Old Charlie stole the handle
and the train it won't stop
oh no way to slow down
-- Jethro Tull
bought my first Marx wind up....https://locomotivebreath.Shutterfly.com/
Swiss-Colorado-Lines Old Charlie stole the handle and the train it won't stop oh no way to slow down -- Jethro Tull bought my first Marx wind up....https://locomotivebreath.Shutterfly.com/
Golly gee, I love me a good ol' Marx windup! Got a few, they're loads of fun. Just gotta be careful to check when buying, don't wanna spend too much on a non-runner!Happy winding-Ellie
"Unless bought from a known and trusted dealer who can vouch otherwise, assume every train for sale requires servicing before use"
Thanks!
it's a fun little train to run!
But once you turn it loose, it's completely out of your hands......
I got rid of most of my clockwork in my downsizing but I kept my commie!
And pulling a Lionel tender it can haul lightweight latch coupler cars.
Same me, different spelling!
Great looking Commodore! These wind ups are less common than the electric versions, been wanting one for a while....
It's a whole separate experience.....
Paul
Since I've been retired, been able to work on the train room layout a lot, and probably have 2 15 minute operating sessions daily. Quite proud of the progress so far....
but it's a " work in progress "..
click on the " Locomotive Breath" link at the top of this thread to see the photos I have added to the share....
Looking great!
Thank you! Of course, it will morph and change as time goes by, and ideas hit....
for me, this is not only a layout, but also a test bed for ideas as they come to me...
I was lucky to come across those vintage cars, I love the look!
That Flyer Hudson sure makes you stop and take notice!
Thank you! Those are my 2 favorite Flyer engines: the 326 Hudson and the 312. Really love the smoke effect on the Flyer steamers. I wanted to share these because I felt they were better pictures than what was shown previously.
Looks great! I gave an MTH Santa Fe 2-6-0 the SP look after watching a video about 2472.
The S.P. Look in the days of steam was quite beautiful! They had shiny black steamers with a silvered face, and red highlights. Many from Baldwin, the Daylights from Lima.
I went to Railfair '91, and chased 2472 from South San Francisco to Niles junction. I have a photo of 2472 at Niles Junction around here somewhere.....At Railfair also was 4449. Went up into the cab, and there was an S.P. Herald emblazoned on the cab floor! In a similar vain, I got a cab ride on S.P. Diesels working L.A. harbor around 1987. There were S.P. Heralds embossed into the seat cushions in the cab!
Just a little piece of trivia....
Having toy trains does it for me no matter what time of year it is! But a Hudson in the snow is always cool!
Thank you! My wife says these trees look like Christmas trees... so, every time I look at this scene.......
Snow on the conifers will do that to you!
What brand? Kato are very well known for their quality and smooth running drives, but I know Tomytec makes a lot of N scale stuff.I have a c. 1950s-1960s Japanese O gauge locomotive I need to get back to working on some time... it needs a full restoration unfortunately, but the price wasn't too bad. I also have some cars for it that need work.(auction picture)The reason it needs restoring is that there are parts that need to be soldered back to the body... which means heating the metal to the point that the paint starts burning. Have to make a few parts from sheet brass.I'm always a fan of electric multiple units, especially those of the former New Haven, but I find japanese electric trainsets are very cool too!-Ellie
Hi Ellie,
this train is Tomix, which I believe is part of Tomy. It is a common N scale brand in Japan, not seen as much in the US. I bought it at the RomanceCar Museum in Ebina.It was 20% off for New Year's!
If you're not familiar with the RomanceCar:
it is an upgraded service on the Odakyu lines. Extra fare, reserved seating, limited stops. It blows through intermediate stations at speed without slowing down! Plush seats. Many of the models over the years have a bubble on top that the driver sits in. Some models in recent years went back to a conventional configuration, but the new GSE went back to the driver on top. It is possible for passengers to reserve the end seats at the front or rear.
Here's an update on my Flyer 312 SIT:
the transformer works, green light comes on. When I turn the handle, the engine headlight comes on, but just buzzes. Needs a complete service!
Started with the SIT, bellows ok, cleaned and serviced smoke motor, it is still sluggish, need to keep at it to wake it up. Looks like Somebody put Lionel smoke pellets in the smoke unit.May need to clean it all out and rebuild it.
Haven't opened the engine up yet, but I can see from the bottom that the brushes are completely worn down to almost nothing. Don't know about the reverse unit yet, but I'm expecting a full rebuild.
The best thing about this train is there is no rust, and everything is complete, not missing anything. So, a great candidate to restore to operation.
Trying to find room for another loop of track in my congested train room is the next big challenge!
This is exciting!
Having a vintage train experience!!
The new 312 is really running well now! 1/2 or 2/3 on the throttle is more than fast enough! What a sweet engine! An issue is developing with the 290: the electrical pickup wipers on the tender wheels. My next project.
As an observation, the Flyer engines are definitely much more difficult to fix than the Lionel. Although the motors are virtually identical in design, it's all the wiring and connections from the tender that require a much higher skill level. Many possibilities for a broken wire, or bad connection.
But, all the sweeter when it's running properly again!
Back in the saddle again....
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