Since I got into Standard Gauge trains, I have always wanted to own an Ives Prosperity Special train set but quickly came to the realization that I could never afford to own an original set. So a decade ago I decided to create my own version of one when I purchased a complete seven car set of RichArt Ives Prosperity Special passenger cars. This modern era super set included reproductions of all the original Ives Prosperity Special cars plus all three of RichArt's "unique" revenue cars including: RPO, REA and Full Baggage cars none of which were included in the original Prosperity Special set.
On the official SGMA video of Trainfest 2015, watch this RichArt Prosperity Special set running behind a RichArt Milwaukee Road Bipolar,
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_3D7JxGQUe4
Unfortunately, despite looking for almost 10 years I have not been able to locate and purchase a RichArt Prosperity Special locomotive. So when I saw for sale on ebay the copper-plated shells of MTH's 1134 locomotive/tender, I purchased them thinking I would use them to complete my reproduction Ives Prosperity Special train. Well I just completed shoehorning the parts from a donor MTH 1134 "Proto 3" engine/tender into the copper plated locomotive/tender shells so my reproduction Ives Prosperity Special is now complete!.
Now all I need is for the pandemic to end and a SGMA layout to be built somewhere nearby where I can set up and run for the first time my RichArt/MTH/Ives reproduction Prosperity Special train!
Bob Nelson
