Buy anything cool lately?

An inexpensive detail part from an MTH Premier Pioneer Zephyr made this observation car complete.

For a CB&Q fan like me, the cool factor of this is off-the-chart.

Don't know how expensive, but darn nice anyway

Well, it happened again. The voices convinced me to buy yet another Hudson. This Williams 5205 scale Hudson and NYC passenger cars came from the fine folks at Trainz. Engine was brand new and still sealed. The passenger cars were at a phenomenal price. I've been tinkering with both and fine tuning her. Got the windows tinted and led lighting is ordered for passenger cars. Serviced the engine as the gears were dry as bone. Added a little weight to the tender and modified the trucks so it doesn't look like a wibble wobble anymore.It tamed the engine from wanting to run a million miles an hour. Will be adding a fan smoke unit soon!

@Donnie Kennedy posted:

Well, it happened again. The voices convinced me to buy yet another Hudson. This Williams 5205 scale Hudson and NYC passenger cars came from the fine folks at Trainz. Engine was brand new and still sealed. The passenger cars were at a phenomenal price. I've been tinkering with both and fine tuning her. Got the windows tinted and led lighting is ordered for passenger cars. Serviced the engine as the gears were dry as bone. Added a little weight to the tender and modified the trucks so it doesn't look like a wibble wobble anymore.It tamed the engine from wanting to run a million miles an hour. Will be adding a fan smoke unit soon!

Something about a passenger consists that always gets me. It doesn't matter whether it's modern Steam, or vintage. Diesel or ...wait, no todays "passenger" trains just don't have the romance as even vintage Diesels 

"The Warehouse Haul", Part 2

The next lot is a pair of MTH 20-95366 Burlington Northern bulkhead flat cars with Scaletrax straight sections, released in June 2019. Here's the first car of the pair, BN 621077 (descriptive text references the photo above):

In this photo I've installed the hold-down chains. Note that you cannot return the car to its box with the track panels strapped to the car. I tried -- it won't fit. Not only is the styrofoam and the overlying lid designed to hold the track sections strapped together above the deck of the flatcar (so you will be re-using the twist-tie that held the ScaleTrax together), but the overlying clear plastic lid requires that the track sections be centered and the ties lined up, as there are ridges that fit between them, so no cheating -- your re-boxing game has to be on-point. Not so much with the second car, and you'll see why as you continue to scroll...

Notice something missing? I suspect this might be a dealer's return to MTH and why it languished in the warehouse.

Note that the tape holding down the plastic tray cover is undisturbed. No telltale wrinkles or creasing in the tape, no gouges or dents in the styrofoam from someone attempting to get a tool or fingernail under the tape to peel it up. Plus there is that haphazardly-shaped block of styrofoam accompanying the car where the track sections should be, that isn't present in the example with the Scaletrax. I suspect this car left the factory like this, was shipped to a dealer, who then returned it after discovering the missing track.

Anyway, here's the empty BN 621094.

At least the tie-down chains are present (left packet) in case I buy some ScaleTrax to stick in there. The odd bit is the sealed packet of...two short twist ties?

And here are the two flats together. I'll probably scout around for some Scaletrax to put in there. Given the $70 MSRP and my winning bid +buyer's premium adding up to 63.25 for the pair, I'd still be ahead if I populated the empty flat with track sections. I figure I already have four 60' flats with ScaleTrax switches, the previously-posted TTX flats with diamond crossings, and a 60' flatcar with 10" ScaleTrax sections much like the above, so there's enough for an entire MOW train of track panels.

12 more cars to go...

_{(Nav links redacted...Forum rule disallows crosslinking one's posts within a thread)}

---PCJ   

^{(All but the last photo will break if this post is quoted in its entirety, at least till I figure out why they keep breaking when this post is quoted or edited)}

@Donnie Kennedy posted:

Well, it happened again. The voices convinced me to buy yet another Hudson. This Williams 5205 scale Hudson and NYC passenger cars came from the fine folks at Trainz. Engine was brand new and still sealed. The passenger cars were at a phenomenal price. I've been tinkering with both and fine tuning her. Got the windows tinted and led lighting is ordered for passenger cars. Serviced the engine as the gears were dry as bone. Added a little weight to the tender and modified the trucks so it doesn't look like a wibble wobble anymore.It tamed the engine from wanting to run a million miles an hour. Will be adding a fan smoke unit soon!

You can NEVER have enough scale hudsons, especially Williams, and you canNOT beat the price(s).  Scale proportions, nice detail and you put them on the track and they go!!  I think I'm up to 5; UP, PRR, N&W, NYC and ATSF - some with sound but they're just plain cool and reliable runners so GOOD FOR YOU!!

@RailRide posted:

"The Warehouse Haul", Part 2

The next lot is a pair of MTH 20-95366 Burlington Northern bulkhead flat cars with Scaletrax straight sections, released in June 2019. Here's the first car of the pair, BN 621077 (descriptive text references the photo above):

In this photo I've installed the hold-down chains. Note that you cannot return the car to its box with the track panels strapped to the car. I tried -- it won't fit. Not only is the styrofoam and the overlying lid designed to hold the track sections strapped together above the deck of the flatcar (so you will be re-using the twist-tie that held the ScaleTrax together), but the overlying clear plastic lid requires that the track sections be centered and the ties lined up, as there are ridges that fit between them, so no cheating -- your re-boxing game has to be on-point. Not so much with the second car, and you'll see why as you continue to scroll...

---

Notice something missing? I suspect this might be a dealer's return to MTH and why it languished in the warehouse.

Note that the tape holding down the plastic tray cover is undisturbed. No telltale wrinkles or creasing in the tape, no gouges or dents in the styrofoam from someone attempting to get a tool or fingernail under the tape to peel it up. Plus there is that haphazardly-shaped block of styrofoam accompanying the car where the track sections should be, that isn't present in the example with the Scaletrax. I suspect this car left the factory like this, was shipped to a dealer, who then returned it after discovering the missing track.

Anyway, here's the empty BN 621094.

At least the tie-down chains are present (left packet) in case I buy some ScaleTrax to stick in there. The odd bit is the sealed packet of...two short twist ties?

And here are the two flats together. I'll probably scout around for some Scaletrax to put in there. Given the $70 MSRP and my winning bid +buyer's premium adding up to 63.25 for the pair, I'd still be ahead if I populated the empty flat with track sections. I figure I already have 5-6 flats with ScaleTrax switches, the previously-posted TTX flats with diamond crossings, and a 60' flatcar with 10" ScaleTrax sections much like the above.

12 more cars to go...

---PCJ   

Great looking and I even like the color.

@RailRide posted:

Well, now comes the biggie:

My purchases from Cabin Fever on 8/14 arrived 8/23 after one day in transit PA-NYC, and boy it's a big box. I posed one of my NKP Berkshires atop it for size comparison -- it's 24" by 16" by 12" and weighs in at 24 pounds. Careful carry to a spot big enough to sit it down

Within is 16 freight cars from the MTH auction, the most I've ever scored, and as of this writing, I have photographed all of them for this thread (and my collection inventory). Took two days to do it too. Some cars got more than one photo owing to one oddity or the other stemming from these being sell-offs from MTH's former warehouse. That being said, in order to avoid flooding the thread (and gobbling up all my spare time), I'll post these one lot at a time and give others a chance to post their stuff before adding additional entries.

Leading off is this two-piece case of 20-95234 Premier 60' TTX flatcars with ScaleTrax crossovers, released in June 2017.

Can you tell what is off about these boxes? I didn't notice this till I was packing the cars up after the photo session. If anyone else has cars like this, are your boxes the same? (I have some 60-footers carrying ScaleTrax switches, theirs don't exhibit this discrepancy).

14 more cars to go

---PCJ

^{(Another one of those posts where half the pictures break every time I edit the post, forcing me to go back in, delete and re-add them)}

boxes are lettered huskystack

@Brooklyn Corey posted:

Thanks and congrats on the caboose. Did you try island model works for the decals?

Hi Corey, Looked up Island Model Works and ordered their O Scale Staten Island decals. Thanks for the tip!

@Henryjint posted:

Hi Corey, Looked up Island Model Works and ordered their O Scale Staten Island decals. Thanks for the tip!

No problem, glad it worked out.

Got this one a few weeks ago, but finally got around to changing out the wheels/couplers. One more for my OGR commemorative car collection.

Nice car, and I love Matt's statement, but getting back to the car.  how many cars are in the collection now, are we going to have to stage and intervention?  Back in my HO days, I use to buy the cheap, box and reefer cars at the swap meets and repaint, truck and couple them and put craft beer logo's on them. At 200 my wife staged an intervention.

Congrats, @Brooklyn Corey !  That’s fabulous news!

@Brooklyn Corey posted:

God Bless you Corey!

@AGHRMatt posted:

Got this one a few weeks ago, but finally got around to changing out the wheels/couplers. One more for my OGR commemorative car collection.

Very sharp looking car!

@Brooklyn Corey posted:

Best video you've ever posted. Congratulations and continued good health to you.

Prayers to you COREY…..keep on keepin on!!!!CONGAS!!!!

@Brooklyn Corey posted:

Corey, Congratulations on being cancer free for 24 years.  It's now 18 years fior me.  Like you, I have a few Cancer Awareness cars andnow  two engines.

God Bless Cory...great video and super news

Don

Corey,

Congratulations on 24 years of beating the big C.

Picked up some new items from an estate.

Here are 3 Inter Mountain Railways PFE Reefers

I've been wanting to get some of the Atlas Gunderson stack cars for years.  I managed to score a 5 car set of them.  There were only 7 Atlas containers.  And, there were only a couple of the tiny pins that hold the top container on the bottom container.  I found someone on the Bay who sells those tiny pins and ordered a bunch of them (these things will be easy to lose).  To add to the 7 Atlas containers, I already had 4 20 foot Weaver containers.  The Atlas pins fit the Weaver containers.

@VinceL posted:

Picked up some new items from an estate.

Here are 3 Inter Mountain Railways PFE Reefers

I've been wanting to get some of the Atlas Gunderson stack cars for years.  I managed to score a 5 car set of them.  There were only 7 Atlas containers.  And, there were only a couple of the tiny pins that hold the top container on the bottom container.  I found someone on the Bay who sells those tiny pins and ordered a bunch of them (these things will be easy to lose).  To add to the 7 Atlas containers, I already had 4 20 foot Weaver containers.  The Atlas pins fit the Weaver containers.

Very nice

@FrankRazz posted:

Corey, Congratulations on being cancer free for 24 years.  It's now 18 years fior me.  Like you, I have a few Cancer Awareness cars andnow  two engines.

As the others say congrats.  Now you might have an idea for Train safety here, Those colors one can't miss seeing them coming

@VinceL posted:

Picked up some new items from an estate.

Here are 3 Inter Mountain Railways PFE Reefers

I've been wanting to get some of the Atlas Gunderson stack cars for years.  I managed to score a 5 car set of them.  There were only 7 Atlas containers.  And, there were only a couple of the tiny pins that hold the top container on the bottom container.  I found someone on the Bay who sells those tiny pins and ordered a bunch of them (these things will be easy to lose).  To add to the 7 Atlas containers, I already had 4 20 foot Weaver containers.  The Atlas pins fit the Weaver containers.

Vince, beautiful PFE cars!!! What is the black rectangle above the "Express" on them? I didn't know that InterMountain made O scale 3 rail cars, so thanks for sharing those.

Here's the K-Line version I purchased a couple years ago just for contrast. It came in a set of 4.

@Brooklyn Corey posted:

Congratulations, @Brooklyn Corey.  I am envious.

Ron

The Warehouse Haul, part 3:

(descriptive text references the photo above)

First in a lot consisting of photo and decoration samples, here is a RailKing Pennsylvania four-bay hopper, a decoration sample from the 30-7016 Pennsy 6-car freight set in the year 2000 V2 catalog, a set delivered in July of that same year. This set consisted of a master carton with six separately-boxed cars inside, this particular car being the 30-7016B. Across the two sample lots, I came away with three cars from this set. two of which appear in this post.

Next up is the 30-7016D Pennsy TOFC, an assembled decoration sample that received approval in October 2000 according to the handwritten tag attached to the car. Yeah, I know, MTH's site says the set this car was a part of was delivered three months earlier.

Third in the lot is this RailKing 30-7016D boxcar from the Reading 6-car freight set. This car carries a tag that says it was rejected. At first I thought maybe it has something to do with the brake-shoe nomenclature overlapping the bottom of the side ladder, but I'm not privy to MTH's criteria. During my research to find the set this car was a part of, I saw other photos of this car with the same decoration oddity. I would have to compare this car with a production version to figure it out. Meanwhile there's nothing out of the ordinary that anyone would notice as it rolls by in a train.

Last of this lot is this 20-90028F Great Northern extended-vision caboose, an approved decoration sample that was cataloged in 2000 as  part of a Premier Great Northern 6-car freight set 20-90028 that was supposedly delivered in August of 2000, again at odds with the handwritten tag on the right. The tag on the left is Cabin Fever's ID tag on the lot.

Two more cars from this set appear in the next lot which will appear in a separate post. I have all the photos ready, just spacing out my posts to avoid flooding this topic. Post some more guys, I got eight more cars (2 lots) to go

_{(Nav links redacted...Forum rule disallows crosslinking one's posts within a thread)}

---PCJ

You did well, grasshopper!  Love the Great Northen Caboose

After all the posts on the Susie-Q boxcars in the last couple of weeks, I got a bad case of FOMO.  I found this NIB Lionel version on eBay for a very nice price.

It is destined to become a hobo car.  I should start that project later this week.

Finally scored a Kusan/KMT Missouri Pacific boxcar with a correct box (about as perfect as possible, I've been trying almost 20 years to track one down that didn't break the bank), found in a rather unexpected place and purchased at a very fair price. As easy as it is to find a Lionel 6464-150 Missouri Pacific boxcar, it's almost impossible to find its Kusan counterpart (I have never been to York, and have searched at countless shows/watched e**y with only a couple sightings and astronomical prices to match the scarcity). Closest I'd come was when Al Cox's son put all of the AMT/Auburn/KMT/Kusan cars from Al's collection on sale in a number of lots on the auction site sometime back - didn't get the Missouri Pacific boxcar (or the just as hard to find NH black/orange/white checkerboard car, but did get a couple decaled on one side prototype boxcars for the B&M and the brown B&O cars, as well as a Rutland, M&StL red billboard, and production versions of the brown B&O and B&M cars before I reached my spending limit). I'm down to just needing a few common cars like the CN and New Haven script logo car, and the Pennsy Don't Stand Me Still car (that's a challenging one to find) - I'll get around to finding the strays to finish off my goal of one of each of the boxcars someday, not too concerned with variations like glossy versus dull paint finishes.

Most recent purchase was yesterday (September 2nd) - several family members met up at the Louisville, KY flea market; at one of the tables I saw a small, rough Marx set box. I assumed I was going to find a cheapie tin steam engine and car set - nope, when I got up close I found a box stating Diesel Train Set 8625 - inside was a super clean Seaboard Air Line green diesel with single axle drive with a super nice matching Seaboard caboose, a couple common freight cars that weren't as nice as the engine (PRR boxcar was slightly smooshed and will probably need a bit of work to get it back to its proper shape and the B&O godola needs a good cleaning), along with track and small transformer. A bit of haggling and I brought the set home. The pickup shows minimal wear, and the mecanism is free and spins easily by hand - hooked it up to a transformer and it fired right up. I'll give the engine a once over (lube and oil) before I move it along to a Marxist out there who likes their trains in super clean condition.

Haven't Touched O-gauge in awhile but my recent grab engine wise was the '02 Era MTH Premier PRR M1b.

When I opened her up she had zero signs of any wear of running on a layout and the "white battery of death" (Don't worry I replaced that dreaded thing with a BCR)

Lying low on scale locos until something catches my eye or when Lionel releases a new run of the M1a. (I am itching for a legacy 6755 with accurate train phone antennas)

Nice RE-start

@WesternPacific2217 posted:

Vince, beautiful PFE cars!!! What is the black rectangle above the "Express" on them? I didn't know that InterMountain made O scale 3 rail cars, so thanks for sharing those.

Scott,

The rectangle above the "Express" is actually a dark brown piece that is added to the body.  It looks like it would be some kind of a hatch that could be opened (I checked and it doesn't actually open on this model).

The Warehouse Haul, Part 4 of 5:

(Descriptive text references the photo above)

We lead off with decoration samples that overlap with my previous post, as this assortment consists of cars from two of the freight sets featured there. First in line is this 20-90028B Great Northern covered gondola, from the 6-car Premier GN set of the same number, released in August of 2000, supposedly (again, this sems to conflict with the "received" date on the tags for the other cars in this lot). Not visible on this side is a broken stirrup step that I found in the bag. I tucked it into the gon before replacing the cover, and I'll probably glue it back on once I have a BCW box for this car.

Following up is this GN 4-bay cylindrical hopper carrying a tag saying the decoration was rejected. Again, I'd have to compare this one with an actual production example, as I don't have the criteria used to make that determination.

By the way, both this car and the gondola above it will need BCW-930 boxes to accommodate their length. I'm actually putting together an order from their site for boxes for these and some other cars won in previous auctions. I spent some time re-unwrapping the cars and test-fitting them in some spare BCW-800's I had on hand. While some cars will fit fine in shorter boxes like the BCW 550 and 660 (9" and 9 7/8" inside length respectively), the RailKing boxcars need the 800's. Most of the cabooses appearing in the next post will need another solution, as with the K-Line aluminum tankers, they're just a hair too tall for the card boxes.

Last up in this batch is this 'approved' RailKing production sample 50' boxcar 30-7016A from the same 30-7016 set as the PRR 4-bay hopper and TOFC in the previous post. Interestingly enough, I have PRR boxcars with this exact same deco and drop-shadow PRR logo from Kusan and Menards'.

Bonus car: This RPO was included at the last minute since there were only three cars in this post -- it wasn't part of any MTH warehouse auction, but one of Cabin Fever's regular "modern era trains and more" auctions that took place on 6/5/23. This is a 20-68040 ATSF Railway Post Office from 2004 V2, that was the sole car in this particular lot. It came with its box...kind-of. Like my Class A, it only had the styrofoam inner box. This car joins seven other cars (mostly production samples) I acquired at Uncle Jack's over the course of several York meets that built up an informal SF passenger train that itself grew out of an attempt to gather repaint fodder for an Amtrak Exhibit Train.

Five more cars to go...

_{(Nav links redacted...Forum rule disallows crosslinking one's posts within a thread)}

---PCJ

This beauty showed up last week and I just go it unpacked tonight.

Picked up these three off of eBay all in new condition. Beats bidding for one that was very used.

Great packing job too. Besides a great box, wrapped up in a bag seen above.

some good R(eading) R(ailroad) there

One of my favorite threads because whenever we come here, someone has picked up something cool.  Thanks to Nassau Hobby and their great Labor Day sale, I’m here with my special run VO1000, which is a very good knockoff of the Baldwin DS4-4-660 used by the LIRR.  Can’t wait to get her on the layout -

@Strap Hanger Such an awesome loco! I’m a big fan of the Baldwin VO-1000- have wanted one for awhile, but haven’t been able to find one 1.) with TMCC and 2.) in a road name I’d want. That said, I love the LIRR and love that livery, that is very crisp. are You going to be hauling freight, passengers, performing switching duties?

Awesome pick-up!

Steve