IT's SWITCHER SATURDAY!!! March 23 Edition!

Conrail #8606 is an Atlas O model of an EMD SW8 diesel switcher – item 6117-1 with TMCC and Lionel Railsounds 4.0, announced in June 2005 at MSRP $369.95. The model runs very smoothly and has a die-cast shell with the fine details and exact scale dimensions typical of Atlas O products.

Conrail #8606 was built as New York Central #9606 in February 1952 and renumbered to NYC #8606 in 1966. It became Penn Central #8606 in 1968, Conrail #8606 in 1976, and was retired in 1991. Atlas O also made a model of this engine as NYC #9606, so I have models of the same locomotive in two different liveries.

Conrail was a Class I railroad that operated in the Northeastern United States from 1976 to 1999. It was created by the federal government to take over the bankrupt Penn Central and began to make a profit in the 1980s. It was acquired by CSX and Norfolk Southern and returned to private operation in 1999.

The Electro-Motive Division of General Motors produced 309 SW8 locomotives for U.S. railroads between 1950 and 1954. They were equipped with an EMD 567B 8-cylinder supercharged two-stroke diesel engine that developed 800 horsepower with starting tractive effort 57,000 pounds and continuous tractive effort 36,000 pounds at 11 miles-per-hour. Weight was 230,000 pounds.

Photos and videos show Conrail #8606 pulling a short freight on my 10’-by-5’ layout with Conrail N20 extended vision caboose #22131 at the tail end - model also by Atlas O. The caboose was built by International Car Company in 1970 for the Reading Railroad and was transferred to Conrail on April 1, 1976. A photo of the Atlas O model of NYC #9606 and Conrail #8606 is included in my post.

MELGAR

Two Rochester and Southern SW1200's working the refinery

@trumpettrain,

Patrick,

The N&W 0-8-0 switcher looks great! I hope you enjoy it and post a video of it running on your layout.

MELGAR

The yard foreman needs to move a heavy consist of express cars to the west outbound track to meet up with Train 31.  His preference is the yard's dependable H8 consolidation, but it is in the shop.  His B6s are a little light for this, anyway, they are busy working a long mixed freight consist on the inbound track with several reefers that need to get to icing fast.  Reluctantly, he gets a crew for the yard's last remaining C1 and keeps his fingers crossed it doesn't go to ground on the yard's tighter east end turnouts.  The C1 might be great at hauling tonnage as the heaviest 2-cylinder 0-8-0 ever produced, but it sure is tempermental.  It was a good day; no problems.

C1 is a Weaver brass model.

Good morning my fellow Switcher Saturday fanatics.

Here is my offering for this day: an MTH PS3 Philadelphia Bethlehem and New England SW1 hauling Northeastern boxcars and caboose:

Thanks, Patrick, for doing your usual marvelous job getting us started.

Wishing you all the happiest of Switcher Saturdays, Arnold

My New Haven 0-6-0 moving some military flats around…..

Have a great and safe week, everyone!

Thanks for starting us off, Patrick.

Peter

Happy SWSAT everyone. Thanks Patrick for kicking us off and the new 0-8-0 switcher looks great. No much layout time this week the Small Farm is starting to take up more of my time this year but I did get to take some pics off of the O27 layout this week of my Lionel GP7 road Switcher. Enjoy your weekend.

Railking

@MELGAR posted:

Conrail #8606 is an Atlas O model of an EMD SW8 diesel switcher – item 6117-1 with TMCC and Lionel Railsounds 4.0, announced in June 2005 at MSRP $369.95. The model runs very smoothly and has a die-cast shell with the fine details and exact scale dimensions typical of Atlas O products.

Conrail #8606 was built as New York Central #9606 in February 1952 and renumbered to NYC #8606 in 1966. It became Penn Central #8606 in 1968, Conrail #8606 in 1976, and was retired in 1991. Atlas O also made a model of this engine as NYC #9606, so I have models of the same locomotive in two different liveries.

Conrail was a Class I railroad that operated in the Northeastern United States from 1976 to 1999. It was created by the federal government to take over the bankrupt Penn Central and began to make a profit in the 1980s. It was acquired by CSX and Norfolk Southern and returned to private operation in 1999.

The Electro-Motive Division of General Motors produced 309 SW8 locomotives for U.S. railroads between 1950 and 1954. They were equipped with an EMD 567B 8-cylinder supercharged two-stroke diesel engine that developed 800 horsepower with starting tractive effort 57,000 pounds and continuous tractive effort 36,000 pounds at 11 miles-per-hour. Weight was 230,000 pounds.

Photos and videos show Conrail #8606 pulling a short freight on my 10’-by-5’ layout with Conrail N20 extended vision caboose #22131 at the tail end - model also by Atlas O. The caboose was built by International Car Company in 1970 for the Reading Railroad and was transferred to Conrail on April 1, 1976. A photo of the Atlas O model of NYC #9606 and Conrail #8606 is included in my post.

MELGAR

Nice pic Mel and the info. Thanks for sharing

@Arnold D. Cribari posted:

Good morning my fellow Switcher Saturday fanatics.

Here is my offering for this day: an MTH PS3 Philadelphia Bethlehem and New England SW1 hauling Northeastern boxcars and caboose:

Thanks, Patrick, for doing your usual marvelous job getting us started.

Wishing you all the happiest of Switcher Saturdays, Arnold

Nice video Arnold I liked that angle ypu caught

Nice acquisition, Patrick! I've not had the same luck as you getting bargains on the 'bay, especially with locos. Glad you got the deal on that 0-8-0!

For today, I've got my four BEEPs, in no particular hurry, hauling my newly-acquired ATSF MOW tie service car:

They're moving at just under 6 mph. I found out they run quite a bit better at low speed on smooth sine-wave AC versus "chopped" AC when I reconditioned a 4850/4851 transformer I got about 10 years ago and used one of these BEEPs to test it. The only problem is the stock incandescent lamps aren't bright enough to see at this throttle setting.

@Bill Swatos posted:

Nice acquisition, Patrick! I've not had the same luck as you getting bargains on the 'bay, especially with locos. Glad you got the deal on that 0-8-0!

For today, I've got my four BEEPs, in no particular hurry, hauling my newly-acquired ATSF MOW tie service car:

They're moving at just under 6 mph. I found out they run quite a bit better at low speed on smooth sine-wave AC versus "chopped" AC when I reconditioned a 4850/4851 transformer I got about 10 years ago and used one of these BEEPs to test it. The only problem is the stock incandescent lamps aren't bright enough to see at this throttle setting.

Nice looking fleet of Beeps Bill WTG Mark

Greetings, SwSat nation!  Today the subject of my post is my only RMT Beep, NYC no. 5903.  Beeps are popular with SwSat aficionados and seen frequently, but mine is the only one I’ve seen/heard with sound.

I’m not going to claim any technical prowess or that my Beep sounds good.  I actually bought an inexpensive ERR sound kit to install in my Williams B&M BL2, but soon learned the custom installation was over my head.  The sound kit, however, came with detailed instructions for installation in a Beep.  I followed the instructions and managed to cram the kit into no. 5903.

For whimsy, I’m showing the Beep pulling my postwar Lionel searchlight car no. 3520.  The short train is trailed by custom transfer caboose; I assembled it from a postwar Lionel flat and work caboose cabin found “under the table” at a train show.

John

Good morning SwSat friends.  
A CN (WbB) 70 ton switcher is moving a 2 car + caboose consist around the layout today.

Have a great Saturday!

Happy Switcher Saturday!  I’ve been having a blast moving cars around the layout and assembling trains with my switchers lately.  Here is my RS3 pulling some cars out of side track #2 -

Hey, Bill, like your Beep fleet!  I forgot, I have another, Santa Fe no. 2003. She is, unfortunately, headed to the scrapyard on a flatcar!

John

Another fine start trumptrain,     Switchers moving some military freight God Speed All!

@trumpettrain great find Patrick, good luck with it. Here’s my Lionel SW8 moving some fruit and JD tractors.

Gene

Here's my Coors SW-8 making the Saturday beer run.

Enjoy!

Happy SWSat!

Great addition to the fleet Patrick. Enjoy!

This week management on the RSJ&B has added branchline commuter service. A new Doodlebug has arrived to start shuttling passengers on a few of the railroad's less populated branches. The railroad has served freight customers on these lines for years and the locals have been asking for service as well. Hopefully this new service will bring an added revenue source to the railroad.

While the crew is prepping for the day's run, PRR Plymouth # 99  is grabbing a loaded box car from a local business in town to be hooked up to the coach at the passenger depot. The car will be delivered to the team track at the end of the branch.

The Doodlebug railcars were developed in the early 1900's and were made by several different manufacturers and used by numerous railroads. Early models were powered by gasoline engines with a direct mechanical drive. Improvements came when General Electric added a DC generator and electric motor drive. Several other manufacturers added to the fleets including Brill, EMC, Pullman and others.

This model is a new Lionel Lionchief-plus 2.0 with legacy and bluetooth. Flexibility for control is a nice feature. I use my Cab-1L, but the LC app works well, and either a supplied remote (on sets) or universal remote are options too. The Base 3 system will run these also.
The Lionel model is made with the old MTH tooling. I'm planning to add passengers to both the bug and madison coach. This continues Lionel's production of some really great mid-prices engines in the Lionchief line. This railcar has a single vertical can motor drive which is more than adequate to pull the short consists like the prototypes did. Other features include fan-driven smoke (I don't run it but they really can pump it out), electro-couplers, directional lighting, sounds, etc.

Have a great weekend.

Bob

New Haven RS-3's no. 535 & 537 prepare to pickup a loaded car at the Connecticut Hard Rubber Company in New Haven as part of the days switching chores. The coal fired CHR boiler house is to the left and contains two high pressure steam boilers. Later in the day a loaded coal car will be dropped there to supply the power house needed coal.

Good morning SWSAT crew!

In keeping with the SW8 theme, Here is Penn Central SW8 8623 (Lionel) pulling a short train through Killbridge Junction:

Have a great weekend, everyone!

Tom

@Steam Crazy posted:

Greetings, SwSat nation!  Today the subject of my post is my only RMT Beep, NYC no. 5903.  Beeps are popular with SwSat aficionados and seen frequently, but mine is the only one I’ve seen/heard with sound.

I’m not going to claim any technical prowess or that my Beep sounds good.  I actually bought an inexpensive ERR sound kit to install in my Williams B&M BL2, but soon learned the custom installation was over my head.  The sound kit, however, came with detailed instructions for installation in a Beep.  I followed the instructions and managed to cram the kit into no. 5903.

For whimsy, I’m showing the Beep pulling my postwar Lionel searchlight car no. 3520.  The short train is trailed by custom transfer caboose; I assembled it from a postwar Lionel flat and work caboose cabin found “under the table” at a train show.

John

Nice John. I did a full ERR upgrade in a BEEP following  GunrunnerJohn's model.

And it is a BEEP after all.

Bob

Happy SwSat!

Nice acquisition Patrick, thanks for starting us off today.
Here’s an MTH Proto1 H10-44 moving through town with a short consist.

Hi Bob,

Your SF 2003 sounds good.  I figured I wasn’t the only one out there with a sound equipped Beep.  Maybe some of our SwSat friends will post one too.

John

@Steam Crazy posted:

Hi Bob,

Your SF 2003 sounds good.  I figured I wasn’t the only one out there with a sound equipped Beep.  Maybe some of our SwSat friends will post one too.

John

It's too bad ERR discontinued the mini-commander board. I have one more on hand with a gas-doodlebug sound board ironically. I bought it to upgrade a K-line box cab but I may use it in something else.

Now that I'm going to use a Lionchief bluetooth board in a RS-3, it's a much more affordable option for upgrading conventional engines.

Bob

Happy Switcher Saturday!

Today I am showing my MTH 44 Ton Diesel Switcher in N.H. livery (20-20470-1)

Take Care, Ray

Patrick that N&W 244 0-8-0 was my 1st Protosound engine, and it thrilled me. You have a keeper!!! A victim of Sandy, mine was drowned in seawater, and a total loss. I have since obtained an N&W RK Imperial 0-8-0, but the sentimental value is just not there.

Today we have the Marx LV #112 GE 70 Ton switcher from 1974-1976 at work in assembling a short train in order to move a  car that needs to go to a local industry.

Old #112 arrives with her matching caboose.

She sees the car that she has been ordered to pick up, leaves the caboose on the main and maneuvers to back into the yard track to pick up that gondola.

Finally, all hooked up here is the entire train moving that gondola out to a customer who is waiting to load it up so the contents can be shipped out for sale.

Best Wishes

Don

All right @Steam Crazy

Here's one of my Beeps! This is equiped with ERR Beep commander and Sound commander boards.

I actually have 3 sound equiped Beeps!

All right, Darrell!

John

Darrell,

I alwats thought that your plasticville factory was one of the nicest buildings they made.

@Darrell posted:

All right @Steam Crazy

Here's one of my Beeps! This is equiped with ERR Beep commander and Sound commander boards.

I actually have 3 sound equiped Beeps!

Awww man. I wanna do that to mine!

@Donnie Kennedy posted:

Awww man. I wanna do that to mine!

Me, too! I've heard that they've stopped making the "Mini-Commander" that fits in the BEEP. Is there an alternative?

Here are my Beep shells pulled by a Railking SW1.  Charlie

@MELGAR posted:

@trumpettrain,

Patrick,

The N&W 0-8-0 switcher looks great! I hope you enjoy it and post a video of it running on your layout.

MELGAR

Thanks so much Mel !  Here are a couple videos showing the locomotive's sound.   I love the bell.  The whistle not so much ... sounds like a door bell buzzer LOL!  The chuffing sound is okay.  Of course I realize that the sounds of 1997 MTH and today's MTH are totally different animals.  The "creep factor" is non existent.  This loco is a faster runner than at Proto 2 or 3 which again is understandable being from 1997.  t needs at least 13 volts to stay moving and she moves at a faster clip than a switcher does, but she'll make a decent road engine as N&W used some of its' 0-8-0s in that capacity.   I look forward to the weathering process.  It will be a fun project!   Perhaps someday I'll grade up to Proto 3.  

@Steam Crazy posted:

Hey, Bill, like your Beep fleet!  I forgot, I have another, Santa Fe no. 2003. She is, unfortunately, headed to the scrapyard on a flatcar!

John

Thanks, John! Your "scrapyard" shell looks better than my active service one!

Lionel TMCC Gas Turbine switchers from the Picatinny Arsenal and the Atomic Energy Commission about to leave the rail yard with their consists.

@tnkMarx posted:

Good morning SwSat friends.  
A CN (WbB) 70 ton switcher is moving a 2 car + caboose consist around the layout today.

Have a great Saturday!

That CN boxcar emulating late Soo Line livery is very interesting. I've never seen one before. Thanks for sharing!