Buy anything cool lately?

Fortunate to buy this Texas 2-10-4 from the Jim McIntosh collection

Well I wasn't planning on buying anymore locomotives but this was too good of a deal to pass up. It's a MTH 20-3079-1 Santa Fe 3460 class Hudson, number 3460, the "Blue Goose". It's in like new condition with zero run time (rollers and wheels show no wear) but was part of MTH service, i.e. robbed of parts for warranty repairs. As such it has no boards, smoke unit, or any wiring harness. It does have the motor, drivetrain, and all lights. Currently it has a bridge rectifier and just runs forward. My plan is to install a steam PS3 upgrade kit in the winter, along with a spare PS2 smoke unit. I can't reveal where I got it as I promised to keep it on the down low. It was a screaming deal, as even with the cost of the PS3 upgrade kit it will still cost less than half of what a factory PS3 "Blue Goose" would cost.

Fwiw, I have been on a container kick lately....

Hub 53' and APL 40' containers

Evergreen 40' containers

Hamburg Sud 40' Containers

OOCL  20ft & 40ft containers

Weaver Models 20' containers-Weathered

I just picked up my first Lionel cars to convert to 2-Rail! A D&H Centerflow Hopper and a C&NW PS-2CD.  So far I haven't strayed far from Atlas, Intermountain and Weaver for converting over to 2-Rail if needed. So, needless to say I'm excited and a little nervous, but I've heard nothing but raving reviews on these cars. I'm looking forward to getting some Lionel PS-1 Boxcars to convert someday soon!

ALCO-C628 posted:

I just picked up my first Lionel cars to convert to 2-Rail! A D&H Centerflow Hopper and a C&NW PS-2CD.  So far I haven't strayed far from Atlas, Intermountain and Weaver for converting over to 2-Rail if needed. So, needless to say I'm excited and a little nervous, but I've heard nothing but raving reviews on these cars. I'm looking forward to getting some Lionel PS-1 Boxcars to convert someday soon!

Alco, this is an interesting, informative post. But help out a beginner, if you would.

Why are you converting perfectly good three-rail O gauge cars to two-rail?

Looks like purchases are really brisk, lots of nice train and related merchandise, Bill T, neat Bar Dahl oil cars, Dave NYC, Nice B&M hoppers, Lou1985, Neat 3460 Sante Fe Class Hudson and nice Passenger cars, cool video, hope everyone has a great weekend, I picked up a set of City of Denver Lionel Aluminum Passenger Cars, even the StationSounds car, all being re-lit with LED lighting and adding many more people....Happy Railroading 

Vincent Massi posted:

ALCO-C628 posted:

I just picked up my first Lionel cars to convert to 2-Rail! A D&H Centerflow Hopper and a C&NW PS-2CD.  So far I haven't strayed far from Atlas, Intermountain and Weaver for converting over to 2-Rail if needed. So, needless to say I'm excited and a little nervous, but I've heard nothing but raving reviews on these cars. I'm looking forward to getting some Lionel PS-1 Boxcars to convert someday soon!

Alco, this is an interesting, informative post. But help out a beginner, if you would.

 

Why are you converting perfectly good three-rail O gauge cars to two-rail?

Hi Vincent,

I only model in 2-Rail and that's why I'm converting them over from 3-Rail. Even though I've been collecting and researching O Scale for a while, I'm a beginner as well with a modular layout to go around the room. Construction should begin this fall! Feel free to ask any questions that you might have!

Darin

Vincent Massi posted:

ALCO-C628 posted:

I just picked up my first Lionel cars to convert to 2-Rail! A D&H Centerflow Hopper and a C&NW PS-2CD.  So far I haven't strayed far from Atlas, Intermountain and Weaver for converting over to 2-Rail if needed. So, needless to say I'm excited and a little nervous, but I've heard nothing but raving reviews on these cars. I'm looking forward to getting some Lionel PS-1 Boxcars to convert someday soon!

Alco, this is an interesting, informative post. But help out a beginner, if you would.

 

Why are you converting perfectly good three-rail O gauge cars to two-rail?

Scale body, but not scale couplers ("big lobster claws") or prototypical mounting of couplers (most 3r is "Talgo" type, on the truck vs body) ;wheels have a different profile with rounded or fast angled treads and transition to flange differs; and hugely oversided flanges ("pizza cutters") are the norm on 3r for better performance on tubular track lacking the edges of T head rails.

Scale wheels end up thinner too.  Look close at your HO wheels and you can likely note similar differences.  Some use more toyish set ups than others to improve performance on less than perfect trackwork.  

2r folks of all scales tend to attack their issues resulting from more prototypical scale with better track, better gauging, and more prototypical weighting (heavier)

Thanks to Nassau Trains and Grzyboski’s Trains for my new project. I planned to just buy the chassis for parts, but it was hard to not put this SD70 together with the variety of shells that were up for sale. I have a couple of the Heritage units already, and the Southern was on my want list. The next best thing to buying one, building one! I will have to order the trucks and a couple small parts from Lionel, but this will look good in a lash up with my other two Heritage units! 

The shell looks great, SBFORD27.  That will make a great looking engine!

Mark Boyce posted:

The shell looks great, SBFORD27.  That will make a great looking engine!

Thank you.

I have the shell mounted on the chassis now and all features work as they should. I need to clean the dust off of it and try to find some green paint to touch it up. I am excited to see it completed and pulling some rolling stock!

Thank you, Darin and Adriatic.

Researching on the web, I was surprised to learn how popular 2-rail O gauge is. I would have considered it to be meaningless with unpowered rolling stock, but the 2-railers tend to demand more accuracy.

Another GEEP!

Lionel GP-9 with railsounds and command.

Had to have this Lionel 6-16739 Foghorn Leghorn. Got it off the Bay new in box, good price.

RSJB18, Bob, that’s a beautiful B&O Diesel, reminds me of living in Flora Illinois back in the late 1950’s/1960’s and seeing this particular GP9 diesel paint scheme in the Flora yards. Simply a beautiful color scheme. 

Paul, Thank you for the Western Maryland Alco Information and photograph 

Vincent Massi posted:

Thank you, Darin and Adriatic.

Researching on the web, I was surprised to learn how popular 2-rail O gauge is. I would have considered it to be meaningless with unpowered rolling stock, but the 2-railers tend to demand more accuracy.

You're welcome Vincent. Sorry, I should have been more detailed in my response, but Adriatic explained it very well!  Here's what I should have said:

I came into O scale from HO which I still model. I never gave O scale much consideration back in my early HO days as I thought all O Scale was 3 Rail and not to scale.  In fact I would often catch myself saying that I wished they made O scale more like HO.  After moving to Colorado in the late 80's, I went to the Holy Grail of Model Railroading Caboose Hobbies. It was there that my old beliefs with O scale were shattered as I happen to see a 2-rail locomotive and rolling stock on display (Que the heavenly light shinning from above with angels singing). Well, that put me into a whirlwind of research into what I had been missing all these years. It was not too long after that I picked up a Red Caboose GP9 and thus beginning my adventures into 2-Rail.

I would have to agree that 2-Railers are really HO modelers only in a bigger scale that do want their trains to be more prototypical, scale and detailed as your research indicated.

I'll get some better pictures of the hoppers I just picked up along with some of my other O scale collection. Until construction begins on the modular layout, I'm going to start at least one modular section or a diorama to get my feet wet, that way I have something that can photograph my equipment on.

Darin

Picked up the MTH reefer car for my Norfolk and Western passenger set. It has been weathered and my other cars are not, but it will be ok! It will do until I can find a non weathered one!

Apples55 posted:

Well, Mark... I know you (and some others here about) who not only like WM, but BL’s (sorry - not a big fan)... so here is another Facebook pic. The caption reads:

”Western Maryland Railroad EMD BL-2 Locomotive No. 81 in 1971.

The Western Maryland Railway (reporting mark WM) was an 835 mile Class I railroad operating in Maryland, West Virginia, and Pennsylvania from 1852 until 1983. It was primarily a coal hauling and freight railroad, with a small passenger train operation. The WM became part of the Chessie System in 1973, although it continued independent operations until May 1975 after which time many of its lines were abandoned in favor of parallel Baltimore and Ohio Railroad lines. In 1983 it was fully merged into the Baltimore & Ohio Railroad, which later was also merged into the Chessie System with the former Chesapeake and Ohio Railroad, which is now CSX Transportation. The WM's headquarters were in Baltimore, Maryland”.

 

Thanks Paul!

leapinlarry posted:

RSJB18, Bob, that’s a beautiful B&O Diesel, reminds me of living in Flora Illinois back in the late 1950’s/1960’s and seeing this particular GP9 diesel paint scheme in the Flora yards. Simply a beautiful color scheme. 

Thanks Larry. One of my favorite paint schemes too. That's why I bought it. Looks much nicer than the "Blue Dip" look of later years.

Bob

I was able to get a bunch of K-Line kits.

Thank you, Darin, for your informative post on 2-rail O gauge.

Now THAT is a snazzy-looking diesel!

Vincent Massi posted:

Now THAT is a snazzy-looking diesel!

Thanks Vincent. The BL-2 was made by GE-EMD to try and compete with the ALCO Road switchers. Unfortunately it was not very popular and did not stay around for long. The much more popular GP series quickly replaced the BL-2. I like the car body styling of the BL-2 and find it very unique.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/EMD_BL2

Bob

Maybe not as popular as the ALCO switchers .......but you are so right,  that is one good looking engine.  Love the gold lines against the black body !!!!!

Thank you Paul and Bob!!  I have two BL-2s.  I don’t know for sure why the Western Maryland Rwy became my favorite since I grew up on the B&O.  I recall a parade of freights pulled by solid blue F units.  The Fireball is an attractive insignia on the WM engines.

RSJB18 posted:

Apples55 posted:

 Thanks Paul!

Great, Bob... you’re pulling an @MELGAR on me - not only the same engine, but the same number!!! Nice shot. 

P.S. if you are ever up in my neck of the woods, the Stourbridge Line runs from Honesdale to Hawley and uses a BL for engine power on some of their trips. I’ve seen the engine, but never ridden one of their trains (sort of like living in NYC for 40 years and never going to the top of the Empire State Building or the Statue of Liberty!!!).

https://www.thestourbridgeline.net

I have never been a set collector but I happened upon this Super O set box in really nice shape with most of the set contents at what I considered a bargain.  This is the 2291W 1957 Rio Grande F-3 freight Super O set with 2379 AB F-3, orange barrel car, cop and hobo car, generator car, M&STL boxcar and Rio Grande caboose.  All of the ancillary bits were loose in the box (buttons, control rails, dump bin, barrel ramp extender, paper work, etc) making this a very complete set minus component boxes.  The trains were in good condition but they were not really what I wanted out of this set.  I had always wanted to have a boxed set for display in my train room and this set box was so nice I thought why not?  I sourced replacement boxes for the components from East Coast Train parts and now I have the boxed set for display I wanted.

Rolland

My first MTH model...

Outstanding detail, looks great behind my Lionel 2-8-0 and a string of K-Line hoppers. 

Mark in Oregon

Absolutely beautiful, Mark!

Interesting point: every photo and model of a PRR caboose that I have ever seen has the cupola in the center with no windows underneath it.

Vincent Massi posted:

Absolutely beautiful, Mark!

It really is; my lousy photo doesn't do it justice. All those free-standing grab irons, nice sprung trucks: heck, there's even a guy inside holding a cop of joe! 

The only improvement I'd like to do would be to put inserts into the "porthole" window openings; just to fill in that gap caused by the thickness of the body casting. I bet if I look around, someone has offered these in the past...(?)

Mark in Oregon

You read that right...1/24!

Late yesterday, Mr. Brown dropped off my latest haul of good deals from @MrMuffin'sTrains

First up are two Atlas O BAR 50’ PS-1 Plug Door Boxcars. They are rather heavy (a good thing) and have great graphics...

BUT... the spacing between the cars seems unusually large - does anyone have experience with these cars... is the spacing normal???

Next up is a MTH Long Island Gondola with a Bridge Girder. Based on a recent discussion on another thread, I think the car is done in the Tichy paint scheme!!! One of the things that drew me to this car was the girder marked for the ‘64 - ‘65 New York Worlds Fair which I fondly remember visiting on many occasions (the girder even sports the Unisphere, the symbol of the Fair which still stands in Flushing Meadows Park ). The girder is metal which gives the car a good heft.

Finally is an MTH Exxon Tank Car...

Thanks Steve!!! 

Posted this in the Tinplate forum as well, but just wanted to share it here, too. Picked it up for $25 at an antique mall. Didn’t know what it was, just thought it was different with the coupler on the front and the price seemed decent. In the process of getting it into working order:

Illinois Terminal SW1200 (30-20587-1) and calf unit (30-20587-3)

MikeH posted:

Illinois Terminal SW1200 (30-20587-1) and calf unit (30-20587-3)

Mike, that is one beautiful diesel. And the history of the Illinois Terminal Railroad (Wikipedia), which I had never heard of before,  is interesting.

Finally picked up UP9096 -- not because it was in the Funeral train, but because I was looking for a UP SD70ACe with flags, scale wheels and fixed pilots.

AGHRMatt posted:

Finally picked up UP9096 -- not because it was in the Funeral train, but because I was looking for a UP SD70ACe with flags, scale wheels and fixed pilots.

That my friend is a very nice engine.  Great sounds also.  Probably my favorite modern diesel in my collection.  Congratulations.  You purchased vey well.

NAME TRAINS

I purchased these at my LHS, they have a non-toxic finish and are compatible with other wooden train systems. Made in the USA by Maple Landmark Woodcraft, Middlebury, Vermont. www.maplelandmark.com

Two complete trains and each consist spells out a grandchild’s name. ADAM & NOAH.

Gary