Switcher Saturday: 2016-Apr-02

Yay SW Sat is on!

This week I am posting some images of Canadian National SW1200rsm units.

These were rebuild units that used SW1200 frames and recycled GP9 hoods and engines with a new cab to make switcher units. They would make cool pretty straight forward kitbash projects in O scale. The cab seems like the hardest part the numberboards on the cab end are also pretty distinctive looking. 

And exciting to me this week I started building a new switching layout so you guys will not have to suffer through my research image dumps every week. 

It will be a short 1'x8' switcher with an extension to one side. Here is the start with my K-line Porter in Reading flavor to keep it in Monopoly. Apologies for the weird for art of the pics. Obviously not all the track is placed but you can have an idea of the general layout two track Spurs with a run around. I'm using all Gargraves track with hand thrown turnouts. I have not ever used Gargraves before and  there is a bit of a learning curve.

 Here is my new start. I never done a purpose built switching layout. My old one was by default because I got tired of placing the drop in bridge every time I wanted to run trains. Anyway excited to start to run trains again 8 months after a move ended my old layout.

Looks like we found another inspiration for the Beep models!

Happy Switcher Saturday! My contribution is my Lionel #231 steam switcher. 

Tom 

Andy, that SW1200rsm does kinda remind me of the Beeps a little bit, great find!  
I'm super excited about your switching layout, I've thought about doing one many times as my neighborhood buddy (ChessieMD here on the forum) has one which he runs his high-end Legacy/PS3 type of scale diesels on, at about 0.05MPH, pretty cool!  I stumbled across a picture of another neat switching layout recently, I'll see if I can find it and send your way!  Good luck.  p.s.  How do you like the Gargraves track and switches?  You said you have to get used to them?

Mike, as always, great picture and great scene, thanks for posting it!

Tom/MNCW:  I love seeing that Lionel #231 of yours, it looks like it's sitting on a sink today or ?   Is it getting a bath? ;-)

Catch you guys later, have a great day!

Hey Rich, 

I don't see any high end stuff in my future but the Williams by Bachmann 44 tonner is my planned go to for this one. Since it is such a small layout. The LionCheif Plus NW2 is also interesting but we will see. 

My problem is that my main interests in the hobby these days are small level switching and passenger/commuter stuff but they really don't fit together well. For my space these days switching is best to go with. 

For a few years I have gotten very interested in British style layout design. I have even gotten some of thier publications at Barnes and Noble. I live in New York City and don't have a lot of room for a layout so the European approach to layout design is really a better fit for me unless I want to go to N scale.

The Gargraves track seems good and I like the wood ties but thier switches are not so nice. When fitting track together the rails sometimes slide around in the switches and I find I have to be really carefull keeping everything together before I move to the next part. I need a better system to draw the rails together and eliminate gaps. I hear that Ross makes better switches but I can't really justify Ross's  prices  for this experiment. I have a fun idea for the extension/fiddle yard but I am still figuring that part out.

I think my Bachmann Pennsy 44 tonner may become PC #9999 to depict Union Transportation in New Egypt NJ.

Silver Lake posted:

I think my Bachmann Pennsy 44 tonner may become PC #9999 to depict Union Transportation in New Egypt NJ.

 

Silver Lake, 9999??? That locomotive!? Boo, hiss... What blasphemy! That was one of the diesel switchers that brought down the curtain on the historic Pennsy steam program. The actual locomotive which did the dirty deed was #9353 and the date it replaced steam switcher B6 #5244 was July 14, 1959. Seriously, if you do such a project, be sure to post pictures.

Rich,

No, on the bath "Mr. Eagle Eyes!" Yes regarding, that is my basement sink and I was repairing marker lights on the locomotive, a common issue on prewar and postwar Lionel steam switchers. Maybe it is worth mentioning for others, such repairs work well with JB Weld.

Tom

MNCW I know but I don't have a B6.... yet. (Maybe I should borrow yours.)

It would be pretty easy to have the full roster of the later borrowed Pennsy/PC engines with out too much work though.  They only really had one at  a time. I'll keep posting here as I build. 

My sister lives in New Egypt NJ. I haven't fully explored and found the right of way though I do have an idea of where it was. Slowly it is being converted to a trail but it has not yet reached the town. 

Happy Switcher Saturday, everyone.

Silver Lake posted:

MNCW I know but I don't have a B6.... yet. (Maybe I should borrow yours.)

It would be pretty easy to have the full roster of the later borrowed Pennsy/PC engines with out too much work though.  They only really had one at  a time. I'll keep posting here as I build. 

My sister lives in New Egypt NJ. I haven't fully explored and found the right of way though I do have an idea of where it was. Slowly it is being converted to a trail but it has not yet reached the town. 

The John Brinckmann book, Pemberton and Hightstown, A Chronicle of Railroading through the Farm Belt of New Jersey, mentions a fire heavily destroyed the New Egypt station in 1975 and then it was demolished soon after. Are there any remnants of the railroad left there in the New Egypt area? 

Sorry, lending/borrowing would throw off our fragile economy!  Good luck getting a B6 of your own. Good luck with the switching layout, too. My last layout was an 11x4 foot switching layout. I enjoyed it very much. 

Tom  

MTH Montour SW9s at the Venetia Mine, and an HO Baldwin in Bessemer and Lake Erie paint on the DARE Model Railroad Club's HO model of the Montour system. 

I owe I owe,it was off to work I had to go, so I'm late. Tom you gotta stop showing that 231....I want one more each time I see it...and it's not in the budget yet....

Dave, 

 Sorry about that. Hey, you never know what they will go for. The last prewar switcher I bought a few years ago was another #231. It was in bad shape, missing rear cab step, wiring like a boiler explosion happened and marker lights both missing. It was bought on eBay along with 3 other decripit engines and assorted parts...the whole package all for around $250. I didn't even know which prewar switcher I was buying at the time as the seller said there was no number plate on the smokebox (but there was). The wiring which looked bad was fixed by my friend in one afternoon, which I may have mentioned before, for the price of a pizza. 

 Nice picture of the Pennsy A5! 

 Tom 

"The last prewar switcher I bought a few years ago was another #231. It was in bad shape, missing rear cab step, wiring like a boiler explosion happened and marker lights both missing. It was bought on eBay along with 3 other decripit engines and assorted parts"

sounds like my kinda deal.....

I would have posted these yesterday, but I was in NYC for the Auto Show.....

Some morning movements...

And a new addition landed on my doorstep.... great little growler!

Murnane posted:

No joking around, it's #SwitcherSaturday time!!!!

Lots of us out there love switchers (shifters, docksiders, yard goats, critters, etc.), so lets keep #SwitcherSaturday (a.k.a. SWSAT) rolling!

Last week was tons of fun, some really great pictures and video of our favorite switchers. Take a peek here to check out the action!
https://ogrforum.ogaugerr.com/t...saturday-2016-mar-26

My pictures this are of my C&O #25 Plymouth Switcher (K-Line 2630-06). I stumbled across the prototype for this and the picture is included, I think perhaps someone posted this prototype picture before (a few weeks ago), but I thought I'd try to recreate the picture, without going completely overboard.

Here is the original, unedited picture:

Here is the edited picture:

Here is the prototype, sourced from http://www.northeast.railfan.net/images/tr_bo25.jpg

 

Please enjoy your weekend, and if you get a chance post some pictures/videos/stories of your favorite switchers!

Best...Rich Murnane

p.s. Miss the post on Saturday? NO BIG DEAL, just keep posting pictures of your favorites until the next #SwitcherSaturday

 

Very nice Rich!!  I have a B&O Plymouth by K line.  Bought it at the last Timonium show.  Its now stuck inside Mt. Randolph due to a derailment on the Mountain Division of the Free State Junction Railway.   The MOW crews have only been able to move her off the tracks to clear the line for through freights. 

At some point when time permits the MOW crew will return to retrieve her from the tunnel.

Great photos of the model and prototype.  Until seeing your prototype photo, I was not even sure if the B&O even rostered a Plymouth.  Thanks for posting these photos!!!

Some oldies but goodies.  Was not around to shoot new photos this weekend.

Silver Lake posted:

Yay SW Sat is on!

This week I am posting some images of Canadian National SW1200rsm units.

These were rebuild units that used SW1200 frames and recycled GP9 hoods and engines with a new cab to make switcher units. They would make cool pretty straight forward kitbash projects in O scale. The cab seems like the hardest part the numberboards on the cab end are also pretty distinctive looking. 

And exciting to me this week I started building a new switching layout so you guys will not have to suffer through my research image dumps every week. 

It will be a short 1'x8' switcher with an extension to one side. Here is the start with my K-line Porter in Reading flavor to keep it in Monopoly. Apologies for the weird for art of the pics. Obviously not all the track is placed but you can have an idea of the general layout two track Spurs with a run around. I'm using all Gargraves track with hand thrown turnouts. I have not ever used Gargraves before and  there is a bit of a learning curve.

 Here is my new start. I never done a purpose built switching layout. My old one was by default because I got tired of placing the drop in bridge every time I wanted to run trains. Anyway excited to start to run trains again 8 months after a move ended my old layout.

Very cool photos Silver Lake!!!  Thanks!  Those switchers look like Beeps of RMT fame.

LOL!!

trumptrain posted:

Silver Lake posted:

Yay SW Sat is on!

This week I am posting some images of Canadian National SW1200rsm units.

These were rebuild units that used SW1200 frames and recycled GP9 hoods and engines with a new cab to make switcher units. 

Very cool photos Silver Lake!!!  Thanks!  Those switchers look like Beeps of RMT fame.

LOL!!

 

Oh I forgot to post something about the. SW1200RSm the CN crews called these "Sweeps" so the BEEP inspiration may not be too off the mark.