Switcher Saturday 12-17-22

Happy SWSat!

A pair of 99's make some late deliveries to the local tree lots possible.

# 99 0-4-0 Tank (MTH) backs a couple of loaded gondolas onto Team track #2

# 99 Plymouth (K-line) brought out the big hook to help with the off-load from the highline.

Rumor has it that the switcher crews are planning on decorating one or two.......

Have a great weekend.

Bob

Atlas SW9's.

Big Hook and a flatbed all to itself, that tree must be headed to Rockefeller Center!

Happy Switcher Sat everyone!

Yay SWSat is on!

Fitting that the ex LBSCR E2 Thomas is making the rounds under the giant tree this AM.

I am posting my 2R Weaver USRA 0-6-0 in NYC paint shoving around some Fruit Growers Express cars that are full of Florida Oranges to fit in the bottom of peoples Christmas socks.

These were taken on the New York Society of Model Engineers (NYSME) Layout in Carlstat NJ. If anyone is in the area this weekend is the last week of the yearly open house from 1-5PM both Sat and Sunday.

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

Happy SwSat, fellow switcher devotees!  Today your Yardmaster decided to head to the Mid-Atlantic states to catch some switcher action.

C&O EMD SW2 switcher no. 624 is seen with a cut of empty covered hoppers from a cement plant.  Passing on the opposite track is a B&O Budd RDC1 heading up a train with two RDC4s.  There’s a lot of mail to be picked up on this run!

John

@coach joe posted:

Big Hook and a flatbed all to itself, that tree must be headed to Rockefeller Center!

All in 1:48 scale of course.....

C&O Chessie System GP38-2 #3899 is an MTH Premier model (20-2186-1) that was shown in the 1998 Volume 3 catalog and delivered in December 1998 with PS1 and MSRP $299.00. Mine has been on the shelf directly in front of my workbench for 24 years and had never been run until December 11, 2022.

I bought this engine shortly after resuming O gauge railroading, mostly because I liked its paint scheme and the GP38-2. It is the only C&O Chessie model locomotive that I own.

Lately, I’ve cleaned up several of my dusty PS1 models that had never been run, removed the original MTH white batteries, and replaced them with BCRs. On this one, I had to loosen all the electronics to extract the battery. I should have taken some pictures when it was open, but I was too busy wondering whether it would run when I put it back together… No leakage or corrosion has been evident on any of the original batteries that I’ve taken out, and the traction tires are in good condition.

I first put the engine on my 12’-by-8’ layout. It powered-up at a current of less than 1 Amp (no short circuit) and the lights and sounds came on immediately. I let the BCR charge for a few minutes and then ran it back and forth over one block of track. It responded to the throttle promptly in each direction. I then took it to my 10’-by-5’ layout and made the photos and videos that follow, in which the locomotive is running at 33 scale miles-per-hour and towing Western Maryland caboose #6132151 by K-Line.

I don’t expect to run this engine frequently but I do want it to be in running condition. As I’ve said before, I think MTH makes quality products.

MELGAR

@MELGAR posted:

C&O Chessie System GP38-2 #3899 is an MTH Premier model (20-2186-1) that was shown in the 1998 Volume 3 catalog and delivered in December 1998 with PS1 and MSRP $299.00. Mine has been on the shelf directly in front of my workbench for 24 years and had never been run until December 11, 2022.

MELGAR

That's a great looking model Mel. I love the Chessie paint scheme. Nice to have a 24 year old "new" engine.

Bob

A New Haven GP-9 shuttles coaches to the station platform prior to the headend power being in from it's Boston to New Haven run.

Good morning SWSAT crew!

Its the week before Christmas and Santa has had his crews working overtime to get all the toys made.  One of his sub-contractors is having a Hi-cube boxcar delivered to pack with toys to be delivered to the North Pole. 

It should be noted that Santa has his own dedicated fleet of railcars to deliver toys to the North Pole for final distribution. Many of these cars are painted in Santa's trademark Red, White and Black colors.  The reporting marks, ATSF, stand for All Toys Santa Freight.   During the off season the cars are leased to a western road which uses the Santa Fe name.

Penn Central SW8 8616 (Atlas O) delivers one of Santa's boxcars to the toy factory

The crew spots the car at a loading dock

The loco crew heads back out to retrieve another boxcar for loading of more toys

Have a great weekend everyone!

Tommy the Elf

@MELGARMELGAR,  wow, that’s a beautiful Chessie System diesel, and the caboose is also beautiful, and they look awesome on your well designed and scenicked layout, it’s a wow., @RSJB18 Bob, I like your Christmas scenes with #99 steamer and I really like your Plymouth switcher pulling a colorful tinplate crane, nice setting,  and all the Christmas trees, wow, @Silver Lake, that’s a beautiful 0-6-0 Steam switcher in a beautiful scene on a realistic 2 rail layout, (club layout that’s really nice)  very nice work, @Steam555 Crazy, really nice yard scene and video, wow, @Strap Hanger, that’s a beautiful yellow switcher in a cool city street scene, very colorful and nice, @Mike CT, that’s a beautiful 1776 switcher in a cool scene, nice work, and Jhz563, Thank you for keeping this fun thread running and your Christmas tree scene with the famous Thomas the tank engine and train looking so fine under your beautiful Christmas tree, it’s a beautiful display, one week from today is Christmas Eve, so Merry Christmas Everyone….. Today I’m showing my friends SW8 BNSF Lionel legacy diesel and some of mine. Happy Railroading Everyone (Ok, I’m sure our Texas friend @Don McErlean will pop in with an oldie but goodie real soon)

Happy Switcher Saturday. Today I'm posting pictures of what is not a switcher, but it might have been used for heavy switching work. The locomotive is a Fairbanks Morse H-24-66 Train Master. I have Lionel's Train Master from which this S.B.R. version was made. I think FM-16-66 "Baby Train Master" has been used more often in switching work.

I personally use Train Master more as a line locomotive, for example to pull ore car and woodchip trains. Lighter jobs with S.B.R are often handled by ALCO HH660. As I recall, Melgar wanted pictures of the Trainmaster, so here are a few.

Switcher Saturday!!! I love seeing everybody’s photos of switchers. One of my favorites is this SP H12-44 moving a very short train of freight cars.

U.S. Army moving Christmas Gifts Have a good Saturday all

@BAR GP7 #63 posted:

WOW!  Superb work as usual.  I enjoy looking at the detail you put into everything.
Dennis

Well folks, great pictures today.  jhz- who can not love Thomas? RSJB18 - well that is a much bigger tree than I have!! Mike CT, Strap Hanger, Bill Park, Steam Crazy, WP, Silver Lake - wonderful pictures and video's.  MELGAR -  great shots of your GP 38 and she looks beautiful despite her long stretch as a "display" Tom Densel - great story about the "SANTA" Fe! leapinlarry - beautiful engines and pictures, love the green "Safety First" loco.  BAR GP-7 - really liked the realism you have modeled into the SBRR Trainmaster.

Well today I thought that I might relate to the seasonal trip "home" many folks take around this time of the year.  After all the fancy, streamlined, named expresses drop you off at the nearest metropolis then for many its down to the branch lines or even the mixed trains to actually get to home. So here are a few of those humble trains in the "end game".

Well not delivering people, but what would a celebration be without the WINE!  A tank car of vintage wine moves towards the distribution point.   (This train is a Hornby "Hatchette" reproduction of some post war French Hornby trains of the 1950's)

A short freight making sure that enough gasoline is delivered to Small Town to support everyone's shopping trips.  (Hornby MO loco and tender from 1930 and some Mettoy freight cars from the 50's)

The favorite branch line train from the city to Small Town. ( A Hornby Type 51 locomotive from about 1954-1962 pulling two Type 31 coaches).

A Hornby Type 101 tank engine from 47-54  (This one is just the shell repowerd with an electric Marx mechanism) pulls an American Flyer mixed train.  The lead 115 automobile car dates from 1919-1929 and the green "Oriental Limited" cars date from the late 20's.

Well Happy SwSat everyone.  Best wishes for a wonderful Holiday Season

Don

Good afternoon fellow switcher fans!   Thanks JHZ563 for getting us started today!  You fellas have some terrific posts up! 

Here are a couple switcher photos for today.  Have a terrific weekend everyone!

A B&O freight with a GP9 on the point receives a roll-by inspection by Ma & Pa brakeman Pudgy Skunker.  

The holiday season Santa Trains traverse the rails each weekend between Thanksgiving and New Years Eve.  Here both trains this  morning trundle through Todd's Junction.  

Hi switcher fanatics,

Here is my A5 getting ready to do some under tree duty.

@Hartman posted:

WOW!  Superb work as usual.  I enjoy looking at the detail you put into everything.
Dennis

Dennis,

Thank you very much. 🤝

Johan

Second SWSat post.....

Management just took delivery of the promised Reading rolling stock that the crew on #22 had requested.

It was quickly inspected and serviced by the car shop and sent out for revenue service. 👍👍

Bob

Well thank you all for another wonderful Switcher Saturday.

Mel the Chessie paint scheme is really nice.  My first diesel engine was a Lionel Chessie GP20.  Over the years my Chessie roster grew to include a K-Line MP15, MTH RK F-unit and a Williams GP38.

Johan, are those new pictures of the Shark Bay from the club layout or are they older photos.  Didn't you fabricate that Train Master?

Bob that rolling stock makes for a nice little Reading train.

Tom Densel, I had no idea the Santa Fe headquarters were at the North Pole.  The Chairman o theBoard is one jolly fellow!

@coach joe posted:

Well thank you all for another wonderful Switcher Saturday.

Mel the Chessie paint scheme is really nice.  My first diesel engine was a Lionel Chessie GP20.  Over the years my Chessie roster grew to include a K-Line MP15, MTH RK F-unit and a Williams GP38.

Johan, are those new pictures of the Shark Bay from the club layout or are they older photos.  Didn't you fabricate that Train Master?

Bob that rolling stock makes for a nice little Reading train.

Tom Densel, I had no idea the Santa Fe headquarters were at the North Pole.  The Chairman o theBoard is one jolly fellow!

Joe,

These are older photos and taken from the club layout. Club activities are slowly starting again, but I mainly focus on my home track. The Trainmaster was built by my friend John and myself.

Johan