Good work. I am glad I model HO !!! Hands to big and my age over the hill 😊 Thank you

The bestest baddest 2000hp Switcher ever built, even better than the EMD GP SD38 Offering

👍👍👍👍👍

0:03 Aha! Alco's biggest mistake was using HO scale prime movers

Why Conrail wasnt called to take control of Rock Island?

What's the size of the track?

Love the old locomotives! Can't stand the newer ones at all in fact i won't even watch the videos when i see those ugly new locomotives! I grew up in Metairie Louisiana! My parents backyard faced Airline hwy where the Kansas city Southern trains ran for many years! I'm 59 years old so i got to see the GP's and U boats and even some of the F units. But when Clearview parkway was extended to reach the Huey P Long bridge it seems that the 18 wheelers couldn't figure out how to stay off the tracks at the red light at Airline hwy so after multiple accidents with trains smashing the big trucks usually once to twice a week the Jefferson Parish Council decided to punish the railroad and make them move the tracks! They ended up moving the Kansas city lines to the Central ave lines where they still are now! Plus it's still the only area where the trains can cross the Mississippi River in Southeast Louisiana! The entrance to the Huey P Long bridge is in the Central Ave rail yard which is located in the back of my Parents neighborhood! My parents neighborhood was sandwiched between the sets of tracks! Great place to grow up especially if you loved watching trains!

I have a newer 0-6-0 locomotive that I have had to for years and is still working fine

CAT-inary, not KATE-inary

“Cookie“ locomotive works? Really? It’s just pronounced Cook.

I was looking at one in N scale. Nyc. It's just black but I'll put the nyc system cigar stripe on it. It is hideous to look at. But something different I guess. Idk now seeing this I might pass. Lol

Runs as smooth as I expect a Kato to run despite the nasty wheels. A little clean and it should be "good as new". I use the exact same brown Bachmann vintage power pack on my workbench as well. Mine doesn't buzz but I have noticed that the power delivery isn't very linear. It's very steppy. But it works out well for my purposes and I love using vintage gear when it's not a huge inconvenience to do so. lol. Nice little RS2 there, Peter! Thanks for the video!

Thank you for doing all these videos about Alco's of any kind. I grew up watching the RS-1, RS-2, & RS-3's and other Alco's on the LS&I move iron ore from the local mines where I lived. Brings back many old great 🙂memories.

I couldn't get past the first 2m 28s. The man doing the voiceover is SO angry ! He sounds like he read this on the day his wife handed him divorce papers !

The pronunce👨‍🏫 is a (BAHRRMANN) NO (BAACKMA!!!!!!!!) IS A GERMAN NAME! AND "DEUTSCHE'S NAME" AND (GERMMANIE NAME) IS DEUTSCH IS A DUITSH IS FROM THE OLD GREATH GERMANY (🇳🇱🇱🇺🇩🇪🇦🇹🇧🇪)😊 MANN IS A MAN! AND THE BACH IS A LITLEY RIVER! (BACH-MANN) BACH🏞MANN👨‍🔧👍

I've had an original MRC version of the P42 sound decoder that's been sitting around for at least ten years - finally got around to installing it and found this video surprisingly helpful. And the decoder does work. I won't be using any more of them though, the sound isn't up to the standards that we (and I) now expect. Plus the mechanical design is poor: in order to get good electrical contact the board needs to be taped down so as to put a lot of pressure on to the truck contacts. This impedes the trucks from pivoting smoothly and makes them prone to derail on curves and switches. Still, cheap and cheerful sound and a relatively simple install. And nothing was 'screwed'.

This entire video is what’s actually a goof.

I have found that the stuttering and unreliable function to not be unique to those XL systems decoders. I've experienced it with ESU, Paragon, and Econami sound decoders in N scale as well. I wish there were more options for keep alive or capacitor banks but there is just so little room inside of most N scale units. Also I think the light weight of N scale units leads to poor electrical contact even on clean track. Good video as always, Peter!

Next documentary when?

It's not the capton tape. It's that the frame halves are oily. I always clean the areas on the frame halves where I want the capton tape too stick with acetone or laquer thinner and a Q-tip. Works like a charm. Cheers!

Cool video! The Amfleets are very Mercedes-like with their air suspension and aircraft style cabin. Love that shot of the old main street at around 10:30!! I can imagine stepping off a train there while dodging horses, getting some old-timey essentials from the general store, having a drink at one of the establishments then heading to my apartment upstairs

Really interesting video. Thanks

1802 had a mishap in Fancher with a tow truck. I think it's parked in Medina at the ethanol plant waiting to be repaired

The Falls Road runs across from my house. I see 2035 several times a week and now 2002 at times since they are handling reefers for Tropicana

Always a pleasure to watch your videos. Great presentation and always filled with information about the evolution of those things that rode on rails.

Actually I consider the GM F-3 or E-7 the best looking diesel locomotives.

I know this is a bit late, but I've recently been playing around with a couple of those old RS-11s. One day before watching this video, I discovered that the finicky performance of the motor isn't actually the motor. It's the cheezy headlight installation. The metal contacts fit loosely and jiggle around while the locomotive is running down the rails and over the joints. The loose contacts serve up both open circuit and short circuit situations, resulting in jerky performance. To test this, I simply cut the red wire (ground) that runs from the motor to the light fixture. The thing ran great with this "modification". I intend to install LEDs and four wheel pickup in both of mine, and that should make these acceptable performers with the original motors still in them.

Most informative video I have ever seen on this excellent subject. Very good job. I salute you.😊🎉

Got to love the Alco chug

Thanks for the ride.

Great video

Looks like that was a great little weekend getaway!

I have had more than one issue with Atlas units new in the box. One I sent back to Atlas and they claimed that USPS destroyed it in transit after letting the box sit unopened in their posession for 6 weeks. So I was out $200 there. I just picked up another brand new Atlas N scale locomotive. this one DC, and it also doesn't work out of the box. Not sure what is up with their QC, or lack thereof, lately.

Nice revival, Peter!

The key to getting a cheap Amtrak fare is not by booking early. Amtrak fares are constantly going up and down. It depends on people not booking as much as expected.

My question is this.....whole the hell had the idea at Life-Like of putting no straight track pieces in a train set? I got one of those P1K PRR erie-builts. It runs well now, but when I got it the thing would die 2 feet into running. Beautiful locomotive. I also got a NYC c-liner at the same time, and a PRR one. the NYC one didn't even have a headlight for some reason, so I had one custom installed. That was weird.

that shade of blue is better known as bankrupt blue.

Nice work Thank you

Atlas had an FA-1years ago. Was first N Scale locomotive with a flywheel. This is based on the Life Like FA-1

Might want to clean your track before testing a loco with no keep alive installed.

Next documentary when?

If it is the same as Alco PA-2, then it is not forgotten since it is featured in Railroad Tycoon II!

I don't know if you ever mentioned that the Tax Money the railroads were paying on their local infrastructure and right of way was supporting local schools, sherriffs, Fire Departments and other local governments! No Trucks, Airlines or Passenger Cars were forced to pay these taxes on top of the usual taxes. Railroads were excessively burdened which in the pre-ww1 era wasn't a problem since they still owned the majority of passenger and freight business!

I also read that EMD actually sent factory engineers to key customers to get to the root cause of any early issues!

This what happens when operating and sales executes make decisions and tell engineering to just shut up and hurry up!! Sad

I bet it was Torsional Resonance too! That can break any crankshaft in any engine!!

Amtrak ALC-42 345 Needs Repaired. 0:00

Those ex-ATSF Blue Warbonnets are beautiful!

Enjoyed this video, lots of great information; but I am wondering since many railroad used the RS units in passenger service with a steam generator in the short hood, why did WM and LV (and Pennsy too I believe) have what was referred to as the Hammerhead short hood? What made their steam generators so much different to the Rock Island and others with steam generators?

You are supposed to install kaptan tape around the two frame half openings. If either one of those motor leads touches the frame halves it's goodbye decoder.