Boston & Maine #617 is an MTH Railking model (30-1184-1) of a USRA 0-8-0 steam switcher. The model was delivered in 2001 with PS2 at MSRP $399.95.

#617 was one of twenty-two Class H-2-a 0-8-0 switchers built for the B&M by Alco Schenectady in 1922. It was sold to the Maine Central Railroad in 1946.

The engine ran on the O-72 outer loop and O-36 inner loop of my 12’-by-8’ layout with three boxcars and a B&M caboose. The first video shows it running southbound through the narrow cut on the layout’s O-36 inner loop. The second video shows the train coming out of the cut.

MELGAR

Thanks, Patrick, for doing your usual great job getting Switcher Saturday started.

MTH PS3 Pennsylvania RS1 diesel switcher hauling coal, oil and a caboose:

Arnold

The K-Line Pennsylvania A5 working the Christmas trains…..

Have a great and safe weekend, folks!

Peter

My newest addition to the North Branch and Lamington - CNJ GP9 Lionchief locomotive… and of course, NB&L rules dictate a caboose is required, so a matching NE hack was acquired. The Geep is going through its shakedown, and I have to say the sound and movement aren’t bad for the price point of this engine. It’s first assignment will be pulling holiday duty on this years Christmas tree spread.

Happy SwSat!  Lionel Grand Trunk on the layout today.  It’s a BLUE Saturday here in Ohio with the snow melting & cold drizzle coming down.

Have a great day!

Good morning, SwSat people!  Last year, about this time, I showed a Maine Central plow extra on a test run prior to winter.  Well, guys - hate to say it - it’s that time again, winter’s on the way!

MEC GP7 no. 562, by Lionel, is seen with a MTH MEC plow and a Weaver MEC caboose.  All is well with the equipment, but an extended plow wing took down a light pole on a station platform.  The plow crew will have to be more diligent about retracting the wings when clearance is tight!

Just for fun, I’ve included photos of a 1/1 scale MEC plow located at the Belfast and Moosehead Lake RR in Maine.

John

The crew is admiring the newly restored LNE #611. According to the Railroad & Industrial Preservation Society, the original #611 is in the process of being restored.

Gene

Thanks for kicking things off, Patrick and a Happy Switcher Saturday to all! Here’s my little B6 moving boxcars around the layout -

Happy SWSat!

Can't wait to see the new yard Patrick!

With the mild weather we've had this October and November, the leaves have been hanging on for dear life to their trees. Well that has changed suddenly and the LIRR has had their leaf trains on double duty treating the wet and slippery rails to prevent wheel slip. The RR has refit the equipment into an old pair of M1 commuter cars that are push/pulled by a pair of MP-15's. The RR lays down a slurry of sand and other binders that sticks to the rails to give the steel wheels better grip on the rail head. Been trying to catch it to get a video but I keep missing it but do see it from a distance.

So I thought I'd feature one of my LIRR end cabs this week. LIRR 499 is a MTH Railking model of an EMD SW-8 with PS2. Today the crew is picking up a couple of sand loads to deliver to the MOW yard for the leaf train.
The 2 orange ore cars are new RMT's and the gray is an MTH. The caboose happens to be from RMT also.

Wishing everyone a Happy Thanksgiving !

Bob

@trumpettrain posted:

The videos show switchers earning their keep on a way freight, a lite caboose hop, and a trio of switchers working a manifest freight.  

I hope everyone has a terrific weekend and I wish all of you and your families a heartfelt Happy Thanksgiving!!   Now let's see your switchers!!

Patrick, nice job filming these videos. They definitely capture a presence of hard working engines.

Gene

Some PW Lionel Switcher and 44 tonner on SWITCHER SATURDAY God Speed All!

Happy switcher  Saturday!

An early New Haven BEEP towing a (6-21763) Lionel celebration series NH freight set.

Happy Thanksgiving, Ray

Here is the Lionel Burlington GP-7 #2328 from 1955-1956 getting ready to take a short commuter hop down into the big city.

Here she is pulling her short train out of Depot and onto the main line to move on down town.

Best wishes everyone and hope you have a great Holiday Thanksgiving.

Don

@Putnam Division posted:

Have a great and safe weekend, folks!

Peter

@Putnam Division

Peter:

The Christmas train is great! Is that a Reindeer stock car behind the engine in the video? If so, what make is it and model number if you have it. I am assembling a Christmas train and that would be a novel inclusion on the train.

Thank you.

Good morning, SwSat friends,

I sent this 3rd Rail PRR H6sb off to be repaired back in July (July, 2023).  Hope to get it back while I am still alive, but finding the parts apparently has been difficult.  Pennsy's H6 was a mainline freight engine when first produced back in 1899, with several more powerful variants being produced up through the early 1920s.  A few of the last variant, the H6sb, lasted until the early 1950s.  By the late 1940s it was delegated to some branch line duties and as a switcher.

A fan excursion into the High Sierra.   The different videos posted this week make for mighty fine viewing.

Thanks Patrick for kicking off SwSat . Those autumn colors look great!

Here is the Farmingdale Traction Co. # 43 moving a newly acquired 1 truck Birney to the trolley barn to be inspected by the Shop Foreman.

@Randy Harrison posted:

@Putnam Division

Peter:

The Christmas train is great! Is that a Reindeer stock car behind the engine in the video? If so, what make is it and model number if you have it. I am assembling a Christmas train and that would be a novel inclusion on the train.

Thank you.

Randy I found a Lionel operating Santa reindeer transport car on the bay.it didn’t include the number. Here is my reindeer operating car (giraffe style) # 26740.

@Randy Harrison posted:

@Putnam Division

Peter:

The Christmas train is great! Is that a Reindeer stock car behind the engine in the video? If so, what make is it and model number if you have it. I am assembling a Christmas train and that would be a novel inclusion on the train.

Thank you.

Will do……it may take a day or so.

Peter

@Putnam Division posted:

Will do……it may take a day or so.

Peter

@Putnam Division

Peter:

Thank you.

@Randy Harrison posted:

@Putnam Division

Peter:

Thank you.

6-83284

Peek-a-Boo Reindeer box car

Peter

@Putnam Division posted:

Did you mean the 1928419 Polar Express Reindeer car?

Peter

@Putnam Division posted:

Did you mean the 1928419 Polar Express Reindeer car?

Peter

I bought the car without a box so I can’t answer your question.

@Randy Harrison posted:

@Putnam Division

Peter:

The Christmas train is great! Is that a Reindeer stock car behind the engine in the video? If so, what make is it and model number if you have it. I am assembling a Christmas train and that would be a novel inclusion on the train.

Thank you.

Back home and no longer have the train sounds in my ears…..

Did you mean the 1928419 Polar Express Reindeer car?

Peter

@Putnam Division posted:

Back home and no longer have the train sounds in my ears…..

Did you mean the 1928419 Polar Express Reindeer car?

Peter

@Putnam Division

Peter:

If that is the one behind the engine in your video of the Christmas train, the yes. As I remember, it was a stock car that was blue with red trim.

@Randy Harrison posted:

@Putnam Division

Peter:

If that is the one behind the engine in your video of the Christmas train, the yes. As I remember, it was a stock car that was blue with red trim.

Randy- check out the Lionel Fezziwig Railway Set. It was released last year.  Not an animated stock car tho.

I met my future wife and current CEO of the RSJ&B at a bar called Fezziwig's.....had to have the set when it came out.

Bob