Switcher Saturday Mark II!, 4/11/2020

Happy SWSAT everyone. Buzz is back to work today he’s moving some Lionel New York Central Standard O cars. The Boxcar is one I Custom painted and decaled. Be safe and stay strong 

Good morning SWSat crew.

I am finding  it hard to keep track of what day it is. But today is Saturday.

This week I have a picture of my MTH S2 in RF&P paint that I started to convert to 2rail. Have not gotten very far but that is why there are no side frames. It is on my 3 rail high shelf layout posed as if moving some 2 rail cars. 

I know that by the time these car paint schemes showed up the real RF&P S2 had been rebuilt into a Slug but oh well. I am on the look out for another S2 to do that to because that 🐌 is the form I remember seeing these in Potomac Yard when I was a kid. Maybe I’ll just mold and cast this one. 

Hope everyone is staying safe. I can’t wait to see what you guys post. 

Created a Switching video from my home layout yesterday. Enjoy

Happy SWSat!

Happy Easter and Passover to all!

This week the Western Maryland is switching out some loaded cars with an inbound local from the B&O. The B&O will haul the cars back to Baltimore for delivery to industries around the city.

Everyone stay healthy and safe.

Bob

                            MTH Rio Grande GP40 "road switcher" w/ rear footboards removed.

Today we are going to tag along with the local as it goes about its chores:

The yard crew prepares SW8 8616 (Atlas O) before she goes to work.

8616 assembles the train that the local crew will take out on the road.

GP9 7180 (Atlas O) pulls the train out of the yard onto the main line.

7180 highballs past a factory.

Our first stop is to pick up a gondola from the interchange track with the AC&Y. A Fairbanks-Morse H16-44 (Lionel) watches as the crew performs its task.

7180 passes a manifest freight.

The crew spots a boxcar at a lumber yard.

The brakeman makes sure the car is secured by setting the hand brake.

7180 pulls a string of hoppers from the grain elevator as a U33C (Lionel) hammers the crossing on the opposing tracks.

The train rattles the windows as it crosses a busy street.

Our train returns to the yard and turns its cars over to the 8616.

7180 gets a drink of fuel while getting ready for tomorrows run.

Everybody stay safe!

Tom

TALES OF THE DOCKSIDER

The Central MA city of Worcester is a railroad hub.  It’s served by three Class 1 roads: B&A (a NYC subsidiary) from the East and West, NH from the South and B&M from the North.

NYC shop switcher X-8688 and crew are on duty this Saturday, hoping for an easy day, when they got a call from the Yardmaster.  B&M Alco RS3 1509 has stalled in the B&A yard while transferring a cut of reefers.  X-8688 is assigned to move the Alco to the joint NH/B&M engine service facility in South Worcester.

The Docksider crew is not happy!  Not only do they have to move another ****ed diesel, it’s from a foreign road too!  Why can’t B&M move their own power?  Fear of the Forum censors prevents me from quoting the crew’s actual language!

The Docksider crew completes the job without a problem, but you can bet the Yardmaster is going to get an earful when their shift is over!

The yard's BS10 had a very busy day.

The BS10 (Baldwin VO-1000) is a MTH model.

Tom Densel posted:

Today we are going to tag along with the local as it goes about its chores:

The yard crew prepares SW8 8616 (Atlas O) before she goes to work.

8616 assembles the train that the local crew will take out on the road.

GP9 7180 (Atlas O) pulls the train out of the yard onto the main line.

7180 highballs past a factory.

Our first stop is to pick up a gondola from the interchange track with the AC&Y. A Fairbanks-Morse H16-44 (Lionel) watches as the crew performs its task.

7180 passes a manifest freight.

The crew spots a boxcar at a lumber yard.

The brakeman makes sure the car is secured by setting the hand brake.

7180 pulls a string of hoppers from the grain elevator as a U33C (Lionel) hammers the crossing on the opposing tracks.

The train rattles the windows as it crosses a busy street.

Our train returns to the yard and turns its cars over to the 8616.

7180 gets a drink of fuel while getting ready for tomorrows run.

 

Everybody stay safe!

Tom

Tom. Love that brakeman pic very creative 

Missoula, Montana  

Oh - Oh!  Today's switcher scene involves a little bit of drama...Unusual as it might be, today the Air Force and the Army agreed to cooperate to investigate a strange shipment that was unloaded at the port of Savannah from a South American location.  This cargo, now in the orange box car and scheduled for shipment to a local military base got the attention of the drug dogs and then the MP's (Military Police).  Now the MP's (those two no-nonsense boys in front of the Jeep) are monitoring the unloading and inspection of this cargo.  The L & S (Leonardtown and Savannah) , volunteered to help move the car to a convenient location for inspection at no cost since the Military are our very good shipping customers and we firmly believe in stopping illegal drugs coming through our Port of Savannah.   We hear that the FBI is already running down the addresses on the shipping documents and invoices.

Enjoy S.S. everyone...

Respectfully

Don McErlean

Nearing Cow Mountain on the old Northwestern Pacific Empire Route. Have a good Easter everyone.

L. I. Train, really cool Switcher, really cool video and a very interesting layout, thanks for posting. Happy Easter everyone and May God Bless Our Country. There’s a lot of great pictures on this Switcher Saturday.... Happy Railroading 

Good late afternoon fellow switcher fans!  Wonderful photos, videos, and information everyone!     

Today I have some photos of my MTH B&O C - 16 dockside on work train duty.   I weathered the locomotive and consist.   The work caboose is by MTH and has a digital air whistle which is great because the locomotive has no whistle.    This week I've also been experimenting with taking photos using natural light, as it peers through the west window of my train room.  The bottom photos show a Ma &Pa SW 1 in Patsburg during the early morning hours ( even though the light is coming in from the west not east LOL ) as the sun is just shining it's first rays onto the city.  

Have a wonderful weekend everyone!  Enjoy Easter Sunday with your families even if virtually.  Also enjoy your train loads of candy Easter egg filled gondolas and flat cars.

Btw - As a professional musician / trumpet player ... ( all trumpeters are booked for Easter Sunday way in advance ) I've had a gig ( some years up to 6 gigs ) playing every Easter since 1974 .  Due to the Corona V., this is the first Easter since 1974 I will not have performed.  I am counting my blessing  as I am , however, healthy and safe.     Oh well, I won't miss getting up at the wee AM to begin my warm up routine before leaving for the gig.... and there's always next year for which I'm already booked.  Be well and safe everyone!!  

Trumptrain, Patrick, your photography with the sun rays shining through are fantastic as is Geysergazer Lew, and it’s part of the Way the Lord, is participating in our fun with trains. Although many of us have to celebrate Easter a little differently this year, staying safe, staying healthy, is our top concern. Thank you all for posting such really interesting pictures. Happy Easter to Everyone.

SWitcher action on the Seattle & Yakima RR

Happy Easter

Bill T, I love your layout, your nice switch engines, a by the way, who made the RJ Corman engine. 

Eggscellent pictures everyone!

Happy Easter/Passover everyone.  Let's hope we can all get back to our respective houses of worship soon.

Little late to the party, but here goes.

Photos that I used in a 2016 when I was selling my MTH CSX SW9 Switcher both here and on FeeBay.

Great photos posted by all today.

Reading again the narratives that some of you weaved around your photos.  It’s like reading a good book on a weekend morning as you folks wax poetically.

OK its Sunday, Happy Easter everyone.   AMfleet 25124 likes the stories around our pictures and I admit I am one of those who tries to weave a little background (imaginary) around the pictures.  However this morning I see that RayKay and JHZ653 have tried to "egg" us on...OH NO what a terrible pun.

I can't help but comment on some really beautiful switchers ... Leapinlarry with your Corman Road Switcher and Randy Harrison with your Burlington both in fabulous red and white (one of my favorite color schemes).  I have the Lion Chief Jersey Central also in Red and White.  I love these new long diesels but my layout can't accommodate much longer than an SW-1 on the inner 0-27 loop where most of the switching would take place, so I am somewhat limited as to what I can operate. 

Happy Easter everyone!!  Best regards and hope all are healthy

Don McErlean

better late than........