Buy anything cool lately?

Berkshirelover726 posted:

I went to a show in Newark, DE today and ended up getting a 312 AF passenger set. It runs great and has the smoke in tender feature. Its my first really nice AF steam engine. I also bought a 30B 300 watt transformer. Not a bad day. Not much O gauge stuff there today but still a good day with my dad and uncle. Hope everyone is having a great weekend!

This video showing Postwar AF trains running on a layout in a winter scene is what I'm planning to build next year in the mud room of my house. Very pleased my wife gave me the green light to do so. 

Then, I'll have two layouts: current O Gauge layout in basement, and new AF layout above it in mud room.

That will be model train heaven for me.

LOL, Arnold 

Arnold, 

My fiancee let me set up the Flyer layout last year for Christmas and then said just keep it up. I then had a loop of super O on the floor in the living room. I'd set it up on raceday and run trains then pack everything thing up. Then one day I just moved everything onto the floor in the enclosed porch. I left it down and she never said anything so I've been running O gauge out there. She wants to clean out the other two bays of the garage so we can build a permanent O/S layout. This is why I'm marrying her...LOL.

Dad and I started building the layout at his house (the place I used to live according to him. lol) in 2000. If you see a sceniced layout from me that is most likely that one. At 29 I've been very lucky to have lots of places to run trains. 

Can't wait to see your Flyer layout this winter.

-Cody 

Berkshirelover726 posted:

Arnold, 

My fiancee let me set up the Flyer layout last year for Christmas and then said just keep it up. I then had a loop of super O on the floor in the living room. I'd set it up on raceday and run trains then pack everything thing up. Then one day I just moved everything onto the floor in the enclosed porch. I left it down and she never said anything so I've been running O gauge out there. She wants to clean out the other two bays of the garage so we can build a permanent O/S layout. This is why I'm marrying her...LOL.

Dad and I started building the layout at his house (the place I used to live according to him. lol) in 2000. If you see a sceniced layout from me that is most likely that one. At 29 I've been very lucky to have lots of places to run trains. 

Can't wait to see your Flyer layout this winter.

-Cody 

Hi Cody,

My Postwar AF layout will happen in the Spring of 2020, after the first bulk trash pick up in the town where I live. When that happens, I can get rid of a lot of stuff for free that currently clutters the mud room of my house (between the main living area and the garage) where the AF layout will be.

Two recent developments made this new AF layout possible.

First, I found my Postwar AF trains, track and accessories that I thought I had either given away or thrown out. It was in boxes in the cluttered mud room. What a thrill it was to find those boxes.

Secondly, the future AF layout was the result of a negotiation between my wife and I that made us both happy. She got my commitment to make the 2nd family room free of my guitars, guitar related equipment, microphone and general mess so it would be pleasant to use as a reading room. I sacrificed one Saturday to remove that stuff and make that 2nd family room pleasant for her, which is now complete. The mud room was not important to her so she was fine with my turning it into a 2nd train room.

I share the above so others may consider similar negotiations with their spouses to make more room for their trains. Arnold

About 2 months ago, I bought this Postwar B&O box car from my LHS. Love the look of it:

Arnold

Picked up this nice postwar tank car at an estate sale. The Gulf tank cars are a favorite of mine.

I've found it is not easy to find New Haven or NY Central cabooses. I don't think they made them Postwar, which seems weird to me because those Northeastern railroads are very popular IMO.

So, this scrounger paid a few bucks for a change for these cabooses (about $20 each) at my LHS. The 1st is Williams and the other 2 are MTH:

Arnold

I bought this TCA duplex roomette yesterday.  It will join several other TCA aluminum passenger cars to be repainted/decorated as a Great Northern Empire Builder train.

Other built-for-TCA donors for this project are diner, RPO, full dome, observation, and combo cars.

Arnold D. Cribari posted:

I've found it is not easy to find New Haven or NY Central cabooses. I don't think they made them Postwar, which seems weird to me because those Northeastern railroads are very popular IMO. ...

Arnold

Arnold,

I love these two purchases.  Great paint on the New Haven and what an interesting small cupola with side lantern on the second NYC. Great prices, too!  Enjoy running them.

Tomlinson Run Railroad

A cool cookie snack for any train room. Detroit & Mackinac Railway Cookies.

Wow • On sale: 2 for $5.00 and save 75¢ 

All model railroaders like cookies & milk.

Gary

That is cool indeed, Gary!!! 

Picked up another building for my layout from a club member.

Picked this up at a local hobby shop. Got it for $15

Khayden93 posted:

Picked this up at a local hobby shop. Got it for $15

Man, that looks like one fascinating book! It can be purchased online, along with volume 1, but it is not available online for free. (I tried, though).

I'm not qualified to discuss the accuracy of his prices, but elsewhere on this forum, they have been criticized: https://ogrforum.com/...l-trains-price-guide

Vincent Massi posted:

Khayden93 posted:

Picked this up at a local hobby shop. Got it for $15

Man, that looks like one fascinating book! It can be purchased online, along with volume 1, but it is not available online for free. (I tried, though).

I'm not qualified to discuss the accuracy of his prices, but elsewhere on this forum, they have been criticized: https://ogrforum.com/...l-trains-price-guide

It was definitely worth it

Pingman posted:

I bought this TCA duplex roomette yesterday.  It will join several other TCA aluminum passenger cars to be repainted/decorated as a Great Northern Empire Builder train.

Other built-for-TCA donors for this project are diner, RPO, full dome, observation, and combo cars.

 

These cars are great for repaint projects. They can be had for short money as well. I used several of these TCA cars to create the red/silver 1947-1951 Golden State on my layout. 

The latest offering from Menards ended up on my layout. Since I have a German Shepard this was a no brainer, plus the free AT&SF box truck was icing on the cake.

Lou1985 posted:

Pingman posted:

I bought this TCA duplex roomette yesterday.  It will join several other TCA aluminum passenger cars to be repainted/decorated as a Great Northern Empire Builder train.

Other built-for-TCA donors for this project are diner, RPO, full dome, observation, and combo cars.

 

These cars are great for repaint projects. They can be had for short money as well. I used several of these TCA cars to create the red/silver 1947-1951 Golden State on my layout. 

Their availability "for short money" is what got my attention.  And it's been this way for many years, and there doesn't appear to be any shortage of them.

Pingman posted:

Lou1985 posted:

Pingman posted:

I bought this TCA duplex roomette yesterday.  It will join several other TCA aluminum passenger cars to be repainted/decorated as a Great Northern Empire Builder train.

Other built-for-TCA donors for this project are diner, RPO, full dome, observation, and combo cars.

 

These cars are great for repaint projects. They can be had for short money as well. I used several of these TCA cars to create the red/silver 1947-1951 Golden State on my layout. 

Their availability "for short money" is what got my attention.  And it's been this way for many years, and there doesn't appear to be any shortage of them.

Was just checking Evilbay.  Prices all over the place.  Some absolutely ridiculous.  

Dan, you are so right.  Heck, the seller I bought from sold me the pictured duplex car for less than $40, BUT this same seller has the Skytop lounge observation, combo and the Full Dome cars listed for between $90 and $200.

Dan Padova posted:

 

 

 

 

Was just checking Evilbay.  Prices all over the place.  Some absolutely ridiculous.  

eBay is so useless..

I recently purchased this Lionel Atlantic Coast Line ABA and six passenger cars from a forum member. Very very happy with this set.

Mail Man  dropped these off the other day been searching for that green Weaver Reading for a long  time 

Looks great, Lee!  I have one of the boxcar red Weaver Reading cars.  One of the few Weaver cars I own.  The Green one is a classic, as far as this Western Pennsylvania fallen flag railfan is concerned!

Mark Boyce posted:

Looks great, Lee!  I have one of the boxcar red Weaver Reading cars.  One of the few Weaver cars I own.  The Green one is a classic, as far as this Western Pennsylvania fallen flag railfan is concerned!

Thanks Mark. I’m with you all the way on that I may live in the Ozarks Foot Hills but I’m Eastern Fallen Flags all the way  

Got this one last week. This is one of my favorite Lionel line “Standard O” I’ve been trying to get this for awhile now finally caught a break on eBay and got it 

I just picked up a Leagcy Tuscan K4.

The color is great, Denny!

Since I can’t make the hike to York this week, I substituted a visit to my favorite train store (aka Grzyboski’s) yesterday to pick up a few items I ordered...

First up, a Lionel D&H caboose... I have to admit, I am pretty impressed by the sharp details of the add-on railings, grab irons, etc. Although it has, what looks to me to be a smoking chimney pipe, there is no smoke - a plus for me as I never use smoke!!! AND, it has the “hidden” coupler release - no thumbtacks.

Second is an MTH Schnabel Flatcar... this thing is a beast - while it will probably be a shelf queen (it is WAY too big for everyday running), I’ve always wanted one, and this is a New York Central version (and Joe Grzyboski is looking down and shouting “I told you you were a New York Central guy”!!!).

Finally, I got one of the much maligned Pennsy J1-a (#6434). Personally, I find it to be a really nice engine. Some very nice added detail, the various switches (Run/Prg, Smoke, etc.) are easily accessible on the top of the engine, the lit doghouse and antenna on the tender... and this is one heavy engine!!! As for the whistle, having never heard a J1-a and being as far from a rivet counter as you can possibly get, I like it. It has that haunting whistle in the night sound that is definitely different. 

And if you ever had any doubt that I wasn’t a rivet counter...

Excellent, Paul!!  I always liked seeing Grzyboski’s at the Monroeville Greenberg shows.  They had great prices and I almost always found something I wanted.  And I’m pretty picky

I've been searching for cheap small necklace chains for my layout that would be close to scale tow chains. Tuesday we stopped at a local flea market, walking around I noticed one seller had several necklaces for $1. each. I bought three. When I got them home I set them in "gun bluing" liquid. Two of the three turned flat black but the third just stayed gold (hmmmm).

First pic is the chains before placed in the gun bluing liquid. Following pix after placed in gun bluing liquid and used on the back of a tow truck and hanging on a barrel.

Excellent looking chains and scenes!!

Trussman, that's a brilliant idea that I would never have thought of.

Went over to Menards today and picked this up 

Received a sheet (8 X 11.5) of custom decals from Switch Line Decals for my Great Northern Empire Builder project; specifically, the F-3 locomotives.  Christine Braden did the artwork and SLD did an excellent job of matching the dulux gold of the vintage Champ passenger car decals I have had for 20+ years.

The models of the GN EB in O scale have all used a distinctly yellow color for the letters and stripes.  The prototype in the mid-50's used dulux gold.  I have the Champ diesel and passenger car decals in dulux gold but they lacked striping.  Microscale's set used the yellow; not the dulux gold.  Hence, Christine did the locomotive decals in dulux gold and sent it to SLD to print.

These decals are another item off the "To Do" list for this project.

Meanwhile, I closely examined the latest primer coat on the six cars for the train for additional flaws; identified them; and, will work to eliminate them later tonight and tomorrow.

lee drennen posted:

Went over to Menards today and picked this up 

Going alittle fast there aren't you young man! LOL

mike g. posted:

lee drennen posted:

Went over to Menards today and picked this up 

Going alittle fast there aren't you young man! LOL

I’ll slow her down POPs that 202 was hyper today I guess because I haven’t ran him for a long time

LOL I haven't been called POP's since the kids moved out! LOL

Just picked up two gondolas from my local Menards. One of which is a potential collectors item! NH gondola labeled as HN that was mentioned in a previous post.  It was the last one that they had. Should I keep it sealed? I may be able to retire now! 8-)  

Jeff

Postwarman posted:

Just picked up two gondolas from my local Menards. One of which is a potential collectors item! NH gondola labeled as HN that was mentioned in a previous post.  It was the last one that they had. Should I keep it sealed? I may be able to retire now! 8-)  

Jeff

Cool find Jeff I didn’t see any at mine today they look great 

Thanks Lee, 

  Just kidding about the collectability but who knows..... these are decent cars but I hate to say, I wish that they had a little better quality trucks. The CSX gondola's couplers won't stay closed but I've got some tiny black zip ties. I realize for the price they are a pretty good buy.

Jeff