Switcher Saturday 06-17-23

New York Central EMD SW1500 #9654 is an MTH Railking model (30-2217-1, MSRP $249.95) with PS2 that was delivered in 2001. I run this model frequently and have posted it many times on Switcher Saturday. Today’s photos and videos show it on my 12’-by-8’ layout. The third video was taken from the narrow aisle at the back of the layout – a location that I seldom use for photography.

According to records of the New York Central System Historical Society, NYC #9654 was an Alco S-2 locomotive. So, the livery of this model may not be prototypical.

MELGAR

MTH PS3 Philadelphia Bethlehem and New England diesel switcher hauling Northeastern boxcars through town:

Arnold

Hello SwSat Nation and Happy Father’s Day to all you Dads out there!  I hope you get the perfect gift for the day- a switcher!

Continuing the theme of presenting his switchers in the order they were received, your Yardmaster’s next switcher is MTH Premier B&M GP9 no. 1555.  It was his only PS1 engine; it ran well for about 15 years until the day it stopped and refused to move.  All’s well, however, no. 1555 was upgraded to PS3 and is back in service.

John

Happy SWSat!

Nothing new this week on the RSJ&B. The shops are tooling up to tackle some long delayed projects. Outdoor work will still occupy much of the shop foreman's time, but the heavy lift of Springtime chores and projects is done.

Not normally something I'd post on SWSat but..... The foreman has given the go ahead on putting 2 ALCO S2's into service. Management purchased the engines at auction knowing that they would need an additional investment to get them running. One will be from a road often seen, New York Central, and the other, a new line, Lehigh and New England.
The L&NE switcher is in the bay first. The crew pulled the hoods off this week to assess the situation. To their surprise, this engine is in close to running condition. Prime movers work, and all wiring harnesses are all in place. It just needs a new main controller and it should be good to go.

The New York Central engine will need more substantial work but the chassis and body were in factory new condition so it was decided that it would be a good investment. Here she is on delivery day. Shop switcher #9998 was assigned to back her into the yard.

Have a good weekend!

Bob

Happy Father’s Day weekend edition of Switcher Saturday! Here is my boxcab doing what she does best -

Happy Father's Day

Happy Father's Day to all the dads of SWSat Nation!

Bob

Well I agree with RSJB18- Happy Father's Day to all the Dads, Grandads, etc out there.  Best wishes have a most happy day.

Here is a Marx #112 GE 70 ton switcher from 1974-75, very late in the Marx line.  In fact, this was a follow on company using the Marx tooling and name, Quaker Oats (Hey much like Lionel, Marx sold out to a cereal company in 1972) but unlike MPC they just didn't have it for trains and quit in 1976.  The company they sold to did not make trains and hence 1976 is the last we see of Marx trains. The brown Seaboard 6" gondola with PK couplers is from 1957 so considerably older than the locomotive.  The 4 wheel LV caboose is about the same age as the locomotive.

Best Wishes

Don

My PostWar switcher crew.....

The LV 44 Tonner comes as part of a 1957 set.

The 616 Santa Fe is part of a 1961 Sears uncataloged set.

This unit I purchased "stand alone" many years ago.

The 617 was a separate sale item that I received for Christmas in 1963.

Happy Father's Day to all!

Peter

It's the 1954 World Series and this NY Central 0-6-0 Steam switcher is bringing fans to the Polo Grounds to see the Say Hey kid make "The Catch:"

I mentioned in another post that I was looking forward to getting my Passenger Sharks back tomorrow.  Well, at the same time I am picking up my repaired 3rd Rail H6sb.  This has been broke a long time and it will be good to finally get a video of it.

These little 2-8-0s were build in 1905-10 and lasted to the early 50s spending their last days as switchers and pulling locals.

(Note: HO scale)

Finished getting the lettering/numbers on this last week or so. It's already sent off to the Sound Guy to get DCC/Tsunami 2 sound.

Note: The pinstripe decor was factory, I simply removed the factory "Tennessee Central" lettering and the number "50", then re-lettered and renumbered it for my KC&G line.

Once I get it back from the Sound Guy, I will start the process of weathering it, then install the handrails and put it into service!

Andre

@Don McErlean, that’s a beautiful Marx set, neat setting, very colorful and lots to review, I always loved the B&O, so here’s some of my favorite diesels. Happy Switcher Saturday Everyone, this is a great thread…

@laming posted:

(Note: HO scale)

Finished getting the lettering/numbers on this last week or so. It's already sent off to the Sound Guy to get DCC/Tsunami 2 sound.

Note: The pinstripe decor was factory, I simply removed the factory "Tennessee Central" lettering and the number "50", then re-lettered and renumbered it for my KC&G line.

Once I get it back from the Sound Guy, I will start the process of weathering it, then install the handrails and put it into service!

Andre

Andre - that looks great! What is it’s make and model?

MTH Premier PS3 Conrail 44 Tonner, began life as B&M, custom painted and decaled by RonO45.

Happy Switcher Saturday and a Happy Fathers Day.

@Mark V. Spadaro posted:

Andre - that looks great! What is it’s make and model?

Hi Mark!

Well, silly me. I failed to mention any of that.

The model is made by Atlas. It is a model of an Alco HH600/HH660 (the two are externally identical). The HH series is commonly called a "High Hood" in the railfan community.

Hope this helps?

Andre

@laming posted:

(Note: HO scale)

Once I get it back from the Sound Guy, I will start the process of weathering it, then install the handrails and put it into service!

Andre

I would like to see this locomotive offered in 1:48 scale... The only diesels ever lettered for the Boston & Albany Railroad were ten Alco high-hoods. After that, all their other diesels were "New York Central."

MELGAR

MTH

Good evening fellow switcher fans!  Just got home via AMTRAK from a two day trip to the Big Apple and wanted to get some SWSAT pics and a story up before I turned into a pumpkin.  

Have a terrific weekend everyone and ... A special shout out to all you dads out there ... Happy Father's Day!!  

Here comes o'l number 97 rounding the bend at Todds Junction.  The crew just came on and have received the orders for today.  The orders are pretty tall too!  Looks like the crew may be at it from dawn till dusk today.  

It's very early morning and old Bert Clomford is at the throttle of MOW extra number 1.   Here it is as o'l Bert eases his train through the switch at Todd's Junction.  Better believe he's ah tuggin on the whistle cord too!  The train's approaching the Patburg Ave. grade crossing.  Two longs a short and a long.  O'l Bert  is a by the book kinda guy! It's been said many times over that o'l Bert may be exceptionally rough around the edges but he's a hard core railroad man.  When on duty he lives by the "rule of the rail'.

During the afternoon: Tower operator Dick Quiggley  has a clear view of what's going on.   Gabby McKiver has a MOW pickup backed clear up next to the gondola.  They must be gonna throw some scrap into that gondola car.  Looks to me like Scruffy Crawford is giving hand signals to whom ever is driving the pick up.  Zeke McCallister is riding the front foot board of o'l 97 and brakeman Jake " the brake" Crowley is standing on the front deck of the work caboose.

Holy cow!!  Those orders were absolutely correct!  Here we see  brakeman Winkeye Lottsford riding the rear step as o'l 97 eases along at 2 mph in the light of a full moon later that same evening.  

97 heads back to the roundhouse at O dark thirty.  The day ( and night ) is done!  

A day late and a switcher short.  Happy Father's Day to my SWSAT brethren.

Mel it's great to see anew vantage point.  Did you lift out the diorama you made to get the video?

Bob I guess we'll be seeing that Lehigh and New England switcher in short order.

Thank you all for the entertainment, especially JHZ for getting us rolling once again.

@coach joe posted:

Mel it's great to see anew vantage point.  Did you lift out the diorama you made to get the video?

@coach joe

This photo was taken from about the same place as the video but somewhat higher (standing on a stool). The diorama is visible on either side of the top of the coal tower and was in place when I took the video. At the right side of the photo you can see the narrow aisle from which I clean the track and installed the diorama. The aisle extends around the corner. Difficult access.

MELGAR