Western Roads Wednesday

Wow, this is a great topic as there’s a lot of beautiful Western Themed trains, and their paint schemes are fun to review. Happy Railroading Everyone

Well I am really short of time today but didn't want to let Western Roads Wed pass by...here are a couple of SP box cars for your review.  The first is Kline and the second is a Lionel early pw 6464.

Best Wishes, Don

A mixed Southern Pacific local freight train is dropping off anglers on a fishing excursion near Crows Landing, California.  Catfish Camp is on the edge of the San Joaquin River Delta and known for huge catfish and even bigger sturgeon.  The idea for Porky comes from the TV mini-series Lonesome Dove.

A contribution for the first week of December.  This one goes back to 2009 on the old Paradise and Pacific Railroad layout in Scottsdale before moving to the new building.

PW Lionel Union Pacific Alco

On the west bank of the Russian River near the Santa Rosa Laguna.  Have a great day, everyone.

Well with all the Christmas traffic, things are a little crowded on the main drag leading out of the industrial area and into Small Town, but the Leonardtown and Savannah has to keep things moving, especially when you are leasing a foreign road diesel like this UP 44 Ton .  Whew, those clearances are tight, especially to that tanker truck.  Cautious Bob, the senior man at the wheel of that loco, lives up to  his name (thank goodness) and keeps things moving (slooooowly!) to make sure the risk is contained.  Good 'ol Cautious, management knows they picked the right guy for this job!!

Best Wishes and Happy Holidays

Don

Well just to keep us going on this thread, here is a Kline Santa Fe boxcar.  This is one of their small 0-27cars that I like a lot because they fit with the size of my railroad.  Note that the large "S C" stands for shock control and is part of the logo for the advertisement for Santa Fe freight.

Best Wishes

Don

Some old and some new.  Most are reposts from other threads.  I didn't want to leave Don hanging here by himself!

Weaver Osgood Bradley coach in Cotton Belt.  One of about half a dozen railroads that used these cars.  More commonly referred to as "American Flyer" cars as Flyer offered these originally in 3/16" O gauge in 1939 and later were a staple in S.  Since the cars were produced in Massachusetts starting in 1934 and the New Haven purchased several of these, they were a big influence on American Flyer which was also in Massachusetts.  It is one of those instances where the catchy model name was adopted in the prototype world.  This particular car wore both the Daylight scheme and a more somber coach green with a silver roof.

The former California Zephyr coach-dome "Silver Lariat" was utilized by Union Pacific as part of their Operation Lifesaver train in 2004.  Along with former 10-6 sleeper "Silver Rapids", this car clearly shows it brief UP heritage.  The car is an Atlas car.

Later run MTH GE C40-9.  The tooling and detailing have been greatly enhanced from the original Protosounds version.

CB&Q Slumbercoach "Silver Slumber" ran on the Denver Zephyr.

Excuse the eastern invaders next to the ATSF FT in its original paint scheme prior to receiving the 2nd "cat whiskers" scheme with the bolder yellow paint.  The FT and the E7 in the foreground are 3rd Rail while the E8 in the background is a K-Line.

A line up of Railking FP45s that rotate in and out of my El Capitan set.

PW Lionel Santa Fe F3 PW Lionel aluminum passenger set

@GG1 4877 - Johnathan - Hey Mate, thanks for the rescue.  I really liked the little history of the Osgood Bradley coach, candidly I didn't realize that was what they were called, I always referred to them as American Flyer type coaches.  The history of that type was really interesting and new data to me.

@Sitka - thanks for coming along on the thread.  Great post.  That PW Santa Fe and aluminum cars represents a very fond and still clear memory for me about Christmas in like 1953.  I received that set from my parents.  What a day !  To say I was overwhelmed would be an understatement.

Best Wishes everyone

Don

@Don McErlean - Everyone refers to those cars as American Flyer cars, even on the prototype forums.  You are in good company!

The rest of the story is that Pullman bought Osgood Bradley in 1932 so technically they are Pullmans built in the Osgood Bradley plant in Worchester, MA.  What makes them unique for the time period was the use of Corten steel for the body panels and other changes which shaved 30 tons off the weight of an equivalent heavyweight coach of the times.  Of course, stainless steel passenger cars came within the next 4 years which were even lighter and more resistant to the elements.  The cars served into Penn Central, but none went to Amtrak. 

The New Haven came back to the same plant in the 1950's and they built similar shaped cars that had fluted stainless panels.  Some of those lasted into Amtrak through the 70's and others served MBTA until the late 1980's.  Those cars haven't been done in mass produced O scale.

As a builder, Osgood Bradley started building stagecoaches and sleighs in 1822 and later started building railway cars in 1835.  To keep it on topic, I'm not sure why western roads like KCS and Cotton Belt purchased these cars, because they were very regional with most of the cars going to New Haven and others going to Bangor and Aroostock and Lehigh Valley.  Decidedly NOT western roads.   However, since American Flyer as manufactured in New Haven, just literally down the tracks, a lot of these cars went by the plant and no doubt inspired A.C. Gilbert.

Now to get us back on topic after my diversion .... more Cotton Belt!  Those cars need motive power.  This is a K-Line RS-3.

@GG1 4877 posted:

Later run MTH GE C40-9.  The tooling and detailing have been greatly enhanced from the original Protosounds version.

Is that a Dash-9 or a Dash-8?

The Road Number, 800 seems to match Santa Fe, Dash-8 and Paul Graf from Atlas confirmed that the Premier Dash-9 rerun wouldn't have Gull-Wing cabs.

These are just my opinion,

Naveen Rajan

Here is the Kline #6442111 double door , all die cast, reefer from 1997.

Cold, rainy, winter day here in Central Texas.  Best wishes to you where you are!

Don

Not sure if this really qualifies as a Western Road, but here is a San Francisco Mint car from my original collection. My son used it as a piggy bank for a few years until I reclaimed it for the layout.

My first modern engine ever and really my first BrandNew one! MTH ES44AC

@mike g. posted:

My first modern engine ever and really my first BrandNew one! MTH ES44AC

Beautiful model, Mike!

@naveenrajan posted:

Is that a Dash-9 or a Dash-8?

The Road Number, 800 seems to match Santa Fe, Dash-8 and Paul Graf from Atlas confirmed that the Premier Dash-9 rerun wouldn't have Gull-Wing cabs.

These are just my opinion,

Naveen Rajan

According to the box it is a Dash-9.  However, I believe that MTH has marketed this under both the Dash-8 and Dash-9 model numbers.  However, I'm not an expert on this era of GE motive power.  I'd have to do some research to learn the exterior differences.  As I recall most of the improvements were internal?

This week's contribution.  Not western US, but definitely western.  This former CP Royal Hudson H1e, 2860, operated in excursion service for many years under the ownership of the province of British Columbia.  This is a Weaver model.   

@GG1 4877 - WOW Johnathan that is really a beautiful model. I had never seen this version before.  Your vast collection is amazing.

@mike g. - Mike good luck with that NEW ES44C.  It looks great.

Super picture folks thanks for the particiaption

Don

Don,

I have this problem.  It's called trains.  I find a locomotive I really like, and it has nothing to do with my main modeling interests, so I go find a train for it.  Conversely, I really like scale passenger cars, especially Golden Gate Depot 20" heavyweights.  I end up with a bunch in an odd road name and then need to go find a locomotive for it.

This was a case of finding the cars first.  I have a nice collection of 10 CP maroon cars and an original 1953 booklet published by the Canadian Pacific to publicize traveling over the Canadian Rockies by rail.  This was a few years before the Canadian, so it is full of great scenic photos with maroon heavyweights pulled by steam locomotives and tall mountains.  While the CP division that runs through the Canadian Rockies was the home of the big 2-10-4 Selkirk locomotives at that time, the various H class Hudsons headed up the passenger trains from Vancouver to Revelstoke on the western side of the Rockies and from Calgary eastward.

I liked the BC one so much, I found a sister for it.  2558 is how these appeared in service prior to dieselization.  Note the gray boiler in lieu of the silver one.  There is one error in that 2858 was actually and H1d which had a coal bunker and did not burn oil.  When diesels took over on the long-distance trains, the remaining Hudsons finished their days on commuter trains and in freight service and lost their elegant paint schemes.  Some ran as late as 1960.

What I really love about Canadian steam is it has such a nice balance of European elegance and American ruggedness. 

I'd really love to find a Weaver 2816 "Empress" which was the H1b class Hudson that recently toured Canada, the US, and Mexico, but those are rare, rare, rare! 

@GG1 4877 posted:

According to the box it is a Dash-9.  However, I believe that MTH has marketed this under both the Dash-8 and Dash-9 model numbers.  However, I'm not an expert on this era of GE motive power.  I'd have to do some research to learn the exterior differences.  As I recall most of the improvements were internal?

Just referring to the BNSF (ex Santa-Fe) models, the only differences between the Dash-8 & Dash-9, that I noticed, at ground-level, were the trucks and fuel tanks.

The Dash 8-40CW had what Google search results refer to as the Floating Bolster Trucks, similar to the ones that were apparently used on an earlier generation, GE, 6-axle, freight locomotives.

But I have seen the Dash 9-44CW, in-person, frequently, and they appeared to have the Hi-Ad trucks that have continued into the current generation, Wabtec, Tier IV ET44AC, and the models in between, like the AC4400CW, AC6000CW, ES44AC & ES44DC.

Also, the fuel tanks on the Dash 8-40CW had 1 longer, angular corner, as it transitioned from the widest part of the fuel tank, at the top, to the narrower portion, near the bottom, while the 9-44CW, had 2 smaller, angular corners, as it transitioned from the widest part of the fuel tank, at the top, to the bottom.

I find it frustrating that MTH choose to add the Gull-Wing cab to their Dash-8 but not the Dash-9. I was looking forward to reserving the Atlas' rerun of the Premier Dash-9, but didn't after Paul confirmed that the MTH tooling was not setup to include that variation. It was so unpredictable with MTH including some prototypically correct, but unique features like the tear-drop windshield on the CN ES44DC, but not the gull-wing cab on the Santa Fe (BNSF) Dash-9, which probably had the largest population of these Dash-9, many of these locomotives that were eventually sold to other railroads. 3 of the Road Names that Atlas was offering on their Rerun including the model, so prominently featured on the cover of their 100th Anniversary catalog, were supposed to have the Gull-Wing cab, as they were ex-Santa Fe Dash-9's, but won't.

These are just my opinion,

Naveen Rajan

Naveen,

I appreciate your insight on the variations.  It is a topic I will likely get more familiar with one day should 3rd Rail decide to run more modern locomotives.  Had the new Dash-9 project moved forward I would have had a reason to educate myself.  Until then, I was going to use my MTH locomotives with Railking FP45s to pull my GGD El Capitan.  Soooooo prototypical .  However, if the El Cap continued to run under ATSF ownership, I think that could have been a likely scenario.  I will also say that while I most definitely bleed purple, I have the original Protosounds version of this locomotive and the improvements to the tooling over the years have created quite a nice model even if I'm still somewhat illiterate on its heritage. 

@GG1 4877 - Jonathan - I share your problem   TRAINS!  Thanks for the discussion on the CP cars.

Don

Well I guess that the Rock Island is more "mid" west than far west, but here is the mighty Marx Rock Island Alco S-3 diesel from 1962.  This engine uses Marx's remarkable visual "trick", its an 8 wheel locomotive but a 4 wheel drive system and the 4 driven wheels are in the middle!

Best Wishes, Don

Here are a couple of SP and UP selections for today. Enjoy!

Williams porthole caboose

Lionel boxcar

MTH 3 axle searchlight car

Williams by Bachman 70 ton GE switcher (still available at Trainworld right now for $150!)

@GG1 4877 posted:

Don,

I have this problem.   I end up with a bunch in an odd road name and then need to go find a locomotive for it.

What I really love about Canadian steam is it has such a nice balance of European elegance and American ruggedness.

I'd really love to find a Weaver 2816 "Empress" which was the H1b class Hudson that recently toured Canada, the US, and Mexico, but those are rare, rare, rare!

GORGEOUS  Jonathan .

@mike g. posted:

My first modern engine ever and really my first BrandNew one! MTH ES44AC

Looks to be one darn heck of a nice one for your first BRANDNEW one Mike. 🤓   Money well spent I would say.

I dont have an ES44AC in this livery sir but I think it is one of the nicest color schemes out there.   

Have a ball Mike.

Don,

I always forget it's Wednesday until I see your posts.  The work week just seems to run together as a bunch of Mondays anymore.  I hope these are not reposts.  For today, here are two GGD Southern Pacific cars in the post war two tone gray.  Contrary to what we see in models, very few heavyweight cars received Daylight colors. Most heavyweight cars stayed in two tone gray until the end of service.

The 12-1 was pretty ubiquitous during the heavyweight era as an economy sleeper for many roads so this car is fairly representative of a true SP car. 

However, the SP did not roster clerestory roof baggage cars, so this one is fictional. The SP Baggage fleet consisted of several variations of the Harriman style cars from 30' to 70' in length.  They dated to the early days of steel car construction.  They were largely replaced by a fleet of "economy" baggage cars built by Saint Louis Car Company in 1960 and a boxier style car from Pacific Car & Foundry in 1962 that were the last passenger cars ordered by SP. I still enjoy the details of the GGD baggage regardless of road name.

@mike g. posted:

My first modern engine ever and really my first BrandNew one! MTH ES44AC

Mike,

Is that the 2-rail, AC4400CW, from 2014?

I remember your questions from the 2-rail forum.

@naveenrajan posted:

Mike,

Is that the 2-rail, AC4400CW, from 2014?

I remember your questions from the 2-rail forum.

It use to be, but o changed trucks and added pickup rollers.

But wow thanks for remembering!

@GG1 4877 -  Hey glad you remembered and decided to post.  I am happy to have someone like you who always adds GREAT information that at least I rarely knew before.  In the earliest days of Amtrak, when President Reagan had stated he intended to eliminate it, I decided to take a "last chance" great circle trip from my home in Ohio through California and the west.  To my recollection, I rode on one of these 2 tone grey cars from Northern Ca south to LA.  It was one of those "left over" RR cars that the Rail Roads gave to Amtrak in the early days.  At least that is my recollection...long time ago, and I am OLD!

Best Wishes and thanks again from posting regularly

Don

@Don McErlean posted:

@GG1 4877 -  Hey glad you remembered and decided to post.  I am happy to have someone like you who always adds GREAT information that at least I rarely knew before.  In the earliest days of Amtrak, when President Reagan had stated he intended to eliminate it, I decided to take a "last chance" great circle trip from my home in Ohio through California and the west.  To my recollection, I rode on one of these 2 tone grey cars from Northern Ca south to LA.  It was one of those "left over" RR cars that the Rail Roads gave to Amtrak in the early days.  At least that is my recollection...long time ago, and I am OLD!

Best Wishes and thanks again from posting regularly

Don

Don,

I likewise always appreciate your posts of your fascinating collection.  What makes this hobby so interesting to me is the variety of interests and how passionate we are about the things we collect.  Your knowledge of tinplate and Marx expands my knowledge a great deal.  You would have enjoyed the latest TCA Desert Division auction from last weekend.  Quite a bit of O gauge Ives and prewar Lionel was sold.  It was mostly mid- grade or restored items, but still nice stuff.  I broke down and purchased a prewar Flyer O 2-6-4 "Hudson" for all of $30.  It is missing a tender and a little beat up, but the locomotive is otherwise intact.  Not really applicable to this thread, but one I need to photograph and post to see what tender should go with it.  I plan on giving it to my uncle who has taken an interest in prewar Flyer O in his 80's after a lifetime of collecting Varney in HO.

As to your Amtrak experience, the "Rainbow Era" of Amtrak is a fascinating one.  I missed out on it having done most of my long-distance train rides in the late 80's and early 90's in my young adulthood.  Amtrak was running former SP cars on the route you listed and while Amtrak didn't operate the old Heavyweights, former Lark, Cascade, and other former SP cars wore a few schemes. The most common was silver with a red stripe at the top, while the express baggage cars were SP gray.  In those formative years, car fleets that Amtrak inherited didn't wander too far from their original routes.  I've always wondered what it would have been like to ride during that era.

Coming from the east but now having lived most of my life in the west, I have come to appreciate western roads much more than I did during my youth.   

Here is a Western Steamer, the Lionel (MPC)  # 8601 Great Northern 2-4-2.

Best Wishes for a great Wednesday everyone.  Its cold, wet, and dreary here in central Texas today, likely all week

Don

It’s always Western Road Wednesday here on the CA Central Coast:

@stangtrain posted:

It’s always Western Road Wednesday here on the CA Central Coast:

Very nice!

Where on the central coast are you? I'm in the Monterey area and there aren't many O gaugers around here, to my knowledge.

Kevin

Can't remember if I have posted this one before, but WP has always been one of my favorite roads. This one isn't original but a reasonable repaint we got when I was a kid in the early 1980s.

In 1952, Santa Fe Extra 3222 East waits on the Caprock, Texas, freight house lead, for a signal to enter the main track.

@CoastsideKevin Thanks!

Here in Nipomo, San Luis Obispo County there are only a handful of O-Gauge guys. Lucky for me, one lives just across the street from me and we run trains together regularly!

Well Western Roads fans, here is a picture of my new Williams WP NW-2 switcher.  Less than a few weeks on the property she runs great and has become a layout favorite.  Included below is also a short video of her in action.

Best Wishes, Don