Switcher Saturday 10/28/23 Edition

Photos and videos show my Atlas O model of Central Railroad of New Jersey #107 – a USRA 0-6-0 steam switcher locomotive pulling my “New Jersey” train with CNJ boxcars #22485 and #25624, and caboose #91530. It is the only steam locomotive model built to date by Atlas O. The tether on my model has been problematic for years but it has continued to run when the tether is seated properly. After these videos were made, a rod assembly came apart, so I’ve decided to retire this model from operation. I’m planning to replace it with a special run Railking model of Raritan River USRA 0-6-0 #21 on order from forum sponsor Public Delivery Track. Over many years, my MTH engines have had the fewest problems and run the best of any brand.

MELGAR

Thanks for starting this session off Patrick.
Here is my PRR Plymouth switcher street running with local deliveries.

Here is Raritan Copper works Saddletank with a load of coal.

Lastly PRR RS11 with a local mixed freight.

MTH PS3 Maryland Midland GP9 diesel switcher hauling mid-Atlantic box cars through My Little Town:

Arnold

Good evening Switcher Saturday Enthusiast, here in Busan Korea it nearly Sunday morning, but just wanted to comment on the beautiful Steam switchers posted today. I looking forward to the new Lionel offering the A5 0-4-0 with legacy command. So far at my visit to Busan, and our hotel is next door to the station, I haven’t seen a switcher yet. Also, we are looking for toy train stores here, nothing found yet. @trumptrain, again, thanks for starting us off on this fun topic. Beautiful scenery as always, @MELGAR, I love the Atlas O steamer and wonder how you like it? Your scenes and videos are beautiful, @Arnold D. Cribari , great video, beautiful diesel… Well, Happy Railroading Everyone  (I hope you enjoyed York) (black diesel from Alaska)

NEW YORK CENTRAL USRA Light Mikado 5139 picks up some NEW ENGLAND COAL & COKE Hoppers at the coal dock.

Normally not considered a switcher, it is performing switching duties this morning.

The Mikado is by MTH, THE NEW ENGLAND COAL AND COKE hoppers are by WEAVER. The operating front coupler on the Mikado is a modified KADEE ONE GAUGE coupler.

Thanks for notching us out today, Patrick! Here's my 1955-57 PW US Army #41 Davenport gas turbine switcher pulling a train honoring our Army/Army National Guard:

The first three cars were produced by Lionel as a MUSA set in 2013 to honor our National Guard. The next three are reproductions of various fun PW military-themed flatcars and the last boxcar is one of MTH's US Army tribute cars. I really like this particular boxcar because of its depiction of flatcars carrying tanks rumbling by a flashing grade-crossing signal.

Hello, SwSat fans!  Patrick, nice spooky start!  

MELGAR, I think you’re giving up too easy on your CNJ 0-6-0!  Reassemble those rods, using the opposite side as a reference (it happens to MTH steamers too, three for me.  A 5mm nut driver will probably fit the main rod bolts).  See if you can secure the tether with a black twist tie.  It’s too nice to sit on a shelf!

I’m continuing my Western theme this Saturday with my Williams GE D&RG 44 tonner no. 42.  I would like to add more of these diesels to my collection, but it appears Williams has discontinued them (they’re not on the website).  It’s a shame, they were a great value.

John

My new 0-6-0 New Haven switcher moves around some 60' passenger cars....\

.....oops! Wrong video!  Fixed!

Have a great and safe weekend, folks!

Peter

Wow, we’re off to a great early start this fine switcher Saturday! . Nice pics everyone!  Here is my favorite railking switcher, an MTH RS1, working the mainline -

Patrick - thanks for the extended startup! Another week of great posts and videos.

RK (double exposure - already used in FEF)

@Steam Crazy posted:

Hello, SwSat fans!  Patrick, nice spooky start!  

MELGAR, I think you’re giving up too easy on your CNJ 0-6-0!  Reassemble those rods, using the opposite side as a reference (it happens to MTH steamers too, three for me.  A 5mm nut driver will probably fit the main rod bolts).  See if you can secure the tether with a black twist tie.  It’s too nice to sit on a shelf!

John

@Steam Crazy,

John,

The Atlas 0-6-0 needs new parts to make it work. Not sure if they're even available and not worth the cost any more. I think I'm better off investing in a new MTH 0-6-0 steamer to replace it. The tether was a nuisance too, but it was a nice-looking engine...

I like the cars and parking lot in front of the Shell station on your layout. Very nice work.

@leapinlarry,

Larry,

Very interesting pictures and trains from South Korea. Beautiful station and facilities too.

MELGAR

Happy SWSat!

Thanks for kicking things off again this week Patrick. If anyone wants to start a week or two let me know. John @jhz563 is still in the OGR dog house. I can do a week or two but more than happy to share the yardmaster duties. My email is in my profile.

Not a big Halloween house around here. Since the kids have outgrown trick or treating, not much to do except answer the door and give out candy to the next generation.

Best I can do is some New Haven black and orange, painted on switchers of course...... I guess Mr. McGuinness was a big fan fan of Halloween.

The fleet includes MTH RS-1 w/PS2, Lionel RS-11 w/ Oddessy, K-line Plymouth and Williams 44-ton conventional.

Have a great weekend and Happy Halloween!

Bob

Good morning SWSAT crew!

Penn Central SW8 8616 (Atlas O) takes fuel and has its daily inspection before assuming the day's tasks:

Have a great weekend, everyone!

Tom

MELGAR, thanks for the compliment and I’m sure you’re right about the lack of parts for your engine.  When I damaged the tether on my NH Atlas 0–6-0, I asked an Atlas rep at the Springfield show about a replacement.  He acted like he didn’t even want to talk about it.  I think the 0-6-0 was an embarrassment for Atlas.

Too bad you can’t get parts, you could have converted your engine to PS3 like i did.

John

@Steam Crazy posted:

Hello, SwSat fans!  Patrick, nice spooky start!  

MELGAR, I think you’re giving up too easy on your CNJ 0-6-0!  Reassemble those rods, using the opposite side as a reference (it happens to MTH steamers too, three for me.  A 5mm nut driver will probably fit the main rod bolts).  See if you can secure the tether with a black twist tie.  It’s too nice to sit on a shelf!

I’m continuing my Western theme this Saturday with my Williams GE D&RG 44 tonner no. 42.  I would like to add more of these diesels to my collection, but it appears Williams has discontinued them (they’re not on the website).  It’s a shame, they were a great value.

John

John- Looks like Trainland has a UP model in stock.

https://www.trainworld.com/sho...l?manufacturer=17896

@Putnam Division posted:

My new 0-6-0 New Haven switcher moves around some 60' passenger cars....

Have a great and safe weekend, folks!

Peter

@Putnam Division,

Peter,

I was looking at a book on New Haven electric locomotives this week and saw a picture and read that the New Haven's 0-6-0T switchers, which were very similar to the Lionel model, were used to move electric locomotives around the Van Nest shops in the Bronx. Van Nest was in the the New Haven's electric zone and the shop that serviced the electric locomotives. The buildings are still there and one is in use by Con Edison.

MELGAR

@MELGAR posted:

@Putnam Division,

Peter,

I was looking at a book on New Haven electric locomotives this week and saw a picture and read that the New Haven's 0-6-0T switchers, which were very similar to the Lionel model, were used to move electric locomotives around the Van Nest shops in the Bronx. Van Nest was in the the New Haven's electric zone and the shop that serviced the electric locomotives.

MELGAR

Mel......I grew up in Pelham Bay......probably 4 miles on a straight line to Van Nest......worked in Westchester Square and shopped in Parkchester which are both a stone's throw from Van Nest.....probably passed by Van Nest thousands of times while inching my way along a congested Cross Bronx Expressway!

Peter

Following Patrick's theme, here's the Halloween Express and the Transylvania R.R. on my Halloween layout.

Charlie

The Halloween Express Beep clears the right-of-way of creatures, debris and/or zombies (above). Allowing the Transylania R.R. (below) to move freely through the town.

Thanks Patrick for getting us started today...love this thread and would hate to miss it.

Well the US DOD has taken Halloween seriously this year!, Here is the US Army moving up a boxcar full of candy from Hunter Airfield near Savannah, Ga

Not to be outdone, the US Air Force is bringing up some air defense rockets and the US Navy is supplying a reconnaissance aircraft.  It seems a lot of the citizens of Savannah have been complaining about ..."These strange women, flying around all night on broomsticks!".

Happy Halloween everyone

Don

No Halloween in my collection yet.  I am enjoying my newly acquired H-3 N&W consolidation and matching caboose.  I will call it a switcher since N&W used similar engines as switchers later in their lives.

We are camping at Alum Creek this weekend so here is something from the archives.  
CSX or NS mainline is 4-5 miles away with lots of action headed north & south outside of Columbus.

Happy SwSat.

WOW!  Great posts so far!   Keep em coming!!

Here's a clip of two B&O GP9s on the point of a mixed freight.  

Thanks for getting us started Patrick. Great pics and videos guys, well done all around. Here is #447 spotting a reefer for Wilson & Co meats.

Andy

WTG trumptrain another fine switcher of a Saturday

@trumptrain posted:

WOW!  Great posts so far!   Keep em coming!!

Here's a clip of two B&O GP9s on the point of a mixed freight.  

Great video, Patrick! My train room smells like diesel exhaust now.

@Bill Swatos posted:

Great video, Patrick! My train room smells like diesel exhaust now.

Thanks Bill!  Sorry about the diesel smoke ... however it could have been worse if there were two ALCO RS units were on the point ... lol!  

@MELGAR posted:

It is the only steam locomotive model built to date by Atlas O. The tether on my model has been problematic for years but it has continued to run when the tether is seated properly. After these videos were made, a rod assembly came apart, so I’ve decided to retire this model from operation.

MELGAR

A beautiful model with some of the worst mechanical components ever put together to make up a locomotive.

I have the exact model too and it has all the problems mentioned above and then some…terrible that Atlas would put their name on something so poorly made.

Another terrific Switcher Saturday!!  Thanks everyone who posted and thanks to all who stopped by to take a gander today!   PLEASE keep posting and remember if you missed posting today feel free to post anytime during the coming week.  We'd love to see what you post!

Here's one more from me ... two B&O switchers, a Plymouth and a C16,  work on the Mountain Division of the FSJR.  

Bravo Everyone another spectacular Switcher Saturday, thank you so much!
to all, have a safe Halloween.

MELGAR and TAYCO,

No rod problems for me so far (fingers crossed).  Just the tether and a tender truck that fell apart and had to be screwed back together.

To put my ownership experience into perspective, I should tell you I paid a pittance for my 0-6-0 from an estate.  That allowed me to invest in PS3 without getting in over my head.

John

Happy Switcher Saturday plus 1!

MTH Jack o Lantern gondola pulled by a Maine Central BEEP.

@Steam Crazy

John,

The PS3 was a good idea for your Atlas 0-6-0. I just got to the point where I didn't want to spend more money on mine. I feel better about putting that money toward a new MTH Railking Imperial 0-6-0 scheduled for November delivery. I believe that MTH sold its Premier USRA 0-6-0 tooling to Lionel and kept the Railking 0-6-0 tooling for itself. Surprising to me. I would have kept the Premier tooling and sold the Railking... But then again, I'm not Mike Wolf.

MELGAR

Here a couple of my favorite Halloween photos from the G&O.  NH Joe