Are O scale tugboats passe' ???

The New York Central was the only railroad with a physical rail connection for freight service into Manhattan, an island, from the mainland. The harbor region's other roads, Lehigh Valley included, had to rely upon extensive fleets of company owned watercraft to move equipment and freight over the water to numerous off-line terminals around the city. Railroad owned tugs provided the muscle to get it done so your LV tug boat model is indeed a replica of something which existed in real world railroading. 

As far as the lack of available models on the secondary market is concerned, I tend to think it's a result of their owners wanting to keep them rather than a lack of popularity. 

Bob

You got a great deal on your tugboat. I have the same Lionel LV Tugboat and have used it for years on our club's modular layout. To put it short, not for sale. IMHO, people keep the nice stuff and that is reflected in low availability on eBay.

Hi. Are you in O scale two rail?  There are a number of O scale barge kits, a couple of waterline tug boat models and the Lionel tugs. There is more scale type equipment at blue jacket here in Maine. I will attempt to send some links this week.

I will also send a couple of photos of the barges and rail float I have built. I also hyper detailed a small steam ship that I have weathered well. 

I built a float bridge and rail float that can be seen on last weeks (or week before )

Switcher Saturday's  entries. There I may have pictured the tug as well. Check it out.

I once bought a Santa fe one  for $60 needing some minor repair. Periodicaly one finds them at shows and eBay. They are costly to ship (no pun intended). As you know the box is large. I managed to modernize it as a diesel tug and gave it to a friend for his layout.

Back to this later this week. Railmarine topics are very popular amoung scalers and 3 railers as well.

Leroof

The car float barges that those tugs pushed around New York Harbor were quite long. Along with the apron where the car float docked for loading and unloading ... it takes up a lot of space on a layout.

Maybe that's why they aren't very popular? Even in HO.

I'm using this gentleman's painted Walthers HO tug as an inspiration for the CNJ tugs I'm starting in HO.

Mike:

The Lionel tugboat is more prototypical than not. It was designed by Lionel but with much assistance from Steve Cryan, a model railroader, tugboat afficianato and artist  from Connecticut. His artwork graced the cover of a Lionel catalog that depicted a B&O tugboat working NY Harbor. I have a few of Steve's original watercolors of CNJ tugs, ferries and Sandy Hook steamships. He is a regular at the Big E show in Springfield, Mass each year.

from Steve Cryan's website...Steven Cryan is a leading authority on trains, tugs and maritime history. His photography collection on the subject is one of the largest in the U.S.A. He gives slide shows and lectures throughout the country. Steven’s work can be seen at the Dock & Dine Restaurant in Old Saybrook, Connecticut. When not painting or building models, Steven can be found pursuing his love of music as he plays harmonica and trombone with three different bands at a variety of local venues.

And, he is a very fine friend of mine and likes the CNJ too!

Walter

Even the Santa Fe had tugboats:

Rusty

The DM&IR has one servicing there ore dock.  I took this photo in 2012 North of Duluth they were unloading ore cars in the background.

franktrain 

I love my Lionel NYC tug so much I purchased another one after I sold my original one to a fellow forum member. They are very nice pieces but do take up a lot of room. So much so that I may not have a place for it on my current layout. As for availability and price, there's not much more to be said. They are hard to find because people like them however, as with everything else in this hobby, the more popular models/roadnames usually command higher prices. In the end though, you got a great deal from you LHS.

Enjoy!

Mike

645 posted

Correction - the DM&IR used to use the Edna G to help ships maneuver by the Two Harbors ore dock as it was retired in 1981. It is a floating museum piece now.

http://lakecountyhistoricalsoc...view/edna-g.-tugboat

Thanks 645 for the info. I need to go back and spend more time up there, its a beautiful part of the country.

franktrain

I picked up the Santa Fe version at a show a few years ago. I think I paid about $125.  It is a really nice model with sounds and smoke.  Right now it is in its box while I figure how how to fit it in.

I see only 2 issues: because it is scale, or close to it, it is big; there is no volume control so it can be loud.  I also seem to recall that once the sound started, you had to cut power to turn it off.

That, not withstanding, the tugboats are great models.

No.

Alex M. designed his new layout to have a scene/vignette just for the tugboat. (see 1st video around 0:56)

Hi everyone-

I found your web site while looking for Lehigh Valley Rail Road tugs and car barges.

When I was a heck of a lot younger I worked at American Smelting and Refining Company (ASARCO) in Perth Amboy, New Jersey. A job listing came up for what a lot of employees called an ulcer job, and that was working directly with the Lehigh Valley RR switcher crew. My job title was certified weigh master/yard master for the plant. I was responsible for keeping records of all rolling stock loads entering, exiting and shipments of copper, brass and precious metals. It was a head ache at times, but being a rail buff since early childhood, it was a dream job for sure.

I have been a scale model ship builder for more than 40+ years and I guess I was bit when my Dad was a patrol leader for our Boy Scout Troop. I lived in Sewaren, NJ back then, one town over from Perth Amboy. There was an old covered barge at a marina that my Dad received permission to use and hold our meetings. During a severe hurricane in the "50's the old barge took it's last breath and sank.

I have forever been drawn to the old sailing ships, wind jammers and period ships for as long as I can remember. I have many ship models in museums and private collections from New York to Florida. My favorite part of the ship's construction is the rigging out process.

My ship model club held a Christmas party raffle and I had won a terrific Dumas kit of the Carol Moran. I love the Moran tugs, but I'm leaning more towards a Lehigh Valley RR tug. Is this conversion possible with a Moran hull?? Another thing that picks at my brain is that the Moran tug has a set of steps leading up to the top deckhouse at the bow of the tug, whereby the LV tugs do not seem to show access to the top deck? Yeah, I know it's a lame question, but if I'm going to convert this Moran tug to a LV RR tug, I'd like to know just how the crew got up there???

The scale of this Moran tug is 1/72nd! I was also thinking of building a scratch built car barge, but where do I find 1/72nd scale rolling stock??? If I decide to build the car barge in HO scale, would it look and stand out like a sore thumb?????????????

I would like to hear from one and all regarding my comments here. Thanking you in advance, I remain-

Frank J. Ryczek, Jr.

Maritime Artworks Limited

Jacksonville, Florida

Port of Shark Bay.

The Lionel tugboat is actually a very decent rendition of a NYC harbor tug. There being few on the second-hand market indicates their relative popularity, not the reverse.

I like my NYC.

What happened to the MORAN tugboats. Weren't they the most famous tugboat company?

I love tugs, grew up crossing NY Harbor! 

I would love to fit my Walthers HO car float module in the background of the next O module. For me, the Lionel tug takes up too much real estate.

New modeling in the works for 2018. 

In the FWIW category re tugboats...

Sylvan Models makes (made?) a nice small tugboat kit (resin) in O scale.  Not of railroad vintage, mind you, but in a nice size (about 11" long) for many home O2R/O3R layouts.

I couldn't resist...

BTW...George (ITT Products) made a sound module for this tug for moi....sloshing water, small diesel engine burbling, ubiquitous seagulls squawking, and a single chime tug whistle from a genuine whistle manufacturer's website!  Simply awesome.....and I hope to get it installed someday, too!!

Sylvan makes a complementary coal barge kit, too...which I succumbed to, also.

That said, I also bought the Lionel Santa Fe tug back in 2004.  Dunno why.....you're right: It's BIG.  However, the price was right....NIB. 

At my age I tend to fall asleep when thinking about how to incorporate the Lionel tug into the layout.  Of course, that may be a learned response from having this book read to me as a kid...

Space seems to be the biggest issue with tug boats. If given the space to work with I'd say the majority of modeler's here would all have a tug boat or some kind of water scene as long as it fit they're modeling era and geography.

I recently built a tug in HO and it was huge even for that small scale. It came as a full hull build so I had to cut the hull to water line.

I never owned one but have always liked them when I have seen them on a layout. Lionel did a great job on them my favorite is the PRR one, no surprise there.

JohnB

I'd love to see one in NYO&W, yes,they had a couple!

MIKATT1 posted:

I'd love to see one in NYO&W, yes,they had a couple!

As would I! 

Like other have stated... I think one of the limiting factors of tugboats, or waterfront terminals/industrial scenes in general, is the shear amount of space they occupy. Once you get beyond a simple fishing harbor, you start chewing up precious space that could have been more industry & rails, especially if you want a scale size tugboat/ship in the water.

Modelers who like these things should attempt forced compression. O in front, H.O. in back. Plenty of H.O. items to bash. Actually 75% of my 2018 and future modeling will be paper, copied from real building photos. 

SIRT posted:

Modelers who like these things should attempt forced compression. O in front, H.O. in back. Plenty of H.O. items to bash. Actually 75% of my 2018 and future modeling will be paper, copied from real building photos. 

 

For your reference there was a firm marketing building photos under the name Radical Flats.  I have many of them and they are well done (skew and square). They show up at local shows.

Also for the artists (non-photo) paper modelling there is Clever Models (clevermodels.com).  They have downloadable paper model buildings at reasonable prices.

Lou N

Two questions on the Lionel Tugboat...

Does the tug come out of the "wave holder" and

If yes to above, does the tug float -  i.e. in a pool?

Thanks, Paul

I sold my first tug but after seeing how Alan (the Publisher) used one on his layout i repurchased one for mine.

It's hard to find lake real estate for a ship but much easier for a tug and a barge.

Hey all-

i thank you one and all for all of your responses.

I did fail to mention in my first submission that the Dumas "CAROL MORAN" tug will hopefully be re-worked to a Lehigh Valley RR Tug, and I plan on having it made into a working radio controlled model. A vast majority of my ship models are radio controlled, including my fully rigged out ships as well.

The Dumas tug "Carol Moran is in 1/72nd scale! My further plan is to build a car barge to push around on our club lake site.

What are your opinions on building an HO car float for my 1/72nd scale RC tug.? Would it look way off scale being tugged around with the 1/72nd scale tug, or can I get away with it????

Thank you all for your replies!

Frank Ryczek, Jr.

Maritime Artworks Limited

Jacksonville, FL

Question regarding the Lionel tugs??

Railrunnin wanted to know if the model is attached to the wave formed cradle or not. How easy would it be to pry off the top deck to get to the hull? This model would be very cool to convert to a radio controlled pond runner!

Are these Lionel tugs still available, or OOP's (out of production? What do they go for if available?

Thanks!

Frank Ryczek, Jr.

Maritime Artworks Limited

Jacksonville, Florida

PS to Railrunnin-

I have used canned expanding foam sealant on many of my models for float and stability.  Just be careful with the stuff and don't use too much. It will expand and blow the deck clean off. Trust me on that!!   FR

In terms of removal from the base, I believe they are all similar.

Here is the manual for the Pennsy version on the Lionel site: link.  NYC is here. 

Not sure why no manual shows up for the later produced Lehigh, might be because it's the same as the earlier Pennsy and Santa Fe in features, so they might not have made any mods to the manual when they did the Lehigh.

The bottom is pretty much flat and that's where the connections for power and the controller are, so I wouldn't imagine floating it would be a simple exercise, at least not without modifying the hull quite a bit. 

The first page of the manual flat out states not to try to float it on water.

-Dave

Thanks Dave, They are good looking tugs.

Paul