It’s been a busy couple of weeks since we returned from the York Meet. Some traveling, our Grandson's Regional Championship football game in Huntington Beach, went to see the Eagles win against the Rams in LA's SoFi Stadium, Thanksgiving week with family in Arizona and seeing the Trans-Siberian Orchestra concert. I finally got around to taking photos of my procurements for The Penn American Railroad infrastructure. The Voices were very active this trip!
Rail Car Department
Lionel Jack Daniel’s Unibody Tank Car (Custom Run by TCA Metropolitan Division)
I bought one of these at last April’s York Meet so I picked up another one. It’ll be great for running in a freight consist on the way to Lynchburg, Tennessee or parked in a siding at the Jack Daniel’s Distillery.
Lionel Jack Daniel’s Box Car (Custom Run by TCA Metropolitan Division)
Once the various Jack Daniel’s products are ready for consumption this box car will be riding the rails to bring the ‘Nectar of the Gods’ to markets around the North American continent.
Lionel ‘Charles Chips’ Box Car (2018 Custom Run by TCA Metropolitan Division)
I like buying trains that hold some nostalgia for me. I remember when the Charles Chips truck would deliver the metal cans to the house filled with the crunchy goodness. I still have one of these cans that we now use to store our homemade Christmas cookies! This car commemorates Charles Chips 75th anniversary. I found the approval sticker attached to the underside of it.
“Iron Rail Brewery” Refrigerator Car Lionel 2401090 (Lionel Operating Trains Society 2024 Convention Car)
This scale sized car looked cool to me, plus it’s a Santa Fe car! This car is a LOTS 2024 Convention car.
Traction Department
‘Strasburg’ Bump & Go Trolley Lionel 2023020
My Strasburg Railroad collection continues to grow without planning it. This item was one of those trains I didn’t think I’d be interested in until I saw it in person. The TCA Toy Train Museum table in the Orange Hall lobby had these on display and for sale. I liked the rich Tuscan paint scheme and I love the Strasburg Railroad. A definite impulse buy. Now I’ll need a trolley barn for the several bump & go trolleys I have!
Locomotive Department
Pennsylvania ‘Bicentennial’ Scale GG1 MTH 20-5568-1 ProtoSound 2.0
The GG1 is my favorite locomotive and this paint scheme eluded me until I arrived at Vince’s Trains table. I’m not into fantasy trains very much, although I do have a few I usually save those purchases for Christmas trains. The Pennsylvania Railroad was long gone by the time the Bicentennial celebration came around. But I always liked this version. I believe Mike’s Trains House only made this version twice, the latest a ProtoSounds 3.0 model.
New York Central ABA E8 ‘Jade Green’ MTH 20-20399-1 With ProtoSound 3.0
ABA E8’s are my favorite locomotive and I was so happy to find these. It was the Lionel AA E8 set I purchased at York last October that was one of the items that UPS pilfered/destroyed. This set will look great hauling the ‘Great Steel Fleet’ or a heavy freight consist. Just to be sure I wasn’t jinxed on these engines I waited until Friday to acquire them. I didn’t find a replacement Lionel set so if they weren’t there on Friday I’d know it wasn’t meant to be. But here they are!! Just a beautiful paint scheme.
Union Pacific Heritage SD70ACe ‘Missouri, Kansas & Texas’ (The Katy) MTH 20-2772-1 With ProtoSound 2.0
I only plan to buy any Heritage locomotives that I see in person out in the wild. About six or seven years ago I saw this one while driving east on I-10 at Beaumont, Ca. at highway speed as the train was heading west parallel to the road, so I couldn’t get a picture of it. It looked gorgeous leading the UP intermodal train.
I had missed out for one reason or another on several iterations of the model. There are a few others I want to get that I’ve seen. But in conversations with my good friend Erol (Locolawyer) about locomotives we’d like to get The Katy engine was discussed. And he offered to sell me his MTH version while he searches for a more recent Lionel version of it. Since this has been on my want list for some time I agreed to buy it after some heavy negotiation. The transaction was commenced at Quaker Steak & Lube after the halls closed on Thursday. It will now be hauling intermodal freight on The Penn American Railroad.
Conrail SD35 MTH 20-21779-1 With ProtoSound 3.0 (Custom Run from TCA Metropolitan Division)
According to the METCA store website no one has made a SD35 in Conrail Blue. They’ve never steered me wrong so since it’s in my favorite ‘Big Blue’ paint The Voices were unanimous. It will have many uses operating on the pike.
Penn Central SD35 MTH 20-21775-1 With ProtoSound 3.0 (Custom Run from Berwyn’s Hobbies)
I don’t know if a Penn Central SD35 was made before but The Voices told me it would be perfect to run with the Conrail above. I don’t know why I love the PC so much. Probably because it was a spawn of the PRR but I am always attracted by the ‘mating worms’ logo. Especially with the red ‘P’ but I like the plain logo too.
New York Central Premier 4-8-2 L-3c Mohawk Steam Engine MTH 20-3691-1 With ProtoSound 3.0.
Another find at Vince’s Trains booth, one of my favorite steam engines! Especially after seeing the L-3a #3001 at the National New York Central Railroad Museum in Elkhart, IN. This versatile beast will serve in passenger service and hauling fast freight trains. It comes equipped with whistle steam, real coal in the tender, onboard DCC/DCS Decoder and is Proto-Scale 3-2 3-Rail/2-Rail Conversion Capable. Another addition, and probably not the last, of my New York Central super power steam fleet.
Road And Highway Department
Lobster House Restaurant Billboard (Custom run from Holly Beach Depot)
The Voices were screaming for me to buy this billboard! My family and I had many memorable meals at this Cape May, New Jersey landmark. The one pound lobster tail is the size of a nerf football!! This billboard will be perfect along the side of the road leading to my proposed beach town.
Train Room Decor Department
Wooden Railroad Logo Signs
These signs will adorn the walls throughout The Penn American Railroad Train Room. Another casualty of the UPS fiasco, I bought a couple extra ones.
Electronics and Digital Control Department
During the Meet I had my Legacy Cab2 Remote upgraded to the latest version by the incomparable Marty Eibeck (Our own forum friend and all around good guy, MartyE). Thank you Marty!
In addition to all the trains I also stocked up on some Tastykake cupcakes and pies I can’t get on the west coast.
It was another magnificent trip being around all the cool trains, seeing and hanging out with friends and visiting family. We’re already looking forward to April’s York Meet!! And maybe sooner as we have another Grandchild on the way!! (#10)
