Front End Friday

Whew - what a handsome locomotive!

Last week I "traded" (of sorts) my Lionel PR T1 for this early Williams brass model because I always admired the portholed version.

Gunnrunner John offered several nice older brass steamers and I acquired this Williams to replace the Lionel that sold quickly here on the FS Board last weekend..

@c.sam posted:

Whew - what a handsome locomotive!

I agree, Sam - beautiful, but forgive my ignorance… what type engine am I looking at???

Hey there Paul. That's the recent (New) 3rd Rail New York Central  P&LE H-10 Mikado that we've only seen a few pics of this last week.

@c.sam posted:

Hey there Paul. That's the recent (New) 3rd Rail New York Central  P&LE H-10 Mikado that we've only seen a few pics of this last week.

Thanks Sam. When I saw all that piping, I was guessing 3rd Rail.

Happy Front End Friday. Here's a few front ends on my attic layout from back in 2017.

Here's a video of a few of those same front ends running on the mainlines back in the day.

Happy FEF!

The subject of my front-end post for this Friday is Boston & Albany 4-6-4 J-2b Hudson #606 (MTH 20-3583-1). It was delivered in 2015 with a green boiler and graphite-colored smokebox. Since Lionel made its first O gauge Hudson in 1937, many New York Central models have been built but Boston & Albany versions, while not rare, are much less numerous.

The Boston & Albany Railroad was leased by the New York Central in 1900 and became an NYC subsidiary in the 1950s. Unlike New York Central J-1 and J-3 Hudsons with their 79-inch drivers, the B&A J-2 classes had 75-inch drivers to better cope with the grades on the Berkshire Hills of Massachusetts where they ran. The railroad between Boston and Albany was not a “Water Level Route.”

Boston & Albany #606 was built by Alco Schenectady in August 1930. It had 44,800 pounds of tractive effort and 55,320 pounds including the booster engine on the trailing truck. Total weight (loaded loco and tender) was 557,600 pounds. #606 was scrapped in October 1952.

Photos and video show #606 on the O-54 loop of my 12’-by-8’ layout pulling New York Central heavyweight passenger cars.

MELGAR

Well Happy F.E.F. to everyone!  Here is my little "Beep" in PRR colors.  Here she hauls a short freight around my "porch table top" layout (one circle of track) at our family vacation house in Georgia.

Best wishes everyone!

Don

Good FEF to all!  MTH H10-44 in various spots on the layout.

Lionel Legacy ALCo S2 L&NE 611.

Gene

I don't have a lot of trains like a lot of you guys do, so I post other things that fit.

Here's one.  It's 1/2 of a book end set.

- walt

Have a good FEF all, enjoy the weekend. God Speed!

Happy FeF! Here is the front end of an R17 on the elevated line. Don’t ask what a number 5 train is doing on the 7 line. In my world anything is possible.  I was hoping to run the NY Mets train again for this week but sadly it’s looking like they won’t  make it out of the playoff sidetrack  -

Here’s a very early MTH item, 1995, made in Korea, a rock solid conventional runner, that pulls a ton. Sold as both open stock and in direct to customer sets with 4 revenue cars and a caboose. Made before the split between Premier and Railking.

@MELGAR posted:

The subject of my front-end post for this Friday is Boston & Albany 4-6-4 J-2b Hudson #606 (MTH 20-3583-1). It was delivered in 2015 with a green boiler and graphite-colored smokebox. Since Lionel made its first O gauge Hudson in 1937, many New York Central models have been built but Boston & Albany versions, while not rare, are much less numerous.

The Boston & Albany Railroad was leased by the New York Central in 1900 and became an NYC subsidiary in the 1950s. Unlike New York Central J-1 and J-3 Hudsons with their 79-inch drivers, the B&A J-2 classes had 75-inch drivers to better cope with the grades on the Berkshire Hills of Massachusetts where they ran. The railroad between Boston and Albany was not a “Water Level Route.”

Boston & Albany #606 was built by Alco Schenectady in August 1930. It had 44,800 pounds of tractive effort and 55,320 pounds including the booster engine on the trailing truck. Total weight (loaded loco and tender) was 557,600 pounds. #606 was scrapped in October 1952.

Photos and video show #606 on the O-54 loop of my 12’-by-8’ layout pulling New York Central heavyweight passenger cars.

MELGAR

Mel - can you please elaborate on what a “booster engine on the trailing truck” is? Thanks.

Happy FEF My front end today was acquired yesterday at York. I was in the Red Hall looking for a Unique Art crane when I spied this jewel. A MARX tinplate M10005 Union Pacific set # 6644 in the box. It’s C 9+.

Here's some from today BNSF Montgomery Illinois.

@Strap Hanger posted:

Happy FeF! Here is the front end of an R17 on the elevated line. Don’t ask what a number 5 train is doing on the 7 line. In my world anything is possible.  I was hoping to run the NY Mets train again for this week but sadly it’s looking like they won’t  make it out of the playoff sidetrack  -

Great shot. Any number of plausible explanations present themselves - due to the heavier than normal number of fans going to the game, a 5 train was pressed into service… on those cars, the signage was on a roll and the train crew made a mistake in dialing in the appropriate train number and destination (wouldn’t be the first time a train had incorrect infor displayed)… intentional misinformation intended to fool Dodger fans!!!

And in the words of the late, great Tug McGraw, “ya gotta believe”!!!

@Apples55 posted:

Great shot. Any number of plausible explanations present themselves - due to the heavier than normal number of fans going to the game, a 5 train was pressed into service… on those cars, the signage was on a roll and the train crew made a mistake in dialing in the appropriate train number and destination (wouldn’t be the first time a train had incorrect infor displayed)… intentional misinformation intended to fool Dodger fans!!!

And in the words of the late, great Tug McGraw, “ya gotta believe”!!!

LOL! Good ones.  Now if the Mets can only fool the Dodgers bullpen, we'd be in business.

@Mark V. Spadaro posted:

Mel - can you please elaborate on what a “booster engine on the trailing truck” is? Thanks.

Mark,

A booster engine is a small supplementary two-cylinder steam engine mounted on the trailing truck of a steam locomotive that was powered by boiler steam to increase the starting tractive effort. All New York Central Hudson locomotives had this feature - which was operative only at low speeds and especially useful in starting heavy trains. On the photo of my B&A Hudson below, there is a small stack just ahead of the main smokestack through which used steam from the booster engine was exhausted. After starting, steam to the booster was cut off and it did not contribute to the tractive effort of the locomotive at typical road speeds.

MELGAR

Addendum:

Next three photos show the trailing truck on my K-Line model of New York Central 4-6-4 Hudson #5343. Parts of the booster engine can be seen at the very back of the truck behind the rear axle. Note that the powered wheels on rear axle of the truck that received the torque applied by the booster engine are larger than those on the non-powered front axle of the truck.

MELGAR

Thanks for the additional explanation, and great close-ups, Mel. Kept them caboose guys from having to get out and push!😜😜😜

@pennsyfan- What a beauty Bob, Love it!  Regards, Don

@Don McErlean posted:

@pennsyfan- What a beauty Bob, Love it!  Regards, Don

Thanks Don, the only wear is on the pickup.

@MELGAR posted:

Photos and video show #606 on the O-54 loop

Nice video and scene, Mel!

Don't have any O models to display, so photos of the 1: 1 scale versions will have to do for the time being.  Some more photos that I took while on my New York City trip last weekend with my wife.

Kawasaki M9 #9050 at the Long Island Railroad's Far Rockaway Station

Two Kawasaki R211A's #4084, #4164 A trains a few blocks away at the New York City Subway's Far Rockaway Station

Then some golden oldies at the New York Transit Museum, first an R36 #9306 in 1964 World's Fair colors:

Then across from it on the platform was an R1 #100

Last but not least at the museum, yours truly in his dream job as a motorman on an R46.  Well, a mock up of an R46 .  Here's looking at you @bluelinec4

@Amfleet25124 Kevin, I guess those Kawasaki's were built in my home town, Yonkers, at the former Otis Elevator plant.

Tom

@c.sam posted:

Last week I "traded" (of sorts) my Lionel PR T1 for this early Williams brass model because I always admired the portholed version.

This Williams model with the portholes, built 1945/6, is really neat and more streamlined than Lionel's post-1948 version without portholes.  Nearly all the T1's were initially built with the portholes, but by 1948 the portholes had been removed to allow easier maintenance.  I was going to buy either this Williams or the 3rd Rail version but since I (try to) model 1949, I have Lionel's version below.

@Amfleet25124 posted:

Don't have any O models to display, so photos of the 1: 1 scale versions will have to do for the time being.  Some more photos that I took while on my New York City trip last weekend with my wife.

Kawasaki M9 #9050 at the Long Island Railroad's Far Rockaway Station

Two Kawasaki R211A's #4084, #4164 A trains a few blocks away at the New York City Subway's Far Rockaway Station

Then some golden oldies at the New York Transit Museum, first an R36 #9306 in 1964 World's Fair colors:

Then across from it on the platform was an R1 #100

Last but not least at the museum, yours truly in his dream job as a motorman on an R46.  Well, a mock up of an R46 .  Here's looking at you @bluelinec4

Kevin, my dad operated these trains after the war, mid 40s. to mid 50s. The original IRT.. He then moved on to NY Central RR as an engineer.. His favorite was the Hudson J-1.  He loved steam.  All engineers hated diesel and fought the change.         he always told me they all loved steam, and diesel was no match the power of steam..

Some great locos on display today.  Here is my Williams NYC 4-8-4 Niagara.

Just by coincidence, I saw tonight that a local Yonkers paper had an article about Kawasaki rolling out their 5000th car, out of the plant since it began in 1979.

Tom

HAPPY FEF everyone.

.........and then it was getting light outside......and little progress made to get moving.

Make it a great weekend and God Speed all.

"Next three photos show the trailing truck on my K-Line model of New York Central 4-6-4 Hudson #5343. Parts of the booster engine can be seen at the very back of the truck behind the rear axle. Note that the powered wheels on rear axle of the truck that received the torque applied by the booster engine are larger than those on the non-powered front axle of the truck."

MELGAR

Man, you learn something new every day - I was not aware of the 'booster engine' either after all these years! Always admired the rear truck of the Hudsons with spokes and thought it looked really neat. Had no idea there was function behind the good looks...

Thanks Melgar

I took some FeF photos this afternoon but had no time to post afterwards.

Southern Pacific 1102 SW8 pulling a couple of live stock cars that just dropped of some young cows.

Frontend of Southern Pacific Mogul 1760 slowly heading  out of town while a Sinclair gas truck waits at the crossing.

Have great weekend!

@WesternPacific2217 posted:

I took some FEF photos this afternoon but had no time to post afterwards.

Southern Pacific 1102 SW8 pulling a couple of livestock cars that just dropped of some young cows.

Frontend of Southern Pacific Mogul 1760 slowly heading out of town while a Sinclair gas truck waits at the crossing.

Have great weekend!

Great asphalt Scott.

@Strap Hanger posted:

Happy FeF! Here is the front end of an R17 on the elevated line. Don’t ask what a number 5 train is doing on the 7 line. In my world anything is possible.  I was hoping to run the NY Mets train again for this week but sadly it’s looking like they won’t  make it out of the playoff sidetrack  -

Hang in there Strap! At least they didn't close down Citi Field yet....

Ya gotta believe!

@Strap Hanger posted:

Happy FeF! Here is the front end of an R17 on the elevated line. Don’t ask what a number 5 train is doing on the 7 line. In my world anything is possible.  I was hoping to run the NY Mets train again for this week but sadly it’s looking like they won’t  make it out of the playoff sidetrack  -

A friend just shared a B&W photo of the 4 train on the El outside Yankee Stadium. I’m not sure of its origin. Send an email or PM and I’ll send it to you.

@pennsyfan posted:

A friend just shared a B&W photo of the 4 train on the El outside Yankee Stadium. I’m not sure of its origin. Send an email or PM and I’ll send it to you.

Hi Bob and thanks! My layout roughly models Queens and the flushing elevated line (#7 trains) that take people to Mets games. It will always be Shea stadium in my world). That’s why you’d never see a #5 train on my elevated line. However, trains to Yankee stadium are on a different line. They would be  the No. 4 train (East Side) and the D train (Sixth Avenue), which make stops at the 161st Street/Yankee Stadium . I think the B train (Sixth Avenue) is also available to 161st Street, but only on weekdays.   So, a picture of a 4 train on the elevated line outside of Yankee stadium is quite normal.  I have a bunch of the old MTA calendars with great shots of 4 trains with Yankee stadium in the background that I’ve been thinking about framing and hanging up around the train room.  Maybe I’ll get around to it one day.

Here is an older video lionel legacy chessie system engine pulling empty coal train!!!