Buy anything cool lately?

I don't think they sell these in the US, but you can find them, hardbound 'best of' this magazine released each year. I bought a few at a model train show and will nab one on ePay if it's in the US...

This beauty arrived from the MLRRC yesterday.

All of this for my track cleaning car bash- looks like a mess now but I bought 5-packs of everything so I'd have extras for future projects. Made more sense and was cheaper.

@Big Jim posted:

This beauty arrived from the MLRRC yesterday.

Jim, I'm glad you posted this! I was unaware of the car. Just ordered one. Being originally from WI, of course I had to have this beer car. The only improvement I'd make is instead of "hefe weizen beer" I would have suggested "hefe weizen bier." No big deal, though. Really a great looking car.

I just got this.  I’ve been looking for one for quite a while.  

@RixTrack posted:

I just got this.  I’ve been looking for one for quite a while.  

I never saw that one before.  it looks great!

Found this Atlas O Gluek's Beer car on the bay a few months ago. These are among the most scarce of Atlas O woodside reefers. Been a very long time since I've seen one. There is a red and a blue version, which I had, but (foolishly) sold the blue one about 12 or something years ago. Been looking ever since to replace it, and did a double take when I saw this MOB one show up. My red version now finally has company!

Good job Lionel - really like this

@RSJB18 posted:

All of this for my track cleaning car bash- looks like a mess now but I bought 5-packs of everything so I'd have extras for future projects. Made more sense and was cheaper.

Wow, Bob... thanks for the nasty flashback there. I haven’t seen an Interoffice envelope in almost 10 years

@Apples55 posted:

Wow, Bob... thanks for the nasty flashback there. I haven’t seen an Interoffice envelope in almost 10 years

😂😂😂😂😂

I have been looking for a Delta Lines boxcar for quite awhile. Finally found one. This one is by Crown Model Products.

1957 Chevy Bel Air police car by Kinsmart and Copper Range Boxcar Decals.

Bought this at The Greenberg train show.  I had another bottle of smoke fluid but it broke 😩😩

My acquisitions from Kutztown P a today.

John

Well I found something unusual on e-bay.  Marx (modern) lithographed bill boards.  These are lithographed tinplate and have a built in "stand" so that they stand upright in use.  The date on the bottom of each bill board says 1994 so this is most certainly the "new" Marx company.  However they used the old Marx slogan " ... have you all of them?"  As far as representing a period, these clearly were supposed to represent the pre-war depression days, note on the "Winger" bill board, the NRA symbol.   Now I face the choice (comments appreciated) do I open this sealed container to take the bill boards out or not???

Don

Open them up and use them for their intended purpose which what you bought them for. Holding on to them in their packaging to sell later is most definitely not going to make you rich, so set them up on your layout, sit back and enjoy. Just my $2.00 (.02 adjusted for inflation LOL!)

I think I agree. Not really that valuable as a collectors item and more valuable as part of my layout.
thanks for the input.

Don

Just got these off ebay..

Back in the 90's I had a friend who was a friend of Jim Flynn. He brought me a set of these billboards when he found out I was interested in trains. My friends name was Winger and he did have a building services company. At the time Jim did have a dog named Moon.

If I remember right, this may have been the first product of the new Marx company.

I found this at a garage sale today. Dept 56 "LOADING THE SLEIGH". Cheap and actually all there, excellent and works. Looked it up on the net and prices range from $400 on amazon to $65 on epay. A lot more than I paid. May have to look for a place on the christmas layout. I have to put it away for now, Miss Kitty is terribly interested.

Best, John

@beardog49 posted:

I found this at a garage sale today. Dept 56 "LOADING THE SLEIGH". Cheap and actually all there, excellent and works. Looked it up on the net and prices range from $400 on amazon to $65 on epay. A lot more than I paid. May have to look for a place on the christmas layout. I have to put it away for now, Miss Kitty is terribly interested.

Best, John

Great find. I was focused on the hand car until I realized someone else was watching too!

Beardog49 THANK YOU for the input on my bill boards...the background and history are what make this hobby great fun to me.   Its fascinating to think that the advertisements may have been grounded in real life.  Thanks again.  Also, I really liked the Dept 56 "Unloading the Sleigh" but I think your cat liked it more !!  I watched a second time and tracked his head movements and he followed the hand car both directions.  That was neat!

FECrailroading...really neat cars, they are very detailed and realistic.  Who made them?

Best wishes

Don

The past week I got bit by the MTH Railking Army flat cars, so I got a 4 pack of the Half-track from Mario's Trains, a single car each of the 6x6 and the 105mm Howitzer from Stockyard Express. Currently waiting to find the DUKW 353 but thank goodness York is in sight.

Also got a MTH PCC streetcar modeled for Cleveland, MTH Western Maryland fishbelly hopper, and a Lionel T&P boxcar.

@Apples55 posted:

Wow, Bob... thanks for the nasty flashback there. I haven’t seen an Interoffice envelope in almost 10 years

4 years here.

Corey, nice haul.

Radioman, my Tabby will watch my trains run but once the get to going that slow he likes to reach out and grab them.

Don nice string of 2 bays.  I'm sure you'll get the K-line loads right.

I don't have to worry about pets as my house is pet free. That generator car has some sentimental value so if it was roughed up I think I would be sad. Rest of my trains are runners so the grand kids can play with them. Small price to get another MRR or railfan. John

Ha, no intercompany envelopes since 1989

I guess I am the newbie here.  It's been only 2 years since I saw an interdepartmental envelope.  I think I saw my first one right out of college in 1976.  Those never seem to change.

@beardog49 posted:

I found this at a garage sale today. Dept 56 "LOADING THE SLEIGH". Cheap and actually all there, excellent and works. Looked it up on the net and prices range from $400 on amazon to $65 on epay. A lot more than I paid. May have to look for a place on the christmas layout. I have to put it away for now, Miss Kitty is terribly interested.

Best, John

Really neat John.     Pretty interesting look in the eyes of Miss Kitty. 

Gives me an idea 🤔😉

Saw this on the For-Sale forum and took a shot.  It brings back memories, I used to see this train occasionally when I was at 69th Street and at Norristown.  It took a little TLC to get it running again, but the price was right.  I treated it to a supercap battery replacement and an LED headlight.  I may consider LED lighting, but it's more work for this particular set as you have to string them on both sides.

Now that is a unique acquisition John. I spent the last part of my transit career at the former Red Arrow location. The old timers referred to them as “The Boozer Cruiser “. It was brought out to 3 track about a half hour before the scheduled departure. I’m not sure of how the bartending was arranged. Legend has it that the regulars rode to Norristown and got off at their stop on the return trip. Also, the regulars came to know when to automatically pick up their drink to prevent spilling.
The track gang blamed the weight of this train for damaging the rails. Please post photos of it operating.

I never actually rode this one, but I did know several people that did, and that was one of their selling features, booze on the trip home from work!

You can't beat that! 

I used to ride a Metra /former CNW  commuter train out of Chicago everyday after work. It had one of or perhaps the only bar car on any chicago commuter train. The bartender was an old black guy who had started as a porter many years before.  I believe they were keeping the car until he retired, then there would  be no more bar cars.

I took Amtrak to NYC from Paoli, PA for several years in the 80's, usually once or twice a week.  Coming home, we spent some time in the club car.   I don't even know if they have that anymore.  Amtrak eliminated the direct train from Paoli to NYC Penn Station and started going to Phila 30th street station and then up to NYC.  That added almost an hour to the trip and made it not worthwhile.  I switched to driving to Trenton and taking NJT to Newark and PATH to the WTC.  Even that took more time that I liked, and service stopped sometimes before I was ready to leave.  I ended up driving into NYC, it was quicker and I could work to my own schedule.

Neat train John. Please post a video when you can.

I used to ride the LIRR when they ran Bar cars on the evening east-bound trains. They were also the smoking cars..... I had to hang my clothes outside they stunk so bad.

@RSJB18 posted:

Neat train John. Please post a video when you can.

Here you go, a brief video of it making a few stops.

@gunrunnerjohn posted:

Here you go, a brief video of it making a few stops.

Nice,

John