In my looking around the interwebs I've noticed something. Very few if any O scale manufacturers have made Lehigh Valley RR Steam locomotives!!! We see plenty of diesels from all eras but I've only ever seen something in the name of 3 LV steam locos ever made by any O manufacturer. The JW, the Black Diamond, and a camelback. So while I'm sitting here waiting for more all-black steam locomotives with the words LEHIGH VALLEY on their tenders (as if that would be difficult to do) lets see what you guys all have? Anyone own or create LV steam locos from scratch? If so send a pic or two and tell us how you got em!
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Good Morning! Since I live in Sayre Pa and I'm the first one in 4 generations that has not worked for LV I should respond!
I have a Joe Dorazio custom built 4-8-4 Wyoming Type Locomotive I will get some photos.
My Great Grandfather was Mater mechanic for LV and instrumental in equipping the Sayre shops when it was built.
Cool! Can't wait to see the pics! I live about 3 miles or so from where the LV used to split between Perth Amboy and NY. I'm too young to have seen it with my own eyes though.
The Train Gods are teasing me. Went to two train shows within the past few months and I saw the same LV camelback. I'd get it but 1. Dont have the money rn. 2. I know a lot of ppl who have camelbacks already. and 3. I know people who'd bust my chops because it doesn't look exactly like a LV camelback bc it was mainly modeled on the CNJ ones.
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Well. As per the saying, they made some more Lehigh Valley steam. And I got it!
Behold, the Asa Packer! It's an awesome set!
https://drive.google.com/file/...FRX/view?usp=sharing
Here is an All Nation "Mountain kit" that was built by my Father in late 60s. It is a cast brass boiler weighing in at 8 1/2 lbs. It is set up to run 2 or 3 rail DC as at one time we were members of club that ran Gargraves track powered via DC . In keeping with our railroad family history this will be donated to the Sayre Pa historical society housed in Lehigh Valley Passenger station at Sayre. I also attach a News article about by Great Grandfather who was Master mechanic at Sayre. He was instrumental in machinery design and placement for the Sayre shops.
From The Elmira Daily Advertiser Thursday July 28 1887
Seven Pieces of Silver
What Master Mechanic Weaver received from 135 Lehigh Engineers.
Sayre, Pa July 27--- The banquet in honor of Master Mechanic Weaver last evening was a grand event to those who were so fortunate to be one of the engineers or an invited guest. The banquet was at Mr. Weaver’s house whither the engineers went about 9 PM. It was Mr. Weaver’s forty-third birthday, and the 135 engineers under him presented him an elegant silver set of seven pieces. On the silver tray was engraved the following:
“Presented to J N Weaver MM by the Engineers of the Pennsylvania & New York System July 26, 1887”
Of the 135 engineers on the Lehigh Sixty were present at the banquet. W B Heckman formerly an engineer on the Lehigh, now a train dispatcher at Buffalo, in a few words which he referred in a feeling way to Mr. Weaver’s popularity and the high place which he held in the esteem of the engineers, presented the gift. Mr. Weaver responded appropriately referring to the great growth of the Pennsylvania & New York systems of railways. When he took charge in 1868 there were only 9 engineers on the part in his charge, 5 of whom were present at the banquet and still on the road. After Mr. Weaver’s address of thanks, a fine supper was partaken, concluded by singing and speeches by Dell Vaughn, Miles Ellis, Rufus R Wilson, associate editor of the Elmira Telegram, J W Bishop and others.
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This is a Weaver diecast Pacific. I don’t know anything about the Lehigh Valley to know if it’s prototypical. These engines were from K-Line tooling and were run in a number of road names. I got it at a really good price. Unfortunately I’m guessing only a few were made and now there is one less. I model the Rutland and they had similar Pacifics with white striping so this was a great candidate for a re paint.
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@Tom weaver posted:Here is an All Nation "Mountain kit" that was built by my Father in late 60s. It is a cast brass boiler weighing in at 8 1/2 lbs. It is set up to run 2 or 3 rail DC as at one time we were members of club that ran Gargraves track powered via DC . In keeping with our railroad family history this will be donated to the Sayre Pa historical society housed in Lehigh Valley Passenger station at Sayre. I also attach a News article about by Great Grandfather who was Master mechanic at Sayre. He was instrumental in machinery design and placement for the Sayre shops.
From The Elmira Daily Advertiser Thursday July 28 1887
Seven Pieces of Silver
What Master Mechanic Weaver received from 135 Lehigh Engineers.
Sayre, Pa July 27--- The banquet in honor of Master Mechanic Weaver last evening was a grand event to those who were so fortunate to be one of the engineers or an invited guest. The banquet was at Mr. Weaver’s house whither the engineers went about 9 PM. It was Mr. Weaver’s forty-third birthday, and the 135 engineers under him presented him an elegant silver set of seven pieces. On the silver tray was engraved the following:
“Presented to J N Weaver MM by the Engineers of the Pennsylvania & New York System July 26, 1887”
Of the 135 engineers on the Lehigh Sixty were present at the banquet. W B Heckman formerly an engineer on the Lehigh, now a train dispatcher at Buffalo, in a few words which he referred in a feeling way to Mr. Weaver’s popularity and the high place which he held in the esteem of the engineers, presented the gift. Mr. Weaver responded appropriately referring to the great growth of the Pennsylvania & New York systems of railways. When he took charge in 1868 there were only 9 engineers on the part in his charge, 5 of whom were present at the banquet and still on the road. After Mr. Weaver’s address of thanks, a fine supper was partaken, concluded by singing and speeches by Dell Vaughn, Miles Ellis, Rufus R Wilson, associate editor of the Elmira Telegram, J W Bishop and others.
A great model and a great story!!! You should be proud of your Great Granddad! Its an awesome idea to donate that loco. Helping to teach others about the LV is always a good cause!
@Dave_C posted:This is a Weaver diecast Pacific. I don’t know anything about the Lehigh Valley to know if it’s prototypical. These engines were from K-Line tooling and were run in a number of road names. I got it at a really good price. Unfortunately I’m guessing only a few were made and now there is one less. I model the Rutland and they had similar Pacifics with white striping so this was a great candidate for a re paint.
AAAHHH NOOOO!!! Well at least it lasted for a bit! From my knowledge they had a lot of pacifics and the placement of all the details is decent, however I think the LV would rather paint the entire locomotive black, rather than having the grey metal smokebox. Though on larger locomotives I think I've seen grey smokeboxes. That being said, I could be wrong. It's sometimes hard to tell with black and white pictures, plus how generally dirty steam locomotives get.
@Robert S. Butler posted:
That's awesome that you have both! Between me and a friend of mine we have the John Wilkes (with a complete 5 car passenger set that we cobbled together from MTH and Williams cars) the Asa Packer (see my previous post) and a Camelback. I also have a few diesels too, but my layout is set in the steam era. I also like to make things difficult for myself by modeling eras that no one makes anything for!!!
@corsair29 posted:
It looks great regardless! I actually have a project on my bench that is weathering a yellow jacket C-420 for a friend. I have the Cornell Red one and have weathered that one to high heaven as well. I attached a video of it from the last train show below!
https://drive.google.com/file/...4pi/view?usp=sharing
https://drive.google.com/file/...cNF/view?usp=sharing
The second link has a much better view of the engine.
A little more family history Involving the Lehigh Valley! This is a photo that someone found when cleaning a garage out and his teacher knew I was a train "nut". I about fell over as my father was in the front row! In middle of front row! He was alive at that time and knew that it was taken in 1923 about a month after he started working for LV. It was a photo of the "stoker gang" entry level job for sure!! He worked through Dec 31,1949. Switch was to Diesel power was on a many men lost their jobs in "big" shops! He was off work a year as were many others. About that time Ingersol Rand started to pickup with Air powered tools so many got hire in spite of being older (he was 48). That year the salvation army fed many families at thanksgiving and Christmas!!