Switcher Saturday 5/22/2021 !

Happy SWSAT Everyone.

Penn Central GP9 7180 (Atlas O) thunders across the Main Street crossing:

Tom

Happy SWSat!

A rare working Saturday (and Sunday), for me this week. My University is holding Commencement ceremonies tomorrow and Monday so final prep is well underway. Due to Covid restrictions we can only host 500 people at one time so 8 ceremonies over two days will keep us busy.

Last week I was able to purchase a DCS Commander from a forum member. I set it up Monday and gave it a whirl with my two PS-2 locos. I didn't want to invest in a  full blown DCS system for this layout but figured I can increase the fun with DCS Lite!

Here's LIRR 1553 spotting a couple of cars and NH 0661 on a shakedown run.

Have a great weekend everyone.

Bob

@Tom Densel posted:

Penn Central GP9 7180 (Atlas O) thunders across the Main Street crossing:

Tom

From one PC guy to another, I love it when PC Thunders! and GREAT picture Tom!!!!

After too many Bradors on Friday night, the switchers sit idle on a Saturday morning in the great province of Ontario.

The first FM locomotive built:

Rusty

New York Central F-12 ten-wheeler #1232 is a recent Lionel Legacy model. Although this 4-6-0 is not classified as a switcher type steam locomotive (0-4-0, 0-6-0, 0-8-0), it is relatively compact and certainly less massive than a USRA 0-8-0, so it’s probably good for SWSAT. However, the smokebox color should be graphite – not gray. Lionel shows one color in its catalog and then delivers another. Unsatisfactory in my opinion, but I decided to keep the model because it is otherwise very nice and runs well.

MELGAR

Well SwSat fans, what great pictures.  Thanks to jTou the same thing jhz but cherish these moments, too soon (way too soon) they will be teenagers and mostly won't to do anything with you (LOL)  - I raised two boys myself so I speak from experience!

Here is my contribution for today.  The local switch engine has been given a new assignment, we are short motive power, and its being used to run the Saturday morning commuter (or down town shopping ) run to the wharf from Small Town.  The run is short and flat and no need for heat this time of year so the lack of a heating plant is no matter.  The kids will miss the steam whistle however, the commuters not so much!

O

Believe it or not, this is a Kline dual motored 0-27 Alco switcher.  To me, this loco makes a mystery as to why Kline was unsuccessful and left the market. This little guy was inexpensive, runs like a top, and pulls anything I need to move.  Oh well that's business I guess.

Have a great weekend everyone

Don

Top of the afternoon fellow switcher lovers!

JHZ563 thanks for firing us up and getting us rolling today!  You hit the jackpot running your errand  and you kids look like they were having a good time of it too

Really wonderful photos and videos everyone!  I totally enjoyed looking at them

Today on the Free State Junction Railway I have a potpourri of switcher photos.  I hope all of you have a wonderful and safe weekend!  Enjoy and be safe = be well!

Washington Terminal RS 1 number 63 takes care of business at Butler Junction.  This is an Atlas model with TMCC ( with smoke )  repainted by a fellow forum member.  It is one of my favorite switcher due to it's great sound and horn which, to my memory, sounds prototypical.  I also have the recent MTH WT RS1 in PS3 which is also a very nice model, however, the Atlas wins by a nose ... at least for me.

Up on the Mountain Division a Dockside, running lite, passes a siding where a badly damaged hopper has been set out.

Docksider has Big Hook maneuver duty.  

SW 9 pulls out onto the main as an 0-8-0 backs down the adjacent track to take on water.  That's Barney the brakeman riding the footboard.  

0-8-0 at the water plug.  Fireman Evan Daily and brakeman Barney Savard are on the tender deck.  

Washington Terminal RS1 sounds it's horn as it is about to cross the grade.  The crossing gate is from my first train layout, an oval around the family Christmas tree, in 1957.   I like having items on my layout from my childhood years and they blend in beautifully too.  

Washington Terminal number 63 idles at Butler Junction.  Engineer Floyd Smoot stands on the front step.  

@trumpettrain posted:

Top of the afternoon fellow switcher lovers!

JHZ563 thanks for firing us up and getting us rolling today!  You hit the jackpot running your errand  and you kids look like they were having a good time of it too

Really wonderful photos and videos everyone!  I totally enjoyed looking at them

Today on the Free State Junction Railway I have a potpourri of switcher photos.  I hope all of you have a wonderful and safe weekend!  Enjoy and be safe = be well!

Washington Terminal RS 1 number 63 takes care of business at Butler Junction.  This is an Atlas model with TMCC ( with smoke )  repainted by a fellow forum member.  It is one of my favorite switcher due to it's great sound and horn which, to my memory, sounds prototypical.  I also have the recent MTH WT RS1 in PS3 which is also a very nice model, however, the Atlas wins by a nose ... at least for me.

Up on the Mountain Division a Dockside, running lite, passes a siding where a badly damaged hopper has been set out.

Docksider has Big Hook maneuver duty.  

SW 9 pulls out onto the main as an 0-8-0 backs down the adjacent track to take on water.  That's Barney the brakeman riding the footboard.  

0-8-0 at the water plug.  Fireman Evan Daily and brakeman Barney Savard are on the tender deck.  

Washington Terminal RS1 sounds it's horn as it is about to cross the grade.  The crossing gate is from my first train layout, an oval around the family Christmas tree, in 1957.   I like having items on my layout from my childhood years and they blend in beautifully too.  

Washington Terminal number 63 idles at Butler Junction.  Engineer Floyd Smoot stands on the front step.  

Great photos of you A-1 layout as usual, TT! Thanks for sharing.  Enjoy your weekend.

The Lionel LionChief NYC A5 0-5-0 Switcher.

Great pictures everyone, very interesting scenes, cool switchers, and as always, time sure flies. Don McErlean, that’s a really cool K-Line Sante Fe switcher, looks great pulling the local, in this beautiful scene, Trumptrain, your scenes are so realistic looking and I agree, the Fall/Autumn season is the most beautiful of all, your steamers and diesels and crew are working hard for your city of Patsburg. NYC Fan, that’s a beautiful scene with a fantastic background for your Lionchief steam switcher, it’s a Wow, MELGAR, that’s a beautiful 4-6-0 10 wheeler steamer and will make a great locomotive for a switching detail, also, your layout is awesome, and your scenery is gorgeous. Detroit, your switchers are so cool, neat video to, Rusty T., beautiful real switchers looking good, the black and orange remind me of a Milwaukee Road switcher, JHZ563 Wow, very nice pictures of real trains, cute kids, and thanks for the thread, I like that Western Maryland #151 blue switcher, neat. So, today I’m letting the little AEC Switcher go to work, Happy Railroading Everyone

Well folks, lots of good switchers today.  Leapinlarry, love that little Lionel #57 AEC switcher and great pairing with the AEC boxcar.  Thanks for your compliment on my post as well.  Patrick, your scenes are really well staged and realistic.  That Washington Terminal engine is really neat.  I worked for many years in an office building in Washington DC that had the old RF&P yard behind it until they tore it up to make room for more apartments.  Well everyone, have a good weekend and maybe see you for Boxcar Sunday!

Don

Awesome pictures everybody!  @leapinlarry that WM Switcher is black,  and a little faded. The picture happens to be taken from the shadow side instead of the sunny side, and the sun wasn't really low yet but it was around 5 o'clock.   All combined it does give it kind of a blue hue unless you zoom in.

San Luis Central railroad is a 12 mile line between Monta Vista and Center, Colorado. Picture 1: diesel locomotive #70 purchased used in 1988 for $32,400. It was built in 1952. Picture 2: this was the first diesel locomotive purchased after the steam era. #71is a 70 ton GE diesel purchased new in 1955 from Erie. It is 650 HP. Picture 3: #71. Picture 4: my friend, Danny Naranjo (may he R.I.P.), was engineer from 1980 to 2017. He let me sit in the driver’s seat for a couple of miles in #71. Picture 5: Danny Naranjo (left in front of locomotive) and Edward A. Burkhardt, of Chicago and owner since 1969, (right in front of locomotive in green shirt and white pants) during the September 1, 2013, Centennial Celebration of the SLCR. Picture 6: SLCR General Order #7 for speed limits on the 12 mile line from Monta Vista, Colorado, to Center, Colorado. The actual mileage starts south of Monta vista on the Denver and Rio Grande mainline which goes to Alamosa, Colorado.

Wow JHZ563, thanks for the color clarification on the switcher 151, on second review I can see it’s black, it’s still a cool switcher. Thank you for keeping the switcher Saturday thread going as it’s full of neat pictures of both model and real.  Happy Railroading Everyone

@jhz563 posted:

Awesome pictures everybody!  @leapinlarry that WM Switcher is black,  and a little faded. The picture happens to be taken from the shadow side instead of the sunny side, and the sun wasn't really low yet but it was around 5 o'clock.   All combined it does give it kind of a blue hue unless you zoom in.

Thanks John for kicking us off today and maintaining this thread

@Dave Warburton posted:

Great photos of you A-1 layout as usual, TT! Thanks for sharing.  Enjoy your weekend.

Dave - thank you so much!  I hope you've been enjoying your weekend as well.