My locomotive today is Boston & Albany USRA 0-8-0 #53, a model produced by Lionel (6-28702) in 2006 with TMCC at an MSRP of $649.99. I purchased this model from forum sponsor Trainz and it arrived here this week after nine days in transit. I’ve been wanting to buy a small B&A locomotive model that fits well on my 10’-by-5’ layout but it seems to me that there aren’t many small Boston & Albany locomotive models being made or for sale on the secondary market these days. So, when this appeared on Trainz, I watched it until it became available for general sale and then ordered it. Trainz had rated this model as C7 (excellent) and described some minute scratches and wheel wear that made me somewhat hesitant to buy but, after a day or so, I relented.
I was impressed with how securely Trainz had packed the model. I examined it carefully and found no scratches or wheel wear. Actually, upon close examination, it looked to me like the model had never been run. Certainly, the pickup rollers had never touched a middle rail and I would have rated it at least C8 (like new). I bought a Lionel Mogul from Trainz last year that was rated as C9 (new). In my opinion, both models were fairly and conservatively rated. But neither was low-priced…
The model operated properly when I began to run it. Initially there was some sound dropout so I installed a 9V battery in the tender, but cleaning the rails later eliminated the issue and I don’t think the battery is necessary. I’m satisfied with my purchases from Trainz.
B&A #53 was a U-3b class switcher built by Lima in April 1921. It had 25-by-28 cylinders, 51-inch driving wheels, weighed 219,000 pounds, and produced 51,040 pounds of tractive effort at 175 pounds-per-square-inch boiler pressure. It was renumbered to New York Central #7725 in 1951 and ran on the Harlem Division until it was retired in January 1955.
This model was made in South Korea and, in my opinion, its design, manufacture and details are excellent. My pictures show that the boiler is fully round on the underside with a prototypical clear space between the boiler and the frame.
MELGAR
