Toys: Fine Art Models' PRR B6sb Locomotive

Saturday, January 28, 2012

Fine Art Models' PRR B6sb Locomotive

Fine Art Models' PRR B6sb Locomotive

Often referred to as the ÒShifter,Ó the most successful switcher ever built by the Pennsylvania Railroad was the B6. The original class B6 was built in Altoona Works from 1903-1913 with PRRÕs trademark square-shouldered Belpaire firebox and 56-inch drivers. They were constructed as saturated steam engines, rebuilt with superheaters later as class B6s, and had piston valves and Stephenson valve gear.The next version built was the B6sa, of which 55 were built at Altoona during 1913-1914. These had radial-stay fireboxes, common elsewhere but rare on the Pennsylvania, and they replaced the Stephenson gear with more modern Walschaerts valve gear. Steam delivery pipes were outside, like all other PRR modern power. All were built superheated.Finally, during 1916-1920, 238 class B6sb were built. These were the final, definitive type, and had a Belpaire firebox, but were otherwise little changed from the B6sa. The final 97 locomotives had piston valves mounted outboard of the cylinders, instead of inbound as previously built, giving the cylinder assemblies an outward cant at the top, rather than inward.All B6sa nd B6sb locomotives were retrofitted with power reverse to make the frequent back-and-forth of switching quicker and easier. The last PRR locomotive in active service was #5244, leased to Union Transportation of New Egypt, New Jersey until July, 1959.The only surviving B6sb, #1670, was saved in the PRRÕs historic collection at Northumberland, Pennsylvania and was donated to the Railroad Museum of Pennsylvania.

Product Features

32" L x 6.5" W x 4" H
Limited to only 30 pieces, this Fine Art Models B6sb is built in a scale of 1:32 and is made entirely of brass, nickel silver and stainless steel.
The Fine Art Models B6sb includes an operating reversing gear and engineer controlled lighting, whistle, and bell. In addition, it has three circuit boards, all with no wires leading from the locomotive to the tender, just the prototypical hoses. And, with the sealed bearing drive system, only one ampere of power is needed to move it.
The engineer-controlled features include the Headlight, Marker and Tender Lights, Cab Light, Automatic and Manual Whistle, Grade Crossing Whistle, Automatic and Manual Bell, Sound of Water filling the Tender, Sound of Coal Loading, Sound of Coupling Action, and Air compressors.
Each Fine Art Models B6sb train model comes complete with a Black Walnut roller base, which gives the appearance of the model sitting on hand laid ballasted track, and a leaded glass display case. And the digital operating and sound system allows you to run the model in place on the roller base or on a track.