Switcher Saturday November 25, 2023- Black Friday Weekend Edition

Why am I on my computer at this hour of the night? Good question.

My model of Boston & Maine GP7 #1562 was made by Sunset Models/3rd Rail in 2021 with MSRP $699.95. It is highly detailed, has fixed pilots, and is powered by a horizontally-mounted Canon Motor that drives the wheels through a toothed belt. It has ERR Cruise, TMCC, EMD GP Prime Mover sounds and a smoke system. I run it conventionally on Atlas O-54 curves and switches. Slow-speed operation and acceleration are very smooth.

The Boston & Maine Railroad had 23 GP7s. #1562 was delivered in 1950. It had 1500 horsepower and ran short hood forward. B&Ms GP7s were configured specifically for freight or passenger service. Passenger versions, such as B&M #1562, had an extended compartment at the rear of the long hood that housed train lighting equipment for commuter service and a steam generator in the short hood for train heating. Freight versions did not have the extended electrical compartment. Sunset’s model of B&M #1562 is the only O gauge GP7 I’ve seen that models the electrical compartment (see last photo).

General Motors Electro-Motive Division produced 2,729 GP7s between October 1949 and May 1954. They were powered by an EMD 567B V16 2-stroke diesel engine that ran between 275 and 800 RPM. Their weight was 246,000 pounds and maximum speed was 65 miles-per-hour. Continuous tractive effort was 40,000 pounds at 9.3 miles-per-hour, and 65,000 pounds for starting.

Diesel locomotives in commuter service on the B&M were eventually replaced by Budd RDC Railcars and the GP7s were transferred to freight service. Photos and videos show the model pulling freight cars on my 10’-by-5’ model railroad at a scale speed of 10 miles-per-hour.

MELGAR

Happy Thanksgiving weekend.  Introducing the new addition to the switcher lineup.  Growing up in Richmond Va, I would always study the activities at the RF&P Acca Yard while passing on I64 as my Dad drove us to and from home.  I always looked for the switchers with the strange white caps on their exhaust stacks.  They looked out of place, but grabbed my attention.  Years later I learned they were spark arrestors and why they were installed.

Last year Russell at Tiny Tim’s in Ashland, Va committed to a custom run of MTH SW1200.  He  offered  RF&P #81 and #84, two models of the switchers I often saw with my Dad.  We were both excited and ordered one of each for us.  The one issue was MTH was not willing to add the white spark arrestors that we remember.  While waiting I found a possible substitute on a webpage called Shapeways, which print 3D objects on request.  I ordered a batch of 4 spark arrestors and waited for the arrival.

The estimated delivery date came and went, but we were patient  knowing it will be worth the wait.  Just a month ago, I discussed with my Dad the recent rumors that the Railking SW1200 run was in the U.S.  A few days later my Dad passed suddenly and unexpectedly.

last weekend I took a break from our  new reality by renting a table with my son at the Virginia TCA train sale to sell and possibly buy some items in our collections.  As usual, Russell from Tiny Tim’s had a few tables.  Included in his inventory were the two switchers we had been waiting for that had just arrived from MTH.

I explained how the long awaited preorder was now bittersweet due to the passing of my Dad.  Russell kindly offered to cancel one of my preorders.  But in discussions with my son, we agreed to honor our commitment and he would keep his Grandfather’s last train order for his collection.

The good news was the paint came out great and the 3D printed spark arrestors I purchased could be modified to work.  Even though it’s a Railking product with no smoke and less details we now each have a model that we will cherish and will always remind us of the hobby that three generations of our family enjoyed together.

It's November 20, 1951 and this NY Central RS3 diesel switcher is hauling passengers in Pullman green Madison Heavyweights on the Adirondack Railway (listen to the announcement):

That diesel switcher running on DCS on my layout is actually an MTH PS3 purchased from Forum Sponsor, JR Junction Trains and Hobbies.

Thanks, Bob, for so enthusiastically starting this edition of Switcher Saturday in the wee hours of this morning.

Arnold

Happy Switcher Saturday!  We’re traveling this Thanksgiving so here is something from the archives - two beautiful tinplate switchers from Black Friday past (we always bought our Christmas tree and set up the trains on the Friday after Thanksgiving) -

-

@MELGAR- I don't think I've ever seen a Geep with the long hood squared off like that Mel. Nice that Sunset got the detailing right.

@jstraw124- Sharp looking engine. I'm sure getting them is bitter sweet at the moment but now you and your son have a great way to honor your family's love of trains.

@Arnold D. Cribarii - I'm up late anyway Arnold so it's not a big deal to start the thread up. I usually write the thread on Friday and save it as a draft to publish after midnight.

Bob

Good morning Switcher Saturday friends!  I was not up early but we are off to get our tree today.  That means a train will be running around the tree soon!

Another MTH Alco S2 of mine on the layout this morning.

@RSJB18 posted:

@Arnold D. Cribarii - I'm up late anyway Arnold so it's not a big deal to start the thread up. I usually write the thread on Friday and save it as a draft to publish after midnight.

Bob

Bob, I usually do the same thing with STEAMday Sunday. Arnold

Good morning, SwSat faithful!  Today I’m looking forward to sharing images of my visit yesterday to the Belfast & Moosehead RR in Unity, ME.

It was a family visit with my wife, daughter and grandson, Isaac (not quite six, but already a rail fan).  We took the “Santa’s Sunset Limited” train behind GP9 no. 8231.  Santa was on board and distributed gifts to all the kids.

No. 8231 is on of two GP9s that we saw (the other is 1483).  8231 is an ex Canadian Pacific unit with a chopped short hood.  Also seen was a SwSat favorite, GE 70 tonner no. 50, but my favorite sighting was beautifully restored Maine Central snowplow no. 74.

John

@RSJB18 posted:

@MELGAR- I don't think I've ever seen a Geep with the long hood squared off like that Mel. Nice that Sunset got the detailing right.

@jstraw124- Sharp looking engine. I'm sure getting them is bitter sweet at the moment but now you and your son have a great way to honor your family's love of trains.

@Arnold D. Cribarii - I'm up late anyway Arnold so it's not a big deal to start the thread up. I usually write the thread on Friday and save it as a draft to publish after midnight.

Bob

Bob, the added sheet metal work housed two 110v generators that provided lights and low voltage electric for fans, ect. They were an add on for some passenger GP7 and GP9s.

I am working on adding a kit to a MTH GP to simulate the generator housing…not done fitting it yet…

Tom

A New York,Ontario and Western NW-2 Switcher spots a New Haven boxcar at the Rubulotta Mattress Factory  in the Scranton PA section of my layout. The factory is named for my good friend Andy Rubilotta who was once National sSles Manager for Seely Bedding.

Just noticed: I should have said Belfast and  Moosehead LAKE RR.

John

Delaware & Hudson diesel switcher and heavy coal loads heading Northbound to Bill Park's gorgeous NY Ontario & Western and New Haven railroads and layout:

Arnold

Arnold, I like your video of your NYC GP7, but I’m not sure it’s the video you intended to post.

John

Good morning fellow switcher fans!!   I hope everyone had a wonderful Thanksgiving!  

Thanks Bob for notching out the throttle to get SWSAT rolling in the wee hours of this morning.  WOW 60 plus switchers!  That's quite remarkable ... what a fleet and quite a feat!!  MELGAR - Thanks so much for the narrative on the B&A GP7!  Quite interesting!  AND Tom ( Krieglok ) that is a great looking kit bash and thanks for the info about the Conrail GP7 too!  Arnold - Great looking ALCO!  ... Was the Adirondack Railroad a subsidiary of the NYC?   John ( Steamcrazy) - love that Russel snow plow!!  Glad your grandson has a fascination with trains and that you got a chance to visit the Belfast & Moosehead Lake RR and ride the Santa train too!

Here are some  images taken last night of a transfer freight powered by a consist of Canton Railroad SW1500,  SW1500 calf, and a Patapsco & Back Rivers VO1000.  All units are MTH RailKing Scale Proto 3 and the two end cab switchers are powered.  The train is 26 cars long, which is a bit long for my layout ... however I love long mixed freights!  

Westbound transfer extra number 1 from Easton Yard exits Northeast tunnel.  A total of 4,000 hp powers this transfer job.  In the distance up on the bridge is a B&O C-16 Docksider at the point of a short freight.  

Brakeman Otto Klemperer rides the front deck of Canton 1501.  

From up on the hill company photographer I.C. Thrulenz got this shot of the power consist as it slowly moves through Patsburg.

While stopped for a red signal, Otto has moved to the rear deck as he remembered an incident that happened this time of year a few years back.   A short transfer freight he was assigned to came face to face with a large herd of Moose standing on the track.  They were the largest moose that o'l Otto's eyes had ever seen!  As the train approached, doing about 20 miles per hour, the engineer kept blowing the horn but the Moose would not budge.  Instead all those moose stood on the tracks  and daringly eyeballed the train with what Otto interpreted as total disdain!   Otto began to panic as the engineer slowed to a stop.  Here he was on the front deck of an EMD BL2  switcher with no side walkway from the front deck to the cab.  That's when Otto, remembered hearing a singer songwriter named Arnold Cribari a few months ago.   Arnold  came to the railroad YMCA to entertain the fellers and had written a song called "Clear Tracks Ahead" which he sang on that memorable evening at the Y.  Now Otto, also a musician like Arnold, had his guitar with him on the front deck.  As Otto grabbed his guitar, the words of "Clear Tracks Ahead' popped into his brain just as clear as a bell!   Otto strummed a few chords as the Moose all looked on with bewildered curiosity.   He then began to sing "Clear Tracks Ahead".  As Otto sang, the Moose began to vacate the track,  just as the seas parted for Moses.  The Moose all seemed appreciative, as Otto sang.  The hogger gave two short toots of the horn and began ringing the bell with o'l Otto singing "Clear Tracks Ahead" while standing on the front deck of the locomotive.   The train rolled by the Moose at just a few miles per hour.   Unfortunately Otto had not brought his guitar along on this present trip,  so a move to the rear deck was definitely in order!

The power consist exits Southwest Tunnel.  The bare  lot in the foreground is where the old Brewtown neighborhood once stood.   A contractor's truck and some employee's mill around through the brush.  It won't be long now before new construction will begin in this space.  

A Canton RR caboose brings up the rear of the transfer freight.  THE END!

@jstraw124- Great switcher and I love the RF&P.  I worked for many years in "Crystal City" just a few blocks down from the large RF&P yard in Alexandria, watching trains at lunchtime was a neat activity.

Today's post is a mix of era's, first the very recent 0-6-0 Lionel Tank Engine from 2021.  This one has a lot of new features including smoke, whistle, etc .  Shown here moving a Galveston Wharves (we live in central Texas about 250 miles from Galveston) Lionel boxcar.

The Lionel "Scout" #1061 from 1964 &1969 made as both an 0-4-0 and a 2-4-2  These plastic Scout engines with their fully enclosed motor and no features (this one does not even have reverse) have a poor reputation for reliability but this little gal works my small layout with no problems.

Best Wishes Everyone.  Thanks Bob for getting us started early today!

Don

Good morning SWSAT crew!

Penn Central RS-11 7608 (Lionel) is in charge of the local this morning.  The crew stops to pick up a flatcar before continuing their journey:

Have a great week!

Tom

What an excellent group of switchers everyone has posted do far today.  I have been absent from Switcher Saturday for a while, but I have one to post that just arrived yesterday.  I wasn't in the buying mode, but I couldn't pass this one up.  It is a RailKing 0-6-0 in Pittsburgh & West Virginia livery.  I bought it from Forum member Sid who replaced the PS2 5-volt board with a 3-volt board and added a few extras.  I still need to add a crew in the cab.  I have only fired it up and ran it back and forth to make sure everything works, which I fully expected to have no issues.  Yes Arnold, I need to post it on Steam Sunday as well!!  Maybe get some better photographs and a video would be in order.

Santa Fe GP7

Here's a series of videos documenting the movement of the transfer freight which was the topic of my post from earlier today.  To view click on links below.  

Top video - Transfer locomotive consist exits Easterly Tunnel.  

Second video - Consist enters Westend Tunnel.  

Third video - Consist exits Southwestend Tunnel.

Fourth video - caboose brings up the rear.  

@trumpettrain posted:

Here's a series of videos documenting the movement of the transfer freight which was the topic of my post from earlier today.  To view click on links below.  

Top video - Transfer locomotive consist exits Easterly Tunnel.  

Second video - Consist enters Westend Tunnel.  

Third video - Consist exits Southwestend Tunnel.

Fourth video - caboose brings up the rear.  

Patrick, that’s quite the scrap yard in the second video.

Gene

Thanks to Bob for taking the trainmaster's seat and dispatching "Small Business" SWSAT today! And, HAPPY ANNIVERSARY! Speaking of small (but mighty!) here's my RMT/Aristocraft "Bang S-4" in PRR DGLE ready to move out:

This loco was originally made as the ALCo S2 by Sanda Kan in China for K-Line. Sanda Kan eventually acquired K-Line when the latter filed for bankruptcy. As subcontractor for then-also-bankrupt Lionel, Sanda Kan licensed the K-Line tooling back to the reorganized Lionel and manufactured "K-Line by Lionel" for several years. During this period, many lower-priced, but fine-running Lionel locomotives were produced featuring the almost prototypical horizontal "motor-in-truck" design pioneered by K-Line. When the Lionel license expired, Sanda Kan sold the tooling rights to, among others, RMT/Aristocraft and, with a few minor tooling changes to the shell and electronics "upgrades," the "Bang S-4" was born. "K-Line" still appears on a number of the molded parts of this locomotive.

As our trainmaster today @RSJB18 has noted, these locos really fly, even at low throttle settings. Since I have not wired mine in series as he has, I have to run with a pretty big train:

This is at only at 3.5V mind you. Ain't that horn sweet?

Happy anniversary Bob! Great stuff as always guys! #465 spotting an REA and box car for the freight dock.

Andy

Good evening SWSat lovers.  Got home in time to still post on Saturday.

Lots of diesels this week.  Here is one of mine, my first MTH diesel DCS engine, a RK SW-1 for $240 in 2008. 

Happy Black Friday Weekend everyone, and Happy anniversary Bob!

Today is my K-Line B&O Plymouth Switcher

@trumpettrain posted:

Good morning fellow switcher fans!!   I hope everyone had a wonderful Thanksgiving!  

Thanks Bob for notching out the throttle to get SWSAT rolling in the wee hours of this morning.  WOW 60 plus switchers!  That's quite remarkable ... what a fleet and quite a feat!!  MELGAR - Thanks so much for the narrative on the B&A GP7!  Quite interesting!  AND Tom ( Krieglok ) that is a great looking kit bash and thanks for the info about the Conrail GP7 too!  Arnold - Great looking ALCO!  ... Was the Adirondack Railroad a subsidiary of the NYC?   John ( Steamcrazy) - love that Russel snow plow!!  Glad your grandson has a fascination with trains and that you got a chance to visit the Belfast & Moosehead Lake RR and ride the Santa train too!

Here are some  images taken last night of a transfer freight powered by a consist of Canton Railroad SW1500,  SW1500 calf, and a Patapsco & Back Rivers VO1000.  All units are MTH RailKing Scale Proto 3 and the two end cab switchers are powered.  The train is 26 cars long, which is a bit long for my layout ... however I love long mixed freights!  

Westbound transfer extra number 1 from Easton Yard exits Northeast tunnel.  A total of 4,000 hp powers this transfer job.  In the distance up on the bridge is a B&O C-16 Docksider at the point of a short freight.  

Brakeman Otto Klemperer rides the front deck of Canton 1501.  

From up on the hill company photographer I.C. Thrulenz got this shot of the power consist as it slowly moves through Patsburg.

While stopped for a red signal, Otto has moved to the rear deck as he remembered an incident that happened this time of year a few years back.   A short transfer freight he was assigned to came face to face with a large herd of Moose standing on the track.  They were the largest moose that o'l Otto's eyes had ever seen!  As the train approached, doing about 20 miles per hour, the engineer kept blowing the horn but the Moose would not budge.  Instead all those moose stood on the tracks  and daringly eyeballed the train with what Otto interpreted as total disdain!   Otto began to panic as the engineer slowed to a stop.  Here he was on the front deck of an EMD BL2  switcher with no side walkway from the front deck to the cab.  That's when Otto, remembered hearing a singer songwriter named Arnold Cribari a few months ago.   Arnold  came to the railroad YMCA to entertain the fellers and had written a song called "Clear Tracks Ahead" which he sang on that memorable evening at the Y.  Now Otto, also a musician like Arnold, had his guitar with him on the front deck.  As Otto grabbed his guitar, the words of "Clear Tracks Ahead' popped into his brain just as clear as a bell!   Otto strummed a few chords as the Moose all looked on with bewildered curiosity.   He then began to sing "Clear Tracks Ahead".  As Otto sang, the Moose began to vacate the track,  just as the seas parted for Moses.  The Moose all seemed appreciative, as Otto sang.  The hogger gave two short toots of the horn and began ringing the bell with o'l Otto singing "Clear Tracks Ahead" while standing on the front deck of the locomotive.   The train rolled by the Moose at just a few miles per hour.   Unfortunately Otto had not brought his guitar along on this present trip,  so a move to the rear deck was definitely in order!

The power consist exits Southwest Tunnel.  The bare  lot in the foreground is where the old Brewtown neighborhood once stood.   A contractor's truck and some employee's mill around through the brush.  It won't be long now before new construction will begin in this space.  

A Canton RR caboose brings up the rear of the transfer freight.  THE END!

Great story, Patrick! Doesn't Otto also serve as a conductor somewhere?

Bill while your Bang may not be rolling at prototypically slow speeds I find that speed to  be appealing to me.  Reminds me of running trains as a kid.

Patrick, your entertaining stories of your little people on your layout might be good material for writing a very entertaining book, maybe for children as well as adults. Arnold

@Bill Swatos posted:

<snip> ...Speaking of small (but mighty!) here's my RMT/Aristocraft "Bang S-4" in PRR DGLE ready to move out:

OH my! Now THAT looks pretty stinkin' good for a shrunken "Traditional" sized switcher! Looks perfect for 6464 sized boxcars (which would be my largest boxcars.) IF I ever need to up-size my model trains (eyesight/dexterity)... THAT could be a switcher platform for my "Traditional sized" 3 rail tastes.

Does series wiring noticeably improve it's slow speed performance?

Andre

@Arnold D. Cribari posted:

Patrick, your entertaining stories of your little people on your layout might be good material for writing a very entertaining book, maybe for children as well as adults. Arnold

Thank you so much for your encouragement Arnold!  I genuinely appreciate it   I totally enjoy creating the stories here on the OGR Forum!  

  In this current edition of SWSAT, the authentic impulse to write this story came to me in the moment as I posted the series of photos to the thread.   I had no plan to write a story before posting.  The "muse" struck in the moment so to speak.  ( This has been my process with all the other stories I've written here on OGR Forum too over the years too! &nbsp The story just flowed out of me.  In those moments of writing,  I recalled your OGR Forum topic "Semi-Retiring from Model Railroading" and how you stated you were focusing your energies into your talents as a singer/songwriter.  With that recall, working you into my story was a natural thing to do, plus it made the story more relatable because most of us on the OGR Forum know about your singer/songwriter talent.  

As a classically trained  musician who also improvises, with no plan I create music in the moment ( making it up as I go ) and that process pretty much goes for my story writing as well.  Some concerts that I've done with my chamber music improvisation groups involve viewing  images that we've never seen before and improvising music as we view the images.   When posting on the forum, I chose an images and/or several images.  Suddenly a story which ties all the images together begins pouring out of me.

Your encouragement today reminds me that several folks from the OGR Forum have emailed and or messaged me encouraging me to write book of stories with my photos.    I began compiling stories during the summer of 2022 but have "sidetracked" ( pun intended ) the project due to not having enough time.  My problem is that I have too many interests .. lol!!   As I'm not getting any younger,  I have a lot more track miles behind me than in front of me ... I now need to get the project back off the siding and on the mainline!

Mega thanks Arnold!!

Patrick, one day we will do some music together, probably related to model trains and real trains.

The "muse" that you experience writing your charming Forum train stories that you dream up on the spot, reminds me of the muse that I experience dreaming up Forum topics and titles for them, and that is very similar to dreaming up subjects and titles for songs.

John Lennon was quoted as saying deciding on a good subject for a song is half the battle in writing a song.

Speaking about our various interests, which obviously includes model trains and music, as a senior in college I read a classical literature book or play entitled Candide by Voltaire. It has a very powerful image and idea that can be the basis for a joyful life. That image/idea is: Cultivate Your Garden.

Literally, to cultivate one's garden, meaning a garden with vegetables and/or flowers, can be a very good thing. Metaphorically, to cultivate one's garden is profound and can be transformative in a very positive way.

I don't know if you, Patrick, are mindful of this image/idea, but you, and many other of our Forum friends, are doing it and, as a result, are better able to live a life filled with joi de vive.

Arnold

@laming posted:

OH my! Now THAT looks pretty stinkin' good for a shrunken "Traditional" sized switcher! Looks perfect for 6464 sized boxcars (which would be my largest boxcars.) IF I ever need to up-size my model trains (eyesight/dexterity)... THAT could be a switcher platform for my "Traditional sized" 3 rail tastes.

Does series wiring noticeably improve it's slow speed performance?

Andre

Yes it does Andre. Makes a big enough difference to be worth the time to take the engine apart. The wiring is simple to change. I've done all of my K-lines and a couple dual-motor Williams with great success. This NW-2 is running at about 7v after changing the wiring.

Bob

@laming posted:

OH my! Now THAT looks pretty stinkin' good for a shrunken "Traditional" sized switcher! Looks perfect for 6464 sized boxcars (which would be my largest boxcars.) IF I ever need to up-size my model trains (eyesight/dexterity)... THAT could be a switcher platform for my "Traditional sized" 3 rail tastes.

Does series wiring noticeably improve it's slow speed performance?

Andre

Thanks, Andre! I forgot to mention that RMT modeled this "Bang S-4" after ALCo's S4 prototype and, as you correctly observe, she is about 6 scale feet shorter than she should be. Width and height are nearly scale, though, as is the case with many "027 scale" locomotives and, notably, passenger cars.

On another subject, your narrative of railroading in the Ozarks inspired me to take a "Google Maps" journey to each of the two highest points in that beautiful and historic region of our great country!

@RSJB18 posted:

Yes it does Andre. Makes a big enough difference to be worth the time to take the engine apart. The wiring is simple to change. I've done all of my K-lines and a couple dual-motor Williams with great success. This NW-2 is running at about 7v after changing the wiring.

Bob

Bob - Williams NW2s just glide, don’t they?

Patrick, and Mel, and many others, sometimes I don’t know if I’m on OGR, or taking a combination creative writing and the history of American Railroads Internet course! Both foci add a distinct additional layer of enjoyment!