Buy anything cool lately?

Got a couple of Atlas Gunderson Auto Racks -- one 2-rail in BNSF and one 3-rail in UP.

Both sit at the same height on the end sills, which I've noticed with other Atlas cars. Both have appropriate sized wheels (28"), but the 3-rail car has larger flanges which appear to be smaller than those on the standard sized wheels. I will probably install Kadees on the 3-rail car. I did notice that the 2-rail car has additional air line detailing which is a nice touch. Atlas continues to amaze.

Though some of my associates have gone crazy buying these cars en masse, I won't be getting more. They're here to fill out the collection a bit.

This arrived today from the Rail Road Museum of PA

In response to a WTB forum listing, three packages of P&D Hobby scale porthole windows were purchased from a forum member as P&D is out of stock and uncertain of resupply.

These were needed as the ABA shells they're going in are almost paint-ready.

The LCRU2s ($60 ea.) are from TRAINZ. One will be used to swap out the PW horizontal motor chassis with TMCC components for the GM&O passenger set painted 30+ years ago. The other will be a reserve.

And wiring harnesses for both have been assembled by a skilled forum member and are en route.

But all is not well with purchasing. The package of individually wired LEDs shipped from Cali 10 days ago continues its haphazard journey between USPS locations; disappearing from scanning for a couple of days only to pop up at some  bizarre USPS facility.

8/15/2023EDIT: The wiring harnesses were shipped from Michigan and arrived the next day in Maryland, but instead of heading to Virginia where I live, USPS sent the package to Amarillo, TX! They are now "moving through the system on their way to their destination" according to USPS' latest email.

Been there and done that with USPS, but didn't know about the port hole windows. gonna have to check on those. scratch building a ship for my lay out that they might be the  item, to look out of (pun intended)

Picked this up at Greenberg

I have 3 new (to me) additions.  The first two are post-war Lionel 3562 operating barrel cars I acquired from a Stout auction sometime ago, just getting around to adding them to my collection.  The orange one was in great shape, but the gray one not so much.  It was missing a sliding shoe, which had been completely removed and the wire from it to the vibrator motor was simply clipped.  Plus the little guy was missing.  I bought a new truck with a sliding shoe along with a new guy.  I had to resolder all the shoes anyway since the insulation had started flaking.  After some cleaning and lube, they look and work great.  I had some time on my hands so I painted the barrel staves.  The noise from the vibrator motors is quite acceptable.

The last is a MTH scale test car I bought NIB on eBay.  There's been some threads here about that car, and I liked it.  Apparently the lady was selling her late husbands collection and happily accepted a counter offer.  This acquisition is note worthy since this is the only non-Lionel car I have in my fleet of 130 or so cars.

Sitting at a rail crossing here in NJ listening to the cacophony of sound I had yo have at least one freightsounds box car.  Scored on at Greenberg.   May need another one to enhance the experience.

@Brooklyn Corey posted:

Love your trains and your cat. Looks like the cat was eating something near your transformer. Hope it wasn't one of your wires!

Ha! Mine just goes for the trees! Or as TC likes to think of them, "realistic plastic chew sticks".

Just picked up this Spirt Of  Union Pacific (SOUP) tank car from METCA. A perfect companion to the SOUP boxcar and a fitting addition to my patriotic collection.

Picked up this tour trolley on the bay. It seems a bit large but the ERTL box lists it as 1/43. I’ll be removing the Budweiser name and replacing it with something local.

Just received my tank car.

Nice addition to my Spirit of UP collection.

@Train Nut posted:

Love your trains and your cat. Looks like the cat was eating something near your transformer. Hope it wasn't one of your wires!

Thanks, no it wasn’t wires.

Here's a new addirion to my space fleet, a United States Space Force ES44AC.  This is the second of three USSF Legacy Station eculsive Lionel offering, the first being a SD70.  I love the graphics on this engine and it will go great with my Lionel Rocket Booster set.   

I jumped into to bluetooth control with my first LC 2.0 engine. The 0-6-0t Reading Locomotive Shops model.

I also have it programmed into my Cab 1L and it works fine.

Bob

@RSJB18 posted:

I jumped into to bluetooth control with my first LC 2.0 engine. The 0-6-0t Reading Locomotive Shops model.

I also have it programmed into my Cab 1L and it works fine.

Bob

I don’t know Bob, your roster is taking on an Eastern Pennsylvania look.

@Brooklyn Corey posted:

OUTSTANDING Corey - The Foreman Rules!

@Tranquil Hollow RR posted:

I don’t know Bob, your roster is taking on an Eastern Pennsylvania look.

I can see a string of log buggies in her future

@Tranquil Hollow RR posted:

I don’t know Bob, your roster is taking on an Eastern Pennsylvania look.

Fits right in to my overall Northeast theme. I run anything from Maine down to Maryland and all connections in between....

@RBPTrains UP Katy Heritage arrived Saturday. It is a beautiful collector's piece, it runs great, sounds great, and pulls a ton. Another great addition.

Very effective operation. You could be the Eastern Seaboard scotch wholesaler/distributor.

@TimMacPA posted:

@RBPTrains UP Katy Heritage arrived Saturday. It is a beautiful collector's piece, it runs great, sounds great, and pulls a ton. Another great addition.

Wow, Trainland and Chris from RBP Trains did a terrific job designing this engine.  I hope to pick my engine up from Trainland in Lynbrook sometime this week.

This area is planned for Maybrook, New York on my layout. Maybrook was the western terminus of the New Haven Railroad after crossing the Poughkeepsie Bridge over the Hudson River, Many buildings exist there already on the layout. The models below were sent to Stu Gralnik (Model Building Services) for assembly and completion. I had not intended on using them here but after seeing the finished product, these two great looking buildings will certainly  be included in the final plan. I asked Stu to add Maybrook to each building. The freight house was Korber kit. I have several of them under my belt but they don't look like this one from Stu. He added lights and signs that gave the building more accent. The yellow building was a kit I had purchased 20 years ago. It is a railroad yard office. Again Stu has added just enough detail , lights an weathering to make a great building for the Maybrook area. With the blackened tone around the siding, it looks like a railroad building. This will be my new fall project. The inside track radius here is 92". Some better planning of the area will be required.

These guys

@Railrunnin posted:

OUTSTANDING Corey - The Foreman Rules!

Thanks! Yes he does 🐈🤣

Got some pieces from Train Loft:

Above: ATSF 27606. I sat this one atop a sheet of white paper so the road numbers are visible These shots were taken outdoors, but my surroundings still imparted a dark reflection across the middle of the car.

Above: ATSF 27608. The finish on these cars is just like the stainless finish MTH was applying to its Premier passenger cars (as well as four of their Premier modern + two 8k tankers). These cars came with an extra strip of foam wrap around the middle of the car for additional protection. Putting it back on is a tad tricky since it's a tight fit and the material itself is rather fragile.

The above two cars are exclusive to Train Loft, and the boxes carry a sticker attesting to this. The paint scheme is reminiscent of the Santa Fe "Super Hopper", an articulated covered hopper that, well...wasn't so warmly received by the grain shippers it was intended for. Three five-unit cars were built, one survives in the Oklahoma Railway Museum.

K-Line did a similar set of aluminum ACF hoppers decorated in a similar interlocking stripe/herald scheme (minus the Super Hopper logo). Two and three-car sets were produced, with the intent that they be combined as an approximation of the five-unit prototype. I managed to get ahold of both sets back when they were first released, and those reside buried deeply in my archive . stacks of rolling-stock boxes

Above UP 21328. Curiously enough, both of the UP car numbers are under the same MTH product number 20-97996, as opposed to the ATSF cars above which have their own 20-xxxxx numbers.

And, UP 21381 to round out the quartet. There is at least one other stainless-finish cylindrical hopper like this, a New York Central version (with a Statue of Liberty image) that was exclusive to Train World. I didn't know about those, and missed the pre-order window. _{(but found one of them at their York booth this fall)}

[Previous: 8/13/23 Cabin Fever/MTH warehouse wins, part 5] - [Next: Atlas O Premier Amtrak Genesis diesels]

---PCJ

@RailRide posted:

Got some pieces from Train Loft:

Above: ATSF 27606. I sat this one atop a sheet of white paper so the road numbers are visible These shots were taken outdoors, but my surroundings still imparted a dark reflection across the middle of the car.

Above: ATSF 27608. The finish on these cars is just like the stainless finish MTH was applying to its Premier passenger cars (and two of its 8000-gallon tankers). These cars came with an extra strip of foam wrap around the middle of the car for additional protection. Putting it back on is a tad tricky since it's a tight fit and the material itself is rather fragile.

The above two cars are exclusive to Train Loft, and the boxes carry a sticker attesting to this. The paint scheme is reminiscent of the Santa Fe "Super Hopper", an articulated covered hopper that, well...wasn't so warmly received by the grain shippers it was intended for. Three five-unit cars were built, one survives in the Oklahoma Railway Museum.

K-Line did a similar set of aluminum ACF hoppers decorated in a similar interlocking stripe/herald scheme (minus the Super Hopper logo). Two and three-car sets were produced, with the intent that they be combined as an approximation of the five-unit prototype. I managed to get ahold of both sets back when they were first released, and those reside buried deeply in my archive . stacks of rolling-stock boxes

Above UP 21328. Curiously enough, both of the UP car numbers are under the same MTH product number 20-97996, as opposed to the ATSF cars above which have their own 20-xxxxx numbers.

And, UP 21381 to round out the quartet. There were other cylindrical cars like this, a New York Central version (with a Statue of Liberty image) that was exclusive to Train World. I didn't know about that one, and missed out on the pre-order window.

---PCJ

Gives new meaning to Silver streak

Interesting day yesterday.  This is a small part of what followed me home.  Overall included about 35 engines and motorized units (about 80% postwar steam) and about 290 pieces of rolling stock, mixed between post war and MPC.

MTH R32 Subway set

This set of Santa Fe blue stripe cars arrived today.

@Brooklyn Corey posted:

MTH R32 Subway set

Another great set, Corey, and another line I spent a lot of time riding when I lived in Midwood (in those days, there was a 4-track line… the D was the Express, and the M was the local). I used to get the local at the Ave. M stop - sight of the old TrainWorld!!! Unfortunately, I never remember delay announcements EVER being that clear on one point, I must respectfully disagree with you… taking the subway to college in the early/mid-70’s and work beginning in ‘78, I saw way too much graffiti to ever buy a train that has it

@Apples55 posted:

Another great set, Corey, and another line I spent a lot of time riding when I lived in Midwood (in those days, there was a 4-track line… the D was the Express, and the M was the local). I used to get the local at the Ave. M stop - sight of the old TrainWorld!!! Unfortunately, I never remember delay announcements EVER being that clear on one point, I must respectfully disagree with you… taking the subway to college in the early/mid-70’s and work beginning in ‘78, I saw way too much graffiti to ever buy a train that has it

In ‘62-‘63 I rode the “Bankers Special” on the Brighton Line. It was a set of 3 BMT Standards that ran express to PP. At Dekalb it switched to the IND tunnel and ran the Nassau loop. Broad Nassau and Fulton st then returned to Brooklyn over the Manhattan Br. In the Eve it ran the reverse. 35 minutes from Kings Highway to Broad St. I put up a trestle and have a set running between the upper and lower of my layout. My son worked at Trainworld during HS. I just bought this Angela Thomas painting for him as a gift. I’m copying it and creating a false front building.

Grabbed another MTH SD70ACe with scale wheels. It will be going to the paint shop for conversion to an Isle of Denial paint scheme. Stay tuned.

Sale ended at midnight PDT. Price is now $37.97

$14.99 plus tax with FREE DELIVERY at Home Depot:

BLACK+DECKER Workmate 125 30 in. Folding Portable Workbench and Vise WM125 - The Home Depot

But hurry!!! Sale price ends at midnight PDT (I think).

@AGHRMatt posted:

Grabbed another MTH SD70ACe with scale wheels. It will be going to the paint shop for conversion to an Isle of Denial paint scheme. Stay tuned.

Waiting Impatiently with bated breath to see that.  Love the Road name

Already had these photos from the weekend during the same session as the shiny hoppers, just waited a few days to add these:

Atlas O Premier Genesis, midnight blue edition:

...and the Phase VI (?) version .

I probably should've installed the snowplows for the 3/4 shots. Put that on the to-do list.

[Previous: Train Loft's stainless plated hoppers] -- [Next: Triple-dome chrome threesome]

---PCJ.

@Brooklyn Corey posted:

MTH R32 Subway set

Nice Mr. Subway CEO.    Are you going to add passengers to the set Corey ?

Received a Rutland wood-sided caboose from Beth at Public Delivery Track. It was a pre-order custom run from MTH. I'll post some pix when I have a chance to open it up.

I usually wait to post here until I have pix (cause otherwise it didn't really happen). But I may have finally reached a milestone with the CEO. Normally I ship train stuff to my office to avoid the inevitable dirty looks and "what's that, another train?" comments. The caboose was shipped to my house accidentally and when she handed me the box, there was no commentary to go along with it........

I'm goin' to Trainland now.......BYE!

Bob

@RSJB18,

I thought I was the only one getting the look and subsequent lecture!  I now have courage to fight the good fight!

This might work .......