Buy anything cool lately?

Ask me again after this weekend's train show.

Ok one more Birthday present came in today. This one is Standard O

Yup, with one pre-ordered, sold out??, second dealer sold out, third dealer shipped a Lionel Sunshine Special Missouri Pacific RPO #45.  If persistent, you can get preorders!  Just need Menard's to offer a mail distribution center for a yard of postal cars.

There was a guy on facebook forum "EVERYTHING IN TRAINS FOR SALE RANT AND RAVE 2" That had three different HO scale bridges for sale, two would work one wouldn't ( to wide ) to go on a 14 3/4" flat car from Menards. So I bought four of the Military flats and here is what it will look like when done. I do need to find some small black chain to make it look like it is tied down with chain, but I will glue them to the flat cars 

Got a frame. Picture I took at Strasburg a couple weeks back. Had the picture enlarged. 

Okay, I'm back from the Altoona train show, and I can answer the question now.  There weren't a lot of things that I've been looking for, so I didn't spend a great deal of money.  I did come home with a bunch of 072 FasTrack curves, some assorted short-length pieces and an operating-car section.  But the only rolling stock I picked up was a very nice postwar X6454 PRR 027 boxcar.  It'll look good behind the postwar trains I'll be running this holiday season.

Oh, yeah, and my wife got me something as a Christmas present.  But I won't know what it is until Christmas day.

Today's new addition to my Disney Christmas Lay-out. I'm not interested in the cookies inside, but this truck has a nice-sounding musical box inside.

Balshis posted:

Okay, I'm back from the Altoona train show, and I can answer the question now.  There weren't a lot of things that I've been looking for, so I didn't spend a great deal of money.  I did come home with a bunch of 072 FasTrack curves, some assorted short-length pieces and an operating-car section.  But the only rolling stock I picked up was a very nice postwar X6454 PRR 027 boxcar.  It'll look good behind the postwar trains I'll be running this holiday season.

Oh, yeah, and my wife got me something as a Christmas present.  But I won't know what it is until Christmas day.

I didn't know you were a central/western Pennsylvanian!  I would have liked to have gone today myself.

Vincent, that is a pretty elaborate cookie tin.  I see the winder on the front grill.  Just like a Model T. 

Mark Boyce posted:

Balshis posted:

Okay, I'm back from the Altoona train show, and I can answer the question now.  There weren't a lot of things that I've been looking for, so I didn't spend a great deal of money.  I did come home with a bunch of 072 FasTrack curves, some assorted short-length pieces and an operating-car section.  But the only rolling stock I picked up was a very nice postwar X6454 PRR 027 boxcar.  It'll look good behind the postwar trains I'll be running this holiday season.

Oh, yeah, and my wife got me something as a Christmas present.  But I won't know what it is until Christmas day.

I didn't know you were a central/western Pennsylvanian!  I would have liked to have gone today myself.

Centre County, actually (but not State College).  What I was really hoping to find was a Flyer 0-6-0 B6b PRR switcher and/or a Lionel F3 with a damaged body but working mechanicals.  No luck with either, I'm afraid.  Well, the next show is March 8.

It’s about half the distance for you as for me.  Yes some items like that can be hit or miss, mostly miss.  On the other hand, I don’t but that much at shows.  Lots of great stuff to see, great people to visit with, but I am generally not an impulse buyer.  March 8th!  Maybe I can get there then

Just won these off ebay.

The employee badge wasn't cheap, but I've never seen another for sale at any price.

This is a 1930s badge for the bigger of the two rayon mills served by the RR I model, which even had a depot there.

My grandfather worked in that mill until the 40s.

p51 posted:

Just won these off ebay.

The employee badge wasn't cheap, but I've never seen another for sale at any price.

This is a 1930s badge for the bigger of the two rayon mills served by the RR I model, which even had a depot there.

My grandfather worked in that mill until the 40s.

Lee very cool find. It will look great in your train room and just enhance the era of your train room!

Got this from a forum member (Thank you, John) last week.  It came with original packaging intact.  Living in the Northeast, we don't see many Local RRs up for sale.  BAR cars are very colorful and I'm lucky to have several varieties.

That's a nice car Matt. I've don't recall ever seeing that paint scheme before. I recently picked up some BAR cars and a BEEP. Love the red, white, and blue.

Lee- very cool stuff. Can't overlook the history of our little empires.

Bob

p51 posted:

Just won these off ebay.

The employee badge wasn't cheap, but I've never seen another for sale at any price.

This is a 1930s badge for the bigger of the two rayon mills served by the RR I model, which even had a depot there.

My grandfather worked in that mill until the 40s.

I've been reading Trains book on Railroads at War.  It goes into detail about how railroads were part of any war effort, starting with the civil war.  WWII occupies a large portion of the book.  I didn't realize the scope the military played in railroading, both overseas and at home during WWII.  

I got this illuminated church(?) for $2.50 from a sidewalk vendor.

I got three boxes of cool stuff today.  Thirty three items including: 

A 275 Watt ZW.  A 736 Berkshire (early) with correct tender.  A 681 Steam Turbine and correct tender.  Two 6457 cabooses.  A #362 barrel loader.  A 6066T tender.  A Rail King Diner/Combine car set and several post war cars.

A Lakawanna two car commuter set.  They are BIG!

A #362 Barrel Loader.

And some prewar goodies.  1664 engine and tender, 1679 and 2679 Baby Ruth cars, plus 2672 and 2657 cabooses.

More

Bill what a haul! I like that transformer 

My Scale City Hardware arrived yesterday for my Wood Reefer  

I picked up this last week from Mario's Trains. They found items on their warehouse that weren't listed on their site, and this was one of the many items they listed last week. They also had the Phase III Heritage "Empire Builder" scheme, but that was sold by the time I got off work and had time to think about which one I wanted to get. So I ended up getting this one, because I will not be able to find another one of these again...

Only issue is that the marker lights barely light up when they are on, so I will need to give it to my local MTH authorized service center so they can figure out what is causing that. Thankfully this model still qualifies for the 1 year warranty.

This will be my last purchase for at least half a year, minus the 2 Lionel pre-orders that I have coming at the end of the year, since I am looking to purchase my own car by the end of the year. With help from my sister, she's paying for half of it since I drive her to work every weekday on top of driving myself to work.

newest member of the roster, postwar Lionel 664-700 Santa Fe.....

Somewhere during the year I bought this mother polar bear and her cub (who is holding a bottle of Coke). Today I replaced the tiny dead battery in it, and the screen merely counts from 0 to ? every time you press the red button. It's going onto my Christmas lay-out.

Just received this mail bag hook kit from Precision Scale for use in making a better RPO from the LIONEL TCA RPO 15" aluminum car that is serving as a donor for my Great Northern Empire Builder train set.  The LIONEL car has no hook.

GN bought six RPO's in 1950 and a surviving, restored version, #42 in Empire Builder livery, is featured in this piece on RPOs:

https://tripsintohistory.com/2...ad-post-office-cars/

Been watching this for a while. Treated myself for Christmas. 

Got this at a train show today, signed by the author, and a few trees...

Received my internet order of the Green Menards Boxcar along with the free Green Mustang.

Accidentally posted this in the wrong thread ^^;

I got some new train pins to add to my collection as well as a few oddballs. The new ones shown below are the 794 "100th Anniversary" (Got at Sunset Station when UP 4014 was in town) and B&O and Sunbeam (ebay purchases) in the middle. The ones at the bottom aren't train related, I just had them there when I took the photo.

Remember how Charlie Brown was complaining about the commercialization of Christmas? And then he saw that his dog had won first prize?

Quite a bit of some cool (to me) stuff lately (just got an inheritance and more space):

All the American Freedom Train (1976-series) cars (waiting on the locomotive becoming available - the GS-4)

All six of the Lionel National Toy Train Museum (NTTM) cars

All of the "Spirit of '76" boxcars (13 in all: 6-7601 thru 6-7613).

Lionel 75th Anniversary Reefer (Lionel 75th Anniversary 1585 Set): Locomotive plus 6 cars and caboose; already had one of the cars)

K-Line "Twelve Days of Christmas" (all 3 sets of  4 cars each)

All the items except the K-Line items are brand new. Didn't think all this stuff still existed - in new condition.

A good  day at the open-air market. The first three fellows will be part of a lunar railroad I plan to build in the future. (Get it? A lunar railroad in the future?) The next two guys will be part of this year's Christmas lay-out. And the last photo?

Two bucks for a battered, 12" high can of Lego "Knights Kingdom." I assembled this guy from the parts inside. Don't want him and don't need him, but that's what happens when you buy battered cans full of Lego parts.

Vincent, so Snoopy finally traded in his Sopwith Camel!  Sounds good 

I just bought Lionel's issue of the Natty Boh reefer.

It's a short run.

Lionel Great Northern "Oriental Limited" Pullman Sleeper & Diner from the Muffins.  These cars are nice and a good match for my K-Line Pullman Diner.  One problem, 3 journals came off the trucks.  Lionel where is your Quality Control?   I'm tired of buying new unused product with problems.  This becomes a real problem for the retailers because I'm probably going to the USED market here on OGR & at local shows.  I'm tired of fixing new products.

Mark Boyce posted:

Vincent, so Snoopy finally traded in his Sopwith Camel!  Sounds good 

It is a long-forgotten fact that during the Apollo missions, Snoopy reached the moon before the Americans, the Russians, and even the stupid cat who lived next door.

I did forget this!  Thank you Vincent!

And here it is! One of the best-loved Snoopy comics in history.

I went to a gentlemen's house that is trying to sell his collection. He has been working on it for about 5 years now. I've gotten some great stuff from him in the past. This past Sunday I bought 3 new to me books, some more super O track, a custom painted Reading hopper car, a 167C whistle button (which works much better for me than the regular 167) and this diesel shell.

If you're not familiar with General Models Corp. it is worth the read. I was introduced to the company through a little red and yellow speeder (that they call a handcar) that my dad bought. They made several steam engines and diesels in the late 40's into the 50's. They made this NW-2 switcher and the whole thing is metal. You could buy one as a kit and they came ready to be equipped for 2 rail, 3 rail outside and 3 rail center. They were very nice and Lionel was not very happy about them making a diesel switcher so they made their's which is one of my favorite engines from postwar Lionel. 

There is an interesting switch on the inside of the hood. It is a turn style switch but it connected to the rear smokestack. I'm not sure what it is for other than some kind of e-unit. 

Anyway, not sure what I'm going to do about building a frame and what kind of motor I will use but I'll keep everyone updated as the project moves forward. Or more like it, when I find time to start working on it after I find time in between life and my other projects. 

Interesting, informative post, Cody.