[Les]

Header says it all!

Les

 

[Bruce Chandler]

The first ones seemed to have been built around 1923 and then toured for demonstration purposes.

The earliest I can find for "in service" was one for Central Railroad of New Jersey in 1924.


Good sources:
http://home.att.net/~berliner-ultrasonics/boxcabs.html
http://www.northeast.railfan.net/diesel94.html
http://sbiii.com/jfcageir/ageir.html

 

[Les]

Bruce:

Thanks much. I've always had a 'thing' for those ugly contraptions. Alas, they won't work for my era. /DesktopModules/NTForums/themes/mls/emoticons/sad.gif

Thanks for the sites. I'll go educate myself some more.

Les

 

[Bruce Chandler]

Hehe...they do kind of grow on you, don't they?

I just had to convert the "Dizzy" to one awhile back...

 

[Gary Armitstead]

Actually Pacific Electric had their box cabs in about 1914-15. This is the 1600 Series originally built by Baldwin Locomotive and later built in the P.E. Shops in Torrance, California. This photo was taken at the Orange Empire Railroad Museum in Perris, California.

I have this engine in 1/8th scale running on 7.5 inch gauge track. Weighs about 500 lbs. and is roughly 52 inches long. Runs on 2 RV batteries, two motors in each truck.

 

[Gary Armitstead]

This photo is the actual 1600 Series Baldwin Electric at Orange Empire Railroad Museum. This is closer to my 1/8 scale model, minus the the "heavy weathering". This engine dates to about 1915.

 

[altterrain]

Electric boxcabs date back to 1893 -

http://home.att.net/~Berliner-Ultrasonics/boxcabel.html#ge1-mrr1


Pennsy had some ugly battery powered rail tractors first built in 1912 -

http://prr.railfan.net/RubberTiredSwitchers.html

Their A6's (internal combustion - diesel) were first built in the late 20's

http://home.att.net/~Berliner-Ultrasonics/boxcbprr.html#390567a6

The A6 is primarily what I based my little boxcab on -

-Brian

 

[Jeff Livingston]

I recently discovered correspondance in the Bishop Museum between the Oahu Railway and Land Company, Hawaiian Electric, Westinghouse and Baldwin Locomotive Works dated late 1916 regarding proposals for electrification of at least a part of the OR&L mainline. Did BLW ever build narrow gauge box or steeple cabs?

 

[Bryan Smith]

There is Two pennsylvania Electric locomotive boxcab.

On the left is 1:25 scale boxcab 1-D-1 wheel type PRR class "L6" no.7825, on the right is 1:32 scale boxcab 2-B-2 wheel type PRR class "O1" No.7857.
both is all Scratchbuilt of Wood of main body and frame. I use LGB pantograph, LGB motor block, and LGB metal wheel for pilot wheel.

But real prototype old pennsylvania electric locomotive never survived ,it was scrapped

 

[Les]

Yeah, they do. Someday I may build one, another post tells me they were on rails in 1893, which is pushing the end of my timeframe, 1850-99. Still, they're just too neat to ignore.

Thanks for the pics.

Les

 

[Les]

500# you say? Yo. Thanks for the pic.

Les

 

[Les]

Brian,

Thanks for the pixes. That's a nice model. What scale is it?

I should have been more specific about overhead electric vs diesel. I passed on an O gage catenary(?) (overhead power pickup) for nothing the other day. Later I found out what they cost. Sigh. I think someday I might actually build one. It'll be a long time, yet.

Les

 

[Les]

Bryan,

Thanks for the pic. Why, if I may ask, did you build in two different scales? Just curious.

Les

 

[Guest]

Bryan Smith,

do you have more pictures of these?

 

[altterrain]

Posted By Les on 07/03/2008 3:16 PM
Brian,
Thanks for the pixes. That's a nice model. What scale is it?
I should have been more specific about overhead electric vs diesel. I passed on an O gage catenary(?) (overhead power pickup) for nothing the other day. Later I found out what they cost. Sigh. I think someday I might actually build one. It'll be a long time, yet.
Les




Thanks Les. I'll call it 1:29. The body is from an Aristo track cleaning car (same as the bobber caboose).

-Brian

 

[Bryan Smith]

here more photos of Pennsy Electric locomotive boxcab.

1:32 scale boxcab 2-B-2 wheel type PRR class "O1" No.7857 on curve track around Christmas tree.

on the left 1:25 scale boxcab "L6" no.7825, on the right is 1:32 scale boxcab "O1" No.7857 on curve.

1:25 scale boxcab 1-D-1 wheel type PRR class "L6" no.7825 on the curve track.

You can see under detail i design idea for tight curve track. I remove one LGB motor block you can see inside wood frame! but L6 i use twin LGB motor block to screw to the wood frame.

I unscrew carbody and frame you can see detail. O1 is single LGB motor

 

[Les]

Bryan,

Thank you for the great pictures. Thanks for taking the thing apart so I could see the framework. I really like that engine. Someday... I'm going to build one.

Les

 

[Les]

I don't think the battery tractor is ugly. I think it would be an awesome piece to have in a layout yard someplace. I have to assume they ran between the rails to move cars? Or straddled one rail? I've never seen anything like this before. How is it supposed to do its trick? It escaped my attention the first reply. Do you have a website, or should I just Google 'battery tractor'?

Les

 

[altterrain]

Posted By Les on 07/03/2008 7:29 PM
I don't think the battery tractor is ugly. I think it would be an awesome piece to have in a layout yard someplace. I have to assume they ran between the rails to move cars? Or straddled one rail? I've never seen anything like this before. How is it supposed to do its trick? It escaped my attention the first reply. Do you have a website, or should I just Google 'battery tractor'?
Les




Here it is - http://prr.railfan.net/RubberTiredSwitchers.html

I often use ugly as a compliment when it comes to critters.

There seem to be a few variations on the tires over the years from solid ones that had a grove in them to run on the rails to standard truck type tires.

-Brian

 

[Guest]

thanks, Bryan, very interesting.
with your system, do they run on R1?