Buy anything cool lately?

@Apples55- Sir- I refer you to your post on the 26th day of June in the Lords year of 2024........

@pennsyfan- Nice GG-1 Bob. Don't forget to empty the mint car if you go to sell it......the buyer would get quite a surprise.
The K-line Plymouth's all come with a second set of "scale" couplers. I have a few extras. Don't know why they weren't just installed from the factory. They look much better than the bigger claws.

@leapinlarry- Sorry to hear of the loss of yet another friend..... I don't run modern era but that GE EVO is sharp.

@VHubbard- congrats on the bucket list find.

Great purchases everyone....looks like I have some catching up to do.

Bob

@Donnie Kennedy posted:

Speaking of Atlas RS, I found this conventional RS-D 4/5 on the bay for a great price. I did have to series wire the motor. Then, I rewired it so it would start in forward with cab first. I prefer it that way, and I believe Santa Fe did too. Nice switcher for the money!

Donnie, I have the MTH RK version, and while I don’t know if it’s true to prototype, mine starts short hood forward.

@Mark V. Spadaro posted:

Donnie, I have the MTH RK version, and while I don’t know if it’s true to prototype, mine starts short hood forward.

I could be wrong but I think toy train manufacturers started making their engines start short hood forward when the FRA regulations stated it that way. I was happily surprised that they went back to long hood forward when modeling older prototypes; but the modern models are short hood forward.

@Apples55 posted:

Well… seems like I done gone and did it again

First up are a pair of milk cars from Forum Sponsor JR Junction. I have been trying to “restrain” some of my purchases to lines that had a presence in my corner of Pennsylvania (with, admittedly, little success!!!). When someone posted pics of one of these, I realized that I didn’t have any O&W cars on my roster. The O&W had a branch line which ran from Cadosia, NY down through northern Wayne County to Scranton in Lackawanna County (not sure if they carried milk on that branch, but they do on my pike).

Then, I made the mistake of checking out Gryzboski’s website (one of my all too regular failings) and noticed that he had a bunch of Altas cars, and I just had to look (Mea Culpa) - looks like they plan on carrying Atlas going forward. Amidst the current offerings were a couple of local roads… D&H and Bethlehem Steel.

And while I was there, Joe mentioned that an engine I had ordered (and COMPLETELY forgot about) had come in - a Lionel legacy S2 in SIRT (Staten Island Rapid Transit) livery. While not local to me currently, having grown up in NYC, I had to add an MTA engine to the roster. Soooooo…

Finally, I received notice that two beer reefers for the good folks at the NJ HiRailers were arriving. Another wonderful job by the club!!!

As with all of the clubs prior offerings, they have some amazing graphics and NYC/Brooklyn connection.

So, taken in total, I have just added another complete train to my layout!!!

I think this shows incredible restraint.  The SIRT doesn't count because you forgot you ordered it, those NJHRs cars were ordered last year so they don't count, so I mere 5 new additions is truly restrained for you.

Rode Amtrak's Empire Building twice a year between Spokane and Milwaukee from 2013 to 2017 and thought it would be awesome to have these cars in my train collection.

Unfortunately all the Amtrak Superliner offerings I saw were not the Phase VI.

About a year ago I found some! I thought they were a bit pricey, but the details are awesome.

Coach / Baggage #31004:

Coach #34010:

Sightseer Lounge #33004:

Sleeper #32004:

Diner #38006:

Now just waiting for the "Transition Car" which is going to be only Phase IV.

These are still available through Golden Gate Depot, but hurry because this is the second and last run!

I picked up this nice smooth running Lionel T1 "Texan" 2-10-4 from Trainz as a Father's day Special - Free Shipping. Heck, $36 is nothing to sneeze at these days for shipping is it?  They had 3 of these and this one had a 'smudge' on the roof and a reduced price.  Let her stretch her legs Friday afternoon on Bob's layout and she's very nice. Built in the early 2000s, she only has 2 chuffs and pretty weak smoke but the sounds are really full and deep. Lots of detail for a steamer that old too - look close at the valves and piping. Am most pleased with this one...

Just received a new in shipping container Lionel Strasburg Legacy #89 (1970's version) for a great price of $650. Look forward to running it in bluetooth with my phone.

@coach joe posted:

I think this shows incredible restraint.  The SIRT doesn't count because you forgot you ordered it, those NJHRs cars were ordered last year so they don't count, so I mere 5 new additions is truly restrained for you.

By that logic....I'd go broke.....🤣🤣🤣

@RSJB18 posted:

@Apples55- Sir- I refer you to your post on the 26th day of June in the Lords year of 2024.........

Great purchases everyone....looks like I have some catching up to do.

Bob

Oh Bob, Bob, Bob… if I feel some inexplicable need to have someone remind me of my past statements, I’ll call my ex-wife, thank you

@coach joe posted:

I think this shows incredible restraint.  The SIRT doesn't count because you forgot you ordered it, those NJHRs cars were ordered last year so they don't count, so I mere 5 new additions is truly restrained for you.

Thank you, Joe - I’m glad someone takes a logical view of my recent activities

@RSJB18 posted:

By that logic....I'd go broke.....🤣🤣🤣

So, Joe… looks like Bob has thrown down the gauntlet - got to stimulate the voices in his head

@Apples55 posted:

Oh Bob, Bob, Bob… if I feel some inexplicable need to have someone remind me of my past statements, I’ll call my ex-wife, thank you

Thank you, Joe - I’m glad someone takes a logical view of my recent activities

So, Joe… looks like Bob has thrown down the gauntlet - got to stimulate the voices in his head

No worries Paul....I've forgotten about several pre-orders already.....😂😂😂

Garage sale find. Lionel uncatalog set X623 from 1961. Contained the 6519 Allis-Chamber car and amazingly both brake wheels were intact. I must go to 100 garage sales before I find any Lionel. Made my day. Happy Fourth of July.

well no pictures but I bought the full set of Frosty the snowman for 125$$ on ebay.  no track or transformer but it all looks like new,  runs good..  I collect all the Christmas stuff..

@franktrain posted:

Garage sale find. Lionel uncatalog set X623 from 1961. Contained the 6519 Allis-Chamber car and amazingly both brake wheels were intact. I must go to 100 garage sales before I find any Lionel. Made my day. Happy Fourth of July.

Score! Congrats!

Picked up the Clemenza's Bakery car from Stockyard Express yesterday.

Railking

New Hot Wheels 1:43.  A little more current and high end than what most of us are looking for.  At $25 each I would have left them on the rack but Target had them on Clearance for 1/2 price so for $12.49 they'll be the stars of the stars of       the  4th of July car show.

Picked up the Menards Sunoco Station yesterday

Got my new Lionel Rock Island GP-7 !  With 4 pickup rollers it runs nice and slow and smooth throughout my yard - planning to use it as my yard switcher.  Very very happy with this engine!  Electro couplers front and rear.

(I had purchased a Lionel BN GP-20 earlier in the year, but with only 2 pickup rollers it unfortunately was not able to navigate my yard reliably - even though it was more expensive.  Had to return it.)

@JimFMB posted:

Picked up the Menards Sunoco Station yesterday

Menards has some great stuff

@Hannibal-St Joseph RR posted:

Got my new Lionel Rock Island GP-7 !  With 4 pickup rollers it runs nice and slow and smooth throughout my yard - planning to use it as my yard switcher.  Very very happy with this engine!  Electro couplers front and rear.

(I had purchased a Lionel BN GP-20 earlier in the year, but with only 2 pickup rollers it unfortunately was not able to navigate my yard reliably - even though it was more expensive.  Had to return it.)

AS Roy and Dale use to sing Happy Rails to you. video needed when we meet again

My new Lionel Alco S2 LNE 611. The quality is on par for a Legacy. It runs well and smokes like crazy.

Gene

@Genemed posted:

My new Lionel Alco S2 LNE 611. The quality is on par for a Legacy. It runs well and smokes like crazy.

Gene

Sharp looking engine, Gene - enjoy. I recently picked up the SIRT version and I have to agree… a good runner (I don’t use smoke, so I can’t comment on that aspect).

@Apples55 posted:

Sharp looking engine, Gene - enjoy. I recently picked up the SIRT version and I have to agree… a good runner (I don’t use smoke, so I can’t comment on that aspect).

I reminded of an old story about somebody's engine smoking on the tract, and somebody said Diesals aren't suppose to smoke. but then it is an alco, and they do have the honorary steamer title

@Apples55 posted:

Sharp looking engine, Gene - enjoy. I recently picked up the SIRT version and I have to agree… a good runner (I don’t use smoke, so I can’t comment on that aspect).

Thanks Paul, I did see yours on another topic, the colors are striking. This is my top smoker so far, even more than the 0-6-0t LC+ 2.0.

Gene

@Genemed posted:

My new Lionel Alco S2 LNE 611. The quality is on par for a Legacy. It runs well and smokes like crazy.

Gene

The gang approves......

I do need to add a couple cabeese.......

@RSJB18 posted:

The gang approves......

I do need to add a couple cabeese.......

Approval accepted.🙂I’ve had my eye on your LNE’s for a while and always liked the paint scheme. When the Lionel model was available I couldn’t pass it up especially living in New England my whole life. I purchased the caboose from Charles Ro a few weeks ago.

Gene

@Genemed posted:

Approval accepted.🙂I’ve had my eye on your LNE’s for a while and always liked the paint scheme. When the Lionel model was available I couldn’t pass it up especially living in New England my whole life. I purchased the caboose from Charles Ro a few weeks ago.

Gene

It's amazing how many short lines and fallen flags ran through New England......

And I'm trying to collect them all......

@RSJB18 posted:

It's amazing how many short lines and fallen flags ran through New England......

And I'm trying to collect them all......

Another reason for buying the 611 is it’s history and the ongoing restoration project.

Gene

I bought this Legacy PRR L1 from a forum member. I especially like the doghouse on the tender. I think it adds some pizazz to the locomotive. It runs and smokes great!

Well, my Lionel GE EVO finally climbed out of the box, hopefully she will operate as she should. @ncdave, Wow, that’s a beautiful Pennsy steamer, there’s a lot of beautiful items purchased here. Happy Railroading Everyone

@Genemed posted:

Another reason for buying the 611 is it’s history and the ongoing restoration project.

Gene

I didn't know anything about it....I do now.

Pretty cool.

TO bad, you didn't get a video, of it climbing put pf the box

@RSJB18 posted:

It's amazing how many short lines and fallen flags ran through New England......

And I'm trying to collect them all......

If you can limit yourself to New England, good luck, but if you travel elsewhere, Fallen Fags are way to expensive to collect. by the by Just saw a Western pacific Box car in Colton

@Genemed posted:

My new Lionel Alco S2 LNE 611. The quality is on par for a Legacy. It runs well and smokes like crazy.

Gene

Too bad Lionel hasn't done an ALCO T6!

JBL makes a bluetooth speaker you can clip onto things such as my bike, workshop, and of course, above the train layout. Version 3 is a few versions old so it can be had for $30.

Then on YouTube there are tons of sounds to choose to fit your layout. I searched on “city soundscape Chicago subway”. There are ones that play for over an hour of people riding the L and recording the sounds of squeaking brakes, running over rails, cars honking and talking etc.

I connect my Mac to the speaker and it makes my city layout vibe more alive.

One PITA is you get a commercial every so often that you have to skip past.

This just came in from Miller Engineering.
Long may she wave!

Well, having grown a little tired of my somewhat miss-matched Union Pacific GP9 and GP9-B, I traded them up for a newer Legacy set of GP35s, a powered and dummy unit. I'll keep the oldest Legacy engine I have, a UP GP7, which still runs fine, but on a shelf in the man cave when it's not running on the layout.

@Yellowstone Special posted:

Well, having grown a little tired of my somewhat miss-matched Union Pacific GP9 and GP9-B, I traded them up for a newer Legacy set of GP35s, a powered and dummy unit. I'll keep the oldest Legacy engine I have, a UP GP7, which still runs fine, but on a shelf in the man cave when it's not running on the layout.

Don't seem to be any more mis matched then a set of  one to one's

@Guttersnipe posted:

Don't seem to be any more mis matched then a set of  one to one's

Well, on the GP9s, I was referring to the Amour yellow paint not being the exact same shade as well as the different graphics. At least with the GP35s, they're more closely matched.

It Christmas in July or I really went overboard last week. After reading about the WIF SS boxcars that I posted. I found out that they also ran Reefers. Well lo and behold I found WIF SS reefers on PDT. So I ordered 2, and a Schafer car popped into my cart. While I was reading I noticed that they also ran PFG reefers. So of course one popped up on the bay and it was a PRR car to boot. How could I say no. Well that wasn’t to bad; but then that devil in TN (AKA Leaping Larry)  reached  out that he had a NOS NYC S2 and a NOS JC FM. After we settled that; he hung the carrot out with a NOS John Bull set. Having wanted that set since it  first came out; once again I couldn’t say no. FedEx. Is still on the way today with the PDT order. I can’t go up to the train room because I have landscapers installing sprinklers in the plant beds. So pictures later.