Switcher Saturday 4-15-23

@jhz563 posted:

Good morning everyone and happy Switcher Saturday. This weekly thread celebrates the smaller locomotives that do the big work of railroading.

This thread is always open to switchers of all scales and gauges from around the world, with a heavy concentration of 3 rail O gauge which is only natural considering our host.

Nothing super new here this weekend so here's a few shots from the archives.

And one of my favorite videos. 😃

So please share your Switcher related stories and videos,  follow the ogr tos regarding pictures,  and have fun!  I can't wait to see what you all come up with this weekend!

Love the dance video😊

Happy SWSAT everyone. Here’s a mixed of some of the Switchers I have enjoy your weekend.  

Long Island Alco RS-3 #1553 is a highly detailed K-Line model (K2439-1553, $379.95) made in China with TMCC and cataloged in 2000. It has Lionel Railsounds that require 10 volts track power for continuous operation of the diesel engine sounds. Usually, sound systems of this type have a connector for a 9-volt battery that, when installed, allows proper functioning of the sounds at lower voltages and track speeds. Prior to making these videos, I removed the shell to install a battery but found no connector or battery holder. So, the engine is running at 11-volts and forty scale-miles-per-hour in the videos.

#1553 was built for the LIRR in September 1955.

MELGAR

@MELGAR posted:

Long Island Alco RS-3 #1553 is a highly detailed K-Line model (K2439-1553, $379.95) made in China with TMCC and cataloged in 2000. It has Lionel Railsounds that require 10 volts track power for continuous operation of the diesel engine sounds. Usually, sound systems of this type have a connector for a 9-volt battery that, when installed, allows proper functioning of the sounds at lower voltages and track speeds. Prior to making these videos, I removed the shell to install a battery but found no connector or battery holder. So, the engine is running at 11-volts and forty scale-miles-per-hour in the videos.

#1553 was built for the LIRR in September 1955.

MELGAR

Nice Switcher Mel and I like those pics and videos of it thanks for sharing

Here's a CRI&P BEEP moving a few Weaver "Auto Show" boxcars this fine morning:

Yay! SWSat is on and is off to a cute start this weekend. Very nice @jhz563. You have a wonderful family. Enjoy them.

Last weekend my kids were on Spring break and we took a trip to the UK. My son and I went to Didcot Railway Center the home of the Great Western Railroad Historical society and collection.
Wow. I have never seen so many beautifully restored and operable steam engines in one place. Easter Sunday they were having “Victorian Steam Weekend” and had a guest the oldest operating steam engine in the UK. 1863 Stewart Sharp built Furness Railway #20. A 0-4-0 it was built as a mixed use engine and was later sold to a steel plant where it worked 90 years in rebuilt form as a 0-4-0T tank switcher.

My feeling is that it qualifies as a switcher.
The other engine running for the day was a 1893 0-4-0T of the Great Western that was running with an Autocoach that had controls to operate the steamer from the other end of the coach. This was something the Great Western did on branch lines.

I had a great time. My son (18) who normally is not interested in trains at all found it fascinating. So maybe there is hope.

I’ll post a link to my video on the Furness #20 https://youtu.be/ep6DsgjF4rc

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

Happy Switcher Saturday!  Here are some trackside switcher double heading vids from the archives -

TALES OF THE DOCKSIDER

Greetings SwSat fans!  Today, from the archives, your Yardmaster is featuring famous NYC 0-6-0T shop switcher hard at work with her dedicated crew, Joe Safetyvalvoni, engineer, Vasik Semaphorowski, fireman  and Mick O’Depot, brakeman.  Enjoy!

John

Goood morning fellow switcher fans!!  Thanks jHZ563 for getting us rolling this morning!  I love the video with your daughter dancing and the trains running!!    Great info, pics, and video up already this morning!  Andy those are some wonderful pics and video of the British locomotives!!

Here's my lot for today.  I'm in a hurry and will be out the door in a few minutes to go to work.  Have a wonderful weekend everyone!!  

0-8-0 at the coaling dock.

P&BR VO1000 doing some switching.  

At the grade crossing VO 1000 sounds it's single note horn.

Dockside runs lite on the Mountain Division.

Happy SWSat!

Off to another great start.
@jhz563- Your kids are very cute. I'm glad they share your passion for trains. Nothing better at that age that a loop of track on the floor.
@Silver Lake- Looks like you had a nice trip. Thanks for sharing that beautiful steamer with us.

Nothing new for me this week. Been super busy with outdoor projects.

MTH also made a model of the LIRR's RS-3 # 1553 that @MELGAR shared. This one is done in gray/ orange. Mine is a PS2 model. But MTH knew how to do the blue/ orange too and here's my SW-8/9 also with PS2.

Have a great weekend.

Don't forget to file your taxes by Tuesday midnight...

Bob

LC+ Delaware & Hudson diesel switcher hauling coal and oil through a passing siding:

Arnold

@Strap Hanger, @RSJB18 and @Steam Crazy,

I keep seeing locomotives in your posts that I like but don't have - today it's LIRR and NYC. I will have further comment next SWSAT.

@Silver Lake,

Terrific photos of British steam locomotives. Years ago, I worked on a project to build a steam-powered automobile. We had British engineers as consultants. They were very knowledgeable fellows and true believers in steam power.

MELGAR

@MELGAR posted:

@Strap Hanger, @RSJB18 and @Steam Crazy,

I keep seeing locomotives in your posts that I like but don't have - today it's LIRR and NYC. I will have further comment next SWSAT.

@Silver Lake,

Terrific photos of British steam locomotives. Years ago, I worked on a project to build a steam-powered automobile. We had British engineers as consultants. They were very knowledgeable fellows and true believers in steam power.

MELGAR

That's how we keep the train manufactures and resellers in business Mel......

Thanks

MELGAR, “ditto”!

John

@Bill Swatos posted:

Here's a CRI&P BEEP moving a few Weaver "Auto Show" boxcars this fine morning:

Nice string of boxcars Bill!

Sally the Yard Goat (Lionel Legacy NY Central 0-6-0), with a head of steam, short mixed freight consist and swinging bell, crosses the Bascule Bridge:

Arnold

Here on this fine NYS Saturday we have a Lionel 6-11744 NYC Passenger/Freight Set from 1994. Enjoy the weekend!

For Switcher Saturday here is an Atlas Maine Central SW-9 switching a United Farmers of New England milk car at the Hood's Creamery on my NY&NE Railroad.  See the inspiration for this photo in "Maine Central In Color, Volume 3" by George Melvin (Morning Sun Books) on the cover and on page 11.  Jack

Well, a great Saturday weather wise here in central Texas, sunny and 84 degrees.  Close to hot! So I am really working outside today like RSJB18 but I wanted to get in a small post.  Here is my K-line Alco S-2 in Santa Fe war bonnet scheme.  This was not a particularly expensive loco, I think I paid $50 with it still in its original box.  It has 2 motors and runs really well.  It has plenty of power to pull whatever I have hooked on to it.  Nothing fancy, just a real good runner.  Here she is heading up a small passenger consist.

Here is another one of my favorites, its the "BEEP" many of us have these in a wide variety of liveries.  I have a PRR, USAF, and USN version.  Here is the AF version with a flat car full of rockets!.

Well best wishes hope your weekend is going well.

Don

@Sitka posted:

Nice string of boxcars Bill!

Thanks, Mark! I guess I should have posted it last week to reflect the colorful Easter eggs to be had the next day

Trying to get video shortened to 100mb.

Mea culpa , Mea culpa , Mea Maxima culpa  ............

............I was extremly frustrated trying to get a Switcher Saturday video under the 100mb max.     Today I finally was fresh  ( ? )  enough ......so here goes SWITHCHER  SATURDAY......

Thank you in advance for your exemplary understanding

@Dallas Joseph posted:

Mea culpa , Mea culpa , Mea Maxima culpa  ............

............I was extremly frustrated trying to get a Switcher Saturday video under the 100mb max.     Today I finally was fresh  ( ? )  enough ......so here goes SWITHCHER  SATURDAY......

Thank you in advance for your exemplary understanding

Worth the wait, Dallas! Nice multiple loco operation. What control environment are you using? Regarding the 100 MB limit, I think you can reduce the resolution of your camera and film longer videos and they still look fine here. I haven't figured that out for my Android phone camera yet...

@Bill Swatos posted:

Worth the wait, Dallas! Nice multiple loco operation. What control environment are you using? Regarding the 100 MB limit, I think you can reduce the resolution of your camera and film longer videos and they still look fine here. I haven't figured that out for my Android phone camera yet...

Thank you Bill for the nice reply

I am using the DCS / TIU and remote with the usual MTH switching machines.    I use track voltage however and not the recommended accessory voltage.

I'm stilll at a loss about being able to change the resolution on my Android Tab A.     When I do the video edit I can't adjust the length of my videos either.  That's why I had to redo a SWS video on Sunday.

I run the Tab A on safe mode so I might be limiting some of the settings.

@Bill Swatos posted:

Worth the wait, Dallas! Nice multiple loco operation. What control environment are you using? Regarding the 100 MB limit, I think you can reduce the resolution of your camera and film longer videos and they still look fine here. I haven't figured that out for my Android phone camera yet...

Bill I didn't mention that when using the DCS system ,even with many engines , a person can easily toggle back and forth between TWO engines without resorting to searching the engine menu.

@Dallas Joseph posted:

Mea culpa , Mea culpa , Mea Maxima culpa  ............

............I was extremly frustrated trying to get a Switcher Saturday video under the 100mb max.     Today I finally was fresh  ( ? )  enough ......so here goes SWITHCHER  SATURDAY......

Thank you in advance for your exemplary understanding

worth the wait Dallas.

You may want to think about starting a YouTube channel. I just did after wrestling with the same issue.

It's easy to do, especially if you have a Gmail account already. Takes care of the 100mb issues.

Bob

@RSJB18 posted:

worth the wait Dallas.

You may want to think about starting a YouTube channel. I just did after wrestling with the same issue.

It's easy to do, especially if you have a Gmail account already. Takes care of the 100mb issues.

Bob

Thanks Bob. 

Somehow by some magic I had the video inserted on YouTube but I tried to get it posted on the forum without success.

I'll have to play around with the videos.  I never tried anything but shorter videos before.

@Dallas Joseph posted:

Mea culpa , Mea culpa , Mea Maxima culpa  ............

............I was extremly frustrated trying to get a Switcher Saturday video under the 100mb max.     Today I finally was fresh  ( ? )  enough ......so here goes SWITHCHER  SATURDAY......

Thank you in advance for your exemplary understanding

Nice video Dallas now thats the way to run a railroad, I guess I'm stuck in the old ways very sharp Dallas!

Mark

@Sitka posted:

Nice video Dallas now thats the way to run a railroad, I guess I'm stuck in the old ways very sharp Dallas!

Mark

Thank you Mark for the compliments.

As far as your being stuck in the old ways.......well......that's not exactly a bad thing.  Many old ways are tried and true unlike so many NEW ways that have come and gone after due scrutiny.

Whatever the case , have fun with your creativity.