STEAMday Sunday 7/28/2024 Edition

I ran two Pennsylvania steam locomotives on my 12’-by-8’ layout this week. PRR G-5s 4-6-0 #5740 headed-up a passenger train with two Long Island Rail Road heavyweight coaches and PRR B-6sb 0-6-0 #7136 pulled a freight train with N5C caboose #477926 at the tail end.

My model of PRR #5740 (20-3031-1 with PS1) is from the first run of MTH Premier G-5s steam locomotives in 1999. G-5s locomotives in PRR livery sometimes ran on the LIRR – which was a PRR subsidiary. So, I usually run #5740 with Long Island coaches rather than Pennsylvania.

Pennsylvania B-6sb 0-6-0 #7136 is an MTH Railking Imperial model (30-1573-1 with PS3) made in 2013. The Imperial version has engineer and fireman figures, a real coal load in the tender, tender-truck chains, legible builder’s plate, and brass whistle, bell and pressure relief valves.

The B-6 was the standard PRR 0-6-0 heavy steam switcher with more than 350 built between 1902 and 1913. The MTH model represents a superheated B-6sb, of which 238 were built between 1916 and 1920. The engines weighed 180,300 pounds (tender not included), developed 36,140 pounds tractive effort, and had 56-inch driving wheels.

MELGAR

@Arnold D. Cribari posted:

Good morning, and welcome to STEAMday Sunday, the place to share your favorite steamers.

Just be sure to only post photos and videos you have taken, or those in which you have obtained the written permission of the owner to post here, and otherwise fully comply with the Forum Terms of Service.

I will start us off with a video of my latest acquisition: an MTH Railking Proto 2 Commodore Vanderbilt Hudson steamer upgraded to Proto 3. I bought it from a local model railroader buddy:

Now it’s your turn to share your favorite steam locomotives. Arnold

That commodore is looking sharp Arnold..

For this fine Sunday I’m running my Lionel Legacy New Hope & Ivy Consolidation, a METCA custom build. With customized and painted tourist train cars.

Good morning, StDaySun people!  Arnold and Mel, do you stay up all night to prepare your posts (LOL)?

Well, I’m turning to the archives again because the nice summer weather has kept me out of the cellar.  I’ve been a regular poster for about four years now, so the archives have become quite extensive.

i’ve never seen a railroad historian cover the topic of sanitary facilities for train crews.  Not even the mighty Big Boys have a loo for the crew!  That forces the crews to get creative when nature calls.

The crew of “ Tales of a Docksider” star NYC 0-6-0T no. X-8688 have stopped in a discreet place by the woods.  I’ve heard they bring along a copy of the Wall Street Journal for their sanitary needs.

John

@Steam Crazy posted:

Good morning, StDaySun people!  Arnold and Mel, do you stay up all night to prepare your posts (LOL)?

John

Not me, John, but if I’m still awake, I like to start STEAMday Sunday shortly after midnight in the wee hours of Sunday morning.

I also take my steam engine videos a day or two in advance of Sunday morning so I have them ready to post. Arnold

An MTH, Premier, PRR, USRA 0-6-0 switcher pulls a short freight train past the lake

@Steam Crazy posted:

Good morning, StDaySun people!  Arnold and Mel, do you stay up all night to prepare your posts (LOL)?

...

John

@Steam Crazy,

John,

It may look that way but, no, I don't stay up all night to prepare my posts. However, I am a late-night type and sometimes post my replies to SWSAT and STEAMday shortly after midnight if the OP has made the initial post. Otherwise, I do it in the morning.

During weekday late afternoons/early evenings, I put new trains onto the layouts, run them, and take photos. I prepare the text of my posts in a word-processor in advance on weekday evenings while also reading the Forum. When the new SWSAT or STEAMday is posted, I just copy the text of my reply from the word-processor to the Post Reply window on the Forum. I also pre-select the photos so it takes me only a minute or two to make my posts.

MELGAR

Good morning steam fans. Today I've got the new to me k-line baltimore and ohio Mike pulling some atlas reefers. Really beautiful and well detailed. Have a great day all.

Arnold and Mel, I usually take my photos and videos in advance, too, but I’m not a “night owl”.  I’m still stuck on the “early to bed, early to rise” routine I had when I worked.  Enjoy the rest of your Sunday, I’ll “see you” next weekend”!

John

Lionel Pennsylvania B-6 Switcher on Turntable.

For some reason O gauge manufacturers do not put electrocouplers, except for switchers, on the front of steam engine.  This limits you to using either diesels or steam switchers to run local freights that switch industries along the mainline.  Several years ago I had my K-Line Mikado outfitted with a front electrocoupler for my local freights.  While not 100% successful (needs wider curves), it has been fun to operate.

@MELGAR posted:

I ran two Pennsylvania steam locomotives on my 12’-by-8’ layout this week. PRR G-5s 4-6-0 #5740 headed-up a passenger train with two Long Island Rail Road heavyweight coaches and PRR B-6sb 0-6-0 #7136 pulled a freight train with N5C caboose #477926 at the tail end.

@MELGAR  Good looking engines on a great layout.  Thanks for the history of these.

Ron, regarding front electrocouplers, I’ll speculate most of us aren’t inclined to use road engines for switching.  The manufacturers put dummy scale couplers on the front because they look better and have broader appeal.

John

Some unusual 'steamers'!  These actually came from Christmas cards that my brother sent to me the last 3 years.  They are, obviously, pop-ups that I carefully cut from each card.

I like 'em

- walt

Another fine start Arnold wtg Have a safe STEAMday Sunday! Buy a Vet a beer!

@Steam Crazy posted:

Ron, regarding front electrocouplers, I’ll speculate most of us aren’t inclined to use road engines for switching.  The manufacturers put dummy scale couplers on the front because they look better and have broader appeal.

John

John,

I am sure you are correct in that most O gaugers don't use steam road engines for switching.  I think most O gaugers do not do much switching at all so a scale non-working front coupler works for them.  I like to do switching and that requires operating couplers on both ends.  I use my switchers in the yard and for the industries in the yard.  While I have era appropriate diesel road switchers for locals, I also wanted a steamer for local work and the K-Line L2 was my prototype.  My 3rd Rail H6 is currently out getting a front coupler upgrade and I hope to get it back before I die.  The H6, being smaller than the L2, will actually work better on my layout.  I do miss my H6 which has been at the "shop" for months getting that coupler.

@Captain John posted:

Lionel Pennsylvania B-6 Switcher on Turntable.

Gorgeous

Here is my post war Lionel #1615 0-4-0 steam switcher , made between 1955-1957 working on assembling a train.  At the moment she has 2 Raritan River Railway boxcars, made for me by @Krieglok about a year ago.  They are beautiful and have become the pride of my RR.   The RR railway used to run almost right through campus when I went to Rutgers University, in New Brunswick, NJ in the 60's.

Best Wishes

Don

@CAPPilot posted:

For some reason O gauge manufacturers do not put electrocouplers, except for switchers, on the front of steam engine.  This limits you to using either diesels or steam switchers to run local freights that switch industries along the mainline.  Several years ago I had my K-Line Mikado outfitted with a front electrocoupler for my local freights.  While not 100% successful (needs wider curves), it has been fun to operate.

Ron, I love front electrocouplers on my steamers, but am content with having a few steam switchers with them, which tend to be small steamers.

My favorite is this MTH PS3 Long Island B6 steamer. Although I have some locomotives that are substantially more expensive than this B6, it is still in the top 3 of my favorite engines:

I consider it to be the ideal steam switcher on my layout. Arnold

Just got this last week.

@Arnold D. Cribari posted:

Ron, I love front electrocouplers on my steamers, but am content with having a few steam switchers with them, which tend to be small steamers.

My favorite is this MTH PS3 Long Island B6 steamer. Although I have some locomotives that are substantially more expensive than this B6, it is still in the top 3 of my favorite engines:

I consider it to be the ideal steam switcher on my layout. Arnold

@Arnold D. Cribari  I enjoy my MTH A5 and K-Line B6 switchers.  Especially the A5; it seldom has problems going through my switches when moving cars within the yard. The B6 is not quite as good a runner, so it has a tendency to stay on the shelf.  I may replace it with a newer one from MTH or Lionel.  Your MTH B6 sounds like a good candidate.  Here is an old video of my A5 doing what it does best.

@CAPPilot posted:

Here is an old video of my A5 doing what it does best.

Ron, thanks for posting this A5, it’s such a nice looking engine. I’m looking forward to getting my Lionel redesigned Legacy A5, hopefully soon.

Gene

@Don McErlean posted:

Here is my post war Lionel #1615 0-4-0 steam switcher , made between 1955-1957 working on assembling a train.  At the moment she has 2 Raritan River Railway boxcars, made for me by @Krieglok about a year ago.  They are beautiful and have become the pride of my RR.   The RR railway used to run almost right through campus when I went to Rutgers University, in New Brunswick, NJ in the 60's.

Best Wishes

Don

Don, my first train in 1956 was the Lionel 1615 steam switcher like yours. I guess it’s still my favorite!!!

MTH Premiere Dreyfuss. With all the hubbub recently with the releases of the Legacy model and now the current Premiere Hudsons, my interest was stirred and I looked for a 'previously owned' model at a reasonable price. Found this handsome 2014 issue from MTH that I had not seen prior and am most pleased with it at $500-$800 less than the new ones!

PS3, blackened side rods, drop down plate to the tender and great overall detail. Decent (although still not scale) pilot wheels larger than Lionel's - which is a pet peeve of mine :-)

Handsome Rascal from the Art Deco Period in American History.  (Lionel's Smithsonian)

Here’s the latest MTH model in  a fantasy paint scheme. Matching cars will be out in the Fall.