Front End Friday

Morning guys, here is my offering for today! A BNSF freight train heading north just passing the daily Amtrak train heading south to California for the summer sun!

@Rob Leese - Hey Rob!  I am also headed to "Train - a - Palooza" on Saturday, maybe I will see you there!

For today, I have the Hornby type M3 Tank Locomotive, first available in 1931 then discontinued during the war.  It returned in 1946 but with the designation Type 101, however it was virtually the same.   Clockwork as are most Hornby trains, it does a good job with its typically small / short trains.  Shown here with 2 LMS coaches from the post war period in tow.

Best Wishes

Don

Lionel - just noticed the fine print in red!

@Randy Harrison posted:

@pennsyfan

Bob:

I love the old, classic Brunswick Green, small Keystone, 5 pin striped PRR GG-1. It is my favorite locomotive. I rode behind those many times on the PRR Northeast Corridor. The GG-1 was the best, all-purpose engine. It did passenger service and freight service. A single GG-1 could pull a train of 18 PRR heavyweight passenger coaches out of Penn Station, NY, up the steep grade of the Hudson tunnel and easily hit the Jersey meadowlands at 80 MPH. Also later, when the Metroliner trainsets rattled themselves loose and had to be taken out of service for repair, the GG-1s, though there were disclaimers of possible delays in passenger timetables due to alternate Metroliner equipment, proved that they could reach enough speed to keep Metroliner schedules. I was heartbroken when the GG-1s were taken out of service and were lined up north of Wilmington shops awaiting their last trips to the scrap yard.

Randy,

Thanks for the memories. I saw the Gs lined up near the Path facility in Harrison. The view was from I-280. There was a cyclone fence all along the road. I called some agency asking how I could get a picture. I was advised to stay off the property; and advised that some were in a yard next to a public sidewalk in Eport. I went over there and there they were. I was taking pictures and a man walked over and asked if I wanted to go up to the cab. I muttered something about trespassing and he replied that he owns them, he bought them for scrap. They were being towed to Maryland to remove the PCBs and then returned for the torch. I went up in the cab and was amazed how stark it was. Sitting in the engineers seat gave you a very narrow view of the world; looking down the long nose. When I climbed down I asked if I could get a builders plate, bell, or door off the nose. He said not until they came back. He took my information but I never heard from him. I’m looking for the pictures from a film camera.

Here are the videos of my previously posted front ends.

@Randy Harrison and @pennsyfan- Randy / Bob here are some of my GG1memories...In the 1960's ('62-66) I often commuted from college at New Brunswick NJ to Newark.  I would catch one of the GG1pulled express trains out of DC and then it was 1 stop at Princeton Junction and then straight into Newark.  The cars were all fluted aluminum and still had uniformed Pullman porters attending and asking if they could get you a drink (coke in my case I was only 18).  They typically stopped the train with the cars closer to the engine for us to board.  Then came the THRILL.  Smooth, fast, quiet, super acceleration out of New Brunswick station and the train was doing 100 mph BEFORE the last car cleared the platform!! What a Ride!

All the Best

Don

FEF again!

Marx switcher & 3/16 scale cars.

FEF.

@BAR GP7 #63 posted:

FEF.

What do I like better than a BL2, 2 of them! Nice photo as always.

@Dave Ripp. posted:

What do I like better than a BL2, 2 of them! Nice photo as always.

Dave,

Thanks.🤝

Johan

My last FEF for this W/E

@pennsyfan posted:

My last FEF for this W/E

@pennsyfan

Bob:

Two classics engines in one photo. I particularly like the old New Haven livery as in your photo. The newer orange, white and black colors make newer New Haven equipment look like circus wagons.

My Friday Front End Entries (all steam):

Weaver NKP Berkshire circa 1990's.

'

Alco Streamlined K4s circa 1980's.

Walthers USRA Heavy Mikado either prewar or early postwar.

Happy FEF!

PRR Doodlebug has replaced the 44 tonner on the lead of the local.

Bob

My views for this Front-End-Friday, March 15, 2024 show Boston & Albany USRA 0-8-0 steam switcher #53 heading toward the camera on my 10’-by-5’ layout. The model was made by Lionel (6-28702) in 2006 with MSRP $649.99.

B&A #53 was a U-3b class switcher built by Lima in April 1921.  The engine had 25-by-28 cylinders, 51-inch driving wheels, weighed 219,000 pounds (about 364,000 pounds with loaded tender), and produced 51,040 pounds of tractive effort at 175 pounds-per-square-inch boiler pressure. When the B&A dieselized in 1951, #53 was renumbered to New York Central #7725 and ran on the Harlem Division until retirement in January 1955.

MELGAR

Happy FeF!  Here’s a railfan’s view of an R40 on the express track with a bonus shot of an NW2 work train on the local track -

Well today I get to post one of my acquisitions from the Grapevine, Tx "Train-a-Palooza" show, the Kline PRR boxcab electric.  It was NIB when I bought it and it runs great, smooth with directional lighting and an electronic reverse.

So here it is...new (to me) the Kline PRR boxcab electric

Hope you have a great weekend

Best Wishes

Don

Railking

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

A New Haven Alco FA set sits idle in the Scranton Pa yard awaiting a freight load headed east on my NYNH&H  NYO&W layout

@Don McErlean posted:

Well today I get to post one of my acquisitions from the Grapevine, Tx "Train-a-Palooza" show, the Kline PRR boxcab electric.  It was NIB when I bought it and it runs great, smooth with directional lighting and an electronic reverse.

So here it is...new (to me) the Kline PRR boxcab electric

Hope you have a great weekend

Best Wishes

Don

Great little engines Don. Just watch the front truck, it tends to jump the rails due to very little weight and spring tension.

Bob

@Bill Park posted:

A New Haven Alco FA set sits idle in the Scranton Pa yard awaiting a freight load headed east on my NYNH&H  NYO&W layout

Better have the crew check the running gear before they head out Bill.....

Enjoy your start of the weekend Williams GG-1 and PW Lionel GG-1 front end action.

Today I’m posting the front end of my son’s MTH green Crescent Limited in the spirit of St. Patrick’s Day this weekend. Have a great weekend everyone!

Happy FEF everyone!

Lots of chatter about the new Lionel Doodlebug. Thought I share my MTH pro 1 version.

Good almost evening FEFers.  Here is my Doodlebug. 

3rd Rail model of a Brill 660.

Good eyes Bob!

@RSJB18- Bob, thanks for the tip, I will watch out for that.  Best wishes  Don

@CAPPilot posted:

Good almost evening FEFers.  Here is my Doodlebug.

3rd Rail model of a Brill 660.

Ron;

I see you are also a member of the PRR Historical Society… if you have received a copy of the Spring 2024 Keystone, there is an article on the former Wilkes-Barre branch. On pgs. 22 - 23 there are two pics of a Brill car which is very close to your 3rd Rail version. I found it fascinating that they were know to haul milk cars!!!

Happy Front End Friday! This week I had the rare privilege to do some railfanning on my lunchtime walk, as I happened to reach the end of my company's road just as the Seaview Railroad was moving some cars across Roger Williams Way in Quonset, RI.

I think this is a GE locomotive, like a 65 or 80 tonner, probably from the Seaview's military predecessor. I'd be very impressed if anyone can tell me more about this particular engine. Here's what it sounds like (please excuse the howling wind).

Down in the train room, I've been running New Haven electrics by MTH. Specifically, two of my oldest O Gauge locomotives, a Railking Rectifier and a Premier EP5.

Here's the obligatory video.

Happy FEF

Here’s a PRR DC-3 Rail Inspection car.

Happy FEF!

I'm lovin' this Doodlebug.

Bob

Happy Friday everyone!

@RSJB18 posted:

Happy FEF!

I'm lovin' this Doodlebug.

Bob

Awesome Bob I can see how it could grow on you. Thanks for sharing

Have a good start to your Front end Friday,

Same here Bob, lot’s of fun. Are you going to add people? After seeing here and reading the article in the latest magazine issue, I’d like to, especially darken the walls a bit. I enjoy the Legacy locomotives but there’s something about the LC+2.0 that’s appealing and simply enjoyable.

Gene

At last years Hudson Fest at the JR Junction Hobby Shop in Syracuse, these were the entrees in the best looking Hudson type locomotive. All were in  New York Central livery excpt my New Haven I-5. Trying to win in your competitors house had to work against the I-5. But in fairness, all the entrants were awesome. It was a lot of fun and I will be attending that event again in Syracuse this year.

My views for this Front-End-Friday, March 22, 2024, show Boston & Maine #617, an MTH Railking model (30-1184-1) of a USRA 0-8-0 steam switcher on my 12’-by-8’ layout. The model was delivered in 2001 with PS2 at MSRP $399.95. The third photo was taken by my grandson with the engine in motion.

Boston & Maine #617 was one of twenty-two Class H-2-a 0-8-0 switchers built for the B&M by Alco Schenectady in 1922. It was sold to the Maine Central Railroad in 1946.

MELGAR

Railking