It's Switcher Saturday! Welcome switcher fans!
Switcher Saturday ( SwSat ) is THE thread which celebrates all things switching locomotive related with discussion, and the sharing of photos, videos, and information. All is fair game as long as it's switcher related. SwSat welcomes your input no matter what gauge you may model ... we welcome Z - G gauges as well as the real railroad 1:1 gauge! If you are viewing this thread for the first time please feel free to post photos/videos and tell us a bit about your switcher (s) ... we'd love to have you as part of the SwSat community!
We ask that anyone who posts to SwSat abide by OGR Forum Terms of Service found by clicking on TOS at the top of this page. As a reminder please post only photos/videos you have taken. If you post someone else's photo/video/information be sure to have their written permission. Posting copyrighted photos/ videos/ material is a violation of copyright law and violators are legally liable.
As always, I'm excited to see what you all post! We greatly learn from one another and you all have so much to share from rehab and upgrade projects, historical and technical information of both model and real switchers and switching railroads, to terrific photos of the latest high tech switchers, post and prewar switchers. AND of course we as a community learn from all the content you provide. So please feel free to post your photos and/or information!
Have a FUN-TASTIC weekend everyone!!! Remember " Safety First"! ... keep those switches aligned, attend to your switch lists, run your switchers this weekend and green signals to all!! See ya next week right here at Switcher Saturday!!
My offering for this edition of SwSat is Maryland & Pennsylvania Railroad's SW 1 No. 70. This is a MTH RailKing Scale model with PS3. Since Ma & Pa Number 70 arrived on the FSJR property, it's been reliable, a good runner and continues to serve the Free State Junction Railway very well! This engine was purchased brand-new ( the year escapes me .. perhaps 2015 or 16? ) at York from Just Trains of Delaware ( an OGR Forum Sponsor ).
A word about the prototype: EMD SW1 Number 70 was one of the first three diesel locomotives purchased by the Ma & Pa. The other two were 1000 hp NW2 locomotives number 80 & 81, also EMD products. These 3 three locomotive were purchased new from EMD in 1946. The three locomotives functioned well on the tight restrictive curves of the Ma & Pa. Number's 80 & 81, with their greater hp ratings, were primarily assigned as road engines running between York, Pa and Baltimore City. Number 70 was assigned primarily to switching duties in York, Pa. After serving the Ma & Pa for well over a decade, Number 70 was sold to Republic Steel Corp of Canton Ohio in 1959. For more historical information about the Ma & Pa check out this book .. The Ma & Pa by George W. Hilton.
On the Free State Junction Railway number 70 serves in many capacities both on the mainlines that run through Lower Patsburg and on the Mountain Division. Once the new yard is built number 70 will take turns with other FSJR switchers making up trains in the yard as well as continuing its' duties on the mainlines and Mountain Division.
At Butler Junction Number 70 runs lite. Brakeman Dingwall Fleary rides the front deck and conductor Mike Evans rides the rear deck. Rail fan Chucky Gleason, sits on his bike admiring the locomotive rolling by at about 10 mph. The crew of Number 70 have gotten to know Chucky quite well and frequently offer him a cab ride ... but not today ... these fellers got some switching to do!
At day break Number 70 heads to the yard.
On the Mountain Division Number 70 runs cab forward. Conductor Evans rides the deck as he enjoys the fresh mountain air.
Number 70 here with bobber caboose in tow. The Ma & Pa owned a few bobbers.
Brakemen Whiff Rudd and Dingwall Fleary are on the ground. Wiff gives hand signals to engineer Bram Wiggins as Bram carefully backs the locomotive toward the stranded Ma & Pa gas/electric motorcar number 62. Number 70 will pull the motorcar to the FSJR shop for repair.
