Switcher Saturday 09-24-22

Good morning jhz563!

The New Haven Railroad is the subject of my SWSAT post today.

New Haven Railroad ALCo S-2 #0617 is an MTH Premier model (20-20588-1) with PS3 that was offered in the 2016 Volume 1 catalog at an MSRP of $449.95. This switcher is a perfect fit for the O-54 oval on my single-track 10’-by-5’ layout. I run it often, usually with New Haven NE-6 caboose C-681, an accurate scale model by Atlas O, and three New Haven boxcars. The road number – 0617 – has a zero prefix to indicate that the locomotive is “other than steam,” a notation that ended when steam was gone from the NYNH&HRR.

ALCo S-2 diesel switcher #0617 (Class DEY-5) was one of 22 built for the New Haven Railroad during 1943 and 1944. It had a 1,000 horsepower, turbocharged 6-cylinder 539T engine and a tractive effort of 57,500 pounds. On the New Haven, S-2s were used for heavy switching and to replace 2-6-0, 2-8-0 and 2-8-2 steam locomotives on local freights. Many New Haven S-2s were still running when Penn Central took over in 1969 and three made it into the 1976 formation of Conrail. ALCo produced 1,502 S-2s.

New Haven C-681 was one of 75 NE-6 steel cabooses made by International Car Company in an order completed in 1948.

The train is running at 17 scale miles-per-hour in the first video.

Here's another example of the MTH ALCo S-2 engine sounds with the locomotive creeping at 11 scale miles-per-hour.

MELGAR

Yay! SWSat is on!

@jhz563 Fall and the spooky season is one of my favorite times. I like your Halloween layout. Hopefully Thomas is not so frightened he dumps his fire. @MELGAR The way you have your station next to a big bridge over a deep river reminds me of the station in Woonsocket RI. Fall in New England is absolutely where I focus this time of year. I went to college in Providence the home of H.P. Lovecraft and one of my student apartments was over the portal of the now abandoned  New Haven RR Tunnel that dug under the whole East side of town. The Orange and Black (or brown) paint of the New Haven and later Providence and Worcester are very appropriate to the season.

This week I am posting some pics of my 2 rail O scale Rivarossi boxcab shoving some cars around. I have not seen many of these around so I have no idea how common they are. I am next to positive Lehigh and New England didn’t have one of these and if it did I doubt it was green.

When I first got it I thought Rivarossi had just used the Plymouth mechanism and put a new shell on it. The window end does look a lot like the Plymouth cab but the whole thing is a lot shorter like an inch and a half. It is definitely a production piece and not cobbled together.

Like I say, this the only one I have seen. I got it a few years ago and despite looking I have yet to find another. I would welcome any more information any of you have on this oddball little boxcab.

Have a great weekend. Enjoy this nice weather. I can’t wait to see what you guys post.

Lionel TMCC Lehigh Valley diesel switcher, hauling coal and stone, passing a Lehigh Valley tugboat:

I purchased the tugboat from John Flaherty at the Big E, who put it together and painted it blue. The shade of blue clashed with my water, so I re-painted it red and black, which matches the Lionel version. I believe it also matches the prototype.  Arnold

Happy Switcher Saturday, everyone!  Here is my RS3 getting ready to haul some freight this morning -

Good morning SWSAT crew!

Penn Central SW8 8616 (Atlas O) eases past some factory buildings after dropping off a couple of cars:

Have a great weekend!

Tom

Thanks for another lesson on New Have Power Mel. And the locomotive has a great Alco sound.

Greetings, SwSat aficionados, and thanks, JHZ, for the highball!  Today Your Yardmaster is featuring the final Williams switcher in his collection, B&M EMD BL2 no. 1550.

No. 1550 is seen heading up the daily local on the B&M Gardner branch out of Worcester, MA.  Parked on the siding waiting for the green is B&M Doodlebug no. 181 with a Railway Express reefer in tow.

The BL2 was EMD’s hurried response to Alco’s invention of the road switcher.  They were slow sellers due to poor rear  visibility and lack of side walkways.  EMD’s response was development of the GP7, an excellent and reliable locomotive that quickly became a best seller.  The GP7 was the beginning of EMD’s dominance of the diesel field.

John

Mel, i love the sound of that Alco diesel.

Andy that's a great little critter you've got there.

Happy SWSAT all!

Hey y’all! I hope everyone is enjoying their weekend so far. Switching on the layout last weekend. I’m keeping it in the family. With the SCL GP38-2 and the SCL MP15 (both MTH).

Rock Island BL-2

Happy SWSat!

Often I'm not sure what to post week after week and will take my inspiration from what others post.

So @MELGAR's S2, and @Silver Lake's Rivarossi critter served the purpose today.

I've been looking for an ALCo S2 for a while. They are not hard to find, but they seem to command very high prices on the used market for some reason. At a Cabin Fever Auction earlier this year I found a pair of MTH models that will be part of a future project this coming winter. I bought a NY Central dummy, and a chassis missing the electronics and shell. My plan is to swap the motors into the NYC frame and add ERR Cruise boards and sound (unless PS-3 boards suddenly appear). The other frame will become a dummy with lighting and electro-couplers.

The powered frame was originally a SOO Line engine. As luck would have it I located a Lehigh and New England shell which will go well with the red frame. The railroad had an interesting history (here), and while the LNE didn't connect with the NYC, on my RR they will. They did own 6 S2's though, including # 612.

Hope everyone has a great weekend.

Bob

Here's my what I think is a early mikes house  256 notice no vents , But its the start of the fall season and the blue color really stands out, on the upper prewar layout  .. Not sure if its considered a switcher but sure acts like one.. (lol)  daniel

Have a good Saturday! Lionel 0-4-0

Well, last Saturday I said I would try to get some video's of my new Amtrak Industrial Switcher in action.  I have been partially successful in that I took video's but I am just not really happy with the video.  In one case the locomotive goes too fast and in another the focus seems unclear.  So I will try to improve my technique but in the meantime, here are the video's.

Hope everyone is having a good weekend.  I really enjoyed the video's and pictures.  Thanks for posting

Don

Everyone, super nice switchers pictured here this beginning of fall weekend, and it is welcomed with open arms as it’s bringing in some cooler weather. Today, Lionel’s 0-6-0 Pennsylvania steam switcher is getting ready for duty, Happy Railroading Everyone

Thanks JHZ563 for getting us rolling today!   Once again all of you have posted great info, photos, and videos.  Here is my contribution for this week.  I hope everyone is having a grand weekend!

Patapsco & Back Rivers VO1000 at Todd's Junction

The PB&R VO1000 headlight shines bright as Ma & Pa SW 1 passes on adjacent track.

Here's another recently acquired switcher (I have contracted the switcheritis disease - LOL).

This one is a Legacy Susquehanna (I think it's a VO 1000) hauling a mixed consist of passenger and freight cars through town:

I don't have the Legacy operating system, but run it using the LC Universal Remote. Arnold

Arnold, maybe you need to join me at SwSat Anonymous meetings....

John

@Arnold D. Cribari posted:

Here's another recently acquired switcher (I have contracted the switcheritis disease - LOL).

This one is a Legacy Susquehanna (I think it's a VO 1000) hauling a mixed consist of passenger and freight cars through town:

I don't have the Legacy operating system, but run it using the LC Universal Remote. Arnold

Looks like an ALCo S2 to me Arnold.

Sharp paint job but the shop crew left something on the back porch.....😂😂

Hi My name's Bob, and I'm a switcher-a-holic......🤪🤪🤪