STEAMday Sunday (1/7/2024 Edition)

Photos and video show Boston & Albany D-1a 4-6-6T “tank engine” (K-Line K3470-0403CC) and New York Central U-3a 0-8-0 steam switcher #415 (MTH 30-1123-1) running on my 12’-by-8’ layout. The Boston & Albany Railroad was leased by the New York Central in 1900 and eventually became part of the New York Central System. Locomotives of each railroad sometimes ran on the other, so I run engines with both liveries together, as I’ve done here. The five B&A 4-6-6T double-ended tank engines ran in suburban commuter service out of Boston and did not have to be turned after completion of a trip. #403 is hauling wood passenger cars and #415 is pulling a fast freight.

MELGAR

Hello, StDSun fans!  Arnold, we are honored to have you as our host!   It’s snowing here in Central MA too;  we expect 6-12”.

Although you’ve seen it before,  I can’t resist the urge to post my favorite passenger train, PRR’s Broadway Limited.  This train is an all MTH consist, comprised of an E6 Atlantic and five heavyweight cars, dating back to 2000.  I added passengers to all the cars and painted the interior green, which I think nicely compliments PRR’s gorgeous Tuscan red and gold exterior paint treatment.

John

Melgar and John, as usual, your STEAMday Sunday photos, videos and comments are wonderful.

The Pennsy RR is also one of my favorites. The video below shows my MTH Railking PS1 PRR K4 hauling heavy freight through My Little Town:

By the way, I burned out the original circuit boards of this steamer, and GGG did an outstanding job replacing the circuit boards and getting the locomotive in good working order. Arnold

Some MPC, PW, Pre-War Lionel enjoy the snow New Yorkers about time

A New Haven Pacific number 1389 pulls a short local as my grandson mans the Legacy handheld. He doesn't understand when to blow the whistle but whom cares, We are having fun!

https://photos.app.goo.gl/DzbxYLNDunC2Dhv88

@Arnold D. Cribari posted:

Melgar and John, as usual, your STEAMday Sunday photos, videos and comments are wonderful.

The Pennsy RR is also one of my favorites. The video below shows my MTH Railking PS1 PRR K4 hauling heavy freight through My Little Town:

By the way, I burned out the original circuit boards of this steamer, and GGG did an outstanding job replacing the circuit boards and getting the locomotive in good working order. Arnold

@Arnold D. Cribari

Arnold:

Your layout is always a joy to view. However, when I saw your video, the PRR locomotive that was leading you freight train is not a 4-6-2, K-4s Pacific of which the PRR owned in the high 400's of them as their flagship passenger engine. I watched the video 3 times to verify what I saw. The locomotive in the video is a 6-8-6, PRR S-2 steam turbine of which the PRR owned only 1. Your engine is not performing like the turbine locomotive did. Your engine seems to have the electronic internals of a conventional steam locomotive like the K-4s with 4 chuffs per wheel revolution and smoke discharge synchronized with the chuffs. The steam turbine produced a constant humming sound and emitted a constant, uninterrupted stream of smoke. The S-2 was an experimental engine that the PRR ultimately deemed as a failure. But, per post-war Lionel, it was a popular engine of which Lionel and other manufacturers produced many.

@Randy Harrison posted:

@Arnold D. Cribari

Arnold:

Your layout is always a joy to view. However, when I saw your video, the PRR locomotive that was leading you freight train is not a 4-6-2, K-4s Pacific of which the PRR owned in the high 400's of them as their flagship passenger engine. I watched the video 3 times to verify what I saw. The locomotive in the video is a 6-8-6, PRR S-2 steam turbine of which the PRR owned only 1. Your engine is not performing like the turbine locomotive did. Your engine seems to have the electronic internals of a conventional steam locomotive like the K-4s with 4 chuffs per wheel revolution and smoke discharge synchronized with the chuffs. The steam turbine produced a constant humming sound and emitted a constant, uninterrupted stream of smoke. The S-2 was an experimental engine that the PRR ultimately deemed as a failure. But, per post-war Lionel, it was a popular engine of which Lionel and other manufacturers produced many.

You are absolutely correct, Randy, that the PRR steamer in my above video is a 6-8-6 steam turbine, not a K4. Specifically, it's an MTH Railking Bantam PS2 steam turbine. Thanks for pointing out my prior mistake.

I will post a video of my MTH Railking PS1 K4 later. Arnold

Arnold ... Here's some steam for this fine Sunday!!  Western Maryland H7 Consolidation on the service track just as the sun is coming up in the east.   This is a Lionel scale model with TMCC.  

@Randy Harrison posted:

@Arnold D. Cribari

Arnold:

Your layout is always a joy to view. However, when I saw your video, the PRR locomotive that was leading you freight train is not a 4-6-2, K-4s Pacific of which the PRR owned in the high 400's of them as their flagship passenger engine. I watched the video 3 times to verify what I saw. The locomotive in the video is a 6-8-6, PRR S-2 steam turbine of which the PRR owned only 1. Your engine is not performing like the turbine locomotive did. Your engine seems to have the electronic internals of a conventional steam locomotive like the K-4s with 4 chuffs per wheel revolution and smoke discharge synchronized with the chuffs. The steam turbine produced a constant humming sound and emitted a constant, uninterrupted stream of smoke. The S-2 was an experimental engine that the PRR ultimately deemed as a failure. But, per post-war Lionel, it was a popular engine of which Lionel and other manufacturers produced many.

Randy, that was an MTH FUBAR from several years ago called a Rugged Rails (set).  The first time I saw this and head it was as a train show in Winton-Salem, NC.  The local dealer had it set as a running display!

Ron

@Arnold D. Cribari posted:

You are absolutely correct, Randy, that the PRR steamer in my above video is a 6-8-6 steam turbine, not a K4. Specifically, it's an MTH Railking Bantam PS2 steam turbine. Thanks for pointing out my prior mistake.

I will post a video of my MTH Railking PS1 K4 later. Arnold

@Arnold D. Cribari

Arnold:

I am looking forward to seeing your K-4s. I also have the MTH conventional K-4 that I had upgraded to Proto-Sound 2. It is a great locomotive! It pulls a string of MTH, Rial King, O-27, PRR heavyweight coaches. Also, I love PRR railroading in north Jersey and New York. So, your layout really "speaks" to me. Where else but on your layout can one reach both the Polo Grounds and Yankee Stadium by rail that is not subway.

@Randy Harrison posted:

@Arnold D. Cribari

Arnold:

I am looking forward to seeing your K-4s. I also have the MTH conventional K-4 that I had upgraded to Proto-Sound 2. It is a great locomotive! It pulls a string of MTH, Rial King, O-27, PRR heavyweight coaches. Also, I love PRR railroading in north Jersey and New York. So, your layout really "speaks" to me. Where else but on your layout can one reach both the Polo Grounds and Yankee Stadium by rail that is not subway.

🙂👍Arnold

@Bill Park posted:

A New Haven Pacific number 1389 pulls a short local as my grandson mans the Legacy handheld. He doesn't understand when to blow the whistle but whom cares, We are having fun!

https://photos.app.goo.gl/DzbxYLNDunC2Dhv88

Bill,

Your railroad and towns look just like Connecticut and the locomotive and cars are a perfect representation of the New Haven Railroad. I-4 #1389 looks to be running well. And I think the whistle is just right.

MELGAR

what you are looking at is a halfway-to-completed rebuild and repaint of my old 736 postwar berkshire. several of my inherited locomotives suffered paint damage during their 30+ years of storage and this was one of my favorites when I was young. the old black paint had chips and divots from a solvent or something-or-other,  it looked a bit like that funky mold/mildew that affects some madison heavyweights. anyhow - it's got a fresh coat of paint and added smoke deflectors/elephant ears because I think they look interesting. Now, I gotta get to work on the cruddy side/drive rods, gunked up wheels & frame and the motor

EDIT: I plan to add/continue a white stripe along the running boards

I think you are doing a fine job on that 736 Woodsy. Can't wait to see it completed.

Randy, you asked for it, and now you are going to get it.

The short video below shows my MTH Railking PS1 PRR K4 and MTH PRR aluminum extruded passenger cars crossing my George Washingmachine Bridge and circling my Popsicle Stick Polo Grounds:

Arnold

@woodsyT posted:

what you are looking at is a halfway-to-completed rebuild and repaint of my old 736 postwar berkshire. several of my inherited locomotives suffered paint damage during their 30+ years of storage and this was one of my favorites when I was young. the old black paint had chips and divots from a solvent or something-or-other,  it looked a bit like that funky mold/mildew that affects some madison heavyweights. anyhow - it's got a fresh coat of paint and added smoke deflectors/elephant ears because I think they look interesting. Now, I gotta get to work on the cruddy side/drive rods, gunked up wheels & frame and the motor

EDIT: I plan to add/continue a white stripe along the running boards

Woodsy, looks to me that you are in the process of restoring a masterpiece. Arnold

A very happy ( snowy here )  STEAMday Sunday to all .

Railking B&O  P47  getting to haul the beer tanker consist today.

Full  STEAM ahead and God speed.

@Randy Harrison posted:

@Arnold D. Cribari

Arnold:

I am looking forward to seeing your K-4s. I also have the MTH conventional K-4 that I had upgraded to Proto-Sound 2. It is a great locomotive! It pulls a string of MTH, Rial King, O-27, PRR heavyweight coaches. Also, I love PRR railroading in north Jersey and New York. So, your layout really "speaks" to me. Where else but on your layout can one reach both the Polo Grounds and Yankee Stadium by rail that is not subway.

I realize that you have been on a MTH K4s; but here is my K-Line K4s with TMCC.

Happy Steamday Sunday, all… hope Mother Nature has been good to all you fellow Northeasterners (I got about 8” of heavy snow overnight!!!). Since we seem to be on a theme… here is a Lionel Pennsy K4 on a passenger run (also Lionel cars).

NYC K5 Pacific.

3rd Rail boiler, Williams brass chassis, RK (but scale!) 2-8-8-2 tender, Williams die-cast Hudson tender trucks, ERR and Railsounds, Rust-O-Leum dark gray automotive primer paint. It's sort of a tossed-salad loco.

PRRronbh, a couple of my friends own examples of the Rugged Rails steamers.  They think they are the best running and reliable engines they own, virtually bulletproof.  Perfect for kids.  Note theses guys can afford and own high end stuff.

John

@D500 posted:

NYC K5 Pacific.

3rd Rail boiler, Williams brass chassis, RK (but scale!) 2-8-8-2 tender, Williams die-cast Hudson tender trucks, ERR and Railsounds, Rust-O-Leum dark gray automotive primer paint. It's sort of a tossed-salad loco.

TERRIBLE  LOOKING tossed salad D5 ..........no greens , no tomatoes ,  no mushrooms , no onions , ...........but I sure could have a plate of this " tossed salad .

Nice looking work sir.      ( that paint color is perfect )

@Steam Crazy posted:

PRRronbh, a couple of my friends own examples of the Rugged Rails steamers.  They think they are the best running and reliable engines they own, virtually bulletproof.  Perfect for kids.  Note theses guys can afford and own high end stuff.

John

John you missed the point.  An Pennsy direct drive steam turbine did NOT go "chuff-chuff" but when moving went whoosh.  And at the time the rugged rail PRR S2 was introduced MTH DID have a PRR direct drive sound file!

Ron

One last tour around the tree before it will all be put away for another season.  This is Lionel’s Polar Express and MTH’s Christmas Express.

Does Live Steam Sunday count? I know G scale, but hey, I normally run O, it was for a local trainshow.

Oops, meant to upload this other video. Technically the one above was Saturday- no cab roof, and the one today was with cab roof.

Well, yesterday my friend Captain Will Porath, @Will2926, came over and we ran a couple of his new Steamers. The new VL Big Boy 4000, and the Strausburg 90, and they are very feature rich Lionel steamers. Again, they belong to Will. Happy Steam Sunday everyone.

Just a little ole K-line  Mike pulling some reefers on this wintery Sunday.

Boss man !

@pennsyfan posted:

I realize that you have been on a MTH K4s; but here is my K-Line K4s with TMCC.

@pennsyfan

Bob:

K-Line made such GREAT models! It is a shame that they had to go out of business.

@Randy Harrison posted:

@pennsyfan

Bob:

K-Line made such GREAT models! It is a shame that they had to go out of business.

Randy, I couldn’t agree more. I had this on order right at the end. Lionel was ruthless in their takeover. At one point i thought that I would lose the engine and my money. Then an agreement was reached with Sunset models. They took over the  pending orders and shipped them out.

@Ron H posted:

Boss man !

Great Shot!! Always that guy looking to plant his size 12 in the proper place to help "Solve Problems, Motivate and Inspire".

Great shot, thanks

Well here I am a day late, so as not to be a "dollar short" I am posting some of my trains from my archive file.  I am still remote from my train room but packing to go home tomorrow.

Here is a Chicago Flyer "Champion" 2-4-0 locomotive and her one piece sheet metal passenger cars.  Dating from the era of the Great Depression, this value priced set helped train sales to remain at least possible during those terrible time.  Date roughly 1930 or so .  Unlike the "Hummer" I posted previously, she is electric and even has a headlight and by the way she runs fine.

@Dallas Joseph posted:

TERRIBLE  LOOKING tossed salad D5 ..........no greens , no tomatoes ,  no mushrooms , no onions , ...........but I sure could have a plate of this " tossed salad .

Nice looking work sir.      ( that paint color is perfect )

Appreciated. I leaned that simple "auto primer looks like weathered black" trick from an old 2-railer some time back. I sometimes use a lighter shade of auto primer (Duplicolor?) for locos and other equipment. It's still "dark", but less so.