Switcher Saturday: 2015-Aug-08

Rich,

  Nice looking B6 that you have there. I have one if those, too.

  My picture is of my Pennsylvania Reading Seashore Lines A5...one of my my few non-prewar steam switchers that I have. 

  Tom 

Thanks Tom,

I picked up the B6 from a local craiglist post this week at a crazy low price.  At first I thought for sure it'd be busted up or that the seller had no idea what it really should have sold for, but when talking with the guy he just wanted to get rid of his O gauge stuff quickly and he realized the price was much lower than he could get on the bay, but he seemed to just plain not care, so... I spent all my lunch money for the month of August and drove home with a smile on my face, fully recognizing I'll have an empty belly at work during lunchtime for a month!

Love that A5 picture, I'm going to have to try that perspective/size next week maybe on on of my switchers.

Best...Rich

Here's another picture just for fun, this one in "Black & White"

gotta love the Pennsy Power.

Here's the NYC switcher after they pulled the grain car away...

https://www.youtube.com/watch?...amp;feature=youtu.be

Rich,

 Nice purchase. If you were not aware, your B6 (and the one I have) was a 1989 reissue by Lionel and it graced the cover of their 1989 New York Toy Fair catalog.

  Tom 

The U.S. Transportation Corp 0-6-0T (5002) that spent many years on display at the infamous Tombstone Junction amusement park in Cumberland Falls, KY and then years of storage at the Kentucky Railway Museum in New Haven, KY is heading to a new owner.

According to steamlocomotive.com the engine has been sold to the Colebrooke Dale Railroad in Pennsylvania.

The engine has been pulled out of its siding at KRM in the last couple of days and is now sitting waiting for pick up at the Deerhead Lane crossing outside New Haven:

Chessie System coal action 1970's.....

Dave, You posted some nice vintage photos.

Here is the only #8976 (steam locomotive) that the Pennsylvania had, seen in its builder's photo. The 8976 was significant because it was the number which Lionel used on its prewar B6 (large boiler) steam switchers for their cab numbers. The prototype was built in 1913 by Baldwin. 

Tom

Yay SWSat!

This week my deep dig was for slightly more familiar Mack Switchers. This company seemed to prefer center cab styles and made true boxcabs as well as very small center cabs using Mack truck hoods on both sides. A few of these are stile around and even fewer are operational.

Rich,

  Sorry, I missed your question about the poem. First, my website has a few typos that my friend still needs to fix for me as well as adding some prototype photos. Yes, I must admit I wrote the poem! A little background...I gave a nod to my friend/coworker who made my website (who was raised in Binghamton, NY), a nod to my hometown of Yonkers (NY) as well as my friend, Bill Losee, who fixed the only prewar steam switcher which I had which I could not get running, a beaten up #231. My wife then pointed out that I made a poem for my trains and not ever for her! You can't keep everyone happy! 

  Tom

South Buffalo SW 1200 #30 makes its way over the canal to switch the local industries on the west side.

Getting lots of mileage posting these same pics this weekend.   My new LC+ NW-2 Switcher. Great job by Lionel on these.

For whatever reason I couldn't add these pics to my other post so Mack Switchers round two. 

SWSAT time!!

Wednesday at work, for the first time in years, I was given an actual switch engine to work with.  Typically the jobs I work use a C420 or combinations thereof.  But circumstances put a T-6 idling waiting for me come Wednesday morning.  Well, I had hoped to have some opportunities to get a pic or two... but that didn't happen.  So, here's a picture I snapped of a T-6 I was using years ago during less rules-restrictive days...

Gonna' be a busy day today... I intend to drop in later and put up a model pic or two, but for this is all I have fer now!

Most of my switchers 

Nice catch on the 8976, B6, Rich.  Mind if I ask what you paid?  I felt fortunate enough to recently snag mine for $150 when the LHS had one for $350.  Always like hearing about a bargain.

Bruce

Bruce,

  Yes. That was a good price. I paid the LHS price from my own LHS a few years ago.

  Tom 

This is an older photo, but don’t believe that I’ve shared it on this thread before.  I have toyed with the idea of buying a second MTH 0-4-0 to double-head the one I have, but in the end decided to upgrade.  I have on reservation one of the new 3rd Rail 0-6-0 Southern Pacific switchers.  I like scale size steam locomotives but my layout is small which limits me.  Big steam locos are popular, not small ones and few are offered, so have decided to splurge.

A couple of odd balls.On30

A Fleishmann Magic train 0-4-0 & box car, it's a shame they have gone into admin.James

As posted else were the odd ball family has just gained one new member.

 Tom,

  Ever since getting a prewar 201 I've wanted the big brother.  Even at a fraction of the prewar 708 price, I don't consider the 8976 instead as a compromise.  Mine performs excellent, worthy of a TMCC or DCS upgrade IMO.

Bruce

nice display Al.

RMT Beep

     Bill T.

Silver Lake, any idea where the full-size Mack switchers are located?  The double Bulldog is attractive.

Sorry, no photos to post this week. I did take some LGB locos to Nicholas Smith Trains for repair, and saw another customer pick up a very nice postwar #600 switcher for only $50.00!

Thats the the great thing about switchers, they're smaller, easier to repair and only cost a month of lunches, not an arm and a leg!

Many of the pics posted are of Mack#4 in various times of its service life. it has been restored and can run it is at the McHugh Co. in Fairless Holls PA. They move it around to various sites on a trailer.

-The Lake Superior RR Museum in Deluth MN has 2 12 ton Macks that are operable.

-Pouch Terminal #2 is at the Pine Creek RR in Alliare Park NJ.

Mack made 21 engines and 91 Motorcars (rail-buses) from 1905-1930. 

Strasburg has a Mack Railbus with the bulldog hood.

Now that were are on the topic of switchers, does anyone know if the the lionel 18000 B6 pulls any better than the prewar 8976? Also which one has more heft. Just wondering...

Thanks, Silver Lake.  When I was a kid, Mack chain-drive Bulldog trucks were all over.

send them to me and I'll tell you how the tests come out.....

Lenny the Lion,

  As far as heft, although I did not actually weigh them they appear to be similiar to me in weight. 

  Tom

I got this K-Line Kennecott Switcher in Wheaton, IL at the Dupage County fair grounds. The Thunder Alley 1302 0-6-0 was a break up I got at Bob's Hobby Shop in Watervliet, MI.

Finally!  All the responsibilities and other things taken care of... time for SWSAT!!

Scale HO:

"Returning as a caboose hop from a Rock Island transfer, KC&G RS-3 #255 and caboose #1223 amble by on its way back to the KC&G's Riverfront Yard. Making a light engine move in the other direction, Frisco's VO1000 #214 rattles by on its way to who knows where?"

But wait... that's not ALL!  (Said in my best "Ronco" TV-ad voice.)

Here's another Proto-Pic for this week's SWSAT... 

I really like the interesting weathering that's on this pair of Mop S-12's.  Very "different" and would be pretty tough to model. 

There's a LOT going on in this pic. For example, according to the source date, this picture was taken at North Little Rock on September 9th, 1961. The decision to move to the all-blue "Jenks Blue" scheme was decided only 2 months ago... yet in the background we see a Mop FA-2 already wearing the "Jenks Blue" scheme!  So, in this ONE pic you have:

* A view of an early Mop switcher paint scheme.

* A view of the original paint scheme the FA's were delivered in. (In the rear of the pair of S-12's.)

* A view of a repainted FA in the background.

I find it fun to study period pictures to see what kinds of goodies can be gleaned aside from the main subject.

Just like Yogi Berra said: "You can observe a lot just by watching." 

Later!!

Laming, it sounds like you have a really fun and interesting job!  Not many people get to operate 1:1 scale ALCo diesels these days...and get paid for it, too!

Sorry to get slightly off topic here, but have you ever thought of recording the sounds of those awesome ALCo products while at work?  As you know, relatively speaking there aren't that many left in existence...and there will be fewer and fewer as time goes by.

Now back to our regular programming...