My Triple Level Layout - Anthracite Hi-Railers Visit - 1/5/24

@Apples55 posted:

Rich;

Be VERY careful of the train corollary to Parkinson’s Law - trains will expand to fill the space available for storage

I believe I’m already experiencing this first hand LoL!!

Cincinnati bound for my birthday weekend to visit my buddy Dean and to pick up some trains!!! Definitely stayed tuned in for trip updates and my haul I’ll be bringing back. There’s a Menards visit planned too!!! I’m beyond excited!!!!

Thank You OGR for the Birthday email!!

My Cincinnati Trip

This past weekend I took a somewhat surprise trip to visit my train buddy Deano out in Cincinnati. It was a train filled weekend with numerous train activities.

Thursday was the long drive out. It should’ve taken 8 hours, but was closer to 10 hours. Traffic was congested almost the entire way. Positive note was chasing the sunset out in Ohio. I live in a valley so seeing the sunset over the Plains was a nice change in scenery.

Friday was a visit to the Krohn Conservatory. The garden trains they have are incredible! All the buildings are made of all natural materials. Very impressive display!

After the conservatory, we made our way to the Cincinnati Union terminal for some more trains. They had a large Lego display with an actual Lego train running. This was a first for me to see a Lego train. Really interesting with some great details.

Following the Lego display, we went to the other trains on display in the museum center. Very nice place to visit with a wide variety of things to see. They have a large layout with the outside third rail. This was also a first for me to see. We met a nice gentleman named Robert that took us back into their maintenance room for the model trains. Impressive operation! Thank You Robert for the tour!

Saturday I helped Deano with the collection that he’s selling on consignment for a customer. After that we stopped at Menards for me to use up my stack of rebates. I picked up a Menards building for my top level of my layout.

Saturday night I tried out Skyline Chili. Definitely different but it was great. After that, we went to the Cincinnati Nature Center for “Light in the Forest”. It was a big nature walk with Christmas lights throughout. Very festive yet nice and relaxing.

They also had a small train display in the gift shop area that was attracting a lot of viewers.

My Cincinnati Trip Part 2

Sunday we went to HobbyTown to check out a few layouts they had. All were very nicely detailed.

The rest of Sunday I spent picking out train items to bring back home. It was great, considering it was my birthday LoL. Not as many items as last time, but a few higher ticket items. I’ll be sharing my haul along with individual photos tomorrow.

It was a great trip! There’s nothing like waking up and having real trains outside the front window at the Airbnb. He even put a small tree with little train ornaments up for me!! Thank you again for everything Deano!! It was a great birthday weekend!!

Wow what a trip, you certainly are a lucky fellow to have such a good friend.  Great pictures for sure, thanks for posting.  OBTW, we lived in Dayton (50 miles from Cincinnati) for nearly 20 years and if you experienced "Skyline" Chile well...you have had it all

Best Wishes and Happy Holidays

Don

@Don McErlean posted:

Wow what a trip, you certainly are a lucky fellow to have such a good friend.  Great pictures for sure, thanks for posting.  OBTW, we lived in Dayton (50 miles from Cincinnati) for nearly 20 years and if you experienced "Skyline" Chile well...you have had it all

Best Wishes and Happy Holidays

Don

Thanks Don. Yes, he’s a great friend that I gained through the hobby. We actually went up to Dayton to pick up part of the collection he is selling on consignment. Very nice area. Happy Holidays to you too.

NEW PURCHASE UPDATE!

It looks like Santa came early!! LoL! I actually picked these items out on my birthday which was great!! Here’s my entire haul from Cincinnati.

Rich, You certainly made the most of that trip!  Thank you for the photographic documentation!  That's quite a lot of new equipment as well!

@Mark Boyce posted:

Rich, You certainly made the most of that trip!  Thank you for the photographic documentation!  That's quite a lot of new equipment as well!

Thanks Mark! I thought of you when passing Butler on my way home on I-80 but I was being followed by some nasty weather so I couldn’t make any unexpected stops. Maybe next trip won’t be so sudden and I can make other plans while traveling.

Time to build a bigger layout!

@Richizzle07 posted:

Thanks Mark! I thought of you when passing Butler on my way home on I-80 but I was being followed by some nasty weather so I couldn’t make any unexpected stops. Maybe next trip won’t be so sudden and I can make other plans while traveling.

Rich, thank you for thinking of me.  The Rt 38 Emlenton exit is the most direct coming from the east.  Rt 8 Barkeyville also works.  How about the high bridge over the Allegheny River just before Emlenton?  
You were wise to keep moving!!  I recall getting stopped in a snowstorm on I 80 between Clarion and Emlenton on a Boy Scout trip right after they opened that part of the highway in the late ‘60s.  Jack knifed trucks and all.  We were in an old school bus, and waited for snowplows to catch up with the storm.

@Mark Boyce posted:

Rich, thank you for thinking of me.  The Rt 38 Emlenton exit is the most direct coming from the east.  Rt 8 Barkeyville also works.  How about the high bridge over the Allegheny River just before Emlenton?  
You were wise to keep moving!!  I recall getting stopped in a snowstorm on I 80 between Clarion and Emlenton on a Boy Scout trip right after they opened that part of the highway in the late ‘60s.  Jack knifed trucks and all.  We were in an old school bus, and waited for snowplows to catch up with the storm.

I crossed that bridge. Was beautiful on the way out, not so great visibility on the way back.

It’s others I’m worried about with snow especially being early in the winter season since we all know a few didn’t get new tires for the car, but instead they got the new iPhone. Happens every year LoL

@Richizzle07 posted:

I crossed that bridge. Was beautiful on the way out, not so great visibility on the way back.

It’s others I’m worried about with snow especially being early in the winter season since we all know a few didn’t get new tires for the car, but instead they got the new iPhone. Happens every year LoL

😆😆😆😆😆😆 Yes an iPhone upgrade is so much more important than new tires.  Trains are more important too!!  😉😉

Made a stop at Grzyboski’s Train Store yesterday and they sure do a beautiful job with decorating. Here’s a few photos and videos.

Wishing everyone a very Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year!!

UPDATE #27

I decided to temporarily power up several of my Menards buildings on the layout. I’m beyond thrilled with my vision coming together!! I ran out of power adapters and still have a few more buildings needing power and all the plug in vehicles I have too. I’ve seen where others have built their own power source for numerous Menards buildings so I may need to do that. Anyway, here’s a quick video and a few photos.

Wishing everyone a Healthy and Happy New Year!!

NEW PURCHASE UPDATE!

My final purchase of the year arrived yesterday. It’s the first edition release of the Menards billboard. Found it on marketplace for a good deal and it has all 26 interchangeable signs. Now I have all 3 releases.

I added up this years train spending and ohh boy, it was quite a year LoL. Onto the 2024 purchases and my continued rebuild!!

Anthracite Hi-Railers

Over the past few weeks I have been visiting a local modular club near me on almost a weekly basis. I spent several weekends visiting last year too. They have a very nice sized modular layout with numerous scenes throughout. It’s great seeing their wide selection of trains running and there’s always something unique running around the layout. I recently put in an application to join the club hoping to expand my knowledge of the numerous advanced systems since I’m still conventional. I’ll also have to run some larger trains there since I’m restricted to an o42 radius on my layout. Anyway, here’s a few photos and videos from my visits. There’s a Scooby appearance and an extraordinary M&M’s train!!

Very nice layout the Anthracite folks have.

Looks great.

That M&M's train is impressive. I didn't know there was that much rolling stock on the market.

Bob

@Mark Boyce posted:

Very nice layout the Anthracite folks have.

I agree Mark! Friendly group of guys too.

@RSJB18 posted:

Looks great.

That M&M's train is impressive. I didn't know there was that much rolling stock on the market.

Bob

It sure is Bob! I almost couldn’t fit the video due to the length/ file size. LoL

Very nice Rich, your layout is really coming along!

@Richizzle07 posted:

I agree Mark! Friendly group of guys too.

It sure is Bob! I almost couldn’t fit the video due to the length/ file size. LoL

Rich;

I visited the Anthracite’s layout a couple of times pre-pandemic. I vaguely remember that they lost the space they were set up in. Where are they currently??? As I remember, it was a loooong layout with a good bit of whimsy included. If they are open to the public anytime soon, I’d be interested in another visit.

@PRRick posted:

Very nice Rich, your layout is really coming along!

Thanks PRRick!! Slowly but surely, but I’m really happy with everything so far. Just need a bigger train room LoL.

@Apples55 posted:

Rich;

I visited the Anthracite’s layout a couple of times pre-pandemic. I vaguely remember that they lost the space they were set up in. Where are they currently??? As I remember, it was a loooong layout with a good bit of whimsy included. If they are open to the public anytime soon, I’d be interested in another visit.

They are still open Paul and currently set up in the ShopRite of Daleville shopping center inside the old Peebles store. Address is:

921 Drinker Turnpike, Covington Township Moscow, PA

Awesome modular layout with numerous scenes including a few whimsical scenes like you mentioned. Open houses are usually Saturday’s 12-4 but no upcoming dates have been announced yet. I’ll let you know as soon as it’s posted. I usually go there then leave at about 3 to stop at Grzyboski’s before they close. Makes for a pleasant Saturday afternoon during these gray gloomy days.

@Apples55 posted:

Rich;

I visited the Anthracite’s layout a couple of times pre-pandemic. I vaguely remember that they lost the space they were set up in. Where are they currently??? As I remember, it was a loooong layout with a good bit of whimsy included. If they are open to the public anytime soon, I’d be interested in another visit.

Hey Paul @Apples55, the club just posted a few more open houses. Here’s the dates for February and March:

Hope you get a chance to make a visit!

@gunrunnerjohn posted:

Well, you'd want a fiber cutoff wheel, I bought the Harbor Freight 6" cutoff saw for $30 a few years back, still using the original fiber wheel that came on it.

GRJ, I finally got to Harbor Freight and bought the saw. It’s now $40 and there’s no cutting wheels included. Guess I should have gone sooner considering you mentioned this to me on page 2 of my build! LoL

@Richizzle07 posted:

GRJ, I finally got to Harbor Freight and bought the saw. It’s now $40 and there’s no cutting wheels included. Guess I should have gone sooner considering you mentioned this to me on page 2 of my build! LoL

They go on sale at times, but I didn't realize they got so chintzy and didn't include the cutoff disk.   Of course, inflation has hit in the last two years, so it's small wonder, I wouldn't be surprised if $40 was the sale price now!

Sorry to revive an old post - but saw mention of a visit to Entertrainment Junction.  Per a social media post - they are closing in January of 2025, so if you want to see this great place you will need to get there before they close.  I believe they had been trying to find a buyer - but that must not have panned out.