Front End Friday

Happy FEF!

@leapinlarry : Larry's got it right, Dr. Fisher's layout (actually 2 separate layouts one inside and one outside) are spectacular.  I went to the TCA convention and was privileged to see two fantastic layouts, one belonging to leapinlarry himself and the other to Dr. Fisher.

Here is a view of Dr. Fisher's outdoor layout.  It also includes an upper level with a pond!!

Here is a quick picture of leapinlarry's great basement layout showing the roundhouse and turntable.

Here is a short video of some action on leapinlarry's layout

This was a great experience with many super memories and the opportunity to meet fantastic people

Don

Well great pictures everyone, its now late afternoon here in Texas so I better post my F.E.F. contribution or I will miss Friday.

This is an American Flyer type X  die cast locomotive, it appears to be the #3307 type and at the moment is a 2-4-0  but likely was a 2-4-2 when first manufactured, the trailing truck needs to be replaced.  It dates from 1932-33 so its about 90 years old and still running, even the headlight still works.  The catalog number of the locomotive and tender was #3308.  Dating these early die cast and sheet metal engines is difficult because so many variations were made in various years.  So the above date is my best attempt to be accurate but could be off by a few years in either direction  

Here is the F.E.F. view

Here is a front quarter view, giving a clearer picture of the tender.

Here is the side view.

Like many of the great main line steam engines in real life, this main line beauty has her bumps and bruises and now is just happy to have a fire in place and putz around the yard or on passenger / freight locals.  However even at 90 years old she still does her work without complaint.

Well best wishes everyone, great pictures all.  Hope you have a great weekend.

Don

Another truly fabulous FEF!  Thank you all for your contributions.

@trumpettrain posted:

Here are my ends of the front kind for this fine Friday!!  Happy 4th of July everyone!!

The FSJRR switchers seem mighty busy this FEF

@Rich Wiemann posted:

Happy Postwar FEF with some of my favorites.

The Super O track looks fantastic!

Really nice!

@BAR GP7 #63 posted:

HAPPY FEF.

Very sharp looking BL2 and a very Patriotic crew posing with a flag on the 4th.

These guys seem to be having way too much fun!  Especially the rowdy guy in the middle.

Still reaching back in time.  2001 here

- walt

Have a great Friday all, PW Lionel Turbine getting some oil.

@Sitka posted:

Have a great Friday all, PW Lionel Turbine getting some oil.

Did not realize that Lionel made a PW version of the PRR (edit) S2.

Ron

Happy FEF.

c

A couple postwar F3 front ends for your enjoyment!

Here are my ends of the front kind for this fine Friday!

Y6b approaching.

F3 on the ready track.

GG1, GP9, and BL2 front ends.

Here's to an excellent front end Friday - Coming right at ya-

Happy FEF! There is coal in them hills.

Happy FEF!

Big guy.....little guy!

Have a great FEF!!! 🚂😉😺

Well F.E.F. folks today I have a little train that I guess it's hard to tell the front end from the back end .  The RDC or Rail Diesel Car, was a phenomena of the late 1950's that was supposed to re-energize the passenger business.  I guess opinions differ on whether it was successful or not but it seemed to be widespread in use among the railroads.  My brother in law gave me his #2559 B&O Lionel unpowered RDC as a gift from his boyhood trains.  He told me that he used the unpowered car as an imaginary dining car on his passenger train.  I recently was able to acquire a powered B&O RDC from MPC for a very modest price.  The # 8764 is from 20 years later , 1977.  So I have this strange pair of RDC's for you today.  The first is a Lionel (MPC) # 8764 from 1977 and its mate is a classic Lionel #2559 from 1957.  20 years apart yet except for the numbers and the lettering there is hardly any difference between the body castings.

So here is my 20 year difference lash up:  The MPC # 8764 pulling the #2559 as a trailing car (it is unpowered).  So here is my dilemma.  Just like the real railroads, I could let the MPC 8764 unit "push" and that would make the 2559 the front end and this view the tail end (maybe I should post this on Tuesday!!).  Well since today is Friday, this is the FRONT end !!

The RDC pair...MPC in front and Lionel in trail.  The first from 1977 and the trail car from 1957.

Well I can tell you that even though the "new" RDC is just 45 years old vice 65 years old, it runs great and has no trouble pulling the trailing unit around the layout.

Best Wishes

Don

The CN mountain steamer makes the turn by Charles Street...

Good afternoon, FEFers.  I really like the front end of my steamers because they have a lot more character than many diesels.  Here is my MTH Decapod after a hard day's work headed to the wash rack.

@RSJB18 posted:

Happy FEF!

Big guy.....little guy!

Bob, I know the little 0-6-0T is small but it appears the F unit head light is higher than most of the switcher, except maybe the stack.  I'm guessing optical delusion caused by positioning.  Is that correct?

Wow, not only is this front end Friday, it’s the debut of the 2022 Vol 2 Lionel catalog online, so this is a fun day in trains, by the way, @Don. McErlean , those are beautiful Budd cars, it’s 6 to 1, half dozen the other as which whether that are coming or going, they look right at home on your layout, @RSJB18 Bob, beautiful picture of Menards First F unit, and the docksider, Amazing scene, @Trumptrain,  beautiful pictures of your variety of locomotives in beautiful scenes, Wow… Happy Railroading Everyone

@coach joe posted:

Bob, I know the little 0-6-0T is small but it appears the F unit head light is higher than most of the switcher, except maybe the stack.  I'm guessing optical delusion caused by positioning.  Is that correct?

Probably a little of both Joe. The 0-6-0 is on the small side and I won't rehash the debate about the scale size of Menard's F unit.

FEF, super rare electric version of the Marx Mickey Mouse Meteor along with its common wind up version.

Steve

TGIF everyone- have a great weekend!

Williams Niagara with QSI added.

Bob, didn't people that worry about such a thing say it was the correct length for an FP unit although it was missing a roof top detail for that model?

Heavy Smoker’s Front End Friday

@PRRronbh posted:

Did not realize that Lionel made a PW version of the PRR (edit) S2.

Ron

Ron Not a bad runner,

PW Lionel had a 671 made from 46/49

671R 46-49,

671RR 52

681 50-53

682 54-55 WORTH BUCKS

2020 46-49

Nice running engines

@Sitka posted:

Ron Not a bad runner,

PW Lionel had a 671 made from 46/49

671R 46-49,

671RR 52

681 50-53

682 54-55 WORTH BUCKS

2020 46-49

Nice running engines

Santa brought me (us) the "Electronic" version of S2 set Christmas 1948.

My question now is I thought the PW destination meant Pre War.

Ron

@Steve Papa Eastman, although I’m not into tinplate trains, those Marx steamers are beautiful, thanks for posting. @rjsmithindy, wow, beautiful Niagara, Happy Railroading Everyone

Rusty Gold !

"Patina " to the gills!

AF Clockwork Minnehaha

And now the Front end you weren't expecting .... My partner in crime .. Tuco

( her front end is bitier than the back end , but with a 100% lack of poopage comparatively... its a trade-off!)

                   Getting REAL...

@coach joe posted:

Bob, didn't people that worry about such a thing say it was the correct length for an FP unit although it was missing a roof top detail for that model?

The comment was a bit tongue in cheek- more of a comment on all the Menard's bashing that's been going on around the forum.

Bob

@PRRronbh posted:

Santa brought me (us) the "Electronic" version of S2 set Christmas 1948.

My question now is I thought the PW destination meant Pre War.

Ron

Well anytime I looked up Prewar that's how I did it or Pre-war, You still got that S2 set? do a post if you do,

Mark

Great pictures everyone. Steve the Marx electric MM engine is amazing thanks for posting. Fatman…Love Tuco! Yes the Flyer Hiawatha is neat too SIRT. .. amazing realism I really liked the maintenance men washing the caboose windows in the background.  Hope everyone is having a good weekend.

Best wishes

Don

Here is my pic for this week. Lionel's UP F3 #900. It is also the star in my new video I posted today.

Have a great weekend.

Donald

You know how it goes. When the big guy yells “Jump!” there’s always someone who will jump first and ask questions later. Well, because of a mix-up in delivery of repair parts, the yard at Ophir was really short of switching power and the needed-to-be-moved freight was piling up.  The old man threw a fit and told the shop forces to get anything that would move out into the yard and start switching.  The shop foreman is a new guy so he followed the orders to the letter.  The end result is Ophir & Oblivion’s carefully restored and preserved old #1, which usually rests in a clean, well-lighted stall in the engine house and is only brought out on the rarest of occasions, was fired up and sent out to earn her keep (again!).

   Anyway, they got her out there and, too late, realized they had a problem with trying to make a link-and-pin coupler work with a modern knuckle.  As you can see the boys are discussing that problem right now…but not to worry….they’ll figure it out.

Happy FEF!

Rutland # 500 waiting for a local to pass.