Switcher Saturday: 2018-October-06

Rusty

030 TB, or 060 for you, loco tender from the French railways. Those little but powerful locomotives where used mainly around Paris suburb for light passenger trains and latter for switching in railway yards. They where nicknamed “Boer” as a similar one has been put in service in 1899 during the Boer war in South Africa. The model is by Fournereau from the 50’s a famous manufacturer of scale models. The original postcard shows a little different model as there is many variations of the little critter. It is marked belt N° 27 which identifies the belt railway around Paris.

Have a nice weekend,   Daniel

The club I belong to is going to be running trains this weekend at the US Marine Corps Museum here in Virginia, I think these are the two engines I'm going to bring tomorrow for when it's my turn to run.  I ordered some Menards flatcars with Army jeeps for the consist, I think they will look nice behind either one of these two.

Rich

Happy Switcher Saturday everyone.

Rich, thanks for starting us up and hope you get some rest! 

My contribution this week is my prewar Lionel #231 riding on some manual switches. This was another "basket case" that had seen some rough handling by a previous owner. The headlight is slightly angled up probably from one too many drops. 

Tom 

We can get some hot days in New England. Fortunately the yard crew came up with a solution!

A Montana Rail Link GP cruising the rails on the S&Y RR.

    Bill T

 Happy Switcher Saturday! Moving some pigs this morning 

Yay! SWSat is on!

I am back from a work trip to the UK. I am still decompressing and going through things. I was able to take some time and see some sights as well. 

I went up to the Bluebell Railway which I recommend to anyone. It was the nicest preserved railroad operation I have ever seen. They were running 3 steam trains at a time. Each Of the four stations along the line was restored depicting different time periods from the 60’s back to the Victorian era. This attention to detail even extended to freight and baggage on the platform and the station workers uniforms. 

They had and run restored freight cars as well and do a fair bit of switching. 

Here are a few pics. 

I hope everyone has a nice weekend. Next week I may show what came home with me. 

Happy SWSat Everyone.

Great stuff so far. Andy- looks like you had a nice trip.

Brian- Those photos are from the Bronx Terminal market. Very cool operation in its day. Float bridge service across the river and a very unique transfer building.

This week I received my Lionel C&O NW-2 Celebration Series switcher. Its a reproduction of the original post war NW-2 with Command and rail sounds. I don't have a Legacy system (yet) but it runs in conventional so I'm happy for now. 

Bob

MNCW posted:

Happy Switcher Saturday everyone.

Rich, thanks for starting us up and hope you get some rest! 

My contribution this week is my prewar Lionel #231 riding on some manual switches. This was another "basket case" that had seen some rough handling by a previous owner. The headlight is slightly angled up probably from one too many drops. 

Tom 

hmmmm...my user on the car sites is Basketcase.......

this basketcase 

became this

Steamer posted:

MNCW posted:

Happy Switcher Saturday everyone.

Rich, thanks for starting us up and hope you get some rest! 

My contribution this week is my prewar Lionel #231 riding on some manual switches. This was another "basket case" that had seen some rough handling by a previous owner. The headlight is slightly angled up probably from one too many drops. 

Tom 

hmmmm...my user on the car sites is Basketcase.......

this basketcase 

became this

Growing a new driver set is a cool trick Steamer. 

I always wondered why when they tooled the 0-6-0 Lionel spaced the drivers equally when the real one had a wider space before the rear axel. 

RSJB18 posted:

Happy SWSat Everyone.

Great stuff so far. Andy- looks like you had a nice trip.

Brian- Those photos are from the Bronx Terminal market. Very cool operation in its day. Float bridge service across the river and a very unique transfer building.

This week I received my Lionel C&O NW-2 Celebration Series switcher. Its a reproduction of the original post war NW-2 with Command and rail sounds. I don't have a Legacy system (yet) but it runs in conventional so I'm happy for now. 

Bob

Bob 

I really like that C&O Switcher

Thanks Lee- I have an original ATSF 623 too. Great engines, one of my favorites.

piece of cake Silver...all it took was a Prewar motor from Dennis Hollar...

Happy Switcher Saturday To All. S.B.R. ALCO HH660 #150 "Anchor" switching at Port of Shark Bay. When the jobs has been done, Anchor return Cape Shark, where switching works continued.

RSJB18 posted:

Thanks Lee- I have an original ATSF 623 too. Great engines, one of my favorites.

Bob

as you see I repainted mine it was a long debate with my self but I did it anyway I’ll never get rid of it I like it a lot better now. Your right they run very well thanks for posting 

briansilvermustang posted:

 

    The 623 was the first locomotive made with Lionel's vertical motor and, coupled with it's heavy diecast base, this loco is one of the best running locos of all time. Two versions were offered - earlier versions had ten stanchions holding the hood rails, the later versions had only three stanchions. Produced from 1952 through to 1954 and modeled after EMD's (General Motors) NW2 switcher. Black painted body with white heat-stamped lettering, small GM and Santa Fe medallion decals, metal ornamental horn, plastic radio wheel and bell, marker lens, wire handrail along hood, black painted diecast frame with wire grab irons, dual headlights with lighted markers, front and rear coil couplers, two axle Magnetraction, and three position E-Unit (F/N/R).

 

Thanks brain for the post! 

All great switchers, Folks!  Nice to see the newly acquired C&O 624, Bob!!

Speaking of basket cases, this isn't a basket case, but isn't what I wanted.  I actually received this from a decent FaceBook Group guy who must have mixed me up with someone else.  Anyway, I decided it wasn't worth arguing about when it cost me $40, I would just take off the hand painted junk, and repaint in Western Maryland livery.  I don't care whether they ever had one or not.  It is a K-Line MP-15.  It does run very well, and I would say it has hardly seen any run time.  I just am not into Conrail, and even with my shaky hand, I could have hand painted the white rim and renumber better than is on this.  Well here it is.

Great photos and info guys!!  Been too busy to take any new photos this week, however, here are some re-peats.... an all B&O lineup!  Have a wonderful weekend!! 

Just got home from the Museum of the American Railroad in Frisco, TX and they have a bunch of switchers. Here's a few pics that I took this morning.

Steamer posted:

piece of cake Silver...all it took was a Prewar motor from Dennis Hollar...

 

I see. That is a cool trick. It turned out very nicely. Hope I didn’t come off sounding like a jerk  

Rumor is that Joshua Lionel Cowen stepped in and went with the equal driver spacing on this engine for aesthetic reasons despite the staggered spacing on the rear driver of the real engine. 

never crossed my mind Silver. Even reread your post...nothing even comes close to being jerkish. But I'll be offended if you'd like....

I feel that my tone gets weird sometimes in my posts sometimes. If nothing else I double think things. Glad to hear it wasn’t offensive Steamer/Dave. 

that's what my Wife has always said...it's not what I say....but how I say it.

all good here Bud

Silver Lake posted:

Steamer posted:

piece of cake Silver...all it took was a Prewar motor from Dennis Hollar...

 

I see. That is a cool trick. It turned out very nicely. Hope I didn’t come off sounding like a jerk  

Rumor is that Joshua Lionel went with the equal driver spacing on this engine for aesthetic reasons despite the staggering on the real engine. 

Andy/SILVERLAKE, Yes, for the prewar steam switchers, I would imagine both for looks (who else but us folks would notice these things) and/or maybe there was some cost savings to space them out equally and/or maybe it looked more "balanced" spacing them out equally. Also, the unequal spacing occurs between the first and second axle (from the front). Whatever the reason, it doesn't bother me at all. In the end, these are all toys! 

Here's a nice side view of B6 #660. Someone would really need to look hard to see the unequal spacing with the rods/valve gear in the way.

Tom 

Someday's you just need more power..SWBeep #1455, GP7u #1326 and slug #118;    3,000 Hp and 12 Traction motors.

briansilvermustang posted:

 

   nmp...          nice photo...

Nice small R.R. Company. I have 3 H0 ST.Maries GP9`s.

Johan

briansilvermustang posted:

 

   nmp...          nice photo...

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=D2YGV8O2PR8         Nice scenery. 

Johan

Thanks for posting that advertisement Brian. $25.00.....really?????

Mark- That MP-15 will look sharp in WM Fireball black. Do your self a favor and re-wire the motors in series. It will take away the jack rabbit starts and allow for switching without catastrophes . 

Lee- no worries on the repaint- your railroad, your rules. The ATSF is one of my all time favorites so mine will stay original.

Bob, $25 in the mid '50s was a lot of money.  They built them to last!!

Thank you on the MP-15.  Yes, I will rewire the motors in series, I like slow starts.  

briansilvermustang posted:

 

 

 

 C&O Chesapeake & Ohio Battery-Electric Shop Switcher 18742

 

 

I sure do miss seeing the Chessie paint scheme from when I was growing up.

I find it interesting that the Battery~Electric's coupler still has a slotted knuckle for a "link and pin" type draft gear. I think the Shop Switcher would be a cool scratch build/Kitbash project.

Thank you for posting these photo's, Brian!

Rusty

Rusty, I was in high school when The Chessie System came into being.  I grew up less than a half mile from the B&O, so I saw the Chessie symbol slowly appear on the trains.  

Mark Boyce posted:

Rusty, I was in high school when The Chessie System came into being.  I grew up less than a half mile from the B&O, so I saw the Chessie symbol slowly appear on the trains.  

Mark, I grew up ten miles Northeast of Decatur, IL. I remember seeing B&O, C&O, Family Lines and Chessie System power, rolling stock, and, cabooses, in Decatur. I took pictures of trains from the time I was a teen until I was in my late twenties. I slowed down on the picture taking after I started railroading, 26 years ago.

I have taken more pictures here in the last few years, though. I grew up along the ICG's Decatur District and watched IC, ICG, GM&O power run past my house, along with the Illinois Terminal, which had trackage rights from Decatur to Champaign, IL. Oh how I wish I had taken pictures of those trains, even with the 110 Kodak we had, it would have been better than nothing!

Rusty

I lived along the old B&O branch line south of Cleveland (in Strongsville) and saw plenty of Chessie predecessor rolling stock go through, although most of the motive power by that time (late 1970s and beyond) was marked for the Chessie. A few Family Lines engines came through now and then. 

briansilvermustang posted:

 

 

 

 C&O Chesapeake & Ohio Battery-Electric Shop Switcher 18742

 

 

Great photos as always Brian. Thanks for posting.  I used to operate engines for the C and O/Chessie System in the 1970s. Brings back fond memories.  Do you know where the electric switcher photo was taken?   Fendermain

RSJB18 posted:

Thanks for posting that advertisement Brian. $25.00.....really?????

Mark- That MP-15 will look sharp in WM Fireball black. Do your self a favor and re-wire the motors in series. It will take away the jack rabbit starts and allow for switching without catastrophes . 

Lee- no worries on the repaint- your railroad, your rules. The ATSF is one of my all time favorites so mine will stay original.

Thanks Bob  that helps 

My humble entry.

nuthin humble about it...that looks great!

RSJB18 posted:

Happy SWSat Everyone.

Brian- Those photos are from the Bronx Terminal market. Very cool operation in its day. Float bridge service across the river and a very unique transfer building.

 

A fantastic repurposing of a 19th century roundhouse and what likely was a machine shop attached.  Once locos got bigger than civil war tea kettles the limited turntable capacity and length usually spelled the end for such structures.  Wonder if it once had a roof over the central area?

These are the details of 20th century railroad progress and obsolescence I find fascinating.  Toronto had a number of these small roundhouses at one time when the number of railroads serving the city was 5 - 8.  Unfortunately, with town railroad property at a premium, nobody had reason to repurpose them.  On the contrary, what was once Toronto's largest station, erected in 1866 at the foot of Yonge St and the wharf by the Great Western Railway survived until 1952.  It remained pretty much intact throughout the years, with its 4 track wooden train shed, passenger and freight sections taking up a city block on the diagonal   Because of it's original position by the lake shore it was built on wooden pilings.  It probably served as a railway facility until construction began one the current Union Station,severing its rail connection.  After that it became a produce market with the rails boarded over for more floor space.  The depression and WWII probably prolonged it's life but I assume some post-war " enthusiasm " regarding a downtown revitalization might have led to it burning pretty much completely. Only some of the modest passenger offices remained.  In the post fire photos you can see the remains of many scorched heads....heads of cabbage and lettuce in the ruins.

Sorry for geekin' out on history.  That Bronx Terminal picture got me chuffed.

Bruce