Front End Friday

@Dallas Joseph posted:

Feel like hurrying into this scene...........just not sure which train I'm supposed to get on.   Nice

Thanks Dallas.

I didn't realize how good it looked until I saw the picture on the screen.

Bob

Some days, a front end is a rear end. Especially when a handsome SD40-2 is on a spur to a small lumber yard. With no other way out, the rear end will be the front end for about 60 yards. Some day, I'll learn to crouch a bit to cut the shadow.  

The only way I could drum up that beautiful G&W paint scheme in a New England railroad loco was to "suffer" with a pair of P&Ws. Life could be worse!!

@Don McErlean posted:

Well here it is another F.E.F. as we head into the weekend.  This engine is based on the PRR torpedo type.  It was rumored that Raymond Lowery had actually modeled a similar engine and tested it in a wind tunnel.  So for this Friday, we can pretend that this is a PRR prototype (maybe!)

The story goes that the horizontal vane in front was to raise the smoke so that it didn't go into the cab.  Where the Lionel symbol is was where the PRR was to have put its logo with wings on each side...like I said it's a rumor so who knows if any of this is true.  So here is the F.E.F view of the Lionel 4-4-2 # 238E from 1936-38 and uncatalogued in 1939-1940.

Here is a better view of the entire engine and tender.

Hope everyone has a good weekend.  Best Wishes

Don

I love this Lionel version of the PRR Torpedo, Don. I've been trying to find one. And you are correct, the "Winged PRR" keystone is located just below where the winged "Lionel Lines" logo is on your loco. This is my BLI HO version of the prototype:

@Bill Swatos- Thanks for your comments Bill, I have always wondered how much of the story of a PRR prototype was correct and how much was just Lionel marketing.  Clearly since there is an HO model (and HO manufacturers always have seemed to be closer to the real thing) this Lionel model "might" represent something the PRR had in mind at one time.  I looked carefully at your HO version and was surprised at how close the two castings were to each other.  The steps on the boiler sides and the handrail placement on the boiler front (although in the Lionel its just a cast in detail) are very similar and are present in both models.

Again thanks for posting.

Best Wishes

Don

@Bill Swatos posted:

I love this Lionel version of the PRR Torpedo, Don. I've been trying to find one. And you are correct, the "Winged PRR" keystone is located just below where the winged "Lionel Lines" logo is on your loco. This is my BLI HO version of the prototype:

This is my Weaver model of the Torpedo.

Ron

Have a good FeF and weekend all, Lionel 6-18607 Union Pacific #8607 from 1989 made for one year.

@Bill Swatos posted:

I love this Lionel version of the PRR Torpedo, Don. I've been trying to find one. And you are correct, the "Winged PRR" keystone is located just below where the winged "Lionel Lines" logo is on your loco. This is my BLI HO version of the prototype:

Bill great detail on that Torpedo! Mark

Happy FeF!  Here’s the front end of a subway train in the maintenance facility -

Happy Friday everyone. A Classic Lionel MPC NW2 Switcher.

Happy FeF and weekend everyone!

John

Well F.E.F. fans, I have something a little different today.  While trying to get an old camera to work again, my grandson discovered an SD file with still good pictures.  Some of those pictures are of a simple layout I built for my grandson when he was about 5 years old (2012).  Just a simple oval of track, some scenery, all on a raised table for ease of operations.  This pre-dates my current layout by about 7-8 years.  Some details, this layout uses a cardboard backdrop that came with the Lionel "Safari" train (that also had plastic wild animals) and we used the lithographed tinplate "log" cabin from a Marx "Fort Apache" playset as out station.  It was 0-31 tubular track for a complete oval and had raised sides to prevent trains from leaving the table and hitting the floor.

So here are some "historical" front ends.

First here are two pictures of the American Flyer Type X from about 1932.  In the first picture pulling the AF Type 1306 enameled 8 wheel passenger cars from 1922-26.

Here clearing the station pulling a 1305 baggage in blue these cars are from the same era as the 1306 above but in blue vice red.

Here is the layout using diesels, in this case the Lionel #210 Texas Special from 1958

Hope you have a great weekend, best wishes

Don

FEF. Two of my favorite Lionel Union Pacific SD70Ace's in the "Heritage" paint scheme.

Donald

FEF.

Great Friday / Weekend to You All!

@Sitka posted:

Have a good FeF and weekend all, Lionel 6-18607 Union Pacific #8607 from 1989 made for one year.

Now that is a bright color on the layout Mark. 😎

@PRRronbh posted:

This is my Weaver model of the Torpedo.

Ron

I am removing some of the streamlining from my Weaver to reflect what the Torpedo looked like in the late 40s.  Still need to cut some holes in the pilot.

Happy FEF!

Late to the party today.....been busy with outdoor projects.

Lionel PWC w/tmcc.

Bob

Beautiful sunshine day outside for this FEF .    

Time again to see a front end rolling . 

PS3  RK  Imperial  Allegheny  .       Make it a great weekend all........God speed 

Finally bit the bullet and purchased this 3rd Rail Sunset Southern Pacific 2-8-0 when I saw it up for auction. I've been interested in picking one up for several years, my main concern was how well they run and what radius minimum curve they require. This one was brand new with no signs of ever being run, so I lubricated it as indicated in the instruction sheet. I tried it on some O48 curves and it almost made it through but the pilot truck was binding a bit. On closer inspection, I noticed a small screw holding the dummy front coupler in place, so I removed it and now it will negotiate even an O36 curve with ease! There are some squeaks and creaks to work out, but overall it is a very steady runner the doesn't bog down to a crawl in curves. 

I'm having fun with it but it's too bad it doesn't have any sound. I'm following with interest the recent Blunami DCC conversions that have been done on 3 rail equipment. Coming from many years in HO and N scale, I'm much more comfortable with that than figuring the ins and outs of all the different proprietary controls in the O 3 rail world, so maybe I'll add DCC sound to this "little" guy. Couldn't be too hard, about 10 years ago I did this in N scale-

Lionel’s E7.

Lionel E7 now sporting a proper pilot.

Pete

Happy Friday to all, here's my FeF somewhere in time. I'm sort of following 3rails FeF with his two UP Legacy SD70Ace's.

Here's my Lionel SD70Ace in UP legacy Western Pacific, however this is a fantasy scheme because there was never a #1903 Legacy. The real WP legacy is number 1983. The 1903 is the year WP incorporated. Santa Fe Chief excursion train in the train station in the background. Enough said, here' s the photo.

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

Front End Friday. Lionel's Santa Fe motive power. SD70ACe in a fantasy paint "Warbonnet" paint scheme. I think it looks great!

Here is a link featuring this locomotive and others hauling a string of Auto Racks.

Lionel and Atlas Auto Racks

Donald

                                                             LIRR pick-ups...

Happy Friday everyone enjoy your weekend. Another view of my Lionel/MPC Missouri Pacific GP7

Happy FEF!

More LIRR....

Bob

Ends of the front kind for this fine Friday!

Happy FeF!  

Have a good FEF all!

Nice scenes all around guys as usual. One of my favorite threads.

Steve, nice shots of #450,  I like the Mets decal in the window. The blue and white MTA looks good too.

Bob, nice to see you and Steve show off LIRR motive power.

Andy

Well F.E.F. folks, my first post on this topic is to "Friday's Ends"  I have been trying to collect a Marx FM passenger train for quite some time.  First I had the power A plus a freight caboose, then I got a "Bagota" passenger car. then the G/Y observation car, then the dummy A...and FINALLY just this week I found the MONTCLAIR G/Y Seaboard passenger car.  So now I have the complete set.  Which took me about 2 -3 years of looking.  That is its complete except the Seaboard "B" unit which is so scarce I doubt I will ever even see one much less acquire one.

So here are the Marx FM Seaboard AA units and THREE passenger cars...Bogota, Montclair, and Observation.

Here is the full train.

Best wishes for a great weekend

Don

@Steamfan77 posted:

Nice scenes all around guys as usual. One of my favorite threads.

Steve, nice shots of #450,  I like the Mets decal in the window. The blue and white MTA looks good too.

Bob, nice to see you and Steve show off LIRR motive power.

Andy

Thanks Andy.

Mine don't hold a candle to Steve's units but it's the thought that counts. The Mets decal is a nice touch!

Bob

@trumpettrain posted:

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

I like your B&O (?) streamlined steamer, Patrick. Is she a J class like your N&W 611? While I did find a reference to a P-7 4-6-2 #5303 that was rebuilt with streamlining in 1946, I can't seem to find any references identifying this particular locomotive. Did she ever head up the Washingtonian? I meant to ask last week.

Happy Friday everyone! Here's my entry for this Friday evening in sunny Paradise, CA.

The trackside repair Forman is issuing the service requirements to the service technicians for WP #918 before its lashed back up as lead for the California Zephyr that awaits departure.

For some reason I have both the MTH and Lionel versions of the PRR HH1.  The real engines were initially N&W Y3s purchased in 1919.  The Pennsy bought them in 1943 to help with the increased demands of WWII, and scrapped them between 1947 and 1949.

The MTH PS3 engine has the original N&W pilot.  It also has a box like structure under the front sand dome that isn't in photos I have.  Overall, a nicely done engine.

The Lionel engine has their freight engine pilot.  This is the TMCC engine that came with only 2-chuffs/rev.  I upgraded it to 4-cuffs but the transition after the upgrade from 2 to 4 chuffs (or is it 4 to 2 chuffs?) is early and doesn't sound correct.  Also, the hand rails and smokebox hinges are oversized compared to the MTH.

The Lionel has a smaller gap between the engines which looks better.  Also, the front porch on the Lionel is shorter which again to me looks better.  It also swings out just a little less than MTH's.

Both are good looking and impressive engines.  I think Lionel's Legacy version probably solved some of the issues my older engine has.  What I like about them, other than they are Penny's only articulated post war engine, is that it is a smaller engine and doesn't swing out nearly as bad as a Big Boy.

N&W H10-44

Front End Friday!  
An old Southern Pacific H 12-44.

Happy Friday everybody!

Lionel's N/S SD70ACe.....the "Barcode". This locomotive and others are highlighted in my new video I just posted hauling (22) 86' Lionel High Cubes. Check it out here.

86' High Cubes

Donald

Happy front ends to all! Here is some miniature rail fanning down in the subway -

Watch out for that third rail!

Happy FEF!

Bob