Buy anything cool lately?

@Apples55 posted:

Congrats, Bob… or as they used to say in my old Brooklyn neighborhood, mazel tov!!!

It’s still said. You’re not there to hear it.

@RSJB18 posted:

I got an email from Trainz that they were able to repair the engine. It's on the way back to me from Georgia.

YAY!

Woohoo, can’t wait to see a video of it running! Happy days! 😁

@RSJB18 posted:

I got an email from Trainz that they were able to repair the engine. It's on the way back to me from Georgia.

YAY!

https://youtu.be/d7p90YuA9Ds?si=wGkQCQBZA_bjH0NU

Maybe the question should be "what didn't you buy recently".  We are just over a year into our move from Illinois to Michigan.  For about 18 months anything I bought may have gone onto a test track, but they certainly went back into the box until such time as my layout was rebuilt or they could go on display. I finished a few more display shelfs in the train room and populated one shelf set with engines.

Nearly all engines shown are MTH with the exception of the Weaver GG1s and Hiawatha Atlantics and the front of a K-Line E7 Milwaukee Road.

The layout is almost ready to run.  I keep tweaking track sections for smooth running.

Yes I did!  Well, not so recently, maybe.

I purchased this old calendar more than a year ago, but it had about 75 years of ‘curl’ that had to be removed before I could get a decent picture of it! The original mailing tube in which it was sent to its owner is seen among the attachments.

As seen in the photo, it’s an original 1945 New York Central System calendar. Now, the NYC, I will admit, is not my favorite flag. But the Dreyfuss Hudson is one of those iconic designs of its era that I can’t help but looking at more than twice when seeing as artwork or as a model in any scale, an old travel brochure, etc.. And that very popular winter’s night scene is simply and seasonally AWESOME! Wouldn’t you agree??

The calendar is complete, having not only all 12 monthly pages for 1945, but also the December 1944 page to lead into the following year. It also has a letter attached to the upper right corner entitled “Night on the Water Level Route” and signed by Gustav Metzman, then president of the NYC System. A copy of the letter is attached. The artwork was signed by Leslie Kagan.

This one popped up on a Forum FS posting more than a year ago. I jumped on it for all the above reasons…but for one other VERY special reason: My birthday! Yep, December 22, 1944. So, the calendar reminds me that I arrived on a Friday that year...just like this year!!!

Pretty obvious that my arrival on that date caused quite a disruption to the holiday schedule! Our expanded family Christmas dinner was typically held on December 24, Christmas Eve each year. So, Mom would’ve typically been a house-cleaning, meal-preparation bundle of nerves. Dad would typically be preparing the balsam tree for decorating…and setting up his Lionel 366W beneath it!

Anyhow, it’s a very special find, and I’m happy to have it.

Oh, yes!...I later came to learn that another significant event occurred on that date, my birthday, in 1944, the last full year of World War II. The event was made famous by one word: “NUTS!”…
-----------------------
“In mid-December 1944, Allied forces were surprised by a massive German offensive through the Ardennes Forrest that created a “bulge” in the Allied lines. Caught in what would become known as the “Battle of the Bulge,” the 101st Airborne Division of the United States Armed Forces was holed up in Bastogne while German armored divisions encircled the town. Outnumbered, outgunned, and running out of food, ammunition, and medical supplies, the embattled assistant division commander, Brigadier General Anthony McAuliffe, faced bleak prospects.

On December 22, the American troops were sent an ultimatum from the German forces outside of the town, demanding “the honorable surrender” of the town within two hours. General McAuliffe reply was brief and succinct:

“To the German Commander:

N U T S !

The American Commander”

Having made their position clear, the Americans dug in and waited for the attack. Contrary to German expectations, the 101st held out and reinforcements arrived in the form of the US Army’s 4th Armored Division. The Battle of the Bulge continued for several more weeks, with thousands of casualties on both sides, but by the end of January 1945, the Allies had retaken all the territory lost to the Germans and were headed toward Berlin.

This record was on display in the “Featured Documents” exhibit in the East Rotunda Gallery of the National Archives in Washington, DC, November 4, 2014, through January 5, 2015 in commemoration of the 70th anniversary of the Battle of the Bulge.”
-------------------

Next Monday we will join my oldest sister, Connie, and her husband, Brendan O'Brien for Christmas dinner.  John O'Brien, Brendan's oldest brother among several siblings, was killed in the Battle of the Bulge.  He was but 19 years old.  He's buried at Liege.

As was the wish at this season 79 years ago…and still appropriate today...

May God grant us peace, good will towards men!

And have a very merry, safe holiday season!
KD

@ScoutingDad posted:

Maybe the question should be "what didn't you buy recently".  We are just over a year into our move from Illinois to Michigan.  For about 18 months anything I bought may have gone onto a test track, but they certainly went back into the box until such time as my layout was rebuilt or they could go on display. I finished a few more display shelfs in the train room and populated one shelf set with engines.

Nearly all engines shown are MTH with the exception of the Weaver GG1s and Hiawatha Atlantics and the front of a K-Line E7 Milwaukee Road.

The layout is almost ready to run.  I keep tweaking track sections for smooth running.

While I do love displays, the problem is going to be, once you have a layout, and want pictures of it you'll want a sky between the display shelves and the layout

@WesternPacific2217 posted:

Woohoo, can’t wait to see a video of it running! Happy days! 😁

For sure! Thanks Scott.

I asked Trainz to provide me a report on what they found. It was a lot more than I would have wanted to do.

A big shout out to @Scott@Trainz and the team. Their customer service is second to none.

Disassemble; verify electrical and mechanical terminations are correct for proper operation. Load motor driver and cards on a Lionel test fixture, bench test is good. Repair Molex terminations on driver board, service smoke unit and replace batting.

Bench test the locomotive using conventional AC and CAB1 control on the test track, the loco runs strong, directional lighting and smoke with railsounds is good.

Bob

@dkdkrd posted:

Yes I did!  Well, not so recently, maybe.

I purchased this old calendar more than a year ago, but it had about 75 years of ‘curl’ that had to be removed before I could get a decent picture of it! The original mailing tube in which it was sent to its owner is seen among the attachments.

Oh, yes!...I later came to learn that another significant event occurred on that date, my birthday, in 1944, the last full year of World War II. The event was made famous by one word: “NUTS!”…

May God grant us peace, good will towards men!

And have a very merry, safe holiday season!
KD

The calendar looks great.

Happy Birthday and Merry Christmas.

Bob

Yes KD, Happy Birthday! I didn't realize today was the 22nd when I first read your post.

@Guttersnipe posted:

While I do love displays, the problem is going to be, once you have a layout, and want pictures of it you'll want a sky between the display shelves and the layout

Well there is a solution here. Both walls of display shelves are aisle ways used for access to other parts of the area. For photos it would be easy enough to roll in a temporary backdrop. Realistically I do not see shooting any images / video in those directions anyway. I personally do not like to run my trains without a backdrop in place, anything else is too distracting for my railroading fantasy. The more immersive the better.

good idea.  Personally I Have been trying to set up two vertical spindle's five feet apart that can be rolled around and have strip of material two and half feet wide that can be rolled from one to the other so that I can change the sky for each photo position, My problem is how to keep the material from sagging.

New Texas special set with add ons.   Engineers, but no interior in engine.  Interiors in cars, but no people.  Work to do.

Sorry for the back ground noise.  Grandkids are learning about the "Red Green" show.

@russrh posted:

preordered a billups crossing when they were released, hoping they arrive any day now!

They just arrived into stock last week, cant wait to get mine!

@Big Jim posted:

IF (that's F1 spelled backwards) there any Formula One fans out there, here is a very nice find.
I was checking out the diecast car aisle at Walmart a few weeks ago and came across a 1/43 Red Bull RB18 on the shelf. I am not a big "Red Bull" fan, but as I got to looking at these models, I saw that Burago not only had done the Verstappen version, but, the Perez version as well. In that case and with the price under $10 each, I had to pick them up.


Then yesterday, I was in the local Target store and walked through the diecast car aisle. Much to my surprise, there on the shelf I saw the Burago Mercedes-AMG and Ferrari SF21. There were only two of each left on the shelf. Looking closely, to my amazement there were both teammates cars, Hamilton & Russell for Mercedes-AMG and Leclerc & Sainz for Ferrari. Come with me fellows, we're going home!

I grabbed Chuck Leclerc.  I couldn't bring myself to grab anything not Ferrari.  Plus, Max is probably two towns over by now.

@Guttersnipe posted:

good idea.  Personally I Have been trying to set up two vertical spindle's five feet apart that can be rolled around and have strip of material two and half feet wide that can be rolled from one to the other so that I can change the sky for each photo position, My problem is how to keep the material from sagging.

Let me know when you figure it out! I’ll make one in a minute.

@russrh posted:

They just arrived into stock last week, cant wait to get mine!

A little more detail please!

@pennsyfan posted:

Let me know when you figure it out! I’ll make one in a minute.

Will do

Two pages back I mentioned that I acquired some Lima freight cars off Ebay, with photos to follow later. Well, it was a bit later-er because all the intervening Sunday/Mondays I had off were all rainy, and I still did not have suitable light in the living room to take photos (also I kinda got used to taking pics out in the driveway . This Tuesday, the day after Christmas saw the sun finally come out in the afternoon, right after some weekly errand-running, and I judged the light to be enough to fire off five quick photos. And quick they had to be, as my camera's batteries (this is an "old" Canon PowerShot SX100 point-and-shoot digital I use for my 'inventory' photos) went into the red as soon as I started shooting. As has been the pattern in my last few entries here in the BaCL thread, captions reference the photos above them:

First up is this 6701 'Kronenbourg' UIC 2-axle reefer of the SNCF or French national railways

Next is this 6704 Deutsche Bahn UIC 2-axle reefer decorated for Spatenbrau Munchen. I guess you could call these two the Euro version of the beer reefers we see so much of here

The Ebay seller I got these four cars from had another lot of six cars, two gondolas, two each of these Spatenbrau and two (white) Interfrigo reefers, all under the Rivarossi brand, but otherwise identical to Lima's. I was interested in the two-axle gondolas (retrofit each with one knuckle coupler) to use as adapter wagons, but I was less enthused at the prospect of having three identical Spatenbrau reefers tagging along. (June 2024:  and found out that the Rivarossi reefers may actually have been different (more detailed) models than the Lima shown above.)

Next up is this 6708 UIC 2-axle reefer in the scheme of Transfesa Interfrigo of the Spanish national railway RENFE

We finish up the UIC freight cars with this UIC van of the Swiss Federal Railways, decorated for Ovomaltine, the original Swiss name for the chocolate milk flavoring we know as Ovaltine.

All four of the UIC two-axle cars together. The Ovomaltine car is actually shorter than the other three, it's position at the far end of the shot notwithstanding. It's also the only car in the lot with its original box, the others were without. Fortunately they fit nicely in a BCW-550 box, so I'll be getting a few more of those after New Year's.

[June 2024:] For the re-shoot to get these cars in better lighting, I added another shot from the other end of the consist.

Last up is this "British" tanker decorated for Texaco, the markings on the right end denoting Milford Haven, a Texaco-owned refinery in the UK. I do have to wonder about this car's claim to UK-ness. As mentioned before, UK clearances are smaller than those of the Continent, but this car is considerably chunkier than the reefers. In fact, next to a medium-size K-Line aluminum tanker with a 60mm diameter tank, it comes out on top as the fatter tanker. I wondered if the UIC boxcars are 1:45 scale (they are) . I'm now thinking this may be a UIC tanker decorated in a UK livery.

[June 2024:] As part of the re-shoot to get these in better lighting I added a closeup of the tanker. By these molded-in markings, I believe this is actually a German prototype that Lima painted in a UK scheme.

A footnote: the 2-axle vans absolutely did not like a particular 027 straight section on my test track (which is comprised entirely of 027 size tubular track, with K-Line 027-height 072 curves). These cars' long wheelbase with no suspension led them to derail passing over that one piece of straight track between my 'yard' switch and the first 072 curve. Every time these cars would tilt to one side and abruptly drop off the railheads on that one section. The Lima cars with four-axles weren't as bothered by the irregularity -- they at least only derailed backing out of the curve toward the switch, leading me to believe that particular piece of straight track has a dip on one side and a possible gauge distortion that I'll have to look into. I can easily replace this one section, though this has caused me to revisit thoughts of replacing the test trackwork with AtlasO, which I also have on-hand from the days I'd tag along for the First Night train display formerly held in Westport, CT, where I'd lay and operate a loop with some of my own trains along with 'Dennis the Train Man' (RIP).

As a side note, the Texaco tanker encountered a wee mixup in shipping...initially this was the car that arrived on my doorstep:

Yeaaaah...definitely not O scale . I messaged the seller and we straightened things out amicably with him immediately shipping out the correct car as I sent this one back to him. This Marklin large-scale car and my Texaco tanker passed each other in the USPS system like the proverbial ships in the night, and I was suitably reimbursed for my return shipment. I'm sure he was more stressed than I was (though it took him a few days to pick up this piece at his local PO after they left him a "we'll hold this for you at the PO" note as it was too big to leave in his mailbox)

Now that I have three short consists of non-US rolling stock (five eight UK Mark-1 coaches, five UIC passenger cars, and seven ten Euro freight cars), this probably concludes my European adventure. As it stands, I only really intend to hitch these short consists onto the back of regular freight (or passenger) trains for giggles once I get back to making YouTube videos, so I don't see myself amassing a large collection of these, though it'd be nice to get one of their French diesels or UK Class 33's [I now have a class 33] and retrofit it for 3-rail while preserving as much of the original drivetrain as possible. (the aforementioned Ebay seller also had a lot of three or four of these for $120, but again, I only "needed" one of 'em)

2024 Edit: For 2024 I've added comic-style [Previous]-[Next] links allowing sequential access to my past acquisition posts both on and off this thread (also helps me locate them for checking past purchases). Links should open in the same window, and if any go to posts inconsistent with their descriptions, let me know.

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

---PCJ

@VHubbard posted:

New Texas special set with add ons.   Engineers, but no interior in engine.  Interiors in cars, but no people.  Work to do.

Nice TEXAS SPECIAL  V.

Good to see the grandkids are gettiing some CULTURE with RED GREEN exposure.

Got a note from Charles Ro saying the Lionel Weather Balloon Defense and Missile two-pack I pre-ordered awhile ago had arrived and I picked it up this afternoon. They mentioned that the packs are very popular and all spoken for.

Will do a review in a day or two.

Got an MTH Railking Naval Weapons Station Earle SW1200 as a late xmas gift.

I picked up a Legacy I1 decapod. I had no plans to get one, but you know how that goes.

It might come in handy

I called to reserve a Base 3.  I think the idea of unifying LionChief, TMCC, and Legacy on one application is terrific and shows commitment to backward compatibility and the customer generally.  But I also remembered to take my prunes and Metamucil this morning . . . .

We visited the Greenburg show at the Dulles Expo in Chantilly, VA two weeks ago and I spotted this:

Talk about "COOL" how cool is a set of reefers with cold Coors Light!

This year was the first time I purchased a train at a Greenburg show.  It was billed as "new" but wasn't.  Although it showed no real wear on the rollers, the smoke generators in the reefers produced 'smoke' the first time I fired them up...but, it all works and looks like new and I'm actually grateful the seller had prepped the reefers and knew they worked!  This is just such a hoot of a train set!

I wanted something different from what I have. This little bugger caught my eye. Did some research on the K-line switcher,not realizing it was diecast, comes with a fan driven smoke unit (or would it be considered an exhaust unit 🤔),and pretty nice detail. Along with the ore cars, I couldn't pass up the deal. Took her all apart, inspected , and serviced. Nice little running switcher! Again, now I know why so many miss K-line.

Waiting for the mailman to deliver my Halloween Doodlebug.  Watched a YouTube video and I was hooked.

6468-25

New Haven Double Door Automobile car Did Madison Hardware routinely put their sticker on a box?

Crown Model Products Penn Dutch Meats Reefer

produced by Toy Train Museum in 1994. Simple built by TTM very unobtrusive marking  

@Trainman52 posted:

Waiting for the mailman to deliver my Halloween Doodlebug.  Watched a YouTube video and I was hooked.

Mine was a gift from Christmas. Hope you enjoy it as much as I have. It’s such a fun, cool locomotive.

Gene

@Donnie Kennedy posted:

I wanted something different from what I have. This little bugger caught my eye. Did some research on the K-line switcher,not realizing it was diecast, comes with a fan driven smoke unit (or would it be considered an exhaust unit 🤔),and pretty nice detail. Along with the ore cars, I couldn't pass up the deal. Took her all apart, inspected , and serviced. Nice little running switcher! Again, now I know why so many miss K-line.

That are cute. and the train is perfect, unless you want to add a bobbler boose.  Personally I'd be running the engine back ward with the boose  tween it and the cars and either way it goes It looks like a mine train on a tourist train pretending to be a mine train,  Gret catch

Nice buys fellows, and another BTO item arrived this week, the UP VisionLine caboose in the yellow color…. This will go behind my Big Boy…. Happy New Year to you all.

@Donnie Kennedy posted:

I wanted something different from what I have. This little bugger caught my eye. Did some research on the K-line switcher,not realizing it was diecast, comes with a fan driven smoke unit (or would it be considered an exhaust unit 🤔),and pretty nice detail. Along with the ore cars, I couldn't pass up the deal. Took her all apart, inspected , and serviced. Nice little running switcher! Again, now I know why so many miss K-line.

Careful Donnie.....you can't eat just one....

@RSJB18 posted:

Careful Donnie.....you can't eat just one....

Haha. And the bad influences hopefully will continue into the New Year! Cheers!

And Hopefully many years to come, but would love to see that ACL up close

Santa (Trainz) dropped off a nice MTH K4 W\ proto1, bcr, and some K-line Heavyweights! A little TLC to the engine and Pittman monstrous motor and she's smoking and running like a champ! Happy New Year all!

I need your Santa to Come visit me

Nice looking set.

@mpeck161 posted:

Got an MTH Railking Naval Weapons Station Earle SW1200 as a late xmas gift.

@mpeck161 help me out here. When I look up MTH Railking 30-21016-1 there is no reference to NWS Earle. Is there a logo that I don’t see?

I treated myself to a Digitrax EVOX Evolution Starter Set.  Finally going DCC.

Whatever floats. . . wait . . . whatever runs your train