Locomotive Power

Fig 1. #27 Baldwin 0-6-0T Saddle Tank Switcher

What is a railroad without engines?  That will be the subject for today's blog.  I don't really intend on answering this question though.  Instead I will show you images of the engines I intend to use on the layout.

Fig 2. Wathers N Scale 0-6-0 Loco #433-7781

The first engine is The Baldwin 0-6-0T.  For you non-railroaders out there, the three numbers indicate a steam engine classification.  Each number indicates a truck.  The middle one is the driver, and the front and rear are the supporting "wheel" trucks.  Thus the 0-6-0 means that the engine has a 6 wheel driver truck, and no front or rear trucks.  The NYD employed all steam until 1951 when the company purchase 5 new GE diesel switchers.  More about that later.

The engine that originally caught my eye was the Baldwin 0-6-0T, and as it turns out I found a suitable scale model in the Life-Like Trains N Scale 0-6-0 Loco 433-7781 modeled for the Atchison, Topeka & Santa Fe Railroad.  (I'll have to fix that)   When you look at figures 1 and 2 you will notice some significant differences so I will have to decide if I am going to take the time to rebuild the engine to better match the photograph.  I am thinking that initially this will not be the case.  I will remove the AT & SF logo; put on the NYD logo; add the engine number; weather the engine (to make it look just as grimy); and call it good.  I may fix the headlight since that does look like a glaring oversight

Note also that this is presently the only piece of the railroad equipment I own, and it is still in the box.  Somehow I will have to convert this to DCC (Digital Command Control) plus, I understand that the switchers aren't very good performers either.  It is a good thing that the engines were technically not allowed on the barges so you hardly ever saw them without a idler car.  An idler car is a car that is used to separate the engine from the cars being moved.  This is used mostly where the weight of the engine is not allowed i a particular area, like a barge, but cars still had to be shunted on and of that section of track.  I had plans to use an idler car for 3 reasons:

1. A place to install the DCC decoder.  There is no room in the engine.
2. Add a second set of power pick-ups for the engine to improve the pick-up area/distance (I read an article about using 2 switchers back to back to improve pick-up, so why not a RR car.  This improves the continuity of power to the engine and thus its performance.
3. Add a DCC controlled un-coupler inside the car, so you can uncouple the trains without having to use a tooth pick or install magnetic un-couplers everywhere on the layout.

Fig 3. GE 50 Ton Diesel Switcher

As it turns out the time frame, surrounding 1950 will be ideal for modeling.  According to the photographs many of the old ware houses still exist, and the old steam engines were in operation through 1950.  I had hoped that this would be the case simple because the years surrounding 1950 are a popular time for modeling since they allow people to model the transition from steam to diesel.  Imagine a dirty little steam engine and then on to the scene comes a brand new yellow diesel switcher #54, one of 5 purchased by the company.  Okay, the one in figure 3 doesn't look so new, but you are going to have to use your imagination just a bit here.

In addition, 1950 is also an ideal time for modeled things like cars.  In one of the future blogs I will discuss the purchase of cars and trucks and you will see that there is a surprising amount of variety in car make and models available in N scale.

• Photo of figures 1 and 3 are used with permission from the author of the Yew York Dock website http://www.trainweb.org/bedt/indloco/nyd.html  The photos shown in figures 1 and 3 are F.R. Dirks Photos from the F. Zahn Archives (Phil Goldstein’s collection). 
• Photo of figure 2 is from the Walther’s on-line catalog