AGEIR 300-HP Oil-Electric Boxcab

[R.K. Maroon]

CNJ 1000, an Alco-GE-IR 300-HP oil-electric boxcab, is widely recognized as the first diesel locomotive to go into regular service on a Class-I US railroad. The unit served over thirty years on the CNJ switching the Bronx freight house and car float (an amazing service life for any locomotive):



The above photo is linked from the website of the B&O Museum, where the unit is preserved.

David O King offered an O-scale version of this locomotive. Here is an example:


https://dl.dropbox.com/scl/fi/nw3tviy5bobxnpfczuk4x/King-Waddington-AGEIR-300-HP-CNJ-1000_01.jpg?rlkey=4hf5zxj1ncuoobt9t8szup80r

Here is a flyer for the model. A date of 1972 has been written on the flyer:


https://dl.dropbox.com/scl/fi/y5ftbjr142k6f1vh3xqmt/David-O-King-Flyer-Oil-Electric-001.jpg?rlkey=m3rmbunzg9zi0mdvd15mxbifw

A short video of this model in action can be seen at the link below:

https://dl.dropbox.com/scl/fi/m5ct7u5ptroyt9hota2om/20240514_143904.mp4?rlkey=lyc3wgplgivr1rg8tuz99h26c

Those that are familiar with David O King models may be surprised at how smooth and quiet this model runs. They will not then be surprised to hear that it has a custom drive. More on this later.

Jim

[bob turner]

Here is mine. I can only take credit for the rivets in the overlay - the rest was done by George Wilson (you can see his signature on some old Lobaugh blueprints). He used four NWSL gearboxes and four small Escap motors. Used to run like a watch. Unfortunately, when things sit on the shelf . . .

[E7]

The Bronx Terminal mentioned above was an interesting place.

Rich

[De Bruin]

The Bronx Terminal mentioned above was an interesting place. Rich

Indeed Rich; CNJ's Bronx Terminal for those not familiar was an amazingly compact ferry slip, yard and freight house. I recall seeing an HO portable layout modeling it at the NMRA convention here about ten years ago. A mind-blowing layout of a fantastic facility, tailor made for the scale minded with limited space, albeit there's few if any off-the-shelf switches or diamonds commercially available that would help in rendering its diabolical track-plan, as in need some serious "hand-laying-game" to model it accurately. My opinion perhaps an uber-rare example of an historic rail yard facility that one could accurately recreate without ANY distance compression too.
http://www.bronx-terminal.com/

David O King offered an O-scale version of this locomotive.

For the uninitiated David O. King had these little "hmmm...I wonder what that looks like in real life" back pages adverts in Vane Jone's 60'd and 70's era O Gauge Railroading and Traction & Models. I'm posting a link to the excellent Binns Road site of an example of the ads and some mug-shots of the products. Back then as I recall, few scale modelers took these models seriously in part due to his whimsical stuff, often three rail, though I REALLY like the fidelity of Jim's example here a lot. That Westinghouse box cab had a nice car-body too; a widely used prototype, rare enough as a model such that many traction guys jumped on them when they could regardless.
https://www.binnsroad.co.uk/railways/kingdo/index.html

Again Jim's example is indeed one of the nicest I've ever seen, running counter to the characterization of the line as tin-plate-y if not downright "funky."

[webenda]

Wikipedia on the naming of these diesel-electric engines:
These boxcabs were often termed oil-electrics to avoid the use of the German name Diesel, unpopular after World War I.
They were also called AEGIR Boxcabs according to the initials of the company names, ALCO, GE and Ingersoll Rand.

Wikipedia posted a dyslexic spelling of AGEIR.

[Carey Williams]

Nice box cab ....
Here is the little steamer that ran at the Bronx terminal prior to the diesel's arrival .
Kit offered by Model Craft Hobby Store 1936/7

https://youtu.be/55KjnQBegh4?si=6vtEelA3EY_9n4mI

Cheers Carey

[E7]

There was a small (emphasis on small) steam engine. I think a fellow named Bill Chaplik found a model of it and someone posted about it here on the forum. There was more unique/neat stuff on that small patch of turf, than Carter had pills!

I know it has been done in HO.

Rich

Whoops! Didn't notice your post Carey!

[bob turner]

That is kind of cute. I never cared for the 0-4-0T style until fairly recently. I now have plans for an 0-4-4-0T. Plans . . .

[bob turner]

Carey - post a "still" of that cutie on OGR, and I will repost it here for you.

[Carey Williams]

Hello Bob and the world ..here is a link to see more about the little steamer

https://ogrforum.ogaugerr.com/topic/bro ... res-1936-7

[bob turner]

Thanks. With Carey's permission and OGR's unwitting help:

[ScaleCraft]

Opinion:
Fugly. Screw through the side of the bunker? Bet it's to hold the vertical hand reverse sticking out the top of the fuel bunker.
Not a lot straight on that.
Oh, well.

[steamaheadstephen59]

I like this its kind of sooty in a back to front kind of way. A collaboration of my first wife and I

[De Bruin]

Nice drawing Stephen, thanks for posting. I love tank engines in general and that's one of my favorites,
likewise I covet Carey's example warts and all.

[R.K. Maroon]

I mentioned at the top of this thread that the David O KIng CNJ boxcab shown in the photo has a custom drive. For comparison, here is a photo of a similar model (offered for sale a long time ago by an MTJ member), but with a stock drive:


https://dl.dropbox.com/scl/fi/ln44lapdle01rximuq4no/King-AGEIR-300-HP-Underside.jpg?rlkey=53ik70d6j55byv5qwnf67glha

This drive setup is a "tell" for a David O King, especially the use of a white-nylon worm gear set. I haven't owned any models with this kind of drive, so I can't speak to how well it performs. The model is not very heavy, which limits how much it can pull, which limits how much the gears get loaded. So with a dual drive, the stock setup might work ok for light duty use. For whatever reason, some previous owner wanted something better. This is what they came up with:


https://dl.dropbox.com/scl/fi/imxho9vkm8zr6qc73ci77/20200121_174153.jpg?rlkey=ko8vhbby7wseqxn9y40swnhe2

This is a complete new chassis. The brass plate is is stamped "Rebuilt by D.L. Waddington". Phil Randall tells me that is David Waddington. The name is familiar but I am not sure why. I also don't know if Dave built this chassis for himself or for another modeler. Either way, he did a nice job. Here is a top-side view of the chassis, sans sideframes, sitting on test rollers:


https://dl.dropbox.com/scl/fi/uvxawdgz81882elc1zpcu/20240513_222356-2.jpg?rlkey=46cn756nrsucejqx50kho89ww

More later
Jim