St. Nikolaus Express

It's Nikolaus day in parts of Europe so here's   a festive scene at our daughter's house, the plastic Jolly Trolley, which trundles back and forth on a short piece of track. Very cute!

Have you anything Christmassy to show us readers? 

Collection X: The Ultimate Barn Find

 There was an interesting snippet on the BBC news this morning about a Collection X.

With such an intriguing name and the phrase 'barn find' being used I watched it. 

I thought it might have been a massive collection of space toys but it turned out to be a huge group of old steam locomotives hidden away in barns for fifty years.

Once the property of the late railway super collector Peter Rampton, part of the Freemans catalogue family, the trains are now being sold off and going to various rail museums including the Vale of Rheidol.

I'm not a big train enthusiast but I can appreciate the excitement the release of this lifetime's collection is generating. 

There's a book on Collection X too, Narrow Gauge Enigma.

Have you a rail museums or historic railway near you?

The Monogram Chromed New York Hudson

Hi Woodsy

In the late 1980s Monogram released a series of chrome-plated models called Metal Master. There were four 1/24th scale 1930s cars, and two versions of the 1/87th scale Hudson 4-6-4 steam locomotive.

The Hudson was a 1982 kit, and one of two HO gauge steam locomotives released by Monogram. It initially came in three versions, with markings for different US railroads; and was later re-issued by Con-Cor and Revell.

They were Snap-Tite Model Kits, meaning they snapped-together, with no glue required. The completed locomotive stood on a short section of track, which was included in the kit.

Even in 1/87th scale, 3.5 mm to the foot, the Hudson was a massive 13 inches (33 cm) long, including the tender which carried water and coal.

Everything in the Metal Master kits was chromed - even the track, and the coal in the tender. The boxes, instruction sheets, and decals all carry a 1988 copyright date.

The boxes said Note: Completely plated plastic model kit - not die cast. No painting required. Apart from the boxes and instruction sheets, the only difference between the two models was in the decal sheets (both printed only in black).

1133 New York Central Hudson Locomotive

1134 Chessie Special Hudson Locomotive

The second version had Chessie Special on the boxes, but Chessie System on the instruction sheet and decals. Chessie System being a nick-name for the Chesapeake and Ohio Railway, and later the official name for a group of railways owned by the same company.

Bright, chrome-plated silver seems like an odd choice for a steam locomotive, and the kits appear to have been short-lived. The other locomotive kit by Monogram, the even more massive 4-8-8-4 Big Boy was not released in a chromed version.

Six photographs from Worthpoint

Anyone got one like this?

Paul Adams from New Zealand

Allegheny Anyone?

I've never been a big train fan - other than the fab BiG BiG trains! - but old boxed sets like this Lionel are just so great to look at, never mind play with. 

I love the single name of this set, Allegheny. Where's that then?

Terranova47's Tram Fleet

Hello Woodsy

Just dug out this old shot of some of my motorized tram fleet.

Terranova47

USA

Terranova47's Trams

Hello Woodsy

Northern Heights has three motorized trams running both single and double deck.

There are static models on display including an European tin Christmas tree ornament too.

Enjoy,

Terranova47

USA

Catch a Tram

I picked these up last month: plastic trams by German companies Wiking and SIKU.

There's something very endearing about these Straßenbahn and trams in general.

Our local big City, Leeds, doesn't have any. They once did decades ago but ripped them out!

Do you like toy trams? Has your city got a tram system?

Mystery Train Set

 

I see this plastic train set all over. Usually it's loose and in bits.

This one in a charity shop appears complete.

Anyone recognise it? 

Ed's Lionel Butterfinger Boxcar

Woodsy,

Here's a 'sweet' car from Lionel made during their MPC era - an era known for its wide variety of colorful, licensed rolling stock. It's one of many candy-related pieces of rolling stock out in The Cave.

From Candy Land Vegas

Ed

Ed's Trash To Treasure Flagstop Station

Woodsy,

It was great reading the recent series of posts about turning scraps from the parts bins into something useful. 

While my mind doesn't work well enough to come up with ideas for a spaceship or spy toy or action figure, it wants to focus more on what I might be able to do for my train layout. 

A few years back I wanted a really small flagstop station (I believe they're referred to as 'request stops' in the UK) for my Edge of Town micro-layout. 

Plasticville makes a small passenger platform that looks good, and I used one for a while, but I wanted something smaller still.

 Inspiration came from the Internet when viewing photos of rural milk platforms and flagstops.

 I ended up cutting down an old Plasticville platform that was a bit beat-up, added supports, a new wooden deck, and a passenger shelter made from a Plasticville 2-stall outhouse with the doors and inner dividing wall removed, and a bench added. 

I gave the whole construct a disheveled, 'I need maintenance now' look and am quite satisfied with the results.

From Request Stop Vegas!

Ed

Ed's Baby Ruth Boxcars

Woodsy,

Here's some Baby Ruth cars in my collection:

Prewar

Photo 1: Lionel #1679 Lionel Lines Baby Ruth Boxcar Ylw w-Brwn Roof Auto Couplers ('39-'42)

Photo 2: Lionel #1679 Lionel Lines Baby Ruth Boxcar Ylw w-Brwn Roof Latch Couplers ('39-'42)

Photo 3: Lionel #1679 Lionel Lines Baby Ruth Boxcar Ylw w-Green Roof ('39-'42)

Postwar

Photo 4: Lionel #X6014(A) PRR Baby Ruth Shorty Boxcar - Wht (1951)

Photo 5: Lionel #X6034(B) PRR Baby Ruth Shorty Boxcar - Orng (1953-54)

MPC Era

Photo 6: Lionel #6-9854 Baby Ruth Billboard Box Car (1972-76)

Lionel made quite a few versions of the Baby Ruth cars in both the Prewar and Postwar era's; I only have a relatively few.

These are just some of the many candy-related train items out in The Cave (not saying I have a sweet tooth or anything, but....)

From Vegas Candy land

Ed

Ed's Train Layout 'Building on Fire' Scene

Woodsy,

Here's a couple of shots of the 'Building on Fire' scene on my 3-rail O-gauge train layout which I call The Milwaukee North Western). The first photo was taken in August of last year. 

After a couple of years of placing that fire scene in different spots around my downtown area, I decided to put it in this corner. 

My goal was to get as many buildings as I could fit into my downtown to make a busy urban area, and this small space was perfect for shoehorning the building into it. The second photo was taken in January after a couple of buildings were added. 

The fire scene is a now bit harder to see on the one hand, on the other hand it still lends itself well to a busy, crowded city.

From The Milwaukee North Western,

Ed

Rob's Heimat Holiday

Woodsy,

Just for fun, here are pix of a few German HO scale houses I've decided to take to Goodwill. 

I've had them for years, and frankly, I need the space! No train layout anymore, so I have to be discerning on what I keep.

 All of these hail from the 1960's, although some of the builds are more recent.

Rob C

USA