STEAMday Sunday (3/10/2024 Edition)

Good morning steam people and thanks, Arnold, for cracking the throttle.  The time change hasn’t affected the enthusiasm of our two rail fans, Tom and Jerry; they are already trackside and waiting for trains with a thermos of hot coffee.  They picked a spot in the village of Jefferson, part of the Town of Holden, on Boston and Maine’s Gardner, MA, branch.

The boys were rewarded with the sight of one of B&M’s magnificent P3a Pacifics, no. 3702.  No. 3702 used to head up the hottest varnish on the B&M, but now is relegated to local freight duty due to those d—m diesels.  The proud locomotive, built by Alco in October of 1923, was lost forever on 9/23/53.

John

Wintery day on STEAMday Sunday in upstate NY, God Speed All!

Happy SoS on this fine daylight savings day. I recently found this MTH Premier proto1 empire state express. It was brand new, never out of its box. Well, that didn't mean it was perfect. Anything and everything needed lubed and greased from years of sitting. A brand new BCR was installed and away she went. Until I discovered the PCB had a short,and was causing the engine to stutter and stall. Spent a few hours diagnosing that one.  😂. Fixed that all up, and now she's hauling her passengers to their destinations. Have a great day all!

New York Central F-12 4-6-0 ten-wheeler #1232 is a Lionel Legacy model made in 2021 (2131070) with MSRP $749.99. Pictures and videos show it on my 12’-by-8’ layout pulling two unlettered MTH wood-sided passenger coaches. Ten-wheelers were in their heyday during the first decade of the twentieth century but were soon replaced by larger and more powerful 4-6-2 Pacific steam locomotives as steel replaced wood for construction of passenger cars.

Locomotive #1232 was built by Alco Schenectady in October 1905 as F-2 #2098. It was superheated around 1917, renumbered to #819 in 1936 and to #1232 in 1948. Tractive force was 31,020 pounds with locomotive weight (engine/loaded tender) about 238,000 pounds. Ten-wheelers operated on the New York Central’s Putnam Division until September 1951 and #1232 was retired in July 1952.

MELGAR

A New Haven L1-a Mountain heads a mixed freight headed into New Haven as L-2 Mountain heads a string of loaded reefers for Maybrook on my NYO&W  NYNH&H layout

https://photos.app.goo.gl/YwwHvXQUifAQ29RQ8

@Steam Crazy posted:

Good morning steam people and thanks, Arnold, for cracking the throttle.  The time change hasn’t affected the enthusiasm of our two rail fans, Tom and Jerry; they are already trackside and waiting for trains with a thermos of hot coffee.  They picked a spot in the village of Jefferson, part of the Town of Holden, on Boston and Maine’s Gardner, MA, branch.

The boys were rewarded with the sight of one of B&M’s magnificent P3a Pacifics, no. 3702.  No. 3702 used to head up the hottest varnish on the B&M, but now is relegated to local freight duty due to those d—m diesels.  The proud locomotive, built by Alco in October of 1923, was lost forever on 9/23/53.

John

Outstanding train tale, John, as good as Patricks' train stories, and outstanding trains, layout, photos and videos. Arnold

@MELGAR posted:

New York Central F-12 4-6-0 ten-wheeler #1232 is a Lionel Legacy model made in 2021 (2131070) with MSRP $749.99. Pictures and videos show it on my 12’-by-8’ layout pulling two unlettered MTH wood-sided passenger coaches. Ten-wheelers were in their heyday during the first decade of the twentieth century but were soon replaced by larger and more powerful 4-6-2 Pacific steam locomotives as steel replaced wood for construction of passenger cars.

Locomotive #1232 was built by Alco Schenectady in October 1905 as F-2 #2098. It was superheated around 1917, renumbered to #819 in 1936 and to #1232 in 1948. Tractive force was 31,020 pounds with locomotive weight (engine/loaded tender) about 238,000 pounds. Ten-wheelers operated on the New York Central’s Putnam Division until September 1951 and #1232 was retired in July 1952.

MELGAR

Your historical perspectives, Melgar, that your posts provide so enriches them, and your trains, layouts, photos and videos are top notch, as usual. Arnold

Thank you,Arnold!  Comparing me with Patrick is high praise indeed!

John

@Bill Park posted:

A New Haven L1-a Mountain heads a mixed freight headed into New Haven as L-2 Mountain heads a string of loaded reefers for Maybrook on my NYO&W  NYNH&H layout

https://photos.app.goo.gl/YwwHvXQUifAQ29RQ8

BIG, BIG, BIG!

You, Bill, are Mr. Big: you're a big man, with a big house, big basement, big trains, big layout, big, big, big.

And, pardon the cliche, but I'm green with envy.

Love model trains that go to far away, different places, like yours do, Bill.

Arnold

……from the old layout, circa October 2020….

Big brother……Little brother……
Have a great Sunday, everyone!

Peter

This 0-6-0t does a great job moving cars for the big steamers and diesels.

Gene

PRR E-6 #460, The Lindbergh Atlantic.

An NYC Hudson, a true American classic steam locomotive.

Thanks so much Arnold for stoking the firebox and bringing us to a full head of steam for the fine Sunday morning!!  

Here are some photos of my Williams by Bachman diecast B&O 4-6-4 Hudson.   During the 20th century, the B&O rostered only 4 Hudson type locomotives.  

Back in early 2015, when I first saw this locomotive, I knew I had to have it in my collection.  It was just about that same time, an OGR forum sponsor posted a WbB sale here on the forum.   I quickly pulled the trigger one weekend and received this Hudson by the following Friday.  It arrived DOA and had to be sent back to that retailer, at my expense ( I did't read that retailer's return policy before making the purchase ... my fault & lesson learned! ) for exchange.  Since receiving the new engine this locomotive has run consistantly great!  

All of the above are fabulous posts. Thanks for sharing them.

These are new additions to the GNR steam roster.

MTH RailKing Blue Comet w/ Proto Sound 2: We currently have a Lionel, MPC era Blue Comet set with locomotive and passenger coaches with 2 extra cars that runs in conventional mode. The Lionel version of the Blue Comet locomotive is a 4-6-4 Hudson which is prototypically incorrect. The Blue Comet locomotive was a 4-6-2 Pacific. Trainz, an OGR Forum sponsor in Buford, Georgia, had this locomotive at a very reasonable price. It is now to be assigned to pull our Blue Comet coaches using MTH, DCS.

MTH Southern, 4-8-2 Mountain Type Locomotive w/ Proto Sound 2: Again, from the good people at Trainz, this locomotive is to be touch-up repainted and re-decaled to Great Northeastern Railway (GNR) livery which is also green and gold. It will be assigned to pull our new flagship passenger train, to be named for our former GNR "Chairman of the Bored", the late Chaz Harrison, also pictured below, as the "Chazzanooga Choo Choo".

@Randy Harrison posted:

These are new additions to the GNR steam roster.

MTH RailKing Blue Comet w/ Proto Sound 2: We currently have a Lionel, MPC era Blue Comet set with locomotive and passenger coaches with 2 extra cars that runs in conventional mode. The Lionel version of the Blue Comet locomotive is a 4-6-4 Hudson which is prototypically incorrect. The Blue Comet locomotive was a 4-6-2 Pacific. Trainz, an OGR Forum sponsor in Buford, Georgia, had this locomotive at a very reasonable price. It is now to be assigned to pull our Blue Comet coaches using MTH, DCS.

Randy, I have the exact same MTH Railking PS2 Blue Comet Pacific which came in a set with 3 Blue Comet passenger cars. I bought it several years ago from a local hobby shop.

I always found the Blue Comet to be very visually appealing, such an attractive light blue livery.

Next week I will run my Blue Comet on DCS and post a video of it on next Sunday's STEAMday Sunday.

Arnold

Posted on the "Switcher Saturday" thread, may as well add here also:

@Arnold D. Cribari posted:

Randy, I have the exact same MTH Railking PS2 Blue Comet Pacific which came in a set with 3 Blue Comet passenger cars. I bought it several years ago from a local hobby shop.

I always found the Blue Comet to be very visually appealing, such an attractive light blue livery.

Next week I will run my Blue Comet on DCS and post a video of it on next Sunday's STEAMday Sunday.

Arnold

@Arnold D. Cribari

Arnold:

I am eagerly looking forward to seeing your Blue Comet video. I am a BIG Blue Comet fan! Though the Comet was not part of the Pennsylvania-Reading Seashore Lines (PRSL), it did have trackage rights on the PRSL from Winslow Junction into Atlantic City to serve the Jersey Shore. Though the history of the Blue Comet is rather tragically poorly timed with the great depression starting 5 months after the Comet's inception, and being in competition with the PRR that had direct access to midtown Manhattan for better passenger convenience, the Blue Comet was a unique idea as a luxury train for the common traveler. Much care was taken in selecting the color scheme and the coaches' interior decor. Unfortunately, it only lasted 11 years and most of its power and rolling stock were sold for scrap.

Very interesting, Randy, about the Blue Comet, which I did not know until you mentioned it in your above post.

Randy and Arnold,

The Clinton Station Diner in NJ claims to have a passenger car from the Blue Comet.  I can't confirm that, but I can say part of the restaurant is a heavyweight passenger car, because I have seen it from the highway.

https://www.clintonstationdiner.com/about-us

John

@Arnold D. Cribari posted:

Randy, I have the exact same MTH Railking PS2 Blue Comet Pacific which came in a set with 3 Blue Comet passenger cars. I bought it several years ago from a local hobby shop.

I always found the Blue Comet to be very visually appealing, such an attractive light blue livery.

Next week I will run my Blue Comet on DCS and post a video of it on next Sunday's STEAMday Sunday.

Arnold

My son recently just got an MTH Bantam Blue Comet engine and the 5 Lionel MPC era passenger cars. I wanted us to find an MTH imperial version as it's a little bit bigger but we got a good deal on this one. Now he's on the lookout for the elusive 6th passenger car released later by Lionel.  He initially found the Lionchief set from a few years ago but immediately said that's not the Blue Comet! The color is too light and the "smoke tank" (Feedwater Heater) is missing.

Now Arnold, also do keep in mind that next Sunday is St. Patrick's Day. I think something green would also be in order, A Southern Cresent comes to mind if you or someone else has one to show off.

@H1000 posted:

My son recently just got an MTH Bantam Blue Comet engine and the 5 Lionel MPC era passenger cars. I wanted us to find an MTH imperial version as it's a little bit bigger but we got a good deal on this one. Now he's on the lookout for the elusive 6th passenger car released later by Lionel.  He initially found the Lionchief set from a few years ago but immediately said that's not the Blue Comet! The color is too light and the "smoke tank" (Feedwater Heater) is missing.

Now Arnold, also do keep in mind that next Sunday is St. Patrick's Day. I think something green would also be in order, A Southern Cresent comes to mind if you or someone else has one to show off.

H1000, what a great idea! I have a gorgeous green Southern Crescent Pacific, and will post a video of that steamer, in addition to one showing my Blue Comet set, on the next edition of STEAMday Sunday, which happens to fall on St. Patrick's Day.

Arnold