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"RDCs to Johnstown."

C. '64-'65 the B&O did an excursion from Pittsburgh to Johnstown using a pair of their RDCs. Pittsburgh to Rockwood on the Mainline and then on the Johnstown branch through Somerset.

A familiar face:

        IMG_0146

 

        IMG_0145

Arrival in Johnstown:

        IMG_0144

Where we rode an electric trolley-bus across town:

        IMG_0149

And then rode the Incline to the top of the mountain:

                    IMG_0143

A very neat thing about RDCs is the view out the front door:

                  IMG_0148

Pic obviously taken on the Mainline. Brakeman's or Flagman's  silhouette on the right.

                    IMG_0147

On the single-track Johnstown branch here. Again, probably the Brakeman's silhouette on the right. There is a door between the photographer and the Engineer and a door in front of the Engineer to enable passage through multiple cars.

RDCs were really a bit of pinnacle-technology that never was given justice in our hard World where the private automobile reigns supreme. Smooth, quiet, fast, air-conditioned and you just MU'ed as many as demand required without worrying about motive power. Powered by two 6-100 Detroit Diesels slung underneath with a quick-disconnect system they were easy to maintain.

On Edit: Thinking about it, the Engineer has to be seated in order to properly reach the throttle, brake lever and whistle cord as well as keep his foot on the deadman's-pedal so in the pics he is to the right of the center door/window. This was in the days of five man crews so that is most likely the Brakeman and Flagman seen in silhouette.

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Last edited by geysergazer

One finished product, and the start of some more cars.  Once again, these are “what if” cars from a real railroad.  

The QA&P did occasionally haul water in their own tank car from Roaring Springs, TX  but I cannot find a photo I once saw of that car.

In reality the gypsum hauling hopper would have been caked with much more gunk, but I did not want it that realistic.

This is fun!

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Forgot to put this one in F E F yesterday so here it is:

         IMG_0156 [1)

At the Chicago Museum of Science&Industry a '56 Plymouth, the Pioneer Zephyr and the U 505, the only German U-Boat captured during the War. I remember viewing a movie taken by Navy people of the capture. The Captain had opened the scuttle valves but our guys shut them in time to save the boat. The Zephyr was open and I remember walking through it and looking at the Winton 201A inline-8 Diesel engine.

                      Pioneer_Zephyr,_engine

Permission to post this pic (taken by Sean Lamb) has been granted by Wikipedia under Creative Commons license.

The Winton 8 cylinder 201A engine was rated at 600 HP and it powered the train to an incredible 112.5 mph on one section during the maiden voyage from Denver to Chicago. The whole train weighed 104 tons.

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Last edited by geysergazer

"Over&Under"

An excursion train drawn by Shawmut SW9s proceeding over the B&O bridge over the Allegheny River at Mosgrove, Pa:

        IMG_0138

The same train now on the Shawmut  passing under the B&O Mosgrove bridge:

        IMG_0150

The open car was kit-bashed by B&O shop guys who added a wood and steel superstructure to a B&O flatcar:

        IMG_0126

I need moar train-room wall space because some of these pics I just found really need a home there.

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Last edited by geysergazer
geysergazer posted:

"Over&Under"

An excursion train drawn by Shawmut SW9s proceeding over the B&O bridge over the Allegheny River at Mosgrove, Pa:

        IMG_0138

The same train now on the Shawmut  passing under the B&O Mosgrove bridge:

        IMG_0150

The open car was kit-bashed by B&O shop guys who added a wood and steel superstructure to a B&O flatcar:

        IMG_0126

I need moar train-room wall space because some of these pics I just found really need a home there.

Lew, That is neat over on the B&O and under on Shawmut.  I know where this is too.

Mark Boyce posted:
geysergazer posted:

Mark, about 4mi South of Mosgrove is Adrian/Montgomeryville/Gumtown where my Paternal Grands lived, right beside the tracks:

       IMG_0151

Their house was 90 degrees to the right in this pic. Looking Northbound here, towards Mosgrove.

Lew, was this on the west side of the river?  Adrian is up on the hill off 422 if I am right.

Hee. Mark, I'm going by Northbound/Southbound on the BR&P/B&O Buffalo/Pittsburgh. Yes, you are correct, on the West side of the river. Adrian is off of 268 towards Reesedale.

geysergazer posted:
Mark Boyce posted:
geysergazer posted:

Mark, about 4mi South of Mosgrove is Adrian/Montgomeryville/Gumtown where my Paternal Grands lived, right beside the tracks:

       IMG_0151

Their house was 90 degrees to the right in this pic. Looking Northbound here, towards Mosgrove.

Lew, was this on the west side of the river?  Adrian is up on the hill off 422 if I am right.

Hee. Mark, I'm going by Northbound/Southbound on the BR&P/B&O Buffalo/Pittsburgh. Yes, you are correct, on the West side of the river. Adrian is off of 268 towards Reesedale.

Yes 268!

Even though I've seen one of these in real life, I still can't believe how tiny my Baldwin class 10 'trench' engine is in On30. It's the same size as the tenders on my Baldwin ten-wheelers!

the thing almost looks like a different scale, unless you look at the headlights and builder plate. The figures' heads are touching the ceiling of the cab:

All my other engines are ten-wheelers and I have a Whitcomb 50-tonner that doesn't get used much. All my other engines have wide contact 'footprints', so it's annoying to a degree that this engine which has contacts over maybe 2 inches, it will get caught on a turnout frog if it's going too slow. That doesn't happen on any of my other motive power.

Another B&O '50s excursion.

Again those Alco FPA2s are doing their duty:

       IMG_0196

Snow in the air which makes this a Maple Sugar Special and it's parked at West Salisbury, Pa on the Salisbury branch (a couple miles from Meyersdale, Pa. Do I remember the location, being 5-8yr old? No, but the next pic explains how I know  :

        IMG_0197

Click to embiggen and I think you can read the station sign.

Here is an interesting bit of operation Dad caught that day:

       IMG_0198

?? Since the principals are almost certainly gone all we can do is theorize so here is my take. The crew needed to run an errand (no idea what-could be as simple as fetching lunch from Meyersdale 2mi away) but it was cold so train heat had to be maintained. So leave two units coupled supplying steam and uncouple the lead unit to run your errand with....????

On Edit: I think Ima' start a thread to document these various railroad adventures of my youth. Some might find some of this old stuff interesting, especially if it was all in one location. How about it?

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Last edited by geysergazer
geysergazer posted:

Another B&O '50s excursion.

Again those Alco FPA2s are doing their duty:

       IMG_0196

Snow in the air which makes this a Maple Sugar Special and it's parked at West Salisbury, Pa on the Salisbury branch (a couple miles from Meyersdale, Pa. Do I remember the location, being 5-8yr old? No, but the next pic explains how I know  :

        IMG_0197

Click to embiggen and I think you can read the station sign.

Here is an interesting bit of operation Dad caught that day:

       IMG_0198

?? Since the principals are almost certainly gone all we can do is theorize so here is my take. The crew needed to run an errand (no idea what-could be as simple as fetching lunch from Meyersdale 2mi away) but it was cold so train heat had to be maintained. So leave two units coupled supplying steam and uncouple the lead unit to run your errand with....????

On Edit: I think Ima' start a thread to document these various railroad adventures of my youth. Some might find some of this old stuff interesting, especially if it was all in one location. How about it?

Excellent photographs, Lew!!  That is a good bit of snow that day!  Maybe the crew needed to get a snow shovel.  

I really like these photographs!  I think it would be great if you started a new topic on the Real Trains heading!

BAR GP7 #63 posted:
PRRronbh posted:
BAR GP7 #63 posted:

20200124_170048

What manufacturer made this car with the open end?

Ron

Ron. That is a scratchbuilt car and the end doors are 3D printed. I use MTH PRR box car when i start this project. 

Johan

Johan, that is really great how it came together and the doors very nice concept

About 10 years ago I took on a project of reverse engineering a box car complete with trucks and built it in CAD, I have never 3D printed it but might do that some day and may even have a door on the end.

Box Car cad_3RR Truck chrome_1

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sidehack posted:
BAR GP7 #63 posted:
PRRronbh posted:
BAR GP7 #63 posted:

20200124_170048

What manufacturer made this car with the open end?

Ron

Ron. That is a scratchbuilt car and the end doors are 3D printed. I use MTH PRR box car when i start this project. 

Johan

Johan, that is really great how it came together and the doors very nice concept

About 10 years ago I took on a project of reverse engineering a box car complete with trucks and built it in CAD, I have never 3D printed it but might do that some day and may even have a door on the end.

Box Car cad_3RR Truck chrome_1

Ray. Thank you. This was a really nice project. It's fun made it something different. The idea came from my friend Joey. Ray i really like your layout and everything what you 3D printed.

Johanreceived_2477226079230122

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BAR GP7 #63 posted:
sidehack posted:
BAR GP7 #63 posted:
PRRronbh posted:
BAR GP7 #63 posted:

20200124_170048

What manufacturer made this car with the open end?

Ron

Ron. That is a scratchbuilt car and the end doors are 3D printed. I use MTH PRR box car when i start this project. 

Johan

Johan, that is really great how it came together and the doors very nice concept

About 10 years ago I took on a project of reverse engineering a box car complete with trucks and built it in CAD, I have never 3D printed it but might do that some day and may even have a door on the end.

Box Car cad_3RR Truck chrome_1

Ray. Thank you. This was a really nice project. It's fun made it something different. The idea came from my friend Joey. Ray i really like your layout and everything what you 3D printed.

Johanreceived_2477226079230122

Johan, even the prototype was scratch-built.  Nice job as usual.

coach joe posted:
BAR GP7 #63 posted:
sidehack posted:
BAR GP7 #63 posted:
PRRronbh posted:
BAR GP7 #63 posted:

20200124_170048

What manufacturer made this car with the open end?

Ron

Ron. That is a scratchbuilt car and the end doors are 3D printed. I use MTH PRR box car when i start this project. 

Johan

Johan, that is really great how it came together and the doors very nice concept

About 10 years ago I took on a project of reverse engineering a box car complete with trucks and built it in CAD, I have never 3D printed it but might do that some day and may even have a door on the end.

Box Car cad_3RR Truck chrome_1

Ray. Thank you. This was a really nice project. It's fun made it something different. The idea came from my friend Joey. Ray i really like your layout and everything what you 3D printed.

Johanreceived_2477226079230122

Johan, even the prototype was scratch-built.  Nice job as usual.

Joe. Thank you my friend. 🤝

Johan

GP7 #63 : What a super modeling job on the end door (automobile) box car.  I noted lots of folks in this thread interested in this type of car.  For your information, the 2019 Kalmbach Book ,"Railroading & the Automobile Industry" by Jeff Wilson , Chapter 3 , "Automobile Boxcars", shows lots of pictures of actual cars of this type.  While they were not numerous till the early 30's there is a picture of one made by Pullman as a 40 ft steel, outside braced car with steel ends and an end door.  It went to the Chicago & North Western in 1929!  According to the text, Auto racks started appearing in 1960 and the transition out of Auto Box cars to open racks was fast.  Many of the Auto Box cars were converted into Parts cars and stayed in service for moving auto parts. 

Really great model !

Regards, Don

 

 

Don McErlean posted:

GP7 #63 : What a super modeling job on the end door (automobile) box car.  I noted lots of folks in this thread interested in this type of car.  For your information, the 2019 Kalmbach Book ,"Railroading & the Automobile Industry" by Jeff Wilson , Chapter 3 , "Automobile Boxcars", shows lots of pictures of actual cars of this type.  While they were not numerous till the early 30's there is a picture of one made by Pullman as a 40 ft steel, outside braced car with steel ends and an end door.  It went to the Chicago & North Western in 1929!  According to the text, Auto racks started appearing in 1960 and the transition out of Auto Box cars to open racks was fast.  Many of the Auto Box cars were converted into Parts cars and stayed in service for moving auto parts. 

Really great model !

Regards, Don

 

 

Don. Thank you very much. This car was a speeder box car. I build inside the car rails & winch and put there speeder too. Very nice & interested project.

Johanreceived_45099814244000820200120_230635

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This AM the crew got an early start so are done switching the East End. Two pick-ups and two set-outs:

        IMG_0246

For today's blast-from-the-past, Centipede on the Hill:

        IMG_0249

Super-power of it's day at 6000hp, Baldwin touted them as fast passenger power but Pennsy had to quickly re-gear and downgrade them to Pusher service from Altoona to Gallitzin.

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