Just in terms of pure satisfaction, I have to go with a PW purchase. Picked up a simple Lionel 2055 steamer and tender for a great price. Knowing that this train is just about as old as I am was thrilling and when I put it on the track it ran perfectly. More than we can say for much of the modern stuff. The sights, sounds and smells when I run this train are totally rewarding. "Just" an 027 relic but it's perfect.
LAMING, I use to ride Enduros in the Northeast. Rode KTM's for years. Gave it up when my daughter was born and rediscovered trains. In high school I had an OSSA Pioneer. Tremendous torque and worked well on the tight nasty trails. A friend of mine rode a DKW like the one pictured. There were a variety of great bikes in that era.
I'm waiting for my MTH Long Island G5s #35. This was one of the last steam engines to run in 1955, and it is currently being restored as part of the Oyster Bay RR museum.
Andy
Dave_C posted:LAMING, I use to ride Enduros in the Northeast. Rode KTM's for years. Gave it up when my daughter was born and rediscovered trains. In high school I had an OSSA Pioneer. Tremendous torque and worked well on the tight nasty trails. A friend of mine rode a DKW like the one pictured. There were a variety of great bikes in that era.
Hi Dave!
Ah, Osaa! I ended up owning three of their "SDR's" (Six Day Replica's) back in the day. Their SDR was a beautiful appearing bike and had the grunt down low as well as good mid-range.
KTM? Had a 250cc Penton/KTM in the mid seventies. First "longer travel" bike for me... that bike made me feel like Superman! Later, I owned a hyper little KTM 175cc in '80. Light, handled GREAT... but just didn't have the beans a 175cc should have.
Way back when, my first "serious" dirt bike was a DKW I purchased new in late '71. (Owned two bikes before the DKW, both called "Scamblers"... they weren't!) My original DKW is the reason I found/purchased the above DKW.
Zundapp? What can I say... saw one just like mine sitting on a showroom floor way back in '71... loved it... but had already purchased the DKW. The above Zundapp makes the second of that Zundapp model (US model) I've owned. Also owned two Zundapp "European" style GS125's.
I also ride modern bikes... but will likely always have a "thing" for vinduro bikes, too.
Has to be the MTH "Chasing Lights" Christmas Engine.
HOWEVER, I reserve the right to change my answer if these come in the next 27 days 
Paul
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It's a tie, between the popcorn I bought in the commissary car while Rich Melvin drove me to Akron...
...and the 2035 I bought which lets me dream about riding the rails while I watch it go round and round...
My best (and most unexpected) purchase this year was a postwar Lionel 42 Picatinny Arsenal switcher for $90. Walked into a local antique shop and saw it sitting in the case. Beautiful shape, no broken window struts, no paint chips on the railings and it looked like it was barely run. Too bad the box was missing. It looks great pulling a few Menards army cars.
Went to Charlie Ro for a Lionel Conrail SD40 but ended up also with a PRR S2. Great slow speed and sound.
My postwar Lionel Santa Fe Super Speedliner. I found everything at York: the coaches in April and the 2353 Santa Fe ABA in October. My first love is prewar, but this is one postwar set I've wanted for a long time.
Vision Big boy. love it
Missed it the first time around. Finally got one from Mr. Muffin on the second round. Love it. Don
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2016 Corvette C7 and a MTH New Haven 44 tonner.
A Marx Santa fe B unit.
The E-7 A's performance was slightly disappointing. But as a pair, contented me till I can find a better option that I might be able to afford. Its been a tight year.
Several smoking marx 333s , few Williams diesel's including L&N E-7 AA .
Several nice boxed marx sets with the 999 engine.
Looking for nice lionel 2035 as i used to have one.
Happy with them .
My Lionel Legacy SD38s Reading & Northerns, Cab numbers 2000 and 2003. They run great.
I have only acquired a couple of power chasses to build projects not available commercialy, but also a couple of desired model automobiles for my modeled era. If they build it, l would come. Otherwise, it is a lot cheaper to build it... it just takes so much time.
There were several very satisfactory purchases, including MTH MILW and IC E6 locomotives, MTH IC passenger cars and Lionel UP cars but the most satisfactory was a Lionel 18" extruded aluminum Sunset Limited sleeper (plus coach) bought to complete my Illinois Central Hawkeye. As peculiar as that may sound, the IC leased RF&P "Spotsylvania County" and a numbered SP car toward the end of Pullman service on Nos. 11 & 12 and I was a regular passenger during that period. The car is the first I haven't felt the need to weight, the silver sides make the Mr. Magoo window frames disappear, and the full width diaphragms are a very nice touch but, most of all, there is an ineffable sense of "quality" about the car that defies description. Thank you, Lionel:
I'm sure that Lionel's new 21" plastic cars are very nice but I'll leave them to others and pick up the extruded aluminum castoffs on eBay.
Rice steamer on Amazon. I could not get good rice no matter what I tried. This steamer is terrific !
It's a train forum. Come on guys, did I really need to include "train" in the title?
I had two, late this year:
1) One of my buddies decided to get out of model trains, and sold EVERYTHING off, but he saved his Sunset/3rd Rail UP 4-12-2 model, #9020 for me.
2) Received last week my Sunset/3rd Rail EMD demonstrator SD7 #990.
Definitely pleased with both new arrivals.
Oman,
OK, Just a little teasing. Can't we laugh a bit?
Legacy GS-4's both SP and AFT
Scrapiron Scher posted:Oman,
OK, Just a little teasing. Can't we laugh a bit?
Legacy GS-4's both SP and AFT
No problem.
Hey! I like rice! 
I've bought a lot this year. More than I should've (sound familiar?)
Top Contender(s):
Out of all the things I've bought, I started the year scoffing at the "rusty old junk" that is Postwar Lionel. Sure, some of it is rusty old junk but I've bought a half-dozen Postwar freight cars, some with original boxes, all in excellent condition. In addition, I started this "adventure" with a beautiful 681. That was really all I wanted...then a 2055, 2025 and 726RR all showed up, again, most with original boxes. All beautiful condition. Even better, than ran like clockwork the first time and every time they are on the track. My favorite aspect - the story behind each piece. I like to wonder about who played with this piece 40 years ago? Who got this engine for Christmas 60 years ago? What stories could this train tell? I just find it absolutely fascinating!
Runner ups:
Lionel Sound Boxcar. Very happy with it.
Williams TrueBlast Plus locos, excellent quality, good runners, nice sounds.
Likely runner up (when it shows up....):
MTH House with Christmas lights. They looked beautiful at York.
Through a fellow forum member, I picked up a very nice AF postwar K5437T set. I do and always will bleed postwar orange and blue. But I must admit, S gauge is the perfect size for toy trains.
The money I spent on having a train table built is definitely the winner for me! It's been five years. Can't wait to run trains with the kids!
A rice steamer? I thought this was some sort of engine till now. Scrappy is modeling a rice paddy farm. That did seem odd. Choo, choo, here comes the rice steamer... Runs on high octane sake.
I sold almost all my O gauge stuff and bought nothing new all year. I run prewar standard gauge on occasion and have all I want or need. I may still pick up a maroon 380 to pull a nice passenger set I have. I have a deal worked out, but just can't pull the trigger. Too cheap to even spend a couple hundred bucks. Stupid economy. And I know I don't need a rice steamer. That much I'm sure about.
A cold beer after returning from Afghanistan.
Thirsty ??
Finally got a Z-4000
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A #8506 / 783 MPC Hudson at the Spring York. Always wanted a Lionel Hudson but the price was always out of reach. But not this time
My Marx 333 and three Meteor passenger cars. I was looking for them for a long time.
I bought what looked like a pile of junk on the bay ( I like fixing up trains that have seen better days. ) well after getting it all fix which could be and replace what couldn't be. it turned out to be set 13028 super O set with 2359. Other than having the frame back from being sand blasted as it had some rust on it I have the complete set now. The only piece that is repo on it is the plastic net for the balloon ( target car ) and the turbo missiles for the turbo missile car. Oh yeah the piece to hold the second turbo missile. I need to look for original boxes for this set now. I think the best part was obtaining the 3820 Submarine car. it had a 3830 With the set.
wtjohn posted:Through a fellow forum member, I picked up a very nice AF postwar K5437T set. I do and always will bleed postwar orange and blue. But I must admit, S gauge is the perfect size for toy trains.
Some years ago, I read the opinion that a fundamental mistake was made in our current progression of scale popularity from O to HO to N. The premise was that it would have been better if we'd gone from 1/32 to S to TT instead. Can't remember where I read that, but it's an interesting thought
I just bought an Sd-40 tmcc model made in. 1999. This is my first modern train. Why is one of the wheels on the middle axle on each truck squared off? Only on one side front and back trucks. What's the reasoning? Or did I just buy a screwed up engine. I can't find where to post this so here I post. Also can't figure out how to start a new thread with this topic. Thanks Jeff
Is there any way you could include a picture showing the problem....Paul
Train Of Tomorrow by 3rd Rail. Flawless gem of a train. Nothing else comes close to the quality and beauty of this train. No problems..just perfection 
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Mine was a Lionel Legacy Cab Forward, Thanks Alex!!!
Another one was a Lionel UP Passenger set with dining car along with the MTH Flag baggage car from PASSENGER TRAIN COLLECTOR AKA BRIAN VAILL. Great set and a big Thank You to BRIAN.
Postwar 3545 camera car that needed a good dusting and an o ring!
