One of my coworkers figured out I'm into trains (could be my Windows desktop wallpaper of the NS Reading Heritage SD70ACe) so brought in some stuff for me.
A Lionel 400-6 RDC
An AHM FM C-Liner in Conrail
A Life-Like train set F9 in Conrail
and a Tyco F9 in UP.
No idea what I am going to do with such things. The two F units both have cracked WHEELS on the power truck. Never saw that before.
--Randy
Modeling the Reading Railroad in the 1950's
Visit my web site at www.readingeastpenn.com for construction updates, DCC Info, and more.
It's the thought that counts. Set up a roundhouse or engine terminal scene, photograph it and make that your screensaveer for a while.
It takes an iron man to play with a toy iron horse.
Sounds like a thoughtful gesture.
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I really like the previous suggestion.
-Kevin
Living the dream.
MisterBeasley It's the thought that counts. Set up a roundhouse or engine terminal scene, photograph it and make that your screensaveer for a while.
Great idea and guaranteed to make your co-worker feel appreciated. After that, maybe dumify them and practice your weathering? I've worked with quite a few life-likes and Tyco locos and while I've seen cracked gears, I've never seen cracked wheels either.
The Lionel RDC is a nice gift. If it's running (even if it's not) it's probably got some value. A great shiny shelf item at the least or a very good candidate for a round-the-christmas-tree train.
Visit the Chicago Valley Railroad for Chicago Trainspotting and Budget Model Railroading.
I've never figured out how to react when someone outside the hobby thinks I'm playing with toy trains. I can't count the number of times I've heard "My uncle has boxes full of old Lionel trains in his attic" or something similar.
I have the right to remain silent. By posting here I have given up that right and accept that anything I say can and will be used as evidence to critique me.
carl425 I've never figured out how to react when someone outside the hobby thinks I'm playing with toy trains. I can't count the number of times I've heard "My uncle has boxes full of old Lionel trains in his attic" or something similar.
That just burns me up. No wonder I'm pretty much the sole financer of my hobby...
I'm beginning to realize that Windows 10 and sound decoders have a lot in common. There are so many things you have to change in order to get them to work the way you want.
The hobby has a hard enough time sorting out the scale model/toy distinction to expect outsiders to grasp it, and any attempt you make to explain is going to sound geekier by the minute to them.
When people ask me about the value of uncle or grandpa's Lionel or Flyer stuff I try my best to be helpful. I do have a general notion of what is pre 1970, pre-1960, and pre WWII. The finer points of what Lionel 6464 boxcar was sold only at Sears in 1955 and thus is very rare, is beyond me. But I also do know a few dealers and individuals who do know and are in a position to make an offer.
When somebody offers to give me a box of train stuff which looks like mostly junk I say "thank you" and take it. Sometimes there can be one gem in such a box, especially if the original source was in the hobby a long time. Sometimes, nope it's all junk. If I decide to throw it away at least an informed person made that decision. We've all heard the horror stories about what trains (or worse yet, Kodachrome train slides from the 1950s) the families threw away.
Being known as a "train guy" can have its advantages. One day at work a fellow worker came in and gave me a big envelope - filled with railroad passes from the 1895 to 1910 era, from several railroads. Someone in his wife's family had worked for the railroad back then. They had been saved but nobody in the family cared anymore, so it was me or the trash bin.
Dave Nelson
I got the MTH Rugged Rails equipment I set up for the grandson from a co-worker.
Lots of track, cars and an F40ph.
Mike.
My You Tube
Since my large scale Thomas no longer runs well, I could probably pick up a loop of Lionel FasTrack for around the office tree and run the RDC there. It's in kind of sad shape, body is all dinged up and decals are missing, and the entire horn assembly is gone - probably yhe D batteyr leaked and destroyed a good bit of it. Otherwise it's nearly impossible to kill these old Lionels, so I am sure I can make it run.
This sort of went down the same way Carl mentioned, coworker one day entioned "hey, I have a bunch of old trains".
I'm connected to several RR operating and history groups. When people ask, I compare it to Civil War re-enactors (except only one of us gets ever costumed up). History, research etc. By that time, their eyes have usually glazed over and it's time for another beer.
rrinker...An AHM FM C-Liner in Conrail...
Well, I dunno about the Conrail paint and lettering, but I re-worked this AHM C-Liner into a reasonable facsimile of its prototype for a friend...
I put the re-worked shell on the chassis of a Stewart Baldwin AS-16, and installed C-Liner sideframes from Detail Associates. It's not only a decent runner, but looks good even with the very nicely-done C-Liners from Proto, which my friend acquired later.
Wayne
Despite AHM offering it in Reading (in the second gen scheme of green and yellow!), no C-Liners ran on the rails around here. So while I COULD paint it for some other road (and definitely would need to repower it with a new chassis), I really don't have a place for it with the local railroads. I guess if I set up a PRR interchange..... Or NYC, then I could put an EMD 567 sound decoder in them - by my era, the CFA-20-A's on the NYC were remotored with EMD prime movers.
Way out there project, for sure....
Might be crossing forum boundaries, but I would have leveled that guy before he finished "makes sense..." I have a nephew who is mentally challenged. He is not "retarded'. In fact he is brilliant in his own every day way. The moron who made that statement is the one who is retarded. Sorry to rant, but that crap pisses me off.
I was trying to add a quote from a previous reply, but the quote didn't stick (my error). Drill up a few responses for context. My apologies.
Kudos, Drum Guy! Also not to hijack the thread, but the "r" word is as derogatory as any racial or other discriminatory label. I am foster dad to a severely disabled sweet daughter, and if I ever heard someone call her that, or any other similarly challenged person, there WILL be a pointed verbal confrontation.
On topic, Someone gave me a box of train set junk too, including (I think) one of those C-Liners in Conrail paint. It's tucked away safely but I'll probably never use it. Are they kinda rare? Dan
Edited in: I took a look, it is a C-liner, but with hokey Blomberg dummy trucks, and only one left at that.
When I was working in a warehouse as a forklift operator my checker said her father had lots of Lionel train in a closet and he gave them to my husband and now our former guest bedroom contains a 4x8' Lionel layout. Here comes the catch.. We enjoy the layout as a family and talking about extening it.
Needless to say I was surprise..I never thought her to be much into any hobby since she loved watching old movies from the 30-50s..
Larry
Conductor.
Summerset Ry.
"Stay Alert, Don't get hurt Safety First!"
DrumguyWelcome
So, you get angry when the word "retarded" is used because of you're nephew, but yet, it's ok for you to call someone else that AND you also called him a moron.
Got it!
Chuck - Modeling in HO scale and anything narrow gauge
EilifGreat idea and guaranteed to make your co-worker feel appreciated. After that, maybe dumify them and practice your weathering? I've worked with quite a few life-likes and Tyco locos and while I've seen cracked gears, I've never seen cracked wheels either.
I've seen a few cars that had cracked wheels. The cracking seems to occur as a result of the plastic wheels being pressed onto metal axles, and over time, the crack spreads out from the center of the wheel out to the treads.
Marlon
See pictures of the Clinton-Golden Valley RR
trwroute Quickly off topic then back on. I wouldn't equate a supposedly mature adult using a derogatory term toward a child to a supposedly mature adult (me) using same terms to describe the actions of a supposedly mature adult (bowling alley guy). At the end of the day it's still name calling and bad choice of words on my part. Back on topic: a friend works at a land fill and has runs across a couple boxes of train stuff. its just beginner train set junk, but I've used the cars to experiment with weathering, locos to to try paint stripping and custom painting, etc. And there's always a few tidbits that work as worn out junk scenery. Most of it goes right back in the trash. What would get weird is if someone gave you something, you give them the awkward "gee, thanks", and eventually came by expecting to see it running on the layout. Uncomfortable silence ensues... Drumguy Welcome So, you get angry when the word "retarded" is used because of you're nephew, but yet, it's ok for you to call someone else that AND you also called him a moron. Got it!
Quickly off topic then back on. I wouldn't equate a supposedly mature adult using a derogatory term toward a child to a supposedly mature adult (me) using same terms to describe the actions of a supposedly mature adult (bowling alley guy). At the end of the day it's still name calling and bad choice of words on my part. Back on topic: a friend works at a land fill and has runs across a couple boxes of train stuff. its just beginner train set junk, but I've used the cars to experiment with weathering, locos to to try paint stripping and custom painting, etc. And there's always a few tidbits that work as worn out junk scenery. Most of it goes right back in the trash. What would get weird is if someone gave you something, you give them the awkward "gee, thanks", and eventually came by expecting to see it running on the layout. Uncomfortable silence ensues...
Drumguy Welcome
Crap, I don't know why my reply showed up preceding and appearing as part of twroute's quote. Odd.
I hope a bunch of these posts get deleted. I can always think of the exact perfect response, well after the moment has passed.
Henry
COB Potomac & Northern
Shenandoah Valley
DrumguyI don't know why my reply showed up preceding and appearing as part of twroute's quote. Odd.
There is a (/quote) that is below where you are entering your message and that makes it part of the quote. The () are actually brackets in html speak