Lionel Tugboat

@Walter Matuch posted:

CNJ.Jim...yes Tom Bavolar did a super job on that CNJ tug. He was also a photo buff and did b&w CNJ enlargements for me in his basement. Had a hobby store in Westfield until he passed away a few years ago. Made great custom CNJ decals in HO and O. Did a run of CNJ RDC decals for me and SIRT applied them to a fleet of MTH RDCs.

A side story to the Lionel tugboat...the production version of this tugboat was thankfully not what Lionel had originally proposed. Longtime friend and exceptional maritime artist Steven Cryan made suggestions to Lionel about their original selection through contacts at the Mystic Seaport Museum and was 99% instrumental in changing the original Lionel proposal and doing the accurate model steam tugboat we now enjoy. Lionel also had Steve do the cover artwork for the 2003 catalog.

Some CNJ tug photos from my collection.

My uncle Mike and my maternal grandfather were CNJ tugboat men. I spent many weekends during the summer riding CNJ tugs in NY harbor...even played 'captain' and handled a tug a few times up the Hudson!

Even got to ride 'upstairs' with the captain on many CNJ ferryboats across the river between Jersey City and New York during high school in the early 1960's.

Walter/CNJ Forever!

Walter, I think you may be one of the few people that love tugboats, particularly the Lionel Tugboats, more than Tugboat A (me). LOL, Arnold

Great thread, and the Lionel tugs are fantastic.  I saw one at the Phoenix train show last time I was there - one look and I knew it was way too big for my layout.  I'll build a plastic model and detail to the best of my ability.  Regardless, Lionel really did a great job with the tug.  Thanks Arnold for kicking this off - I look forward to reading more in the next few days.  Thanks everybody, and the old photos are cool!

I do not have one of the Lionel tugs (B&O would be my choice) but did see a real B&O tug in Baltimore. A friend told me that one (do not remember the name at this late date) was tied up at the foot of Hull St.* so I went down there and took a couple of slides of it; now long lost.

* Named after a U. S. Naval hero from either the first or second War of Independence.

@Greg Houser posted:

I always wanted the PRR version and twice in the past 5 years came across one at a show at a good price but passed. I just don't have the room to do a harbor scene properly. The best I can do is the Rockville bridge and a small beach scene.

-Greg

Greg, if NJ HiRailers' enormous and marvelous layout doesn't  have a fleet of tugboats, including every version of the Lionel Tugboats (NY Central, Pennsy, Lehigh Valley, B&O and Santa Fe), it should have such a fleet. Arnold

@Jim Policastro posted:

I also had the Lionel tug but could never fit it in due to its size.

I found a plastic kit roughly HO size which served well on the old layout.

The uncertainty about the success of the rides goes back to my very early days in Astoria playing in the shadow of the Hellgate Bridge. I witnessed a tug lose power under the bridge during the worst tidal conditions and swirl around a bit in the infamous currents and whirlpools there.

Jim

Love your tugboat, geese/ducks, and your photos, Jim. All first rate like your numerous train magazine articles and everything else you do.

This is for those who have never heard the sounds of the Lionel Tugboats:

Some people hate these tugboat sounds; I happen to love them. I think I'm in the minority. LOL.

What do you think of these tugboat sounds?

Arnold

Love them

marty track

Nice pictures. Where did you get those red pier accessories? I need to get a few.

Thanks.

Walter

@Arnold D. Cribari

Arnold, I think it's cool. Gotta look for one of those.

@Walter Matuch posted:

marty track

Nice pictures. Where did you get those red pier accessories? I need to get a few.

Thanks.

Walter

I don’t know were Marty got his fittings, but you can try this link.

https://seaportmodelworks.com/...or-bollards-o-scale/

@Arnold D. Cribari, thank you for playing the Tug boat sounds, they are so cool, just like the real thing. I have a new in the box Lionel tugboat, however I can’t remember which model it is, tomorrow I’ll open it up, it’s still in the shipping carton. I’ll post the picture. Happy Railroading Everyone

Here you go I hope they support the forum

@Arnold D. Cribari posted:

Greg, if NJ HiRailers' enormous and marvelous layout doesn't  have a fleet of tugboats, including every version of the Lionel Tugboats (NY Central, Pennsy, Lehigh Valley, B&O and Santa Fe), it should have such a fleet. Arnold

We actually have a number of Tugs on the layout   Only one is the Lionel model  Most of the rest were built by Walter Matuchs father-in-law

Fantastic layout!

@Walter Matuch posted:

marty track

Nice pictures. Where did you get those red pier accessories? I need to get a few.

Frenchmanriver.com also makes various O-scale pier accessories. A lot of their products are resin. Nice people.

BTW Walter, in case you didn't know, eBay seller ... nhosog ... has the remainder of Tom Bavolar's CNJ decals for sale. He has more than is listed on eBay.

Jim

I've already got one, but for those who don't, there's currently a B&O tug on the big auction site for $120, ending today...