Switcher Saturday 9-3-22

Enjoy your Labor Day Weekend!

Boston & Albany USRA 0-8-0 #53 is a recent purchase from forum sponsor Trainz. The model was manufactured in South Korea by Lionel (6-28702) in 2006 with TMCC and had an MSRP of $649.99. Both Lionel and MTH have made excellent models of the USRA 0-8-0 switcher whose design was developed by the United States Railroad Administration during World War 1, when the US railroad system was under government control. The model’s boiler is fully round on the underside with a prototypical space between the boiler and the frame.

B&A #53 was a U-3b class switcher built by Lima in April 1921.  The engine had 25-by-28 cylinders, 51-inch driving wheels, weighed 219,000 pounds (about 364,000 pounds with loaded tender), and produced 51,040 pounds of tractive effort at 175 pounds-per-square-inch boiler pressure. When the B&A dieselized in 1951, #53 was renumbered to New York Central #7725 and ran on the Harlem Division until retirement in January 1955.

175 USRA 0-8-0 locomotives were produced during the 1917 to 1920 period of USRA control, and 1200 copies were produced afterward.

I scroll through the O gauge locomotive models on Trainz several times a week just to see what’s available. It seems to me that the most frequently listed steamer is the 0-8-0 switcher by MTH and Lionel.

MELGAR

A Northern Pacific RS11 helping save a retired steam switcher from the scrap yard. It's heading to a train museum for restoration.

B&O Alco S2 is back to work this week.

Happy SwSat everyone!

@jhz563 posted:

For this weekend's kickoff images, we are back to one of my favorites, Reading Company 1251, the shop switcher, and last steam locomotive in daily service on a class 1 RR in the USA.

In keeping with jhz563’s theme of Reading 1251, here’s my model. Have a good weekend.

MELGAR

TALES OF THE DOCKSIDER

Happy Labor Day weekend SwSat nation!  Your Yardmaster rummaged through the archives again and found another timeless railroad scene.

NYC Alco RS3 no. 8106 has derailed due to a bad track joint.  Normally a minor derailment like this could be handled with careful blocking by the yard gang, but the Big Hook was parked nearby near the engine house.  Your Yardmaster decided  to use the heavy lifter to rerail the Alco; NYC shop switcher X-8688 was dispatched to tow the Hook to the scene.

John

Good morning fellow switcher fans!   Thanks JHZ for notching out the throttle and getting us rolling this morning.  You all have some great info and pics up already! As I've said before, I learn lots from all of you!

Last week I paid tribute the an integral person of any switching crew ... the brakeman.  Today, in view of Labor Day,  I pay tribute to the entire switching crew.  As all rail workers work hard, the switching crews do the nitty gritty business that make railroading a big business.  So I raise my glass ( in this case a cup of coffee ) to hard working switching crews everywhere!  

Have a wonderful weekend everyone!   As you barbecue, enjoy friends and family,  soaking up those last days at the pool or beach, take time to look around and notice the things that quite possibly were brought to you by rail, which invariably involved switchers and their crews ... Cement for that pool?  The outboard motor on your boat?  The food you are eating? The gas grill? Charcoal? ... and the list goes on.  

Western Maryland switching crew of BL2 number 81 salutes their hard working brethren of the rails.

WM 81 spent much of her years working the WM yard in Hagerstown, Md.  She now resides at the B&O Museum in Baltimore.  

Engineer Grayson Tucker  and fireman Ernie Lottsford of Dockside locomotive 97.

Engineer Gabby Clampet and conductor J.D. Higenbottom talk over the day's switch list for Pennsy 94, an A5.

Crew change.  Engineer Lukas Foss waves to engineer Sam Jennings, now at the throttle of number 94,  as Lukas has finished his shift at the yard

Brakeman Lloyd Smoot just pulled the coupler bar on this tank car.  The engine has inched forward and Lloyd will hop up on the locomotive's step momentarily.  

Want to pay tribute to the folks who work the copper mines and the Kennecott Copper Corporation Railroad, which invariably performed a plethora of switching duties.  Here a KCC  MP15 and gondola move through the yard at Patsburg.  

Happy SWSat!

The yard master finally persuaded the track department to modify the two switches between the yards and the main. The two RS-1's in the fleet had some clearance issues going through the switches that needed to be repaired. Up till now they have just been kicking cars around the yard.  The job was completed quickly and the YM now has two more tools at his disposal for local jobs.

LIRR # 462 is a MTH PS-3 model. I had pre-ordered it from Trainworld as it was one of the last custom runs from MTH before Mike closed the doors.

It's green BTW!

New Haven # 0661 is also by MTH. Bought from Traniz, it's a PS-2 model (3v).
@MELGAR- scrolling through the Trainz listings has gotten me in trouble with the CEO several times.....

An honorable mention to New York Central # 8524, an MTH ALCO S-2. This engine is minus it's prime mover and controls at the moment. It's patiently waiting it's turn in the shop for repowering.

Interesting that the camera caught both LED's on the crossbuck lit. What are the odds of that happening.

Have a great Labor Day Weekend.

Bob

Great photos, everyone.  Here are a couple of oldies but goodies of two of my favorite smaller smoking switchers -

Have a fine Switcher of a Saturday all, K-line switcher making a drop off

Yay SWSat is on!

Great posts so far everyone.
My post is some pictures I took last week of a Shay that was operable about 20 years ago and today seems a bit un cared for. It had been kept inside but now while outdoors it is easier to see it is not doing so well in the weather. This is the 1918 two truck Shay owned by Lowville and Beaver River but built for an Oklahoma Concrete company.


I would be happy to accept this Shay as a birthday donation to go with my Caboose. I’ll be fixing some spots on this one this weekend.

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

Good morning everyone.  Late start today.  Had to cross off a few lines on my honey-do list this morning.

Here is one from the archives.  Penn Central SW8 8616 waits by the tower:

Enjoy your holiday weekend!

Tom

@Tom Densel posted:

Good morning everyone.  Late start today.  Had to cross off a few lines on my honey-do list this morning.

Here is one from the archives.  Penn Central SW8 8616 waits by the tower:

Enjoy your holiday weekend!

Tom

Tom, I was going to say I loved the tower but everything in the scene deserves equal praise.

LC+ D&H RS3 hauling freight along the Hudson:

Arnold

Some switchers at the Chesterfield County Fair......

Peter

Wow, Saturdays come around so fast and there’s a lot of beautiful switchers pictured here, and beautiful layouts. I want to post a few pictures before heading out to the yard to help the wife…. Happy Railroading Everyone

@Dave Ripp. posted:

Tom, I was going to say I loved the tower but everything in the scene deserves equal praise.

Thanks, Dave!

Tom

@Putnam Division posted:

Some switchers at the Chesterfield County Fair......

Peter, I could not access your photos in this post of yours.

Well folks, great pictures and stories all.  Today I have my new acquisition a Lionel Southern U36B from 1979.  I showed her "front end" yesterday on Front End Friday and said I was going to get her cleaned up and lubed and ready for "Switcher Saturday" so here she is including a couple of videos.

Here she is passing in front of the main depot with her first assignment.

Leaving the depot with her first train.

My layout, the Leonardtown and Savannah has a southern flavor so I was looking for a Southern RR road diesel for some time before I found the U36B.  However here she is working hard alongside her sister, the WbB GE 44 ton.

Here are a couple of videos of her in action.

Best wishes for a great Labor Day weekend.

Don

@MELGAR posted:

Enjoy your Labor Day Weekend!

Boston & Albany USRA 0-8-0 #53 is a recent purchase from forum sponsor Trainz. The model was manufactured in South Korea by Lionel (6-28702) in 2006 with TMCC and had an MSRP of $649.99. Both Lionel and MTH have made excellent models of the USRA 0-8-0 switcher whose design was developed by the United States Railroad Administration during World War 1, when the US railroad system was under government control. The model’s boiler is fully round on the underside with a prototypical space between the boiler and the frame.

B&A #53 was a U-3b class switcher built by Lima in April 1921.  The engine had 25-by-28 cylinders, 51-inch driving wheels, weighed 219,000 pounds (about 364,000 pounds with loaded tender), and produced 51,040 pounds of tractive effort at 175 pounds-per-square-inch boiler pressure. When the B&A dieselized in 1951, #53 was renumbered to New York Central #7725 and ran on the Harlem Division until retirement in January 1955.

175 USRA 0-8-0 locomotives were produced during the 1917 to 1920 period of USRA control, and 1200 copies were produced afterward.

I scroll through the O gauge locomotive models on Trainz several times a week just to see what’s available. It seems to me that the most frequently listed steamer is the 0-8-0 switcher by MTH and Lionel.

MELGAR

Mel - I have this same locomotive with TMCC in C&O markings.  It's a terrific locomotive and is one of my favorites!  It has given me only  one minor problem in all the years I've owened it ( since 2007 ) ... needed a new smoke unit.  The repairman who did the job had it smoking better than ever!  

I use this 0-8-0 for switching on my industrial spur as well as for pulling mainline freights.   Thanks for all the background information on this fun engine by Lionel.  

Happy Switcher Saturday. Maine Switching Services handles the switching work at ND Paper In Old Town in ME, the locomotive is LTEX`s MP15DC #1524. Maine Switchng Services also handles switching work at ND Paper`s  Rumford mill.

@MELGAR posted:

In keeping with jhz563’s theme of Reading 1251, here’s my model. Have a good weekend.

MELGAR

@MELGAR,  I never picked one of those up for myself,  color me envious .   

@Arnold D. Cribari posted:

Peter, I could not access your photos in this post of yours.

Fixed!

Thank you.

Peter