"The Put" in O Gauge

Arnold,

Within the past year, I believe there was an article in MR about an HO "Put" layout.

MELGAR

I would think HO would likely be a proper gauge to realistically model the PUT.

The engine pictured below, while marked for the New Haven Railroad, is actually a Lionel Legacy model of a New York Central Class F 4-6-0 "Ten Wheeler" which type was used on the "Put" and also sold by Lionel. And Alco RS-3 "lightening stripe" diesels ran on the "Put" after steam was retired. So, O gauge models of engines that ran on the "Put" are available. I think my 10'-by-5' model railroad is similar to how an O gauge "Put" might look...

MELGAR

Peter (aka @Putnam Division) posted pics on the Real Train forum of a NYC 10 wheeler - forget if it was Lionel.

I had no idea what this thread was about until I read it; seems the title should read:

The "PUT" in O Gauge

Mark in Oregon

The MTH Starter set 4-6-0 is based on the NYC F12 if you are on a budget as well if you are willing to put up with some clunky detailing. It has been offered in at least 3 NYC accurate numbers over the years. The starter set 2-6-0 is based on an SP engine but passable for NYC as well.

Thanks to everyone who has contributed so far.

I think an historically accurate, or approximately historically accurate, layout modeling The Put could be very appealing for the following reasons:

There were iron ore mines in Brewster, NY. Models of such mines could be on the The Put model railroad. Iron ore could be loaded in Lionel ore dump cars and gondolas there, using the Lionel 282 gantry crane.

There were dairy farms in Northern Westchester County, including such farms in Yorktown Heights, which had a station along The Put. Lionel operating milk cars with the milk platform could be included there, as well as the operating Icing Station. There was a Borden Milk plant in Mt. Vernon, NY in Southern Westchester, so a model of that milk plant could appear on the layout.

Pocantico Hills had a gorgeous Victorian style train Station on The Put. The Lionel Rico station with refinements could be a centerpiece on The Put layout.

Another very interesting thing to model on The Put layout would be The Bronx station. Near there one could have models of both Yankee Stadium in the Bronx and the Polo Grounds across the waterway in Manhattan. Passengers would be transferred at the Bronx Station from The Put to the NY Central to go to Grand Central Station. 

Westchester County, where The Put was located, has beautiful scenery, with tree laden rolling hills and streams. Models of the Bronx River Parkway and Saw Mill River Parkway, which were built in the 1940s and 1950s, could be on the layout. 

Small steam engines and a 44 ton center cab diesel would be included in the motive power. The Put had passenger and freight service, running relatively short trains. Extra wide loads of freight was a specialty of The Put.

Arnold

There is a very nice HO scale rendition of the Put in the Town of Yorktown Museum

Arnold D. Cribari posted:

Westchester County, where The Put was located, has beautiful scenery, with tree laden rolling hills and streams. Models of the Bronx River Parkway and Saw Mill River Parkway, which were built in the 1940s and 1950s, could be on the layout. 

Arnold

Flooded or un-flooded??? 

Sorry Arnold... couldn’t resist   

But your point is well taken. As a regular visitor to Westchester the last few years, there is so much of interest to the modeler. Don’t forget the RR bridges!!! And I am sure someone could could pick a small portion of the division to model... my choice would be the connection to the Harlem Line at Goldens Bridge.

Here are 2 of my Lionel f12e "Put" 10 wheeler locomotives on my layout.

NYC Fan posted:

Here are 2 of my Lionel f12e "Put" 10 wheeler locomotives on my layout.

Beautiful bridge, layout and engines.

MELGAR

Apples55 posted:

Peter (aka @Putnam Division) posted pics on the Real Train forum of a NYC 10 wheeler - forget if it was Lionel.

It is!

Peter

When I first joined the forum, I think there was a post in real trains that I watched the video to. One of the videos after that had the Putnam Division featured in it for a bit. I don't remember if it was just about NYC steam or the Water Level Route.

Dave NYC Hudson PRR K4 posted:

When I first joined the forum, I think there was a post in real trains that I watched the video to. One of the videos after that had the Putnam Division featured in it for a bit. I don't remember if it was just about NYC steam or the Water Level Route.

Best video on the old Put came with Joe Sciavone's book trilogy on the line.

NY Central 10 Wheeler (4-6-0) hauling NY Central Pullman Green Madison Heavyweights passes by Yankee Stadium and the Sedgewick Avenue station along The Put:

The locomotive is a Lionel Legacy NY Central 10 Wheeler with whistle steam in command mode using the LionChief Universal Remote, and the passenger cars are MTH NY Central Madison Heavyweights. Arnold

Here is the same train with the Lionel NY Central Tugboat in the foreground:

Don’t forget the Putnam Valley Coal and Lumber that used to be in Elmsford

My grandfather worked there during the depression and subsequently lost his job during those years

Remember as a child seeing the Penn Central RS-3 by the old train station that subsequently became a restaurant

@NYC Fan posted:

Best video on the old Put came with Joe Sciavone's book trilogy on the line.

Agreed......Joe Sciavone's books are special and really tell the Put story in detail.

The Gallo & Kramer book is a good one volume book......The Putnam Division, New York's Bygone Route Through Westchester County

Another good book is Forgotten Railroads Through Westchester County by Robert Bang et al. It also includes another favorite of mine, The New York Westchester & Boston (and a few others like the Centrals Getty Square Branch in Yonkers).

Peter

@trainmankjm posted:

Don’t forget the Putnam Valley Coal and Lumber that used to be in Elmsford

My grandfather worked there during the depression and subsequently lost his job during those years

Remember as a child seeing the Penn Central RS-3 by the old train station that subsequently became a restaurant

Yes, The RS-3's! I remember playing little league baseball on Cook Field (now Redmond Field) in Yonkers. I was always in  strategically significant (???) right field, which usually gave me the chance to watch some slow moving Put freights just beyond the border of the field to the right-of-way. This was in the 1960's-70's. It was usually more fun than the games!

Tom

PS--If you have the Schiavone books, you should try to get the DVD/video "Walk the Put" where Joe went south to north on the Put explaining where the stations were, crossings, etc. Brian Vangor did the great filming and our friend @skip appears along with myself and a few others. WARNING, Do not view this while eating (just kidding). I think we worked in a few pictures onto the video of a derailment near Tuckahoe Rd. in Yonkers, too.

@PRR8976 posted:

PS--If you have the Schiavone books, you should try to get the DVD/video "Walk the Put" where Joe went south to north on the Put explaining where the stations were, crossings, etc. Brian Vangor did the great filming and our friend @skip appears along with myself and a few others. WARNING, Do not view this while eating (just kidding). I think we worked in a few pictures onto the video of a derailment near Tuckahoe Rd. in Yonkers, too.

We had a lot of fun on those Put Walks with Joe and Brian. Joe is surely missed.

I spent my very early years in Somers, Baldwin Place, Mahopac, Carmel and Brewster. Walked some of the roadbeds as a teen, not really knowing the history of them. I remember seeing boxcars in downtown Mahopac when I was very young. Wish I spent more time learning the history. I purchased the first two books from Joe around 2010 ish I think. Bought the third book recently off amazon. Have the dvd somewhere.