Let's celebrate Independence Day weekend 2022! Post here all weekend long.

The flag is always up in Grand Army Plaza.....

.....shots from the old layout, taken 2019-21

Peter

                                                             What's inside?

                        HAVE A GREAT 4TH EVERYONE, THINK SAFETY!

"And the rockets red glare"

Happy 4th!

Our flag always flies at Lionel City Station!

MichRR714 Charlie, thank you for saying Independence Day, and not "4th of July." After all, that's the name of the holiday. A few years ago, I heard a now-retired talk-radio personality talk about this very subject, and ever since then, I have done my very best to call the upcoming holiday by its name: Independence Day. You'd be surprised how many strange looks I get when I call it that.

American Freedom Train!

Frisco Bicentennial caboose #7600:

The Frisco did actually paint a caboose in this scheme, but it was not this kind of caboose, of course.

My dad's HO Spirit of 76, and the Old Glory flies 24 / 7

The only related model train item image I have.

Oh and this one the President Bush funeral car.

Ron

edit added

My layout has put some of the patriotic equipment on the roster for the 4th!




And we need some music to go along with it:



Bryce

Sirt, I haven’t seen a Kustom amp in a long time. Happy 4th to everyone.

@PRR1644 posted:

Sirt, I haven’t seen a Kustom amp in a long time. Happy 4th to everyone.

Yup, me too. It's a historic layout, all about the 70's.

Nice ERIE!

Independence Day emergency equipment display.

Ole Glory on display.

“Stars and Stripes Forever”

I posted images of my Bicentennial engines in the past, so here are some of my cabooses.

Real:

The end of the AFT

Fantasy:

Not from Bicentennial (1990s)

Some prewar American Flyer patriotic themed items. 

What is better than Old Glory?

Two Old Glory flagpoles

The one on the left features an original Flyer post, flag, and eagle, but sadly the original base deteriorated through zinc pest and has been replaced with an MTH base.

Who better to represent Independence Day and American Patriotism, Uncle Sam of course.  Here he is featured on a bicycle toy that was marketed by American Flyer c. 1915-1916

American Flyer used patriotic themes in many of their marketing, set names, and car names.  Here are a sampling of them, starting with a c. 1908 set box

Next up, some late 1920s passenger cars

One of my favorites, is the American Flyer 100 station c. 1921-1924 which featured a US Navy recruiting poster in the lithograph.  As a US Navy veteran, I really like this image.

Here is a closeup of the poster.

Happy Independence Day!

NWL

I posted this last year and I was hoping to have the rest of the cars this year, but life got in the way.  Maybe next year my American Freedom Train will be complete.

The MTH 4449 and MTH GP40 barely get this train moving, even after oiling all wheels.  The GS4 needs to be on straight track.

I have the dummy GP40 that matches this WP powered one, so I need to buy another MTH GP40 and swap shells to have two helpers.  This is actually prototypical as the WP, as well as other roads, did have two helpers* with the train although most movements just had one.

*The GS4 rarely needed helpers for this 26-car train.  They were there mainly as advertisement for the railroad.

Now here’s something you don’t see every day, legacy and PS3 running together!

One of these days I’ll get a proper Premier 4449..

Bryce

@UKE KAT posted:

“Stars and Stripes Forever”

Paul, I liked the look of that wonderful American Flag on the US post office, I just had to have one myself! 😂 My layout is in the middle of a remodel so it’s still unopened.

Thank you everyone for sharing!
Happy Fourth of July Weekend Everyone! 🇺🇸

Part of a local very short-line railroad.  Would've made a neat model...especially the original (top photo) scheme.  Tough graphics to replicate, though.  Just what is needed to pull Lionel's Buick-logo boxcar!  Buick City...Flint, Michigan...all gone.

Ah, well, glad to have been around to see them in all their patriotic glory!

Photograph courtesy of Dan Wilson.  John

     Have a great…and safe…4th of July!!! 🚂😉😺

@SIRT posted:

Yup, me too. It's a historic layout, all about the 70's.

Nice ERIE!

Guys, here's a real one.....and, with PostWar trains, too!

Happy 4th to all!

Peter

Happy 4th of July everyone!

Only the buzz of the waving flag could overcome the buzz of the MPC E-unit .

Freedom Park in Patsburg dedicated to my father ... includes both an authentic stone from Omaha Beach, Normandy France and an actual piece of the Berlin Wall.  Let freedom and democracy ring!!

Happy Independence Day!

Here's my red, white, and blue offering