Switcher Saturday: 2017-Dec-30

Off to the Greenberg Show here in NJ but still time to slip in a quick switcher post.

Happy Switcher Saturday everyone & Happy New Year.

Rich--Your layout looks mighty nice. You should be happy with it. 

Mike-I saw ads in the NY Metro area for the Greenberg Show (I think in Edison). Is it a good show? 

My contribution is a picture that I think I took around this time last year (with my trusty Lionel #228) and may be timely now, too. No expense was spared in the production of this image! 

Tom 

I photographed AMTRAK #798 at Washington, DC Union Station on December 27, 2017 while traveling northbound on Train 176. AMTRAK #798 is an EMD SW1000R built as an SW9 in 1952 and originally purchased by the Pittsburgh & Lake Erie Railroad. It weighs 194,000 pounds, has a 1,000 HP engine and can operate at speeds up to 50 miles-per-hour.

Happy New Year to all SWSATs.

MELGAR

Yay! The SWSat is flipped into the “on” position! We are off to a good start today. I love the new layout Rich! It looks like there may be room for expansion. Haha.

My contribution is a few pics of some project items that I picked up a few weeks ago at the Westchester Toy and Train Show. The MPC 0–4-0 I got at the same show a year ago.

The bobber coboose is a well planned old Lionel car bash someone made that needs a bit of a refresh. The coupler has a nicely homemade self centering coupler system.

The S motor is a 1916 Lionel 150 that was made this way only the one year. (The other 3rail mag has a nice article on restoring a similar 152 in the Feb issue.) I started the restoration with a sand blast so it is switching in its raw metal form. Since the S motor and Caboose don’t have matching couplers it is just shoving the Caboose into it’s spot. 

Stay warm in the northeast this weekend. Anyone who goes to Times Square tomorrow night is facing sub 10 degree weather. 

great start Rich...keep at it.

Wabash # 526 in Chicago August 29 1948

another Chicago shot again in August of 1938 of #527

unknown date or location of #534

Rich,

I like your 0-8-0, but I like mine a little better.

MTH Proto 1 Erie Lackawana: let's pretend that switcher fans like us have dug it out of 5 feet of snow:There's no rest for this switcher. See it pulling this work train:

 

Rich - you're off to a great start!

Hi Guys and Happy SWSat!

Nice to see trains running (almost) Rich! And not just under the tree! Hopefully you can get to the bottom of the issues with your 0-8-0.

Locally a couple of road switchers are on the mains today. WM BL-2 # 81 is pulling a short coal load and Chessie GP-20 # 8463 is going to spot a couple of box cars. Once the line is clear Chessie S-2 # 2314 will move some gondolas to the scrap yard.

Tom- A great switcher Happy New Year!

Andy- the new switcher looks nice. Anyone who braves Times Square tomorrow is nuts. I'll watch it from my couch.

CPOWELL- Nice Fireball!

Great work again as usual everyone.

Bob

Happy New Year to all Switcheroos!  Hope we all stay “on-track” with happiness and health in 2018!

Speaking of Happy New Year...I found this from 2015, Googling around (it's a 0-1-0 switcher!)...

The Imperial and Royal Austro-Hungarian Army railroad engineers wish you a Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year!

Tom 

Happy Switcher Saturday & Happy New Year.

Rock Island RS3 #493 Switching at Port of Shark Bay.

This MTH smoking Jersey Central FM Trainmaster (a giant switcher) is ready for heavy duty:

It's ready to pull a long train of tanker cars. Notice how I've turned the oil burner in my house into a giant scratch built accessory as the tanker cars are being filled with real oil from the pipes shown in the photo below:

Just kidding about that last comment. LOL

This Jersey Central switcher is smokin':

And now it's on it's way along the NJ Turnpike (hold your noses cause the oil refineries sure stink), in order to deliver enormous quantities of oil to Pennsylvania buried in snow and freezin' cold this weekend:

briansilvermustang posted:

Very nice

BAR GP7 #63 posted:

Happy Switcher Saturday & Happy New Year.

Rock Island RS3 #493 Switching at Port of Shark Bay.

Beautiful trains and scenery

          thanks Arnold...

MELGAR posted:

I photographed AMTRAK #798 at Washington, DC Union Station on December 27, 2017 while traveling northbound on Train 176. AMTRAK #798 is an EMD SW1000R built as an SW9 in 1952 and originally purchased by the Pittsburgh & Lake Erie Railroad. It weighs 194,000 pounds, has a 1,000 HP engine and can operate at speeds up to 50 miles-per-hour.

Happy New Year to all SWSATs.

MELGAR

Some of these pictures are so good, like this one, that I can't decide if this Amtrak switcher is the real thing or a model.

Melgar says it's the real thing, but maybe he's pulling our legs.

briansilvermustang posted:

          thanks Arnold...

My pleasure, Brian.

Arnold D. Cribari posted:

BAR GP7 #63 posted:

Happy Switcher Saturday & Happy New Year.

Rock Island RS3 #493 Switching at Port of Shark Bay.

Beautiful trains and scenery

Arnold: Thank you very much.

Johan

Arnold D. Cribari posted:

MELGAR posted:

I photographed AMTRAK #798 at Washington, DC Union Station on December 27, 2017 while traveling northbound on Train 176. AMTRAK #798 is an EMD SW1000R built as an SW9 in 1952 and originally purchased by the Pittsburgh & Lake Erie Railroad. It weighs 194,000 pounds, has a 1,000 HP engine and can operate at speeds up to 50 miles-per-hour.

Happy New Year to all SWSATs.

MELGAR

Some of these pictures are so good, like this one, that I can't decide if this Amtrak switcher is the real thing or a model.

Melgar says it's the real thing, but maybe he's pulling our legs.

To my good friend Arnold and any other skeptics,

My description of the photo is absolutely accurate... I was on the platform for less than two minutes. When I spotted #798, I took the photo as quickly as I could focus the camera... Happy New Year.

MELGAR

                                                            It's Miller Time............

  #1462

MELGAR posted:

Arnold D. Cribari posted:

MELGAR posted:

I photographed AMTRAK #798 at Washington, DC Union Station on December 27, 2017 while traveling northbound on Train 176. AMTRAK #798 is an EMD SW1000R built as an SW9 in 1952 and originally purchased by the Pittsburgh & Lake Erie Railroad. It weighs 194,000 pounds, has a 1,000 HP engine and can operate at speeds up to 50 miles-per-hour.

Happy New Year to all SWSATs.

MELGAR

Some of these pictures are so good, like this one, that I can't decide if this Amtrak switcher is the real thing or a model.

Melgar says it's the real thing, but maybe he's pulling our legs.

To my good friend Arnold and any other skeptics,

My description of the photo is absolutely accurate... I was on the platform for less than two minutes. When I spotted #798, I took the photo as quickly as I could focus the camera... Happy New Year.

MELGAR

I totally believe you, Melgar, but I love the fact that your photo could also look like a very nice model of a train and station.

SIRT posted:

                                                    

                                                            It's Miller Time............

  #1462

Now I have to have a beer!  

 

Happy New Years Adam everyone!  Adam came before Eve!

I just came in from shoveling and blowing snow!  We were blessed with only a fraction of what our friends just north of us in Erie got this past week!  They actually sent National Guard folks from Butler to Erie to help with removal!!  Great job!!

Rich, the layout is looking great!  I'm glad you have had time to work on it thus far!  Great switcher photographs everyone!!  I especially like the Western Maryland ones, as many of you know; but all of yours are great!

I will offer a better photograph of the NPC #12 today than what I posted previously.

BAR GP7 #63 posted:

Arnold D. Cribari posted:

BAR GP7 #63 posted:

Happy Switcher Saturday & Happy New Year.

Rock Island RS3 #493 Switching at Port of Shark Bay.

Beautiful trains and scenery

Arnold: Thank you very much.

Johan

You're very welcome, Johan.

A couple of more of my favorite switchers: Lionel 44 ton Baltimore & Ohio 626 and bell-ringing 1615 Steam switcher takes water;

MNCW posted:

 

Mike-I saw ads in the NY Metro area for the Greenberg Show (I think in Edison). Is it a good show? 

 

 

Yes, it's in Edison.  It's an okay show....used to be great but has sort of "downsized " over the years.  Lot of postwar O gauge.   A couple of major dealers like Just Trains and Grzyboski's.  Some nice modular displays by local clubs.  

mike.caruso posted:

MNCW posted:

 

Mike-I saw ads in the NY Metro area for the Greenberg Show (I think in Edison). Is it a good show? 

 

 

Yes, it's in Edison.  It's an okay show....used to be great but has sort of "downsized " over the years.  Lot of postwar O gauge.   A couple of major dealers like Just Trains and Grzyboski's.  Some nice modular displays by local clubs.  

Thanks Mike,  The last Greenberg Show I went to was in the 1990's at Yonkers Raceway (I don't think they lasted much past then) where I met OGR's Myron Biggar and still have the OGR screwdrivers he gave me.

Tom 

IMHO, here is the best post war switcher for sheer performance:

It's got Magnetraction and heft making it as good as any post war engine, pound for pound, for pulling more than a few postwar operating cars,  and bell ringer for charm. And it navigates sharp 027 or 031 curves as well as any engine ever made. 

I happen to drive a MiniCooper, and this 6220 diesel switcher handles sharp curves like a MiniCooper. I love driving my MiniCooper with stick shift on narrow curvy highways. It's like an economical James Bond car.😊

Making up the ATSF Scout on the unfinished Carbondale. Three short videos.

We can't do Switcher Saturday without showing this post war gem:

I love this 1656 switcher so much, I just had to show it from all angles. Like the 6220, the 1656 has heft, good pulling power for this "little engine that could," and charm (bell ringer and light in back of tender). Unlike the 6220, the 1656 has no Magnetraction. 

I just wanted to take a moment to thank Richard Murnane for starting this Switcher Saturday topic.

Since I started on this Forum about 90 days ago, there have been a lot of great topics, and I've posted a few topics that I'm quite pleased with, but I think this topic is my favorite. Maybe because the post war 6220 diesel switcher (and its 622 counterpart) and the 1656 steam switcher are my favorite engines and run beautifully on my long and narrow layout with sharp curves.

Arnold, Yes Rich is always on top of it for starting Switcher Saturdays each week!!!

Im glad you joined us here on the Forum!!

You're Welcome @Arnold D. Cribari - thank you for joining in on the fun and don't forget to come back next week as you're fitting right in with the rest of us!  We're almost at the 3 year mark of SWSat, it's been a blessing and quite a joy for me.

@Ron H - great action Ron!  Thanks for joining this week as well!

@PRR8976 - I love the staged "end of year" celebration Tom!  Thanks for being there for me all year, it's been nice having you on my side all this time!  I also love that 0-1-0 picture, very cool and love that you called it a 0-1-0!

@mike.caruso - great action your way today too Mike, I hope you were able to find a switcher or two at the show!

@Mark Boyce - thanks for your kind words Mark, that NPC #12 sure looks awesome! 

@SIRT & @BAR GP7 #63 - you two are downright incredible with your weathering and your creativity.  I love seeing what you come up with every week, thanks as always for sharing.

@MELGAR - that is such a great little picture, I might actually steal it and use it some random Switcher Saturday just to see if you're paying attention. :-)  Thanks for posting and joining in the fun this year!

@briansilvermustang - you are hysterical, I love how you "WHAMO" us each week with so many switcher pictures.  Thanks for joining in on the fun, your contributions really do make this weekly tradition a fun place to hang out!

@RSJB18 - Great stuff Bob!  I love having you as a "regular" on this post each week, and thanks for the comments about the switcher on the other thread.  I might figure it out one of these days!

@Dave Warburton & @DaveP - thanks for joining and the kind words.  I'm hopeful 2018 is a fantastic year for all of us!

@cpowell - I found a picture of that WM at the shop we traded notes about and attached it for you!  I bet you can find it on the bay for a much better price.  I like that WM 0-8-0, but I think I like my NYC one better!  ;-)

@Steamer - Hey Dave, thanks for the kind words and the posts from the "Steamer Dave Archives" each week!  You're like a switcher archeologist or something!

@Silver Lake - Hey Andy, that caboose reminds me of the 1:1 scale one you built in the woods!  That 150 is going to be awesome when you finish her up, I can't wait to see what you do with it.

@Bill T - another 0-8-0 for the Switcher Saturday Roster, that's a great looking engine you have there!  Thanks for sharing the pictures.

Did I miss anyone?  If so - sorry!  These "wrap up" posts are hard to make sure you don't leave someone out.

Thanks again all, "see you next week"...Rich

Arnold D. Cribari posted:

IMHO, here is the best post war switcher for sheer performance:

It's got Magnetraction and heft making it as good as any post war engine, pound for pound, for pulling more than a few postwar operating cars,  and bell ringer for charm. And it navigates sharp 027 or 031 curves as well as any engine ever made. 

I happen to drive a MiniCooper, and this 6220 diesel switcher handles sharp curves like a MiniCooper. I love driving my MiniCooper with stick shift on narrow curvy highways. It's like an economical James Bond car.😊

I have a 623 with a large lead weight fastened in - magnetraction too, smooth and powerful! Had it since I was a boy (early 1970's). Not worth a lot, except to me. What great drives  in these engines, die cast frames, nice detail, classic Lionel postwar look.

I haven't posted anything for awhile and here is a video from last year!!!

First time at pictures. Switching a few bull racks.

Murnane posted:

You're Welcome @Arnold D. Cribari - thank you for joining in on the fun and don't forget to come back next week as you're fitting right in with the rest of us!  We're almost at the 3 year mark of SWSat, it's been a blessing and quite a joy for me.

@Ron H - great action Ron!  Thanks for joining this week as well!

@PRR8976 - I love the staged "end of year" celebration Tom!  Thanks for being there for me all year, it's been nice having you on my side all this time!  I also love that 0-1-0 picture, very cool and love that you called it a 0-1-0!

@mike.caruso - great action your way today too Mike, I hope you were able to find a switcher or two at the show!

@Mark Boyce - thanks for your kind words Mark, that NPC #12 sure looks awesome! 

@SIRT & @BAR GP7 #63 - you two are downright incredible with your weathering and your creativity.  I love seeing what you come up with every week, thanks as always for sharing.

@MELGAR - that is such a great little picture, I might actually steal it and use it some random Switcher Saturday just to see if you're paying attention. :-)  Thanks for posting and joining in the fun this year!

@briansilvermustang - you are hysterical, I love how you "WHAMO" us each week with so many switcher pictures.  Thanks for joining in on the fun, your contributions really do make this weekly tradition a fun place to hang out!

@RSJB18 - Great stuff Bob!  I love having you as a "regular" on this post each week, and thanks for the comments about the switcher on the other thread.  I might figure it out one of these days!

@Dave Warburton & @DaveP - thanks for joining and the kind words.  I'm hopeful 2018 is a fantastic year for all of us!

@cpowell - I found a picture of that WM at the shop we traded notes about and attached it for you!  I bet you can find it on the bay for a much better price.  I like that WM 0-8-0, but I think I like my NYC one better!  ;-)

@Steamer - Hey Dave, thanks for the kind words and the posts from the "Steamer Dave Archives" each week!  You're like a switcher archeologist or something!

@Silver Lake - Hey Andy, that caboose reminds me of the 1:1 scale one you built in the woods!  That 150 is going to be awesome when you finish her up, I can't wait to see what you do with it.

@Bill T - another 0-8-0 for the Switcher Saturday Roster, that's a great looking engine you have there!  Thanks for sharing the pictures.

 

Did I miss anyone?  If so - sorry!  These "wrap up" posts are hard to make sure you don't leave someone out.

Thanks again all, "see you next week"...Rich

 

Marvelous comraderie.