Switcher Saturday June 12, 2021

Another 44 ton on the move today.

New Haven Railroad Alco RS-3 #531 is an Atlas O Trainman model. The video shows it passing through the narrow rock-cut on the O-36 loop of my 12’-by-8’ layout.

MELGAR

TALES OF THE DOCKSIDER

Thanks, RSJB18, for getting us started this weekend!  Like you, I hope all’s well with  with Mr Z.

Faithful shop switcher X-8688 in still in the roundhouse for repairs, so your Yardmaster went out with his camera to see what other rail activity he could photo in Worcester.  He found B&M 0-8-0 no. 613 on “rescue” duty, pulling B&M E8 no. 3821.

3821 is disabled due to a suspected short curcuit in a generator.  Her crew will probably be subject to a good natured ribbing about “reliable diesel power” by 613’s crew.  613’s crew, like X-8688’s crew, aren’t sold on the new fangled diesels!

John

AC&Y H16-44 (Lionel) slips down an industrial siding to retrieve a loaded freight car:

Tom

Another SWSat snuck up. Thanks Bob for getting things rolling. Mel your New Haven Alco looks great. John your RR seems to need an upped repair and maintenance regime. Lots of calls going out for an assist. At least the switchers stay working.

I caught this pair of NS GPs out the window of my bus as I was heading from Prt Authority to my train club in NJ to get some scenery work in last week. There are no clubs in the city any more. (Maybe with all the newly empty office space that might change.) The track to the left runs to the Meadowlands Stadium.

Here is my one and only On3 piece of equipment. An East Broad Top 0-6-0T missing some parts and a bit worse for wear. (Rio Grande had some very similar engines but I tend to be a bit east coast centric.) Each time I do something like this I need to remind myself to finish a project off my wall of shame and not start a new one. Oh well. I have my fun.

Hope you all have a good weekend. I can’t wait to see what you guys post.

Thank you Bob for starting it off.  I too hope all is well with Mr Z.  I’m sorry I haven’t posted here for a few weeks.  Excellent switchers one and all.  This is the only one I have on my phone, but it is an old favorite.  I took this shot to try to get a little more lighting of the detail for another forum member.

Good morning fellow switcher fans!   Bob thanks for notching out the throttle and getting us rolling today.  I certainly hope JHZ563 is okay, he usually gets SWSAT rolling early in the morning.   Btw - I love the shot of your Pennsy ( WbB ) 44 tonner!  I have a WbB 44 tonner in Pennsy livery as well and I find it to be  nicely detailed and a very reliable locomotive.

Great photos and videos everyone!  MELGAR - got to love all those NH boxcars in various paint schemes!  Nice video  ANDY - your ON30 project looks very interesting and yes, all that matters is that we are having fun.... great photo from the bus too  TOM DENSEL - nothing says switcher to me like a Fairbanks Morse ... nice photo  STEAM CRAZY - in the early days of diesel power I'm sure many steam switchers were called upon to save the day as you have well depicted in your photo and backstory.  Sorry if I missed anyone who may have posted while I was writing this post.

TODAY on the Free State Junction Railway ... the Patsburg Fire Dept was called to this scene earlier this week.   Central Alarm received a call Wednesday afternoon from a railroad dispatcher requesting fire apparatus be dispatched to a locomotive fire on north east Patburg Ave.  Two fire engines ( a mini pumper and pumper )  arrived on the scene in a matter of minutes.  A new Western Maryland BL-2 locomotive was showing smoke from all over.   Puffy Cranston, the locomotive engineer, had just activated the locomotives internal fire suppression system  moments before the fire engines arrived.

That's Puffy leaning from the cab as he converses with firefighter fist class Lex Luther ( no relation to Lex Luther in the Superman movie .. this Lex is a good guy ).  

Lex, having just climbed down from the loco's cab,  has completed his inspection of the locomotive's engine compartment and has determined the fire is out.  He's now back on the ground as Puffy leans out of the locomotive cab and says " I wish to heck that EMD would have thought to put side door panels on this darn locomotive for easier access to the prime mover!  I don't know what the poor fellas in the locomotive shop are going to say when they see this engine."  To which Lex replies " I guess the first thing that will happen will be a whole lot cussin?"  

At the moment Bob Crawford, the Road Superintendent of Engines, is on the phone with Shorty Riley, the road's Chief Dispatcher.  Bob is hot tempered saying " I thought these new fangled diesel locomotives didn't need a fireman and now we have 8 fireman servicing this one diesel locomotive!! Who the &@^# knew!  Crawford tells Riley that he's counting his blessings that the Western Maryland only  purchased two of these BL-2s  and not a dozen like the road was first considering to do.  Riley goes on to say that he hopes this fire is not an omen to which Crawford replies  "I think BL-2 may be an abbreviation for 'bad luck times two'."    Crawford goes on to tell Riley " Get Steam Crazy John on the wire and request an 0-8-0 or Dockside down here to tow this SOB back to the shop!"  Such is another day on the railroad.

Thanks for the “tip of the hat”, Patrick.  Love your story and photos!

John

Patrick,

It seems like Puffy, Lex and Riley have forgotten about the time the boiler exploded on the FSJR 0-8-0. That was no fun either. It's a good thing that Steamy convinced them to fix the 0-8-0 rather than scrap it.

MELGAR

Well hello SwSat fans, like all of you I hope that "z" is OK and nothing serious has happened.  Hopefully he is just occupied on a lovely beach with his family and a "umbrella" drink !

Trumtrain, great story again.  Loved it thanks!  Melgar great video, loved the NH loco and box cars. Steamcrazy another good story, I follow the "Tales of the Docksider" with great interest and fun.  Tom, SilverLake, and  Mark...good pictures and interesting engines.  RSJB18 and tnkmarx great 44 tonner's I operate them on my 0-27 loop and really like them.

My contribution today is a few little 0-4-0 workhorses from the UK subsidiary of my Leonardtown and Savannah, after all London is but about 4000 miles east of Savannah !

Here is a Hornby type 51 from the 1950's about to leave the depot with its lone type 50 cattle car ,

Here is another Hornby  a #101 ( repowered by Marx for electric operation) leaves the depot with a short passenger run down the branch line. SilverLake in terms of unfinished jobs, I can sympathize, this fellow really needs some decal/transfer decoration but its one of those jobs I just don't seem to get done!

Best wishes everyone, RSJB18 thanks for the kick off!

Don

“Free Z MAN! “

Hope all is well with him and family.

Hi there gang!  Looks like a great looking Switcher Saturday!  I am traveling with the family again and things went sideways yesterday.   

Don - love that Hornby!

Patrick- glad to hear Puffy wasn't hurt, but this just reinforces my bias about BL2 locomotives.  Your stories are always top notch.

Mark B - good to see you back.  Let's face it,  everybody loves an RS3🙂

Andy - Nice NS shot, and your ebt Z, - 3c screams Porter to me, love it!

Tom D., I agree with Patrick,  that FM unit and the photo are both great.

John aka Steam Crazy  that docksider needs to back soon, those diesels are not building a good reputation.

Melgar - nice video,  your beautiful layout as seems bigger than advertised.

tnkMarx, nice centercab👍

And finally Bob - thanks a bunch for getting things rolling this morning 👏, I appreciate the help.

Since centercab units seem popular today,  here's an archive shot of 80 tonner.

Have a great weekend guys!

JHZ, I’m glad you are okay!  Have a great trip!

Hi @jhz563 hope you are having a grand time with the family. That's more important than worrying about us crazy switcher fans. Happy to pinch hit anytime.

Another great SWSat gents!

Bob

A Kline Reading RS3. A MTH RS3 (ERR conversion) and a Atlas Susquehanna (also a ERR conversion)

This is a K-Line MP-15. Trackwork is a work in progress on the Lost Creek RR.

@Victor Bertolina posted:

This is a K-Line MP-15. Trackwork is a work in progress on the Lost Creek RR.

Victor- welcome to the switcher party. Nice work on the repaint. Have you rewired the motors in series? Slows them way down if you haven't.

Ask me how I know

That's a nice set of switchers. I did not rewire the locomotive. I did take it apart to clean and lubricate it. The wires to the motors are relatively easy to access so its something I will consider. I have an S-2 also that is in the early stages of repainting. That has two motors as well so it should be a candidate for that alteration. Did you do any speed comparisons v. voltage before and after?

Not documented but at 6v on my KW the wheels don't chirp anymore.

I have 3 S-2's and I did the same on them.

Bob