BLWZT B&O Set

[rfranzosa]

Hi Chris,

This was a big topic between Chris (Parker), Max and I last night on Slack. The choice of time frame for our B&O set was based on several factors, the biggest being the enormous diesel renumbering task that the B&O took on in 1956-7. As I understand it, they renumbered all remaining steam locomotives with 3 digit numbers, and all diesels with 4 digit numbers.

Reasons for a 1955 set:
- Matches your route (transition era)
- More opportunities for steam and diesel in original numbers
- On the passenger train side, allows for more heavyweights, and does not replicate Gaetan's National limited (with the post 1956 observation car)

Reasons for a 1957 set:
- Could represent any year between 1957 (when renumbering was completed) through to when locos were repainted to the 'large B&O' scheme (although users would have to pretend the steam facilities are gone)
- More research would need to be done to make sure the specific locomotives we are modelling wore a specific number in 1955
- There will be some locomotives that were not purchase until after 1955: Only some of the 400+ GP9s were delivered in 1955, the SW1200 and Alco S4's were not delivered until 1956-57

The time it takes to renumber the Alcos is really trivial. Happy to have folks debate the positives and negatives here

Rick

[longiron]

Rick,
Regarding the route, most steam facilities weren't demolished until almost 1960. Regarding diesel switchers deployed at Grafton, I received the following from the B&O Yahoo group:

The Grafton Sentinel 30 March 1957
Six new diesel switch engines have been received on this division and sent to the yards at Fairmont and Clarksburg and several more are expected to be received in the next week or two.

The superintendent said that these would be sent to other points on the division until the partly dieselized yards have complete diesel power. Grafton’s yards will be the last on this division to be dieselized. New diesel road power engines to replace the present huge 12-drive freight engines now in use, will begin arriving the later part of April, the B&O official said. Many of the switch engines to come here will be transferred from other divisions on the B&O, but the new road engines and some of the switchers to arrive in late April and May will be new units from the General Electric Illinois plant.


The Grafton Sentinel 22 June 1957
Within the next week or so Grafton’s lines Baltimore and Ohio Railroad will be completely dieselized, according to a report to the Sentinel today made by Superintendent of the Monongah Division J.R. Frease. He explained that Clarksburg had been completely dieselized nearly three weeks ago and that Grafton was next on the list. As of yesterday the yard engines in Grafton were all of diesel power, Frease related. However, some of the engines remaining on the road are operated by steam, he said.

A total of six new road switchers will arrive in Grafton on Monday, June 24, with 12 more to follow, arriving in groups of fours at 48-hours intervals, until the entire group of 18 has arrived, Frease explained. Ordered from Chicago, another group will arrive at a later date, he said.

[lateagain]

For what it's worth Rick.... my two penneth,

1) there are loads of excellent stock packs but nowhere near as many similar quality routes. (Obvious because routes take MUCH longer to do to a high standard)

2) Railroads were constantly changing things to fulfill their basic service requirement. Freezing anything in TOO narrow a time frame leaves interesting possibilities out?

3) The numbering issue just happened to coincide with the change over to joint steam and diesel operations. How long did it take to convert the numbers on ALL of their stock? This smacks a bit of "Rivet Counting" From most cams in the Sim you won't even SEE the numbers.

You have to realise that many on here are going to run CSX Gevo's on this route anyway ....so at least give the flexibility for a few years after steam.

[longiron]

Rick,
Here's the definitive answers on diesel assignments on West End:

- 1950 assignment sheet shows only SW1 206 at Parkersburg, and the 28 F7 helpers at M&K which arrived in 1947-8. No other diesels on the West End.

- 1956 assignment sheet is more interesting,
Keyser
1 road switcher - SD9 #773
Keyser - Terra Alta local service

6 switchers
DS-4-4-1000 #446, #459, S4 #470-473 in yard service

M&K Jct.
32 cab units
F7 #180,X,AX,A - 192,X,AX,A (even), 231, 231X, 233, 233X
M&K helper service

1 roadswitcher - SD9 #772
M&K Jct. - Sabraton local service

Grafton
78 cab units
DR-4-4-1500 #847, 847X, 849, 849X; RF16 863, 863A, 865,X,A;
Grafton - Cowen service

#867,X,AX - 871,X,AX (odd)
Grafton - Cowen service

F7 #265X, 267, 267A, 279X
Frenchton helper service

F7 #235,X; 237,X; 239,A - 247,A (odd); 265, 265A, 267X,
Philadelphia - Parkersburg - Willard pool

#269,X,A - 277,X,A (odd); 279, 279A, 365,X,AX,A;
Philadelphia - Parkersburg - Willard pool

#367,X,AX, - 372,X,AX (all)
Philadelphia - Parkersburg - Willard pool

19 roadswitchers - AS16 #891, 893-899; GP9 #6507-6510
Grafton - Charleston service

An NW2 at Parkersburg, four S4 at Keyser.

[rfranzosa]

YES!!!

Great information, too bad I don't have the Baldwin road units.....

Thanks Chris

[longiron]

YES!!!

Great information, too bad I don't have the Baldwin road units.....

Thanks Chris

My pleasure

[conductorchris]

Chris, this is really cool information. Do you think you could make or suggest some reasonable accurate consists for these trains (the ones that touch your route, anyway) with our set?

Christopher

[longiron]

Chris, this is really cool information. Do you think you could make or suggest some reasonable accurate consists for these trains (the ones that touch your route, anyway) with our set?

Christopher

Key interchange spots were East St. Louis, Parkersburg, Clarksburg, and Wheeling. So connecting lines would be over represented on B&O West End trains.

Both Time Saver and Sentinel service had specially painted equipment that ran in regularly scheduled trains over the West End. The Baltimore & Ohio Railroad Historical Society site seems to indicate that Sentinel Service was operational in 1946 and Time-Saver in 1947. The Sentinel Service boxcar was in silver and blue, and the Timesaver Service boxcar in blue and orange.

Next was Baltimore daily livestock trains - both short legged (hogs, sheep, lamb) and long legged (cattle). Used Mather wooden stock into late 1950's or early 1960's when the Mather cars were replaced by rebuilt steel boxcars with holes cut in the sides.

And of course a set of B&O hoppers covering the different models; both loaded and empty as the core backbone, with PRR, Reading, CNJ thrown in

[conductorchris]

Chris,

I've got lots of B&O hoppers, mostly completed. Pictures soon.

Stock cars are not in the BLW fleet. I'm not expecting we'll do them.

Christopher

[conductorchris]