Switcher Saturday July 27, 2024 - A Switcher is Born!

Thanks Bob for filling in for Patrick and getting us off to a great start.

This video shows one of my favorites: an MTH PS3 NY Central RS3 diesel switcher hauling postwar Lionel operating milk cars and MTH NY Central Madison Heavyweight passenger cars:

@RSJB18 posted:

Welcome to a mid-summer edition of the best weekly thread on the Forum, SWSat!

I'll be your yard master for the next couple of weeks while Patrick is out of town.

For the uninitiated- SWSat is a fun place to jump into the engineers or fireman's seat on a GEEP, ALCO, End-cab, 0-4-0 steamer or saddle tanker, Plymouth, or even a Track-mobile. The thread is open to all gauges, shapes, and sizes, foreign or domestic, old or new, steam, diesel, or electric, so feel free to share what you like.
Just make sure you own the pictures you are posting, or get permission to post from the owner.

This week I'm officially debuting my LIRR Morris Park Shop Switcher which I've been building over the past few months.

The A1 #320 was built by Baldwin Locomotive Works, and powered by Westinghouse (all electric). It was used to move equipment around the shops, on and off the turntable and transfer table, and in and out of various service bays. A total of 3 A1's were built  and were in service well into the 1950's. Here's the prototype. The LIRR operated many early electric powered locomotives. Despite being owned originally by the PRR, they use outside 3rd rail for power instead of overhead cantenary.

Full details of the build can be found in the link below in my signature.

And a huge thank you to @Trainguy Ken who designed and 3D printed the body for me.

Bob

Well done Bob, it looks great on your layout.

Here is my entry for this week a PRR Beep. It’s moving a cut of cars off the team tra ck to a local warehouse siding.
im not happy with the speed; when I tried to slow it down it stalled. I cleaned the track; but it still wouldn’t run as slow as I wanted.

@pennsyfan posted:

Here is my entry for this week a PRR Beep. It’s moving a cut of cars off the team tra ck to a local warehouse siding.
im not happy with the speed; when I tried to slow it down it stalled. I cleaned the track; but it still wouldn’t run as slow as I wanted.

Bob, I have many postwar and conventional engines with the same problem. DCS, LC+ and command control locomotives give us the prototypical slow speed, which is especially nice for switching operations. Arnold

@RSJB18 posted:

Welcome to a mid-summer edition of the best weekly thread on the Forum, SWSat!

I'll be your yard master for the next couple of weeks while Patrick is out of town.

For the uninitiated- SWSat is a fun place to jump into the engineers or fireman's seat on a GEEP, ALCO, End-cab, 0-4-0 steamer or saddle tanker, Plymouth, or even a Track-mobile. The thread is open to all gauges, shapes, and sizes, foreign or domestic, old or new, steam, diesel, or electric, so feel free to share what you like.
Just make sure you own the pictures you are posting, or get permission to post from the owner.

This week I'm officially debuting my LIRR Morris Park Shop Switcher which I've been building over the past few months.

The A1 #320 was built by Baldwin Locomotive Works, and powered by Westinghouse (all electric). It was used to move equipment around the shops, on and off the turntable and transfer table, and in and out of various service bays. A total of 3 A1's were built  and were in service well into the 1950's. Here's the prototype. The LIRR operated many early electric powered locomotives. Despite being owned originally by the PRR, they use outside 3rd rail for power instead of overhead cantenary.

Full details of the build can be found in the link below in my signature.

And a huge thank you to @Trainguy Ken who designed and 3D printed the body for me.

Bob

Looks good Bob thanks for sharing

Happy SWSAT everyone. Sorry been gone so long Summer is kinda busy for me especially not I’ve got more critters on the farm. Here’s some pics of my favorites.

Good morning, SwSat Nation!  Bob, thanks for the highball this morning.  I love your little A1!

I’m taking a trip to the archives this morning for some New Haven switcher action.  Some of you may recall my Atlas 0-6-0 no. 2334, which was converted to MTH PS3.  It came secondhand in Maine Central livery - but the decal work wasn’t well done - so I lettered and numbered it for the NH.

MTH Railking Alco RS3 no. 538 was my first modern era diesel purchase, about 2003.  It has the dreaded 5 volt PS2 system, but runs well today with the addition of a BCR.

John

Pennsylvania Railroad B-6sb 0-6-0 steam switcher #7136 is an MTH Railking Imperial model (30-1573-1) with PS3 delivered in 2013 at MSRP $399.95. Railking Imperial steamers have upgraded features compared to the Railking line – a real coal load, legible builder’s plate, engineer and fireman figures, tender-truck safety chains, and brass bell, whistle and pressure relief valves.

The B-6 was the standard PRR 0-6-0 heavy steam switcher with more than 350 built between 1902 and 1913. The MTH model represents a superheated B-6sb, of which 238 were built between 1916 and 1920. The engines weighed 180,300 pounds (not including tender), developed 36,140 pounds tractive effort, and had 56-inch driving wheels.

Photos and videos show #7136 pulling a short freight train on my 12’-by-8’ layout with Pennsylvania N5c caboose #477926 at the tail end. The caboose was part of an MTH 6-car freight set (20-90018) delivered in 2000. I bought it as an individual item and hadn’t realized that it was part of a set.

MELGAR

Thanks for the smooth roll-out today with a great small switcher, Bob! To continue with the small switcher and PRR themes, here's my first BEEP in PRR tuscan livery moving a short consist of PRR freight, also in tuscan:

@pennsyfan, your PRR BEEP appears to have the newer RMT board that just runs faster. Mine is from 2004 and has the older board that gives pretty good lower speed performance, though nothing like the ERR mini-commander boards that you used to be able to get. @RSJB18 has done a nice job putting these ERR boards in a couple of his BEEPs. Here's an ATSF he did quite nicely. I would give it a try with my PRR if I could still get the boards...

@lee drennen posted:

Happy SWSAT everyone. Sorry been gone so long Summer is kinda busy for me especially not I’ve got more critters on the farm. Here’s some pics of my favorites.

Very nice, Lee, your video shows that when one has top quality and perfectly clean track and a postwar locomotive in excellent condition, that switching operations can be done well with a postwar switcher. Arnold

An FS-10 is moving an H21 hopper back to the main yard after it dumped its load at the coaling tower.

The FM Switcher 1000hp is an MTH RK Scale H10-44 and the hopper is Atlas.

Great stuff so far folks. Thanks for the likes and compliments on my A1.

@Bill Swatos- Too bad ERR discontinued the mini commander boards. I have one more in my stock but it's destined for a different engine. I'm going to try a LC/BT or Flyerchief board in another BEEP. I'd like to make a stock power chassis with command control, that I could just swap shells on and off.
@pennsyfan- I agree with Bill. Your BEEP probably has the newer board. All of mine are the older style and they run well at slow speeds. The old one's look like this. The old boards have smaller power output drivers for the motors.
IIRC- a way to tell which you have is the old engines have the flat stamped stanchions for the hand rails and the newer used the same round wire. Can't tell in your video what yours has.

Bob

Thanks for kicking things off, Bob and happy switcher Saturday! Love that A1 project. It really came out nice!

In my world,  we spent so much time working on our subway that we didn’t get a chance to run any switchers this week,  so here is our 44 tonner pulling some boxcars from the archives -

@Steam Crazy posted:

Good morning, SwSat Nation!  Bob, thanks for the highball this morning.  I love your little A1!

I’m taking a trip to the archives this morning for some New Haven switcher action.  Some of you may recall my Atlas 0-6-0 no. 2334, which was converted to MTH PS3.  It came secondhand in Maine Central livery - but the decal work wasn’t well done - so I lettered and numbered it for the NH.

MTH Railking Alco RS3 no. 538 was my first modern era diesel purchase, about 2003.  It has the dreaded 5 volt PS2 system, but runs well today with the addition of a BCR.

John

John great videos that’s a smooth runner.

I shot a short video of my A1 in action this morning.

@MELGAR posted:

Pennsylvania Railroad B-6sb 0-6-0 steam switcher #7136 is an MTH Railking Imperial model (30-1573-1) with PS3 delivered in 2013 at MSRP $399.95. Railking Imperial steamers have upgraded features compared to the Railking line – a real coal load, legible builder’s plate, engineer and fireman figures, tender-truck safety chains, and brass bell, whistle and pressure relief valves.

The B-6 was the standard PRR 0-6-0 heavy steam switcher with more than 350 built between 1902 and 1913. The MTH model represents a superheated B-6sb, of which 238 were built between 1916 and 1920. The engines weighed 180,300 pounds (not including tender), developed 36,140 pounds tractive effort, and had 56-inch driving wheels.

Photos and videos show #7136 pulling a short freight train on my 12’-by-8’ layout with Pennsylvania N5c caboose #477926 at the tail end. The caboose was part of an MTH 6-car freight set (20-90018) delivered in 2000. I bought it as an individual item and hadn’t realized that it was part of a set.

MELGAR

Mel. Always a treat to see your pics and videos thanks for sharing.

@Arnold D. Cribari posted:

Very nice, Lee, your video shows that when one has top quality and perfectly clean track and a postwar locomotive in excellent condition, that switching operations can be done well with a postwar switcher. Arnold

Thanks for the complement Arnold I appreciate it. I try to keep a clean track always and I service my locomotives regularly I have a lot of time and money in this stuff so I plan on having it to pass on to my Grandchildren in good condition.

Good morning SWSAT crew!

Penn Central RS-11 7608 (Lionel) leads a wreck train through Killbridge Junction:

Have a great weekend, everyone!

Tom

@RSJB18 posted:

And a huge thank you to @Trainguy Ken who designed and 3D printed the body for me.

Bob

@RSJB18 and @Trainguy Ken

Really neat!

Wow, great start on the coolest topic on Saturday…. The Blue GP35 Atlas O switcher found a new home from a new friend in Nashville. It was a nice runner. Happy Railroading Everyone

Nice start Bob Have a good Saturday all, great looking engines!

Happy Switcher Saturday!

On the layout today is my Railking RS-1 SOO (30-20868-1) with caboose.

Take Care,

Ray

MTH PS2 Pennsylvania VO1000 diesel switcher hauling 11 boxcars and caboose through my little town:

Arnold

OK @RSJB18, Bob, your love for smaller switchers is still rubbing off on me, now, I’ve added the US Army Sw1 to my roster, adding to a few others you’ve inspired me to get… Living outside Ft Campbell, I just had to acquire this one. Great Topic, Happy Switcher Saturday Everyone.

Arnold,

Have you ever had a locomotive and caboose ever collide on that return loop?...

MELGAR

@MELGAR posted:

Arnold,

Have you ever had a locomotive and caboose ever collide on that return loop?...

MELGAR

Melgar, yes, but not for many years, so I can’t remember when that happened. Arnold

Well picking up on the famous Marx 0-4-0 #400 in plastic, we find the LIONEL # 1061 with her slope back tender and simple drive mechanism that seems to follow the same route as the Marx engine.  This was a very inexpensive locomotive used in the late 1980's as power for some of the less expensive starter sets.  She does OK in that role and seems to have no trouble with a small consist and my very level layout.  She still runs OK by the way.

Best Wishes and hope your weekend is going well.

Don

@leapinlarry posted:

OK @RSJB18, Bob, your love for smaller switchers is still rubbing off on me, now, I’ve added the US Army Sw1 to my roster, adding to a few others you’ve inspired me to get… Living outside Ft Campbell, I just had to acquire this one. Great Topic, Happy Switcher Saturday Everyone.

Happy to help out Larry.......

Nice SW-1 too!

Bob

A Lionel Alaska Railroad Industrial Switcher from around 1982 pulling a couple of work train cars.  This is one of those open frame motor growlers that sounds like a coffee grinder rolling down the rails.  The blue tool car is a work in progress.  It started life as a 1989 LRRC Tool Car.   I posted about it on the What's on the Workbench thread.  It will get ARR markings and maybe more.  The yellow one is a Lionel ARR bunk car complete with the ARR Eskimo on the side.

@RSJB18, you’re welcome Bob, I’ve started building up a small inventory of military cars to go with the US Army switcher, and here’s the other small diesels you’ve got me hooked on. For some reason I love these little switching helpers. More pictures on other threads. Happy Railroading Everyone

The Alcoa alumina refining plant, in Bauxite, Ark, Bauxite &Northern switcher shown below was made from a Marx 1998 base, motor and trucks and the body was a shortened Lionel NW 2 switcher body and painted for B&N RR.  It is a one of kind and just as fast through the O27 oval and figure 8 as a Marx 1998 !

Charlie

Excellent.

@Don McErlean posted:

Well picking up on the famous Marx 0-4-0 #400 in plastic, we find the LIONEL # 1061 with her slope back tender and simple drive mechanism that seems to follow the same route as the Marx engine.  This was a very inexpensive locomotive used in the late 1980's as power for some of the less expensive starter sets.  She does OK in that role and seems to have no trouble with a small consist and my very level layout.  She still runs OK by the way.

Best Wishes and hope your weekend is going well.

Don

How 'bout this, Don:

I'll admit I did "soup her up" a bit...

Just thought I'd do a quick check in after a full day yesterday and today at a music conference at Hamilton College in Clinton, NY ... and a full week to come.

   Wonderful photos, videos, and information everyone!!!!  Bob - your A1 looks and runs superbly!!!!  Nice going on the build!!!  AND thanks for starting SwSat this weekend and next while I'm out of town.

Lee Brennen - nice to have you back with us again!!  

Thanks to all who posted and for making SwSat such a phenomenal hit on the OGR Forum!!

Got to head to bed now.  Full day/eve  tomorrow starting at 7 a.m.  

Have a great week everyone and green signals to all!!

Here's one from the archives ... B&O GP9 with a merchandise freight overtakes a Washington Terminal RS1.