Switcher Saturday September 23, 2023

New York Central GP9 #6001 is an MTH Premier model (20-20549-1, MSRP $479.95, PS3) delivered in 2016. The detailing and lightning stripe paint scheme are outstanding.

General Motors Electro-Motive Division built 4,029 GP9 locomotives between 1954 and 1963. They had a 16-cylinder EMD 567C diesel motor with 1,750 horsepower, tractive effort of 64,750 pounds, and maximum speed of 65 miles-per-hour. Locomotive weight was 259,500 pounds. The motor idled at 275 RPM and developed full power at 835 RPM.

New York Central owned 126 GP9s, 99 in Class DRS-9 (freight) and 27 in Class DRSP-9 (passenger). #6001 was a freight version delivered in October 1956. Most NYC GP9s eventually went to Penn Central and Conrail.

Photos/videos show the engine running conventionally at 19 scale miles-per-hour on my 10’-by-5’ layout. It also runs well at lower speeds but then it takes more than one minute to make a circuit of the layout and the video exceeds the 100 Mb limit for upload to the forum, so I had to increase the speed.

MELGAR

Seen from Oak Ridge on the Gettysburg battlefield. This is an obvious short line moving a few cars. We are looking west, north of the town, into the fields where Howard’s 11th Corps came to grief on the 1st day of the battle.

Have a safe and great weekend, everyone. Be careful in the storm.

Peter

Happy SWSAT everyone. Bob enjoy the break I’m sure Mel and Patrick will do fine. Well it’s been 5 years this week that I Bought and custom painted “Buzz” which changed the whole Dynamics of my O Scale experience. Here’s some archive pics of his first run with the new livery. Enjoy your weekend.

Good morning, SwSat nation!  Lee, I agree with you, Mel and Patrick will do a fine job filling in for Bob.

Today we’ll see the military vehicle train - posted last Saturday- continue its journey to Fort Devens, MA on the B&M Ayer branch.  B&M has assigned EMD GP7 no. 1555 and Alco RS3 no. 1518 to this job.  It’s more power than needed; B&M may need it on a freight train being made up in Ayer for a return trip to Worcester, MA.

The B&M Fitchburg branch abuts Fort Devens.  The photo shows some GIs training on fort property next to the tracks.  The B&M crews always salute the soldiers with a blast of their horn or whistle!

John

K-line S-2 switcher moving some freight around, another job well done Bob!

Happy Switcher Saturday, everyone! These weeks sure go fast.  I’m still having a blast with my Vo1000 -

Happy SWSat everyone. Here is my Lionel 6-18813 O Gauge Duluth, Missabe & Iron Range SD-18 Diesel Loco #8813 from 1990, as it heads into a Super O turnout.  This was an uncataloged item that was made for a special order for JC Penney's Christmas catalog, which is when I ordered it. This engine features an operating diesel horn, metal wheels, operating headlight, and operating knuckle couplers, as well as Illuminated number plates.
Hopefully everyone on the east coast can stay dry and safe from Ophelia this weekend.

Good morning SWSAT crew!

Penn Central SW8 8616 (Atlas O) idles between the loading docks awaiting the next move: 

Have a great weekend, everyone!

Tom

It was a busy late summer day in the yard.

FS10

ES6

BS10

ES10

First three are MTH, last one Lionel.

MTH PS1 Burlington Northern diesel switcher hauling oil tankers:

Good afternoon fellow switcher fans!   I'm loving me some posts by all of you!!  Thanks Bob for being in the engineer's seat, notching out the throttle and getting us rolling today!   Have a delightful and safe weekend everyone!!  With all the rain here in the DC/ Baltimore area I plan to get some work done on my layout ... I've already been in the room for a couple hours this morning and plan to get back again this evening.

Today on the Free State Junction Railway we see the tender rear of C& O #75 .. 0-8-0 with back up light on as it eases backward toward a siding to give clearance to the west bound N&W Pocahontas ( headlight can be seen in tunnel portal ).  As soon as the 75 is in the hole, the J class 4-8 - 4 will pull forward and stop once  its cars reach the passenger platform.    Meanwhile a B&O SW9 with a long string of junk gons will remain stopped until the J class and its' train have departed the station heading westbound.  

Well hello SwSat fans, today I thought I might try my hand at some video's.  I am not too good at this so please excuse the obvious errors.  This is one of my favorite switchers, the WbB Union Pacific 44 Ton.  These little guys are just super on my very restrictive 0-27 inner freight loop and over my 0-27 switchers so they have become my normal engine on these lines.  By the way, thanks Bob for keeping us going and enjoy your break.  I know Mel and Patrick will do well and keep us moving.

Today I thought I would just include these video's I just took, learning my trade as a videographer so to speak.

Best wishes, hope your weekend is going well.

Don

Don, the videos look great!  Keep em coming!

John

@Don McErlean posted:

Well hello SwSat fans, today I thought I might try my hand at some video's.  I am not too good at this so please excuse the obvious errors.  This is one of my favorite switchers, the WbB Union Pacific 44 Ton.  These little guys are just super on my very restrictive 0-27 inner freight loop and over my 0-27 switchers so they have become my normal engine on these lines.  By the way, thanks Bob for keeping us going and enjoy your break.  I know Mel and Patrick will do well and keep us moving.

Today I thought I would just include these video's I just took, learning my trade as a videographer so to speak.

Best wishes, hope your weekend is going well.

Don

Don, fine job on the videos. Looking forward to many more.

Gene

@Don McErlean posted:

Well hello SwSat fans, today I thought I might try my hand at some video's.  I am not too good at this so please excuse the obvious errors.  This is one of my favorite switchers, the WbB Union Pacific 44 Ton.  These little guys are just super on my very restrictive 0-27 inner freight loop and over my 0-27 switchers so they have become my normal engine on these lines.  By the way, thanks Bob for keeping us going and enjoy your break.  I know Mel and Patrick will do well and keep us moving.

Today I thought I would just include these video's I just took, learning my trade as a videographer so to speak.

Best wishes, hope your weekend is going well.

Don

Don I think they look great you did well. Now make more lol. Have a great weekend

Videos look great Don, nice job!

Andy

0-6-0 #2015 placing a boxcar on the Jakobsen shipyard spur.

Andy

Bob, thank you for your stint as the Steward of SwSat. Very smooth. I look forward to Mel and Pat stepping up.

Railking:

@RSJB18 posted:

Happy SWSat!

Ready for another week of switcher fun                                     A little bit of housekeeping first..............

............. The thread is open to all gauges, shapes, and sizes, foreign or domestic, old or new, ..............Have a great weekend!          Bob

"  A little bit of housekeeping first "...........in the yard.........

.............cleaning out the OLD to make room for the NEW.............yikes.

Have a great SWSat and an enjoyable weekend all.

@Don McErlean posted:

Well hello SwSat fans, today I thought I might try my hand at some video's.  I am not too good at this so please excuse the obvious errors.                                 

................still looking for the obvious ERRORS  Don ..?!?!?!?

( looks great from Pa. sir.  )

HI SWSat Nation. I'm back with a video of my PC diesel. I didn't post one this morning because it needed to be serviced, no grease in the worm drive gears (details here).

@Don McErlean- great job on your videos Don. Keep 'em coming.

@Steamfan77- That's it! I'm ordering the new 0-6-0 from Trainland!

@Dallas Joseph- Hate to see a steamer heading out of the yard in a gondola. Any hope it's heading to a scenic railroad for restoration?

I want to thank everyone for your support while I've been your Yardmaster. I'll still be posting each week, I'll just be able to get some sleep!

Bob

Bob, thanks for keeping SWSAT rolling in John's absence.  You're doing a great job with a little help from your friends.  We are also thankful for those friends and their efforts.  I have a question about the high line of your layout.  I see some sections are only supported at the ends where sections are joined, do you notice any sagging or severe flexing of those sections?

@coach joe posted:

Bob, thanks for keeping SWSAT rolling in John's absence.  You're doing a great job with a little help from your friends.  We are also thankful for those friends and their efforts.  I have a question about the high line of your layout.  I see some sections are only supported at the ends where sections are joined, do you notice any sagging or severe flexing of those sections?

They did sag after a while Joe. I replaced 3 027 curves on that section last winter. Built the layout in 2016 so once every 7 years! 👍

Bob

@Don McErlean posted:

Well hello SwSat fans, today I thought I might try my hand at some video's.  I am not too good at this so please excuse the obvious errors.   

Today I thought I would just include these video's I just took, learning my trade as a videographer so to speak.

Don

Don,

I don't know what you are talking about!  These videos are perfect!  Every one brought a smile to my face as I watched them.  I'm looking forward to your next videos.  Keep up the good work!

Tom

Happy Switcher Saturday! Today is my B&M RS-3 PS2 Switching on my old layout.

A little evening switcher entertainment.

@RSJB18 posted:

. I didn't post one this morning because it needed to be serviced, no grease in the worm drive gears (details here).

@Dallas Joseph- Hate to see a steamer heading out of the yard in a gondola. Any hope it's heading to a scenic railroad for restoration?

I want to thank everyone for your support while I've been your Yardmaster. I'll still be posting each week, I'll just be able to get some sleep!

Bob

Need a billionaire to put the old steamer up on a scenic railroad Bob..........and a good service manager to make sure the worm gear gets greased.

Thanks for keeping this SWSat alive and well Bob..

Thanks to all those that share their pictures & videos here every week

Well, here's a SWSUN entry 'cuz I couldn't think of anything 'til now. My favorite BEEPs moving a shunt of my favorite reefers:

As some of you may remember, these three BEEPs were in a bad way when I got them as chassis last year. I got the shells from TrainWorld on closeout. Now they run like champs, here at 3.8V with the original much-maligned "1st Gen" boards RMT used. I run them with the shells "backwards" since the GEEPs they're based on run this way.

Like Charlie Brown's Christmas tree, all they needed was a little love (well, a lot really).

@Bill Swatos posted:

Well, here's a SWSUN entry 'cuz I couldn't think of anything 'til now. My favorite BEEPs moving a shunt of my favorite reefers:

As some of you may remember, these three BEEPs were in a bad way when I got them as chassis last year. I got the shells from TrainWorld on closeout. Now they run like champs, here at 3.8V with the original much-maligned "1st Gen" boards RMT used. I run them with the shells "backwards" since the GEEPs they're based on run this way.

Like Charlie Brown's Christmas tree, all they needed was a little love (well, a lot really).

Nice video Bill think you better start adding some shelfs for all that rolling stock on the table, or shore it up with all that weight   Mark

@Sitka posted:

Nice video Bill think you better start adding some shelfs for all that rolling stock on the table, or shore it up with all that weight   Mark

And putting the shelves up would allow for more loops of track on the tables......

This video popped up on my Youtube feed this morning. Pretty cool.

Who said center-cabs are a thing of the past.

Bob, that little engine video is WAY cool!  In addition to the center cab, there are tons on modeling ideas - loco frames only, locos with cabs but no prime mover (a possible use for a junker?), flats with trucks, a transfer table, construction equipment - the list goes on!

Do you know the maker and model number of the center cab?  Same for the red (passenger, I think) engines?

John

@RSJB18 posted:

HI SWSat Nation. I'm back with a video of my PC diesel. I didn't post one this morning because it needed to be serviced, no grease in the worm drive gears (details here).

@Don McErlean- great job on your videos Don. Keep 'em coming.

@Steamfan77- That's it! I'm ordering the new 0-6-0 from Trainland!

@Dallas Joseph- Hate to see a steamer heading out of the yard in a gondola. Any hope it's heading to a scenic railroad for restoration?

I want to thank everyone for your support while I've been your Yardmaster. I'll still be posting each week, I'll just be able to get some sleep!

Bob

Bob, #2015 is the Lionel engine. I had the MTH 0-6-0, but this one pulls better.

Andy

@Steamfan77 posted:

Bob, #2015 is the Lionel engine. I had the MTH 0-6-0, but this one pulls better.

Andy

So maybe I'll need both........

This is the new one being offered through TW

@Steam Crazy posted:

Bob, that little engine video is WAY cool!  In addition to the center cab, there are tons on modeling ideas - loco frames only, locos with cabs but no prime mover (a possible use for a junker?), flats with trucks, a transfer table, construction equipment - the list goes on!

Do you know the maker and model number of the center cab?  Same for the red (passenger, I think) engines?

John

The description said the video was filmed at the Wabtek/ GP plant in Erie. My guess is they are new commuter diesels.

@Genemed; @Steam Crazy; @lee drennen @Steamfan77; @Dallas Joseph; @RSJB18; @Tom Densel :  THANK YOU all for the comments on my switcher videos.  I am glad you liked them.  I will continue to try and improve my techniques but thanks for the comments.

Don

Don, you'll only get better from here on out.

Andy

@RSJB18 posted:

This video popped up on my Youtube feed this morning. Pretty cool.

Who said center-cabs are a thing of the past.

Thanks for sharing, Bob! The "drone" footage is amazing. I'd never seen a "transfer table" before but, if I ever get the space and skill, it would be fun to model one. From the East Erie Commercial Rail Road herald, it appears that that center cab is on contract to Wabtec. The video lists it as an EEC GE SL-85:

https://www.thedieselshop.us/GE_SLseries.HTML

They've been around since 1974. This one was nicely rebuilt.