KRM,
Thanks very much.
And to answer Bob's question of how we get a company that's sent their tooling and production offshore to return home...well, I'll bring the pitchforks and you bring the torches my friend!!!!
Kidding around of course. I wonder what Sam Adams would have done?
I'm a student of the Revolution too Joe, and about Sam Adams...
I have to give credit where credit is due, he stuck his neck waaaaay out when it wasn't advisable to do so, stood a good chance of getting it stretched, and he'd be the first to join your pitchfork brigade, but ol' Sam was a good one for tearing down an existing government, he wasn't so hot when it came to making a new one. Failed businessman too.
The original "Sam Adams" brewery? He ran it into the ground.
Way off topic I know, but the times and people of the Revolution fascinate me. If only I could work it into an O gauge layout. Maybe a battle re-enactment? I DO have Lionel's "President Washington" B&O Pacific from the 90's. Got lucky on that one, right time, right place.
There's a number of books out on Alexander Hamilton, to say nothing of the Broadway show, but for a really fascinating book on Hamilton, and quite a few other gents as well let me suggest "George Washington's Indispensable Men," a study of Washington's aides during the Revolution. Written by Arthur S. Lefkowitz and published by Stackpole Books in 2003. I'm sure there's copys around out there somewhere. It's a treasure.
Joe. I wouldn't apologize for starting this post. It's nice to have a good thought provoking discussion. I don't think we've caused Bob to sweat it out too much over this topic!
Back when I had more room on my Christmas layout I used 54mm ACW figures in many areas.
It's easy to spot the brigade parading past Independence Hall but there were soldiers in many other areas too. Equally obvious are the cannon, mortars and men on the flatcars behind the James Gang General. Much harder to see is the reenactment battle being staged. Look for the yellow AF boxcar and you may see my ersatz Lee on his ersazt Traveller.
These are low cost plastic figures in the traditional 54mm "army men" size and while they're a bit large for O scale, they look fine in a toylike setting. They're easy to paint and modify too. However you need a pretty good chunk of real estate to stage any kind of battle. That's why I tend to stick with figures in marching poses so I can have them in a parade. Civilians in this size figure are few and far between. There's the Johnny Tremain set, the Untouchables and the Boy Scouts, but that's about it. You can fill the civilian gap with firemen, police, construction workers, airport personnel and even astronauts.
But if you want to look at some pretty spectacular sets of figures, many of which were recast from Marx molds, try http://www.classictoysoldiers.com/cgi-bin/ctsc6/rtl/prd_d.cgi?category=54mm%20Toy%20Soldiers+Rev%20War%20Figures%20(54mm). They're very reasonable, ship fast and their Battle of Yorktown set will knock your socks off!
Trains, trains, wonderful trains. The more you get, the more you toot!
Hey Fire,
I always liked the fact that Sam Adams was a failed tax collector because he was such a good guy, he refused to push his neighbors who didn't have the money!
Yep, that's funny too, since the current Sam Adams' Brewery is so successful. Sam inherited it from his father I believe. I think if you look, its possible to find a Made in USA Sam Adams Octoberfest boxcar from Weaver, which used to be right down the road from me. I hope Lionel decides to do a Sam Adams series.
I have to check out that B&O GW engine, I never saw it (I usually skip steam for diesel).
Hamilton and Jefferson's relationship, or lack thereof, I find fascinating. I often wonder if Washington just sat back and laughed as they opposed eachother. I usually fall on the Jefferson side. Its funny, a lot of those patriots (Sam Adams maybe somewhat, but Patrick Henry for sure) opposed the Constitution. But you are correct, Sir, you would certainly want them for a Pitchfork/Torch brigade.
Kudos to Lionel for celebrating the Presidents with their boxcar series. Which one, if any, do you guys/girls think will be the short print/rarity?
Great layout featuring those Civil War soldiers Becky, and it's quite appropriate. The Union Army had a lot of very distinguished regiments that came from Ohio, in addition to generals Grant, Sherman, and Sheridan.
And Joe, Washington might have gotten a good laugh out of Jefferson and Hamilton getting into each other, but not while they were in the room with him, he was too much of a gentleman for that. The General did have a lively sense of humor, something you wouldn't suspect from that Gilbert Stuart portrait.
I would totally agree with you on GW being too much of a gentleman, I read once where someone walked up to him at a gathering and smacked him on the shoulder like an old buddy would, and GW turned and gave the man a stare that "froze the blood." He had a great deal of respect for his office and the precedents he was setting.
I wonder how much demand there is for the James Garfield or the Herbert Hoover boxcar? We should load up on them, maybe 20 years from now we can retire on the profits!
Joe, that B&O "President Washington" dates from 1994. As you said, you're a diesel guy but if you go for this particular steamer let me tell you, you could do a LOT worse! As good, simple, solid reliable runner, and mine'll pull 13 billboard boxcars with no trouble. And being from 1994, it's American made. Back to the original topic, huh?
If you go to train shows just keep your eyes open, they're around, you've just got to be patient.
I just took at look at the heading, as of this time 19:26 hours EST it's 68 replies, but one-thousand-seven-hundred-and-seventeen views! That's amazing. There's a lot of people who seem interested in this thread even if they don't care to or can't comment.
I enjoy trains from many eras of production. Lionel from pre and post war, MPC era that I had as a child and modern era when I can afford them. I also enjoy LGB trains, but most of them are from the German production era as new stuff from the Marklin ownership era are to expensive for me. If we do not support our favorite train companies, for me its Lionel, then they will not survive to the next era where trains might be made elsewhere, maybe even more of them here in the states. The coming years will be very interesting and not just in the toy train front. The discussion over where trains are made is much like the opinions of where to buy then or not buy them(brick and morter store/LHS, mail order or online). Its fond to remember how it was, when dad's worked, mom could stay home and raise the kids and trains and other items were mostly if not all USA produced. Maybe some day we will return to those times, when more fathers can make enough $$ that mom can stay home and take care of the kids. Its always fun to dream and remember when! Merry Christmas everybody! Mike the Aspie
Silly NT's, I have Asperger's Syndrome
Unfortunately toy manufacturing all over the world has moved to the Far East. Marklin, in Germany went bankrupt a few years ago trying to continue manufacturing in Germany. The Chinese seem to have the market cornered as MTH, Lionel and more than a few European manufacturers have moved production there. The last Lionel locomotives I have that were made in the U.S. are some F-3s from the late 1990's, a C&O 490 streamlined Hudson and a PRR T-1 4-4-4-4 that has some Korean parts in it. It's all about labor costs. Look at the per centage of U.S. components in most American cars. My Mustang is only 85% North American sourced parts and some of the 'North American' parts, like the transmission were made in Mexico.
Marklin was always overpriced in my opinion. Then they bought up Trix and LGB further diversifying their troubles.
By the way, aboard!
Becky
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