Electrics Galore

Can we also share memories of these electrics? Here's mine of the GG-1:

When I was a little boy, my dad and I would go "exploring" around NYC on Saturdays. Often we would visit places and things that soon would be no more. One Saturday we went to the old Pennsylvania Station. I liked walking along the platform looking through the windows of the coaches, diners and sleepers as the passengers prepared for departure. We walked all the way to the front of the train, where a GG-1 was waiting to take the train away.To a little boy, a GG-1 was a leviathan, its enormous bulk disappearing into the darkness above. I was mesmerized.

The engineer was watching us from the window of his cab. He smiled and asked if I wanted to come up. When I got into the cab, he told me to sit in his seat. I looked out the front at the enormous bulk of the engine ahead. I looked down at the platform where my dad stood far below. The engineer directed me to move a lever, and as I did I heard a faraway hiss.

After I came back down, the engineer asked if I had a buffalo nickel. My dad did. The engineer pointed to the Indian whose profile was on the other side of the nickel. "I met the man who posed for that picture", he said.

Thank you, dad, for that enduring memory from so long ago. 😘

Joe that memory is better than any picture!

Here's my little fleet of electrics. The Williams Conrail E33 is a big , brutish, brick of a locomotive whose looks suit it's freight duties perfectly.  I believe the K-Line GN EP5  is scale because it is much bigger than the Lionel PRR version on the right.  The DGLE "Brunswick" Green GG1 is a K-Line collectors club issue.  Semi scale like all the Lionel versions I had seen in my youth.  When I finally saw a 1:1 version in the Pa RR museum the proportions shocked me, the nose on either end so much longer than the truncated models I was used to exposing the elegant lines Lowey designed to me for the first time.  The E60 is a Williams I scored on eBay. It has B-B trucks instead of the C-C trucks of the prototype.  It's in line for a makeover into GN Big Sky Blue, yes I'm the one that likes that scheme,  I don't know if I'll replace the trucks or not but I do have to do something about the pantographs. I've got one Atlas Aem pantograph and I trying to find another.

Well I don't have any GG1 pictures handy but I do have a memory. My Dad took me to the Army/Navy game in Philadelphia and we traveled via the PRR.  I remember especially, after the game, we walked over to a yard area and there were all the trains waiting to take people home.  GG1 after GG1 hooked to passenger cars with signs reading  "New York", "Newark" , "Trenton"...etc.  You picked out your train and got aboard.  I later learned that the Army/Navy game was the largest passenger movement single day in the PRR calendar.

Well electrics...how about that famous "New Haven" type box cab.  Here are a few:  The Lionel 256 from 1924-1930.

The Lionel 253 from 1924-1932

The Lionel 520 from 1956-1957

Best Wishes

Don

Here are a few:

And an explanation for the lack of outside third rail or overhead catenary!!

Jim

K-Line EP-5 that has been two-railed:

Atlas AEM-7s:

Baldwin Model locomotive Works NH EP-3:

PRR E44 (one of three):

I also have several Alexander/Baldwin bronze-bodied GG1s but no postable photos of them plus a Williams Conrail E33:

What about the electric that is not an electric? 

A wind-up #7 Empire Express engine by American Flyer

NWL

@coach joe posted:

Here's my little fleet of electrics. The Williams Conrail E33 is a big , brutish, brick of a locomotive whose looks suit it's freight duties perfectly.  I believe the K-Line GN EP5  is scale because it is much bigger than the Lionel PRR version on the right.  The DGLE "Brunswick" Green GG1 is a K-Line collectors club issue.  Semi scale like all the Lionel versions I had seen in my youth.  When I finally saw a 1:1 version in the Pa RR museum the proportions shocked me, the nose on either end so much longer than the truncated models I was used to exposing the elegant lines Lowey designed to me for the first time.  The E60 is a Williams I scored on eBay. It has B-B trucks instead of the C-C trucks of the prototype.  It's in line for a makeover into GN Big Sky Blue, yes I'm the one that likes that scheme,  I don't know if I'll replace the trucks or not but I do have to do something about the pantographs. I've got one Atlas Aem pantograph and I trying to find another.

Nice!

@Jim Policastro posted:

Here are a few:

And an explanation for the lack of outside third rail or overhead catenary!!

Jim

I want them all. Gorgeous locomotives on a gorgeous layout.

Jim, I hope you're OK about my effusive praise. I've enjoyed your numerous articles in OGR and CTT magazines for many years. Arnold

@Arnold D. Cribari posted:

I want them all. Gorgeous locomotives on a gorgeous layout.

Jim, I hope you're OK about my effusive praise. I've enjoyed your numerous articles in OGR and CTT magazines for many years. Arnold

Jim has some real beauties there doesn't he?

@Don McErlean posted:

The Lionel 520 from 1956-1957

That was the loco in my very first ever train set. 🥰

MTH PS1 Pennsy Tuscan Red GG1:

Runs well through 031 curves.

The only electric I really liked, an MTH P5a Boxcab, is disintegrating in it box.

@coach joe posted:

Jim has some real beauties there doesn't he?

Thank you for the kind words, Arnold and Joe!

My love of all electrics came from spending my youth in the Bronx hanging out by the old Mott Haven coach yards south of 161st St. Nothing but electrics passing by on the mainline to and from Grand Central, plus the old New York Central S motors switching in the yard.

Jim

The Virginian had three classes of electrics. Here are two. Now if someone would make the Virginian squareheads I would add them to the fleet although I am very happy 3rd Rail made the streamlined EL-2B's.

Ken

Greetings all -- Old news, but I love running electrics off of 18VAC overhead catenary.  I actually have no provision for running trains off of the 3rd rail, only a 14VAC static supply for the coaches, including two of the new Lionel cab-cars.  Pics are by a Hero 7, sorry for the slight distortion.

Yard siding is to the left, mainline in the middle, motor staging spur to the right.  The latter only has overhead about halfway, so I can stage motors a little easier without snagging pantographs.

The other end of motor staging spur, where the overhead ends about halfway down the track.

Freight motor storage to the left, mainline to the right.  I re-lettered a few PRR E44s and PC E33s in the old Conrail Blackjack stencil logos.

--Nate M.

A few electrics on the test-track:

A 252 on the storage track:

PD

Pantenary, that is some really nice looking catenary.

@West Side Joe - thanks for the comment on my 520.  They were never "the" locomotive to have in their day, but I find mine both fun and reliable to run.  Hope you still have yours.

@Pantenary - WOW! that is all I can say, what a beautiful job on the catenary.  Top work!

@pd- Thanks for posting, love the pre-war tinplate.

Here are a couple more of mine:

American Flyer 3110 from 19928-29

American Flyer 1211- uncatalogued from 1920's

American Flyer 4644 , wide gauge, from the 1930's along side the 1211.

French Hornby type PO from the 1950's in this color scheme although models of this engine can date back to the 1930's.

A reproduction of the French Hornby PO type in clockwork by Hatchette (1990's)

Best wishes everyone

Don

@West Side Joe - I don't know if you know this but I wanted to tell you.  The humble 520 box cab headed up two sets in 1956.

The first was a cataloged set #1542/750 that is out of order in number sequence because it was rushed into the line to give an outfit that could retail for less than $20.   It contained the 520 boxcab, 6012 gondola, 6014 red Baby Ruth boxcar and a red 6017 SP- type caboose.  8 curved and 1 straight sections of track and 1 uncoupling track plus a 1015 45-watt transformer. It retailed in 1956 for $19.95

The second set was the uncatalogued set # X-150 which had the same components as the set above with one key difference.  This set, made especially for an Asian Food Company, contains the very collectable 6014 "Chung King" boxcar which was substituted for the Baby Ruth boxcar above.  This box car, in and of itself, is considered quite scarce and very collectable.

Anyway thought you might like to know.

Don

The 1542 was the one I had. You can see it in the pic below of my dad and me. It looks like he must have bought some extra track.

Sadly, the set is long gone. I suppose it would be pretty cool if I could locate another one just for nostalgia's sake.

Standard Gauge.

318:10:

...🙂...

Mark in (very wet) Oregon

@Pantenary posted:

Greetings all -- Old news, but I love running electrics off of 18VAC overhead catenary.  I actually have no provision for running trains off of the 3rd rail, only a 14VAC static supply for the coaches, including two of the new Lionel cab-cars.  Pics are by a Hero 7, sorry for the slight distortion.

Yard siding is to the left, mainline in the middle, motor staging spur to the right.  The latter only has overhead about halfway, so I can stage motors a little easier without snagging pantographs.

The other end of motor staging spur, where the overhead ends about halfway down the track.

Freight motor storage to the left, mainline to the right.  I re-lettered a few PRR E44s and PC E33s in the old Conrail Blackjack stencil logos.

--Nate M.

I whipped together a short video of the cab-car (#9630) on the point of Amtrak Keystone Service Extra #600, with AEM7 #917 shoving on the rear.  The train is running at 101smph, (by DCS reckoning).

Also, before there are any comments form the peanut gallery -- yes, there are more than a few light spider webs in the catenary.  Occasionally, a spider or lady bug may even meet their demise on the trolley wire.  Does Amtrak clean their catenary?  I didn't think so. 

--Nate M.

A short video of my Sunset 3rd Rail New York Central T3 electric on my old layout.

Jim

@West Side Joe- Great picture of you and your Dad with the set.  Great memories even if you don't still have the set.

Best wishes

Don

When I was a little kid, this is the locomotive I wanted the most, and never got: the Postwar Lionel New Haven EP5.

It's so sweet to have it now:

This is the place for you to share your favorite electrics with the OGR Forum world. Just be sure to fully comply with our Terms of Service and only post photos and videos you have taken, or those in which you have obtained the express written permission of the owner to post. Arnold

Even better, just turn me into an O Scale passenger and put me on this New Haven train lead by an MTH PS3 New Haven EP5 in McGuiness livery running on DCS, and I'll be happy:

LOL, Arnold

Here is my Lionel MPC “Little Joe” Pennsylvania 8551.  A solid runner with the mighty sound of buzz coming from the the E-Unit .

A recently repaired/refurbished 253 exiting the **** Gate:

PD

A few of mine, a repainted MPC New Haven to P.R.R. after my dad's Lionel HO, PW Lionel 2332 and a Williams 2360

Electrics!

But Oh, are not all our O-Gauge locos electrics!

Ron

I am a PRR GG-1 junky!

Here is our scale MTH, PRR GG-1 on our former club, modular layout at the Great Scale Model Train Show in Timonium, Maryland.

Our semi-scale GG1 heading the Federal as it leaves the city of Christoplis on our home layout. Our home layout has tighter curves and can run mainly semi-scale equipment.

Our scale, MTH GG-1 is again seen on our Christmas "pop-up" store layout at Richardson Farms in Baltimore, Maryland in 2011.

PRR, "Rat" Box Cab that my son photographed in the Railroad Museum of Pennsylvania in Strasburg, PA.

My beautiful wife, Terry and I standing in front of PRR GG-1 4935, "Black Jack" photographed in the Railroad Museum of Pennsylvania in Strasburg, PA by my son, Chris.

Here we are again standing in front of PRR GG-1 4935, "Black Jack" photographed in the Railroad Museum of Pennsylvania in Strasburg, PA by my son, Chris.

@PRRronbh posted:

Electrics!

But Oh, are not all our O-Gauge locos electrics!

Ron

Ron,  How is your P5a boxcab holding up?

@CAPPilot posted:

Ron,  How is your P5a boxcar holding up?

all of a sudden not that well!  I have thought of coating the inside with a layer of epoxy resin/

You can see the cracking starting>

Ron

My first engine that I purchased as a collector/operator.  Fundimensions 8659 Virginian rectifier in 1979.  A store was going out of business and everything was half price.  $ 79.99, on sale for $ 40.00.  Affordable to a college senior with little money.

Virginian EL-2B's shortly after I received mine several years ago.

Ken

So I put together another 1542 set just for the heck of it, and let my 3- and 5-year old granddaughters run it. They were interested for about 15 minutes and then went off to do something else. Oh, well...

https://youtu.be/uJCHm1pI7dI?si=kRSx1gicbDoNzHSb

Here are 3 of mine...Lionel 253 from about 1925

Lionel 256 from about 1924-1930.  Twin motors, this thing is almost as big as my Std Gauge 8

The little Lionel 248 from 1927-1932

Best Wishes

Don

For the most part, all these great engines are missing an essential feature - catenary.  It would be great if someone would sell a more realistic looking system than MTH’s.  I don’t need it powered/functional but I know a lot of you do.  This seems like a good side gig if you had a 3D printer.