jhz563,

Enjoy the remainder of your Thanksgiving weekend.

Last week, my subject for Switcher Saturday was a model of Conrail MP15DC road switcher #9624 (Atlas O 1813-1) made in 2008. This week, my subject is a model of a similar locomotive, New York Central SW1500 diesel switcher #9654 (MTH Railking 30-2217-0 with 5-volt PS2) delivered in March 2001 at MSRP $149.95. I’ve been running this model for more than 20 years with a BCR. The Conrail model is a Masterline product and is better detailed than the New York Central engine, which is by Railking.

EMD listed the MP15DC locomotive as a road switcher and the SW1500 as a switcher, although both types are powered by a V12-645 diesel engine with 1,500 horsepower. A major difference is that the SW1500 rides on Flexicoil lightweight trucks with a wheelbase of 8 feet and the MP15DC rides on Blomberg trucks with a wheelbase of 9 feet (see closeup photos of trucks). The Blomberg 4-axle trucks are suitable for high-speed operation and were used on F3 diesel locomotives. The truck wheelbase on the MTH SW1500 scales to 8-feet 3-inches and to 9-feet on the Atlas O MP15DC.

In the videos, NYC SW1500 is running at 25 scale miles-per-hour on my 10’-by-5’ layout.

MELGAR

My smallest and cutest switcher with the biggest smoke::

Lc+2.0 Brooklyn Eastern Distruct Terminal (BELT) steam switcher.

Take it for a ride next time you see the Dodgers play at Ebbetts Field.

LOL, Arnold

Penn Cental

For more muscle, here is a switcher powerhouse in a small package, The MTH Premier PS3 New York Ontario & Western 44 ton center cab diesel hauling a few NY Central boxcars:

Arnold

Happy Thanksgiving weekend everyone!  No time for trainroom pics so here is a blast from the not too distant past -

For mainline power, take a look at this brauny MTH PS3 Pennsylvania RS3 hauling a mixed consist of boxcars, oil and coal with the usual exclamation point (a Pennsy caboose) at the end:

Arnold

Good morning SwSat Nation!  Today your Yardmaster is in Augusta, ME; last night he walked on a paved (sigh) portion of the old MEC line downtown.  He has seen a video of a MEC 2-8-2 hauling potatoes at the same spot on You Tube, making him long for the good old days.

He prepared for today by shooting another train on the B&A last week.  NYC RS3 no. 8109 is seen with a local freight while passing B&A’s “Wolverine”.

A tip of the SwSat hat to  MELGAR and TRUMPTRAIN!  Both contributed well written and interesting articles to the current edition of OGR magazine.

John

Happy Switcher Saturday. Maine Central ALCO S2 #301 action.

Happy SWSat!

Happy Thanksgiving to the SWSat crew!

I stole a few minutes in the train room on Thursday just to move a few cars around. Grabbed this photo of my pair of PRR steam shifters sitting idle ready for the next days assignments. Even the grouchy yardmaster was kind enough to give the crews the day off.
The pair are a K-line A5 0-4-0 and Lionel PWC B6 0-6-0.

And, I'll share a pic of a new arrival that I just bought from a Forum member. I have two of this model already and they are great runners and are well detailed.

Alco RS-11, New York Central lightning stripe by Lionel w/ command, odyssey, crew talk and fan-powered smoke.

Enjoy the rest of the weekend.

Bob

MELGAR,

I always look forward to your posts.

What was the reason for using flexi oil trucks?

Did the flexicoil trucks track better on uneven tracks?

Here is my BOSTON & MAINE SW1 pulling a NAUSET MODEL RAILROAD CLUB Weaver PS-1 boxcar. (Sharp eyes will notice my custom designed KADEE high rail couplers that I have installed on most of my rolling stock.)

@Steam Crazy posted:

Good morning SwSat Nation!  Today your Yardmaster is in Augusta, ME;

A tip of the SwSat hat to  MELGAR and TRUMPTRAIN!  Both contributed well written and interesting articles to the current edition of OGR magazine.

John

John,

Enjoy your visit to Augusta. And thanks for reading my article and SWSAT posts.

MELGAR

@Dave Ripp. posted:

Penn Cental

I have the same loco Dave. Another great example of the unique offerings from MTH.

Here she is paired with a MDT refer.

Good morning SWSAT crew.  I hope everyone had an enjoyable Thanksgiving.

This morning I am re-enacting an all to common occurrence, at least around here.  Penn Central SW8 8623 (Lionel) works a cut of covered hoppers at a grade crossing in town.  Just before the last car clears the crossing, the train stops and slowly reverses as it shoves the cars into a siding.  I don't mind the delay as it gives me a chance to do some railfanning.  The guy in the pickup in front of me isn't all to happy, however.  I don't know if he is going to be late for work or if the three cups of coffee he drank are beginning to manifest themselves.  In either case he needs to get somewhere fast and the train is in his way.

Have a great weekend, everyone!

Tom

@Dave Ripp. posted:

Penn Cental

Too bad PC didn't use this paint scheme on all their diesels.

Tom

Hi Tom, This is a very nice video. I love the road work and what looks like a tar sealer stripe over a crack. Since I am old, I will defend the old fella. He very well may have a prostate issue and he had an extra cup of coffee and needs to find a bathroom. Been there and done that.

Good morning fellow switcher fans!  JHZ563 thanks so much for notching out the throttle and getting us rolling this morning and I hope you enjoyed the pumpkin pie and coffee .... one of the best tasting combos there is

Great posts everyone!!  I truly hope everyone had a wonderful Thanksgiving day and you are enjoying this weekend!

Today on the Free State Railway I've got some fresh shots of a Fairbanks Morse Train Master in Virginian livery.  Technically a road switcher that, like the EMD series GP 7 & 9s and ALCOS RS 1 & 3 from the same era as the Train Master, did it all from manifest freights to passenger trains to yard duty.    Here we see it emerging from Northeast Tunnel.  Yesterday this locomotive pulled the first train on the FSJR mainline since  very early August.  

The Train Master pictured here is a Williams by Bachman model.  As a kid, back in the late 50s, I drooled over this beauty ( as I did the GG1 & Santa Fe F3 &nbsp as I saw it on the shelves at train and department stores.  Of course Santa had brought me a 027 layout ( A great one at that! ) which would not accommodate the turning radius required by these locomotives ... plus they were out of my parent's budget range too   Of course bringing home the Lionel catalogue allowed me to further drool ... LOL!!  I think that part of the fun of this hobby is the yearning for something that we can't have ... somehow, at least for me , the "yearning" helps stimulate the imagination.  Have a wonderful weekend everyone and enjoy your trains!!

Engineer Curley Dingle wishes everyone on SWSAT a very happy Thanksgiving weekend!!  

Tom D, your video reminds me of a business trip with three other guys.  We had to stop at a crossing for a train; I was the only one not complaining about the delay!

John

@Steam Crazy posted:

Good morning SwSat Nation!  Today your Yardmaster is in Augusta, ME; last night he walked on a paved (sigh) portion of the old MEC line downtown.  He has seen a video of a MEC 2-8-2 hauling potatoes at the same spot on You Tube, making him long for the good old days.

He prepared for today by shooting another train on the B&A last week.  NYC RS3 no. 8109 is seen with a local freight while passing B&A’s “Wolverine”.

A tip of the SwSat hat to  MELGAR and TRUMPTRAIN!  Both contributed well written and interesting articles to the current edition of OGR magazine.

John

John,

Augusta's railway landscapes are at least the undersigned's dream to build someday, if only health and age are enough. It's a pity that you can't see trains there anymore. Last summer, these landscapes came to be admired.

Johan

@ctr posted:

MELGAR,

I always look forward to your posts.

What was the reason for using flexi oil trucks?

Did the flexicoil trucks track better on uneven tracks?

ctr,

Thanks.

By no means am I an expert on truck design but here is what I can say:

The longer (9-foot) wheelbase of the 4-axle Blomberg trucks distributed the weight on the truck over more ties and a longer piece of rail than the (8-foot) Flexicoil trucks. This improved the support of the truck, reduced the stress on the rails and ties, and was better for operation on lightly-constructed sidings, yard tracks and through turnouts. The Flexicoil truck had coil springs between the truck frames and the bolster, and was stiff and produced a hard ride. On the Blomberg truck, the transverse leaf springs and visible swing hangers outside the truck frame allowed lateral motion that improved the ride and enabled the truck to operate at higher speeds.

MELGAR

Johan, your last photo shows the location I was talking about.  My daughter, who lives near Augusta, said it was paved recently.  She runs on this trail, but I didn’t try that!

John

Well hello everyone, hope you all had a wonderful Thanksgiving.  As of today all of the family have gone home (with lots of leftovers) so we are back to just the wife and I and our grandson who lives with us.  So, I am going to follow on to Melgar last week and feature my MP15 (could be DC or AC or even T (turbo) who knows?) The actual engine was made by EMD from the 1970's to the late 1980's and came in all 3 varieties.  Mine is from KILINE and is liveried as the UP (which has no business being on the railroad I normally model) but it only cost $50 at a local train show and it runs/pulls great.

Here she is leaving the industrial section near the commercial wharf in Savannah and headed north towards Atlanta and connections further north.

Well best wishes everyone.  Hope you have a wonderful weekend and a great week.

Don

@Tom Densel posted:

Too bad PC didn't use this paint scheme on all their diesels.

Tom

It would have been nice, but I even like the black Penn Central I have this one on order.

Announcing Custom Run RailKing Scale SD45 - Penn Central "PC" from Berwyn's Toys and Trains!

Happy Switcher Saturday, and great photos and videos by all!

Here's a photo of Lionel SP SW8 1102 from an angle I've never taken a photo before.

Here's a video of SP 1102 in action with an interruption by WP 485 GS-64. Kind of long at 4 minutes!

Happy Thanksgiving everyone! Have a great weekend!

Here is #1931 Pennsy Switcher moving a Turkey wing, Having Family Thanksgiving today. God Speed Thank a Vet!

@Sitka posted:

Here is #1931 Pennsy Switcher moving a Turkey wing, Having Family Thanksgiving today. God Speed Thank a Vet!

Holy Gravy Train Batman!

That train is moving on a wing and a prayer.......

Yes... I went there......

@jhz563 posted:

Holy Gravy Train Batman!

Hmmm next time a gondola with gravy?!!

@Jesse ferguson posted:

Happy Thanksgiving everyone! Have a great weekend!

@Sitka love the turkey wing!  @Jesse ferguson, put that front rail wire back in the hole before it scratches your paint, LOL!

@WesternPacific2217 posted:

Happy Switcher Saturday

I love that train!!! Good job!!!!

It’s Switcher Saturday again. An old SW-1 logging switcher pulls another load of logs down from the Soap Creek Pass logging camp in the Sierras.