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PRR BP-20

If I remember correctly, we saw these delivered in 2013.  They were a sell out for Weaver.  I was wondering if we would ever see these again?  They are brass and very heavy.  Who got the tooling for these these?  Do you think we'll see them again being specific to a single railroad?

Jan

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  • PRR BP-20
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Is a very nice model, requires a larger layout.   Was originally sold as an A, unpowered B set. Some complained and Weaver did some in house upgrades to powered B's also.  Both Tuscan and Green were offered.  Those produced  probably command  at least the original selling price.   Second run was offered, but not enough interest at that point.

I thought Weaver did a great job on the movable front pilot.

After may years of yearning and being out bid on every try to acquire a set, I brought one home last year.  They are indeed gorgeous and heavy.  My set is a tuscan 5 stripe AB with 4 motors and TMCC.  The only thing missing was the original instructions.  They look great at the head of my recently acquired MTH Fleet of Modernism passenger cars or pulling the stainless Congressional cars.  I am now looking for a set of heavyweights to represent their use on locals late in their careers on the Pennsy.

Rolland

I was thinking that the bodies were die-cast brass (not pot metal) and not formed sheet brass, like 3rdRail's NYC Mercury locomotive and the Lionel Centipede,   My confusion maybe because of a review in that other magazine where the author said it had a brass body and "heavy like a die cast steamer."

Jan

Last edited by Jan
Originally posted by Rex Desilets:

As I (vaguely) recall, Weaver planned a second run but could not get enough commitments...has this changed today?

Uh, Yeah! Weaver is closed and gone. I too was going to reorder the set with the DLGE Single Stripe Freight version but alas, it didn't happen. Now I am kitbashing one with Williams RF16 Shells and PA-1 Drives just like the one below:

PRR models#3 001PRR models#3 002PRR models#3 003PRR models#3 004

Don't forget at the time of this locos announcement, this $600.00 brass loco was expensive since MTH and Lionel diesels were at $400.00 fully loaded. Thats not so much for 2 railers but 3 railers it was a lot. Considering 3 railers commanded 75% of all O scale model purchases, the three railers lack of interest in reservations for a second run probably prompted Joe to cancel the production.

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  • PRR models#3 001
  • PRR models#3 002
  • PRR models#3 003
  • PRR models#3 004
Last edited by prrhorseshoecurve

"I was thinking that the bodies were die-cast brass (not pot metal) and not formed sheet brass, like 3rdRail's NYC Mercury locomotive and the Lionel Centipede,"

First of all, our die-cast zinc models are not "pot metal", at least in the pejorative sense that I believe you meant it, and without this material, hard as it is to work with when I'm scratch bashing, we would have either plastic steamers (actually that would be fine, see earlier "scratch bashing" ref) or about 10% of the variety we have had offered in the last 20+ years.

Secondly, and I'm not sure I'm reading you right, but the 3rdR Mercury (boiler) and all the Centipede are indeed die-cast zinc. I own both models.

The 3rdR Mercury is a hybrid as I recall - the boiler/cab are die-cast zinc; under that the loco is brass. Sort of an upside-down-hybrid per the Lionel ATSF Mikado.  

I provided Weaver the PRR prototype painting and lettering information for the BP20 project.  My source was the official PRR diagrams published in the Pennsy Journal back in the 1970's.  The planned second production run featuring the broad single stripe Tuscan red passenger scheme and the narrow single stripe DGLE (Dark Green Locomotive Enamel) freight scheme never went into production - apparently due to due to lack of interest.  With the decline in passenger traffic in 1953 the PRR re-geared 4 cab and 4 booster units for freight service.  Down- rated to 1600 HP they were re-classed to BF16z.   For prototype info and pictures  see Pennsylvania Railroad Diesel Locomotive Pictorial - Vol 4 - Baldwin Cab and Transfer Units by Hohn Hahn. 

I upgraded my five stripe DGLE A-B BP20's units with QSI Titan Magnum DCC decoders,  and I fixed the swinging A unit pilot.  Other than the die cast trucks, the unit is fabricated from sheet brass.  As I recall there are lead weights in the fuel tanks of the 2 rail units.   With 4 motors and lots of weight they easily pull  11  GGD 48 Broadway cars up a 2.2% grade.  No traction tires required!.

Last edited by Keystoned Ed
c.sam posted:

That is my BP20.  Sometimes I forget that once you post something on the web it stays there forever.  Here is another, poorly lighted picture of the engines.

PRR BP20 AB 002

These engines are the ones that were reviewed in the magazine and I believe also the ones Eric reviewed.  These were sitting on the top shelf of the Weaver booth at a York many years ago. When I asked about them they said they where their demonstrator units with lots of miles on them.  Both units were powered, but the B did not have sound.  Weaver was selling them for a good price, but I was going to pass on them until they through in the add-on sound card for the B.

Problem was they ran terribly.  I sent them to Alex_M (one of our favorite forum members) to get fixed and to add the sound card.  Alex said they were a mess inside, probably repaired multiple times with pinched wires and other poor work.  Instead of trying to fix them, I had Alex gut both engines and add ERR.  Now they run and sound great.

Some day I will try selling the original guts and sound card on the forum.

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  • PRR BP20 AB 002

There's a current thread that asks "Are Lionel and MTH ever going to have some new locomotive model produced?". Although Weaver has already done these before, it has been quite a few years and there are scant few out there and even less that become available.  These PRR BP20s would seem a relatively easy 'new' model for Lionel, MTH, or even Williams to produce by modifying their existing RF-16 tools and put out a set with state of the art sound, control (including BluTooth) and features.

Unfortunately the interest and hence market in these engines would be limited to PRR fans who have layouts with large diameter curves.  That implies a small production run and higher price.

Perhaps 3rdRail could make a deal with Atlas for Weaver's design data package and masters and do a limited run.  It is their specialty.

Jan

Jan posted:

Unfortunately the interest and hence market in these engines would be limited to PRR fans who have layouts with large diameter curves.  That implies a small production run and higher price.

Perhaps 3rdRail could make a deal with Atlas for Weaver's design data package and masters and do a limited run.  It is their specialty.

Jan

Is Weaver couldn't generate enough interest for a second run, why would 3rd Rail?

C Sam, you really can't modify existing rf16 shark tooling to make the passenger shark unit because:

1) the passenger shark is too long

2) the nose alone is 6" longer than the freight shark unit

3) the cooling fan section is in the center and not at the end like a freight shark. 

4) the side panels are different between the the units

5) there are end doors on both sides of the rear of the a units that are inward from the corners of the rear carbody.

6) with only one roadname for the passenger shark and multiple road names for the freight shark, why would someone butcher good tooling? 

rex desilets posted:
Jan posted:

Unfortunately the interest and hence market in these engines would be limited to PRR fans who have layouts with large diameter curves.  That implies a small production run and higher price.

Perhaps 3rdRail could make a deal with Atlas for Weaver's design data package and masters and do a limited run.  It is their specialty.

Jan

Is Weaver couldn't generate enough interest for a second run, why would 3rd Rail?

3rd rail has dedicated customers.

Since they are brass tops, could they be built using existing motor and truck tooling? (What Lionel now calls a hybrid:-)

Did these originally come from Weaver with EOB? Many here seem to be changing that out to ERR.

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