Things have finally settled down around most of the the house issues and I finally took time to photograph the items I purchased at the York Meet in April for The Penn American Railroad.
Locomotive Department
Santa Fe F3 ABBA (MTH Premier ABA 20-2485-1, B Unit 20-2485-3)
I’ve always liked the Santa Fe diesel Bluebonnet paint scheme but always seem to have other fish to fry and never got one. While perusing Vince’s Trains booth I saw it sitting on the table looking at me and The Voices agreed I should take it home. As a bonus they also had the matching B unit. SCORE!
This is a ProtoSound 2.0, 3 volt model. It will proudly be hauling freight on my eventual main lines.
Santa Fe 4-8-4 Northern #3751 Legacy Steam Locomotive (Lionel 6-11332)
This is another locomotive on my wish list that I have had my eye on, especially after moving to Southern California near it’s home rails, and Vince’s booth stuck again. I’ve passed on a couple versions of the #3751 for other items over the years, including the recent SF 2900 series 4-8-4’s, but the time and the price was right this time. And with Golden Gate Depot listing Santa Fe heavyweight coaches to be produced my Santa Fe steam passenger consist can come together. I can also use it to lead my excursion trains too, just like the real thing.
Along with Legacy control and Legacy Railsounds this beauty has Odyssey II speed control and whistle steam effect. It also comes with three different smoke stacks.
Reading Fairbanks Morse Train Master Diesel #861 (MTH Premier 20-21652-1)
This York trip seems to be unearthing several wish list items for me. And with the aid of The Voices I’ve been guided to the right places. Years ago I bought a set of K-Line Reading 18” aluminum passenger cars but didn’t have any power to pull them. Over the years I picked up a few worthy engines to haul them and the Train Master was the final engine I wanted for the set. Again I didn’t pull the trigger on any of the previous MTH and Lionel offerings of this brute. But my friend Pete at JusTrains had this recently released version in their booth that helped me finally right a wrong. The FM Train Master will look great hauling a commuter train to all the local towns even though the sound package is freight sounds.
This scale ProtoSounds 3.0 version has all the PS 3 and DCS goodies including being Proto-Scale 3-2 3-Rail/2-Rail Conversion Capable and DCC command control.
Intermodal Department
MTH Premier Flat Car “Erie” W/2 20’ Pup Trailers (Sherwin Williams) (Custom Run for Stockyard Express 20-95626)
More colorful Pup Trailers to ride the rails on my Pike. There are two flat car numbers but I only bought one of them. What was I thinking?! I didn’t see any left on Saturday.
MTH Premier Flat Car “Milwaukee Road” W/2 20’ Pup Trailers (The Florsheim Shoe Co.) (Custom Run for Berwyn’s Toys and Trains 20-95590)
No affiliation with Florsheim Shoes other than for nostalgia as my mother used to shop at a nearby Florsheim store when she would drag me shopping with her when I was a child.
Both of the above cars operates On O-42 Curves.
Rail Car Department
MTH Premier 50’ Waffle Box Car “Rock Island” (Custom Run for Berwyn’s Toys & Trains 20-93989)
With all the trains I have in my inventory I don’t have any Rock Island trains. I always liked The Rock logo, the blue paint scheme and, well, I like waffles! This well done MTH Premier scale waffle box car from Berwyn’s fills that void.
MTH Premier 40’ AAR Box Car “Elgin, Joliet & Eastern” (Custom Run for Berwyn’s Toys & Trains 20-99416)
This is another purchase fueled by nostalgia. In the very first N scale set I received one Christmas while in grade school it contained a box car that looked just like this. When I saw it at Berwyn’s booth the memories flooded back to my mind from that time, when I wondered what the heck EJ&E was!
(2) MTH Premier 50’ Ps-1 Box Cars w/Youngstown Door “Great Northern” (Custom Run for Berwyn’s Toys & Trains 20-99303 & 20-99304)
These looked so beautiful on display and I love the Great Northern Goat logo. The green paint shade is sharp so I had to get both car numbers! They also have a wood slat floor interior and they are the first MTH freight cars I own or have seen that includes 2 rail mounting spacers for 2 rail trucks purchased separately.
Lionel Jack Daniel’s Tank Car (Custom run by the TCA Metropolitan Division)
I believe this was made from the Lionel Unibody tank car (If Stu is watching maybe he can clarify). It will go nicely in a consist with my Jack Daniel’s TOFC cars I purchased previously or parked at the Jack Daniel’s Department 56 facility we have.
Cabin Car Department
K-Line “Spirit of ’76” Bay Window Caboose (K612-7600)
This patriotic commemorative caboose will be perfect for pulling up the markers behind my MTH scale Conrail Bicentennial GG1 during American patriotic holidays around The Penn American Railroad system to celebrate. The colorful scale caboose also has a smoke unit.
Electronics and Digital Control Department
DCS Handheld Remote Battery Compartment Thingy (Dave Hikel of Hikel Layouts & Trains)
I’m not sure of the official title of these parts but they secure the batteries in the DCS handheld’s battery compartment from shaking loose inside. It’s been a problem I hear with some of the remotes where the batteries shake loose and disconnect from the contacts possibly causing havoc with running trains. I personally haven’t had this problem but I figured why tempt fate? It fits securely on the batteries when installed when you close the cover. I noticed a few friends having these so I asked Dave for a couple. He didn’t have anymore at York but he mailed me a pair after he got home. Nice little insurance.
Real Estate & Buildings Department
Atlas O Suburban Passenger Station (Item #66901)
I had my eye on the Suburban Station for a while, and at the April 2023 Meet I saw one for sale but didn't grab it and forgot to go back to get it before the end of the Meet. So at the October 2023 Meet I made it a priority to pick one up. I went back to the dealer that had it, but of course they didn't have one and couldn't locate one anywhere at the Meet. It wasn't even on my radar for this April 2024 Meet, but The Voices guided me back to the dealer where I saw it last year and sure enough, there it was!! The Voices never fail me!
This station will be perfect to anchor the commuter rail station I want to construct for the layout. It will sit in the center of a raised station platform on one side while the other side of the tracks will just be a raised platform with some small shelters and lighting on both sides. It’ll be used by passengers for Amtrak trains, Penn American Railroad long haul and commuter trains and occasional excursion trains. I might add the MTH brick station to the mix also.
Apparel Department
It was time to add to my t-shirt collection of favorite railroads. Great for train shows, outdoor picnics, wedding attire, walking the boardwalk at the beach or having lunch at your favorite sports bar.
April's York Meet had great weather, good food, great friends and Traindiesel pricing! All in all, it was a good week in the big leagues!