It's SWITCHER SATURDAY!!! .. June 1, 2024 Edition!!!

My grandson from Virginia visited on Memorial Day weekend so we had to run a Virginia train. Chesapeake & Ohio GP38-2 #3899 is an MTH Premier model (20-2186-1) delivered in December 1998 with PS1 at MSRP $299.

I resumed buying O gauge trains in 1997 and began building my 12’-by-8’ layout in 1999. #3899 is one of the first locomotives that I ran and was used to check the trackwork and wiring on the layout almost 25 years ago. It probably has less than two hours running time since new. Although I’ve posted it on Switcher Saturday once before, it has mostly sat on a shelf for its entire life. When we decided to run it on Memorial Day weekend, I just plunked it onto the track of my 10’-by-5’ layout, applied power, and away it went. It has a BCR that I installed before the previous post on the Forum, but I don’t think I’ve ever changed the traction tires. Even with a slight flat spot, they’re running without a problem. In my opinion, MTH builds a quality product.

The Chessie caboose is by K-Line.

MELGAR

I'm with J. D., Patrick! One of my favorite "Sunday Sayings" is "Naps are ordained of God." My entry for today's SWSAT features Lionel's 1993 Service Station Set, the "Soo Line Special." Lionel's 6-18825 GP38-2 in cherry-red slant Soo with speed stripe livery is on the point doing "road duty" today:

This conventional locomotive features a transverse mounted Mabuchi DC motor with spur gear drive in each truck. In addition, each truck sports two traction tires, one on each axle on the same side, so she pulls quite well. This drive is essentially the same as that found in many K-Line switchers and RMT's ALCo S-4 switcher (a.k.a. Bang S-4). Typical of locomotives with this drive, though, she slows considerably around tight curves at low voltage, so it's challenging to get slow-speed operation and requires a deft hand on the throttle.

Here's a better look at the consist:

Lionel's decision to include a late 19th-century woodside reefer in this otherwise modern consist seems a bit odd, but there she is. I got the set NIB from Forum sponsor, Graham's Trains. The locomotive, EV caboose, TTUX Trailer Train and center-flow hopper all needed some minor repair and adjustment, but everything works perfectly now.

May everyone have an enjoyable SWSAT!

GT H10-44 & CN/GT boxcars are out of the paint shop.  All patchwork completed.  The GT boxcar is Lionel & others are MTH.

Have a great June 1st SwSat!

Giving my newest addition a proper shakedown - a Lionel Penn Central RS-27. MU'd with the GP20 put me into a Penn Central mood this morning.... I have to apologize as I don't have good vantage points on my layout for photos/videos.

Good morning, SwSat nation!  Thanks again, Patrick, for being our fearless leader on Saturday mornings!

Narragansett Beer, brewed in Providence, RI, was once the largest selling beer in New England.  Demand was so high in the late fifties, the brewery had trouble delivering enough beer in their traditional wood reefers.  

This supply problem led to the development of some specialty tank cars to be spotted at strategic locations.  The original three cars were delivered to Providence, Worcester, MA and Boston, where local distributors could pick up beer for delivery to thirsty patrons at bars and package stores.  Future plans included construction of cars for use in Manchester, NH and Portland, ME.  New Haven Alco RS3 no. 538 and EMD GP9 no. 1205 are seen hauling a train from the brewery.

Disclaimer: the person who consumed the beer in the tank cars shown is unknown.

John

Happy Switcher Saturday!  The nephews (age 4 and 6) bypassed the pool and ran right for the train room when they joined us  for a Memorial Day BBQ on Monday. On this occasion they just couldn’t stop running the new Lionel Dash-8.  They definitely preferred the LionChief  iPhone ap to the handheld and although they’ve enjoyed running MTH engines with the dcs handheld in the past, they just couldn’t get enough of the LionChief dash 8. Kuddos to Lionel for creating a very kid friendly interface.  Here are some shots of the Dash 8 yesterday before she went back to the yard -

With a tip o’ the hat to Bill SwSatos, I offer the Lionel WM GP9 ( or GP7?) for SwSat. While I will certainly accept any Lionel Historian correction(s), I believe this engine, (and the C&O released in the same time frame), to be Lionel’s very first entries into the world of china drive, ie., 2 upright can motors. Prior to this, it was Pullmor or, as Bill described above, twin truck mounted can motors. Only conventional, no Railsounds, electronic horn, cab roof strobe, traction tires, nicely decorated, hefty and great pullers, these engines came only in these sets, and were not offered as separate sale items. Aside from the engines, these sets each contained a bay window caboose, with a (new for Lionel) rear strobe light, and, a newly tooled scale item. The WM set contained the scale PS2 covered hopper, and the C&O set contained the GN 40 ton ACF stock car. I got this set, hand delivered by the late, great, Train Pop, Chuck Ambrogio, at one of the NJHR Trainstocks.

Last picture is the C&O set, 6-31707, released at the same time, featuring the new stock car. These sets were catalogued in 2003.

@Steam Crazy posted:

Good morning, SwSat nation!  Thanks again, Patrick, for being our fearless leader on Saturday mornings!

Narragansett Beer, brewed in Providence, RI, was once the largest selling beer in New England.  Demand was so high in the late fifties, the brewery had trouble delivering enough beer in their traditional wood reefers...

John

@Steam Crazy,

John,

I seem to remember Curt Gowdy broadcasting Red Sox games in the 1960s and saying "Have a Gansett." I run this wood-sided reefer with Boston & Maine engines.

MELGAR

Mel, right you are about Curt Gowdy.  When looking at your reefer, I’m reminded the Gansett brewery was actually in Cranston, RI, not Providence.  I’ve been looking for that car to add to my Gansett collection.

John

Happy SWSat!

So many great pix and stories week after week. No wonder this is the best weekly thread on the forum.

I had intended to do something new this week but once again, life intervened. So I'll rely on my extensive archive of switcher photos. My wife complains that I have more pictures of my trains than my kids....... Well, I only have 2 kids so how many photos do I need........

I'll start by following Mel's Chessie GEEP, with my own pair of Chessie switchers. A Lionel MPC GP-20 and K-line S2. The Chessie paint scheme is one of my all time favorites.

And Mark's Western Maryland GP-7 with my own, Lionel TMCC version that I bought from Mark Boyce. This was my first command engine. That's sure been a slippery slope......

Finally following Dave P, my MTH version of a Penn Central RS-27. This PS1 model had a bad case of zinc pest and both trucks had to be replaced. It will also need an electronics upgrade one day but it does run.

Have a great weekend!

Bob

Enjoy your weekend, nice start trumptrain

Happy SWSAT

Another great start Patrick!

My NH BEEP is a little intimidated with all those hefty engines ahead of it; but it’s earning its keep moving some cars off the team track. The caboose is right out of the paint shop.

An MTH special run.

- walt

Good morning SWSAT crew!

Penn Central SW8 8616 (Atlas O) shoves a cut of empty gondolas:

Have a great weekend, everyone!

Tom

Thank you, Patrick, for doing your usual great job starting us off; and thank you, Melgar for showing your commitment to this thread for almost always being the 2nd to post photos and videos of switchers and giving us historical information about the prototypes.

What I have to offer is one of my most attractive diesel switchers: an MTH PS1 Premier Burlington Northern EMD  something or other. In this short video, it's hauling heavy freight and a caboose on the rails along the river.  Arnold

WSX Alco S-2 #208 moves a string of brand new empty hot metal cars towards the blast furnaces.  In the background, Weirton's Open Hearth towers above the scene.  The Weirton Steel Yard tower watches over the operation in the foreground.

George

A couple Box Cabs….CNJ and Erie…

Tom

You all are awesome!!!  Delightful posts by all of you   By all means keep posting!

Here's a  of video of a Western Maryland BL2 on the point of a  freight train.  

Great stuff posted today, as always!  Here’s a new and shiny Jersey Central ALCO RS-1 switching cars around on the siding.  This is a RailKing scale model from MTH that I obviously haven’t gotten around to weathering and “3-rail scaling” yet!

For those unfamiliar with these RS-1’s, they have an impressive amount of detail for a RailKing model with a terrific sound set to boot!

CNJ #1601, I agree about the value of the Railking RS1’s, I have been the happy owner of the NYC version for many years.  I think they have the best level of detail and sound, at the price, of any engine in the model railroad world.  When I started my engine for the first time, I thought the sound system was defective!  Now I now it’s the prototypical Alco “bucket of bolts” sound.

John

It is May, 1949, and H10s 8421 is on its last day of work moving cars in the yard.  When the day ends, this old engine, dependably providing power to the Pennsy since 1915, is going to the scrap yard.  It had a long and varied career, starting out as a mainline freight engine when first built, to secondary duty then branch line work.  For the last few years it has been the yard master's favorite heavy switcher since the C1 is not dependable.  8421 will be missed.

Weaver.

Steam Crazy- John  and CNJ 1601 - Joe ... great looking MTH RK RS1s you guys have in CNJ and NYC!!   Although not as colorful as your,   my RK scale Washington Terminal Co RS1 with Proto 3 is a fun engine to run!  I also have the Washington Terminal Co RS 1 by Atlas O with TMCC and it also is a fun runner.  

Number 46 by MTH and number 63 by Atlas O.  

@tnkMarx posted:

GT H10-44 & CN/GT boxcars are out of the paint shop.  All patchwork completed.  The GT boxcar is Lionel & others are MTH.

Have a great June 1st SwSat!

Truer words have never been displayed on a locomotive, IMHO!

I'll add my vote for the RS-1 from MTH. One of my favorite engines to run. John's got it right about the sounds too.

Bob

I was traveling yesterday, so I’m late to the party as usual.  Currently on the layout is a N&W GP-20.  N&W did not order any GP-20s new.  They picked up 2 of them later from Illinois Terminal when they needed more powered units,  after most GP-20s were supplanted with newer units on main line. They were repainted and used in switching and short runs.

My son talked Mr. muffin into doing a custom run of this Legacy model.

Great stuff, everyone!

Peter

@RSJB18 posted:

I'll add my vote for the RS-1 from MTH. One of my favorite engines to run. John's got it right about the sounds too.

Bob

Not every RS1 has the rattling start up sounds. Some of them have the same sound set as the RS3, and that’s far less impressive, to my ears, anyway. I had my C&O RS1 (30-20929-1) soundset swapped out with MLR RS1 (30-20382-1). Thankfully, most Railking soundsets are not road name specific.

@Mark V. Spadaro posted:

Not every RS1 has the rattling start up sounds. Some of them have the same sound set as the RS3, and that’s far less impressive, to my ears, anyway. I had my C&O RS1 (30-20929-1) soundset swapped out with MLR RS1 (30-20382-1). Thankfully, most Railking soundsets are not road name specific.

I have an ESPN RS-1 with PS-3 and I only get the extended startup with starter wind when I use DCC. I imagine DCS would do the same. The sound is great and the "gallop" when running is neat, too.