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Welcome one and welcome all to the 9/7/2024 edition of SWITCHER SATURDAY!!!  IMG_1990

I hope everyone had a wonderful Labor Day weekend!!!  It's also my hope you got some train time in and in particular ran some switchers!  

A vast majority of us who frequent this thread love those small ( and not so small ) locomotives that can perform all the tasks given by any railroad.   Yep!  Switchers do it all ... switching in yards, at the point of way freights, industrial switching, switching at larger passenger stations, heading a MOW train ... including pushing snow plows, switching tight curvature on city streets in harbor areas, at the point of commuter passenger trains and long distance passenger trains.  

Switcher Saturday  (SwSat)  welcomes  your photos, videos, and information/discussion  regarding switching  locomotives, steam, diesel, and electric  of all gauges and scales from Z - G  ... and even real life 1:1 scale too!  We'd be honored to have you join us by posting pics and videos of your switchers.  We'd also love reading any information regarding toy, model, or prototypical switchers.  

Please keep in mind:  

* Post only photos that you have personally have taken.  If you post someone else's  photo be sure you have express written permission by the photo's owner to post their photo.  Posting someone else's photo without their permission is a violation of copyright law and the poster can/will be held legally accountable.  

* Refer to and comply with the OGR Forum TOS.

For today I have a pictorial history of a Patapsco and Back Rivers Baldwin VO 1000 carrying out a switching assignment.  The Patapsco and Back Rivers was a class three switching and terminal railroad that was  affectionately referred to by its' employees as the 'Push Bump and Ram".  It was one of several railroads owned by Bethlehem Steel Corp.  The PBR served the sprawling Bethlehem Steel Plant and Ship Erecting facility in Sparrows Point, Md. located in Baltimore County, just outside Baltimore City.  The PBR served not only the steel plant but also about a dozen other industries in the immediate vicinity of the plant as well.  

THE BACK STORY OF HOW THIS PBR LOCOMOTIVE CAME TO ME:    Back in 2016  this  locomotive came up on E bay.  This was the last of 8 railroads I model for which I had no locomotive and I had been searching for a PBR for quite a long time.  The end date/time was right smack in the middle of a recording session for which I had been booked several months in advance.   I took my cell phone to the studio so I could place a bid just before the session began.  Once in the studio and the session began, I  kept my cell phone on my music stand and connected to the Bay, all teed up so I could press the button to place a last second bid as I was recording.  I didn't have to make a last minute bid and I won the bid ....  and oh yes ... the recording session went great!  This is a MTH RailKing Scale PS2 model.

PBR VO1000 number 146 was re-engined with a EMD 567 prime mover.  In general the VO1000 had a top speed of 45 miles per hour.  

Patapsco and Back Rivers number 146 backs up the yard track as Western Maryland BL2 81 idles nearby.

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With a couple of PBR gondolas in tow, the 146 heads up the line.  

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Next the 146 brings a brand new hot metal car off the interchange track.  This car is headed for a nearby steel mill.

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Brakeman Jed Barrow admires the new hot metal car.

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Brakeman Clyde Pickett gives hands signals to the conductor Willy Phelps in the cab who will relay the information to engineer Cootie Greenwald.  

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At the grade crossing at Patsburg Ave with a B&O wagon top box car destined for an industry in Patsburg.

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PBR 146 backs a B&O wagon top boxcar up an industrial lead.

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Last edited by trumpettrain
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As always Patrick, great photos and a great story.

Steeple Cab # 42 is moving a flatcar loaded with trolley wire from the PRR Team Track to the Farmingdale Traction Company’s depot. IMG_2913

Steeple Cab 42 is a 3D printer creation, which was completed for me by @train guy Ken
In case you missed the first posts regarding this engine you can see them here.
https://ogrforum.com/topic/184...2#184156761285282942

https://ogrforum.com/topic/184...8#184297498909486768

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Last edited by pennsyfan

Boston & Albany #53 is a Lionel model (6-28702) of a USRA 0-8-0 steam switcher with TMCC made in 2006 at MSRP $649.99. The USRA 0-8-0 steam switcher design was developed by the United States Railroad Administration during World War 1. Lionel made an excellent model of the engine with a fully round boiler on the underside and a prototypical space between the boiler and the frame.

B&A #53 was a U-3b class switcher built by Lima in April 1921. The engine had 25-by-28 cylinders, 51-inch driving wheels, weighed 219,000 pounds (about 364,000 pounds with loaded tender), and produced 51,040 pounds of tractive effort at 175 pounds-per-square-inch boiler pressure. When the B&A dieselized in 1951, #53 was renumbered to New York Central #7725 and ran on the Harlem Division until retirement in January 1955.

Photos/video show #53 on my 10’-by-5’ layout pulling two boxcars – Maine Central single-sheathed car #36123 and PSRX refrigerated car #1006 - both by Atlas O. At the tail end is Boston & Albany wood caboose #1299 by MTH.

MELGAR

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A Lionel set from the 57 catalog. It was gifted to me about 10 years ago by a nurse colleague who found it in her husband’s workshop after his passing. It was in sad shape and required extended cleaning.  The switcher engine was unsalvageable……so, I bought a “new” used one at York.

Once it cleaned up, I fell in love with it because it looks to so colorful and displays nicely. I run it on days that I’m in a “PostWar” or “conventional” mood……

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Have a great and safe weekend, everyone!

Peter

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Dupps RR has a 25 ton switcher that operates about 5 miles of track in Germantown Ohio.  The  ‘tumblers’  that they build are moved out of the facility a handful of times a year, moved down the tracks and set off for CSX.

I stopped by after my ride at Hueston Woods last week.  No movement inside the facility so pictures were taken from outside their yard.

Have a great SwSat!

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Happy SWSat!

I have a similar story Patrick but it didn't come to a successful conclusion like yours did. I found a pair of classic post-war NYC Lightning Stripe F3's, A-A, at a local consignment shop. The woman who owned the shop ran tag and estate sales and would bring the left-overs to her shop to sell. My wife wanted to stop by to take a look around and there they were. The pair were in very good shape and would be up on the next on-line auction. So I registered to bid in the auction and was all set to go until I found out that our daughter had a band concert at the High School that same night.
So I figured I could bid from my phone, but didn't realize how bad the cell signal was in the school. I was able to get one or two bids in but that last second pounce just wasn't happening so off they went to someone else.

So here's some of my other NYC power, all switchers of course, in honor of what almost was....

K-line

2017-12-16 08.26.162018-05-05 07.22.25

MTH

2020-10-10 07.36.31

MTH- currently in the shops being upgraded to Flyerchief

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Lionel w/TMCC

2024-01-05 20.22.42

Have a great weekend.

Bob

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@tnkMarx posted:


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Dupps RR has a 25 ton switcher that operates about 5 miles of track in Germantown Ohio.  The  ‘tumblers’  that they build are moved out of the facility a handful of times a year, moved down the tracks and set off for CSX.

I stopped by after my ride at Hueston Woods last week.  No movement inside the facility so pictures were taken from outside their yard.

Have a great SwSat!

Those are interesting looking machines. Rock tumblers?

Bob

This is an older PS1 with a bad board my son received in one of his trades.  He plans to make it his first Blunami conversion.

We’ve always had interest in Southern switchers because my grandfather operated a switcher in Chattanooga during the 60s.  Unfortunately I have no information as to the type and road number he ran.  Chattanooga did have some of these NW2 switchers.

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Good morning, switcher fans!  As expected, the president of Steam Crazy Lines has declared another “railroad of the weekend”; today, it’s his favorite, the Boston & Maine.

The official photographer of SCL captured the last leg of the train of military vehicles destined for Fort Devens early this morning.  EMD GP7 no. 1555 is on the point, assisted ALCO RS3 no. 1518, on B&M’s Ayer branch.  The B&M crew is enjoying this move, knowing they have done their part to help our country stay safe and secure.

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IMG_0095Watching football, and doing a little switching session with a Lionel gp30. I hardly would run this engine for the fact that the steps were far from being lined up and front pilots looked horrible. So I decided to fix the pilots and put Kadee couplers on it. It was fairly tedious but rewarding for me. Happy Saturday everyone!

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@jstraw124 posted:

This is an older PS1 with a bad board my son received in one of his trades.  He plans to make it his first Blunami conversion.

We’ve always had interest in Southern switchers because my grandfather operated a switcher in Chattanooga during the 60s.  Unfortunately I have no information as to the type and road number he ran.  Chattanooga did have some of these NW2 switchers.

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Making memories! That’s great!

It's a GREAT Switcher Saturday, as always,  packed with lots of terrific pictures, videos, discussion, and information!!!!  Keep the posts coming!!!

Here is a clip of my Canton Railroad SW1500 and caboose traveling on the Mountain Division.   I shot this video of this engine and caboose making the  first test run after changing out the old transformer ( a Lionel ZW 250 watt ) and upgrading to a MTH Z1000 to power the Mountain Division.  

I'm currently relocating my transformers to a new control shelf.    Doing so will allow me to create a small freight yard in the place of the old control shelf.  I'm really excited about all the new  possibilities this expansion will offer!  

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My Grandson completed his 20 mile bike ride for the completion of his last merit badge for Eagle Scout. My Daughter was at the terminus waiting for him. She shot these pictures at Lehigh Gorge PA , while she was waiting for him.
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2023 was my address in Brooklyn.
I didn’t know the Reading and Northern was up that way. I found that there is  a Reading Blue Mountain  Northern RR and the Lehigh Gorge Railway is owned by RN

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@pennsyfan posted:

My Grandson completed his 20 mile bike ride for the completion of his last merit badge for Eagle Scout. My Daughter was at the terminus waiting for him. She shot these pictures at Lehigh Gorge PA , while she was waiting for him.

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2023 was my address in Brooklyn.
I didn’t know the Reading and Northern was up that way. I found that there is  a Reading Blue Mountain  Northern RR and the Lehigh Gorge Railway is owned by RN

That's quite an accomplishment Bob. Congrats to your grandson.

Bob

@pennsyfan posted:

My Grandson completed his 20 mile bike ride for the completion of his last merit badge for Eagle Scout. My Daughter was at the terminus waiting for him. She shot these pictures at Lehigh Gorge PA , while she was waiting for him.
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2023 was my address in Brooklyn.
I didn’t know the Reading and Northern was up that way. I found that there is  a Reading Blue Mountain  Northern RR and the Lehigh Gorge Railway is owned by RN

First of all Congrats to your grandson. Secondly they were in the heart of R&N territory. They run a lot of freight through that area. Some pretty big trains I might add. The excursion trains are just an added attraction that has been around for years.

Well I was at a Train Show in McKinney, Tx (north of Dallas) yesterday so didn't post but I can't let a Switcher Sat go by without some participation, so here is my EMD Demo NW-2 showing off for some prospective customers.

Lionel 8770 EMD NW-2 switcher leaving yard

Don

Don - thanks for posting this beauty of a switcher!!  FYI - Everyday is Switcher Saturday!!  You are definitely not late ... the party continues all week long LOL!!

ALL of our Spectrum services died last night as I was getting a SWSAT Sunday Supplement post ready and were not restored until early this afternoon, PDT. Therefore, I thought I might as well sit this week out but, encouraged by our gracious host Patrick, here goes.

I'm featuring my METCA exclusive Lionel CNJ H-15-44 today. She makes a nice complement to my MTH PS-1 CNJ Train Master:

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Here she is under Legacy control pulling a "coast-to-coast" boxcar consist, including a 9464 series Boston & Maine boxcar, this week's featured railroad per @Steam Crazy. Bringing up the rear is an MPC-era extended vision caboose in CNJ's "Miss Liberty" livery celebrating the 1986 centennial and restoration of the Statue of Liberty:

I had the CAB-2 remote in my lap while shooting with my cell phone, so it's a bit shaky...

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@Bill Swatos posted:

ALL of our Spectrum services died last night as I was getting a SWSAT Sunday Supplement post ready and were not restored until early this afternoon, PDT. Therefore, I thought I might as well sit this week out but, encouraged by our gracious host Patrick, here goes.

I'm featuring my METCA exclusive Lionel CNJ H-15-44 today. She makes a nice complement to my MTH PS-1 CNJ Train Master:

20240907_034148



Here she is under Legacy control pulling a "coast-to-coast" boxcar consist, including a 9464 series Boston & Maine boxcar, this week's featured railroad per @Steam Crazy. Bringing up the rear is an MPC-era extended vision caboose in CNJ's "Miss Liberty" livery celebrating the 1986 centennial and restoration of the Statue of Liberty:

I had the CAB-2 remote in my lap while shooting with my cell phone, so it's a bit shaky...

Bill - It's always a bummer when our technology goes down!  We're so glad you didn't sit out this edition of SwSat ... your H-15-44 Fairbanks - Morse looks and sounds terrific!!!  Like I said the SwSat party goes all week long!!!  

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