Early US Diesel Locomotives?

[KotangaGirl]

A friend has given me a large early to mid era Diesel layout and not knowing much about early US diesel locomotives I'm at a loss to know which locomotives on the DLS or elsewhere would be a suitable choice.
I would be very grateful for any suggestions the forum's diesel experts might be willing to make.

I know it's very rare for me to ask anything about diesels, - so don't go worrying that you might have somehow fallen through into an alternative reality.

 

[JCitron]

1940s to 1950s era?

Alco, Baldwin, Fairbanks Morse, and EMD were the big players back then. This eventually distilled down to General Electric and EMD that we have today.

Alco had FA1 and FB1's for freights. These were the A and B units. The A units have the cab while the B units are just extra generators without a cab. Their passenger equivalent was their PA1 and PB2.

They had the S and RS series shunting locomotives. The RS series could also be used in passenger service and some were outfitted with steam boilers and generators for heating, power and air-con for the passenger cars. These were mostly used for commuter service. In addition to switching, RS units could be used on the road as well such as the RS3.

Fairbanks Morse mostly made large shunting locomotives that were also used in commuter service. The HH series were their big shunting and commuter locomotives. They also made a large passenger locomotive and were involved in a TALGO type train. The Boston and Maine and New Haven had these.

Baldwin had switchers and big road locomotives. They are more famous for their shunting locomotives.

EMD had a series of road diesels. On the road, they had FTs, and later E-series, and F-series. The F-series lasted until the 1980s and are still found today in some areas. Australia has their own version of them. In the 50s, EMD developed the Geep with the earliest being the GP7 and shortly afterwards the GP9. These are still found in operation on many short lines and in switching duties today on the bigger railroads. EMD's switchers (shunters) were SW-series. There are many older models still in operation such as the SW9s and SW1200s.

GE made some famous center-cab locomotives, some of which are still in use today. Their 44-tonners, 60-tonners, and 70-tonners are powerful shunters that have a tight turning radius and found a home switching mills, warehouses, and docs.

Lest we not forget, there is the Budd Rail Diesel Car, aka the RDC. These Budd RDCs were famous and some are still in use today after arriving in the 1940s. They are found worldwide including Australia, Saudi Arabia, and of course the US and Canada.

There were some smaller companies that eventually disappeared. Here you'll find Plymouth and Lima. Lima didn't last too long and was merged into Baldwin. Lima, like Plymouth, made shunting locomotives. Plymouth lasted until the early 70s making small shunting locomotives.

 

[wreeder]

Check the locomotives made by whitepass, his models are very nice and updated for newer versions of Trainz.

 

[KotangaGirl]

Check the locomotives made by whitepass, his models are very nice and updated for newer versions of Trainz.

Thanks for your reply. I went looking on my ownsome and settled on searching out the PRR Alcos on the DLS. I've found Whitepass's PRR PA1 and PB1 Alcos for Build 4.6, but I will have a look at his other locos as well.

1940s to 1950s era?

Maybe sneaking into the 1960s as well John. As I mentioned above I've been digging out PRR Alcos. I've found an RS27 as well as a couple of C425's. The PRR RS3 I found is from TS2004 days and is a bit basic. but I think it will do for now. I found an Alco S-2 switcher as well. Apart from the RS3 these models are from TS2009 and TS2010.

I settled on the PRR as the route uses PRR signal cabins and tunnels, - so I thought it was a good a choice as any.

I will check out the other makes you've mentioned, Baldwin and GE switchers will certainly be useful. And the Budd Rail Diesel Car sounds like it would be handy.

Thanks for your help.

Annie

 

[wreeder]

You're welcome. Trainboi1 has some nice PRR locos and rolling stock from the transition era as well.

 

[JAGG]

pweiser has some nice choice too...

 

[evilcrow]

Here you go Annie, some Payware https://kltrainz.com/payware/railroad/pennsylvania/page/2/ a bit of Freeware as well.
Don't forget to check out the steamers.

See Railwoodman's PRR WIP https://forums.auran.com/threads/ma...ttsburg-to-philly.163994/page-31#post-2008010

Cheers, Ken

 

[KotangaGirl]

You're welcome. Trainboi1 has some nice PRR locos and rolling stock from the transition era as well.

pweiser has some nice choice too...

Thank you both. I now have a nice collection of PRR diesel locomotives and rolling stock. I already had a collection of US rolling stock from my steam era Sierra Railroad and Whiteshore projects I was messing about with when I purchased TRS22 not long after it was first released. Some of it won't be suitable, but some will, - so it's just a case of sorting through everything.

 

[KotangaGirl]

Here you go Annie, some Payware https://kltrainz.com/payware/railroad/pennsylvania/page/2/ a bit of Freeware as well.
Don't forget to check out the steamers.

See Railwoodman's PRR WIP https://forums.auran.com/threads/ma...ttsburg-to-philly.163994/page-31#post-2008010

Cheers, Ken

Thanks for the link to the K&L PRR page Ken. That Doodlebug looks just the job.
I decided to buy the Texas and the Mountain as well as the Doodlebug because who can resist a sale.

Railwoodman's PRR WIP is pretty darn amazing.

 

[JCitron]

The PRR was a big player in the period before they got tanked by their merger with the NYC at the end of the 60s. The PRR was one of the Northeast railroads that had a bit of everything from everyone, so you should have few problems finding rolling stock.

Baldwin once had a big manufacturing facility in Eddystone, PA just outside of Philadelphia. They later merged with Lima and what was left of them went to Ohio.

 

[davesnow]

I made several Fairbanks Morse H12-44 Locomotives

 

[KotangaGirl]

The PRR was a big player in the period before they got tanked by their merger with the NYC at the end of the 60s. The PRR was one of the Northeast railroads that had a bit of everything from everyone, so you should have few problems finding rolling stock.

Thanks for the additional information John. I don't know that much about the PRR, but I did make an educated guess that once the PRR merged with other railroads that it would be the beginning of the end and it would be all downhill from there. Another factor was that I've always thought the PRR electrics and diesels looked pretty darn cool with the Art Deco vibe that they had.

Baldwin once had a big manufacturing facility in Eddystone, PA just outside of Philadelphia. They later merged with Lima and what was left of them went to Ohio.

My only Trainz experience with Baldwins so far has been 1920s steam and the Baldwin trolley pole electrics. A Baldwin switcher would be good to find.

 

[KotangaGirl]

I made several Fairbanks Morse H12-44 Locomotives

Thanks very much Dave.

 

[KotangaGirl]

I've collected up TrainzForge's well weathered PRR EMD GP35 even though it's pushing the date boundary of my working time period a wee bit. JointedRail's early PRR EMD GP9 is a little bit more like it and while I was shopping I gathered up an utterly beautiful PRR Alco RS-1 as well.
I also have an EMC SW 600hp switcher, Dave Snow's Fairbank-Morse H12-44, - and what looks like dozens of Alco C425 road switchers, but is actual fact only about 6 or so, but they seem to get everywhere. With the layout being centred around a huge sorting yard surrounded by several industries with mainline leads off to several elsewheres I'm going to need plenty of road switchers. The ones I have are by n8phu and despite being made for TS2009 they look fine and work well in TRS19.
To finish off this lot of PRR Alcos I have two freeware RS27s that came from JR as well.

So far out of the collection of PRR Art Deco engines I've gathered up I only have Alco FA1 and FB1's on the layout. Once I've figured out some variety of a schedule I'll look at the others and see what I want to do with them. My main interest is going to be in running freight and switching with such passenger services as there are run by the OEG415 Doodlebug and trailer.

Once in a while I'll be running the occasional steam engines just because. After driving British steam with the 'advanced' controls it will be interesting to see if I can manage a big Yankee steamer.

 

[evilcrow]

Annie, if you want some PRR GP9 early type https://web.archive.org/web/20130830043240/http://www.virtual-motive-division.com/?page_id=240
There on the the old VMD site via the Wayback machine. The downloads may or may not work.
They will need some work on them for the latest Trainz versions.

Cheers, Ken

 

[KotangaGirl]

Annie, if you want some PRR GP9 early type https://web.archive.org/web/20130830043240/http://www.virtual-motive-division.com/?page_id=240
There on the the old VMD site via the Wayback machine. The downloads may or may not work.
They will need some work on them for the latest Trainz versions.

Cheers, Ken

Thanks Ken, - the downloads do work. I've resurrected one of the GP7's and it's handsome enough for a TS2009 engine. I had to do some messing around with a missing thumbnail and art folder, but it was fixed easily enough. The GP7 is in early 60's paintwork and the textures are nicely done without any fuzzy edges. I would imagine the other engines are the same. I haven't tried giving the GP7 a run yet, but I doubt that there will be any problems that I can't fix.
I'm working in TRS19 these days because TRS22 is too much of a mad scientist's experiment for me to put up with.

 

[robd]

...I know it's very rare for me to ask anything about diesels, - so don't go worrying that you might have somehow fallen through into an alternative reality.

HaHa!

A good dose of Epsom Salts will purge you of US diesels!

Rob.

 

[JCitron]

Thanks for the additional information John. I don't know that much about the PRR, but I did make an educated guess that once the PRR merged with other railroads that it would be the beginning of the end and it would be all downhill from there. Another factor was that I've always thought the PRR electrics and diesels looked pretty darn cool with the Art Deco vibe that they had.


My only Trainz experience with Baldwins so far has been 1920s steam and the Baldwin trolley pole electrics. A Baldwin switcher would be good to find.

On Jointed Rail's website, they have a Baldwin S12. It's not in the Pennsy pain scheme, though. Baldwin also made road locomotives too such as their Centipede. There's Baldwin demo unit on Trainz Forge. In real life, this unit made its way across the various big-name railroads including the Pennsy.

Also, on Trainz Forge are Baldwin AS16s lettered for the Pennsylvania-Reading Seashore Lines. This was a joint-venture that served the lines out of Philadelphia and Trenton, NJ out to Atlantic City and vicinity. Some of these lines are still in operation but sadly many were ripped up just because.

 

[KotangaGirl]

Also, on Trainz Forge are Baldwin AS16s lettered for the Pennsylvania-Reading Seashore Lines. This was a joint-venture that served the lines out of Philadelphia and Trenton, NJ out to Atlantic City and vicinity. Some of these lines are still in operation but sadly many were ripped up just because.

I saw those John and was more than a little curious about them. There's an undecorated one as well that could be useful.

On Jointed Rail's website, they have a Baldwin S12. It's not in the Pennsy paint scheme, though. Baldwin also made road locomotives too such as their Centipede. There's Baldwin demo unit on Trainz Forge. In real life, this unit made its way across the various big-name railroads including the Pennsy.

I found a yellow Baldwin S12 in yellow industrial colours on the JR website so that will do nicely. Trainz Forge have PRR Centipedes which to my eyes are strange and amazing looking engines. I've found the blue demo unit and downloaded it along with the PRR ones. While Trainz Forge have a good few more PRR diesels I could download I think I'll call a halt now since I've now got a workable collection for the type of line I want to run.

 

[KotangaGirl]

HaHa!

A good dose of Epsom Salts will purge you of US diesels!

Rob.

While my main interest still lies with the GER and the real GWR Rob, I do mess about with US stuff sometimes. The PRR is one US railroad in particular that had caught my interest some years ago. Sometimes a change is as good as a rest, so I thought I'd get this sizeable US freight yard layout kitted out and fitted up as a part of the PRR so I can visit it from time to time.