E33 Rectifiers

In fact, a Geep makes a nice Rectifier-type locomotive... 

Mitch 

Yeah, they are butt ugly to some but I always thought the Lionel 2329 was one of the classic PW locos.

Came in a couple of cool sets in the 1958-59 time frame.

My Lion Chief Plus Virginian.

Lionel always favored the blue and yellow scheme which the real rectifiers were always painted black and yellow. Late in the Virginian railroard's life painted some of the Trainmaster diesels the blue and yellow scheme from the 'drab' black and yellow.

I don't have a Postwar 2329, I do have the first three of the modern era, virginian, new haven and conrail.

Here we go again. The Virginian never used blue. It was always black and yellow. Lionel got it wrong. Period!

George Lasley

johnstrains posted:

Yeah, they are butt ugly to some but I always thought the Lionel 2329 was one of the classic PW locos.

Came in a couple of cool sets in the 1958-59 time frame.

Yeah, I have the MPC version Virginian.  I like all electric locomotives, but the Lionel 2329 always looked great to me.  I don't get all this talk of how "ugly" it is.

MTH Premier El-C's (E33 is a PRR designation). Scale and in the correct black and yellow scheme.

Ken

The rounded roof section around the pantograph/cab area makes me think it was for guarding against flash and/or damaged catenary equipment. Safe guess?

Firewood posted:

The rounded roof section around the pantograph/cab area makes me think it was for guarding against flash and/or damaged catenary equipment. Safe guess?

More likely a platform so shop men have some room to service the pantograph.

Rusty

Firewood posted:

The rounded roof section around the pantograph/cab area makes me think it was for guarding against flash and/or damaged catenary equipment. Safe guess?

According to an article in The Shoreliner Vol. 39 "New Haven EF-4 VIRGINIANS by C.A. Brown you are exactly correct.

George Lasley posted:

Here we go again. The Virginian never used blue. It was always black and yellow. Lionel got it wrong. Period!

George Lasley

Well that does it.   Now I'm gonna have to sell my blue and yellow Virginian engines, cabooses and boxcars.  I always thought they looked good.

aussteve posted:

George Lasley posted:

Here we go again. The Virginian never used blue. It was always black and yellow. Lionel got it wrong. Period!

George Lasley

Well that does it.   Now I'm gonna have to sell my blue and yellow Virginian engines, cabooses and boxcars.  I always thought they looked good.

You definitely should; absolutely NOTHING worse than "blue" Virginian locomotives!!!!!

The New Haven Railroad acquired the Virginian E33 electric motors in 1963 and, designated as EF-4, used them for freight operations between New Haven and Bay Ridge in Brooklyn, New York. They were later used by Penn Central, went to Conrail in 1976, and were retired in 1981. The twelve locomotives were purchased by the New Haven, where they were known as "bricks," for $300,000. They had 3,300 horsepower, 98,500 pounds starting tractive effort and a maximum speed of 65 mph. My MTH Premier models are older PS1s.

MELGAR

I'm with Dan; these locomotives are very appealing to me.  The boxy, utilitarian look with its hard edges resonate with my personality.  Ironically, the rounded cab roof is the only thing about the E33s that I am not quite so thrilled with.

I run one of the MTH PS3 scale versions as a helper unit on the coal drag.  They are big locomotives, well built with great detail.

I pulled the crappy MTH pantograph off and installed a brass Japanese scale model for use under wire.

Grampstrains posted:

George Lasley posted:

Here we go again. The Virginian never used blue. It was always black and yellow. Lionel got it wrong. Period!

George Lasley

You need to remember that back in the day, Lionel was selling "Toy Trains".  Blue and yellow was a more attractive color than black for sales.  Even in the 1970's, Fundemensions always noted that colorful cars sold the best.

So,,,,,,,now that its 2018, Lionel gets everything correct on the Legacy & Vision Line products? 

Are all these posts 'sayin there was no real blue/yellow Trainmasters?

Chuck Sartor posted:

Are all these posts 'sayin there was no real blue/yellow Trainmasters?

Certainly looks that way!

YES, that is exactly what I am saying. Black and yellow, period!

George Lasley

The New Haven Rectifiers on the Bay Ridge branch passed very near my home growing up.  They were joined by BB3's, EF3's and Alco S-2s and Alco 

OK, memory going bad.  Back in the 1970's I thought  I saw/had an large Allison Cox postcard (remember those) that had a blue/yellow FM diesel.

I like the look,  and the more I look at it, the more it grows on me. 

I myself have long been a fan of the Rectifier locos. The MTH Premier model is a great looking engine, but they continue to use the blind wheels on the inner wheelset. Until they use a flanged wheel, I just can't bring myself to buy one...tat goes for their E8 too (but that's for another thread).

yankspride4 posted:

I myself have long been a fan of the Rectifier locos. The MTH Premier model is a great looking engine, but they continue to use the blind wheels on the inner wheelset. Until they use a flanged wheel, I just can't bring myself to buy one...tat goes for their E8 too (but that's for another thread).

Ron:

Agreed.  However, there are relatively easy ways around that issue, see this thread.  Nevertheless, I also understand the predictable objection to retrofitting a brand new locomotive.  Since it is a model I specifically want on my system, that doesn't bother me.  Regretfully, that is MTH making a locomotive more marketable at the expense of realism.  I do find that annoying, as I would prefer true 6-axle drive.  However, I would rather have 4-axle drive and do some retrofitting than to not have the model at all.  IMHO, I find the Lionel models rather distasteful and would not bother with rectifiers at all if that was my only option.

AMCDave posted:

I like my WbB units....scale if not mistaken....or more scale then Lionel...

 

It does have a scale look, to my eye.  Not sure I could go for those stamped handrails, though.

Balshis posted

 

It does have a scale look, to my eye.  Not sure I could go for those stamped handrails, though.

Not my favorite either.....but  much better than the knee high version on the Lionel!!! Plus I can pick up the loco by just the handrails....do that on a MTH!!

I have both Protosound 2.0 and 3.0 MTH Railking Penn Central versions. Like the detail on the MTH versions the best.

Firewood posted:

The rounded roof section around the pantograph/cab area makes me think it was for guarding against flash and/or damaged catenary equipment. Safe guess?

No guess,you are right.....

M. Mitchell Marmel posted:

In fact, a Geep makes a nice Rectifier-type locomotive... 

Mitch 

Mitch....looks good,I have a project geep,what did you use for the roof detail?can you email me...my info in profile....thanks..joe

I like Mitch's contraptions tons.... If it were mine, I'd call it a wreck-tifier 

Adriatic posted:

I like Mitch's contraptions tons.... If it were mine, I'd call it a wreck-tifier 

You sir, have won this thread.

joe krasko posted:

M. Mitchell Marmel posted:

In fact, a Geep makes a nice Rectifier-type locomotive... 

Mitch 

Mitch....looks good,I have a project geep,what did you use for the roof detail?can you email me...my info in profile....thanks..joe

The two rectifier domes are battery cases; the insulators are fabricated from shell buttons.  

Here's a set of step-by-step photos:

https://sta.sh/21is0gfenlx3

Mitch 

M. Mitchell Marmel posted:

joe krasko posted:

M. Mitchell Marmel posted:

In fact, a Geep makes a nice Rectifier-type locomotive... 

Mitch 

Mitch....looks good,I have a project geep,what did you use for the roof detail?can you email me...my info in profile....thanks..joe

The two rectifier domes are battery cases; the insulators are fabricated from shell buttons.  

Here's a set of step-by-step photos:

https://sta.sh/21is0gfenlx3

Mitch 

I think Mitch would mount a pantograph and roof hardware to anything that moves if he could.  Can one imagine a single-stage mounted on a Volkswagen bus?  A rickshaw?  Or maybe even assorted livestock?  One never knows what the Marmel Works might churn out next.

Pantenary posted:

I think Mitch would mount a pantograph and roof hardware to anything that moves if he could. 

That IS sorta my modus operandi... ;-) 

Can one imagine a single-stage mounted on a Volkswagen bus?  A rickshaw?  Or maybe even assorted livestock?  One never knows what the Marmel Works might churn out next.

Well, here's a clew:

Hmmmm? 

That IS an E-33 pant 

I was so impressed with the MTH version I went and bought the PRR version, yes I know the PRR did not own them however it looked like they went directly to PC then to Conrail. So they got around on the old PRR tracks. Close enough for this juice jack.