Buy anything cool lately?

Wow Bob, that is an impressive collection.  I love the cattle car with the cows heads out between the slats!

Don

@Don McErlean posted:

Wow Bob, that is an impressive collection.  I love the cattle car with the cows heads out between the slats!

Don

Thanks Don , The cattle car is reportedly one of the rare ones.

@MainLine Steam posted:

The first step to recovery is admitting you have a problem.  I DO BIG TIME.

Here are 2 pictures of the corner shelf in my Living Room (never would have gotten away with this when I was married).  Note the earlier manufactured ESE RPO and the CZ Baggage.  And yes the Skytop Lounge was never hauled by SP, but they are my favorite EMD F-unit paint scheme and my favorite Observation Car.

BTW I am also a car guy.  If you wondering why I would have a diecast Corvair, my first car was the coupe version, the same color as the convertible.

Hi Jim, I thought I posted a reply to you, but it didn't post! How unfortunate, I'm gonna type it up again. LoL

First, thanks for the great photos of your goodies in this post, and second, I did not know K-Line made a CZ RPO! I did an online search a few months ago with several different search criteria, and got nothin'! So, thanks for letting me know. I converted the Empire State version I purchase from Trainz to CZ. Trainz did not have the skirt part, so they gave me a reasonable discount on the RPO because I wanted to keep it. I ordered another K-Line 15", New York Central diner car, for parts. Besides the skirt, I need two new trucks for a 15" CZ diner car I bought used for $40 and the bearing caps were completely worn out. The axles just flop around in them! I've never seen bearing end caps that worn out before!!!

While I am waiting for the 15" donor car to show up, I upgraded the interior of the RPO car, wood floor, paint, more people figures, baggage, and freight. Also upgraded to LED lighting. I'll post the process in another thread as soon as the donor shows up and I've installed the skirts.

@WesternPacific2217 posted:

Hi Jim, I thought I posted a reply to you, but it didn't post! How unfortunate, I'm gonna type it up again. LoL

First, thanks for the great photos of your goodies in this post, and second, I did not know K-Line made a CZ RPO! I did an online search a few months ago with several different search criteria, and got nothin'! So, thanks for letting me know. I converted the Empire State version I purchase from Trainz to CZ. Trainz did not have the skirt part, so they gave me a reasonable discount on the RPO because I wanted to keep it. I ordered another K-Line 15", New York Central diner car, for parts. Besides the skirt, I need two new trucks for a 15" CZ diner car I bought used for $40 and the bearing caps were completely worn out. The axles just flop around in them! I've never seen bearing end caps that worn out before!!!

While I am waiting for the 15" donor car to show up, I upgraded the interior of the RPO car, wood floor, paint, more people figures, baggage, and freight. Also upgraded to LED lighting. I'll post the process in another thread as soon as the donor shows up and I've installed the skirts.

Not sure if you were able to zoom in and see it but the RPO is ESE not CZ.  The baggage car is CZ which is pretty hard to find (K4613-10903).  I have not come across the CZ diner you have (K4613-10842).  The only 15" CZ set I see on a regular basis is the 4 car dome set.

Anyhow I am plan on "cheating" when get my layout done and just intermix the ESE cars with the 4 CZ domes and the baggage.  If I decide to do it more correctly, I would buy ESE coaches and parlor cars and change interiors to sleeper configurations and Nameplates to CZ.  Think probably that's what you are doing.

@VHubbard posted:

Finally got a Dreyfus.  Williams Crown Edition.  This is my first "brass" model.  Looks great, but getting it to run was a little work.  See part 2 of checking out a new engine.

Did you happen to get it from "that auction site"?  I saw it, but procrastinated too long.  LOL  It is a beauty!

@MainLine Steam posted:

Did you happen to get it from "that auction site"?  I saw it, but procrastinated too long.  LOL  It is a beauty!

I have seen 3-4 Crown editions or Smithsonians on various auction sites the last month or two.   This is probably not the one you are thinking of though.  This one was a good price and I got it within a few hours of being available.  I have been having fun just letting it run today after the fixes it needed.

@VHubbard posted:

I have seen 3-4 Crown editions or Smithsonians on various auction sites the last month or two.   This is probably not the one you are thinking of though.  This one was a good price and I got it within a few hours of being available.  I have been having fun just letting it run today after the fixes it needed.

Maybe, maybe not, I am in no hurry to buy and only purchase when the price is right.  I have missed out on some good deals by thinking it over too long.

I want to thank you for posting the pre-run check out information, well documented and informative.  I have a tendency quickly look it over, then power it up and see what happens.  I then tear it apart to make it right.  Your approach makes more sense.  I am just too darn excited when I get the item to see if it works.  LOL

I went to a new (for me) train shop in Pinellas Park, FL today. Twice a year they have a parking lot swap meet that I wanted to check out and was surprised at the number of tables and the good-sized crowd. The beautiful weather helped. Anyway, picked up this Lionel water tower.

How much do you "cheat" or use artistic license when trying to represent a prototype?

Mikki

Nikki,

Well done!

Tom

MTH Premier GP9

@Mikki posted:

I went to a new (for me) train shop in Pinellas Park, FL today. Twice a year they have a parking lot swap meet that I wanted to check out and was surprised at the number of tables and the good-sized crowd. The beautiful weather helped. Anyway, picked up this Lionel water tower.

How much do you "cheat" or use artistic license when trying to represent a prototype?

Mikki

the long saying is, It's your railroad. you do what you want.

The long gone Campbell's Soup Factory in Camden, NJ had tanks that looked like the Lionel on the roof. Just Google images.

Okay, my adventure into Lima O scale isn't quite finished, after I found this three-car set of UK Mark 1 coaches in the Intercity paint scheme on Ebay at a good price:

That's some gap between those coaches, eh?

I actually had these since 01/15, but yesterday my regular day off finally coincided with a lightly cloudy day in mid-afternoon that provided enough diffuse sunlight to produce good, even lighting in the driveway. All three cars are the same road number and product number (6619), as multiple car numbers weren't a thing back when these were made, hence my handwritten tags intended to tell each car apart from another.

Two of these had their original boxes as shown in the pic and both of those show water damage, that's probably why the seller said in the listing that the third box was too badly damaged and had to be discarded. The corrugated cardboard inserts in the remaining boxes show that they got wet as well, with the cardboard delaminating and the tabs intended to hold the carbodies thoroughly smashed in a way that could only happen while wet. Good thing Lima used almost no metal in these cars (seriously, the only metal is the rivets holding the trucks and couplers). I expect to be able to repair the boxes enough to regain their original function. As for the unboxed cars, well Lima seems to have used one size box for their O scale coaches, and the cardboard insert has multiple notches to set up restraint according to carbody length (they only made two lengths of passenger cars in 'O'), I can probably reproduce the right size of box and insert minus (of course) the printing.

I've been thinking about how to keep the wheelsets on these 2-rail cars from climbing my tubular railheads, and am exploring a potential workaround. Since Lima wheelsets are a one-piece plastic molding the wheels and axles cannot part ways, I thought of cementing a thin plastic disk to the back faces of the wheelsets, acting as flange extensions. To that end, I've acquired some 10-mil (0.25mm) clear stencil sheets to use with a circle cutter and 4mm punch tool. At that thickness, and the diameter needed to extend the flanges by a couple of extra millimeters, the portion that will extend past the stock flanges appears easily capable of supporting the car's weight if need be. Wish me luck

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

@RailRide posted:

Okay, my adventure into Lima O scale isn't quite finished, after I found this three-car set of UK Mark 1 coaches in the Intercity paint scheme on Ebay at a good price:

That's some gap between those coaches, eh?

I actually had these since the 01/15, but my regular day off and a lightly cloudy day in mid-afternoon provided enough diffuse sunlight to provide nice even lighting in the driveway. All three cars are the same road number and product number (6619), as multiple car numbers weren't a thing back when these were made, hence my handwritten tags intended to tell each car apart from another.

Two of these had their original boxes as shown in the pic and both of those show water damage, that's probably why the seller said in the listing that the third box was too badly damaged and had to be discarded. The corrugated cardboard inserts in the remaining boxes show that they got wet as well, with the cardboard delaminating and the tabs intended to hold the carbodies thoroughly smashed in a way that could only happen while wet. Good thing Lima used almost no metal in these cars (seriously, the only metal is the rivets holding the trucks and couplers)

I've been thinking about how to keep the wheelsets on these 2-rail cars from climbing my tubular railheads, and am exploring a potential workaround. Since Lima wheelsets are a one-piece plastic molding the wheels and axles cannot part ways, I thought of cementing a thin plastic disk to the back faces of the wheelsets, acting as flange extensions. To that end, I've acquired some 10-mil (0.25mm) clear stencil sheets to use with a circle cutter and 4mm punch tool. Wish me luck

[Previous:] -- [Next:] ???

absolutely gorgeous.

@VHubbard posted:

Finally got a Dreyfus.  Williams Crown Edition.  This is my first "brass" model.  Looks great, but getting it to run was a little work.  See part 2 of checking out a new engine.

I just received a brass Weaver Dreyfus I scored off eBay.  I haven't unboxed it yet.  Photos to follow.

This just arrived from TCA. Just in time to handle what is forecast on line.

@rdg_fan posted:

The long gone Campbell's Soup Factory in Camden, NJ had tanks that looked like the Lionel on the roof. Just Google images.

Yup, I am from NJ. My new layout, presently under construction is the PRR along PART of what was the Camden Amboy RR which started from Bordentown City on the Delaware. I am doing South Trenton to Bordentown, not enough real estate for Camden nor even the village of Roebling which I wanted to do (the factory anyway). So, my remark about how far to stray from the prototype was in regard to putting the water tower in Trenton where the Stokely-Van Camp beans factory was.

Mikki

I got this Right of Way C&O saddle tanker from the same seller @coach joe got his Dreyfus. It's a pretty nice little brass engine. My first brass! Now she's back close to home. The old ROW warehouse is about 30 minutes from me.

She's a beaut Donnie!

Guys...I have deleted the "car talk" in the recent replies.  If you want to talk about real cars, then either private message one another or find a forum that has been created for that kind of content.  Discussions here should be about the hobby and related items that go with the O Gauge hobby.

I have been acquiring items to put together a makeshift GodFather / Italian consist. This is the latest addition - a special run from TrainWorld. I love it.

I'm waiting on another item and then I'll post pictures of the consist I have cobbled together so far...

Thank you TrainWorld for another great special run.

Paul

I just picked this up from METCA. MTH-RK B&O RSD5 with proto3.

https://youtu.be/t4AMblAMods?si=WjYNMcOPZIeYmT0J

@Railrunnin posted:

I have been acquiring items to put together a makeshift GodFather / Italian consist. This is the latest addition - a special run from TrainWorld. I love it.

I'm waiting on another item and then I'll post pictures of the consist I have cobbled together so far...

Thank you TrainWorld for another great special run.

Paul

What a great Idea, would love to see the consist, Gotta have a heavy weight open end "business car."

Guttersnipe - will certainly share when the next car comes in - hopefully later this month. Let me think about that business car idea...
Paul

@pennsyfan posted:

I just picked this up from METCA. MTH-RK B&O RSD5 with proto3.

https://youtu.be/t4AMblAMods?si=WjYNMcOPZIeYmT0J

Sweet! My favorite B&O paint too...👍👍

@Railrunnin posted:

I have been acquiring items to put together a makeshift GodFather / Italian consist. This is the latest addition - a special run from TrainWorld. I love it.

I'm waiting on another item and then I'll post pictures of the consist I have cobbled together so far...

Thank you TrainWorld for another great special run.

Paul

Gotta put a Blue Comet on the point. 😁

Bob

Found the K-line 027 left hand switch I need for my upper level on the big E. I plan to replace the 3 Lionel 51XX with the K-line.

Now to make time to tear things apart....

Bob

I just managed to grab off the auction cite a Durham 1/43 1940 Nash for the dealer l had modeled, after looking for months.  Brooklin had made 1939's and 1935's, for the used car lot, but my date is 1940, so the showroom demanded a 1940.  I chose Nash and Graham dealerships for my towns as "different".

@Railrunnin posted:

I have been acquiring items to put together a makeshift GodFather / Italian consist. This is the latest addition - a special run from TrainWorld. I love it.

I'm waiting on another item and then I'll post pictures of the consist I have cobbled together so far...

Thank you TrainWorld for another great special run.

Paul

I'm wondering what else you may have in the Godfather theme??  Besides the two above carI  have a Genco Olive Oil car.

@FrankRazz posted:

I'm wondering what else you may have in the Godfather theme??  Besides the two above carI  have a Genco Olive Oil car.

A couple cement hoppers???????

@FrankRazz posted:

I'm wondering what else you may have in the Godfather theme??  Besides the two above carI  have a Genco Olive Oil car.

Hi Frank. Where are you living these days?

This is the list of cars so far... I'll post pictures when the Clemenzas Bakery Reefer arrives - hopefully later this month.

I'm thinking of having a couple of custom paints done - still "ruminating" as my late Brooklyn friend Pat Fusco (T-Rex) would say.

MTH             Clemenza’s Bakery Reefer

MTH          Genco Olive Oil Reefer

MTH          “Goodfellas” Black Caddy’s Auto Carrier

MTH?           Casa Nostra Boxcar

Atlas          Macaroni Reefer

@Railrunnin posted:

Hi Frank. Where are you living these days?

This is the list of cars so far... I'll post pictures when the Clemenzas Bakery Reefer arrives - hopefully later this month.

I'm thinking of having a couple of custom paints done - still "ruminating" as my late Brooklyn friend Pat Fusco (T-Rex) would say.

MTH             Clemenza’s Bakery Reefer

MTH          Genco Olive Oil Reefer

MTH          “Goodfellas” Black Caddy’s Auto Carrier

MTH?           Casa Nostra Boxcar

Atlas          Macaroni Reefer

How about a casket Car, a weapons car, a booze car, and a bank car.

@Railrunnin posted:

Hi Frank. Where are you living these days?

This is the list of cars so far... I'll post pictures when the Clemenzas Bakery Reefer arrives - hopefully later this month.

I'm thinking of having a couple of custom paints done - still "ruminating" as my late Brooklyn friend Pat Fusco (T-Rex) would say.

MTH             Clemenza’s Bakery Reefer

MTH          Genco Olive Oil Reefer

MTH          “Goodfellas” Black Caddy’s Auto Carrier

MTH?           Casa Nostra Boxcar

Atlas          Macaroni Reefer

I'm still on Long Island.  I miss Pat Fusco, I would see him at York,  I would sit and listen to his stories about the machiney he had in his basement, while his wife would just shake her head. 

I couldn't find Clemenza's reefer on RoundHouse South web site.  I'll have to give them a call.

@pennsyfan posted:

I just picked this up from METCA. MTH-RK B&O RSD5 with proto3.

https://youtu.be/t4AMblAMods?si=WjYNMcOPZIeYmT0J

Really liking the sounds on that RSD5 Bob.  Great purchase sir.

@Dallas Joseph posted:

Really liking the sounds on that RSD5 Bob.  Great purchase sir.

Thanks Dallas, I really like the start up.

@pennsyfan posted:

Thanks Dallas, I really like the start up.

Yup...... that IS a terrific start up sequence.

@pennsyfan posted:

I just picked this up from METCA. MTH-RK B&O RSD5 with proto3.

https://youtu.be/t4AMblAMods?si=WjYNMcOPZIeYmT0J

Thanks for posting.  I prepaid for one of those, but haven’t received a shipping notice for it yet.  Look forward to getting it.

Received two of the recent run of the MTH Premier C&O PS 1 boxcars.  I have identified and acquired 6 of them so far.

@pennsyfan posted:

I just picked this up from METCA. MTH-RK B&O RSD5 with proto3.

https://youtu.be/t4AMblAMods?si=WjYNMcOPZIeYmT0J

Bob - I could be wrong, but on your video, it looks like you still have the front foam truck spacer in place. That could cause havoc.

@Mark V. Spadaro posted:

Bob - I could be wrong, but on your video, it looks like you still have the front foam truck spacer in place. That could cause havoc.

Good 👀 Mark. Yes I left them in in case there was a problem. If you check SwSat you will see that they are gone.

Here are some infrastructure acquisitions from the last several weeks for the PENN AMERICAN RAILROAD.

MOTIVE DEPARTMENT

2-10-0 Decapod Steam Locomotive “Strasburg” #90 (1990’s) (Lionel 2231020)

This is the locomotive that I’ve been wishing to be made for nearly forty years! In that time I’ve photographed, video recorded and rode trains behind this famous motive power. It will look beautiful hauling my MTH Strasburg wood sided passenger cars or some Strasburg freight.

The No. 90 was built in 1924 for the Great Western Railway of Colorado by the Baldwin Locomotive Works in Philadelphia, Pa.  The Strasburg Rail Road purchased No. 90 from the GW in April 1967, and the locomotive arrived on Strasburg’s property one month later. It is currently undergoing its 1,472-day inspection and overhaul.

It runs in Legacy, in TMCC and conventional mode or with Bluetooth using the Universal Remote or LionChief app.  This brass-hybrid locomotive has numerous features too long to list, so if you’re interested click Here!  At 19” long it is recommended to operate on O54 curves.  The sounds come from the actual recordings from Strasburg.  The tender features a nice coal load, backup light and hatches.  The smoke, Bluetooth and Program/Run switches are located in the dome on top of the engine by removing the cover.

The unique packaging has Velcro straps around its foam cradle.  Underneath are four wing nuts holding the engine securely to its metal base.  I did not remove it from its base until I’m ready  to operate it on the layout.

Intermodal Department

(2) MTH Premier Flat Car "Milwaukee Road" w/ 48' Trailer (Custom Run for MrMuffin'sTrains 20-95649 & 20-95650)

I love intermodal unit trains so I had to get both car numbers. At one time a lot of trailers were owned by the railroads and now intermodal trains are the largest class of freight on American railroads. They are 1:48 Scale Dimensions and 14 1/2” long, 4 1/2” high and operates on O31 curves.

(2) MTH Premier Flat Car "Pennsylvania" w/ 48' Trailer (Custom Run for MrMuffin'sTrains 20-95651 & 20-95652)

Same as above. Since they are Pennsylvania Railroad I had to add them to my fleet. These flat cars are solid and heavy and track well.

MTH Premier Flat Car "Pennsylvania" w/ 48' Trailer (Truc Train) (20-95157)

I was scanning the internet hobby shops and found this older flat with trailer in stock. It is Pennsylvania Railroad so how could I not buy it, especially since it was the last one!

(2) MTH Premier Flat Car “New York Central” W/ 2 20’ Pup Trailers (Habbersett Scrapple) (20-95556)

Many people have been lobbying for some sort of scrapple freight car to be made for a lot of years. Although most of those discussions centered around breakfasts at the Round The Clock Diner during the TCA York Meet, I would have thought the flat car would be PRR. And some hoped for Rapa or Hatfield’s (Hatfields is served at the diner). But no matter, we got our scrapple represented, finally! These are also 1:48 scale cars, 14 1/2” long, 4 1/2” tall and will run on O42 curve track.

(2) MTH Premier Flat Car “Nickel Plate Road” W/ 2 20’ Pup Trailers (Sears and Roebuck) (Custom Run for Stockyard Express 20-95569 & 20-95570)

I missed out on the first run of these but cashed in on the second run. Everyone has a story for why they buy certain trains. For these, my story is that I once worked at the Sears Catalog Department in Philadelphia during the early 1980s, before they closed and imploded the building in the mid 90’s. (They did keep the power plant and tall smoke stack that are still there now connected to a shopping center anchored by a Home Depot.) With all the closures of Sears stores they will still be represented on the PENN AMERICAN RAILROAD. There is a neat ‘Craftsman’ logo on the door of the trailers.

(2) MTH Premier Flat Car "Virginia and Tennessee" w/ 48' Trailer (Jack Daniels Tennessee Sour Mash Whiskey) (Custom Run for Roundhouse South 20-95655 & 20-95656)

I hadn’t seen these advertised anywhere previously. I was reading a MTH Electric Trains Special Announcement email when in the side bar there was a link for items to be delivered shortly. I was scrolling through when I saw these beauties! The shop doesn’t do internet sales from their website so I called right away hoping they weren’t all accounted for. They hadn’t arrived at the store yet so I blurted out my credit card number and asked to be put on the list. They arrived about two weeks later.

There’s a story behind my purchase of the Jack Daniels flat cars.  I’m not much of a drinker of alcohol at all.  But I would always have a three-fingers glass over ice of Jack with my Father every Christmas and Easter holiday once I was of legal age.   He taught me not to abuse it and it was something we cherished and shared on those special holidays, even on the night he died. He was also a fan of Frank Sinatra.  On this past Christmas Eve while shopping in Costco of all places, they had just a few bottles in special packaging of ‘Jack Daniels ‘Sinatra Select’. This brand of Jack is so exclusive that the gift shop Jack Daniels Distillery in Lynchburg, Tennessee we toured a year and a half ago didn’t even carry it.  The boxes on the shelf were empty, you had to take the box to the merchandise pickup window after you paid for it.  We bought two bottles and I’m not sure we’ll drink them both in our lifetime.  But the nostalgia is priceless.  Then I saw the flat cars.  I didn’t hesitate.

More acquisitions coming up next!

Nice catch.   need a video of the steamer pulling the flat cars with the fifty-three foot trailers

@Traindiesel posted:

Here are some infrastructure acquisitions from the last several weeks for the PENN AMERICAN RAILROAD.

More acquisitions coming up next!

A great haul but these are my favorite. I'm a big Gentleman Jack fan. The special editions are cool too. Amazing the stuff that pops up at Costco.

Bob

I was browsing for some parts over the weekend. I wound up on Trainz. They had the parts I needed and a few more things happened to fall into my cart....... Ya gotta pay shipping anyway so........

Weaver New Haven RS-3 (conventional)

K-line D&H extended vision caboose.

Bob

@RSJB18 posted:

I was browsing for some parts over the weekend. I wound up on Trainz. They had the parts I needed and a few more things happened to fall into my cart....... Ya gotta pay shipping anyway so........

Weaver New Haven RS-3 (conventional)

K-line D&H extended vision caboose.

Bob

Ain’t it funny how that always seems to happen At least some nice roads chose to fall as your cart passed buy!!! But I am a bit concerned that you are backsliding to conventional operation

Picked up a “like new” old MTH 2-6-0 starter set from FB marketplace for my nephew… (switched out the boxcar with one from my collection since the one that came with the set didn’t have opening doors). He’s gonna love it, I can’t wait to give it to him!!

@Apples55 posted:

Ain’t it funny how that always seems to happen At least some nice roads chose to fall as your cart passed buy!!! But I am a bit concerned that you are backsliding to conventional operation

Not to worry Paul. I'm heading to Trainland soon for a Lionel LC+ 2.0 Doodlebug just to even things out.

I don't have any Weaver engines and this one looks like new with very little wear on the rollers. I also didn't have any NY/NH & Hartford engines. I like the older paint scheme and lettering from before McGinnis turned them into pumpkins.
Besides...I may throw a ERR or Bluenami board in it one day.

The D&H caboose was a no-brainer for the guy with no brains.....I still miss K-line.

Bob

@Guttersnipe posted:

Nice catch.   need a video of the steamer pulling the flat cars with the fifty-three foot trailers

It might be a while. The constant rain found an entry point, or three, onto the layout so I have to dismantle part of the layout for insurance repairs to the walls.

@RSJB18 posted:

A great haul but these are my favorite. I'm a big Gentleman Jack fan. The special editions are cool too. Amazing the stuff that pops up at Costco.

Bob

It was the last thing I thought I’d see at Costco. And then I discovered the TOFC’s. As a fellow Gentleman Jack fan, I’ll raise a glass to you for my next sip.

I wish my Dad was still around to see these cars.

I usually do not buy trains in Western roadnames, but considering the seller was selling this for a ridiculously low price, I couldn't pass it up.

I'm very happy to add the original 2014 release of the Lionel VISION LINE Big Boy to my roster!

Bob I agree with you about K-Line.  With the stuff they were putting out at the end I think Maury was trying to force Lionel to make nicer stuff cheaper.  The cabooses were awesome.  As were some of the engines they were putting out. See everyone's favorite looking Hudson.

Paul are you feeling okay?  I'm used to you posting here regularly and it has been a while.

So my latest addition is my first brass locomotive.  A Weaver Dreyfuss Hudson.  As I only have a 4x8 I don't know how much run time this minimum 42" radius beauty will actually get.

@coach joe posted:

So my latest addition is my first brass locomotive.  A Weaver Dreyfuss Hudson.  As I only have a 4x8 I don't know how much run time this minimum 42" radius beauty will actually get.

And I heard a voice crying in the wilderness - “expand… expand… expand”

P.S. really nice engine, Joe.

Great finds everyone!

Coach here is an idea, store some of the cars you been picking up at the dollar store and that should make room for a larger layout!

Coach, if push comes to shove and you need to rehome her, I've apparently started a shelter for unwanted locos. For only a dollar a day I'd be more than happy to foster her for you. 😉

My son and I went to the train show at the Santa Clara County Fairgrounds today. Lots of vendors, but nothing quite said “ Take me home.” Then I spotted this! I’ve always wanted a railroad lamp, and this one is from my “home” railroad, Southern Pacific. I could not be more pleased!

Paul, manifest destiny and westward expansion were halted by the natural barrier that is the Pacific Ocean.  Expansion of my little empire also has barriers of the manmade type, walls.

Mike thanks for the suggestion but most of those cars are in boxes in the garage right next to most of the rolling stock.

Donnie, thanks for the offer.

@coach joe posted:

Paul, manifest destiny and westward expansion were halted by the natural barrier that is the Pacific Ocean.  Expansion of my little empire also has barriers of the manmade type, walls.

Mike thanks for the suggestion but most of those cars are in boxes in the garage right next to most of the rolling stock.

Donnie, thanks for the offer.

That's why sawzalls were invented.........

This coming from the guy who's layout is landlocked by concrete walls.......

@coach joe posted:

Paul, manifest destiny and westward expansion were halted by the natural barrier that is the Pacific Ocean.  Expansion of my little empire also has barriers of the manmade type, walls.

Mike thanks for the suggestion but most of those cars are in boxes in the garage right next to most of the rolling stock.

Donnie, thanks for the offer.

Lol ok, I know all about boxes right now! We have to get this place sold so I can get a new train room and get started again! Lol

Mike it took me over two years to get the boxes out of the train room once we moved in.

@coach joe posted:

Mike it took me over two years to get the boxes out of the train room once we moved in.

Wow that's not encouraging, I hope I can get it done a little faster! Lol 😆

@coach joe posted:

Paul, manifest destiny and westward expansion were halted by the natural barrier that is the Pacific Ocean.  Expansion of my little empire also has barriers of the manmade type, walls.

“Walls??? We don’t need no stinkin’ walls!!! DIG WE MUST”.

- Anonymous Con Edison Sidewalk Superintendent, June 1974

@Apples55 posted:

“Walls??? We don’t need no stinkin’ walls!!! DIG WE MUST”.

- Anonymous Con Edison Sidewalk Superintendent, June 1974

Alfonso I didn't reconise you

@mike g. posted:

Wow that's not encouraging, I hope I can get it done a little faster! Lol 😆

Five  days

@coach joe posted:

Paul, manifest destiny and westward expansion were halted by the natural barrier that is the Pacific Ocean.  Expansion of my little empire also has barriers of the manmade type, walls.

Mike thanks for the suggestion but most of those cars are in boxes in the garage right next to most of the rolling stock.

Donnie, thanks for the offer.

So model the Coast Starlight. San Francisco to San Diego

Hey Paul, I'm hearing voices again and they don't sound anything like you.  They ain't saying anything about expansion of the road but they are singing about the expansion of the roster!

@mike g. posted:

Wow that's not encouraging, I hope I can get it done a little faster! Lol 😆

Hopefully you find a home with enough storage that all the train boxes don't have to go the Train Room when you move in. Here it's no basement, no sheds, not much attic, only the garage. I had to figure out the logistics and make it happen.  All the other unpacking and setting up house (Honey Dos) and regular day to day also contributed to the delay.

@Guttersnipe posted:

Alfonso I didn't reconise you

Yeah… sorry… The Man doesn’t let me wear my sombrero at work

@coach joe posted:

Hopefully you find a home with enough storage that all the train boxes don't have to go the Train Room when you move in. Here it's no basement, no sheds, not much attic, only the garage. I had to figure out the logistics and make it happen.  All the other unpacking and setting up house (Honey Dos) and regular day to day also contributed to the delay.

Joe, I understand! The CEO and I have an agreement,  she gets room for a garden and I get a basement for a train room!

@coach joe posted:

Hey Paul, I'm hearing voices again and they don't sound anything like you.  They ain't saying anything about expansion of the road but they are singing about the expansion of the roster!

Well, Joe, I’ve been working on disguising my voices!!!

And, I can relate - while the last two years have been very complicated and I’ve not really done any work on the layout, I have done some significant roster expansion (like I need more trains said no one ever).

And since you are in roster expansion mode, might I suggest a nice set of Lionel aluminum passenger cars to go with your Dreyfuss??? They issued a nice set back in 2002 - 15” long and runs on O-31 curves. You can still pick them up on the secondary market occasionally (6-15326)

@coach joe posted:

So my latest addition is my first brass locomotive.  A Weaver Dreyfuss Hudson.  As I only have a 4x8 I don't know how much run time this minimum 42" radius beauty will actually get.

Don't run it until you go through it.   I ran my Williams Dreyfuss, the motor came loose and had to eventually replace the reverse board as a result.  See my notes on a similar Dreyfuss in why you should always check a new engine.

@Apples55 posted:

Well, Joe, I’ve been working on disguising my voices!!!

And, I can relate - while the last two years have been very complicated and I’ve not really done any work on the layout, I have done some significant roster expansion (like I need more trains said no one ever).

And since you are in roster expansion mode, might I suggest a nice set of Lionel aluminum passenger cars to go with your Dreyfuss??? They issued a nice set back in 2002 - 15” long and runs on O-31 curves. You can still pick them up on the secondary market occasionally (6-15326)

Yet it do get to be a problem when you have more engines that track

@mike g. posted:

Joe, I understand! The CEO and I have an agreement,  she gets room for a garden and I get a basement for a train room!

I prefer my boxes in the train room, that is under the layout where they belong instead of me crawling around under there.  Beside it is (five letter word describing a female dog0 to go  out to shed during the rain to get my Sante Fe P.A.s

Funny how we all are experiencing delayed gratification these days when ordering new trains.  I put an order in to @Berwyns Toys and Trains quite a while ago for custom run MTH Pup trailers and added a couple of cabeese along the way. They recently came in. 

For those of you familiar with the Chicago area, Jay's Potato Chips and Marshall Fields were/are Chicago staples. Could not resist getting them. Forgot to take a photo of the Great Western caboose - later.  Jay's   “Can't stop eating 'em”   --- Now to figure out how to model their Chicago potato chip factory.

Very cool delayed gratification Jeff! Ever get tired of the BN caboose let me know! Lol 😆

@mike g.  Mike, Berwyn's still have them in inventory. I am not letting my only BN caboose go. I was startled to see how few BN rolling stock pieces I have. The CEO will cut my budget if I buy more new stuff.

@Apples55 posted:

Yeah… sorry… The Man doesn’t let me wear my sombrero at work

Yeah they are like that, they are

@ScoutingDad posted:

@mike g.  Mike, Berwyn's still have them in inventory. I am not letting my only BN caboose go. I was startled to see how few BN rolling stock pieces I have. The CEO will cut my budget if I buy more new stuff.

that is why Air brushes and paint were invented

@ScoutingDad posted:

@mike g.  Mike, Berwyn's still have them in inventory. I am not letting my only BN caboose go. I was startled to see how few BN rolling stock pieces I have. The CEO will cut my budget if I buy more new stuff.

Lol I totally understand! I have been selling things just to have a new train room budget for when we get a new house! The CEO already it's not coming out of monefrom the sale of the house! Lol 😆

The NYC office sent me an MPC era Pennsy streamliner set last year, but I didn't have appropos motive power for the same until I sold a bunch of stuff at the train show and picked up a K-Line tuscan GG-1: 

Also picked up a prewar crane car and complementary gondola... 

Mitch

Gotta love that New York office.  I wish I had one like that.  Office I mean.

@M. Mitchell Marmel posted:

The NYC office sent me an MPC era Pennsy streamliner set last year, but I didn't have appropos motive power for the same until I sold a bunch of stuff at the train show and picked up a K-Line tuscan GG-1:

Also picked up a prewar crane car and complementary gondola...

Mitch

I gotta find out where that NY office is.......

Please promise that this one will not get painted red.......

Bob

@RSJB18 posted:

I gotta find out where that NY office is.......

Please promise that this one will not get painted red.......

No, it wouldn't match the consist if I did THAT...

Mitch

@RSJB18 posted:

I gotta find out where that NY office is.......

Please promise that this one will not get painted red.......

Bob

Just to cover all the bases… or blue… or pink… or Warbonnet…

@Apples55 posted:

Just to cover all the bases… or blue… or pink… or Warbonnet…

Scooped up a pair of Atlas DASH-8's in our very local For-Sale forum.  Although I'm sometimes skeptical of Atlas stuff due to the older electronics, these came with ERR electronics, and they are a good looking pair.

@Apples55 posted:

Just to cover all the bases… or blue… or pink… or Warbonnet…

Stop giving him ideas.

Have finally acquired a very nice AB pair of the colorful 2245 Texas Special last weekend at the Asheville Train Show.

Always admired these when I was a boy but had American Flyer at the time.  These have two small paint rubs on the B unit but overall are quite nice.

Mitch - cannot go wrong with a GG1.

@Guttersnipe  I recently bought an airbrush to detail trees.  I do not have the skills to do a paint job on a piece of rolling stock - might never have. The real issue is I do not have a piece to do a repaint.

That said I have a Quality Craft N6B caboose kit that will need a paint job. Looks like Pennsy and UP ran them. Otherwise I may look at building it into something Illinois Central ran. Do not see evidence IC ever ran any, even through all the mergers over time. 

Next time you go to a swap meet pick up one of those $1.550 Ho scale Box cars. or on the safe side 4 or5 of them.   Use them to enhance your skills,  I believe you will have a great time.  the only draw back to an air-brush is the clean up.  Meanwhile try to paint your favor scheme on the box cars.  for Taping I use Green frog, is really doesn't leak.  Further more your air brush puts on a thinner coat, and the details stand out more.    Onceyou start you probably won't want to stop

You can do it Jeff; I bought a simple airbrush to do the pilots on some of my engines that I made fixed pilots! It worked so well, and you can't even tell the difference!

I lie Guttersnipe's idea I might even give that a try down the road!

@mike g.  Mike did you ever post anything on converting to fixed pilots?   I've looked at closed pilots on the MTH parts site for F3s. Hard to tell which might work. I have an SF F3 I would like to take the front coupler out of and replace with a closed/covered pilot. A later Milwaukee Road K-Line F3 has the closed pilot which looks great to me.  I suppose I could glue a piece of plastic in the hole, finish it and call it a day.

@Guttersnipe  You are making more projects for me. I don't seem to have enough time in retirement as is to get things done. Wondering how I got thing done when I was working???

@ScoutingDad posted:

@mike g.  Mike did you ever post anything on converting to fixed pilots?   I've looked at closed pilots on the MTH parts site for F3s. Hard to tell which might work. I have an SF F3 I would like to take the front coupler out of and replace with a closed/covered pilot. A later Milwaukee Road K-Line F3 has the closed pilot which looks great to me.  I suppose I could glue a piece of plastic in the hole, finish it and call it a day.

@Guttersnipe  You are making more projects for me. I don't seem to have enough time in retirement as is to get things done. Wondering how I got thing done when I was working???

Jeff I didn't as I was able to buy the new pilots of line and just paint them. It was for my ES44AC's which was very easy!

Hi Jeff, here is a few things I found searching for F3 and F7 stuff.

Fixed pilots for F3 and F7 locomotives | O Gauge Railroading On Line Forum (ogaugerr.com)

and from P&D Hobby on The big Bay.

NOTE:  Ebay link removed per OGR Terms of Service

@gunrunnerjohn posted:

Scooped up a pair of Atlas DASH-8's in our very local For-Sale forum.  Although I'm sometimes skeptical of Atlas stuff due to the older electronics, these came with ERR electronics, and they are a good looking pair.

Hi John, those are really great looking models, leave it to Atlas! I would love to have a pair of those too, but they probably require 072 curves.

Question, have you run them yet? I'd like to know how they run and sound with the ERR. Also, are you planning to lash them up? Video?

Thanks for sharing them, nice find and purchase!

@WesternPacific2217 posted:

Hi John, those are really great looking models, leave it to Atlas! I would love to have a pair of those too, but they probably require 072 curves.

Question, have you run them yet? I'd like to know how they run and sound with the ERR. Also, are you planning to lash them up? Video?

Thanks for sharing them, nice find and purchase!

Well, I ran them on O72, but I'm sure they don't require that, the box says O31.  The run and sound great, and they did MU seamlessly.  These are the lower tier, no cab figures, but I can fix that.  They are really good looking engines in any case, Atlas does do top notch detailing.

This past week I took delivery of two locomotives.

One of them decidedly lightweight, the other...not so much.

One quite detailed, the other, not so much.

Enough with the vagueness, on to the hardware. Descriptive text references the photo above.

Back two posts when I talked about a group of Lima European freight cars I acquired off Ebay, somewhere under the part where I rambled on about the G-scale Marklin car I received in error, I mentioned maybe looking for one of Lima's diesel locomotives, perhaps a British Rail Class 33 or the French SNCF BB-67400 diesel they modeled. Well, one of each turned up a couple of weeks ago from the same seller, not as a buy-it-now entry but a regular auction. Somebody took an interest in the BB-67400, but the BR Class 33 sat unloved for the entire auction at its starting price of just under $25 with no bids (though a number of people were watching it), till I put in a bid and won it at the starting price. Shipping from MN was about the same as the selling price, but at a total price of 49.50, it cost less than the shipping alone had I got it from a UK seller

Nice shade of blue there, but I believe the actual British Railways scheme was a noticeably darker shade of "rail blue" (or Monastral blue according to Wikipedia) You might notice after looking at prototype photos, this model seems uncharacteristically chunky--it appears Lima stretched the Class 33's proportions to fit an existing chassis, or some other reason for freelancing the 33's proportions.

Now for the elephant in the room. This is a 2-rail unit, as you can see by this truck closeup. I thought long and hard about what it would take to make this locomotive 3-rail compatible before pulling the trigger on this auction. I've figured out something for the freight and passenger cars, but the locomotive is another ball of wax entirely. One aspect of this unit that may save me is that the wheelsets on this locomotive aren't exactly finescale. I've tilted the unit up on its side and posed a Weaver 2-rail truck next to it to demonstrate the difference. By the way, these truck sideframes aren't even remotely accurate for a Class 33, they're re-used from some other Lima model. Someone did devise a 3D printed version of an accurate truck sideframe for these, but the trucks would still have the incorrect wheelbase and spacing relative to the body Also I'm not a UK finescale modeler so neener neener .

So, not "I wanna be Proto:48"- scale, but not quite pizza-cutters either (we won't talk about those couplers). Perched atop the tubular rail of my test track, these wheels did resist token attempts to shove them sideways off the railheads, which is more than I can say for the Weaver truck

So as mentioned before, my mad plan for this unit is to convert it to 3-rail operation -- the twist being that I'll be using as much of the original chassis and running gear as possible, instead of grafting an entire Williams or Lionel chassis into the Lima shell (the latter described in this forum back in a 2012 post ). The rest of the re-engineering would consist of devising a mount for a pair of pickup rollers on the non-powered truck and mounting a basic E-unit between these improvised pickups and the motor, and if this proves successful, sticking a TMCC board in there, as there is plenty of empty space inside this cavernous body shell.

There are kits to install a CD drive motor in-place of the ring-field open-frame motor inside (I don't yet know it if works, but the loco shows little evidence of being run), giving you smoother quieter operation, at the expense of a narrower range of operating voltage -- 12 volts is the most I've heard of for these motors, and most of the ones out in the wild  are only 6v, so whomever is offering the upgrade kit  with a 12v motor really had to scrounge for them.

Now for the heavy beast. I have a lot less to say about this one since they've been made before, but no one is really talking about this so I decided to say something about mine. Here's MTH's newly-released Premier UP Challenger:

This was announced way earlier than expected -- I was keeping tabs on the real 3985 being restored at the RRHMA's facility in Silvis, IL, and was planning on getting a scale Challenger (I have a Lionmaster one) to go with my restoration-edition Big Boy when MTH announced theirs well before I expected them to. Well, it would be at least half a year before delivery so I put in a pre-order with Mr Muffins in June 2023. Much to my surprise, the locomotives arrived early in February, my invoice arrived 2/19, (paid the same day), and it arrived 2/24. I only got to take photos today in the fading late-afternoon light, so I had to use my phone, which is a bit better at low-light shots then my old Canon SX100 in the background (it's batteries collapsed before I could take any photos anyway)

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

---PCJ

Mr. Muffins February auction done did it to me again   This time it was a set of New in Box (from a private collection) Lionel 18” aluminum passenger cars from 2004. As much as I like the new 21” passenger cars, I seem to have a weak spot for the 15” & 18” aluminum cars from the early 2000’s (in the last couple of years, I’ve picked up sets for D&H, PRR (Fleet of Modernism), NYC Dreyfuss). Now I can add Santa Fe - this set is 29144 and represents the El Capitan. I must say, I was surprised at just how heavy these cars are. They are quite nicely detailed and have a beautiful shine to them. As with pretty much all the other sets I’ve purchase as used or NOS, one of the cars has an issue where the lights don’t work - I’ll have to open it up and futz with the light strip to see if I can find the problem. But I am VERY happy with this purchase!!!

One downside to passenger cars of this era is that they were shipped with tight twist ties on all the trucks. From past experience, I’ve learned to just cut them instead of trying to untwist them.

Nice pieces and thank you for the tip

@Apples55 posted:

Mr. Muffins February auction done did it to me again   This time it was a set of New in Box (from a private collection) Lionel 18” aluminum passenger cars from 2004. As much as I like the new 21” passenger cars, I seem to have a weak spot for the 15” & 18” aluminum cars from the early 2000’s (in the last couple of years, I’ve picked up sets for D&H, PRR (Fleet of Modernism), NYC Dreyfuss). Now I can add Santa Fe - this set is 29144 and represents the El Capitan. I must say, I was surprised at just how heavy these cars are. They are quite nicely detailed and have a beautiful shine to them. As with pretty much all the other sets I’ve purchase as used or NOS, one of the cars has an issue where the lights don’t work - I’ll have to open it up and futz with the light strip to see if I can find the problem. But I am VERY happy with this purchase!!!

One downside to passenger cars of this era is that they were shipped with tight twist ties on all the trucks. From past experience, I’ve learned to just cut them instead of trying to untwist them.

Mr. Apples , Paul, I too suffer from the attraction to extruded aluminum cars from the early 2000's. I have a small layout so 15" is best suited for me. While your beautiful set are 18" Lionel, mine are 15" K-Line, but they share the same extrusion and trucks! You also mentioned that they are heavier then you thought they would be. Yes, even my 15" cars are 2.5 to 3 lbs each. There is a lot of weight on the axles and bearings (bushing), so here's here's a bit of advice on the axle and bearing lubrication. Below is a eye opening photo of the bushings on one of my 15" k-Lines that I bought used! Obviously, these bushing had not be lubricated properly or often enough, and have many hours or use.

I am almost completely sure that these bushings are powdered bronze. If Lionel and K-Line knew what they were doing they would have used powered bronze bushings, because they are porous, hard, and  can absorb oil and retain it. That being said, more lubrication is better as the bronze will absorb the oil. I lube these once a year, two to three drops from a needle applicator like Labelle. Also, use a synthetic lube or similar to Labelle. These trucks have plastic chassis, so a petroleum based lubricant could damage the plastic over time if it should get on the plastic.

Hopefully with proper lubrication you will get many years of enjoyment from your new Santa Fe passenger cars! enjoy!

FYI - I had to purchase a donor 15" car to replace the trucks, as replacement trucks were not available. Now I have some extra parts should I need them in the future as well.

Here's a photo of the CZ Diner car with the new trucks. I had already updated the interior with figures, carpet, and painted seats, as well as LED lighting.

I had scratchbuiit a small town Nash automobile dealership, and stocked it with a 1/43 Brooklin Nash, but l model 1940 so wanted a 1940 (only obvious difference is that all makes switched to seal beam headlights in 1940).  So l looked for a Brooklin one of those.  Turns out Western Models makes one, and it is a completely different casting from the 1939 Brooklin one.  I found one priced right, but in France, so bargain price was offset by shipping, But now l have a "new" 1940 for the showroom floor. I wanted a different make for a showroom, and Nash is interesting mechanically, OHV 6 and 8, and a side valve six, engine choices, as well as in styling (coupe bodies are twins of the iconic 1939-40 Ford coupes, favored by hot-rodders).  I have been to a LOT of antique car shows and never seen a 1939-40 Nash shown. I just need to make a billboard from a 1940 Nash magazine ad, and l am done.

@colorado hirailer - How about some pictures?

I finally found The engine at the top of my list, and now the search is over. The Lionel BNSF Burlington Northern heritage SD70ACe. I now have all six of the fantasy heritage units Lionel created for BNSF.

Congratulations.  but I'm sure you will find something else to hunt for.  It never stops, my quest is now a Southern PS 4.  been at it for a while. the last quests was a pair of GP 30's

The next grouping of acquisitions for the PENN AMERICAN RAILROAD.

Rail Car Department

(2) MTH Premier 36’ Woodside Refrigerator Car (Schmidt’s Beer) (20-94487)
Another purchase that I never indulged in but with a touch of nostalgia. I never drank Schmidt’s beer (I prefer Yuengling) but it’s the only beer my Grandfather, who introduced me to this wonderful model train hobby, would drink. Beautifully detailed cars with a logo that I saw almost everywhere, on tv, the beer distributor and in our basement fridge.

These reefers are nicely painted with separately applied details. They’re 1:48 scale cars yet at 10 3/4” long they run on O31 curve track.



(2) MTH Premier “Oscar Mayer & Co.“ 36’ Woodside Refrigerator Car (Public Delivery Track Exclusive) (20-94627 & 20-94628)
Another find while perusing hobby shop websites! And another nostalgia purchase, who doesn’t remember the Oscar Mayer commercial jingle? Same cool features as the Schmidt’s reefers above, they’ll go great with my Oscar Mayer Wienermobile on the city streets. Maybe I’ll kitbash a Menards building into a Oscar Mayer factory!

Atlas O Premier “Strasburg” Operating Side Dump Car (Nicholas Smith’s Trains Exclusive) (30099695)
Another addition to my Strasburg roster. Numbered for the Maryland and Pennsylvania (Ma & Pa) Railroad side dump car on the Strasburg Railroad property (#302), built by the Kilburn and Jacobs Company in 1914, arrived at Strasburg in 1971. These cars were utilized by the railroads in maintenance-of-way roles for rapidly building up fills and cuts with stone, rip-rap or soil as well as for depositing ballast. Side dump cars are also used in revenue service hauling ore, limestone, gravel, and coal in many different settings.

This is the first ‘dumper car’ I’ve bought since the Lionel MPC era. This version is a different animal! With its die cast frame this is a heavy car. At about 12” long it’ll operate on O31 curves. A neat feature of this car is the ‘shake’ action after dumping its material to fully empty the car. Underneath the hopper is hinged with springs that tilt it and a small electronic board that operates the dumping action by way of either Atlas O rail blades installed in Atlas O track or similar tracks from MTH and Lionel that activates sliding shoes.  It includes some metal (plastic) pipes.

Atlas O Master Line “GLNX” 33,000 Gallon Tank Car (3003006-1)
I purchased one of these in a different car number last Spring. I don’t know if it’s the same kind of tank car that I saw sitting on sidings near the old Philadelphia Energy refinery in South Philadelphia some years ago. I only remember it was blue and it was a long tanker! Probably not because these ‘whale body’ tank cars were made to carry liquefied petroleum gas (LPG) and ammonia. Oh well, it’s still cool to run with a few of these cars I have from some years ago.

It has 1:48 scale dimensions and separately applied details, at 17” long it operates on O45 curve track.



Cabin Car Department

MTH Premier Bay Window Caboose (New York Central (20-91749) & Milwaukee Road (20-91748))
Picked these up to alleviate the shortage of Cabin Cars on thePENN AMERICAN RAILROAD roster for these Heritage roads. It was interesting to learn that these cars were built because as freight cars got bigger the cupola caboose wasn’t as useful. The bay window enabled the caboose crew to see the train better. They will run on O31 curves.  The bars on the end windows is a neat touch.

Lionel “Pennsylvania” N8 Cabin Car w/ Crew Talk, Freight Sounds and Whistle (2326780)
I had not witnessed one of these talking cabooses before. This is an action packed caboose with the user activated crew talk, radio dialog and an air whistle for backup moves. It also has a Track IR sensor for use with SensorTrack to activate features. And a Pennsylvania caboose with the TrainPhone antenna was hard to say no to! I have several PRR cabin cars but I’ve been wanting to get one of these.

A little more is coming soon!

@Traindiesel-

My dad was  Schmidt's drinker, and my model train mentor as well. I remember those stubby brown glass bottles like it was yesterday.......

Who has the car, I want to get one also.

Bob

@Traindiesel,

I’m envious on the side dump car.  The first time I saw one was at a tourist spot in the Catskills last summer and didn’t know what it was.  I took a picture and posted a question on OGR to ask about it.  I’ve been searching half-heartedly for one, but the only ones I saw were Lionel and they didn’t look good. Yours looks exactly like the one I saw.

@RSJB18 posted:

@Traindiesel-

My dad was  Schmidt's drinker, and my model train mentor as well. I remember those stubby brown glass bottles like it was yesterday.......

Who has the car, I want to get one also.

Bob

In my continuing effort to assist my fellow travelers down the slippery slope, check out sponsor Public Delivery Track…

https://www.publicdeliverytrac...&section=product

@RSJB18 posted:

@Traindiesel-

My dad was  Schmidt's drinker, and my model train mentor as well. I remember those stubby brown glass bottles like it was yesterday.......

Who has the car, I want to get one also.

Bob

@Apples55 posted:

In my continuing effort to assist my fellow travelers down the slippery slope, check out sponsor Public Delivery Track…

https://www.publicdeliverytrac...&section=product

Yes, Public Delivery Track is where I bought one of them.

@texgeekboy posted:

@Traindiesel,

I’m envious on the side dump car.  The first time I saw one was at a tourist spot in the Catskills last summer and didn’t know what it was.  I took a picture and posted a question on OGR to ask about it.  I’ve been searching half-heartedly for one, but the only ones I saw were Lionel and they didn’t look good. Yours looks exactly like the one I saw.

Atlas O made these recently in a few road names. The Strasburg side dump car is a custom run for Nicholas Smith’s Trains still available.

@Traindiesel posted:

Yes, Public Delivery Track is where I bought one of them.

@Apples55 posted:

In my continuing effort to assist my fellow travelers down the slippery slope, check out sponsor Public Delivery Track…

https://www.publicdeliverytrac...&section=product

Thanks gents. I have a L&NE RS3 on order with Beth that is supposed to be arriving soon. I'll add one to the order!

Bob

@RSJB18 posted:

Thanks gents. I have a L&NE RS3 on order with Beth that is supposed to be arriving soon. I'll add one to the order!

Bob

Well, my work here is done (for today anyway )!!!

I picked up an old Williams brass steam loco recently.  Not sure a 30+ year old loco counts as cool.

@Bill N posted:

I picked up an old Williams brass steam loco recently.  Not sure a 30+ year old loco counts as cool.

It counts if it is cool to you.  My Williams 5040 Dreyfuss counted.

@Bill N posted:

I picked up an old Williams brass steam loco recently.  Not sure a 30+ year old loco counts as cool.

Like he said if it's cool to you, that's all that matters, but would love a picture

Paul you're such a mensch!

The voices have spoken to me again!  And our good friend Paul was not the Siren responsible for the voices I heard.  The whispers I was hearing, sounding much like Donnie Kennedy, sent me in search of Weaver Aluminum passenger cars to go along with my new to me, first brass loco, the Weaver Dreyfuss Hudson.

Our good friends at Trainz.com had Diner 681 and sleeper Imperial Court. 

Not a bad start for the consist of the Advance Section of the 20th Century Limited, a short 4 car train carrying only the brightest luminaries from the Windy City to the Big Apple.  Until a proper Observation lounge can be acquired Lionel's Train of the Century Solarium Observation will fill in.

I always liked the Lionel Skytop Observation cars and this version from the Train of the Century was my favorite.  My son played youth hockey for an organization called the Lions and they wore blue, white and orange colors.  I wondered how hard it would be to drop the "el" and add a matching "s" to change Lionel to Lions?

@coach joe posted:

Paul you're such a mensch!

The voices have spoken to me again!  And our good friend Paul was not the Siren responsible for the voices I heard.  The whispers I was hearing, sounding much like Donnie Kennedy, sent me in search of Weaver Aluminum passenger cars to go along with my new to me, first brass loco, the Weaver Dreyfuss Hudson.

Our god friends at Trainz.com had Diner 681 and sleeper Imperial Court. 

Not a bad start for the consist of the Advance Section of the 20th Century Limited, a short 4 car train carrying only the brightest luminaries from the Windy City to the Big Apple.  Until a proper Observation lounge can be acquired Lionel's Train of the Century Solarium Observation will fill in.

I always liked the Lionel Skytop Observation cars and this version from the Train of the Century was my favorite.  My son played youth hockey for an organization called the Lions and they wore blue, white and orange colors.  I wondered how hard it would be to drop the "el" and add a matching "s" to change Lionel to Lions?

Lookin good. if they aren't on the layout though, or in a glass display case, they need a storage box   like the one they are sitting on.

@coach joe YES! Those cars look amazing. Can't wait till you get the layout set up and have them running. I have officially turned to the dark side of the force thanks to @Apples55 training. I might of accidently bought another Hudson. When will this madness end?

NOPE.......NOT  GOING  TO  BUY  ANYTHING .......have enough stuff................

............well.....we went to the annual  LENTEN FISH FRY at St. Joseph Church in Force Pa. yesterday .    NO intention to go up the hill to the VFM.

Whoops.... ran in to Charlie .   Went up the hill with him.       Judy's  fault . She wanted the Dubois beer reefer.        I got sucked in again.

My FIRST MTH Premier steam engine .    0-6-0  USRA  Swircher PS3.

Picked up a Rail King Scale Santa Fe zebra stripe RSD-5 with PS3. It's a custom run for forum sponsor @Berwyns Toys and Trains. Really nice model.

@Apples55 posted:

Well, my work here is done (for today anyway )!!!

Paul, it is so nice to know that there are people who are willing to help those that have lost there way and your willing to show them the right path!

Everyone else great buys!

@Apples55 posted:

Well, my work here is done (for today anyway )!!!

Along with other influences I'm sure I felt a TELEPATHIC urge from you Paul  all the way to Weedville Pa. and THE Valley Farm Market this past Friday.

A set of Marx HO scale automobiles.  These were used on the Marx HO Auto Loader and are extremely rare.  For the time they were made, 1957 - 1965, they are very good vehicles.  Got them for a very good price.

@Dallas Joseph posted:

NOPE.......NOT  GOING  TO  BUY  ANYTHING .......have enough stuff................

............well.....we went to the annual  LENTEN FISH FRY at St. Joseph Church in Force Pa. yesterday .    NO intention to go up the hill to the VFM.

Whoops.... ran in to Charlie .   Went up the hill with him.       Judy's  fault . She wanted the Dubois beer reefer.        I got sucked in again.

My FIRST MTH Premier steam engine .    0-6-0  USRA  Swircher PS3.

Gotta love them Lenten fish fries!

@coach joe posted:

Gotta love them Lenten fish fries!

Its always going to be something or someone, but never your fault! LOL

@Dallas Joseph posted:

Along with other influences I'm sure I felt a TELEPATHIC urge from you Paul  all the way to Weedville Pa. and THE Valley Farm Market this past Friday.

I thought Lent was about giving up things near and dear for the month.....apparently trains aren't on the list....

Nice steamer Dallas.

Bob

C'mon, Dallas gave up desert!  What more does a man need to give up?

Allentown spring thaw haul.

The two orange rectangle boxes have lionel diesels 6-18966 and 6-18953.

@coach joe posted:

Gotta love them Lenten fish fries!

Really nice meal Joe.   A bit more expensive than your normal fish dinner  ( ive been getting the fried shrimp lately ) . 

@mike g. posted:

Its always going to be something or someone, but never your fault! LOL

That's why I always take my CEO Mike.

@RSJB18 posted:

I thought Lent was about giving up things near and dear for the month.....apparently trains aren't on the list....

Nice steamer Dallas.

Bob

Thanks sir.      Your right about the Lenten thing Bob   ......( I GAVE UP also getting the RK ps3 Challenger and left it with Charlie    )

@coach joe posted:

C'mon, Dallas gave up desert!  What more does a man need to give up?

(  aaah....no I didn't Joe  ) 

@Dallas Joseph posted:

Thanks sir.      Your right about the Lenten thing Bob   ......( I GAVE UP also getting the RK ps3 Challenger and left it with Charlie    )

There's always next Friday.

@coach joe posted:

There's always next Friday.

Joe  the CEO and I believe not so much in giving up things for Lent  but by becoming better people............maybe like supporting local business to help our community. 

@Dallas Joseph posted:

Joe  the CEO and I believe not so much in giving up things for Lent  but by becoming better people............maybe like supporting local business to help our community. 

Well  you can't argue with that logic.......Gotta hit Trainland then this Friday......

Picked up an almost-new D,L&W Lionel Northern (6-18003).  I had one for 20+ yrs but sold it, and then missed having it around.😢
  This one needs some “not-run-in-forever” TLC - which it will certainly get.

Rich in WV

My God that are Gorgeous, and yeah I do know what it's like when something is missing from your near position, hopefully my item will be back from the Repair shop soon.

After 2 years I got my Shay locomotive.I  put in moderately low bids on a short list of things I am looking for at trusted auctions. Outbid over and over.  But not this time. 😁 It still took most of my budget for the Trainapolosa show in Grapevine TX next weekend.

Shelf queen and unrun from all that I can tell.  26 years in the box.  Packing material between the loco and tender turning to goo.  Box falling apart.    Avoiding go fever until I can replace the battery and check the grease, wires etc.   Hope it runs as good as it looks.  MTH 20-3023-1 with Protosound 1.

@VHubbard posted:

Shelf queen and unrun from all that I can tell.  26 years in the box.  Packing material between the loco and tender turning to goo.  Box falling apart.    Avoiding go fever until I can replace the battery and check the grease, wires etc.   Hope it runs as good as it looks.  MTH 20-3023-1 with Protosound 1.

Gorgeous V.   Well worth the wait sir.   God speed.

At the TCA Atlantic division show today, I bought a Lionel 151 semaphore and 153 block signal, my first of each. The block signal works, but I need to address chipped paint on the red bulb.  The 151 needed lube for the blade to return to vertical, and some repair to get the light to work. I plan to use these on my Christmas tree layout in December, with two trains on each loop, one apparently stopped by red signal. For $25, tremendous play/operating value. As a bonus, the 151 came with an original box. Even more fun to be the one who made the 151 work.