This is the very first MTH engine that I bought in a long long time ago. This was before command. I only had 2 old steam engines prior to this and never really liked how they handled switches. The first time that I ran this engine I knew from then on it was going to be diesels for me, and I was hooked on MTH too. I eventually had it upgraded to PS2.
- walt
Triple Big Boysfor your Front-end Friday! LionMasters 4006, 4011, and 4014 representing 3 of the 4 runs that Lionel made with this line.
I did a video comparing all of their features to the scale JLC version recently so if you want to see them running side by side, give this one a look> https://youtu.be/njUzax97Bms?si=TYj5Vy0YrI2k8XdA
@Dadified posted:Triple Big Boysfor your Front-end Friday! LionMasters 4006, 4011, and 4014 representing 3 of the 4 runs that Lionel made with this line.
I did a video comparing all of their features to the scale JLC version recently so if you want to see them running side by side, give this one a look> https://youtu.be/njUzax97Bms?si=TYj5Vy0YrI2k8XdA
Nice! What a convenient and affordable option to buying a Big Boy.
Gene
Happy FEF!
Happy Pi Day too!
A WbB waiting at the factory dock for the crew to finish unloading.
Bob
Today's front ends are two SD40-2s.
Happy FeF! Here’s the front end of an R32 in the subway-
My front-end views for this Friday, March 14, 2025 show New Haven Railroad EP-5 electric locomotive #371 - the first model (20-2195-1) of a New Haven electric offered by MTH. It was produced in the McGinnis red-black-white scheme with PS1 in 1999 and has been running on my 12’-by-8’ layout since then with a BCR.
The route of the New Haven Railroad was electrified between New York City and New Haven (72 miles) beginning in 1907. EP-5s began service between those points in 1955 and hauled modern stainless-steel passenger cars.
Lionel’s semi-scale #2350 model of an EP-5 was delivered in 1956 with two-axle Blomberg trucks (from its F3 diesel) but was a postwar O gauge icon nonetheless because it nicely captured the look of the EP-5. The MTH Premier model, with its correct three-axle trucks, was the first scale-sized O gauge model.
MELGAR
Well continuing my posting of "old stuff" hope you will like this very inexpensive (at the time) early post war French Hornby passenger set that used the trade name "Train Express". Although similar to the UK Hornby M0 line, this train was of French design.
The French Hornby "Train Express" first appeared in 1933 and was the smallest, cheapest, and most toy like of their offerings, but it filled a gap in the French line, appealing to younger children. Unlike the British MO series, which is very similar, that offered a full line of freight, passenger, and even line side accessories and buildings, the French line offered only a tender locomotive and small coaches running on very inexpensive 9" radius track. It maintained this policy for some 30 years and for that entire time no additional locomotives or rolling stock was offered and the trains look remarkably similar. Yet for many reasons, certainly price and the appeal to younger children were important, these trains remained very popular. Pre-war production ceased in 1940. After the war, Train Express emerged virtually unchanged in about 1946. The one difference that the post war locomotives show is the fitting of smoke deflectors and simulated cylinders near the front which were not fitted prewar. The other obvious difference pre and post war is that the key which had been fixed to the key shaft pre-war was made removable just after the addition of the smoke deflectors. This example also has the sheet metal stack which was used up until about 1953-54 when a cast stack was substituted. Hence the version shown below is post war from about 1946 -1952.
Here is the full train for this set. Their were 3 sets, one coach set, two coach set and three coach set (not very imaginative but that is what they were called). The coaches, regardless of how many were included in the set were identical. The "Voitures Train Express" was supplied with simulated French 2nd class coaches marked with number II. They were modeled after the French six compartment coaches with screw brake and gangways (which would have dated remember from 1933).
Here is the way the "one coach" set looked when I acquired it. It contains a full circle of track (under the cardboard insert) and 2 straights.
Well Best Wishes, Hope you have a great weekend
Don
Here we have 2 PW Alcos that I picked up from the original owner some years ago here. He had some beautiful PW including the NW 611J set with all the boxes. These Texas Specials were pristine and still had a good gloss to the paint and boxes. The UP's included the 3 yellow passenger cars but they must have had more play as they were just VG+. I felt bad for him as he said his dad and uncle would not let him play with them until he was 9 or 10 years old! He had to sit on the couch and watch for the first several years...
My front end today is a Lionel Legacy SD 50 in Lehigh Gorge livery. It was delivered with three passenger cars and a caboose. I didn't understand the caboose, but I looked it up and the railway runs a caboose with their train. They actually sell tickets to ride in the caboose. You'll see my train is running with only two cars because one car was on the bad order list as soon as I ran it. It's already on the way to the shop. I was drawn to this set because the Lehigh Gorge is close to where my daughter and family live. They have taken the ride. I've included a picture that my daughter took and gave me permission to use.
Out front and ready to roll today are these four fun loving locomotives:
Happy Friday! GS Northern class side by side front ends .
Have a great weekend! 
Happy FEF - MTH SD45 - and yes, N&W really ran the long nose as the front end.
Happy FEF everyone - have a great weekend!
Happy F-E-F 
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