Irresistible

Yes Lionel 6414 Evans auto loaders, I have many of them.

Any piece of rolling stock that represents a business in the states of Pa or La.  I live in Pa and model the Pennsy and my wife is from La with most of her relatives residing in New Orleans, Metairie, and Baton Rouge.  Mostly these are billboard reefers and the occasional tank car, hopper or milk car.

And of course, I get all our club cars!

-Greg

Anything C&O, Chessie or CSX that I can afford. That leaves it at secondary market rolling stock but no more motive power.

Hello guys and gals

Yes! its the MTH Railking U.P. Challenger and Southern NW-2 switcher!!!

Good people hate those people who are not honest. And evil people hate people who are honest.  Proverbs 29:27 ERV (easy to read version)

Tiffany, widowed, Sept ,15, 2019 still heart broken

the New Hope and Ivyland excursion set. I want one so bad but can't afford it or run it

pennsy k4s or any colorful pacific type locomotives

camelbacks

Tier4 locomotives

evans auto loaders

lionel hi cube boxcars of the short variety

traditional auto carriers that can fit hot wheels

@Richard Cuozzo posted:

Yes Lionel 6414 Evans auto loaders, I have many of them.

I have to agree with you Richard. Probably because they combine my two favorite things; cars and trains.  Here are mine:

It dawns on me (before dawn), after reviewing the above replies, that there are several items I find irresistible. Also, whatever reeks of quality has the potential of becoming an addiction to the collector in me.

Big Berks reek of quality.

So does the Postwar Lionel coal dump car. I have 8 of them.

So do Lionel Postwar Sunoco oil tanker cars. I have 10 of them.

This train combines both coal dump and oil tanker cars:

Arnold

I'm a sucker for local roads, but I don't think that I have two identical of anything (different numbers make them different...right?)

My Dad was at one point a casual collector. He was into 3472 milk cars and Lehigh Valley 2 bay hoppers. When he stopped he had operating milk cars, several non-operating ones, and countless hoppers. My goal on my next layout is to have a platform for them to unload on, and assemble them all into a train and unload them for him. That doesn't sound too challenging until you think of trying to get all 11 to work correctly and not drop cans under the cars!

@CarGuyZM10 posted:

I'm a sucker for local roads, but I don't think that I have two identical of anything (different numbers make them different...right?)

Michael, my original thought for a title to this thread was: Who Out There Is A Sucker like Me?

LOL, Arnold

Irresistible train items present themselves to me at shows by “calling my name” as I walk by. Generally, I had no idea how irresistible the item was until that moment. 😉

Curt

726's and Madison cars for me.

And oil derricks, and Wabash F3's, and #71 lamp posts, and Baby Ruth boxcars, and, and, and..........

Lionel first run B&O I-12 Caboose...

Priced at a train show/meet at $30, new in the box!

Went down another aisle, same room...Walthers Cornerstone O scale Water Tower, sealed in the box...$30.  (Before Atlas took over the line)

Deals/items that you just can't refuse...and are haggle-free!

Irresistible.

...

I only have one 736 Berk, but almost every time I go to a train meet, I seem to pick up a Lionel 6456/6476 LV hopper.  They are ubiquitous and they can usually be had for $10-$15.  With the PW trucks, they don’t track well on my layout so I install MTH trucks.  I also make a coal load.  I have over a dozen of them.

Since I collect only postwar and specifically (with a few exceptions to nearby years) 1952 year only (to limit my proclivities!), i have two irresistibled: four pacifics...my original first engine 2025, another just like it given as a gift, liked those so much bought a 675 version...and finally to see how much different it would be bought a 1947 Baldwin 675.  Have the last one in tear down mode but have reassembled the motor and repaired E-unit and it is made with nicer bearings and gears and in testing seems really smooth. The first two are given/promised to grandchildren.    

I agree completely about the Berkshires but I will stop with my one 726rr.

Also have four 3474 Western Pacific Box Cars just because I like the livery so much.

I can’t resist a well priced postwar GP 9 or 7, NW2, F3, in the well used but operational category!

“you’re Irresistible, in every  waaaay”

Can’t send a group photo or short video while at work (still in a space suit).
But would like to later on.  

Any streamlined or semi-streamlined F3, F7, PA, etc. A-A or A-B-A passenger diesel set with a beautiful paint scheme (at least in the eye of the beholder - me !) always makes me grab my wallet.

The SF Warbonnet is at the top of my list, but there are many others, as well.

Arnold....I have 10 GG1's,8 EP5's,and about 30+ 027 Alco's.....now that's crazy....stay safe all.....joe

Hello, since I call my model railroad the little Boston & Maine, all my passenger cars and MOW cars are B&M, all but one (MEC) locomotives are B&M, and all freight cars are from New England RRs and businesses. However, since I try to stay in the steam/diesel era and I have run out of storage room, the two B&M locomotives in the 2021 catalog are not on my wish list.

Oh yeah, and Generals, any road name, any scale.  RosevilleRR, where did you get those western buildings from?

Arnold I am reluctant to say what my irresistible train show thing is because maybe more people will be looking for them.

The thing I can’t resist is modern scout/double door/6015 O27 size boxcars. The little ones. Actually these are the only cars I still get after switching to 2 rail O scale. (Although early pre war German stuff will get me too.)

This bridge was my Irresistible.   I searched for many years for a model ( in any gauge ) of this famous bridge designed by Wendal Bollman for the B&O Railroad ... whose prototype is two blocks from my house.  This uniquely designed truss bridge system was the first iron railroad bridge type in the USA. The B&O, at one time  had around 100 of these bridges throughout its' system.  Civil War photos of Harpers Ferry WV shows Bollmans carrying the B&O mainline across the Potomac River. The Bollman near me is the last of its kind and is listed both as a National Historic Site and a Civil Engineering Landmark.   Although my O gauge model is not an exactly detailed replica down to the last rivet,  it is, however,  close enough for me.

I saw this model at the Orange Hall at York.  For me it was like the moment, in the movie Christmas Vacation,  in which Chevy Chase laid eyes on the perfect  Christmas tree.  Since I had been searching for this bridge for many years, I knew this was my "irresistible" moment ... LOL!  

@trumptrain posted:

This bridge was my Irresistible.   I searched for many years for a model ( in any gauge ) of this famous bridge designed by Wendal Bollman for the B&O Railroad ... whose prototype is two blocks from my house.  This uniquely designed truss bridge system was the first iron railroad bridge type in the USA. The B&O, at one time  had around 100 of these bridges throughout its' system.  Civil War photos of Harpers Ferry WV shows Bollmans carrying the B&O mainline across the Potomac River. The Bollman near me is the last of its kind and is listed both as a National Historic Site and a Civil Engineering Landmark.   Although my O gauge model is not an exactly detailed replica down to the last rivet,  it is, however,  close enough for me.

I saw this model at the Orange Hall at York.  For me it was like the moment, in the movie Christmas Vacation,  in which Chevy Chase laid eyes on the perfect  Christmas tree.  Since I had been searching for this bridge for many years, I knew this was my "irresistible" moment ... LOL!  

What a beautiful bridge, beautiful scenery and beautiful photographs, Patrick. I also loved the little story you told about the bridge

@Arnold D. Cribari posted:

Is there a particular engine, train car, accessory or other model railroad item that you cannot resist if you see it for sale at a train show, LHS or on the Internet?

If so, tell us what it is.

For me, well, I confess I have three Postwar Lionel #736 Berkshire steam locomotives. This Lionel classic is also known as Big Berk. Now, I can see having two of something so you have a back up to run in case one needs to be repaired, or having an extra for parts, but to have three of something, that's a little crazy IMO.

On the other hand, being a little crazy, that is one of the things that make this hobby so much fun.

Here is one of my three Big Berks:

This irresistibility reminds me of the Sirens in the epic,  The Oddysey. The Sirens were so irresistible that sailors had to be tied to the masts of their sailing ships to keep from diving into the water where the irresistible Sirens would devour them.

I guess Big Berk is my model raiilroading Siren, sans the devouring. LOL

Is their something in your train collection that is irresistible?

Arnold

Having "three of something" isn't all that bad Arnold:  I waited years for the perfect Maerklin crocodile locomotive to enter my collection... and I now have five!  

@dkdkrd posted:

Lionel first run B&O I-12 Caboose...

Priced at a train show/meet at $30, new in the box!

Went down another aisle, same room...Walthers Cornerstone O scale Water Tower, sealed in the box...$30.  (Before Atlas took over the line)

Deals/items that you just can't refuse...and are haggle-free!

Irresistible.

...

I can't agree with you more! Even though a PRR fan, that I12 has a lot of "eye candy" going for it!

I love my Lionel #773 Hudson made in 1964 so much,  I hope and pray that I don't find the next 2 or 3 I stumble upon, to be irresistible. Now, if it turns out that I can well afford them in the future, then that will be a blessing, especially the 1950 version.

Hey Arnold (remember the cartoon show),

Thanks for creating another great forum thread.  I have a very small layout (3' X 9') so I have to limit my collecting.  I grew up in Wyandotte, Michigan and have 5 Lionel Wyandotte Chemicals tank cars.  I just picked this one up off of e-bay for <$15 + shipping. 

I also went to college in Sault Ste. Marie, Michigan so anything Soo Line catches my eye.  I have three Soo Line box cars as well as some other Soo Line cars. 

I have to agree with you Richard. Probably because they combine my two favorite things; cars and trains. And agree with MattR; 726's and Madison cars for me... And oil derricks, and Wabash F3's, and #71 lamp posts, and Baby Ruth boxcars and Steam and Berkshire and Postwar and Bridges and all the things ya'll are sharing... and Tunnel, and, and, and.... (stops to have a smoke)

I never had anything that whistled as a kid, nor did we have steam engines... so I have trouble walking past a great looking diamond-in-the-rough... Love the smoke.

And I think I have to have my GG1 painted: Justifying because;

1. Second Lionel engine I had to my collection. First was a kit that My father and uncle received one Christmas from Santa.

2. It was a Garbage-man-gets-first-picks FIND.... I saw the tracks sticking up out of the cans a half a block away, my heart started racing, could it be? YES, Lionel track, Log Loader, Coal loader, Crane Scrap Yard loader, 6 cars, and at the bottom of the final can was the pièce de résistance. She was heavy, the wheels were there, the trucks were there, the Pantographs were there, She was a Beast. Sooo, for the price, She needs new paint and 5 stripes.... and she is smoooooooooth to this day. But Steam is my fav.... oh and i would love to get a little snowplow, and switcher, and streetcar,

Frank - I love that GG-1! I turned the sound way up it and she sounds pretty good!

I'd consider cleaning up the shell, replacing the pantographs and headlight lenses, and leaving her as original as possible.

I acquired this "irresistible" F3 from a friend who intended to replace the shell, but I like it just the way it is - all original paint and decals.

Back in 1984, when I first saw some AMT/Kusan boxcars in a (now defunct) Baltimore train store, I bought all of them. That was the easy part, since the shop owner was ornery and didn't know, or care, what those strange boxcars were.  At ten bucks each, they were priced right.  I had no idea what they were, either, but I knew they looked better than the 6464 series ones. Then came the hard part. As Louis Marx used to print on his boxes:  "This is a Marx toy, do you have all of them?" Collecting almost every AMT, KMT, Kusan, and Frank's Trainhouse variation has taken a while.  When I see one, I can't control the urge, doctor.

What is so fortunate is that there is such a wide diversity of what each of us finds irresistible. That's much better IMO, than if we all found the same thing to be irresistible. This is comparable to who we choose to be our spouse, girlfriend, etc.

Well said, Arnold. My wife, however, severely limits my acquisition of girlfriends, regardless of how irresistible they seem.

For me it’s any rolling stock that has to do with New Jersey

@Arthur P. Bloom posted:

Well said, Arnold. My wife, however, severely limits my acquisition of girlfriends, regardless of how irresistible they seem.

Arthur, I'm sure she is happy with you home in the basement with your trains. I know my wife feels that way. LOL, Arnold

@DaveP posted:

For me it’s any rolling stock that has to do with New Jersey

You must love the Blue Comet, Dave.

Although I'm a New Yorker all my life, I have great fondness for NJ and the railroads there. My favorite passenger cars are the Postwar Lionel 2400 series with the names of the NJ cities and towns on them.

@Arnold D. Cribari posted:

Arthur, I'm sure she is happy with you home in the basement with your trains. I know my wife feels that way. LOL, Arnold

Many years ago my wife used to complain that I was spending too much time in the basement. Each night I would disappear into the depths of the house not to be seen again until the late evening. Things dramatically changed one day. My wife was an avid reader of Dear Abby. The column for the day went something like this....

"Dear Abby: My husband spends all of his time in the garage. I hardly ever see him and I am very upset.

Dear Abby's response: You are very lucky to have a husband that spends his time in the garage. You can't believe the number of letters I get from wives who complain they have no idea where their husbands have gone for the evening. You are fortunate to know exactly where your husband is each night. Thank your lucky stars."

Ever since my wife read that column, I never ever heard a complaint again  about the time I spend on my hobbies!!

For me, the most irresistible model railroad item is usually the next purchase that I expect to make. For more than a year, it was this Lionel Boston & Albany D1a 4-6-6T commuter locomotive - one of my favorites.

MELGAR

Oh... I don't think that there is anything that irresistible that... *looks at wall of train boxes*

...ok, aside from SW PA collectable cars (Kennywood, Pittsburgh, ISALYs, Iron City, Sheetz, Steelers, Carnegie Science Center, etc)

@MELGAR posted:

For me, the most irresistible model railroad item is usually the next purchase that I expect to make. For more than a year, it was this Lionel Boston & Albany D1a 4-6-6T commuter locomotive - one of my favorites.

MELGAR

Fabulous detail on your locomotive, Melgar.

Hudson’s! My irresistible obsession.

Been fun reading through this thread. Nice topic Arnold!

@Chris1985 posted:

Hudson’s! My irresistible obsession.

Been fun reading through this thread. Nice topic Arnold!

Thank you Chris. The aluminum passenger cars and 773  in your video look great together. I also love your layout because your trains really go to different places, like real trains.

I would like to see more of your layout. Arnold

@Arnold D. Cribari posted:

You must love the Blue Comet, Dave.

Although I'm a New Yorker all my life, I have great fondness for NJ and the railroads there. My favorite passenger cars are the Postwar Lionel 2400 series with the names of the NJ cities and towns on them.

I'm a fan... although I don't possess any Blue Comet passenger equipment. My fondness is with three short lines - Raritan River, Morristown & Erie and Rahway Valley.

Sometime back, Atlas O produced jersey-related rolling stock which I acquired, like the Bakelite tank car, Edgar Bros. Clays hopper, Public Service hopper and WR grace hopper which mentioned an originating New Jersey town on the car. I'm curious if there are any others. I do have M&E, Raritan River and Rahway Valley boxcars as well.

Till seeing the Lionel Wyandotte Chemical tank car CA John included in his earlier post, I hadn’t known that car existed. Looking at the photo my immediate thought was “dang, what a nice looking car!”

Guess what suddenly became irresistible? 😉😁

Curt

Juaniata Guy:

”That’s what I’m Saying!!”

well put sir, well played <s>

@Chris1985 posted:

Hudson’s! My irresistible obsession.

Been fun reading through this thread. Nice topic Arnold!

Ohhhh Mannnnnn, Now I have to add 763e Pre War Hudson Blowing Smoke Rings to the list.

thanks for the share

Haha @Miggy I wish the 763 had a smoke unit!

@juniata guy posted:

Till seeing the Lionel Wyandotte Chemical tank car CA John included in his earlier post, I hadn’t known that car existed. Looking at the photo my immediate thought was “dang, what a nice looking car!”

Guess what suddenly became irresistible? 😉😁

Curt

Liked "dang."

@juniata guy posted:

Till seeing the Lionel Wyandotte Chemical tank car CA John included in his earlier post, I hadn’t known that car existed. Looking at the photo my immediate thought was “dang, what a nice looking car!”

Guess what suddenly became irresistible? 😉😁

Curt

I recently 'rediscovered that car as well - at a nice price too! Those scale 8K tanks cars are nice, specially the earlier ones, that had printed hazmat placards.

I’ve long been a fan of the 8,000 gallon tank cars and have no idea how I managed to overlook this one.

I worked in rail transportation management for the chemical industry for most of my career and firmly believe you can never have too many tank cars.  

Curt

I have a soft spot for K-line Train Masters in Milwaukee Road. I think I have six or seven of them. Can't pass them up. If you were a K-line club member you could get one of these beauties for only 100 bucks. Conventional of course, but you could add sound when ordering. At the time and for many years they were the best Train Masters on the market. Everyone else was still making copies of Lionel's, including Lionel. Don

Postwar operating cars and accessories. The only ones I don't have are the ones I didn't like as a kid: the Space and Military stuff.

Prewar Steve! Five Marklin Crocodiles! May I assume you are talking O gage?

holy smokes man! Any photos to post?

I have one in N scale somewhere in a box of left overs..... Oh well.

Hm, engines and rolling stock that ran in my home state, like the MTH Great Northern uncatalogued SW1 of this year and can run on O-27. So SP&S, and its siblings, CB&Q, NP, Frisco, GN, and the later BN, along with the Rio Grande, and the Western Pacific.

Steam, yes, steam. This is a re-pair, baby steps.... now for smoke, then the Fixins...oh, and LIGhTs, and green markers, yup. I got it bad.
ty TMM

softie for Steam!

I would love to have an MTH Imperial Challenger and Big Boy. I have a Imperial Berkshire 759 on my track now which I really enjoy. It's a great smoker too. Arnold, your layout looks amazing!

@scale rail posted:

I have a soft spot for K-line Train Masters in Milwaukee Road. I think I have six or seven of them. Can't pass them up. If you were a K-line club member you could get one of these beauties for only 100 bucks. Conventional of course, but you could add sound when ordering. At the time and for many years they were the best Train Masters on the market. Everyone else was still making copies of Lionel's, including Lionel. Don

Don! Wow, just wow. and the Roundhouse turntable with the bearings, wow. My Grandpa worked in the Proctor Roundhouse back in the Hauling Iron Ore days of Steam in the DMIR. Duluth-Messabe-Iron-Range days when men were men and wrenches were HUGE! Yellowstone Steamers up here. Gotta find a couple old photos. Ill put that on the list

Thanks Don, Fabulous, Amazing. Elliot has the hidden yard, Hill Humpyard, and my heart is once again lost to your turntable... Thanks for lifting our spirits with your photos!

@Arnold D. Cribari posted:

So do Lionel Postwar Sunoco oil tanker cars. I have 10 of them.

Arnold

Yep. I don't know what the attraction is, but I love a nice drag of these. I have more than 10. When I see them I just check the decals to make sure they are still readable.

That and coal hoppers, same thing a drag of them is just so satisfying.

Another "Irresistible" is my Lionel scale N&W scale J class from the  2005 catalogue.  At $1250 cat. price I never entertained the idea of owning one in 2005, but I sure loved looking at this beautiful locomotive in stores and at shows!  WOW WEE!!!  I had really longed for one since I first saw it in the late 1950s Lionel catalogue back when I was a kid.  Of course, as a kid, with 027 layout the J was not for my sharp curves not to mention my parents' budget  back then.  

Fast forward to the 2006 or 07 when my friend Randy had a train business on line and he also set up at shows such York and the Great Scale Show in Timoniium, Md. among others.  At that time Randy did not have TMCC on his layout so he had no way of testing TMCC locos.    He would come to my house and use my layout to test run TMCC engines  that he acquired for re-sale at his business.    One day he happened to bring a brand new scale J class.  Even at that moment,  the thought never crossed my mind that Randy would be leaving my house minus one locomotive ( no I didn't steel it ... LOL ).  We fired up the J and put it through its paces while still in neutral.  I was convinced that it would not negotiate my 042 curves but thought what the heck .... I slowly approached the O42 curve and the J took the curve without derailing.  I then backed the J through the curve, again,  without derailing.  I took her through the curve at a faster speed and she stayed on the track.  Then I cranked her up to passenger train speed and let her take the curve which she did just fine.  At this movement the " IRRESISTIBLE" urge ran through me like a bold of lightening!!  I began to drool like a rabid dog!!  The engine did have a slight problem with it but I thought I could probably fix that.  Randy and I worked out a trade deal.  I finally got the J that I had sooooo longed for as a little boy. This was one of those "IRRESISTIBLE" moments in my hobby life.   I did fix that small problem and the N&W J Class 611 still runs proudly on my FSJR and is still the "Queen of the Fleet".  

@ftauss posted:

Yep. I don't know what the attraction is, but I love a nice drag of these. I have more than 10. When I see them I just check the decals to make sure they are still readable.

That and coal hoppers, same thing a drag of them is just so satisfying.

I think the appeal of oil tanker drags and coal drags is they commonly happen with real freight trains.

@trumptrain posted:

Another "Irresistible" is my Lionel scale N&W scale J class from the  2005 catalogue.  At $1250 cat. price I never entertained the idea of owning one in 2005, but I sure loved looking at this beautiful locomotive in stores and at shows!  WOW WEE!!!  I had really longed for one since I first saw it in the late 1950s Lionel catalogue back when I was a kid.  Of course, as a kid, with 027 layout the J was not for my sharp curves not to mention my parents' budget  back then.  

Fast forward to the 2006 or 07 when my friend Randy had a train business on line and he also set up at shows such York and the Great Scale Show in Timoniium, Md. among others.  At that time Randy did not have TMCC on his layout so he had no way of testing TMCC locos.    He would come to my house and use my layout to test run TMCC engines  that he acquired for re-sale at his business.    One day he happened to bring a brand new scale J class.  Even at that moment,  the thought never crossed my mind that Randy would be leaving my house minus one locomotive ( no I didn't steel it ... LOL ).  We fired up the J and put it through its paces while still in neutral.  I was convinced that it would not negotiate my 042 curves but thought what the heck .... I slowly approached the O42 curve and the J took the curve without derailing.  I then backed the J through the curve, again,  without derailing.  I took her through the curve at a faster speed and she stayed on the track.  Then I cranked her up to passenger train speed and let her take the curve which she did just fine.  At this movement the " IRRESISTIBLE" urge ran through me like a bold of lightening!!  I began to drool like a rabid dog!!  The engine did have a slight problem with it but I thought I could probably fix that.  Randy and I worked out a trade deal.  I finally got the J that I had sooooo longed for as a little boy. This was one of those "IRRESISTIBLE" moments in my hobby life.   I did fix that small problem and the N&W J Class 611 still runs proudly on my FSJR and is still the "Queen of the Fleet".  

And, your N&W scale J Class steamer, Patrick, has a beautiful home basking in the glory of the autumn colors on your layout. Arnold

For me, it was a super detailed cab forward accomplished a few years back. It has working oilers and individual cam sound for the drivers. the basis for this loco was the Williams cab forward. Some day I will figure how to put glass in the cab without taking the cab roof off.

I have several "Irresistible" model train related urges.  One is that the models need to be at least "Scale" to some extent and not toy like.   When Sunset offered the scale Burlington Zephyr back a number of years ago, I could not resist the urge as that was one sweet model to own.  Especially the Tom Sawyer with the extra car.    The consist is all chrome and it looks great as a display under lights or on a layout.  Shown is the engine and observation car.  The two remaining cars are not shown.

I have wished on others posts for  a New Haven mohawk with a Vanderbilt tender.

There are nice Vandys on ebay with NYC engine but I heard engine is not reliable.

I asked Stephen at McMuffins if he could ask Lionel to change the upcoming Mohawks. Never heard from him.

Steve is checking to see if this is a possibility. 020421