Switcher Saturday: 2016-Sept-03

Happy Switcher Saturday everyone! Rich, thanks for posting this again and for being so early on a Saturday morning. I went to walk the dog and saw you were an "eager beaver." 

For anyone in the Northeast, be safe with a storm coming. 

My contribution is my most recently purchased Lionel prewar steam switcher. It is currently out for repairs with Harry Henning. 

Tom 

Saw this picture this week and thought it was SWSAT worthy.  I can't recall ever hearing about "Washington Terminal" before, so reading about it now on WikiPedia and learning a little bit about it has been fun.  I also like this second picture, I wonder how many switches I'd need to buy to model that one in my basement!

I'll likely be offline most of the day but will circle back with you all later tonight if I can.  I can't recall if holiday weekends drive Switcher Saturday participation up or down, I guess we'll see!

Best...Rich

MNCW posted:

Happy Switcher Saturday everyone! Rich, thanks for posting this again and for being so early on a Saturday morning. I went to walk the dog and saw you were an "eager beaver." 

For anyone in the Northeast, be safe with a storm coming. 

My contribution is my most recently purchased Lionel prewar steam switcher. It is currently out for repairs with Harry Henning. 

Tom 

 

Hey Tom, Happy Saturday!   Is this the same one as in that other thread?  Or did you grab another fixer-upper?

https://ogrforum.com/t...rewar-steam-switcher

Hey Bob, great pics and history as always, thanks for sharing!  Best...Rich

Murnane posted:

MNCW posted:

Happy Switcher Saturday everyone! Rich, thanks for posting this again and for being so early on a Saturday morning. I went to walk the dog and saw you were an "eager beaver." 

For anyone in the Northeast, be safe with a storm coming. 

My contribution is my most recently purchased Lionel prewar steam switcher. It is currently out for repairs with Harry Henning. 

Tom 

 

Hey Tom, Happy Saturday!   Is this the same one as in that other thread?  Or did you grab another fixer-upper?

https://ogrforum.com/t...rewar-steam-switcher

Rich, This is the same one. Thanks for posting my link. I didn't want to promote my own topic within your topic... Anyway, how honest is Harry Henning? He hasn't even cashed my check yet! 

Tom 

Yay! SWSat is on!

This week this week for my special birthday edition I accidentally seem to have a green and yellow theme. I am posting a nice set of prototype images as well as images one of my favorite little K line switcher spotting a reefer on my shelf layout.

  As far as prototype images am posting images of the Hoboken Manufacturers Railroad.  In the early 1950's the name was changed to the Hoboken Shore Railroad the name that it is more commonly known for today. It was primarily a railroad that switched shore side industries in Hoboken New Jersey and had about 9 miles of track total but that included a float barge operation barge and an interchange with Railroad. Some of the elaborate track work like double slip switches and some even appears to make a little Time Saver puzzle.

For the historians and Broadway fans out there the area it runs through was once the infamous dueling grounds where Arron Burr shot his rival Alexander Hamilton. 

Over the years the engine roster was quite diverse ranging from steam to a matching pair of GE 44 tonners with some interesting boxcabs and even electric motors along the way.

The railroad struggled in the 1960's. It was associated with the Sea Train experiment and made it up to the end in 1977.

For those of you who might be interested in my adventures joining the New York Society of Model Engineers, this week I was able to start and almost half complete an O scale Gloor-Craft craftsman kit of a small yard shed. Somehow it had lost its directions so that slowed me a bit. I'll know next week how well my blind stab in the dark went. 

CNJ 3676 posted:

Happy Switcher Saturday all!

A few weeks ago, MNCW Tom included a picture of New Hope & Ivyland 0-6-0 9 in a post about his latest Lionel B6 acquisition...

The railroad's intention is to use the locomotive in freight service once it has been restored so we in New Jersey will again be blessed with 0-6-0 powered freight trains in the fine tradition established by the PRR B6sb 5244 as it finished its career in the service of the Union Transportation Company...

Bob

Hi Bob, Thanks for your post and the story you provided. New Jersey seems to me to be pretty well intertwined with steam power. As you mentioned, the tradition of steam represented by PRR #5244, the last active Pennsy steamer (quite a rather significant feat considering the massive steam roster which the PRR had) took place under lease with Union Transportation (based out of New Egypt, NJ). Personally, the majority of my prewar steam switcher purchases were from your fellow residents of the "Garden State." 

Tom 

Andy/SILVERLAKE, thanks for posting those great pictures. Did you say it is your birthday? Happy Birthday! Hope you (and Bob in nearby New Jersey) hunker down for the storm. 

Tom 

Rich I love those those Lionel tank engines. I have a Santa Fe one somewhere....I have never taken mine apart so I can't help that much. I have the Transylvania one with the zombies as well and they are great fun. 

Is it possible to put the zombies in until Halloween and switch over other times?

Bob CNJ 3676 my fathers cousin (the only family member I know of that worked in railroads) worked his whole career as a Washington Terminal engineer. They had a large and long lived fleet of RS1s. Several are still around.

Tom P. Thanks for the birthday wishes. Happy it fell on a SWSat. 

thanks for keeping this going Rich. I like the rough look of that switcher Tom.

a few quick pics and off to bed. have a great weekend to those who are off.

Great pictures Steamer/Dave!

SilverLake/Andy:  Great pictures too!  I hope you have a great birthday!  Wishing you the best from Maryland...Rich

Rich! That's awesome! 

Thank you.

This one is a bit more "custom"!

Andy:

You are correct about the longevity of the WT RS-1s. My old friend from the Black River & Western, the number 57, was a Washington Terminal unit at one time. 

Bob

Weaver A5 0-4-0. 

Hurray for Switcher Saturday!   As usual every else is up way before me on the one day I usually catch up on sleep.  For the past several weeks the loops to nowhere down stairs have been almost exclusively small switchers.  After some aggressive cleaning maintenance,  my two year old's little lionchief engine came back to life, to mixed emotions in the rest of the  house. He LOVES this thing, and wants to run it constantly. It even goes in the car with him when we go on errands. It's missing a few parts at this point, but it does work just fine.  Now if there was only a way to put a timer to shut off the "ding dong bell".

Here's the photos : 

Hello SWSaT friends!!  I'm a bit late to the party today.  Life sometimes gets in the way of my priorities .... like posting here on SWSaT on Saturday mornings.

This past Tuesday my buddy Randy and I  took a trip to Strasburg, PA to get our fix of live steam ( and some diesel too ).  Of course Strasburg had three steamers running that day and two are international celebrities named Thomas and Percy who happen to be switchers!!   Naturally I had to get photos of these guys ... which I'm posting here along with photos inside the backshop where there were switchers in various stages of disassembly. The Maine Eastern GP was working the rear of Percy's train to providing a bit of extra power. Strasburg SW8 ( I saw her running under her own power in Aug 2015 )  was in the shop with her hood on jacks for needed routine repair. I got a shot of the Reading camelback 0 - 4 - 0 from a distance.  I can't remember the wheel arrangements of the steam switchers in the backstop ... sorry.  If you ever get to Strasburg do take the shop tour, if you haven't already. I highly recommend it!!  I've also posted a photo and clip from The Free State Junction Railway here in Pasturg, Maryland.  I hope all of you have a wonderful and safe Labor Day Weekend!!! Enjoy!!!

Silver Lake posted:

Yay! SWSat is on!

This week this week for my special birthday edition I accidentally seem to have a green and yellow theme. I am posting a nice set of prototype images as well as images one of my favorite little K line switcher spotting a reefer on my shelf layout.

  As far as prototype images am posting images of the Hoboken Manufacturers Railroad.  In the early 1950's the name was changed to the Hoboken Shore Railroad the name that it is more commonly known for today. It was primarily a railroad that switched shore side industries in Hoboken New Jersey and had about 9 miles of track total but that included a float barge operation barge and an interchange with Railroad. Some of the elaborate track work like double slip switches and some even appears to make a little Time Saver puzzle.

For the historians and Broadway fans out there the area it runs through was once the infamous dueling grounds where Arron Burr shot his rival Alexander Hamilton. 

Over the years the engine roster was quite diverse ranging from steam to a matching pair of GE 44 tonners with some interesting boxcabs and even electric motors along the way.

The railroad struggled in the 1960's. It was associated with the Sea Train experiment and made it up to the end in 1977.

For those of you who might be interested in my adventures joining the New York Society of Model Engineers, this week I was able to start and almost half complete an O scale Gloor-Craft craftsman kit of a small yard shed. Somehow it had lost its directions so that slowed me a bit. I'll know next week how well my blind stab in the dark went. 

Happy Birthday Silver Lake.

-Johan

CNJ 3676 posted:

Here is the Washington Terminal with which I became familiar in the 70s when WT meant those beautiful blue RS-1s: 

Bob

Bob - Thanks so much for posting these photos of WT RS 1 locomotives!!!  I too remember these locomotive quite well.  Whenever I would drive into DC via NY Ave, I'd see all those blue WT switchers ( RS 1s, end cab switchers, and GP 7s ) in the Ivy City Engine Terminal, which even boasted a round house back in the 70s and early 80s.    I remember going into DC in the early 60s and seeing the WT diesels alongside E, F units and GP7s, from B&O, Southern, C&O, ACL, Seaboard Airline, Richmond Fredericksburg and Potomac, and GG1s from the Pennsy..... what a colorful treat for a young train buff's eyes!!

I actually purchased an Atlas O RS1 in WT livery,however, I sent it back to Atlas 4 times and they never could seem to get it to run right.  Finally the dealer I bought it from decided to characterized it as a "lemon" and gave my full store credit toward a Pennsy Aero Train.  Although I love the Aerotrain, I love the WT RS1 even more!!!

Silver Lake posted:

Yay! SWSat is on!

This week this week for my special birthday edition I accidentally seem to have a green and yellow theme. I am posting a nice set of prototype images as well as images one of my favorite little K line switcher spotting a reefer on my shelf layout.

  As far as prototype images am posting images of the Hoboken Manufacturers Railroad.  In the early 1950's the name was changed to the Hoboken Shore Railroad the name that it is more commonly known for today. It was primarily a railroad that switched shore side industries in Hoboken New Jersey and had about 9 miles of track total but that included a float barge operation barge and an interchange with Railroad. Some of the elaborate track work like double slip switches and some even appears to make a little Time Saver puzzle.

For the historians and Broadway fans out there the area it runs through was once the infamous dueling grounds where Arron Burr shot his rival Alexander Hamilton. 

Over the years the engine roster was quite diverse ranging from steam to a matching pair of GE 44 tonners with some interesting boxcabs and even electric motors along the way.

The railroad struggled in the 1960's. It was associated with the Sea Train experiment and made it up to the end in 1977.

For those of you who might be interested in my adventures joining the New York Society of Model Engineers, this week I was able to start and almost half complete an O scale Gloor-Craft craftsman kit of a small yard shed. Somehow it had lost its directions so that slowed me a bit. I'll know next week how well my blind stab in the dark went. 

Silver Lake - Thanks for the great photos and history!!!  AND most of all...... HAPPY BIRTHDAY!!!!  ENJOY and CELEBRATE!!!!!!!

Thanks everyone for the Birthday Wishes.

I am riding ConnDOT/Metro North with my family home to NYC after a day on the Long Island Sound riding the Roller Coaster Trains at Rye Playland. 

 Not calm at all. 

The Rye station has some nice mod themed tile work that harkens back to the New Haven Talgo Daniel Webster.

Here is a nice Demonstrator switcher scheme. Those are like birthdays right? The birth of the model type. 

Thanks again guys. 

Andy/SILVERLAKE,

 There is (well I assume it is still there, haven't gone in like 2 years) a pretty good restaurant on the boardwalk there at Playland...the Tiki Bar & Restaurant. If you like crab cakes they make them pretty good and you get a view of the LI Sound. 

Tom

Steamtown, Scranton, PA about 3 weeks ago.

Been following this thread for a few months.  Also been trying to come up with a basement layout.  This thread and a friends HO layout convinced me to build an operating layout based on switching.  The attached is what I've come up with.  The basic basement dimensions are 10' x 35' with room on the left side for a 6' x 12' section, and then two additional areas on the lower right to provide for additional industries and a reversing loop.  Intent is to have a layout that allows continuous running end to end, plus switching of various industries across the length and width of the layout.

Rick

trumptrain posted:

 two are international celebrities named Thomas and Percy who happen to be switchers!!

Technically they are "shunters" because they are British, not "switchers"

Doesn't count ������

Silver Lake posted:

Thanks everyone for the Birthday Wishes.

I am riding ConnDOT/Metro North with my family home to NYC after a day on the Long Island Sound riding the Roller Coaster Trains at Rye Playland. 

 Not calm at all. 

 

Boy, do I understand this photo!  My wife and I have six sons and daughters (now grown), and I remember the noise and activity.