Switcher Saturday- Mark II, 6-6-20

New Haven Railroad Ten-Wheeler 4-6-0 #816 is a Lionel Legacy model. One of my best steam engines and has excellent sounds and whistle. I just like to let it run, listen to the chuffing and blow the whistle. This is the first time that I’ve posted an engine on SWSAT that is not a switcher, but I’ve posted every one of my switchers more than once, so I decided to do this one for today. Although this model says “New Haven,” it is really a model of a New York Central Class-F locomotive.

MELGAR

Rusty

Some pics from our visit to IRM several years ago.

Have a great weekend, everyone!

Tom

Switcher action on the S&Y RR

a repost from November 2015, I hope all are OK...Rich 

Happy SWSat!

Yes- it has been a rough week but our switchers will help keep the smile on your face.

This week I have a new member of the fleet to introduce. I bought it from a forum member recently. It's a WbB BL-2 Chesapeake and Ohio #85. I'm a big fan of the humble BL-2. Shows the creativity of engineers and designers after the war. This is one of my favorite C&O paint schemes too.
The yardmaster put it right to work spotting some cars to the new business in town.
Western Maryland # 81 is pulling the excursion train on the high line.

Have a good weekend.

Bob

Well it is Saturday time for SWSat. 

@jhz563 I really hope that your family is doing well and that by the time they are old enough your family will not have to worry about being treated differently through no fault of their own. That hope is sincere. 

I have been busy but I will hold back on my progress a bit longer. This week I was in Potsdam NY and saw a very interesting very short industrial railroad. It is extremely short maybe 30 feet and allows for a small crane to clear obstructions from an intake on a dam. My wife was driving so I got to take pictures. 
I have never seen such a thing except for small railroads on the roofs of skyscrapers in the city for window cleaning. Some of those look like roller coasters. 

Just thought this was interesting. 

I hope you all have a good week and I can’t wait to see what you guys post. 

That is very cool Andy. Thanks for sharing.

Bob

TALES OF THE DOCKSIDER

Sorry, DOCKSIDER fans, the crew of shop switcher X-8688 has today off, so I have decide to post a photo of my entire prewar “fleet”.  

An American Flyer 0-6-0 B6 switcher is pulling a consist of two Lionel B&O four bay hoppers and two Shell tank cars.  I don’t know the product number of these pieces; maybe one of you prewar guys can enlighten me.  I replaced the original trucks on the freight cars with postwar trucks, but I kept the old trucks in case I want to return the cars to original  condition.  The 80 year old switcher still runs well after cleaning and lubing!

John

My Dad added a front coupler to the loco to make it a switcher(he says so he could double head)...

                      NYS&W Alco RS3 #101, former D&H unit, at Little Ferry roundhouse- Oct.86'

Good morning fellow switcher fans!!  As usual, you guys are posting some wonderful pics, videos, and info this morning.... and my eyes are feasting on what you guys have posted!  

JHZ563 - thanks for notching out the throttle and getting us rolling this morning. Love those critters! 

Andy - that little 30 ft. railroad is really cool!  Would make for a great modeling project for sure.  

Melgar - Nice pics!  I'm sure that 10 wheelers were pressed into switching service at some point in their careers.

RSJB -  Thanks for the tribute to the BL-2!  I definitely share your thoughts regarding this locomotive.  For me it was love at first sight.  I did HO modeling for a short stint and this is when I discovered the BL-2.  As a matter of fact it was a C&O BL-2 ( My second HO locomotive purchase ) and I thought the livery, the design of the locomotive was just fabulous ... and still do!   The Western Maryland livery however does not do enough to accentuate  the beautiful design lines of he BL-2.  IMHO the WM livery is the least attractive livery of all the railroads who purchased the BL-2.   Since Western Maryland is part of the theme of my railroad and number 81 resides at the B&O Museum which is close to where I live,  I include it as part of the Free State Junction Railway.  

STEAM CRAZY - I  love that 80 year old locomotive!!  ... BILL T. - nice variety of switchers! ... TNKMARX - very fine photos! ...TOM DENSEL - great photos from the IRM!  Is that an Army 44 tonner?...  RICH - Love your flashback to 2015!  

Here is my contribution for this week.  I begin with two photos of the WM BL2 81 inspired by RSJB's post today.   These locos were first assigned by the WM to pusher service and ended their careers in the Hagerstown yard service semi coupled to a slug.  WM owned two BL2 locos later numbered 81 and 82.  These photos are of 81 as it arrived new on the FSJR property from EMD.:-)

A Plymouth pulls ore cars out of the tunnel as a Dockside pulls a logging train over the bridge in background. 

SW9 makes its way through Butler Junction. 

Maryland short lines switcher line up.  The only one of these railroads still in operation today is the Canton. 

Have a wonderful week everyone!  Be healthy and be safe! 

MELGAR, I don't mind if you stretch the definition of "switcher" (well, maybe not a Big Boy).  I just like seeing nice engines on a nice layout!

John

A MTH VO 1000 in Patapsco and Black Rivers railroad colors. The shell is an older PS2 issue and I placed it on  PS3 chassis. It is a work in progress, as I still have to add a bell and paint the new handrails I fabricated...

Tom

A H6b, delegated to switcher duty several years ago, is moving an LCL car to the Central Transfer Facility from the classification tracks.  This car is filled with refrigerators and stoves for several of the local department stores.  It also has some of those new Raytheon Radarange ovens that Sears hopes to sell to commercial customers.

The H6 is 3rd Rail, and the boxcar is a MTH 50' PS-1 trying to look like a PRR X-41b.

@Silver Lake posted:

Well it is Saturday time for SWSat. 

@jhz563 I really hope that your family is doing well and that by the time they are old enough your family will not have to worry about being treated differently through no fault of their own. That hope is sincere. 

I have been busy but I will hold back on my progress a bit longer. This week I was in Potsdam NY and saw a very interesting very short industrial railroad. It is extremely short maybe 30 feet and allows for a small crane to clear obstructions from an intake on a dam. My wife was driving so I got to take pictures. 
I have never seen such a thing except for small railroads on the roofs of skyscrapers in the city for window cleaning. Some of those look like roller coasters. 

Just thought this was interesting. 

I hope you all have a good week and I can’t wait to see what you guys post. 

It looks like a “repurposed “ tie handling machine. They are used to move ties around and install them.

Here is a Fairmount version...

Tom

@Steam Crazy posted:

MELGAR, I don't mind if you stretch the definition of "switcher" (well, maybe not a Big Boy).  I just like seeing nice engines on a nice layout!

John

.....Crazy,

This is it. Only switchers from now on!

MELGAR

jhz563:  congratulations on acquiring that #41, I found one at a flee market and it runs but the cab needs work esp the window struts (future project).  However, that pink and white "Plymouth"(?) switcher takes the cake! 

Here is my contribution for this week.  My K-line Also S-2 working hard at moving some boxcars out of the inner yard in Small Town on the Leonardtown and Savannah.  Need to get them ready to move on to the Savannah port for unloading and transfer to ships heading overseas.  The yard track in this area parallels a highway and in fact is laid down the center divider.  Afraid the L&S in this case has to work next door to its main competition, TRUCKS!.  Switcher is 2nd hand of course, L&S management HATES to spend money and this one was surplussed by UP and still ran so they grabbed it up. 

Have a nice weekend everyone.  Remember all those people who gave their lives today on D-Day and created the world we know today.

Don

@trumpettrain posted:

Good morning fellow switcher fans!!  As usual, you guys are posting some wonderful pics, videos, and info this morning.... and my eyes are feasting on what you guys have posted!  

JHZ563 - thanks for notching out the throttle and getting us rolling this morning. Love those critters! 

Andy - that little 30 ft. railroad is really cool!  Would make for a great modeling project for sure.  

Melgar - Nice pics!  I'm sure that 10 wheelers were pressed into switching service at some point in their careers.

RSJB -  Thanks for the tribute to the BL-2!  I definitely share your thoughts regarding this locomotive.  For me it was love at first sight.  I did HO modeling for a short stint and this is when I discovered the BL-2.  As a matter of fact it was a C&O BL-2 ( My second HO locomotive purchase ) and I thought the livery, the design of the locomotive was just fabulous ... and still do!   The Western Maryland livery however does not do enough to accentuate  the beautiful design lines of he BL-2.  IMHO the WM livery is the least attractive livery of all the railroads who purchased the BL-2.   Since Western Maryland is part of the theme of my railroad and number 81 resides at the B&O Museum which is close to where I live,  I include it as part of the Free State Junction Railway.  

STEAM CRAZY - I  love that 80 year old locomotive!!  ... BILL T. - nice variety of switchers! ... TNKMARX - very fine photos! ...TOM DENSEL - great photos from the IRM!  Is that an Army 44 tonner?...  RICH - Love your flashback to 2015!  

Here is my contribution for this week.  I begin with two photos of the WM BL2 81 inspired by RSJB's post today.   These locos were first assigned by the WM to pusher service and ended their careers in the Hagerstown yard service semi coupled to a slug.  WM owned two BL2 locos later numbered 81 and 82.  These photos are of 81 as it arrived new on the FSJR property from EMD.:-)

A Plymouth pulls ore cars out of the tunnel as a Dockside pulls a logging train over the bridge in background. 

SW9 makes its way through Butler Junction. 

Maryland short lines switcher line up.  The only one of these railroads still in operation today is the Canton. 

Have a wonderful week everyone!  Be healthy and be safe! 

TT, like you, I love the BL2 . It’s design was way ahead of its time. I have the GM Demonstrator Unit from Williams and it is a beauty. I wish more roads had used the BL2 to give modelers a greater choice of liveries to run on their layouts. Maybe one of the manufacturers should do some “what ifs” for the engine. That would be neat!  

@Dave Warburton posted:

TT, like you, I love the BL2 . It’s design was way ahead of its time. I have the GM Demonstrator Unit from Williams and it is a beauty. I wish more roads had used the BL2 to give modelers a greater choice of liveries to run on their layouts. Maybe one of the manufacturers should do some “what ifs” for the engine. That would be neat!  

Got that one too

BAR GP7, your modeling of Maine railroads is still the best I've seen!  What is the structure behind Cape Shark Potatoes?

@Steam Crazy posted:

BAR GP7, your modeling of Maine railroads is still the best I've seen!  What is the structure behind Cape Shark Potatoes?

Steam Crazy. Thank you very much. I really appreciate your nice words. Behind the Cape Shark Potatoes building you can see some small chemical industry.

Johan

@RSJB18 posted:

Got that one too

That be the one! As I said, a beauty. Thanks for posting the pic!

I’m a BL2 fan, too.  Here’s my WBB B&M model.

OK. Since we’re onto BL-2 locomotives, here is mine… But I happen to think it’s weird-looking…

MELGAR

@MELGAR posted:

OK. Since we’re onto BL-2 locomotives, here is mine… But I happen to think it’s weird-looking…

MELGAR

I can admit my own opinions on the aesthetics of this loco are not too complimentary.   

@MELGAR posted:

OK. Since we’re onto BL-2 locomotives, here is mine… But I happen to think it’s weird-looking…

@jhz563 posted:

I can admit my own opinions on the aesthetics of this loco are not too complimentary.   

I think EMD's BL2 is pretty neat considering it is the company's first attempt at a diesel road switcher, leading the way to its GP series.  EMD still wanted the "car body" look of its F series but also needed a design where the engineer could see the train and a safe place for the brakemen/switchmen.  The BL2 was the compromise.  However, the limitations of this design soon became apparent and the GP was born.

@CAPPilot posted:

I think EMD's BL2 is pretty neat considering it is the company's first attempt at a diesel road switcher, leading the way to its GP series.  EMD still wanted the "car body" look of its F series but also needed a design where the engineer could see the train and a safe place for the brakemen/switchmen.  The BL2 was the compromise.  However, the limitations of this design soon became apparent and the GP was born.

Gotta break a few eggs if you want to make an omelette!

As a model locomotive, on a model railroad, and especially on SWSAT II, I think a BL-2 is interesting to see and run. However, as a practical matter, I think the design has some disadvantages that may have contributed to its demise – but I certainly am not an expert on this. First, there are no front and rear cab doors, walkways or access doors on the side of the body, so entry, inspection and servicing are inconvenient. I also do not like the styling. The large curved panel ahead of the cab contrasts with the long, straight, angled panel behind the cab. And the straight, riveted seams on the side panel (are they structural beams?) don’t fit well with the shapes above. Too many lines… Of course, just my opinion. However, I think SWSAT II should designate a “BL-2 Saturday” where these fine locomotives should be displayed…

MELGAR

@MELGAR, first a non switcher on your switcher Saturday post,  then excess love for the BL-2?  It's anarchy I tell you!!!  

No more non-switchers. I promise. But you're gonna get tired of seeing my BL-2....

MELGAR

silver lake,  are those the ones that roll along the top of gondolas to unload ties?

@wb47 posted:

silver lake,  are those the ones that roll along the top of gondolas to unload ties?

I am really not sure. Could be.

Some pics and a video of a non-switcher/BL2 - a #50 Gang Car "Critter" that needs some riders.

@MELGAR posted:

No more non-switchers. I promise. But you're gonna get tired of seeing my BL-2....

MELGAR

MELGAR - I know of times that prototypical railroads used EMD E 7/8s in switcher service as well as RDC units pressed into switcher service during down time between commuter runs. N&W used Y6's to switch hoppers on mine runs.   There is no rule that says other kinds of locomotives other than the typical locomotive built for the exclusive purpose of switching can't do switching tasks.  As far as I'm concerned you are right on target with you latest post

No worries gents. I've got plenty of other true switchers to keep us entertained.

@MELGAR posted:

No more non-switchers. I promise. But you're gonna get tired of seeing my BL-2....

MELGAR

I for one will never tire of the BL-2!  Bring it on MELGAR!

@MELGAR posted:

 However, I think SWSAT II should designate a “BL-2 Saturday” where these fine locomotives should be displayed…

MELGAR

I totally agree!