Switcher Saturday: 2018-September-08

As with many things, steam switchers come in three sizes - small (0-4-0), medium (0-6-0) and large (0-8-0). Here are models which compare the three types. The 0-4-0 is a Long Island Rail Road A-5 #3906. The A-5 was designed and built by the PRR, which owned the LIRR from 1900 to 1966. The model was made by MTH (Premier). The 0-6-0 is a Long Island Rail Road B6sb #2015 which also was built by the PRR and ran on Long Island. The model was made by K-Line. The 0-8-0 is a New Haven Y-3 #3400 built by ALCO to the USRA design. The model is by MTH (Premier). By way of further comparison, the A-5 (engine only) weighed 131,750 pounds and produced 30,190 pounds of tractive effort. The B6sb weighed 180,300 pounds and produced 36,140 pounds of tractive effort. The Y-3 weighed 202,500 pounds and produced 55,500 pounds of tractive effort.

MELGAR

Etat 080 Tank locomotives of the « Chemins de Fer de l’Etat » from 1914. They later served with the SNCF and where put off service in 1970 for those still in service. In reality the surviving examples where not in use since a long time.

Two variations, the first black one with an open cab and the green one with a closed one which makes it more comfortable for the engineers. Both models made by AS in France in the 90’s.

One of the two preserved model is still maintained in running condition in by a collector association, the AJECTA in Longueville.

Daniel

Happy Switcher Saturday  and nice pictures everyone! 

Rich, revenue on your railroad must be up judging by the clogged tracks! 

My contribution this week is my prewar Lionel #228 Pennsy switcher. 

Tom 

Happy SWSat!

Great pix so far everyone. Rich- have a fun day at the club running trains.

Last week we were discussing my favorite little switcher, the K-line Plymouth. Andy and Rich were nice enough to post a list of several of the available models. Well I did a little more research this week and I think I've assembled a list of all of them, both in sets and individual engines.

Here are the four I own (so far ), and catalog photos of the rest. These pix came from the Legacy K-line Trains Catalog here

An honorable mention to their Porter steam switcher as well.

Bob

Yay! SWSat is on!

I am enjoying this new turn to fall weather. My favorite season. I am well over the broken ac on what seems like every subway car on the 1 Train. I can hear the Amtrak train whistling as I heads down the west side of Manhattan on the ex NYC Hudson River track to Penn Station. All summer the Empire Service trains have been leaving from Grand Central. The Spyten Dyvel swing bridge has been refurbished and the trains are running again.

Love the Roster shot Rich. Have fun running today. Melgar I love the switcher collection from both side of the Long Island sound. Mike CT nice Pennsy representation and Daniel those French engines are really beautiful I love learning about new to me train things. Tom P love those Pre war scale switchers. Bob Thanks for the shout out over the 27 Kline Plymouths. I agree over the Porters. There were much fewer of them offered. I really like mine but they are really over sized. They seem like 1/32 scale running on narrow gauge track.

This week a SW1500 showed up in the post. I don’t know how long it will be in this paint it will be converted to 2rail eventually as well. When I first started again in 3 rail Oscale around 1999 my plan was to model Alaska RR because Lionel had a starter GP9 starter freight  set some add on cars and the next year there was another GP9 and a passenger car set. For awhile every year they offered a car a year in Alaska paint. Eventually I got tired and branched out to other lines. This SW1500 is the first Alaska thing I have gotten in years. 

This week the NYSME layout has been making inroads into converting some yard and industrial track to allow prototypical car order style switching. We  finally powered up track that had been installed years ago but never powered up. It was just used for car storage. I was using this Atlas SusieQ SW9 to test Kadee uncouplers and thier placement. 

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

Reassembly of the New Republic switcher at work has begun.   I am not actually involved in this project but I am trying to keep informed.  

First, here is what your workbench looks like at 12” to the foot. Chassis off to the side, body by itself, and wheel sets not attached.  (And nothing on the rails!). All that’s missing is some giant tools!!

The next day the wheels are underneath again.  Check out the combination wedge/suspension 

Wabash 0-6-0 # 526 in Chicago in 1948

#527 eleven years earlier in Chicago

unknown time and place for #534

unknown time and place for #552...check out that tender

Have a great weekend guys. It's raining here...luckily I got the grass done yesterday. So I'll have no choice but to head to the basement for a while!

Another one of my favorites: Lionel Postwar 616 Santa Fe switcher with horn:

Panoramic view of my H10-44 & PRR hoppers.

Good morning fellow switchers lovers!!  Happy Switcher Saturday!! Great photos everyone!!  

I've had no time this week for any new photos so the ones I'm posting may be re - peats.  " A major and two short lines that served Baltimore once upon a time " 

Rich - love the family portrait!  Have BIG FUN running trains at the club today!

All great photographs of switchers, folks!  Here is one Rich suggested I post today.  I really hate to see it go.  I have a deposit on a sale pending, so it will go to a new home for a nice family to enjoy.  That makes me happy.

That K-Line B6 looks really good.  The cab seems to be a bit high, at least below the windows, but the detail looks quite good.  I wonder if they used the single window cab dimensions, as on the Williams, coupled with the Lionel-style double windows?

RSJB18,

Here's one not on the K-Line Legacy website.

Charlie

Here is my contribution, passenger switching

Clem

cpowell posted:

RSJB18,

Here's one not on the K-Line Legacy website.

Charlie

That is one I would like to get someday!

Great stuff all!  Thanks to everyone for the nice comments.  I just got home, had a nice time and ran quite a bit.   Unfortunately I think the speaker on my B&O SW900 (Atlas-O) died today, after it was running for a bit (sounding awesome) the sound just became very static-ie (is that a word?), I'll run it downstairs tonight or tomorrow to see how bad it is.  

While at the open-house, someone told me that there were some LionChief sets at Ollies (a "close-out" type of store here in this area) for really cheap, so I stopped in and picked up a set which is the same as the one my younger daughter has - for only $60 (Lionel LionChief Pet Shop Set - 6-81288)!  Switcher Saturday experts will remember that just last Saturday I posted a picture of her (Boo) with her train, running at the clubhouse.  The set was the only Lionel item they had on the shelves, but the woman who worked there said they had a tons of Lionel stuff "just in from Toys-R-Us" and it'd be on the shelf in a week, so I might have to circle back that way next weekend to peek.  My current plan for this extra set is to either keep it for parts (for Boo's set) or sell it at my club's train show in December at a nominal profit, we'll see.

Anyway, I hope everyone's staying dry and having a good weekend, thanks again to all for showing up for another SWSAT!

Best...Rich

Mark Boyce posted:

cpowell posted:

RSJB18,

Here's one not on the K-Line Legacy website.

Charlie

That is one I would like to get someday!

I have seen this one before. Forgot to look for it for my post. Thanks for pointing out my horrible error  🤣

Bob

Spent some time metal working this morning. NOS Central Locomotive Works RS1.  The newest date I can find on any of the paperwork is 1977 so probably not too many of these being built anymore. Apparently they started production on these kits  in 1966 so at least an 11 year run. These are all photo etched but really pretty close to scratch building. The instructions show where I could cut the brass to make an S1/2/3/4 or an RS1. I only have the right truck side frames to do an RS1 so that it what it will be.

All the parts to make the cab for an end cab or offset cab are included  

So here we are after an hour or so with a jewelers saw and files. I cut out the parts for the cab. Everything is just propped up nothing soldered yet. Pretty fun  stuff. A lot to do still.

Andy,

  That's pretty nice looking. I assume it comes with some sort of can motor?

Tom 

  Around the Yard...………….

from the interwebs, a big girl pushing things around....   

NYC 1183 T&OC Docks Toledo OH

RSJB18 posted:

Mark Boyce posted:

cpowell posted:

RSJB18,

Here's one not on the K-Line Legacy website.

Charlie

That is one I would like to get someday!

I have seen this one before. Forgot to look for it for my post. Thanks for pointing out my horrible error  🤣

Bob

I actually saw it at the last Greenberg show.  He wanted $100, but timing wasn’t good.  I was in the middle of a short layoff in the midst of a year of working only 24 hours a week.  I was there  mainly to see the layouts and visit with a few friends.  Oh well!

Nice work on that brass model Andy. Can we assume it will be NYC or do you have another road in mind?

Mark- Don't you hate when you see something you want and have to pass?

Bob

Here is my offering...except its already Sunday! 

RSJB18 posted:

Nice work on that brass model Andy. Can we assume it will be NYC or do you have another road in mind?

Mark- Don't you hate when you see something you want and have to pass?

Bob

Boy I'll say, Bob!  Oh well, it is just a hobby, and when I am a little more well healed, I'll keep looking for another one!  There really isn't that much I am looking for anyway.  I am pretty well satisfied with my relatively small roster.