My switcher for today is Rutland Railroad #500 - a General Electric 70-Ton locomotive. The model was made by Williams-by-Bachmann (23504). It’s scale-sized, well detailed, neatly assembled, listed for O-27 curves, and runs smoothly even though it doesn’t have command control.

Rutland #500 was built in 1951 and replaced 0-6-0 steam locomotive #106 for switching the Rutland yard. It was powered by a 600-horsepower engine and developed 23,600 pounds of tractive effort with a maximum speed of 55 miles-per-hour. After a strike in September 1961, the Rutland Railroad was abandoned in 1962 and #500 was sold to the Clarendon & Pittsford Railroad of Vermont.

Milk was a major commodity for the Rutland Railroad. Photos show Rutland #500 at various locations on my 10’-by-5’ layout. Video shows it pulling three milk cars and Rutland wood caboose #36 through the tunnel on the north end.

MELGAR

Happy SWSat. I’ve got a short one this morning. I’m getting up early to take my ‘66 Lemans to a car show.
Here is a Lionel Gas Turbine U.S. Army Transportation Corps cutting an auto rack of U.S. Army jeeps out of the Autotrain; and moving it to the  army depot.

Thanks, Patrick, for getting this edition of Switcher Saturday off to a terrific start.

Below is a smooth running, smoking LC+ Delaware & Hudson diesel switcher hauling a long mixed freight around the bend through my little town:

Arnold

New York Central EMD Geep road switchers at work on the West Shore line……

Have a great and safe weekend, folks!

Peter

Happy Switcher Saturday!  The MTA decided to call up its old RS3 for some work around town this week -

Okay!! We are off to a great start   Keep the photos and videos coming!

MELGAR - I love that Rutland 70 tonner!  My hope is that one day WbB will make a Baltimore and Annapolis 70 tonner.  The B&A bought one brand new from GE back in 1950 and assigned it the number 50.     Once the 70 tonner was purchased B&A dropped their catenary and thus their interurban service was no more.   B&A number 50 was their only motive power at that point handling freight only.   Later B&A purchased a SW9 to replace number  50.  

Bob ( Pennsyfan )  The Army gas turbine is doing a great job this morning!   66 Lemans!! WOW!  I used to own one.  Have fun at the car show!

Arnold - I love the D&H livery on your RS3.  D&H has one of the most eye catching liveries of any railroad IMHO!  Great consist of freight cars too!

Peter - nothing says 1950's diesel power better than a pair of EMD Geeps at the point of a road freight!  Yours look terrific!  

Straphanger - Nice LIR RS 3!  I'm glad management called it back into service .. just in time for SwSat!  

Okay I got to leave for Baltimore  to teach some young folks how to play trumpet!   Then I'm off to DC for a gig but will check in when I get home.   Keep those posts coming and ... Enjoy your Saturday everyone!!

Hello, SwSat faithful!  Thanks, Patrick, for being SwSat “head cheerleader”, and thanks, Arnold, for inspiration for my post today.  I didn’t have anything new prepared, but your beautiful D&H RS3 prompted me to go to the archives for my Lionel D&H RS11.

This engine ranks as one of my best buys.  I bought it  at a NETCA show for only $110.  The dealer, a friend, had just bought a large collection with no boxes and was anxious to move inventory.  Better still, he had a really nice D&H caboose to go with it!  Is there anything better than going to a show, finding a great engine you didn’t know you wanted and bringing it home for a great price?

John

Happy SWSat!

Great switcher pix as usual.
John- I'm with you on the RS-11's. I have three of them and they are great runners. Just hope you don't ever have to drop one of the trucks. These have Lionel's split-trucks which are a PITA to take apart.
The Delaware and Hudson paint is a favorite of mine too.

Patrick- I've been running my new 0-6-0 this week too. I really like this engine. Mine also came from Trainz, as has much of my collection. They are one of the best dealers out there!

Have a great weekend!

Bob

Today on SwSat, a Canadian National 70 ton switcher picked up a couple hoppers on the way back to the gran elevator.

Like @MELGAR said, they are a smooth little runner!

Gave a great day!

Back to my PW Lionel Northern Pacific 44 tonner moving a couple NP boxcars

2 MTH products

- walt

Happy Switcher Saturday+!

Today I'm showing my RailKing  B&M SW-1 (30-2742-1)

Take Care, Ray

Great pics/videos and info everyone!!  Here's a video of a Baltimore and Annapolis cow and calf at the point of a transfer run.     Keep the posts coming!!  It's never to late to post because the SwSat party continues all week long

Custom painted Burlington SW7.  9255 of the same class is preserved and operates at the Illinois Railway Museum.  I bought the engine this way.

@trumpettrain posted:

Great pics/videos and info everyone!!  Here's a video of a Baltimore and Annapolis cow and calf at the point of a transfer run.     Keep the posts coming!!  It's never to late to post because the SwSat party continues all week long

One of the real ones is sitting behind a feed mill in Chadborn NC. I see it every time I go through the town.

@poconotrain posted:

One of the real ones is sitting behind a feed mill in Chadborn NC. I see it every time I go through the town.

Yes, I've seen photos of  B&A  SW9 number 87 ( as in my video ) on the internet.  However I didn't know it was sitting in Chadborn NC.  I may have to check it out up close.   Thanks for that info!

Greeting switcher friends!

The new Bruce Geeenberg Prewar Lionel book is out.

I played a very minor role in the book. Most likely, the only typo in the book is when Bruce misnamed me as "Jim" in the Acknowledgements section. Nonetheless, it is a wonderful, detailed master study of prewar Lionel.

Forum member Bob/pennsyfan @pennsyfan can be contacted if you want a copy.

Note the Lionel scale 701 switcher on (left of) the cover!

Tom (or Jim, if you like)

@PRR8976 posted:

Greeting switcher friends!

The new Bruce Geeenberg Prewar Lionel book is out.

I played a very minor role in the book. Most likely, the only typo in the book is when Bruce misnamed me as "Jim" in the Acknowledgements section. Nonetheless, it is a wonderful, detailed master study of prewar Lionel.

Forum member Bob/pennsyfan @pennsyfan can be contacted if you want a copy.

Note the Lionel scale 701 switcher on (left of) the cover!

Tom (or Jim, if you like)

This is wonderful Tom!  Congratulations to you for your contribution to this superb publication!   Thanks too for sharing this news here on SwSat!   I love the switcher on the cover ... the foot boards look terrific!  

@PRR8976 posted:

Greeting switcher friends!

The new Bruce Geeenberg Prewar Lionel book is out.

I played a very minor role in the book. Most likely, the only typo in the book is when Bruce misnamed me as "Jim" in the Acknowledgements section. Nonetheless, it is a wonderful, detailed master study of prewar Lionel.

Forum member Bob/pennsyfan @pennsyfan can be contacted if you want a copy.

Note the Lionel scale 701 switcher on (left of) the cover!

Tom (or Jim, if you like)

Thanks Jim.....😂😂

Bob,

I've probably been called a lot worse!

Tom/Jim

Thanks, Patrick, for starting us off with your Weaver brass B&O 0-6-0 and a "shout-out" to Trainz for helping you get her running like new. Since a few of us have featured Trainz-acquired switchers, my contribution is my  1999 MTH PS-1 CNJ FM H-24-66, acquired from them a year ago, pulling a consist of a few scale cars:

She came with a BCR already installed but I had to clean up a few leakage spots from the original 9V battery. Because of her age, I also applied new thermal paste to the heatsink setup for the bridge rectifier. Next, I added a larger heatsink on the primary output triac which ran quite hot originally. Finally, I made an extra "blind" for the back of the cab area so the electronics behind the engineer and fireman figures did not show from the cab windows. Now, she looks and runs great, with better low-speed performance and overall cooler operation. The only "quirk" that remains is engine sound attenuation when going from forward into neutral.

Well I am a little late, its Sunday but I thought you might like a small "unusual" steam loco from our past, in this case 1935.  This is an American Flyer (Chicago Flyer) type XX locomotive that was equipped with an extra feature.   Never numbered and it was (originally) a 2-4-0 although in my case the leading truck is long missing.  What is interesting is that this version, never numbered, has an electrically powered whistle mounted on the back of the motor that blows all the time the loco is moving.  The whistle takes up all the space to the rear of the drivers, so unlike many locomotives of this type, she never had a trailing truck.  So here is the "whistling" American Flyer switcher from 1935.

Best Wishes

Don

@Don McErlean posted:

Well I am a little late, its Sunday but I thought you might like a small "unusual" steam loco from our past, in this case 1935.  This is an American Flyer (Chicago Flyer) type XX locomotive that was equipped with an extra feature.   Never numbered and it was (originally) a 2-4-0 although in my case the leading truck is long missing.  What is interesting is that this version, never numbered, has an electrically powered whistle mounted on the back of the motor that blows all the time the loco is moving.  The whistle takes up all the space to the rear of the drivers, so unlike many locomotives of this type, she never had a trailing truck.  So here is the "whistling" American Flyer switcher from 1935.

Best Wishes

Don

Don -thanks for posting the historical switcher with such a rich history!!   AND remember ... it's never too late to post here on SwSat.   Thanks for keeping the switcher party going!