I am thinking of purchasing this model. The seller does not specify, but I am pretty sure that is a PRR TrainPhone antenna on the roof.
I do not want to remove it, but I don’t want it there if it is completely innapropriate for my railroad.
Did any other railroads use something that looked similar on some of their locomotives, or does this model just scream PENNSYLVANIA like a belpaire firebox or X23 boxcar?
-Kevin
Trainphone is certainly a trademark PRR spotting feature. The Kansas City Southern experimented with a similar induction system (it is not radio, technically).
You would have to decide on a scenario for having a locomotive equipped with the rooftop inductors. Leased locomotives were common. The PRR and Bangor and Aroostook swapped engines on a seasonal basis (potatoes/iron ore).
You could clip off the brackets and say the locomotive was a former PRR engine that was bought by the S&G. The remnants of the brackets were left behind on the rooftops of many diesels. The shop crews didn’t spend much time to make for a fancy appearance.
Or you could opt for a Broadway Limited Baldwin and strip the paint? (Probably a much better drive than the Alco model).
Choices.
Or you could opt for an RF-16 without the induction antennas.
https://www.ebay.com/itm/174894879400?hash=item28b88c12a8:g:3ukAAOSwAIhhEZUM
Gidday Kevin, it would appear that both the Kansas City Southern and the Duluth, Missabe, and iron Range, both used to various extents, trainphone systems, bur did not, I believe, operate the Baldwin Sharknose locomotives.
I guess whether to buy or not comes down to this…
“Happily modelling my STRATTON & GILLETTE RAILROAD located ain a personal fantasy world of semi-plausible nonsense on Tuesday, August 3rd 1954.”
Have fun with your latest purchase!![swg]
Cheers, the Bear.[:)]
Kevin, it seems as if you are succumbing to “sharkbites”. I know the S&G is set on August 3, 1954. Baldwin built the DR 4-4-15 sharknoses from 1949-1950. In 1950, the 1600 HP RF-16, replaced the 1500 HP model, remaining in production until 1953. It is your decision as to how the S&G came by the units. By the mid 1950s, the diesel builders world order was being formed and Baldwin and Lima-Hamilton were not going to be a part of the big picture. Before 1960, the prototype roads were trying to figure out how to get their 15 year projected service lives out of some rather unsatisfactory locomotives, when compared to EMDs, ALCos or even FMs. This was when the EMD 567C V-16 was the darling of railroading.
A word of caution: Those old Alco Models run like crap. If you can find a later model with something other than an open-frame motored “coffee grinder” under the shell, even at double the price, it will be a bargain! Also, it might not have those trainphone “handrails” on the roof. I have an S-6 switcher I put Atlas guts into, and an RS-1 that is now scenery, thank you Atlas.
Kevin, you’re right it just screams Pennsy and another responder is correct in those old Alco Models diesels run like crap. You would be better off with an old Model Power shark than that one and they run very well.
Rick Jesionowski
I try not to need to make up scenarios. It is preferred to have SGRR equipment be pretty generic. F units and USRA steam make up 80%+ of the locomotives.
That said, these (there is an included B unit) would just be photo props. I have a pretty good collection of equipment that will never operate on the layout, but do come out for photography sessions. That is where all the wierd stuff is.
Photography is a big hobby of mine, and including it with model railroading is fantastic. Props help a lot.
Yes, and the great things with locomotives is that if I am not happy with them, it is Very Easy to remove them from the layout.
I actually sweat more about scenery and buildings being plausible than I do the actual trains.
Oh yes. I have a thing for using unusual locomotives to “spice up” photographs. These sharks could fill the bill quite nicely.
As I have looked around a bit more, the price is not as good as I thought it was. There is an A/B set on BrassTrains Dot Com right now for less money (and no antenna), and Ed found an eBay link to a single unit for an even better price.
I agree Rick, and since there are other options out there, I will pass on this set.
As stated earlier, these would be in prop service only.
Don’t be ridiculous. A belpaire firebox screams GREAT NORTHERN:
I find it interesting that GN and PRR, on their later steam locomotives, ended up having slightly different shapes to their Belpaire fireboxes. So you STILL can’t stick a GN goat on the tender of a Pennsy loco and have it look “right”.
Ed
It could also be screeching “P&WV 2-6-6-4”.
A great loco - Baldwin built a pioneer in simple, high speed ( “speeds of 50 to 60 miles per hour” had been reported.") articulateds (the C&O’s “Simple Simons” were low speed beasts as UP and ATSF found to their disgust - largely the reason the T-1’s (high drivered 2-10-4’s) replaced them and they could be sold off by the C&O) SAL also ran the wheel attangement, but it was overshadowed by the Alco’s Challengers
"the J-1s and later J-2s “ran beautifully, with excellent traction.”
https://www.steamlocomotive.com/locobase.php?country=USA&wheel=2-6-6-4&railroad=pwv#301