An odd thing has happened to me recently... Due to limited space for display even, I've sold off some of my O gauge locomotives and diesels along with some select rolling stock. To be honest however, I have purchased a few passenger car sets recently, but have been also acquiring some HO equipment this past year. Even joined a HO club about an hour away and have been learning about DCC and am looking forward to an 'Op Session' for the first time.
Now have a BLI PRR T1 that I traded with David1 for that is a beautiful locomotive and sounds just like our larger bretheren. Also picked up a BLI N&W #611 that also is a terrific sounding, smooth running steamer. Both smoke well for such small locomotives too. A Mikado is also a BLI and I have a Berkshire by LifeLike I think it is that is surprisingly nice with good sound and a MARS light.
Just received an AB set of MTH UP Alco PAs that are stunning - great sound, both are powered with smoke (MTH has the only diesels that smoke) and PS3. Found them for just $224 mailed MIB. That's for TWO PS3 engines. These little fellas are beautiful. Lots of detail, quite heavy for the size and can move very slowly if needed. The MARS light is nice as is the Rule 17 lighting. Am going to keep my eye out for a single A unit but don't know if they have a dummy. This pair seem to have plenty of tractive power as all 6 wheels pull in each truck. I've got a 6 car scale 85' passenger set ordered from 'the bay' for the J and these at about $100 ea. Not bad price wise....
As I'm older now and hope to retire again in a few years I will need to be realistic about my trains as far as $$ goes. I feel my days of buying a nice scale steamer for $1500+ are over but I can buy a great HO model of N&W #1218 Class A for less than $400 new and a duplicate of our Milwaukee Road S3 for slightly more. These are nice models too, just smaller.
I ran my new PA's with my iPhone today and it was FUN!
