Switcher Saturday 07-31-2021

Happy switcher Saturday, everyone! While JHZ finds that lost photo above, here is some military postwar switcher action, wonderfully remade by Lionel. It Looks like downtown is about to be renovated with extreme prejudice -

His brother, the original 1804 land sea and air gift pack, remains safely on my display shelf.

Happy SWSat!

Some ATSF units hard at work this week. The BEEP is going to get an ERR upgrade soon.

Bob

Ex-Louise Lumber, Silver Creek & Stephenson #2.  Freeport, IL:

Rusty

Happy Switcher Saturday everyone!

Is it showing now?

@jhz563 posted:

Is it showing now?

Yes. Worth the wait too!

Good morning fellow switcher fans!  Great posts by all of you so far today!  Looking forward to seeing what others post too!   Today's photos are of those critters doing their thing.   Have a great and safe weekend everyone!  

New York Central & Hudson River Railroad S-2 electric motor #3207 is a diecast Lionel Legacy model (6-84507) released in 2017 and listed for operation on O-36 curved track. I prefer small scale-sized models like this (11-3/4-inch length) for my 10’-by-5’ layout.

Steam locomotives were banned in New York City as of 1908 after an accident in the Park Avenue Tunnel in 1902. Electric operations were begun in 1907 on the New York Central’s Hudson River Line between Grand Central Terminal and Harmon, NY, and on the Harlem Line between GCT and North White Plains. The S motors were assigned to short local commuter trains and empty equipment movements between Grand Central and the coach yards at Mott Haven in the Bronx for 60 years. Their final assignment was switching service in the underground yards of Grand Central Terminal, and the last one was retired in 1981 after 75 years in service. They were built by Alco and General Electric, had a maximum speed of 60 miles-per-hour, tractive effort of 37,000 pounds, 2,200 horsepower for starting, and 1,695 horsepower for continuous operation.

The swinging bell of my Legacy S-2 can be seen in the video, in which it is pulling an MTH Premier model of New York Central lightning-stripe heavyweight observation car Seneca Valley.

MELGAR

Penn Central SW8 #8616 (Atlas O) slowly traverses an industrial siding after setting off a car.  I hope he doesn't blast the horn for the sake of the fellow eating his lunch on the loading dock.

Tom

There seems to be no shortage of strange sightings recently.  Today’s sighting is strange because the vehicle on the tracks doesn’t belong on the tracks and is also a foreign auto rarely seen in the USA!

A BMW Isetta has stalled on a grade crossing.  The alert crossing tender notified the dispatcher; he notified the crew of UP GP20 no. 475 just in time to avoid a collision with the hapless tiny auto.

The Shell service station next to the tracks sent its tow truck to the scene to remove the Isetta.  This seems to be an obvious ploy by the station owner to boost  profits, because the diminutive auto could be pushed easily by a couple of kids!

John

John,

Very nice scene. The Isetta couldn't possibly get over those hi-rail tracks.

MELGAR

Quick photo of MEC 951 switching the docks ( imagination engaged!)

Greetings from a hot & dry Southern California. Please pray for relief from our wildfires. Rain would be good  

I hope you are sitting down because after much promising and no delivering, here are some snapshots of my “Lazy W Ranch” 4x8 foot layout.

No more “Big hat, no cattle.” Now “Big hat, a few cattle.”

Out here in La-La Land, we suffer from “basement deficiency.” I am fortunate to have a very small third bedroom for my trains. And my wife lets me know it, too...

The far end of the layout is devoted to northwest forest and logging (responsibly done, of course). The near end is more “civilized” and protected by a Nike missile battery to assure its safety.

In the past several years, I have taken to collecting Lionel billboards, as you can see. They are an often overlooked way to add interest and color while not breaking the bank.

Finally, to prove the layout’s switcher bonafides, note the UP 0-8-0 steamer by Lionel. These starter set type engines provide a lot for the money (IMO) and are nicely done little yard switchers. I have several.

Hope you like! Enjoy your weekend.

MELGAR, thanks!  You're right about the Isetta not being able to get over the hi-rail tracks.  That's why it got stuck!

John

Here’s an AEC “beep” rounding a curve from Los Alamos to Area 51 with a secure load behind. Rumors are these special locomotives are powered by alien technology.

Dave, your 4x8 layout is terrific!

Great pictures everyone, thank you JHZ563 for starting us up on Switcher Saturday, and your diesel picture is great, beautiful black widow scheme on a nice sized diesel. RSJB18 Bob, beautiful scenes, Steam Crazy, great picture of a nice street and railroad crossing, cool, Dave Warburton, Wow, very nice 4 by 8 layout, cool Lionel accessories, Question, will those  big logs actually make thru your Log Loader?, just wondering, your layout is very interesting, Artie-DL&W, that’s a nice AEC Beep, Melgar, wow, that’s a beautiful S-2 electric and great history of the system, your layout is great. Happy Railroading Everyone…

The Baltimore & Annapolis RR local freight with SW9 on the point.

@Dave Warburton posted:

Greetings from a hot & dry Southern California. Please pray for relief from our wildfires. Rain would be good  

I hope you are sitting down because after much promising and no delivering, here are some snapshots of my “Lazy W Ranch” 4x8 foot layout.

No more “Big hat, no cattle.” Now “Big hat, a few cattle.”

Out here in La-La Land, we suffer from “basement deficiency.” I am fortunate to have a very small third bedroom for my trains. And my wife lets me know it, too...

The far end of the layout is devoted to northwest forest and logging (responsibly done, of course). The near end is more “civilized” and protected by a Nike missile battery to assure its safety.

In the past several years, I have taken to collecting Lionel billboards, as you can see. They are an often overlooked way to add interest and color while not breaking the bank.

Finally, to prove the layout’s switcher bonafides, note the UP 0-8-0 steamer by Lionel. These starter set type engines provide a lot for the money (IMO) and are nicely done little yard switchers. I have several.

Hope you like! Enjoy your weekend.

As a charter member of the 48 Club I can safely say that you are in the right place.

Bob

Finished up “groundscape” around the coal breaker. Need to finish the metal siding then add the conveyor line, but things are coming together........

@RSJB18 posted:

As a charter member of the 48 Club I can safely say that you are in the right place.

Bob

Thanks, Bob. I am a Charter 48 Member myself. “Small but Mighty!”

BTW, as I mentioned in my previous post (with layout pics), billboards really dress up a layout. If you haven’t done so, I suggest typing in “Lionel billboards” in the Ebay search box. Besides the many actual Lionel-produced ones, there are a ton of non-Lionel billboard offerings from other suppliers. You will find superb reproduced billboard ads from every era and composed to fit Lionel’s standard billboard holder. It’s quite a trip down memory lane just to scroll through them - there are hundreds. Anyway, a tip for you all.

Leapinlarry, no, those logs are too fat for the Lionel loader accessory. I only use the standard sized  dowel logs for that. Thanks for your kind words, too.

@Dave Warburton posted:

Thanks, Bob. I am a Charter 48 Member myself. “Small but Mighty!”

That's what I get for surfing the forum on my phone......your signature didn't load.

Wow guys what a great post this week.  I am sorry that I missed Saturday, we were traveling from the east coast back home to Texas and first day home too busy to take time off to post.  So I will post a day late!

RSJB18 I have a question and I know that it will reveal my ignorance of modern train control systems but since I have a number of "BEEPS" I would like to know...What is an ERR upgrade and what does it do?  Thanks.

Straphanger, the "Corps" is always ready... motto is ... "When you absolutely , positively, have to have something destroyed over night".... neat missile train.  Melgar and Leapininlarry what great S-2 motors.  Dave Warburton, what a neat 4X8 set up.

Here is the Marx 1798 Cape Canaveral Express 70 ton built between '59 -'64

Well better late than never!

Best wishes

Don