Island Trains Lionel Bargains-Brief Reviews

[Joe Hohmann]

You'll love the FasTrack "Work Gang". Mine has been working-away for almost 2 years, and it's a "visiter favorite". Joe

[jimhaleyscomet]

Thank you for the reviews.  Just what I needed, more low priced item temptations!

 

Jim H 

[nblum]

Not that I need more trains.....but I was surfing the Island Trains site for bargains, or items I was too lazy to pre-order, and came across two that I recently received:

Northern Pacific PS-4 Flatcars with Piggyback Trailers (6-27517)

Always have had a soft spot for NP rolling stock with the yin-yang symbol, whatever it is really called ;).  These are beautifully done and ridiculously detailed and well made. Not all that fragile although clearly not designed for the average 8-10 year old.  Very attractive to my eye, and will run on 0-36 curves.  p. 104 of the current catalog.  List price is steep ($84.99) but Henry's selling them for $61.00, which is a good price, at least for me.  Normally, I'd try to get these from my local guy, but this was an add-on to the following blow-out, which  I found irresistible:

New Haven Fastrack Scrap Yard (6-34145)

Having recently gotten into Fastrack for Christmas and floor layouts, and being a toy guy not a hi-railer, I had my eye on this McGinniss color scheme F unit (?) cab being dismantled action accessory (p.145 of the current catalog).  But at $99.99 the activation energy was too high to pre-order.  Henry had it for $47.99 which made it an easy decision.  It's Fastrack, but could be worked into a permanent layout easily.  There are seven very high quality detailed painted figures and four of these are animated.  One guy has a very impressive flickering LED welding torch that really makes the accessory a delight.  The other three moving figures are holding various bits of scrap metal from the deceased locomotive.  They don't do much, but it's cute, IMO.  Next Christmas I've got to get a Fastrack switch or two and include this and other accessories on a spur around the tree. There's an earlier Santa Fe War Bonnet version, and a road crew and track gang version as well.  Reminds me of the Choo-Choo Barn in Strasburg and their animations, and visits there with my West Coast friends ;).