train show blues

[cmitcham]

the wife and i visited the ann arbor show in saline, michigan today. we walk in, and she says she doesn't want to follow me around, she'll meet me by the clock in a couple hours.

i find a good deal on six mdc 50' tankers. i finally break down and buy a 100 piece bulk pack of atlas 33" metal wheels.

i really want a mdc steam kit, and they're there, but i don't fork out the 80-90 bucks. i also want a p2k emd sw6/8/9/1200/1500 switcher. several places i see the sw9/1500 for $30. i never see the sw6/8 for less than $60. anybody know why? the 6/8 boxes usually look newer, so maybe the 9/1500 is last years model, but is there detail or mechanical differences? i might not be remembering the model numbers exactly... anyway, i don't come away with one today.

so , a couple of hours has passed, and i find the wife. she has bought a freight station kit, and a water tower kit. boy am i lucky; she is the greatest.

we head home, and then the blues hit. i hurry downstairs to install my new metal wheelsets, and they don't fit any of my stock. they are .945", i seem to need 1.02". the package calls the .945s freight, and the 1.02s caboose. so anyway, i'll be trying to exchange them around here, obviously not holding my breath.

if anyone can use them, let me know.

calvin.