Buy anything cool lately?

@pennsyfan posted:

I’ve been patiently waiting to get these geeps out of the boxes. I finally cleared the tracks today after I completed my clearance testing.
As the first picture attests I certainly don’t need more PRR geeps. But I felt it was a community service to keep these excellent condition engines from the scrapper. The restored 2028 is really well done and the 8357/58 are L/N but have been run. All in all it was a bargain.

They look great Bob. I have a few MPC GEEP's and they are solid runners.

Keep up the good work.

Bob

Found a NIB MTH Santa Fe/REA express refrigerator car to go with my Santa Fe Super Chief.

That express reefer is so sharp I cut myself just looking at it!

Good one, coach Joe! Thank you.

I finally inspected my catch from Harris Toy Train Auctions of NV.

I cant believe how detailed this Ace locomotive is!

Some beautiful trains, congrats guys.  A month or so ago I picked up the Lionchief AC12 cab forward, and last week saw it in person at the California Train Museum in Sacramento.   It was fun, they let you sit in the driver's seat.  

@Yellowstone Special, Vern, I must admit, that’s a beautiful MTH refrigerated Sante Fe/ REA express car, nicely finished. I would like one of those. Thanks for showing us this cool car. Happy Railroading Everyone

Thank you, Larry. I also have a Union Pacific one that’s arriving tomorrow. I stumbled onto both of these on eBay.

@Norton posted:

Recently added these AHM flatcars to the roster. Had to swap out the trucks with Weavers and added some weight, now ready for service.

Pete

Hi, Pete - are those two crate loads affixed to the flats, or just lying upon them? If they’re affixed, what did you use to accomplish that? Thanks.

@Mark V. Spadaro posted:

Hi, Pete - are those two crate loads affixed to the flats, or just lying upon them? If they’re affixed, what did you use to accomplish that? Thanks.

Mark, they are “sort of” affixed. The crates have six of the vertical supports that fit into holes in the deck. They used heat to affix them on the underside. After removing the frame (easy) I was able to just gently pry the load off. After adding weight I used canopy glue to hold them down.

Pete

@Norton posted:

Mark, they are “sort of” affixed. The crates have six of the vertical supports that fit into holes in the deck. They used heat to affix them on the underside. After removing the frame (easy) I was able to just gently pry the load off. After adding weight I used canopy glue to hold them down.

Pete

Pete, Those are great cars. They have very nice details. I have a AHM consist of boxcars, flats, and gondolas. They were made by Rivarossi, and as I remember were from the same molds as the Lionel Standard 0 cars. I replaced the trucks with Standard O trucks.

@pennsyfan posted:

Pete, Those are great cars. They have very nice details. I have a AHM consist of boxcars, flats, and gondolas. They were made by Rivarossi, and as I remember were from the same molds as the Lionel Standard 0 cars. I replaced the trucks with Standard O trucks.

I too have some of these cars, mostly through a collection purchase by a club a friend of mine is a member of. After filling in some gaps via Ebay, I have a more-or less complete set of AHM O scale (and older Atlas, via the same channels), three boxcars, four reefers, and three each of the gondola and flatcars. Being that I intend to keep these together (perhaps with along with the Atlas cars, depending on their performance), I elected to skip changing out the trucks. But I did locate and secure enough conversion couplers (a single Ebay seller has them) to replace the funky horn-hook ones that were the default on AHM, so at least they'll mate with typical 3-rail couplers, even though they're fixed like the 1970's Atlas ones.

---PCJ

(maybe I'll call it the "Plastic Wheel Parade")

@RailRide I just put all mine on the track; a few less than what you listed.

I bought the Menards “Metropolitan” movie theater and used it at a Tracker show this past weekend. Very impressed, the up lights on the front change colors gradually every few minutes.

Very nice.

Just back into the hobby and today I was a kid at Christmas Time !!!

I will post about my OCS hunt later ..

Recently bought a 1533WS freight set. Just the lok, tender and rolling stock. Very clean set, a little dusty from storage. This set has a gray 3562-25 (operating barrel car) instead of the usual yellow. In doing some research the yellow is more common but some sets had the gray version.

Steve

@Yellowstone Special, Hi Vern, guess what, I found one of those beautiful shinny Sante Fe REA refrigerated express cars today, (with your kind help) and will post it when it arrives. MTH did a really fine job with this car. Happy Railroading Everyone

@leapinlarry posted:

@Yellowstone Special, Hi Vern, guess what, I found one of those beautiful shinny Sante Fe REA refrigerated express cars today, (with your kind help) and will post it when it arrives. MTH did a really fine job with this car. Happy Railroading Everyone

Really? 😉 That’s awesome, Larry and nice going. Looking forward to seeing photos after you get it.

@pennsyfan posted:

@RailRide I just put all mine on the track; a few less than what you listed.

The Standard O trucks put those cars kinda high up in the air

Here's my lil' collection of AHM: The boxes when new had a tear-off panel over the clear window. Some of my acquisitions still have that panel intact, so I elected to leave it in place. Some of these boxes (like the UP gondola) are slated for repairs with cloth tape and PVA glue like that used on books, to make them a little sturdier, and I'll either re-glue or replace the windows with clear acetate. I also made up a styrofoam insert to straighten the warped cardboard of the more worn boxes, so I can gently moisten them with a clothes steamer. Hopefully they should hold their corrected shape once dry.

(The PFE dupe is thanks to being a little quick on the Ebay trigger--I didn't check to see if I had that one since the very-good-condition box had my attention. I'll have to own up to that one )

At least one of these cars were fitted with Atlas O couplers (which won't grab a 'claw') and perhaps one other was fitted with Kadees. My plan is to retrofit all of these with the AHM conversion couplers shown below. They give you the equvalent of the 1970's Atlas couplers, which aside from being non-operating, will mate with typical 3-rail couplers.

---PCJ

@RailRide posted:

The Standard O trucks put those cars kinda high up in the air

---PCJ

Yes the gons really stand out. Back in the day I was looking for a way to get a freight train at low cost. At $3 a pop these were golden.

After all it is Hirail! 😂

Well, I just received another MTH R50B express reefer. This one isn't quite as glamorous looking as the Santa Fe one. But, it does make a handsome addition to the Union Pacific passenger train.

@Yellowstone Special posted:

Well, I just received another MTH R50B express reefer. This one isn't quite as glamorous looking as the Santa Fe one. But, it does make a handsome addition to the Union Pacific passenger train.

Hi Vern, both express reefers yo picked up are really excellent and good looking! Very nice acquisition and addition to your layout!

@WesternPacific2217 posted:

Hi Vern, both express reefers yo picked up are really excellent and good looking! Very nice acquisition and addition to your layout!

Hey, thank you Scott. I didn’t notice that the right side ladder on this one has one bottom rung missing and another one damaged, until after I’d posted the photos. Oh well, this one was bought used. 🤷‍♂️

Great finds and additions to everyones collections! Thanks for sharing them!

Over the past week or so I have added a few different items from a tanker to pillars, even candy!

First up is a CSX tanker from Menards.

Next up is another addition to my never ending candy collection. Here is my new set of 4 Hershey’s Reese’s Pieces Hauling Cars. Great set of Ores! The Reese’s Pieces candy loads are awesome!

Following that candy excitement are some MTH stone pillars.

Final 3 items I picked up over this past weekend came from the Hamburg Dutch Train Meet. My first time attending and it was a nice sized show. I grabbed 2 Lehigh Valley hoppers and an Erie Lackawanna ore car. I’m thinking the ore car is custom because I’m not finding any information on it.

My company has offices in Ann Arbor, Detroit, Baltimore, Richmond, and Washington DC. I have been on the hunt for rolling stock to represent each office. A few months ago I snapped up the Ann Arbor Hopper, its fantastic. It's my first Lionel Center Flow hopper and detail is great. At the same time I found this weaver RF&P, I "upgraded it" with wood decking on the inside and swapped out the trucks for sprung MTH ones. (Tiny Tims Trains just north of Richmond Va.) A few weeks ago I was at the Long Island Railroad museum, to just "look around" and there unloved on a dusty shelf was my DTI high roof box car! I have tons of B&O rolling stock, so now just to find the Washington Terminal RS-1 and my set will be complete! York I am looking at you.  I am a happy fellow. (last photo is my office two shelf display made of foam board)

Found another prewar Scale Craft-ish K4. Pretty rough but well weighted , no zinc pest, and no failed legacy or ps3 boards lol. Lol  no tires to rot and fall off either.

Dennis,

   Good find!

Tom

Ha ha, more projects on the way, EF588 early Japan brass electric

Dennis - "hats off" to you as you are obviously braver than I in your taking on what appear to be very complex projects.  Both locomotives really look cool for sure and I wish you great luck in getting them back together.  It is way beyond my skill level!!

Regards

Don

Well guys, not nearly as difficult as those projects Dennis pictured, I did purchase this sheet metal clockwork loco very recently (just came in mail yesterday)...the seller listed it in the thread of "Marx " trains for sale , but this loco is not Marx. I have also compared it to my Girard Model Works "Joy Line" locos (that sort of became Marx in 1935) and its not one of those either.  SO --- WHAT IS IT?   My current guess is Hafner but all I have is one very small picture from the  TCA Western Div info sheet on Hafner...so its a guess.  It is very complete, works well, its a "bell ringer" and has a battery powered headlight - although at the moment it has no bulb.  Its very well made and has a mechanical brake.  So I am open to all thoughts of folks who think they have an idea of who made this little guy (he is 6" long from back of cab to tip of cow catcher) and 0 gauge (works on my Lionel track).  I will probably post these pictures in the tinplate album to get the views from that thread as well.

Here is the side view, one of my "Hafner" indications are the open spoke vice stamped drive wheels and the real stirrup foot steps to the cab.  In the Model Works locos, the wheels were stamped and the cab steps just simulated as part of the under cab stamping. The key is fixed into the motor.

Here is the boiler front and to me, the red boiler front piece seems original.  There is no indication of later painting it appears to be originally enameled red and the tabs holding it do not appear to have been opened .  The hole is for the bulb to the battery powered headlight.

The cab rear.  You can see the bell and ringer just below the cab floor and the "T" shaped handle that represents the motor brake for winding.  You can see that originally most of the engine was shiny black.

Well there is my "find" for the moment.  Any thoughts about the manufacturer are welcome.  If it is Hafner, it would be from the 1920's is my guess but again, that is just a guess.

Best wishes

Don

A RMT Bang. I've wanted one since they came out

Ulus Kerman:  Nice Youtube video of Union Pacific action. I spotted Milwaukee Road passenger cars in UP livery as well as a UP express reefer, which I recently acquired for my UP passenger train. Awesome trains!

I have a Lionel UP CA-4 caboose that I had purchased a set of Tomar marker lights for and hand them installed by an Authorized Lionel Service Station tech., after I'd drilled the holes for them. Anyway, they functioned for about a year, then went out. CA-4s are a PITA to disassemble, then reassemble, so I decided to get a new caboose with the marker lights.

I wanted a yellow UP caboose to match my UP GP7 with marker lights, but as you may know, Lionel did not bother to equip its CA-4 cabooses with marker lights. So, I settled for a new Lionel woodside caboose with them and although it's a bit of a mismatch with a diesel, I guess it still looks pretty good.

Went to Eastside Trains near Seattle while heading to a wedding yesterday.

Though I don't need any more, you can't have too many trees on your layout, so I got these, made by Grand Central Scenics.

@Yellowstone Special posted:

Ulus Kerman:  Nice Youtube video of Union Pacific action. I spotted Milwaukee Road passenger cars in UP livery as well as a UP express reefer, which I recently acquired for my UP passenger train. Awesome trains!

I have a Lionel UP CA-4 caboose that I had purchased a set of Tomar marker lights for and hand them installed by an Authorized Lionel Service Station tech., after I'd drilled the holes for them. Anyway, they functioned for about a year, then went out. CA-4s are a PITA to disassemble, then reassemble, so I decided to get a new caboose with the marker lights.

I wanted a yellow UP caboose to match my UP GP7 with marker lights, but as you may know, Lionel did not bother to equip its CA-4 cabooses with marker lights. So, I settled for a new Lionel woodside caboose with them and although it's a bit of a mismatch with a diesel, I guess it still looks pretty good.

Glade you enjoyed the video, and your caboose looks good

@Dennis Holler posted:

Found another prewar Scale Craft-ish K4. Pretty rough but well weighted , no zinc pest, and no failed legacy or ps3 boards lol. Lol  no tires to rot and fall off either.

ROTFLMAO!

Picked up five (5) Maine Central boxcars in various paint schemes from Trainz to go with my new Lionel Legacy 2-8-0 consolidation. I also have a new MEC caboose on pre-order from the Lionel catalogue.   

Picked up another Pontiac for my dealership

Picked up this Woodland Scenics building, Emilio's Ristorante Italiano. I'm posting some photos in, "What did you do on your layout today", with work in progress.