Switcher Saturday: 2019-January-05

Good morning, Rich. It's still dark outside here.

B&M #115 is a GE 44-ton diesel switcher model by MTH. I run this engine with two box cars and a B&M wood caboose.

MELGAR

Looks great @MELGAR - I love those 44T's and I really like the paint on that model.

Still dark here too in VA - I almost "slept in" but knew I wouldn't get any more sleep once I woke up (not a morning sleeper).  We're expecting yet more rain today, which is good I guess because I'd hate for all my mud puddles to dry up, it's beginning to feel like Seattle here in Virginia, probably same for you up in New England too. 

Yay! SWSat is in the “on” position!

The sun is cracking the Horizon here on Manhattan Island behind a cloud but the birds are singing so that’s a thing. 

Happy New Year SWSaters! 

I am now 3/4 the way to a full B&O C16/C16a fleet. I won another C16a in a surprise eBay win where I was the only bidder (and a very low bidder at that).  The shipping was so speedy I was still visiting family in NC so my neighbor received it for me. 

The auction listing did not state the maker or really any details other than it being o scale. When I got it I examined it and found markings for Thomas Industries. So it was first offered in 1950 as a very simple kit that could be had in either 2 or 3 rail.

As you can see it is a bit light on details but it is very heavy being all cast. The Motor is a Pittman and is really interestingly integrated into the smoke box. The drivers are even sprung which is surprising on such a small engine. The tender trucks pick up power from one rail and the drivers the other. 

Melgar  that is a very nice engine. I have admired the B&M/Portland Terminal/Maine Central switcher Paint scheme on the center cab 44tonner since I saw the restored one at the Conway Scenic Railway in the very early 1990’s on a summer vacation.

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

The little Crocodile of the Zillertal in Switzerland is certainly one of the best pieces made by ETS in three rail O gauge. Always fun to see it runing at slow speed.

And an original preserved one

Have a nice weekend,  Daniel

Local CSX GP40-2 taking some beat up gondolas to the recycling yard East of Webster St in Dayton, OH on Thursday.

Happy SWSat!

Great NYC power this week Rich....you missed a couple though

I was planning to share my new PRR FM H10-44 this week but FedEx scuttled that plan. I have all my trains shipped to my office because well....... the CEO.... so normally the driver comes right to my office but this time he went to our mail room off campus so I won't have it till Monday. Here's the seller's photo as a preview.

Gloomy and raining here on LI too this morning. I don't complain about rain in January. It can rain all it wants just as long as it doesn't turn into the white stuff

Great photos by all so far today.

Bob

Happy SWSat everyone. It’s that time again to take down all of the Christmas decor, including the tree and train layout- but not before one last run. Here is the Santa Express switcher acting as a helper for our Mickey’s Holiday express.  Happy New Year!

Silver Lake posted:

I won another C16a in a surprise eBay win

I ... found markings for Thomas Industries. So it was first offered in 1950 as a very simple kit

it is very heavy being all cast

The drivers are even sprung

Very interesting, Andy. Die cast with sprung drivers!

Even back in 1950, it must have been costly to make a set of dies to cast this model. There cannot have been many produced, so how did the manufacturer think this would be a profitable venture? Especially as a kit. And they were competing against Lionel, who dominated the market and made similar engines ready to run. I guess this is indicative of the manufacturing environment in the USA after WW2. People thought they could achieve anything. It's too bad that no one makes products like this in the US today.

MELGAR

great stuff guys. We've got rain today as well. 

Here's 1622 moving some dump cars to the coal loaders.

B&O #37  Wilmington DE - 01/09/40

B&O #317 C-13 - Wilmington DE - 4/4/48

briansilvermustang posted:

 

There is something fascinating about street running. Not easy to do on a model railroad.

MELGAR

MTH PS-1 Northern Pacific 0-8-0 working the sidings.

Happy Switcher Saturday everyone. As others have said, it is pretty gloomy outside.

Rich, I think you should become a recording artist and your first song could be New York Switcher State of Mind."

Andy/SILVERLAKE, That's a beautiful switcher. Keep posting pictures of that. 

Dave/STEAMER, Looks like coal production is down on that layout. 

Mel/MELGAR, Nice little B&M 44-tonner. 

Daniel/FRENCHTRAINS, Thanks for adding "International legitimacy" to our topic & nice croc!

Bob/RSJB18, Sorry your switcher got hung up in shipping...I see you went with Pennsy. 

Everyone else, Very nice. 

My contribution is my "old" prewar #228 switcher (as opposed to my newly purchased #228 switcher). No cost was spared in producing this photo! 

Tom 

Northern Pacific #1190 unknown date and place

 

My contribution is my "old" prewar #228 switcher (as opposed to my newly purchased #228 switcher). No cost was spared in producing this photo! 

Tom 

and it shows.........

Happy New Year to all!

Rain is forecast for later today even here in L.A. where  we sure need it. And heavy precip is already moving into the Sierras which is great news for building up the snowpack up North. UP Snowplows will be busy in the passes up there in the days ahead.

I have a ATSF RS-1 LionChief + coming in from Charlie Ro today and a Western Pacific Geep ordered with Train World in NY. They both have sales on LC+ engines going on right now — worth checking out if you’re into that stuff. Too good to pass up for me.

Stay dry and run some trains today, guys!

All the best from way out West for a great 2019.

Happy Switcher Saturday To All. This Saturday i post some pics of my old garden layout. Hope this is okay.

BAR GP7 #63 posted:

Happy Switcher Saturday To All. This Saturday i post some pics of my old garden layout. Hope this is okay.

Got track...check

Got switchers.....check

YEP! Works for me. Just as nice as SBRR Johan

RSJB18 posted:

BAR GP7 #63 posted:

Happy Switcher Saturday To All. This Saturday i post some pics of my old garden layout. Hope this is okay.

Got track...check

Got switchers.....check

YEP! Works for me. Just as nice as SBRR Johan

Bob: Thank you. 

Johan

Happy new year fellow switcher friends!!   Here are some re-peats.  Hopefully I'll have time to take some new photos of switchers before next Saturday.  Have a wonderful weekend!

Great photos! I haven't participated for quite some time. The Huber Breaker Preservation Society in Ashley Pa is applyibg for a grant to acquire a Vulcan 0-4-0 Lokie that was used by the Glen Alden Coal Co. to move loaded mine cars from the mine slope entrance to the processing facility. It was also used to haul timbers and other mine related material. The #9, which we are trying to purchase was built in 1915 at the Vulcan plant in Wilkes-Barre Pa. It last saw service in 1961. Our goal is to restore it to full operation. Although it was not used at the Blue Coal facility in ashley, it was part of the Glen Alden conglomerate, and will be at home at Miners' Memorial Heritage Park adjacent to the site of the former Blue Coal operations. This is a 3 foot gauge engine that saw service in nearby Wanamie and Hanover Twp. The Blue Coal engines ran on 42" gauge. Our prospective lokie currently resides in Grand Rapids Michigan at Vierson Boiler. It is our hope that the boiler work can be done by Vierson, although at this time, they are too busy to take on the project. 

Those Thomas switchers and Consolidations are not as rare as one might think.  They also made tank car kits, and not sure, but I think a line of open platform passenger cars.  All the dies were apparently lost in a fire.

The tank cars can be built into nice models with a bit of reinforcement inside the .010 brass tank wrapper.

I am not a big fan of Thomas, but some day I might have to have a B&O C-16 saddle tank in 17/64 scale.  I really do have a Mantua Shifter in 17/64, as well as a Bowser K11 in 1/4" scale.

Happy to say I recently picked up one of my favorite PW Switchers, the 6250 Seaboard. Runs like it's new and only issue is need to replace front light bulb.

Since we had several Switcher Saturday posters show up at the last Toy & Train Show here is the info for the next one on Sunday, January 27th:

https://ogrforum.com/...y-jan-27th#lastReply 

Tom 

A short Shark Bay video: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=G6AQqPp0z4k

Fellows, you all have neat switchers and fine layouts, great thread, Happy Railroading.  

I posted this before under Buy Anything Cool Lately, but here it comes again.

https://youtu.be/YFrGfxljkFg

Dan,

  Nice layout, especially your catenary system.

 Tom  

A few more turns for the Christmas Special 

I had not planned to buy any engines for some time, but when I saw this one for sale, I sold the farm to get it.  Well not quite, but I won't tell you what I have sold to get the money for it.    I have great plans for this engine!!

An MTH SW1500 pauses in the newish yard at Summit on the D.A.R.E. Model Railroad Club's West Penn O gauge layout, while hauling a short commuter train. 

So many great photos and videos! Wow. I absolutely enjoy Saturdays with this weekly thread. So here's my first entry.  finally I had the time to unearth a couple of my weathered switchers  for a couple of photos.  These are dedicated to Melgar and Brian particularly.

Boxcab by the waterfront

Mark Boyce posted:

I had not planned to buy any engines for some time, 

you condemned yourself to failure as soon as you uttered that thought Mark

Steamer posted:

Mark Boyce posted:

I had not planned to buy any engines for some time, 

you condemned yourself to failure as soon as you uttered that thought Mark

Yes Dave, I realize my grave error!    I failed; but I now own a this Shay.

and she's a beauty!

Great Switcher Stuff this week everyone - thanks for posting and "see you" next week!

Another great week everyone. Thanks again as always Rich.

Leeroof- you've been holding out on us. Those are all beauties. Please keep digging and share more.

Mark- I don't have to tell you any more about the slippery slope you are on but I think I would have done the same thing. When an opportunity presents itself we get creative. Can't wait to see that Shay on your new layout!

JHZ- love the pink Vulcan set.

Thanks for sharing some more photos of your beautiful layout Larry.

Dan P- nice additions to the fleet. That A5 is a beauty.

Dan Pittsburgh- welcome to the Switcher fest. Please share more, looks like a nice layout you are building.

Enjoy the rest of the weekend folks.

Bob

Pierre fine weathering jobs.  What's the story on the ship in the background?

MELGAR posted:

Silver Lake posted:

I won another C16a in a surprise eBay win

I ... found markings for Thomas Industries. So it was first offered in 1950 as a very simple kit

it is very heavy being all cast

The drivers are even sprung

Very interesting, Andy. Die cast with sprung drivers!

Even back in 1950, it must have been costly to make a set of dies to cast this model. There cannot have been many produced, so how did the manufacturer think this would be a profitable venture? Especially as a kit. And they were competing against Lionel, who dominated the market and made similar engines ready to run. I guess this is indicative of the manufacturing environment in the USA after WW2. People thought they could achieve anything. It's too bad that no one makes products like this in the US today.

MELGAR

The Thomas 0-4-0 was priced rather competitively as this ad from 1948 shows:

Granted, in 1948, 40 bucks was a good piece of change, but how much were equivalent Lionel trains going for?  Even HO wasn't cheap, witness the MDC HO 0-6-0 kit from the same year:

(By 1976, the price of the MDC 0-6-0 dropped to $19.98...)

Plus, the Thomas 0-4-0 was also available with scale wheels and also shared some its components with the later 2-8-0. 

A brief history of Thomas Industries can be found HERE.

Rusty