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'Tis the season...

I've set up my Christmas Loop down here in the man-cave.  It doesn't get set up around the tree because a) The tree's not set up yet and b) my mom needs the maneuvering room when it is for her walker.

Soooo...  Normally I grab some of my HiRail AM and SHS stuff.  This year I went the other way with good ol' Postwar American Flyer.  (I know some of you fine folks out there think I'm a scale fuddy-duddy...)

Anyhow, going even further into the deep end, I decided to bring my Pikemaster stuff down from the top of the cabinet and run it this year.  Now, the last time I ran this train was in 1998 at S-Fest.  So after a little dusting and cleaning the tender wheels, we're off and running.

FF 120218 001FF 120218 002

Even after 20 years of sitting on display, (and add in the 35 additional years since it was made) it runs just fine.   Still smokes, too.  I wonder sometimes if our modern marvel's will hold up this well.

Rusty

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Rusty Traque posted:

'Tis the season...

Soooo...  Normally I grab some of my HiRail AM and SHS stuff.  This year I went the other way with good ol' Postwar American Flyer.  (I know some of you fine folks out there think I'm a scale fuddy-duddy...)

Anyhow, going even further into the deep end, I decided to bring my Pikemaster stuff down from the top of the cabinet and run it this year.  Now, the last time I ran this train was in 1998 at S-Fest.  So after a little dusting and cleaning the tender wheels, we're off and running.

Even after 20 years of sitting on display, (and add in the 35 additional years since it was made) it runs just fine.   Still smokes, too.  I wonder sometimes if our modern marvel's will hold up this well.

Rusty

That's great and not surprising, even from this "cheap-ish" set.

PW stuff seems pretty much indestructible, in an often sharp contrast to the modern, sophisticated items which, though wonderful in their own way, seem plagued with issues when new, much less (in your example) 55 years old!

I have an early #300 on its way, and have little doubt that it will run just fine after a little gentle maintenance.

Good stuff, this! 

Mark in Oregon

Rusty Traque posted:

Bob, the Reading hopper is a Kris Model Trains repaint on a shell from Hobby Surplus Sales.  Mine came with Pikemaster trucks, so into this train it went.

And BTW, my roots are Lionel...

Rusty

The Kris Reading repaint is listed in Table 11, page 82 in the hardbound AF Greenberg Guide Vol 2 but with no details. Evidently, Kris painted over a 24230 Peabody 3-bay hopper, which almost invariably came from Gilbert fitted with Pikemaster trucks. Hence, you are good to go. 

"Roots" for the purposes of the S-Scale Trains board. We'll give you dispensation for your questionable past. 

Bob

Last edited by Bob Bubeck

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