Model Train Journal

https://railfan.com/elusive-baldwin-sha ... n-storage/

posted in 2021, did they ever do anything with them?

And the paint looks good, still.

I love Sharks! I think maybe they were spring cleaning, and afterward back they went. It’s hard to beat that silver and blue paint job.

Tracked down a bot more. 2024 reported back inside, plan is to donate the pair to a museum.

As promised:



This one is an aluminum doorstop - as accurate as I will ever need. Unpowered, since I have so many powered Diesels in the fleet that seem to go un-run for decades. The very first chain drive Diesels I put together now have split sprockets - I really need to get after them. Some day.

I think these are Penn-Erie, but not sure. Charlie Costa cornered the world market for these really nice doorstops. Maroon has a better looking set - I think I have a copy of his photo.

Before I post photos of the Sharks on my roster, I will state that my primary interest in these locomotives is the EJ&E version:



The EJ&E purchased the original Baldwin demonstrators in 1950:



That's obviously an ABA set but the EJ&E wound up with two AB sets. They ran them for five years and then sold them to the B&O. Both photos above are from Mike Condren's website.

I have long thought that it would be cool to have a set of Penn-Erie Sharks in EJ&E colors. The problem with that idea is that Penn-Erie never offered a B-unit. But plenty of A-units have become available over the years:


https://dl.dropbox.com/scl/fi/7jq0bvzwgfr0tq2l5oan2/Penn-Erie-Baldwin-RF-16-Sharknose-AA-Set.png?rlkey=fsmxdlwq25jqdduc8heeyko0t


https://dl.dropbox.com/scl/fi/brxge9kbwha8blsbaq1d5/Penn-Erie-Shark-PRR-2004_01.JPG?rlkey=ow5bzo2hdl681j9bwf4s6wy9z


https://dl.dropbox.com/scl/fi/o6z65nn47esibhd0a1asd/266-Penn-Erie-Baldwin-Sharknose-AA-Set-01.jpg?rlkey=hsfnbipodzrixua47yjdt7rmt

Examination of the A-unit versus the B-unit led to the conclusion that one could make one of the latter out of two of the former. This theory was proven correct by the arrival of this ABA set:


https://dl.dropbox.com/scl/fi/7i0zs9jeej09yy9qly1r7/Penn-Erie-Baldwin-Sharks-PRR-01.jpg?rlkey=321guno7gebymxetinjhm2k8k

All I have to do now is dip the paint off that B-unit. Yea, it's not gonna happen. I have dipped off the "home road" sets shown above, but there the project sits. The PRR set gets some action though:

https://www.dropbox.com/scl/fi/3zwpoeie4w7sp3hw3zgnr/20220930_165927-Penn-Erie-PRR-Baldwin-Sharks-with-Hopper-String.mp4?rlkey=levk1mq1lvwqhkf86e50mryln&raw=1

The caboose in the video is, appropriately, a cast Alexander from before the war.
Jim

Jim, that video was very nice! Something about that shark nose is most enjoyable.

Dan Weinhold

Good shark discussion. The doorstop locomotives are interesting but not always easy to find.I have been wondering about other modeling options for these unique Baldwins. I seem to remember ROW and Williams making these in three rail. Were they even full scale size? I’ve never seen one in real life.Has anyone here taken the carcass of one of those engines and made a decent scale runner out of it? I’m thinking about options for the modeler on a lower budget.

Hi Phil, posted this in 2023; a Weaver RF-16 AB set which I added an additional Weaver drive to the B unit. Since most of us are re-posting on this topic I thought why not?
https://www.modeltrainjournal.com/phpBB3/viewtopic.php?f=10&t=19770&hilit=De+Bruin&start=15
There Stephen posted a excellent conversion he made on Lionel's version that is about as good looking a model of a Shark as I’ve seen, even compared to the brass version(s) He pointed out that the Lionel had the correct truck axle spacing, which is 6 scale inches longer than the Weaver version’s FA style AAR truck set. It’s a brain worm once you notice the difference. Nevertheless I can live with the discrepancy, and I believe the Williams/Bachmann versions have the same shell as the Weaver, though I’m not sure and welcome any corrections or clarifications thereof.
Also my opinion is that the ROW version is (unfortunately) horribly wrong with regard to the cab nose contours though cannot speak about the rest of the model.
Happily Jim’s Penn-Erie versions appear to have both decent nose contours and the correct length trucks too, which is good since I’ve been looking forward to doing that EJ&E version as that road is iconic to us both, and they look pretty good in that scheme in my opinion.

Nice to see so many sharks ..

Here is a link to see a pair of Pennsy shark built by Jack Bramble ...17/64ths , outside third rail, gavinized sheet metal , band drive

https://youtu.be/Lr_yEDVF8MM

That really is a worthwhile video. The Bramble Sharks appear to be as good as, if not better than, the aluminum doorstops.

I had heard that the Williams was built-up brass, but with a vertical windshield. I bet that could be fixed.

I am taking a break from a couple steam projects, and build an extension out of brass for a Shark B project. The top part is the challenge, but I believe wood is the answer. I know I could do it in brass given about three times the effort, but for now it is just a "concept" project. I will bolt it on to the back of my Shark A to get the "fit" right.

There is apparently only one color photo of the EJ&E Sharks in existence - see above. Green and orange truly get me going; witness the number of Great Northern Diesels and electrics around here - not to mention six Empire Builder cars.

To revisit who made the sharknose, I have photos in my files of brass models by OMI, NJ Custom Brass, and Williams. Here is the OMI:


https://dl.dropbox.com/scl/fi/m903yux62fq1ujfy6l8bg/OMI-Baldwin-Sharknose-04.JPG?rlkey=9pkr29jxngy15p6pl5o7es54u


https://dl.dropbox.com/scl/fi/14wa81v6rwy3tbbh6qdx6/OMI-Baldwin-Sharknose-10.JPG?rlkey=a83s0hw31pnp3822tv6se1aey


https://dl.dropbox.com/scl/fi/ui3s6g76p8t7dmff7clyr/OMI-Baldwin-Sharknose-14.JPG?rlkey=kkx3wzsnfee10eurxetl7rn2a

I don't know if OMI made a B-unit or not, but one would have to think "certainly yes".

Here is the NJ/CB:


https://dl.dropbox.com/scl/fi/t9uf9yqvnkrf4wh2wyigv/Baldwin-RF-16-Shark-Custom-Brass-Unpntd-Sep-2012-01.JPG?rlkey=cxm6fqr0utkkq4h0qvz8njtt6


https://dl.dropbox.com/scl/fi/z4i7z4ifoskcymgv061kc/Custom-Brass-Baldwin-RF-16-Unpainted-01-CROP.JPG?rlkey=wtxeha30zgmrttugy6xuhauvo

As to the brass Williams (they made a plastic version as well), here is a set that sold on eBay. We see that these are three-rail:


https://www.dropbox.com/scl/fi/vwf5j8n5x0u1z8ec2b7ex/Williams-NYC-AB-set-02.jpg?rlkey=emj0bnvwtm5c42m06uhw6rky6

Anybody want to comment on that NYC paint scheme?
Jim

We are still thinking about Shark B units. I took a couple evenings to cobble together a "proof of concept" extension - I would simply cut the nose off of an A and add a built-up brass B end.

This does two things - one, it only destroys one Shark A set of castings, and two, it eliminates the tedious fitting together of a jigsaw puzzle-like pair of cuts.

I got two things out of the effort - one, it appeared that some corrosion had gotten under the paint on my roof, and two, I removed a truly ugly metal diaphragm from the rear of my Shark A. I cured the corrosion with some zinc phosphate primer and some flat black - hardly tell the difference between the black and the Brunswick green. And I shall cure the diaphragm later with an All-Nation style accordion fold.

No photo this time - you will have to wait until we do the real thing.

I never cared for the Sharks in my younger modeling days, but I lived west of the Mississippi, so never saw any of the prototypes running. It was all F and E units where I lived. Now I like the look of them.

My only experience with them was way back in the 90's, Roger Seger (from Austria) reached out to me to sell a painted set of CB Sharks. I didn't know him from Adam and I don't remember how he got my name, but he lived in Europe and asked if I would sell them for him in the states.......and sent them to me to sell. That kind of trust is not seen today.

I sold them and had the money sent directly to him as his trust was all the payment I needed. Later I saw an article in OSN about his outdoor layout. A real old school gentleman for sure.

Since we are repeating pics, here's the Lionel its lonely for a partner I think!

That Shark is a beauty, in my opinion.

Dan Weinhold