STEAMday Sunday (April 21, 2024 edition)

Hello, StDaySun people!  Arnold, it also has been a privilege getting to know you through the Forum and we all appreciate that you take the throttle on Sunday morning!

Some steam locomotives are the unofficial symbols of the railroads they serve.  Some good examples are PRR’s K4s, SP’s cab forwards and NYC’s Hudsons.  The symbol of the Central Railroad of New Jersey, for me, is the road’s 4-6–0 Camelbacks.

My Camelback, no. 763, is a MTH Imperial model.  Before I bought it, I was looking for one for a long time with no luck, so I decided to settle for the Reading version. I called a dealer that listed the Reading in stock and he told me “sorry, I sold the Reading, but I have the Jersey Central”!

John

Pennsylvania Railroad G5s 4-6-0 ten-wheeler #5740 is an MTH Premier model (20-3031-1, MSRP $699.95) delivered in March 1999 with PS1. I’ve been running this engine for almost 25 years. It is from the first release of the MTH G5s model and has a BCR.

The PRR G5s was the most powerful ten-wheeler steam locomotive ever built. It was designed for fast acceleration in commuter service on the hills around Pittsburgh and also was used in Philadelphia, Chicago, Grand Rapids, Michigan, and on Long Island. The LIRR operated 31 G5s locomotives and retired the last two in 1955. PRR G5s #5741 is preserved at the Railroad Museum of Pennsylvania.

Photos and videos show #5740 pulling a freight train trailed by PRR N5c cabin car #477879 (MTH Railking 30-7730, March 2000) on my 10’-by-5’ layout.

MELGAR

New Haven I-5 1409 heads a passenger consist out of Scranton Pa, while Mountain type no, 3507 hauls revenue freight toward Cedar Hill yard in New Haven.

https://photos.app.goo.gl/pSGdPhkQzyrwKRdQ8

Thanks so much Arnold for being at the throttle to get us rolling for this fine Sunday!  Again, it was a real treat to finally meet you and your wife Shawn in person and hear you both sing at the York show on Friday!!  Congratulations on being invited to perform at this year's TCA convention too!  BRAVO!!!

For today, I was hoping to show my new ( to me ) B&O Pacific that I bought at York on Friday.  It tested fine at the York show although the York test track transformer is weak and it was not able to put the loco through all of its' TMCC maneuvers.  Upon firing it up on my layout last evening, the engine had several problems.  I'm contacting the vendor today.  I'm sure it will all work out!  

Anyway - here is a couple photos of my B&O Docksider performing its' duties on the Mountain Division of the Free State Junction Railway.  This is a MTH model that I bought off the Bay back in the mid 2000s.  It's reliable as the sun rising each morning. As many of you may know from my many previous posts of this engine on other OGR threads,  it has been weathered by me to give a well worn look.  

Another fine start Arnold PW Lionel turbine getting ready to over take a PW Lionel F3, and some wind up action that I had for years in a box, not sure if Marx made, has Made in USA stamped on the engine and cars. Any info on years made or who made would be appreciated. Enjoy your Steamday Sunday.

Another wind up both work need a good service.

My repaint Lionel 0-4-0 switcher

2 MTH steam locomotives in one of the Great Northeastern Railway's engine service/storage facilities.

my first, and probably only, contribution to this wonderful thread. A PS3 S-2 by MTH

walt

Walt, I liked your post, I hope you'll consider contributing more!

John

Not a new photo, but one I've always enjoyed.  From my 2nd O scale layout around 2007, two CNJ Camelbacks in the yard.  The one in the foreground is a Williams while the other is a Railking.  As luck would have it they had the same number.    I've since sold the Railking model and migrated a majority of my CNJ to 2-rail, but I've always had a soft spot for the Camelback 10-wheeler. 

I was lucky enough four years ago to find this 1950/60's brass 2-rail Camelback.  It is a great runner.  Since I'm between layouts it is on my "Shelf Central".

I also made some progress on my 2 rail CNJ Pacific project I was finally able to find a donor chassis to get this mostly back together.  It is an MTH.  I have decals on the way and need to send it through the paint shop.  The entire locomotive will be repainted and receive Miss Liberty on the tender while the cab will receive Futura numbers to reflect its last days in commuter service. 

A pair of NYC streamlined steamers…

Paul - those disc drivers scream modern!

You want steam ???? You got it !!!! Here’s some Real Steam to be a bit different  !!!   I can’t resist posting this UP Big Boy photo !!! It’s my photo taken in Navasota Texas and is one of my Favorites.

Cheers 😉

Speaking of steam, these photos were taken a few days ago of Baldwin Locomotive Works 0-6-0 no 26 at the roundhouse of Steamtown National Historic Site. A bit of work still needs to be done, but expect this to be in service in early May.  2024 will mark the ninth year since her return to steam service.

As you can see, the cylinder covers, valve casing and the steam dome cover need to be placed on the engine to make her complete.  A few tests in setting the safety valves will take place in a few days, and then she is ready for service.

@Sitka-  In your second series of pictures, the black flat fronted clockwork locomotive is most defiantly Marx.  It is a #232 Commodore Vanderbilt loco which was made from 1938-1948.  It was made in many variations and with both a red and green boiler as well as black (these variations are much more rare, especially the green).  The tender (#551 type), gondola (#552 CRI&P) and caboose (likely #556 type) are all typical Marx 6" lithographed cars, made from the 1930's until the end of Marx in various liveries and configurations.  The versions that you have, especially the gondola, are likely pre-war, although Marx which rarely issued a catalogue is very hard to date precisely.

The next picture - the orange and black steamer and tender are, I believe, HWN (Hans Wiemer, Nuremberg).  I enclose a picture of the version that I have below.  What is interesting is that your tender says "Lehigh Valley" which I have not seen before, I have 2 variations of this tender, this one below with the numbers, and one with just HWN in orange letters.  These were relatively inexpensive toys that were imported into the US in large numbers just after the conclusion of WWII and were part of the plan to recover the German economy.  It is likely that your locomotive dates to the 1950's or early 1960's.

Well friend, that is about the best I can do about your inquiry.

Best Wishes

Don

So continuing what Sitka started, here is a little clockwork set by Distler (German, 1950's).  It came with a very tight curvature circle of track, perhaps 2 ' , and the track is raised on the outside of the curve via the sleepers to help prevent going off the track.  The set came with a circle of this special track, the loco and tender, and the passenger car.

Best wishes everyone, hope you have a great week

Don

PennCentral steam…….

Have a great week, everyone!

Peter