westinghouse train photos

Looks like a great Monorail Layout..  Lots of crossings but no switches.

Westinghouseguy,

 

I don't have any pictures,  but K-line made a couple of Westinghouse related items back around 2000-2002(I think). The first was #K613-8013- a blue Westinghouse wide vision caboose with white lettering.  I can't tell in your photos whether you have the MTH version or the K-line version.  The second was #K692-1531-a black Erie Lackawanna w/white lettering die cast 16 wheel depressed center flat car with a blue Westinghouse transformer w/white lettering as the load.  It's a nice car.  I have these packed away right now with some other local stuff,  and I'm reading the information from my list.  And No YOU CAN'T BUY THEM FROM ME(LOL).  These do come up for sale on the bay occasionally.

 

Nick

Westinghouseguy,

 

What I find amusing about the K-line car is that it is an Erie-Lackawanna car with a Westinghouse load when in real life there was(and I believe still is) a large General Electric facility in the Erie, Pa area!!!  But there was a lot of interchanging of cars between railroads so who knows.  As far as my other local "stuff"-some of it is train related-some not. O gauge train items are included from Montour RR, P&LE,  PMcK&Y, Union,  B&LE,  Vesuvius Crucible, MCRR,  Westinghouse.  I also have several old license plate toppers including Kennywood and West View Park with red reflective lettering.  Also have a mint in original package orange & black porcelain Westinghouse topper for employees that has paperwork stating that a Westinghouse driver is a courteous driver.  Also have a blue and white porcelain topper from a Philadelphia Westinghouse plant local union-I believe it is the electrical shop workers and radio repairmen union.  This was from back in the 20's or 30's when there was a battle for which union would be the official union representing the plant employees.   I have other items but I'm getting carried away with the post.

 

Nick

(W) EMD guy:

 

I’m a little late in seeing this thread but that is quite a nice Westinghouse train you have.  I recognize everything except that car in front of the engine.  What is that and who made it?  It sort of looks like a snowplow.

 

I have attached photos of the K-Line Erie-Lackawanna flat car with Westinghouse transformer mentioned earlier in this thread.  In addition attached are photos of a few cars I have which are not pictured in your photo.  The first is a photo of the Railking rounded roof box car with generator inside.  This car was only available in a set in 2004 but I see that MTH has repeated it in the 2015 catalog in a different color scheme.  Then there’s a photo of the Siemens Westinghouse Schnabel car.  I retired from Siemens Westinghouse.  Note that like all of the MTH Schnabel cars it is carrying a transformer.  However, we only made turbines and generators at Siemens Westinghouse! 

 

And finally, while a not a train car, attached are photos of a not-so-old (W) train engineer hat which was a souvenir from the roll-out ceremony in 1991 for the first combustion turbine produced at our division’s then Pensacola plant.  That was the former Nuclear Components plant that our Power Generation Division took over.  We first converted it to make electric generators and then to make Combustion Turbines.  But it was closed after we were bought by Siemens and then sat idle for several years until being bought by GE where I believe they still manufacture wind turbines.

 

But as I mentioned in that other thread, the (W) trains at the now-closed (W) castle in Wilmerding were exceptional and included custom-painted rolling stock in addition to regular production MTH products.  That’s too bad the Castle closed but it’s not a surprise given the high cost to maintain and heat that large old building.  I wonder what has happened to the layout and the rolling stock?  Maybe Doc, Andy H or one of the other guys will answer.

 

Bill

 

 

Hi Nick:

 

I was agreeing with you about that K-Line E-L car with the (W) transformer load seeming out of place but then decided to check my 1970 Railroad map which shows that the Erie-Lackawanna Railroad had tracks into Sharon, PA which is one of the plants where we made large transformers back in those days.  So that K-Line car is accurate after all.

 

HTH,

 

Bill

Bill - The lead car is an Mth premier Jordan spreader I customized. I got the color wrong but it's close enough for now. I may customize another and I'll color match it better. It also has a fan driven smoke unit I installed custom (still Ned to add exhaust pipe on roof ) I know of the box car you photographed and the Siemens (W) schnabel, both are very hard to find on the market. They are on my wants list. I have the new version of the box car on order. I'm still also trying to find wecx_212 schnabel but again Its still eluding me. I was telling choo choo Kenny that I'm reading about Westinghouse to learn the history and love hearing from everyone on the forums. I love electrical gadgets and big machines so the Westinghouse road name naturally attracted me. I again thank everyone for their history, knowledge and service stories they are sharing! Here are a few pics of the jordan spreader I customized.

I really like that hat too, I would enjoy hearing more about life at Westinghouse or Emd,  Maybe a new thread for it?

So that's a spreader.  Nice job but I agree that the color is off.  Speaking of colors, note that the transformer on that K-Line flat car and the K-Line caboose are a different shade of blue than the MTH cars.  

 

I tried to take a video of my Westinghouse train but couldn't upload it.  I'll try again tomorrow.   BTW

MTH also made a PRR Railking depressed center flat with a Westinghouse transformer.  Kenny has one.

 

Bill

Hi Bill,

I never knew there was a Westinghouse facility in Sharon!  I know that the P&LE interchanged both freight and passenger cars in NW Pa and NE Ohio with the Erie and Erie Lackawanna Railroads back in the day.  I was born and raised in Hazelwood and we moved to West Mifflin when I was 11,  so I'm familiar with the industries and RR's in that area.  Another Westinghouse(former) facility that has an interesting and famous history is Bettis Field/Bettis Atomic Laboratory.  My brother worked there for a short time in the 1970's.  Westinghouse had their fingers in a lot of pies!!

 

Nick

Anyone know who's layout this is?

Westinghouse EMDdemoguy - Email me I have a Siemens (W) Schnabel.

I was a member of the Westinghouse Castle Train Club. It was sad to see the Castle close and the end of the club. I have many pictures and I had a lot of custom Westinghouse trains that I painted. I have sold many of them but I have kept a few things.I will look to see if I can find some pictures to post.

Thom/DOC,

  As a youngster, I spent a lot of summers in Wilmerding from the mid-1960's to mid-1970's to visit an Aunt who lived in Wilmerding and my grandparents in Port Vue. I can't remember what side of the tracks the castle was on? Wasn't it across from the WABCO plant on the same side as the train station? Also, what is the current status of the WABCO plant? I haven't been back since the 1970's so I always wondered what the area looks like now if you know.

 

Tom

The castle is across from WABCO no WABTEC. That's about all I know.

Custom made models of various Westinghouse railcars. These are WECX 202 and WECX 801 (the largest Schnabel in the USA)

 

Photos attached here.

 

 

       
       


Awesome!!

       
       


Your stuff is top shelf!  Do you run them, display them or ?

All the models are designed to be operated.  However the WECX 801 schnabel has a very large overhang on curves that would require very wide radius track.

 

 

     MNCW Tom the wabco buildings have been turned into individual rental units just like the Westinghouse plants in Turtle Creek and East Pittsburg. Choo Choo Kenny

     To everyone that wanted to see pictures of our Westinghouse train I am sorry. I live with my parents because I am disabled and in A wheelchair and their house has ramps in it. My mother is disabled and has aids that help her. I got the camera out and took it to the basement and got out some if the Westinghouse stuff. I came back upstairs and got out the rest of the Westinghouse cars and got on the computer. I got the cars together and got them into the basement went to get the camera to take pictures but it was not on the train layout where I left it. The morning girl was here when I took it down to the basement. When I went back down to take the photos the afternoon girl was here. I have spoke to both of them and they both say they did not touch it. I no longer have A camera to take pictures with and all the progress on the layout is gone also.  When I get enough money to buy another camera I still cant post any pictures until then. SORRY Choo Choo Kenny

       
       


Email sent

       
       

I'm sorry to hear this, hopefully it's an isolated incident!

I used the photo above to place mark for further soon discussion. But the "BUG" that is playing with me came on for round two. So will restart with this slightly different view of the same scene.

 

 

 

WestinghouseEMDdemoguy really neat Westinghouse consist.

 

My affinity for the Circle, Bar, W goes back to early kiddom.  We had a Westinghouse clothes dryer.  I can still see "Westinghouse" spelled out across the door.  But I recall red print although one would think it should be blue.  Oh well that was a long time ago.

 

Also in the early 50s Westinghouse sponsored TV programs.  My sister's boyfriend then husband's father was an Engineer at the Sharon Pa transformer plant across the state-line.  Of course back then to me "transformer" meant my ZW  or those big cans hanging on utility (telephone) poles.  A few years later learned that Westinghouse/Tesla were correct about AC power and Edison was wrong with DC power.  Learned about iron core transformers and calculating step up and step down voltages based on windings.  Little did I imagine that years later I spend years walking by main output transformers that took 24KV to 230KV and 525KV made by Westinghouse. I spent 26-years in Nuclear Quality Assurance, 13-years at a Nuclear Station with a Westinghouse NSSS systems and Westinghouse TG sets.

 

So with this background, as soon as MTH cataloged in 2000 the Westinghouse WECX203 Schnabel car I ordered it.  Apparently in 2008 realized that the MTH EV caboose WEXC104 was prototypical.  So hunted and found one on eBay.  The seller said he had a companion box car, bought that too without researching if prototypical, thought it would be a good buffer car.  Even if not prototypical it is good looking.  This same seller was a Westinghouse fan and told me about the Pennsy gondola with Westinghouse crates.  At the time did not pursue this car since the Pennsy flag had fallen almost a decade before Schnabel WEXC203 hit the rails.  A couple of years later decided I wanted the PRR gon with crates to use in pre-Schnabel consist.  But also found more era correct Conrail and Southern gondolas to use as a buffer car with the Westinghouse crates.  Interestingly not sure yet if prototypical the CR gon is painted blue with white lettering.  Then when MTH offered in uncatalogued Westinghouse trailers on B&LE flat ordered it for the trailers.  One of these days will mount one trailer on a scale 41' flat and use other trailer in scenes.

 

When HUGO hit it tore sheet metal siding of the turbine building which shorted one of the 230KV output mains.  Can't remember if we had a run-back or trip.  Sometime later that transformer failed, if recall correctly we had a fire.  And they Schnabel'ed in a replacement.

 

Just why I like Circle Bar W so much.

 

Ron

Ron:

 

Nice scenic layout nice and story of your interesting background.  Which nuclear plant did you work at? 

 

I was in Power Generation at Westinghouse for over 30 years retiring from Siemens Westinghouse in 2005.  Regrettably I was never involved with shipping of the equipment so I never saw a Schnabel in person, just photos. 

 

Anyway, I will try again to upload the short video I recently took of my Westinghouse train.  It’s taking a long time to upload, hope it doesn’t take too long to open and watch.

 

Bill

Ron:

 

Did your clothes dryer look like this one?

 

Bill

Bill, that is the dryer I recall.  See it in fact had red lettering.

 

I worked for Duke Power.  When not assigned to the GO was assigned to McGuire.  But also spent time at Catawba and Oconee if needed.

 

Ron

Great video! Thank you!

Hi Ron:

 

Duke was a good customer of ours at Westinghouse Nuclear and Power Gen over the years although we lost Oconee completely and the Catawba T-G’s.

 

Ironically now I’m a customer of Duke because they bought our local utility the year before last (former Florida Power Corp., then Progress Energy Florida).   

 

Bill

Gentlemen,

   I would really like to own a Westinghouse O gauge train some day, I worked in the East Pittsburgh plant as a Master Welder, Welding Inspector and finally a Welding Engineer before and after Viet Nam, in reality we only had Westinghouse Switchers during that era in the East Pittsburgh Westinghouse Plant, most times the plant was serviced by the Union Railroad for day to day work.  Your Westinghouse blue train may have been correct in your area but our Westinghouse engines were Red & White with black trim, inside the East Pittsburgh Plant.  The Union Railroad engines were in fact Blue & White or the old time solid Green at that time.

PCRR/Dave

 

 

 

Hi Dave:

You’re right about those actual industrial switch engines in the East Pittsburgh works.  I’m sorry I never took a photo of one when I worked there but we didn’t carry around phones with cameras back in those days and we probably wouldn’t have been allowed to photograph one, anyway!  

 

As I recently posted elsewhere on this Forum, I am very sure that we never had any locomotives like that MTH SD-24 in my video.  But I had to have one.  I doubt if we ever owned any main-line locomotives of any type, diesel or steam.  We did build some prototypes one of which was a gas-turbine demonstrator that we built with Baldwin Locomotive Works that had the Westinghouse name prominently displayed on its side but it never went into commercial production.  MTH’s recently announced model of a Baldwin AS-616 is decorated with several logos including an old (W) logo but (W) did not own that locomotive.

 

I do have an HO model of a Westinghouse industrial switcher.  Its red and white and I’m not sure who made it.  Attached is a photo. 

 

Also here’s a photo from a former colleague at work of an early diesel that we had at the Lester, PA Turbine works.  It is identified as the "First Westinghouse Diesel".  I’m not sure of the date of the photo but note the early (W) logo.  My colleague's father is in the photo. 

 

And here’s a link to a photo someone else posted on here awhile back of a former (W) switcher, also used at the Lester works:  Pictures of WECX 5  Thanks to whoever posted that before.

 

Regards,

 

Bill

 

Picked this up online today, never seen one before.

I wait for this to appear.

 

This is on epay right now, it's rough condition though

(W)/EMD Guy:

 

Yes, the first 5 of the KDKA box cars could all be considered Westinghouse cars as KDKA was owned by Westinghouse throughout the periods of time represented by all 5 of those cars.    

 

Note that this car wears the (W) logo, although it’s an older one.  FWIW I have a background story on that.  I bought the first MTH KDKA box car in 2002 and was disappointed that there was no reference to Westinghouse despite the fact that KDKA was owned by Westinghouse and Westinghouse pioneered commercial radio broadcasting with the broadcast of the 1920 Presidential Election Results.  Then the second KDKA box car came out which I purchased in 2003 and it also did not have any reference to Westinghouse.  By this time MTH had produced the first (W) Schnabel car and several other (W) freight cars which were very well received in the marketplace.  So at the York Meet following my purchase of that second car I asked Rich Foster of MTH if they make any more KDKA box cars could they please have some reference to Westinghouse on the cars?  The following year this car came out with a vintage (W) logo from the period the car represents: World War II.  I would like to think I had some influence on MTH adding that logo but chances are other customers also talked to MTH about the Westinghouse omission. 

 

Bill

Bill- that's a pretty cool story, I'll bet you did have something to do with it!

Really like the pics!

-Greg

Time to revive this thread. Here are 3 of my 6 special ladies, enjoy