekend:

I don't pour the nitro to my old engines anymore... so I was only piddling around on 10% nitro at a paltry 110 MPH or so.

If you're curious what it looks like to fly one of these types of control line airplanes, here's a video they shot of me doing an exhibition flight in NJ:

Okay... enough of the off-topic vacation banter... now for some SWSAT news/pics!!

Models:

Received my first KC&G DCC/Sound equipped engine back from the Sound Guru. It is great to hear Alco 244 sounds emanating from KC&G Alco RS-3 number 269! Next KC&G engines to go off will be KC&G NW2 #136 and EMD-repowered FA1 #203. Both will get Tsunami DCC/Sound.  For a refresher, here's pics of two of the KC&G engines mentioned (I don't seem to have a pic of the 269?)...

For my PROTO PICS of the week.

Well, I DID mention that we spent a week in West "By God" Virginia, didn't I?  We did some train things, such as rode the Cass Scenic RR, as well as explored lines active and inactive way back in the sticks, and also just took in some sights of West "By God" Virginia.  Fabulous state. We shall return.

Anyway, here's a couple of really cool little switchers I saw... and when I did, I thought "Ooooo! SWSAT pics!!"

So I did, and here they are!

Both were shot at the Durbin & Greenbriar RR at Durbin, WV.  Up first is a small Whitcomb switcher...

And lastly for this week, a really cool little GE 44 Ton switcher...

Which brings us to...

Lionel switchers.  8770 is custom painted.

Work is just about completed on my first 3-rail fixed pilot & scale coupler conversion project...

Joe,

  Nice switcher. Who makes it?

Tom

Saturday, here's my new to me switcher. I had hoped to have a layout pic, but it didn't run when I got it (wasn't supposed to). tore it down, got it to run and then I started midnights, and I learned the hard way not to work on stuff. so it's still on the work bench in a million pieces.need to find a tender, but that may be on Santa's shoulders...

Two Williams power units, one MTH dummy, 32 cars!

Rich,

You're killin' me!!   

I have been waiting for my pre-ordered Imperial 30-1658-1 Alaska RR switcher to show up at Dave's Mercer Junction.  I have determined it is stuck somewhere between Nome and Mercer Pennsylvania!    Latest date for delivery is October 2015, but I wouldn't be surprised if I don't see it before 2016.  

Just kidding.  This is the first pre-order I have done, but I knew it would be a year before I saw it.  In the meantime, I've been using my B&O Atlantic as a switcher.  Works like a champ!  I could use my 621 NW2, but I am a steam fan, so the post-war switcher sees limited action, and decorates a shelf in the basement the rest of the time.

Have a great Switcher Saturday, Everyone!!

 MTH PREMIER GBW ALCO S2 #201.

Wow, can't believe it's October already...

I was wondering...the marker lights on my 1662 are broke off. I'd like to get the PRR style that are on the pilot, does anyone make these?

I did find a few references of GP30's doing switching work, but as a generalization I'm guessing it normally would not be categorized as a switcher

I guess the same could be said for GP9s?  Or would those be more of a "true" switcher?

Thanks, Tom!  The switcher is an MTH RailKing model of an SW1.  It has been undergoing a conversion to make it a fixed-pilot/scale-coupler "3-rail scale" model.  Here's a link to a thread I started over on the 3-Rail Scale Forum detailing the project.

Murnane - Thanks so much for the post of the real B & A no. 87!!  I remember as a kid seeing a short freight train on the B&A, however, it was pulled by a B&O GP 7 or 9.  I saw the train at Harundale Mall in Glen Burnie..... the B&A right of way ran through the malls parking lot.   I guess the B&A loco was out of service at the time ( around 1964 - 65 ) for a few days and the B&A had to lease the B&O GP unit.  Again thanks for the pics!

Here's a photo of 3 switchers.

Another fantastic week of "Switcher Saturday"!  Thank you all for making this little weekly thing we do so much fun.

I have to admit, when I threw a picture of Pepper the dog in the post I was thinking I might get a few "hey, keep it train related" posts, which goes to show how nice everyone here is!

It was great to see all the Long Island / NY switchers, thanks Bob (CNJ 3676) for posting them, makes me think of "home" a bit!

Bill T:  that's a nice Spokane/Portland/Seattle diesel switcher you have there!

MNCW:  Tom, I bet all the ladies would agree with your oxymoron, I'm sure they all say that steam switchers are darn fine looking, just like the all of us good looking guys here on the forum!

Rusty Traque:  Great real-world shots of switching activity, are you the smiling guy? ;-)

DaveP:  Pictures of both Diesel and Steam Switchers, #AwesomeSauce   I'm going to do some reading about the Raritan River Railroad, found a link here:  

http://www.raritanriver-rr.com...story_SouthRiver.htm

SilverLake:  Hey Andy, thanks for posting pics of actual "new" switchers!  I poked around on the Knoxville Locomotive Works website just now and it's good to see companies like this succeeding.  p.s. I hope the move to your new place went well and you have some room for a micro-layout or two!

Laming:  "Planes" (check), "Trains" (check), ahhh, where's the Automobiles?  ;-)

I would really love to see a 44 tonner in the real world, they look "tiny" in the pictures, and the original 44 tonners build by Lionel were quite possibly the most non-proportionate engines ever made (probably not).  I almost jumped on buying a Williams 44T a week or so ago, but I didn't want to spend every last buck in my wallet!  You can probably guess what is going on my wish list for Santa though!

TrainsRMe:  Those are two great looking diesel switchers you have there!  I've been thinking about painting a beat up engine I have, but I haven't built up the nerve yet to do so.  Thanks for posting the pictures!

JoeyA:  Speaking of painting, jeez, this Jersey Central Lines switcher looks incredible, really really nice!  Very well done!

Steamer:  Good luck with your new-to-you 1662, I'd love to find a prewar little switcher like that one of these days.  It'd be great to find one that's really beat up (but running or close to running) so I could go crazy and put "NYC" marking on it, only because I've got more PRR than NYC right now.  Anyway, I'm looking forward to seeing yours "rise from the ashes".

Sirt:  I don't know how you do it, but you really really really blow me away each week with these pictures.  Awesome job as usual!

Mark Boyce:  Hey Mark, I'm thinking you should dust off that 621 NW2 #justSayin 

I took a look on MTH's website, man your Alaska RR 0-6-0 is going to be awesome, I can't wait to see pics of it, here is the link to MTH's picture for the rest of us to drool over.

http://mthtrains.com/sites/def...images/30-1658-1.jpg

BAR GP7 #63:  Your weathered switcher looks great, and your scenery is fantastic!  Thanks for posting the pictures!

Mike.Caruso:  Hey Mike, what a great picture, I really like the colors on that switcher, and to be honest I'm usually not much of a yellow guy, but this green/yellow combination looks great!  

Regarding a "true switcher", I'm not certain about some of these larger diesels, Wikipedia says GP9s are being used now for switching duty, so good enough for me.  It seems much easier to know which steamers are switchers than which diesels.  While watching that Alaska Railroad TV show a few months ago I noticed they had the big SD90s doing switching work, so I guess it doesn't matter that much, suffice to say I really like the smaller switching locomotives, even though I posted pics of my GP30 last week.  In general, the big manufacturers seem to have "gone big" lately, I hope perhaps they do some more small switchers, because that is generally what I like, what can go around my tight curves, and what I might be able to afford.  I hope that makes sense.

TrumpTrain:  It's great to hear you saw some real action on the Baltimore & Annapolis rail line.  I can say that now the line is used by tons of people each weekend, running, walking, or biking.  My kids, wife and I usually do 4 or 5 long rides each year.  The Severna Park station (about 1 mile from my house) has a fantastic HO gauge layout in it.  Leave it to me to move to a town with a railroad club and a fantastic layout, which is the "wrong scale".  I've considered picking up a few HO items and joining them, but I really like O gauge better, so I haven't joined but I usually try to get to there open houses.  I also see you have the Canton MTH switcher in that recent picture, another good "local" Maryland switcher engine.

Well, another great week here on the forum, I hope everyone is enjoying this weekly tradition as much as I am.  All the best from rainy Maryland...Rich

Dave, 

   I have not needed to buy marker lights for the small boilered steam switchers lately, but I have been able to get great repros for the longer semi-scale prewar switchers through the Train Tender. Let me know if you need his contact info.

   Also, I think I may have instructions for making the repair you need to do. Let me know if you need that, too.

Tom 

 Rich, thank you for facilitating this thread every week. It is one of my favorite things on the weekend. 

Love those Alco RS units.....this one is acting as a "Road Switcher", heading a branch line mixed train. I love mixed trains. I wish the manufacturers would do more of them.

Peter

Hi Peter, thanks for posting the picture, couldn't agree more about the mixed trains, although the more I collect the less mixing I tend to do!  At first I thought this was the "new" LionChief RS, but a quick Google search shows this to likely be Lionel 6-21314 (circa ~2007), which looking at the pictures I think I like yours better than the LC+ one because of the handrails.  A very nice picture and switcher!

Hey TrumpTrain, I was poking around on the web and found this link, which says

"Baltimore & Annapolis #87, SW9, was built by Electro-Motive  in December 1953, #18287, FN 4253-1, as Chesapeake & Ohio 5092, Class SE-12.  It was reclassified as Class SW-9 in 1964 and sold as BLA 87."

http://donsdepot.donrossgroup.net/dr464.htm

Here is the picture of #87 as the Chessie C&O #5092.  It's crazy that you can find stuff like this on the web, it's pretty fun to track stuff like this down!  The C&O picture says 1980, and according to WikiPedia the rail line shut down in the 80s, so I'm guessing the page could be in fact correct, but who knows?

Disclaimer:  This is not my picture, see that link for picture info!

Hey Rich -Thank you so much for facilitating this thread each week. I love seeing everyones photos in this thread each week!!!   I now look forward to SS each week and already have taken my Switcher Saturday photos for next weeks thread.

ALSO - Thanks so much for the photos and additional info on Baltimore & Annapolis no. 87.  I didn't know that 87 was actually a C&O unit before it came to B&A.  You may already know this book " Every Hour On The Hour" by John E. Merriken..... which is the history of the B&A predecessor The Washington Baltimore & Annapolis Electric Railway.  IT has some wonderful photographs and tells all about how the B&A came into existence. Its a great read!!    Back in the 1960s I visited family in Glen Burnie on weekendsd pretty often. Of souse the B&A line runs right through the heart of Glen Burnie ( great old B&A station there ... I assume its still there )  Other than the one time, I already mentioned, when I saw the B&O GP loco pulling a short freight consist..... I would see freight cars parked on sidings at their various small industries and retailers such as fuel oil and coal dealers, and lumber yards.  At times there were MOW cars also  parked on sidings ( some of the MOW bunk and tool cars had Central of New Jersey markings ).  I'm guessing back then that the B&A was a Monday - Friday working railroad because I never saw any running trains on weekends.  Even back then I had a real keen eye for train activity and noticed and remember a lot. 

Thanks too for the info on the model railway layout at the old Severna Park station.  I will check it out.  I'm sure its terrific!

Until next week .... have a fabulous week!!!

BTW - I've seen photos of an RDC actually doing freight switching work ( I think somewhere in the midwest ) I've also come across photos where a class 1 used a E - 7 to do freight switching in a pinch.  I guess almost anything with a diesel engine can do the switch job!   I wish I knew where I saw those photos  I'd love to share them with everyone!

thanks Tom, I have Jeff Kane on speed dial (not quite.. I've repaired the markers before, but I thought that since the PRR switchers had them on the pilot, I'd put'm there. I was hoping to find one with a broke headlight so I could change that.

Rich,

Thanks for posting the link to the MTH switcher.  I would have picked the PRR model, but the photos show a green that is way to bright for a PRR green.  So, since I have been fascinated by Alaska as long as I can remember (never had the chance to visit there yet) I picked the Alaska model. 

Looks like I have an assignment for next week's Saturday Switcher topic!  I'm sitting right underneath the shelf that holds the 621, so I will pull it down, dust it off, and get it in action for a photo or two for next week. 

Check the Precision Scale Catalog, they have pilot mounted lights.  Both cored and solid.

Gene Anstine