SWITCHER SATURDAY 10/21/23 EDITION

My MTH Premier model (20-3148-2) of New Haven #3400, a USRA 0-8-0 switcher with PS2, scale wheels, and no traction tires, was advertised in the 2005 Volume 1 Catalog at an MSRP of $599.95. Although it runs through the Atlas O-54 curves of my 10’-by-5’ layout, it runs best on the O-72 curves of my 12’-by-8’ layout. I would like to see MTH produce its USRA 0-8-0 model in New Haven, Boston & Maine or Boston & Albany livery.

#3400 was one of thirty-five Y-3 class USRA 0-8-0 heavy switchers built by Alco for the New Haven Railroad between 1920 and 1923. Although the Y-3 class was successful, the railroad’s next switcher purchase was sixteen more powerful Y-4 class three-cylinder switchers between 1924 and 1927. The last New Haven 0-8-0 switcher was retired in 1952.

The pictures and video show #3400 pulling New Haven Dairy “Safe Milk” refrigerated car GICX300, New Haven steel boxcar #35238 (both by Weaver Models), and New Haven NE6 caboose C-681 (by Atlas O). Train speed in the videos is 18 scale miles-per-hour.

MELGAR

@trumpettrain, thanks for leading the way today for Switcher Saturday, and your pictures are gorgeous as always, @MELGAR, I love the smaller steamers and your is really nice as usual, I’m here in Busan, Korea and haven’t seen small switchers that I can photograph as of yet, but I’ll find some soon. Have a great weekend.

Good morning, SwSat nation!  Nice send off, Patrick!

Having lived in in Central MA all my life, I naturally favor NE and Northeast railroads.  I have a small collection of engines from Western roads, but I tend to neglect them.  I’ll try to fix that oversight on the next couple of SwSats.

Union Pacific EMD GP20 no. 475 is an MTH Railking scale model.  I think the Railking Scale models are a terrific value, with scale proportions, a decent level of detail and the same electronic goodies found in the Premier line.  To my ear, this engine has the best sound of any diesel in my roster.

John

Patrick, your enthusiasm for switchers and Switcher Saturday is evident from how you start this thread, in the wee hours of Saturday morning. Great job getting us off so well and so early.

Below is an MTH PS2 NY Central GP7 diesel switcher with a consist of my best passenger cars: K Line 15 inch Pullman Green Madison Heavyweights with seated passenger figures:

Although I know it's not a prerequisite for a model locomotive to have operating front and back electrocouplers for it to be considered a switcher, my favorite switchers all have them. IMO, they greatly enhance switching options and operations.

For those of you who attended York, I hope you have some money left. LOL, Arnold

Happy switcher Saturday!  We’re off to a great start. We even have @leapinlarry showing us what the Busan train station looks like after they’ve cleaned up all the zombies. Awesome! Here is an interesting shot of my 44 tonner working on the east side of the layout -

@leapinlarry posted:

@trumpettrain, thanks for leading the way today for Switcher Saturday, and your pictures are gorgeous as always, @MELGAR, I love the smaller steamers and your is really nice as usual, I’m here in Busan, Korea and haven’t seen small switchers that I can photograph as of yet, but I’ll find some soon. Have a great weekend.

There's something about this bright orange switcher and those safety stripes that just captivates me.

Thank you Patrick for getting us started on what has become my favorite thread, and as always, your pictures with such interesting dialogue.
Here’s some morning switching action with my fun favorite locomotive.

Gene

Happy SWSat!

Thanks for starting this weeks edition Patrick. Glad you made it to York.

And @leapinlarry ! All the way from South Korea! WOW! I think you win the award for SWSat dedication. 

Since this is a thread about switchers, I thought I'd share a list of some of the work my fleet did this week. I wanted to change up some of the consists that are currently running so here goes.
Note- All moves were done without the use of the 5 finger sky hook......The occasional intervention for couplers was implemented as necessary......

L&NE ALCO S2 #612 was sent off the yard lead to move a hopper and a loaded box car to Team Track 1. The crew's orders called for them to stand by on the Team Yard lead for further instructions.

Reading SW1 #22 moved another empty hopper and box car to the local yard for the next outbound freight. The crew also spotted their caboose at the engine facility for some quick repairs.

Penn Central- Merchants Despatch yard switcher #15 then pulled an empty refer back to the local yard to wait on the same outbound freight run. The crew returned to the warehouse spur to stand by until there was space in the yard.

Meanwhile on the high line, Reading Shops 0-6-0t #1251 spotted on the siding with their train while a Penn Central BEEP #7084 passed with a seafood refer and stock car of fresh LI Ducklings for delivery to the restaurant supplier's warehouse.

And finally Penn Central SW1200 # 9020 was assigned the outbound run back to the interchange with all of the empties.

I did all of this one evening this week. Had a blast too!

Have a great weekend. Maybe we will see some sun tomorrow, it's been 7 consecutive weekends with rain here in the northeast.....

Bob

Nice start trumptrain! Here is a 1960s/70s AHM/Rivarossi 0-8-0 U-4A, that has been modified from the past owner to 3 rail with a PW Lionel Berk motor and e-unit. Have a good Switcher Saturday all!

Happy SWSAT ,

Lots of great photos and inspiration here.
The PRR 0-6-0 was assigned a work train to move a damaged trolley body from the scrap yard to the water front. You could throw a baseball from the scrap yard to the bulkhead; but it’s across 3 mains and the interchange is on the other side of town. When the engineer was positioning his train on track 1A as assigned; the crane operator informed him that the crane would foul main 1B. After contacting the dispatcher who was very aggravated that both mains  1A and 1B would  be out of service till the work was completed.  He took Main 1B out of service.

The crew worked quickly to position the load; and they were on their way back to the yard.

Happy SwSat everyone.  
Free morning but busy afternoon here on the home front!

Alco S2 moving a few cars this week.

Thanks for getting us started Patrick. Great posts guys. Here is MP15AC #163 moving between the yard and industrial complex.

Andy

Good morning SWSAT crew!

Penn Central GP9 (Atlas O) leads the local across the Main Street crossing in Killbridge:

Have a great weekend, everyone!

Tom

Well here is some Southern teamwork for switching this morning.  The WbB GE 70 ton is bringing a boxcar our onto the main, where it will be taken over by the Lionel U 36b and taken up the line to Macon / Atlanta.

Black River752 , Chesapeake & Delaware 1888 GP9s in attendance at the Golden Spike celebration in Farmingdale, NJ.

New consolidation I plan to use as a switcher that I picked up at York.  Originally N&W used turn of the century consolidations on the mainline, but eventually transitioned to switchers.  Two of them survived on the N&W to the end of steam.

Hello SWSAT posters,

Hopefully everyone is doing well.  Today we have some pics of my 44-tonner placing a B&O wagontop in the PDT.

44-tonner is MTH, wagontop is Weaver, Peterbilt is Matchbox, jeep is Greenlight Hollywood.

Thanks everyone for another great Switcher Saturday!!    Wonderful posts and information all!!  AND please keep posting throughout the weekend and throughout the coming week too!  Here's one more pic for the road ...

Leapinlarry wins the longest distance post award!   Beautiful pics of Busan, Korea train station and Safety First switchers!   Enjoy your time in South Korea Larry!  

MELGAR - wonderful New Haven 0-8-0 with PS2 by MTH!  Thanks for the detailed back story on this locomotive!  Love the short train consist it's pulling too!  

Don McErlean - Love that WbB 70 tonner!  

Steam Crazy - Very nice GP20 in Union Pacific livery!

Arnold - Got to love a NYC  GP 7 pulling a fine looking passenger train!  Well done!

Strap Hanger - I love your Long Island 44 tonner!

Genemed -  Your 0-6-0 tank switcher is really quite charming!  Now I'm kicking myself for not picking one up at York .  Train World had them for $350 and it was tempting I assure you .. LOL!

RSJB18 Bob - WOW!  What an array of switchers!  They all earned their keep this week too!  AND without help of a 5 finger sky hook.   Well done!

Sitka - An AHM Rivarossi 0-8-0!  WOW! You must be the only kid on your block with one of those!  It looks great and nice back story on the motor.  

Pennsy Fan - Very nice 0-6-0 and your second photo with the Chesapeake and Delaware GP 9s is stellar!

tnkMarx - Lovely looking Maine Central end cab switcher!

Steam Fan - Beautiful MP15AC in Long Island livery!

Tom Densel - Great Penn Central GP9 and your photo looks absolutely real with the blue pickup sitting at the grade crossing!

Cappilot - Love that Pennsy 44 tonner!  

J Straw - Beautiful N&W turn of the century Consolidation!  I'm sure these locos earned their keep with lots of switching assignments on N&W over the years.  

@trumpettrainn, Patrick, and @RSJB18, Bob, and @Don McErlean, Don, thank you all very much for the kind words, I’m so glad that WiFi allows me to stay in touch with all of the great OGR Forum members, it’s amazing..  It’s actually Sunday here in South Korea as they are 14 hours ahead of USA time zones. @Ron045, thank you for liking my little USS Safety First Lionel switcher, (RSJB18 Bob, got me to buying these small switchers) I’m glad I did…Happy Railroading Everyone..

K-Line Conrail "Pulling for Safety" SW-1500 hauling a "Blue Train" for this week's SWSAT:

Trying to get a new collector plate for that N5B "candlelight cabin car"

@trumpettrain- Patrick thanks for the comment!

Don