You have a good point about the wrapping and shiny paint. The foam or plastic might not be good. Might leave a mark on a pressure contact point? Dave
I don't know if it is cool or not, but picked up some things at York I really liked. Found a TMCC version of a NYC S2 electric (I love ugly duckling engines) for a decent price from a dealer. Bought a standard gauge caboose (216?) to keep my #8 engine company where it is displayed. Picked up a couple of weaver hoppers with the Chessie the cat logo (curses on CSX, blah) that the guy wanted to get rid of , for my all Chessie train. Also found an Atlas wood side reefer for "Parrot Potatoes", couldn't resist it and knew my wife would love it.
Only sorry I couldn't afford the no 1 gauge live steam engine in one of the halls (I think silver or blue), that was the one I had to let get away
NathanB: Hey that picture looks like an AF flight suit. Hello from another (now retired) AF guy who lived in/around Dayton ( and WPAFB) in70’s and 80’s. Where I got started in TCA and train collecting.
Railride: beautiful engine but it’s so long on my layout I would have to attach the caboose to the front as it would extend all the way around!!
Best wishes to all
Don
@RailRide posted:On 5/4/22, this arrived at my doorstep:
As I lifted it from its packaging to set up a photo, all I could think was:
"Great GoogaMOOGa, this is one CHONKY MammerJammah". Check that weight below:
BTW, I wonder what's the deal with the paper inner wrap? A loco this heavy insures you only remove that wrapping once--Attempting to re-use it when placing the BB back in its box will no doubt rip it to shreds. I noticed that MTH has its foam 'locomotive wrap' as a seperate sale item now. Does it interact with the shiny finish in an undesirable manner?
---PCJ
What a GREAT locomotive. You must have a very wide doorstep to hold that monster!
@Don McErlean posted:NathanB: Hey that picture looks like an AF flight suit. Hello from another (now retired) AF guy who lived in/around Dayton ( and WPAFB) in70’s and 80’s. Where I got started in TCA and train collecting.
Railride: beautiful engine but it’s so long on my layout I would have to attach the caboose to the front as it would extend all the way around!!
Best wishes to all
Don
Flew on B-17 Aluminum Overcast and they had souvenir bomber jackets exclusive to those who flew on it. Also a year before, I flew on a Trimotor and there was a young girl who had never flown before so her very first flight was on a vintage aircraft (I had the right seat on that one). Looking forward to fly on more vintage aircraft. Coming from a military family it was special.
Also this would coincide, my deceased great-uncle served in the Army. After being discharged, he became a deacon which is why I went for the 1926 Cardinals Set. I sure he would be proud of it.
@Randy Harrison posted:What a GREAT locomotive. You must have a very wide doorstep to hold that monster!
A nice wide porch one story up from street level, not to mention someone at home to recieve it upon arrival 
---PCJ
Finally found a MTH Bavarian S 3/6 steam engine in blue
Not necessarily cool but I scored these track cleaning items on eBay last week. I also got a trackman2000G for GR.
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I got the coaches from this lionel set...
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Got a TON, IMO, of cool stuff from the 2-3 weeks prior to York until now!!
but for this post, I’ll just give pics of my pre-York “big buys” and what came in the mail today
Pre- York Diesels:
FINALLY- first o scale Legacy Conrail Diesel! SD40 Savings Bonds Scheme. CR is my fav RR
another FINALLY- Norfolk & Southern Legacy SD60m.
This & the CR SD40 are such “key” additions for me because of their RR’s large geographical & the eras each encompasses. The CR covers the 80s and early 90s, east coast & Midwest. NS can cover to present day and can be seen almost anywhere
Another “key” addition- Legacy Santa Fe SD40 in blue/yellow freight scheme. Got it for almost half off since it was a store display model & has a partially broken window. But it functions great!
Why is this a key addition? First, I have plenty of western RS- especially Santa Fe. Before this loco, I had an ATSF GP35 Kodachrome and ATSF GP35 with BNSF stamp, and while I love those locos- neither is your “normal” regularly seen Santa Fe freight puller with six axles
Wanred to include this as well even though it’s not a loco- Atlas A&B TTX/SP Gunderson twin stacks. I’ve always loved the look of these intermodal well cars and while only 2 isn’t prototypical, I’m very happy to have these to run with intermodal & auto train rolling stock
As for today’s Friday deliveries:
2 Lionel CSX boxcars.
love the bottom one( it’s Lionscale) Wish I would’ve looked more into the“ big blue” prior to buying, issues with prototypicality. Regardless, the Lionscale boxcar is a nice addition to my modern and I love that it has safety stripes
And two hoppers from Atlas- LV PS4227 low side and UP 40’ air slide.
Bought the LV to add variety to late 60s and 1970s Eastern consists, should look nice w/ Penn Central & other fallen flags led by a CR loco. The UP essentially for the same reasons except west coast and 60s/70s.
more to come!(hopefully soon!)
steve
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For my NP NCL train, I've added a mail-dormitory car (a/k/a RPO car with crew quarters) and needed custom decals for the lettering. Got in touch with Christopher @ fusionscalegraphics.com and he created what I needed in 48 hours with the benefit of having printed NP NCL decals for me previously. The cost was very reasonable as well, only some three=digit numbers and the USM/RPO words were different.
When Christine Braden needs decals, she sends him the artwork to print. She referred me to him 18 months ago or so and this is the fourth project he's done for me.
I'm actually making two NP NCL RPO cars: one for myself, and the other for a friend who bought my previous NP NCL train. The two sets are slightly different shades of dark green, and the RPO letters were dark green on the prototype. I sent Christopher color samples of the two dark greens I'm using and he matched them to create two slightly different shades of green letters to go with their respective car.
Pretty neat.
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My latest Demonstrator models thanks to METCA. They did an outstanding job with these!
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Steve, something about that Conrail blue. Enjoy. Looks beautiful.
Rod has a point about Conrail Blue. It’s a good shade of blue for an engine.
@prrhorseshoecurve very nice switcher. Was thinking about that on METCA’s site as I need a switched but Had already preordered the the PB&N sw1200(geographical ties). But that sw8 is super sharp, since I found the site a few months ago I’ve liked their offerings
@romiller49 & @Mark Boyce it that blue, really is something special, though. Having been born in 1991, I only got to experience about 8 years of Conrail but I got a significant amount of exposure. My grandparents house, where we went to dinner every Sunday for My first 14 years, is right across from the old Lehigh Valley line. I still remember if it was nice out, they’d have the door open, and there was a glass screen door. Any time I heard a train I’d run to the door and often saw that Conrail blue! My pop and I, and later my brother. Would walk a mile or 2 down those tracks in the spring, summer, fall(can’t do it anymore) , look for abandoned trackage that had been a siding, see the canal locks left from the floods in the 40s/50s, the old trestle going across the Lehigh river and connecting the LV & CNJ, and, of course, passing trains led it blue diesels...later, my Pop had told me that Conrail was bought by NS & CSX. once my brother was able to walk with us, about 2000-2003, we saw more black than blue. But I do remember being super excited/happy when I’d see a Conrail loco- ESPECIALLY after looking at the string of locos coming towards me, seeing it head in black, but when the 3rd or 4th would pass it’d be in Conrail blue. Good times
Finally obtained an MTH CNW SD24. Yes, I know they had SD18's, but I MAY convert an SD9 shell and add air tanks if I get the time. No photos yet since I don't have a layout up (but if I get access to one I'll sit it out for a photo).
@StevefromPA posted:@prrhorseshoecurve very nice switcher. Was thinking about that on METCA’s site as I need a switched but Had already preordered the the PB&N sw1200(geographical ties). But that sw8 is super sharp, since I found the site a few months ago I’ve liked their offerings
Better start saving your pennies. I spoke to those Metca guys and they now have more info on Demo schemes that have not been done yet. There maybe more prototypical Demonstrator schemes forthcoming.
Well hello everyone, below I have posted an item I purchased yesterday at a local antique shop. It is a celebratory display for the 80th Anniversary of the famous John Deere Plow Company, this one in Columbus, Ohio. It is about 30 years old, the celebration taking place in 1992 (80 years from 1912 -1992) and it utilizes a K-line, O gauge, 6400 series boxcar that has been custom decorated for John Deere. If you have further interest, I did post some more detailed pictures in "Box Car Sunday" for today in the "Miscellaneous, photo albums and video's" thread. The cost was quite modest, in fact the entire display was less than the price of a typical box car of the quality used. It has die cast trucks, fully sprung, with automatic couplers on both ends. Mounted on a piece of Gargraves track on a well finished maple board. The car is mounted such that it could be removed and run on a train as normal without damage to the car or to the display.
Here is a close up of the plaque mounted on the board.
Well I thought this was quite unusual and "cool" (at least to me).
Best Wishes
Don
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