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Even though my layout isn’t finished, having operational loops/control systems opens to layout up to modular group colleagues who acquire new engines, but have no place to test them.

Modular group colleague Bill brought two new MTH engines over for a spin. An Alco C&O RS unit and an L&N Century unit.

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I believe the L&N unit is a custom run from MrMuffin…..

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Neither engine objected to pulling a few Atlas Trainman New York Central 60’ heavyweights.

Peter

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New York Central Railroad P-2b box cab electric motor #223 is an MTH Premier model (20-5507-1, MSRP $599.95) delivered with PS1 in December 1999. It’s a large, heavy die-cast model in New York Central’s “lightning-stripe” livery. I’ve been running it for more than 23 years and replaced the battery with a BCR shortly after I bought it.

The 22 P-1a electric motors began service in 1929 and pulled passenger trains through downtown Cleveland under catenary on the 3000-volt DC Cleveland Union Terminal electrification between Collinwood and Linndale, Ohio for 20 years. In 1951, the New York Central converted a P-1a in its Harmon Shops to operate on 660-volt DC third rail and tested it for possible use in its New York electrified zone. In 1955, #223 became the first of 20 units converted to P-2b to haul passenger trains between Grand Central Terminal and Croton-Harmon in New York, where they remained in service until being scrapped in 1972. The P-2bs weighed 388,000 pounds, developed about 3,000 horsepower, and had a tractive effort of 40,800 pounds at 39 miles-per-hour and 28,800 pounds at 55.5 miles-per-hour. Their maximum speed was 70 miles-per-hour. The P-1 and P-2 classes had a 2-C+C-2 wheel arrangement that was later adopted for the New Haven EP-3 and Pennsylvania GG1 electric motors.

Photos and videos show #223 running on my 12’-by-8’ model railroad pulling three heavyweight lightning-stripe passenger cars by MTH.

MELGAR

MELGAR_2024_0311_15_NYC_223_12X8_SOUTH_WEEKEND_FEF_0411MELGAR2_2024_0311_10_NYC_223_12X8_NE_TRAIN_WEEKEND_0411

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  • MELGAR2_2024_0311_10_NYC_223_12X8_NE_TRAIN_WEEKEND_0411
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MELGAR2_2024_0311_19V_NYC_223_12X8_SOUTH_23S_WEEKEND_0411
MELGAR2_2024_0311_20V_NYC_223_12X8_NORTH_14S_WEEKEND_0411
MELGAR2_2024_0311_22V_NYC_223_12X8_BRIDGE_25S_WEEKEND_0411

Only one of these beast was made.  The designers' goal for the Q1 was for it to be a fast freight engine.  Since Pennsy management was into duplexes and did not like articulated engines, how do you get lots of power and with the big drivers needed for speed?  Well, you put the cylinders at opposite ends of a huge boiler so you don't have a gap between the drive engines - allowing bigger drivers.  Unfortunately, that made the firebox too small for the large boiler, and soot fouled the piston rod.  On future engines they put the rear cylinders in the traditional location, installed slightly smaller drivers, and called it a Q2.  The Q2 became one of the best steam engines made.

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3rd Rail Q1 with factory TMCC.

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Q1 pulling freight
Last edited by CAPPilot

Since this is the prelim to York week, a few old York pics from days gone by.......

Great memories from over the years! My 1st York was April 83.

Sadly, some are no longer with us......and, though I think of those who have departed us often.....I remember them especially each York week.....

Peter

So thankful you posted theses. GREAT men  and memories. That is what the hobby is about.

Since this is the prelim to York week, a few old York pics from days gone by.......

Great memories from over the years! My 1st York was April 83.

Sadly, some are no longer with us......and, though I think of those who have departed us often.....I remember them especially each York week.....

Peter

Nicely done with that album of photos from York Meets of the past. Some truly great modelers seen in those shots. Like you, I always think fondly of those who are no longer with us whenever I attend the meet. Hope to see you this coming week, my friend, even though I won't be there in time for breakfast (always a highlight of my visits).

Nicely done with that album of photos from York Meets of the past. Some truly great modelers seen in those shots. Like you, I always think fondly of those who are no longer with us whenever I attend the meet. Hope to see you this coming week, my friend, even though I won't be there in time for breakfast (always a highlight of my visits).

Thank you. Allan.

Peter

With York week fever running high, I made up three special trains featuring York and TCA cars, and posted a video below. The High Line has vintage Lionel Lines 224 bought by my wife’s late Grandfather on his return from Germany and WW2 in 1945, it’s pulling traditional cars with some being York or TCA themed. The Outer loop features a B&O EM-1 pulling 40 cars with some York and TCA cars included. The Inner loop features a tinplate O gauge PRR 256 pulling a PRR fleet of 700 series coaches…

n

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Last edited by Craignor

A bit late, but over the weekend I took the train up to Pittsburgh and visited my old club, the D.A.R.E. Model Railroad club in Venetia, PA. They were having an open house as part of the NMRA regional chapter meeting/convention or event on Sunday, 4/14. I "helped" by running some trains to relocate cars scattered across the layout by the kids during the previous Wednesday's running time. I took this photo at the wye near our Summit Yard, which I ran light to after dragging a ten car coal train from the McKees Rocks Mine to the power plant in Alcove. After reversing the power and the cabin, I picked up a pair of tanks and a buffer to fill out some spots at an industry in Finley.

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In our first expansion of the layout, the grade up the wall in the background did not exist; originally, the upper deck was intended to be served by the On30 line in the center of the layout, which connected to the upper level via a long ramp that passed through this cut. After the On30 project's champion left the club, other members removed the ramp, added the grade, and made the top deck into a standard-gauge yard. The wye was shoehorned in to the space formerly used by the On30 wye and connection, hence the tight radius and short tail track with an abrupt drop-off. Suffice to say that even if we weren't using O-42 curves on the grade from Alcove to Seipsville, we wouldn't be able to run any large full-scale steamers! This particular model is a Lionel TMCC PRR E6s Atlantic, I think it is from Lionel's second (of now four) runs of the "Lindbergh films" engine, one of our more recent donations.

WPRR track diagram

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Last edited by pittsburghrailfan

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