Switcher Saturday 8-13-22

Good morning JHZ563! That is an interesting Trackmobile.

Union Pacific GP-38-2 #2048 is an MTH Premier model (20-2188-1) with PS1. It appeared in the 1998 Volume 3 Catalog at an MSRP of $299.95 and was delivered in December 1998. I purchased this engine about 24 years ago, shortly after I resumed O gauge model railroading. At that time, I was acquiring locomotives and rolling stock of many railroads and hadn’t yet begun to focus on the Northeastern railroads. I used this engine to test the trackwork and wiring during construction of my 12’-by-8’ layout. I ran it occasionally for a year or two and it’s been on the shelf just above my workbench ever since. Although I’ve looked at it almost every day, I hadn’t run it for at least fifteen years. The traction tires were intact and had no flat spots, so I did not change them. The photos and videos show the engine’s first run after light lubrication and installation of a BCR. When power was applied, the sounds began immediately and the model ran smoothly while pulling three New Haven boxcars and a K-Line UP bay-window caboose. In my opinion, MTH has always made a quality product and still does. All of my old PS1 locomotives run well.

EMD GP38-2 locomotives weigh 250,000 pounds and have a 16-cylinder 2,000 horsepower diesel engine. They have a starting tractive effort of 61,000 pounds and a maximum speed of 65 miles-per-hour. 2,213 GP38-2s were produced between 1972 and 1986.

The model is running at 30 scale-miles-per-hour in the videos.

MELGAR

Is it Saturday already? Here is a hard working 44 tonner moving some ballast loads off the mainline onto a sidetrack -

Have a great Switcher Saturday everyone!

Nice @MELGAR!  I used to have the same engine to shove a UP snowplow.   

Here’s a trackside video of my PRR NW2 pulling a consist of gondolas through town.

   S.I. Action...

                                           New Windows Update

Good morning SWSAT crew!

Penn Central GP38 7692 (K-Line) switches a grain elevator this morning:

Have a great weekend!

Tom

Happy SWSat!

The Rutland is shifting cars this week. Motive power is a WbB 70 tonner. I picked this up at Trainworld in Lynbrook last Fall. It's a nice conventional loco with the Williams Tru-blast sound system. I've discovered that the prime mover sounds don't ramp up and down when track voltage is applied from my KW due to the higher starting voltage that the transformer puts out. I'd also like to add a battery to keep the sounds alive when changing direction if I can figure out where to land the wires. The fixed pilots due cause some issues on my 027 curves with lighter cars, heavy one's are not as much of a problem. I've modified the coupler mounts and removed the centering springs which has helped a little too.

Here we see the crew picking up a couple of B&M loads and pulling an empty Rutland car for the swap at a local factory. The absence of a caboose has given the crew some issues and Management has assured them that they are looking for suitable rolling stock to add to the fleet.

Have a great weekend.

Bob

@MELGAR posted:

I purchased this engine about 24 years ago, shortly after I resumed O gauge model railroading.                                                                Although I’ve looked at it almost every day, I hadn’t run it for at least fifteen years.           

MELGAR

Nice Melgar.

I'll have to try inserting a BCR in my shirt pocket to see if I can run as well as your engine does from 15 years ago.

RSJB, the Public Delivery Track is offering a Rutland caboose in the correct NYC style (Rutland was once owned by NYC).  I ordered one to go with my Rutland 70 tonner.

John

Happy Switcher Saturday from Finland. Today I am posting pictures of the Dv15 series locomotive that served on the Finnish railways between 1958 and 2004. The Dv15 series was the first locomotive to displace steam locomotives from track yard work, and a total of 58 of them were manufactured between 1958 and 1961. The locomotives were manufactured by Valmet and Lokomo here in Finland. The engine is Tampella/MAN W8V22/30 A.m.A. Engine power 840hp. The soundscape in this locomotive is really wonderful, one of my absolute favorites. This #1991 has been put into a museum and is now hauled in museum trains, mainly in rolling stock.

PW GP Burlington moving some freight, Have a good Switcher all.

anyone have a link to a video of a trackmobile in action?

@Steam Crazy posted:

RSJB, the Public Delivery Track is offering a Rutland caboose in the correct NYC style (Rutland was once owned by NYC).  I ordered one to go with my Rutland 70 tonner.

John

Thanks John. I need a Boston and Maine too. I'll check out Beth's site.

Bob

Good morning, SwSat nation!  As I mentioned last Sat, I’m going back to the archives for posts for a few weeks.  It’s been fun looking back and I’m surprised by the amount of photos/videos I’ve accumulated.

Today’s photo was taken on 3/14/20.  D&RG GE 44 tonner no. 42 and Vulcan no. 53  are shown on what appears to be a plow extra.  The snow must be up in the mountains traversed by the D&RG, because it looks summery at the site of the photo!

John

@wb47 posted:

anyone have a link to a video of a trackmobile in action?

@BAR GP7 #63 posted:

Happy Switcher Saturday from Finland. Today I am posting pictures of the Dv15 series locomotive that served on the Finnish railways between 1958 and 2004. The Dv15 series was the first locomotive to displace steam locomotives from track yard work, and a total of 58 of them were manufactured between 1958 and 1961. The locomotives were manufactured by Valmet and Lokomo here in Finland. The engine is Tampella/MAN W8V22/30 A.m.A. Engine power 840hp. The soundscape in this locomotive is really wonderful, one of my absolute favorites. This #1991 has been put into a museum and is now hauled in museum trains, mainly in rolling stock.

Very nice. Would love to hear that soundset, and, the sliding engine door is something I’ve not seen before, although my knowledge of real trains might fill a thimble.

thanks rsjb18

Good morning fellow switcher fans!  Thanks JHZ563 for getting us rolling today!   Great photos, videos, and information everyone

Today I'm focusing on those small switchers, nicknamed " critters".  Have a wonderful weekend everyone!!

This Pennsy 44 tonner just set out a reffer of ice cream, a commodity in great demand this time of year.

Plymouth switcher on the Mountain Division.

Plymouth and Docksider.  Docksider on the main of the Mountain Division with a short string of pulpwood cars.

Plymouth takes a siding as Dockside passes on the Mountain Division main.  

When we visited the Belfast & Moosehead Lake Railroad, my friend Joey had arranged a surprise for us, our own caboose on the train. It was amazing to experience what it's like to sit up there in the brakeman's seat. Amazing trip. I could also get myself one Bachmann 70 tonner and paint it in B&ML colors.