A Step in The Right Direction....

So it looks like a little bit of tin made it into the new Lionel catalog.

Ok, so it's O gauge. Ok, so it's $630 for a starter set from a 1935 catalog.

But it's a start, Lionel is trying. That's all we can ask. Maybe some standard gauge will reappear?

There are some nice trains in this catalog. The Hiawatha O gauge engine is nice however I have to say that this engine has now been officially beaten to death. It's been produced so much we're into the overkill.

The BB-1 set is mighty nice. I like the BB-1 engine as well as a few others that defined the electric age. I also really like the S-2 and the N&W J. All good stuff but it has all been done before.

I guess if I were to yield an opinion I would have to say that it looks distinctly like the beginning of a "turn the corner" product line up. I am stressing the beginning as in "signs of intelligence" are in Mt. Clemens, Michigan or where ever the shots are now getting called.

Remember when Apple introduced the iMac and Steve Jobs was coming back 10 years ago? Yep, well Lionel is well before that. They have a great name and a catalog that doesn't completely suck.

Now for those of us that are accustomed to great ideas, great trains and standard gauge, 2 7/8, 1 Gauge and so on, this catalog is entertaining but not for us... Yet... O gauge is fine but plastic structures and cheesy accessories are still yawners.

We expect more from a great name and a great company. Come on guys, everyone would love to love Lionel. Stop selling yourselves short.

M

T-Repro Redux

I wish T-Repro hadn't gone South. They made some pretty cool items....

M

Those were the days....

Check out this flyer (click on it to expand it). Now look out on eBay and in recent auctions. Don't you wish you took advantage of these prices and items when they were getting produced?

Here's the point; before anyone poo poo's recent manufacture or any item in our hobby, remember that thing I said in a prior post about hindsight.

M

Frecker Auctions

I saw an advertisement in CTT for this auction house. I know exactly zero about them. The website is very simple and doesn't indicate much information about the items. Has anyone participated in a Frecker Auction? It looks like a pretty interesting auction house (they have farm stuff, trains, real estate). All kinds of stuff.

Marc

Jim Kellys New Trains!

Jim Kelly is neglecting his Yahoo Groups! How could that be?

It couldn't be because it isn't true!

What is true is Jim is spending some time running his new passenger sets. And I'd bet that his layout in PA has never seen so much beautiful standard gauge!

Mr. Kelly you are one lucky guy!

Marc
PS I'm not sure what I would do without my daily dose of Clem Clement via the Yahoo Groups. Keep that group rolling!

NETTE's Auction is up (For Feb. 11)

Use the link on the right to go to the Feb. 11, 2006 NETTE auction. They have a great selection of standard gauge this time out.

Who else is going to try and go?

M

Worcester Station Cont

Another shot of this amazing station.....


Thanks again Diane!

M

Worcester Station Cont

I wonder if anyone ever created a model of this station??

M

Worcester Station Cont

Stations are as important as the trains. Used to be I didn't think much about them. But just take a look at this pic (blow it up). The fact that this place exists and the public has access is amazing.

I friggin love these places...

M

Worcester Station (in MA)

Speaking of amazing stations, we tend to concentrate on Union Station and Grand Central and forget about these other super gorgeous stations.

My friend Diane snapped these high-res pics. Thanks Diane!

M

Frank's Roundhouse - Cont

In the interest of time, I posted the rest of Frank's Roundhouse Pics to one post. What a difference 17 years makes. The prices really haven't gone up that much but I would still love to have acquired some of the custom painted items.

Lately I have heard that the Classics stuff actually runs better than current MTH. I find that puzzling because I do know that the Classics were built by Mike for Lionel. If anything, I would have thought that refinements in manufacturing would have improved quality substantially. I just hope that the selection and the choice comes along again.

In 1989 I was still in college, my father had just past away and most of my meals were Ramen Noodles and water. Having exactly diddly to your name at any age is awfully humbling. I wonder what 2006 will look like?
M

Frank's Roundhouse Cont. - Nice sets

The 500 series freights. What would we do without them?

M

Frank's Roundhouse Cont.- Locos

I've blown about 3 chances to get the loco on the right. I've seen the Lionel set and I've also blown that several times as well.

Such is life, it will just have to wait!

M

Frank's Roundhouse Cont.

I see two sets (the top two) I would grab right away. I'd have to give the pink one some thought.

Although, I did see a pink 400E and cars at the TCA Museum in Strasburg and I liked it. Maybe it was just the bright colors or the fact that my daughter took a shine to it, for whatever reason I thought it was kind of nice.

I know, I am going to get a note from a purist telling me that "These are no good because they aren't original cars from the 30's and they are recent hacked up Lionel's."

I beg to differ. These are new looking trains that work great and are far less expensive than originals. As I have lamented several times on the blog and others have said (using better writing than my pablum), I am not sure there are many originals of anything anymore. 30 or 40 years ago some guy hacked this up, died, his estate sold it, the guy that bought it also sold it. An item changes hands 5 or 6 times. Before you know it, you seem to have acquired a one of a kind original.

I gave up. I'd just rather have a nice train that either I can fix/refinish or run (and look good). Frank falls into the category of looking great and very likely working great.

M

Frank's Roundhouse Cont.

Lionel Classics. I liked 'em. They run great, they look great and they don't typically (well, they didn't for a while) cost an arm and a leg.

M

Frank's Roundhouse

I don't know much about Frank's Roundhouse. I seem to recall him re-doing some of the Lionel Classics to reflect some of the rarer trains like the Green 390E. I think he also did the Blue Comet flavor of the 390E as well.

I post this for two reasons: Al sent me the scans and I find them interesting and I have seen these (or what looks like these) start to appear in auctions and on eBay.

I'd love to know what happened to Frank and his roundhouse. His catalog was pretty darn cool and the trains are some very nice standard gauge. If he did refinish trains or build new one's, he did an amazing job!

Marc

Couple of Grand Central Pics from Today

Click on the picture to blow this up. It's one of the reasons our trains are so amazing. (Hint: it expresses the sentiment I think of when I see the accomplishments men have achieved since the start of the last century).










I love walking through here. 20 years of marching around this station and I still can't get enough. I know I haven't seen the entire place.

I am definitely getting to Grand Central the next time the trains go up (in November 06) with a camera!

Nuts!

M

Nuts....

I went to Grand Central today to grab some pics of the amazing trains on display.

They were disassembling the exhibit and all of the trains were gone.

I felt the kid in me getting ready to throw something at the security guy in the Transit Museum Store. The 40 year old thought better though. I did get a couple of nice Grand Central pics.

M

Amherst Train Show (Jan 28th and 29th)

Here it comes! http://www.amherstrail.org/show/show.htm

If you like trains and you have some time.... It isn't exclusive and you can get some incredible Eclairs and Cream Puffs from the Big E fairgrounds.

I'm going and bringing my camera!

M

Black Diamond Short Line

Yet again, the items with the least amount of high tech stuff are by far the neatest items to have on a pike! I'm sure these 1 truck items command huge dollars now but when they were introduced in 1987, I know they were a great deal. I saw some 1 truck items that Dick Mayer did for TTOS and they were really nice as well.

The straightforwardness in these truncated cars is part of their brilliance. I guarantee they can roll around any curve and they can be snuck past any train wife because "honey, they're so small and cute, they couldn't have cost much!"

Aesthetics aside, the short lines always had a work rhythm that was different than other freights. I know, a freight is a freight, right? Well, no. Some cars look fine sitting on a siding waiting to be picked up by a loco and some (like the famous Frank Petruzzo coal train) look silly sitting still.

These little cars look like they were cut out for some serious logging and work. What's kind of nice is that they are a serious departure from your standard sized 200 or 500 series freight. Fruther, because they are one truck, the noise they make is a bit different than a rambling consist of Lionel freights. I've seen them running on a pike and all I can say is.... I wish I had a set!

M
PS Thanks again Al for the scans!