Switcher Saturday 6-19-21

Recently seen on the River City 3 Railers layout.......

Peter

The boxcab is coming out of the yard, just for SWS (I love this little guy)-

Looks like he’s blocking the 44 tonner -

The yard crew seems ambivalent, probably talking about some of the great  eurocup and America’s cup soccer matches (Italy, France, and Brazil are all playing  fabulous)-

bonus shot of the switcher activity in the yard -

Happy SWS everyone!

TALES OF THE DOCKSIDER

Well, another Saturday arrives and shop switcher X-8688 is still in the shop.  It seems your Yardmaster didn’t pay close attention to the maintenance schedule, so he just learned X-8688 is still undergoing a major shopping.

Not wanting to disappoint faithful “Docksider” fans, he grabbed his camera and headed to the yard to see if he could find some interesting rail action.  He got lucky, because there was a “Switcher Triple Header” on the move!  This trio consists of all the EMD GP7’s in your Yardmaster’s collection, CNJ no. 1524, MEC no. 562 and B&M no. 1555.

Happy Father’s Day to all you dads out there!  I hope you get that engine you wanted!

John

Boston & Maine Ten-Wheeler #2074 is a recently released Lionel Legacy model. The prototype for this engine is the New York Central Class F-12 4-6-0, so this B&M version is not prototypical. However, I consider this engine to have classic looks and Lionel’s model is well executed, except for the smokebox color, so I bought it. The model has excellent steam sounds and is small enough for the O-54 curves on my 10’-by-5’ model railroad.

Ten-Wheelers were mostly built between 1890 and 1915 but they were soon replaced as mainline engines by larger and more powerful Pacific-type 4-6-2 locomotives when passenger cars began to be heavier and made of steel, rather than wood, at the beginning of the 20^th Century.

MELGAR

Good Saturday morning!

It's a hot and humid summer afternoon as AC&Y H16-44 (Lionel) leads a short train past a small Penn Central yard where a SW8 (Atlas O) awaits its next assignment.

Tom

I finished another building on my HO switching layout this week.

The local crew lined up the switchers for a publicity shot.

@MELGAR posted:

MELGAR,

That is one good looking locomotive!  I especially like this classic shot sitting by a station.

Tom

Yay SWSat is running.

I love that IR/Alco boxcab @StrapHanger. I always meant to get one of those from MTH but sadly this seems not to have been a mold sold to Atlas. I may have missed the boat. Careful with that High cube @tnkMarx the building opening may be a bit low. Great looking CN switchers.

This week I hopped into the Waybac machine and found some gems of the past. First up my reworked Lionel 520 boxcab and my Williams GE 44 tonner  on my old never quite finished closet layout in my last Apartment. Portholes pulling portholes.

Next up is my Hungarian Steam Dummy 0-4-0ST on the NYSME O Scale 2 rail Layout. This whole town has since been redeveloped into a mine since the discovery of a coal seam. The old boarded up station was one of the first casualties when passenger service ended.

Another visitor from across the pond LBSCR A1 Terrier Fenchurch 0-6-0T also paid a visit to the town just before the redevelopment started as a town send off.
I hope you all have a great Holiday weekend. I can’t wait to see what you guys post.

This is my Milwaukee Road B6sb and you will find it hard at work this Saturday morning…🚂😉😺

Happy SWSat!

Lot's of great stuff this week folks!

Boxcabs and 44's! Here's a couple of shots of my pair. The Boxcab is a K-line, I need to add some weight to it, it tends to hop a bit when it stops.  The 44 is by WbB. Both are conventional but the WbB has Tru-blast 2 sound.

Both represent my favorite railroad.

Also an honorable mention to Williams version of Lionel's classic center cab.

Have a great weekend and Happy Father's Day to all the dads and grandpas!

Bob

@RSJB18 posted:

Happy SWSat!

.

Bob

That yard came out nice, Bob.  Isn’t it great to have an engine staging area? My crystal ball sees more switchers filling it up in your future!

@Strap Hanger posted:

That yard came out nice, Bob.  Isn’t it great to have an engine staging area? My crystal ball sees more switchers filling it up in your future!

Thanks- I've been trying to get the basic ground cover done so I can fill it up! Been under construction between this and the corner tunnel for so long that it's been a while since I just ran trains. Now that I have a Cab1L and DCS commander installed, I'm itching to start playing.

Bob

Good morning fellow switcher fans!   JHZ563 nice to have you back behind the throttle and thanks for getting us rolling today.   Wonderful pics, videos, and info everyone!!  Happy Father's Day to all of you dads out there!!

THE 0-8-0 Number 75 - Shown here taking on a bunker load of coal as she gets ready for a day's work on the Free State Junction Railway.  Thats Mack, a laborer on the service crew,  standing on top of the coal pile, as Jake the headend brakeman is standing on the tender's front deck.  Linwood, the hostler inside the cab, sits behind the throttle dreaming of the day when he will be a road engineer sitting behind the throttle of a J class 4-8-4.  That's Grady O'Rourke on the ground beside the engine.  He's permanently assigned to number 75 and is the engineer.  Grady likes to get down to the engine terminal early, way before he's on the clock,  to make sure the maintenance crew takes the best care of number 75.  Grady is pretty darn persnickety!  Anyone observing Grady's behavior when he's at the throttle would think that Grady himself owned number 75.  

The maintenance crew gives number 75 the once over, as her sand domes have been topped off with plenty of grit for the iron.  Number 75 will surely use a lot of that grit today for she has some heavy moves to make.   What did I tell ya about Grady?  There he is on the ground overseeing the entire maintenance process.  The nickname given to Grady by  fellow railroaders is " Old Eagle Eye."  They go on to say "You don't want to cross Old Eagle Eye or you'lll have **** to pay!"

Number 75 first assignment was to push an air dump car loaded with sand to the sand house.  She'll get to moving as soon as Grady comes down off the side of the engine.  He's up there giving the maintenance workers work an up close inspection.  Grady never misses a thing.  He can see a nat sitting on a the back of fly a mile away.  

Out on job, number 75 pushes a REA express reffer onto the perishables track for unloading.  That's Hubert, the rear end brakeman, riding the sturip on the side of the car.

After many switching assignments all morning and into the afternoon, number 75 takes on water.  Fireman, Herbert Baulmage, and front end brakeman Jake Jones are on the tender deck.  

Back to work number 75 pushes a load of anthracite coal onto the siding of a fuel dealer.  Number 75 and her crew will get the many switching tasks completed today.  Once they've punched out on the clock, they will all congregate at at the Shamrock Pub for a few ice cold ales.   Old Eagle Eye will join them later after he makes sure that the maintenance crews at the roundhouse treat number 75 with tender loving care.  If not they will have **** to pay.    

Patrick,

Since he has been such a nitpicker all day, eagle-eye Grady should probably buy a round for all the fellows at the Shamrock...

MELGAR

@MELGAR posted:

Patrick,

Since he has been such a nitpicker all day, eagle-eye Grady should probably buy a round for all the fellows at the Shamrock...

MELGAR

MELGAR I doubt that he will.   When it comes to money, Grady has a reputation among the crew and those who know him as " being as tight as a knuckle coupler."  The barkeep will be luck if he gets any more than a quarter tip from Grady.  The crew affectionately puts up with Old Eagle Eye because they  all love to hear Grady's stories from when he was a road engineer up on the NYC.  Old Eagle Eye used to be at the throttle of many a 4-6-4 Hudsons, some of them Dreyfus Hudsons.  He even piloted the 20th Century Limited on occasion.  

Patrick,

You've got me wondering whether Grady was just a figment of your imagination or a real person.

So as not to "derail" SWSAT from the subject of switchers and locomotives, I'm posting another short video of B&M #2074. Grady never worked for the B&M, did he?

MELGAR

Wow- great looking SWSAT so far crew!

Patrick,

I must compliment you on your weekly SWSAT photos and stories. They must take quite a bit of time and effort to prepare.

MELGAR

MELGAR - Grady came close to hiring out on the Boston and Maine as a brakeman when he was fresh out of high school at  18 years old, however,  World War Two came along and had other plans from Grady.  He enlisted in the US Army Transportation Corp. during the war.  That's where he was able to gain experience as a locomotive engineer.  

After the war  he did, however, spend some time working on the Boston and Albany, for about 6 months as an engineer on a yard switcher.  As Boston and Albany was  leased by the NYC, Grady easily transferred over to the NYC, becoming a road freight engineer in early 1947.   It wasn't long before he was running electric locomotives, pulling passenger trains from Harmons NY  to Grand Central Station and back.  ( Whew!  You should here those stories he has to tell! )  From there he went on to taking the throttle of many NYC steamers such as Mohawks, Niagras, and the famous 4-6-4 Hudsons.  He spent 10 years in passenger service as a locomotive engineer on the NYC.  Due to his keen eye sight and love for the railroad, his safety record is spotless.  Funny thing though, after running all those types of locomotives on the NYC, Grady loves his job here on the FSJR running old number 75 the best.  He's a old grumpy curmudgeon for sure, but everyone knows that deep down Old Eagle Eye Grady has a real soft spot in his heart for railroading and all the people associated with the " ribbons of steel."  

Terrific pics - and stories - today. Thanks to everyone for posting. I swear that one of these days I will get in the train room and take a picture or two to share. I swear!  

Patrick,

Now you've really got me wondering about Grady. Either he did work for the B&A and NYC or you are the consummate storyteller...

MELGAR

@MELGAR posted:

Patrick,

I must compliment you on your weekly SWSAT photos and stories. They must take quite a bit of time and effort to prepare.

MELGAR

Totally agree with MELGAR on this, however, your posts, MEL,  are pretty darn good as well. There  are a number of posters on this forum that regularly bring a smile to my face and whom  I look for out for, and both you and Trumptrain are on that list.

Patrick, is any chance  Grady knew the crew of NYC shop switcher x-8688?   X-8688 worked the B&A yard frequently.

John

Patrick,

One last question about Grady. B&A #400 used to be a very clean locomotive. Could Grady have been taking care of it around 1946?

MELGAR

@Steam Crazy posted:

Patrick, is any chance  Grady knew the crew of NYC shop switcher x-8688?   X-8688 worked the B&A yard frequently.

John

As a matter of fact from time to time, Grady did mention another fellow engineer who worked the B&A yard often.  That fella was named S.C. John and he operated a NYC dockside type switcher.... an 0-6-0 I do believe.  Do you by any chance know of this guy?  

Patrick and SteamCrazy wonderful stories and tales thanks so much for sharing your imaginative world with us.  jhz563, glad you are back in the cab...one week that you missed everyone was speculating as to where you went. The portfolio of answers (all imagined) was quite wide...!!!  Glad it was a fun vacation with your family.

For SwSat today, here is my little PRR "BEEP" switcher pulling a small freight load on my summertime porch layout.  Not much scenery on this layout and its only about 4 ft square, but it allows me to run trains while at our summer place.  This little guy is popular power on the max 0-27 curves here.

Here he is from the front.  AMT put some nice details into these engines, fanciful though they were.

Have a great weekend folks ... Best wishes

Don

@MELGAR posted:

Patrick,

o wOne last question about Grady. B&A #400 used to be a very clean locomotive. Could Grady have been taking care of it around 1946?

You can betcha he had something to do with keeping 400 clean!  Grady had a real affinity for those 4-6-0 locomotives.  

One night. over a couple of ales at the Shamrock Pub Grady told this story: ' There was a few days back in 1946  when the B&A was short of engine men to run passenger locals.  Grady said, because of his experience in the Army Transportation Corp. he was tapped for the job.  He was pulled from yard duty to commuter passenger duty for those few days and he enjoyed every moment of it!  Grady told the Superintendent of Commuter Operations that since commuter trains were seen and used everyday by the general pubic,  it would be good PR for the B&A to keep their commuter locomotives spotless.  The very next day the locomotive maintenance dept. received an order to do just that for the SCO."   The rest , as you well know Melgar, is history.

MELGAR

Patrick,

Now you've really got me wondering about Grady. Either he did work for the B&A and NYC or you are the consummate storyteller...

Grady, in fact, worked for both railroads.  Immediately after WW2, he hired out to the Boston and Albany.  Since the NYC leased the B&A it was easy for him to transfer to working for the NYC.  It was running the 4-6-0 on the B&A that led Grady's yearning to run one of those big beautiful Hudsons on the Water Level Route.  Thats when he put in for a transfer.  

MELGAR

Great photo Mel!!!  Grady would have been proud!  

Happy Fathers Day to all.

The New Haven boxcar was my Fathers.

The NH Switcher reminds me of my youth, since then, switchers are among my favorite engines.

Raised in Connecticut along the Hartford Branch, a NH switcher would travel along a spur line by our house several times a week with coal cars during the early 60s.

Wow, terrific stories, cool steamers, cool diesel switchers, simply a great Saturday. Happy Fathers Day to those fathers out their, and also Happy Railroading Everyone

The yard foreman likes his B6 and B28 switchers, even that lightweight B8.  But that C1 is just too big.  It keeps derailing on the west side switches, and hard on the light rail of his north classification tracks.  But every now and then he needs it when there is a heavy consist to move, like this long string of express cars.

This is a Weaver model, as well as the B60.

@MELGAR posted:

Patrick,

You've got me wondering whether Grady was just a figment of your imagination or a real person.

Now you've really got me wondering about Grady. Either he did work for the B&A and NYC or you are the consummate storyteller...

Patrick,

OK. Now I get it. You are the consummate storyteller, model railroad builder, and photographer. Have a good weekend.

And, if you happen to see Grady, tell him I said hello...

MELGAR

Patrick, yes, I know S.C. John, he was crazy!

@MELGAR posted:

Patrick,

One last question about Grady. B&A #400 used to be a very clean locomotive. Could Grady have been taking care of it around 1946?

MELGAR

Hi Melgar, I'll use your post to segway into a short discussion about the 4-6-6T.  As you may have seen after seeing Peter's a contact down at the Lionel Store in Concord found me a NYC one.  Unfortunately after about 8-mnuites on the test stand when up in smoke.

Thanks for the information you found on this interesting engine and post here.  Wanting more turned to my train library and luckily the first book grabbed was "The Locomotive Cyclopedia Vol I (Steam)".  There were three pages including an ALCO sketch and four pictures.  The article pointed out the differences between the sketch a mods the B&A made such as moving the bellto the fireman's side so it could be heard better when running tender end "forward" and removing the hatches over the coal bin.  The most interesting think was that the engine was originally shopped out with the rear of the coal bin tapered 8-inches narrower at the end.  I had not noticed that until pointed out, checked the model, and Lionel (guess K-Line) got it correct!

Ron

Ron,

Sorry to hear there was a problem with the 4-6-6T. Did you buy it? And has it been fixed? Mine has been OK so far but I only run with conventional transformer throttle control and haven't tried it with command control or smoke.

I don't find a lot of information on the D-1a engines. I have a copy of Model Railroader Cyclopedia Volume 1 (Steam Engines - 1997 printing) but it does not include anything on the 4-6-6T locomotives. "Steam Locomotives of the New York Central Lines" by W. D. Edson and H. L. Vail, Jr. (1997 - NYCSHS) has a sketch and some photographs. "New York Central's Later Power 1910-1968" by Alvin Staufer and Edward L. May (1982) also has some photographs. Several books on the B&A include good color photographs - PM me or respond here if you want further information. This site has good photographs of B&A steam engines including a section on the 4-6-6T.

https://sites.google.com/site/...nalbanyrailroad/home

The tracks of the B&A passed through the campus of a school that I attended, so it is a railroad in which I'm very interested. The Lionel/K-Line 4-6-6T models are one of my favorites. My Lionel arrived with broken front steps on both sides - which I had to repair. Peter's engine also had the same problem. The fireman's-side front steps on Lionel's model are very fragile because they are mounted on one riser - not two. The single riser with a brace under the steps is prototypical and was installed on the B&A's engines. K-Line's model has the brace but my Lionel engine did not, so the K-Line steps seem to be more robust. Don't pick up the model by the front steps.

MELGAR

Melgar,

Yes they fixed, I hope!  Don't have a layout anymore so ran it on the dynamic test stand for a few hours. To me it does not smoke as well.  Next week will get a chance to lay some track down in the dinning room and run it.  The funny thing Lionel techs claimed they replaced the front pilot because of broken steps.  But I took serval pics of the engine before packaging it up to show NOTHING was broken on it.  I only handle steam engines by the steam chest and "cab" in this end of tank.

Took 6-weeks to get it back and I am only 30-miles anyway.  Peter received his repair back in 3-weeks.  I think the repair "people" were PO'd the way I returned it to the Lionel Store in Concord  and my contact there took it in the Lionel repair since because of COVID "they" were not allowing anyone in at Performance Dr.

I made a typo in book reference it is Vol II not Vol I and is copyrighted 2006.  I really like this little "brute."  According to the book text "with a boiler diameter almost identical to the famed NYC "Hudson" "  Running with a frontend NYC "milk can" car, two pullman green NYC heavyweight cars and one of the business tacked to the end should make a nice consist.

Here a pic just took that viewers can see that (8-inch) narrowing of the tank.

Do almost wish they would put a remount operating coupler on the frontend so we could run the engine around the car consist and coupled up pulling the consist backwards as prototypical.

Ron

@MELGAR posted:

Patrick,

I must compliment you on your weekly SWSAT photos and stories. They must take quite a bit of time and effort to prepare.

MELGAR

Thank you MELGAR!!    Knowing that you and others enjoy the stories and photos is a great source of satisfaction for me.  I greatly enjoy sharing with all of you as you all share so much of your talents and knowledge with me.    I delight in finding a series of photos and then connecting those photos by creating a story to go along with them.  The process does take some time, however whenever we can enjoy the creative process,  which for me is becoming hyper focused/being in the present moment,  the time doing so is enormously well spent.  

There are many on this forum, such as yourself, who have beautiful layouts and are a wealth of knowledge about so many facets of our hobby.  I really like that you always include in depth background information on whatever  locomotive you share with us each Saturday on SWSAT!   I also greatly enjoy your video posts as well.    In my humble opinion,  New England railroads around the time of the transition era encompass an undeniably unique charm all it's own.   Your layouts, conveyed thru your photos and videos,  certainly capture just that.  Bravo!!

Patrick,

It certainly was an amusing SWSAT. I guess that's what it's all about.

MELGAR