tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-76656582024-03-07T18:45:10.767-05:00Standard Gauge BlogAnything that will remotely fit into the category of Standard Gauge Trains and Toys!Standard Gauge Bloggerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12580532948851213149noreply@blogger.comBlogger1584125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7665658.post-4416258163035155782023-05-15T13:55:00.002-04:002023-05-15T13:55:21.732-04:00USA Track and Multi-Gauge RaX This was at the recent SGMA layout (which was amazing by the way) at York in April, 2023. These two items are produced by members of the SGMA and are absolutely invaluable if you collect or even try to play with old toy trains.USA Tracks is probably the best standard gauge track I've ever seen. I've seen tons of this stuff over the years and I've paid for way too much of it.&Standard Gauge Bloggerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12580532948851213149noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7665658.post-91846460569576688202023-04-24T09:34:00.003-04:002023-04-24T09:37:16.882-04:00TCA York April 2023 So I decided to celebrate my 30th year in the TCA by heading out to the York meet. I've been in the TCA for 30 years and I've never gone. It is an impressive show. I really went to see my good friends in the SGMA and run some trains on their magnificent layout. I brought my Jerry Brown M-10000 and a little Wakeling car. The Wakeling car had some problems, they Standard Gauge Bloggerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12580532948851213149noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7665658.post-6745180635419439742022-09-26T11:11:00.004-04:002022-09-26T11:21:22.991-04:00Brad Kaplan - Early Standard Gauge EnthusiastThere is a downside to this hobby. It isn't money, it isn't trades that go bad, it isn't toys that can't be had. None of that. It's when I see a note like this on Facebook before I go to sleep (and then fail to sleep at all):When someone leaves us; whether expected or not.When you have someone that is an important person. To his family, his friends, to his co-workers and Standard Gauge Bloggerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12580532948851213149noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7665658.post-16896695537923940372022-08-28T12:37:00.001-04:002022-08-28T12:37:29.745-04:00Newt & Arno's Collections I've seen two great collections at Stout Auctions this week. I am glad that they are going through Stout as they are incredibly reputable, honest and family owned. As a buyer (in the past), I've been incredibly happy with their packing and shipping and was even glad to pay their auction house costs as their service was (in fact) that good. They also accurately describe Standard Gauge Bloggerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12580532948851213149noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7665658.post-63667421876990394322022-08-28T12:00:00.002-04:002022-08-28T12:00:24.172-04:00Arno's Book and More Hello Fellow Hobbyists! It has been a very long time since I posted last. It seems we are entering a new era for standard gauge and I have to tell ya, it is pretty exciting. First Arno Baar's and Dave Carse's Book -I have pretty much every book on standard gauge there is (including the Louis Hertz stuff). I've been trying to think of the best way to encapsulate Standard Gauge Bloggerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12580532948851213149noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7665658.post-8902340720379453562017-11-12T20:40:00.001-05:002017-11-12T20:40:40.567-05:00The Mythical Creswell 600EI know, I haven't been posting. Been loving the trains I have and missing the friend's I've lost the last few years.
I did watch an online auction today that rekindled some of my interest. I saw quite a few standard gauge lots go on Ebay Live auctions (Craig Miller Collection) offered by Turner Auctions. Very solid auction that was well done. The prices were completely Standard Gauge Bloggerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12580532948851213149noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7665658.post-69923882110975242252017-03-18T14:57:00.002-04:002017-03-18T14:57:57.192-04:00Prices and People in 2017I watch the toy train world largely from the sidelines these days. With many of my friends in the hobby gone and the hobby changing, much of the luster is gone for me. I still love toy trains and I still have quite a few, however I haven't purchased a new toy train since 2015. MTH's offerings are a bit on the high side for costing and most of them are re-treads of what was Standard Gauge Bloggerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12580532948851213149noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7665658.post-38523620815437569152016-10-15T16:40:00.004-04:002016-10-15T16:40:53.016-04:00A Reminder of What WasA few shots of Arno's collection from the TCA tour. Definitely a collection compiled by a great man.
Marc
Standard Gauge Bloggerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12580532948851213149noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7665658.post-47531459658258846132016-10-05T10:24:00.001-04:002016-10-18T08:52:42.255-04:00We lost a titan on September 16, 2016 - Arno BaarsIt is with sadness and very heavy heart that I report our very dear friend, Arno Baars has passed. There is no way to fully articulate the kind of loss this is to his family, friends, the world.
I was lucky enough to call Arno a friend and an occasional co-conspirator in the toy train world. His knowledge was vast, his ability to share and articulate was second to none and the Standard Gauge Bloggerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12580532948851213149noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7665658.post-48114858041344689072016-04-06T22:14:00.003-04:002016-04-06T22:18:28.243-04:00Antique Photos/85 Year Old FootageI know I haven't posted a heck of a lot lately but I just had to post this. An artist took 85 year old photos and added animations and motion to them. The effect is just fantastic, especially for the trains. Check it out:
I'd recommend going "full screen" for this as the effect of the movement and the pictures really pops with a larger screen (not on a phone).
Marc
Standard Gauge Bloggerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12580532948851213149noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7665658.post-36691289123656798672016-01-09T11:24:00.003-05:002016-01-09T11:24:36.280-05:00Happy 2016!Happy 2016 everyone! 2015 was not a great year for trains (at least for me). I've tried to sell off quite a bit of my collection, I think because I had way too much and I watched the show "hoarders" just once too often. My friend in Switzerland Michel sent me some wonderful pics in 2015 and I have been sorely remiss posting them.... Here are a few....
I hope 2016 is a Standard Gauge Bloggerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12580532948851213149noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7665658.post-51219834880341134202014-12-31T12:06:00.001-05:002014-12-31T12:06:21.915-05:00Start 2015 w/some Bing goodness....Michel sent me this link to some Bing goodness. Not every amazing tinplate work of art is Lionel or Flyer or Ives. These are just awesome...
Marc
Standard Gauge Bloggerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12580532948851213149noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7665658.post-26684209413152559402014-12-31T11:58:00.001-05:002014-12-31T11:58:49.281-05:00Merry Christmas from Switzerland....My friend Michel sent me this wonderful Christmas card! I hope he knows how wonderful I think it is!!
Check out this little set -
Standard Gauge Bloggerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12580532948851213149noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7665658.post-87856907452510104582014-12-31T11:47:00.005-05:002021-04-11T17:06:06.991-04:00Happy 2015!I wanted to update this post. This was from 2015. Roadside America is officially closed in 2021. This was model railroading taken to an art form over decades. While not standard gauge, this place was really one of a kind. I've seen some other layouts in Europe that are comparable in scale (meaning they take on modeling an entire city and space during a certain time Standard Gauge Bloggerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12580532948851213149noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7665658.post-57926297629858322452014-10-26T14:13:00.002-04:002014-10-26T14:14:09.036-04:00Brugger Modelleisenbahn-Club/Switzerland
My friend in Switzerland Michel sent me this really cool link to BMC. We'll stay with BMC (it stands for Brugger Modelleisenbahn-Club). As you can see from the pics I downloaded, this club has a way cool layout. Here's the link to the club here. I love European trains, I had them as a kid. I'll post some more from Michel. We are in prime time for trains Standard Gauge Bloggerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12580532948851213149noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7665658.post-57829949144058333962014-10-26T12:09:00.001-04:002014-10-26T12:09:19.339-04:00The One That Keeps Getting AwayThere are few items in standard gauge that I "must have". At this point in my life, I'm glad to just get time with the friends I've made and to see their amazing collections. But here is one car or item I wish would get made.
I'm not sure who made it but I think it is way cool. It's motorized, standard gauge, a work car. I've seen prototypes on the Metro North, LIRR, Standard Gauge Bloggerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12580532948851213149noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7665658.post-41622491778852820222014-08-28T15:23:00.002-04:002014-08-28T15:23:28.968-04:00Leipzig Station YouttubeCheck out this Youtube from MTH on the Leipzig Station!
By the way, I guess you can tell I have curtailed most of my toy train procurement. It has gotten too expensive and money is tight. However items like the above may be a rare exception to my rules. I am only preordering/procuring now through one dealer that has consistently performed well for me: Nassau Hobby in Long Standard Gauge Bloggerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12580532948851213149noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7665658.post-62697144599464532282014-07-17T20:59:00.001-04:002014-07-17T20:59:08.383-04:00My new favorite Ice Cream Place!Fun little caboose near Niagara Falls re purposed for ice cream!
Marc
Standard Gauge Bloggerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12580532948851213149noreply@blogger.com0West Seneca, West Seneca42.85006 -78.79975tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7665658.post-5602164863220901682014-07-13T18:01:00.002-04:002014-07-15T12:26:38.567-04:00The Boucher/Bassett-Lowke ConnectionBoucher was not strictly a toy company. They produced models: industrial models for exhibition; yacht models for racing; live steam boilers, engines and fittings for model steamships; and the old Voltamp line of trains which at the time were the most realistic toy trains in the country. That is why Boucher's slogan was "Toys that are more than just Toys". One imagines that H.E.Boucher would have alexhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08697721143754631073noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7665658.post-649856399666065762014-07-06T11:11:00.000-04:002014-07-06T11:13:47.699-04:00Toy Trains at Disneyland....I was hanging out in Anaheim, CA last week and I spent a few minutes (or hours/days) at Disneyland. Disney California Adventure has some really cool train stuff, check out the windows in the stores with both prewar O Gauge and Standard Gauge. They also have a mock up "Red Car" in Disney Adventure as well that's really nice.
If you are a train nut, this is fun time. Get a Standard Gauge Bloggerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12580532948851213149noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7665658.post-87244876269952282272014-06-29T18:38:00.001-04:002014-06-29T18:38:53.296-04:00PCC in Sa FranciscoAbsolute ton of gorgeous PCCs running in San Francisco today. Would love one in the right gauge!! (Standard of course!)Standard Gauge Bloggerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12580532948851213149noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7665658.post-50188024863771310862014-06-18T14:05:00.005-04:002014-06-18T14:05:47.177-04:00MTH Leipziger Train StationJust when I thought I'd seen it all, MTH pulls out all of the stops!
I have yet to see this product in person, however my friend in Switzerland saw it (and Mike Wolf) in Europe and was impressed. There is much to be said for prewar European tinplate and this station is no exception.
I'm not sure how I can get standard gauge to roll by this thing and look right.... But I'll figure out a Standard Gauge Bloggerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12580532948851213149noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7665658.post-22599086364850658972014-04-24T09:44:00.001-04:002014-04-24T09:44:14.022-04:00That's what I'm talking about!
Well MTH just moved into the "most impressive innovator" in toy train history books. Yes, I know they've done a tremendous amount for the hobby both in O gauge, Tinplate and so on. Yes, I know they have a fantastic control system called DCS.
I was a little disheartened by the Ives Catalog. I guess I really needed to see it for what it is: a tinplate flavor of the "Ready to Standard Gauge Bloggerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12580532948851213149noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7665658.post-89784437606637119052014-04-07T11:01:00.001-04:002014-04-07T11:01:36.228-04:00Old Penn Station New York City with aerial & skyline views of Manhattan ...Great video with nice music.
Jim Kelly-Evanshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14920851683859490856noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7665658.post-31898568788437129512014-04-07T08:33:00.001-04:002014-04-07T08:33:12.801-04:00MTH Ives Catalog Re-think - OpinionI've had some time to ponder this catalog and really look it over. It's all stuff MTH has done before. And it is two pages.
So now I have a couple of questions. Is this really a product offering or just a pamphlet to see if any customers will bite on twice redone Tinplate sets? I'm really hoping this isn't the wave of the future for MTH. I'm hoping this isn't the Standard Gauge Bloggerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12580532948851213149noreply@blogger.com0