K&L Trainz welcomes the Middletown & Hummelstown E-10-a #91 and a set of DL&W MU Trailer cars!
M&H 91 set includes: Engine, Tender, Coach, and Coach with working headlight and airhorn
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by Steve Lerro
K&L Trainz welcomes the Middletown & Hummelstown E-10-a #91 and a set of DL&W MU Trailer cars!
M&H 91 set includes: Engine, Tender, Coach, and Coach with working headlight and airhorn
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Known as “The Milk & Honey Line”, the Middletown and Hummelstown Railroad is a shortline railroad that handles both freight and tourist passenger trains just outside Harrisburg, PA. Aside from a vast array of vintage diesels, the M&H also employs a former Canadian National 2-6-0 E10a, #91, built in 1910 by the Canadian Locomotive Company. The railroad also has a collection of former DL&W MU trailer cars used for the tourist operations. Cars on either end of the consist are fitted with a headlight and airhorn to allowed for reverse running.
#91 is currently undergoing a major overhaul and awaits her return to operation.
M&H 91 set includes: Engine, Tender, Coach, and Coach with working headlight and airhorn
by Steve Lerro
K&L Trainz welcomes the what may have been the PRR FG-1 2-6-6-4 Articulated!
PRR FG-1 set includes: (1) Engine & (1) Tender
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At the peak of World War II, the Pennsylvania Railroad was in desperate need of a larger locomotive to handle the ever-growing war time freight traffic. Unfortunately, they were unable to allocate any money towards research and development of a new locomotive due to war time restrictions. So they decided to lease a C&O T-1 2-10-4 and an N&W A Class 2-6-6-4, and copy one of their designs. After thorough testing, the PRR decided to go with the C&O T-1 as the basis for the new locomotive design. The result is what became the PRR J1.
Ever imagine what would have happened if the PRR had gone with the N&W A Class instead as the basis for the new locomotive? What would it look like? If we were to take elements from the J1 and future Q2, there would be a cast steal pilot with folding coupler, a keystone number plate, the headlight would be raised up with the bell hung underneath, the hooter whistle would be swapped for the more traditional PRR 3 Chime whistle with a whistle shield, a belpaire firebox for added combustion, a squared cab with larger round windows, and a welded coast to coast tender.
The PRR had an interesting method of classifying their articulated locomotives. They would combine the classification of the multiple wheel sets used in the wheel arrangement, and finally a -1 since they were the first of it’s class. For example, the 0-8-8-0 was basically (2) 0-8-0 C class locomotives….so it was called the CC-1. Their 2-8-8-0 was a 2-8-0 H class, and an 0-8-0 C class…..so it was called an HC-1. This new locomotive would have been a 2-6-0 F class, and a reversed 4-6-0 G class, and the -1. The Pennsylvania FG-1!
A boiler pressure of 300psi, 70″ drivers and a massive belpaire firebox allows for 125000 lbs of tractive effort! She sports a PRR 3 chime whistle from a PRR Q2, trails a welded coast to coast tender, capable of carrying 27 tons of coal and 21000 gallons of water.
Although this engine never did exist, it’s exciting to see what very well may have been the PRR’s most modernized steam locomotive!
PRR FG-1 Articulated set includes: (1) Engine and (1) Tender
by Steve Lerro
K&L Trainz welcomes the second WM locomotive to the roster: the I-1 2-10-0 Russian Decapod!
WM I1 Russian Decapod set includes: (3) Engines & (3) Tenders
Buy nowby Steve Lerro
K&L Trainz welcomes the first official WM locomotive to the roster: the J-1 4-8-4 Potomac!
WM J1 Potomac set includes: (2) Engines & (2) Tenders
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The Western Maryland took delivery of (12) 4-8-4’s in 1947 from the Baldwin Locomotive Works. Rather than naming them “Northerns” like most railroads, the WM chose to name them Potomacs. They were classified as the J-1, and numbered from 1401-1412. These locomotives were massive! Their boilers were nearly 9ft in diameter! Saddled on (8) 69″ drivers, the Potomacs weighed in at 506,500 lbs, and produced 70,600 lbs of tractive effort when running at 255 boiler psi. At 45mph, the Potomacs head nearly the same performance as the even larger M-2 4-6-6-4 Challengers. They were very liked by the engine crews, mostly because of the enclosed all-weather cabs, and the (4) wheel trailing truck provided extra comfort. Timken roller bearings were fitted on all engine and tender axles and on the back end of the eccentric rod. All link motion pins used needle bearing and the drive wheels were of the Box Pox design. The trailing trucks were designed to accomodate a booster engine, but they were never added. On the 1.75% grade west out of Cumberland, MD, the Potomacs were limited 1180 tons unassisted. On level track, they were capable of handling upwards of 5500 tons. 8000 tons was the limit for downhill runs. The Potomacs ended up being the last steam locomotives the WM received new before dieselization began.
All of the Potomacs were retired in 1954, being stored in Hagerstown and Cumberland until 1957 when the equipement trusts ran out, resulting in their inevitable scrapping.
None of the (12) Potomacs were preserved.
WM J1 Potomac set includes: (2) Engines and (2) Tenders
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After the Bolshevik Revolution in November 1917, a large amount of 2-10-0 decapods scheduled for shipment from the US to the Russian Empire ended up being cancelled and kept in the US, not being able to be paid for by the USSR. These decapods were converted to American standards and were put to work on various railroads. The WM received (10) of them, numbered 1101-1110. Classified as I-1’s, the little decapods were used nearly system wide and were the preferred power on many of the local and branch-line trains. They did everything from fetching coal and working mainline locals to running the daily locals on the Waynesboro and other branches. They did their jobs well and were generally liked by the crews. It’s been noted that the throttles on the locomotives received by the WM worked in reverse….meaning the throttle was opened by pushing forward on it, rather than pulling back on it. One can imagine an engineer’s instinct to close the throttle quickly during a wheel slip most likely resulted in more wheel slipping when they accidentally opened the throttle wide open by pushing it forward!
One the engines, #1110, was tested as a yard engine in Elkins, WV. The wide tires and long wheelbase led #1110 to derail numerous times around switch points. Needless to say the experiment was short lived.
None of the WM’s (10) Russian Decapods were preserved.
WM I1 Russian Decapod set includes: (3) Engines and (3) Tenders
by Steve Lerro
“The Most Famous Train in the World” is available now!
NYC J3a Dreyfuss Hudson & 1938-1939 20th Century Limited set includes: (2) Engines, (1) Tender and (8) Passenger cars
Locomotive with Box Pox drivers & Traditional Rods
Locomotive with Scullin Disc drivers and & Roller-bearing Rods
01 – RPO Baggage – #5017-5020
02 – Crew Dorm/Lounge – Century Series
03 – Sleeper 17 Roomette – City Series
04 – Sleeper 10-5 Roomette – Cascade Series
05 – Diner – 38-Seat – #680-685
06 – Sleeper – 4-4-2 Roomette – Imperial Series
07 – Sleeper – 13 DBL Bedroom – County Series
08 – Observation – BDR/Lounge – Island Series
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In 1938 industrial designer Henry Dreyfuss was commissioned by the New York Central to design a new streamlined train set for their flagship train: The 20th Century Limited. Prior to this, Dreyfuss has been responsible for the conceptual design of the New York Central’s Mercury train set, which he used an existing locomotive and passenger cars to create a matching consist. Now in 1938, having proved himself, Dreyfuss took one of the NYC’s J3a Hudsons, and created an Art Deco style concept, incorporating a skyline casting, bullet nose, a vertical fin on the smokebox door, and shrouding over the firebox and pilot. The tender was also streamlined to match the contours of the locomotive cab. The locomotive received the nickname “Dreyfuss Hudson”. Numbered 5445-5454, these hudsons produced 41,000 lbs of tractive effort, allowing them race a 17 car train at over 90mph. All (10) were equipped with 79″ drivers, the first (5) being box pox drivers with tradition rods, and the later (5) having scullin disc drivers and lightweight roller-bearing rods.
Rolling stock would be a product entirely of the Pullman Company. A 2-tone gray and blue striping would run from the tender through the entire consist tying it together. No coach seating was provided on this train. The consist was made up of an RPO Baggage, a Crew Dorm/Lounge, 4 different sleeper layouts, a pair of diners, and a sleeper/buffet/lounge/observation. First class services included: drawing rooms, single/double bed rooms, smoking sections, a fully stocked library, maid services and even a barber shop.
The schedule from New York to Chicago would be shortened from 20 hours down to 16 hours, continuing the normal route overnight up to Albany and over to Buffalo along the Water Level Route. This consist would be used from 1938-1939, when the paint scheme was changed, and shrouding began to be removed from sections of the locomotive for ease of maintenance. By 1948, they had been replaced with modern E8 Diesel locomotives on the 20th Century Limited, and reassigned to other trains.
None of the Dreyfuss Hudsons were preserved after steam was retired from the New York Central.
NYC J3a Dreyfuss Hudson & 1938-1939 20th Century Limited set includes: (2) Engines, (1) Tender and (8) Passenger cars
Locomotive variations include:
Locomotive with Box Pox drivers & Traditional Rods
Locomotive with Scullin Disc drivers and & Roller-bearing Rods
1938-1939 20th Century Limited consists includes:
01 – RPO Baggage – #5017-5020
02 – Crew Dorm/Lounge – Century Series
03 – Sleeper 17 Roomette – City Series
04 – Sleeper 10-5 Roomette – Cascade Series
05 – Diner – 38-Seat – #680-685
06 – Sleeper – 4-4-2 Roomette – Imperial Series
07 – Sleeper – 13 DBL Bedroom – County Series
08 – Observation – BDR/Lounge – Island Series
by Steve Lerro
After 5 years, K&L welcomes another B&O steamer to the roster: the Q-3 2-8-2 Mikado!
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In 1918, the Baltimore & Ohio was allocated one hundred USRA light “Mikados” with 63″ diameter drivers, which were fitted immediately with thicker tires to bring them up to the B&O 64″ diameter standard, reducing the starting tractive effort to 53,868 pounds. They were designated as class Q-3 and were assigned road numbers 4500 through 4599.
Today: #4500 is the only surviving B&O Mikado to exist:
#4500 is on display at the Baltimore & Ohio Railroad Museum in Baltimore, MD.
B&O Q3 Mikado set includes: (1) Engine, (1) Tender & (1) Caboose
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by Steve Lerro
K&L welcomes the final mainstay locomotive of the Strasburg Railroad: N&W #475!
N&W/SRC M Mastodon Megapack includes: (5) Engines, (4) Tenders, (18) Passenger Cars and (5) Freight Cars
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The M Class was the Norfolk & Western’s answer to a need for more powerful locomotives to haul their constantly growing coal trains. Starting in 1906, the N&W received (125) 4-8-0 Mastodons, built by Baldwin and Alco, utilizing a 4-8-0 wheel arrangement over the 2-8-2 because of the 4-8-0’s better adhesive weight. Unlike conventional steam locomotives, the cab’s on these 4-8-0’s were located completely along side the firebox, allowing for an overall shorter engine length. Originally built with inside Stephenson Valve Gear, (30) were later converted to Baker Valve Gear, only (10) were eventually superheated, and all were hand fired. Nicknamed “Mollies”, they may not have been pretty, but for 1906 technology, they could pull! A 200psi boiler pressure, 21×30″ cylinders and 56″ drivers combined to produce 40,163 lbs of tractive effort. The Mollies were the go-to mainline freight locomotives for only a short time. Within a decade, the N&W began purchasing Y Class 2-8-8-2 articulated mallets, capable of hauling 2-3x the tonnage, downgrading the M Class fleet to branch line work, where the rails were lighter and tonnage loads were less. #382 gained acclaim with the extensive photo and audio coverage by renowned photographer O. Winston Link. She could be found powering the daily “Virginia Creeper” along the N&W’s now abandoned Abington Branch.
Today: (2) of the original (125) M Class 4-8-0’s built in 1906-1907 survive.
#433 is on display at the Abington, VA.
#475 Was purchased by the Strasburg Railroad in 1991 from the Boone Scenic Railroad in Boone, IA. She was restored to operating condition in 1993 and has been active on the roster since. #475 is the oldest of the SRC’s (5) steam locomotives. She was featured in Thomas & The Magic Railroad in 2000, and has been used in a number of Lerro Productions 382 Charters recreating the Virginia Creeper with SRC’s vintage freight cars.
N&W/SRC M Mastodon Megapack includes: (5) Engines, (4) Tenders, (18) Passenger Cars and (5) Freight Cars
Locomotive variations include:
N&W V1: 1940s-1950s center headlight appearance
N&W V2 1940s-1950s high headlight appearance
SRC V1: 1993-2004 appearance
SRC V2: 2005-present appearance
SRC 382: Lerro Productions Virginia Creeper Charter appearance
SRC Modern Scheme Passenger cars include:
SRC “Donald E. L. Hallock” B&M Combine
SRC “Grasshopper Level” B&M Coach
SRC “Gobbler’s Knob” B&M Coach
SRC “Cherry Crest” B&M Coach
SRC “Mill Creek” B&M Coach
SRC “William McFarlan” B&M Coach
SRC “Huber Leath” P&R Coach
SRC “Walnut Hollow” P&R Coach
SRC “Susquehanna” P&R Coach
SRC “William M. Moedinger” Ma&Pa Coach
SRC “Warren F. Benner” WM Coach
SRC “Henry K. Long” B&M Diner
SRC “Lee E. Brenner” B&M Diner
SRC “Marian” B&M Parlor
SRC “Daffodil Spring” B&M Open Air
SRC “Pleasant View” B&M Open Air
SRC “Valley View” B&M Open Air
SRC “Hello Dolly” B&M Open Air
SRC Vintage Freight Cars include:
Ma&Pa Wood Box Car #713 & 723
Tidewater Tank Car #1367
Ma&Pa Flat Car #122
PRR H21a Hopper #194796
DT&I Wood Caboose #12