Well, big for me on my limited income. My wife wasn't happy I spent the $$ but she likes the engine being that she is from Pennsylvania. Anyhow, my friend and I went to the LHS in Indianapolis. Train Central gets in lots of estate items, which I can just spend hours picking thru. In the brass display cabinet was a Gem/Olympia brass PRR H10 2-8-0. Not the best paint job, but not that bad either, tender decals were peeling off, ran smooth but squeeled like a stuck pig and came with its original box in good shape(has a felt type finish!). I wrote a check for $100 plus taxes. Once I got back home, I tore the engine down and serviced the old open frame motor, replaced the weak magnet with the rare earth super magnets I get from Micro Mark. These do away with the need to repower with a can motor 99% of the time. They lower the amp draw back to normal, reduce how hot the motor runs and restore low end torque so the model will run slow and smooth. I plan to letter the engine for my proto freelance Logansport & Eel River, which was a branch of the PRR till abandoned many years ago. A museum/festival ran a train using ex BC&G #13 painted up and redetailed to look somewhat like a H10 when I was a kid. So I am doing a proto free lance short line using mostly steam power. Here soon, I will get my early xmas present from my wife. A OMI C&O G9 2-8-0, which is what the BC&G engine was based on and is very very close to L&EL No1 that I rode behind and in the cab when I was a little boy. We found it months ago and have been slowly paying for it in layaway. It is unpainted and with the level of detail and cost, we are going to wait till we can have it professioanly painted(which is going to cost nearly as much as the engine did) Stan Cederleaf did up decal for me, so I am all set there. I am going to take the festival train and expand beyond that with some local freight work and handle it with my H10, which will be No2 and once I get my other 2-8-0, she will join in. A diesel is in the plans as well when I find one I like. An older brass GP9 or GP38-2 is what I am wanting, but with either the later Samhongsa drive or Overland. Hopefully at tax return time there will be some funds for it. I want all brass motive power(a pain in the arse on a limited budget). I did also find one of the custom MDC/Roundhouse Iron Horse Festival cars done in 1990 at that same shop and bought it as well. Here is a pic of the future L&ER No2 sitting on top of her box. Mike the Aspie
Silly NT's, I have Asperger's Syndrome
I am going back to Indianapolis in February and am looking forward to my visit to Train Central. Since Hawkins closed in Lafayette, this is the only good part of the trip.
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I was a little concerned that Train Central had closed too. I have not seen an ad for them in Model Railroader for a while.
Is Sanford & Son worth visiting? I have never made it there.
Is that massive Lionel display still open North of Indianapolis?. That can be a good time too.
Good find with the brass loco. I always find something at Train Central.
-Kevin
Living the dream.
Hello Kevin, Mr Muffins and his Lionel display moved from Carmel to Atlanta IN, just a bit further north. He has 2 buildings in the old downtown area, one is the layout under construction(I think he has some of it running now) and the other building is the shop. There is also Zionsville Train Depot on 106th streen in Zionsville that is worth checking out, all scales from Z to G. I also always find something at Train Central. Never been to Sanford and Son's but from what I see of thier stuff at shows, its much newer production where as I am looking for older brass, old craftsman kits and such. There are also 2 shops in Kokomo where I am from, Tolins KnK and The Train Exchange in downtown Kokomo. Train Central has several nice brass steamers in thier display case for sale right now. Love the PFM NKP Berk, but to large for my layout and I am trying to stick to mostly PRR looking engines. Although I did get a basket case MB Austin SP 2-6-0 for $40 to tinker with. Hard to pass up at that price. Got that one from Chucks Brass Trains, he has a website and some killer cheap prices on brass. Mike the Aspie