I would not add my favorite Swiss meter gauge "baby" croc to our domestic list, but my current LGB #414 digital sound version is a personal special loco. I have owned several of these fine models over the years in the course of my three iterations into LGB, and have frequently operated them under LGB catenary. They are wonderful, smooth running models, and the side rod action on these engines is an eyeful! As always, different strokes for different folks! ☺
Never knew there were so many juice jacks on the forum. Wish more of you would put up overhead wire and run these motors the way they were meant to run. Make Marty Fitzhenry and I proud of you. It's not that hard to do and super fun to run. Don
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My simplified catenary should make you happy, SCALE RAIL. And it's live too !
scale rail posted:Never knew there were so many juice jacks on the forum. Wish more of you would put up overhead wire and run these motors the way they were meant to run. Make Marty Fitzhenry and I proud of you. It's not that hard to do and super fun to run. Don
Hi Don:
You work is exquisite, and I cannot hold a candle to it. However, I at least have an entry. If you have yet to visit my e-corner of the world...
https://ogrforum.com/...tenary-system?page=1
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UYn6QyuTAjE
My house is not my final move, which is why I have put little effort into scenery. But the catenary is the draw for me, and it works great. I need to post some updated videos, as my AEM7s longer have those hideous ditch lights. My E44s have new pantographs, as does my E33. I just have not had the time to post about any of that lately.
Nate I agree with you. I love electrics I wish there were places to get pants like the brass ones or someone would make them. The MTH proto 3 even went back to the ugly fat wiper and colored it a black. Doesnt even look good. I have four shelves of electrics and it seems like I cant get enough.
Don’t mean to bombard people with South Shore memorabilia (some of my posts here have been re-posted) but this seemed worth adding in praise of the ugly (I mean iconically beautiful) old electric interurbans.
I decided to try finding out when they went out of service having been built in the 1920s. The answer seems to be 1982. And there is a train fairy after all because it turns out a load of them are preserved somewhere I never heard of, namely the East Troy, Wisconsin, train/trolley museum, where they still operate on the line described below.
I will take one example; here is car 13 in service in Chicago in I think the 1970s:
Here it is now as refurbished at East Troy; looks like they substituted a trolley pole for the pantographs, which doesn’t appeal to me, and modified the roof line but at least it’s intact and running:
The story behind this museum is a nice piece of Americana and I for one am grateful they took on the orphaned interurbans. Here’s an extract from their website:
Well, this place is certainly on my bucket list now. Meanwhile I can only indulge myself in the very fine K-Line models of two of these cars I tracked down some years back:
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shurlock1 posted:Nate I agree with you. I love electrics I wish there were places to get pants like the brass ones or someone would make them. The MTH proto 3 even went back to the ugly fat wiper and colored it a black. Doesnt even look good. I have four shelves of electrics and it seems like I cant get enough.
Hi Shurlock:
As you know, I make my own pantograph shoes. I have a few new designs that I have not shared, with many hours of successful testing. I will either update my main post or start a new one to that effect.
I forgot about the E-60
coach joe posted:I forgot about the E-60
You're welcome. 
How about the "Black Mesa and Lake Powell Railroad" still running electric fright. Bought the big GE electrics new and now replacing them with same type electrics from Mexico that are in good shape and have been stored for years. Love the red, white and blue. This line runs in Arizona to this day
. Don
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Dan, your catenary looks great. I love running at night and see the sparks from the pantographs. Don
I'm still unpacking the layout from the last move and trying to finagle it into a less accommodating space, so catenary is way in the future for me. In the mean time my humble fleet of two electrics will continue towing their Lionel EMD generator car for "juice".
I too forgot the E 60! A beast!
All electrics are a delight to me. The thread title is "Most beautiful electric ever made", so I don't want to go too far off topic. While I have stated in an earlier post, that the GG1 wins hands down, in my book, I have always been attracted to the Milwaukee Road electrics as well as The Great Northern motors.
On those two roads, the appeal is more the story behind the electrics. I've read where electrics would be used not only to pull trains over difficult territory, but also to help non-electric powered trains, including steam ! It seems these electric locomotives were without limit on power.
scale rail posted:Dan, your catenary looks great. I love running at night and see the sparks from the pantographs. Don
Thank you.
As a Milwaukee Road fanatic, I have to say that with only one exception, Milwaukee's electrics are the most beautiful! The exception of course is Fontaine Fox's infamous "Toonerville Trolley", my O gauge version seen below!
For the last six years on the SGMA layout at Trainfest in Milwaukee I have run my Standard Gauge Toonerville Trolley to the delight of the kids and crowds attending that show. Watching it bump along the rails is very exciting to see and is soothing to me as I am sure you will agree after you watch SGMA's Trainfest 2017 video to the very end.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=c9yi2DnHmt0
Be sure to attend Trainfest 2017 this year!
Bob Nelson
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Dan Padova posted:...On those two roads, the appeal is more the story behind the electrics. I've read where electrics would be used not only to pull trains over difficult territory, but also to help non-electric powered trains, including steam...
The juxta-position of a steam locomotive and an electric locomotive would be a sight to behold -- the muscular, smoke belching black behemoth being pushed by a painted steel locomotive, gliding virtually effortlessly on the rails. That would be quite spectacular, and, awesome to model on a detailed layout!
Those five CMStP&P bipolars were not the prettiest faces in the crowd, but those engines could handle anything put behind them, and they are truly in a class of their own!
scale rail posted:How about the "Black Mesa and Lake Powell Railroad" still running electric fright. Bought the big GE electrics new and now replacing them with same type electrics from Mexico that are in good shape and have been stored for years. Love the red, white and blue. This line runs in Arizona to this day
. Don
This line will be closing down in 2019 it appears as the power station is provides coal for is shutting down. Salt River Project, the operator plans on closing the plant since it is no longer economical for them to keep it operating. There have been discussions that the Navajo nation may consider purchasing the line but it is unclear if they will retain the electrification.
The E60 story is an interesting one. GE based the E60CP and E60CH model off of the E60C shown in the bottom left image. The E60C was first built in 1969 for the BM&LP. Notice the distinctive tall and flat nose. The6 locomotives purchased from NdeM were originally built in 1982 and 1983 and designated E60C-2. They were never run with many still wrapped in plastic. They have a different look from the Amtrak locomotives.
Here is one of the originals sitting in Williams, AZ last summer. It is being held to become part of a future Arizona Railroad museum that has not quite come to fruition yet. I love electrics, but beautiful is the last thing I would call these.
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Clean lines + pantograph + rooftop tanks + eyecatching color + universal road name =
Utilitarian Simplicity.
What could be better than this?
Crank
Oh you made Allan Miller's day. This is his favorite loco. Don
What's there not to love about that Lionel #520 boxcab?
Sounds like you were describing this:
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Here you go. Don
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scale rail posted:Here you go. Don
Boy, that's a show stopper! Easily in my top three beautiful electrics -- what a gorgeous model.
Dennis, that was built by forum member Robert Glorioso from the kit I produce. He won best "Traction" in the O scale National Convention. Robert added a lot of super detail to the basic loco. Don
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scale rail posted:Dennis, that was built by forum member Robert Glorioso from the kit I produce. He won best "Traction" in the O scale National Convention. Robert added a lot of super detail to the basic loco. Don
Well deserved honor, as that's a beautiful locomotive. Obviously a nice kit to start from.
GG1 4877 posted:scale rail posted:How about the "Black Mesa and Lake Powell Railroad" still running electric fright. Bought the big GE electrics new and now replacing them with same type electrics from Mexico that are in good shape and have been stored for years. Love the red, white and blue. This line runs in Arizona to this day. Don
This line will be closing down in 2019 it appears as the power station is provides coal for is shutting down. Salt River Project, the operator plans on closing the plant since it is no longer economical for them to keep it operating. There have been discussions that the Navajo nation may consider purchasing the line but it is unclear if they will retain the electrification.
The E60 story is an interesting one. GE based the E60CP and E60CH model off of the E60C shown in the bottom left image. The E60C was first built in 1969 for the BM&LP. Notice the distinctive tall and flat nose. The6 locomotives purchased from NdeM were originally built in 1982 and 1983 and designated E60C-2. They were never run with many still wrapped in plastic. They have a different look from the Amtrak locomotives.
Here is one of the originals sitting in Williams, AZ last summer. It is being held to become part of a future Arizona Railroad museum that has not quite come to fruition yet. I love electrics, but beautiful is the last thing I would call these.
Since we are on the subject of E60s...here is one of my favorites. I've posted this one before, but it cracks me up, being a live wire modeller.
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What's with the two pantographs ?
The one pantograph looks like the old Williams pantograph.
Dan Padova posted:What's with the two pantographs ?
Hi Dan:
It would appear there is one for different height of catenary, which I know was an issue on the Navajo Mine line, it still does not make much sense. It is beyond me why they would then have both pans extended when the rear one clearly does not have the reach. It also makes me wonder why you would even build catenary that high, as I cannot think of any other equipment that would reach better. It is a cool specimen though; a pan on stilts.
Dennis GS-4 N & W No. 611 posted:Dan Padova posted:...On those two roads, the appeal is more the story behind the electrics. I've read where electrics would be used not only to pull trains over difficult territory, but also to help non-electric powered trains, including steam...
The juxta-position of a steam locomotive and an electric locomotive would be a sight to behold -- the muscular, smoke belching black behemoth being pushed by a painted steel locomotive, gliding virtually effortlessly on the rails. That would be quite spectacular, and, awesome to model on a detailed layout!
How about both in one?
I think the pan was for cabin heat, or the other around. Quite an odd beast.
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coach joe posted:The one pantograph looks like the old Williams pantograph.
Yes it does. And that was a most useless piece of metal atop the Williams E-60, wasn't it ?
Pantenary posted:Dennis GS-4 N & W No. 611 posted:Dan Padova posted:...On those two roads, the appeal is more the story behind the electrics. I've read where electrics would be used not only to pull trains over difficult territory, but also to help non-electric powered trains, including steam...
The juxta-position of a steam locomotive and an electric locomotive would be a sight to behold -- the muscular, smoke belching black behemoth being pushed by a painted steel locomotive, gliding virtually effortlessly on the rails. That would be quite spectacular, and, awesome to model on a detailed layout!
How about both in one?
I think the pan was for cabin heat, or the other around. Quite an odd beast.
Nate,
That is really wild! I wonder if the line is not electrified throughout.
That would be a fun engine to learn more about.
Pantenary posted:Since we are on the subject of E60s...here is one of my favorites. I've posted this one before, but it cracks me up, being a live wire modeller.
Dan Padova posted:What's with the two pantographs ?
The two pantographs are not contacting the same wire. I think there is another electric behind the E60 on an adjacent track.
MELGAR
MELGAR:
Odd as it may seem, you might be onto something. There is clearly another track, as there is another catenary with messenger wire. However the pan in teh background 'appears' to be against a catenary wire with no messenger wire or support wire, which is even more peculiar. The full resolution shot is linked here, so you guys be the judge. Also, I'll refrain from further replies about it, as we are getting off topic. Sorry for the diversion, guys.
You can see a (black) piece of the rear locomotive at the top surface of the E60 directly above the "J" in Navajo and at the very base of the E60 resistor grids. There appears to be a total of eight wires. I think there may be more than two tracks. The highest wire (faint in the photo) appears to be the messenger wire for the front E60. The two lowest wires service another track. There also appears to be a transverse wire for crossing between tracks. I have been riding the Metro-North electrified New Haven line in Connecticut for many years. I have to admit that I study the wire arrangements, especially the crossovers, on every trip. The engineering is impressive. It looks to me like no two New Haven crossover set-ups are exactly the same.
MELGAR
