Mail Call! Railway Post Office, commonly abbreviated as RPO has rolled in!

[Alcomotive]

 

[skyliner]

(trimmed)
So here it is a BB but most likely aftermarket.... ASAB Atlantic & St. Andrews Bay "The Bay Line" 40' SD Box Car #357642...

So first off, I saw this and thought of you, Alcomotive. I spent the last month in Atlanta for some work-related training and during my down time I hit up a couple local hobby shops. This is at Blue Ox Hobbies, in Roswell, GA. The entire building is actually an antiques store, with about a quarter of the floor space devoted to model train stuff. They had a small layout running, and lo and behold there was an ASAB boxcar in the consist.

 

[skyliner]

Yesterday, I was able to attend the Twin Cities Model Railroad Show & Sale in Minneapolis, the first show I've attended since the pandemic started. There was a decent crowd when I was there in the morning, not too crowded but plenty of people and kids. I was glad to see many vendors I recognized from past shows back, and there were some decent deals to be had. I'm not supposed to be buying equipment right now, but I couldn't help myself. You know, support the hobby economy right?

Forgive me for the glare in the picture, I don't have time to unbox these right now. The Golden West cars were from a vendor with a table full of Athearn cars starting at $10 each, they fit in well with my 80s-90s SP theme. The trailers are becoming a vicious circle for me-- earlier this year I picked up a few Walthers G85 flatcars to add to my intermodal fleet. Only afterward did I discover that almost none of my trailers would fit, they were too long. So I started shopping for 40' trailers, bought a few here and there, forgot what I had bought already, and soon I had more trailers than flatcars. So I had to get more flatcars. Then more trailers again... Anyway, I managed to negotiate down the price of the trailers depicted here slightly, and I also got both Atlas Master Line flats for $50 total. Finally on the left are a two-car set of Burlington Mail-Express cars. I have a CBQ mail train that I put together a few years ago, so I thought these would add length to it nicely. Plus they've been out of production for several years now. But guess what? I got home, and turns out I have those exact car numbers already. So someday I guess I'll be renumbering them...

 

[DakotaLove39]

Yesterday, I was able to attend the Twin Cities Model Railroad Show & Sale in Minneapolis, the first show I've attended since the pandemic started.

Nice, another forum member near me! Too bad you didn't come by the Hennepin Overland for our first open house since pandemic. Maybe next time!

Forgive me for the glare in the picture, I don't have time to unbox these right now. The Golden West cars were from a vendor with a table full of Athearn cars starting at $10 each, they fit in well with my 80s-90s SP theme. The trailers are becoming a vicious circle for me-- earlier this year I picked up a few Walthers G85 flatcars to add to my intermodal fleet. Only afterward did I discover that almost none of my trailers would fit, they were too long. So I started shopping for 40' trailers, bought a few here and there, forgot what I had bought already, and soon I had more trailers than flatcars. So I had to get more flatcars. Then more trailers again... Anyway, I managed to negotiate down the price of the trailers depicted here slightly, and I also got both Atlas Master Line flats for $50 total. Finally on the left are a two-car set of Burlington Mail-Express cars. I have a CBQ mail train that I put together a few years ago, so I thought these would add length to it nicely. Plus they've been out of production for several years now. But guess what? I got home, and turns out I have those exact car numbers already. So someday I guess I'll be renumbering them...

How do you like those G-85 flats? I'm working on my own TOFC train for the 1970's era and interested in some of those Walther's flats. Someone told me they were too light.

 

[BigGRacing]

Unfortunately with exchange, shipping and fees I managed to get a hundred dollar loco for a little under two hundred!

The exchange kills us for sure

 

[Alcomotive]

So first off, I saw this and thought of you, Alcomotive. I spent the last month in Atlanta for some work-related training and during my down time I hit up a couple local hobby shops. This is at Blue Ox Hobbies, in Roswell, GA. The entire building is actually an antiques store, with about a quarter of the floor space devoted to model train stuff. They had a small layout running, and lo and behold there was an ASAB boxcar in the consist.

View attachment 130290

That's totally awesome! Nice weathering and detail! I like the hobo there too! Looks like you found a really neat shop!

 

[Alcomotive]

Yesterday, I was able to attend the Twin Cities Model Railroad Show & Sale in Minneapolis, the first show I've attended since the pandemic started. There was a decent crowd when I was there in the morning, not too crowded but plenty of people and kids. I was glad to see many vendors I recognized from past shows back, and there were some decent deals to be had. I'm not supposed to be buying equipment right now, but I couldn't help myself. You know, support the hobby economy right?

Forgive me for the glare in the picture, I don't have time to unbox these right now. The Golden West cars were from a vendor with a table full of Athearn cars starting at $10 each, they fit in well with my 80s-90s SP theme. The trailers are becoming a vicious circle for me-- earlier this year I picked up a few Walthers G85 flatcars to add to my intermodal fleet. Only afterward did I discover that almost none of my trailers would fit, they were too long. So I started shopping for 40' trailers, bought a few here and there, forgot what I had bought already, and soon I had more trailers than flatcars. So I had to get more flatcars. Then more trailers again... Anyway, I managed to negotiate down the price of the trailers depicted here slightly, and I also got both Atlas Master Line flats for $50 total. Finally on the left are a two-car set of Burlington Mail-Express cars. I have a CBQ mail train that I put together a few years ago, so I thought these would add length to it nicely. Plus they've been out of production for several years now. But guess what? I got home, and turns out I have those exact car numbers already. So someday I guess I'll be renumbering them...

View attachment 130291

Dang ya got some good deals there! 10 bucks a pop! Nice!

 

[skyliner]

How do you like those G-85 flats? I'm working on my own TOFC train for the 1970's era and interested in some of those Walther's flats. Someone told me they were too light.

I haven't had a chance to run them much, but they seem ok. They are definitely on the light side, especially compared to my Walthers 89' flats. However they seem to run fine on my layout-- code 83, #6 turnouts or greater, min radius around 28". Detail is about what you'd expect from a Mainline product. You might be able to add a little more weight inside the center sill, albeit in small pieces. I can't remember where I got these...they were on sale somewhere online and I threw a few onto my order to justify (or maybe rationalize) the shipping cost of a locomotive, I think.

 

[Alcomotive]

So I won another couple rounds with evil bay last week from Trainz.

I got 20 new cars:

SP Overnight 40 foot
97122
97192
97193
97194
97200

Conrail 50 foot
220998

NW
605003

SPSF
16711
16714
51915
51916
51920
51921

Rail Box
37751
37862
37975
38699
38700

10001

1 LA Bicentennial 50 foot
1 Freedom Train 36 foot

They came in today. All of them came with Kadees....no metal wheels but I ordered another 200 of them recently. 2 cars were some kinda promo for the Bi-Centennial. All others I am really happy about. I paid 149.40 for the whole lot which included shipping so that came out to $7.47 per car. Not bad!

AND all different road numbers!

 

[Alcomotive]

So here some other stuff i got for the layout:

A water tower. I got this because I wanted to pay homage to a little town I grew up in the 70's a village called Eagle in Wisconsin.

Then of course my wheels came in....I actually got 2 boxes.

and then I got 75 pecies of Midwest Products Co. HO Cork Roadbed Strips which I will begin spray painting primer grey.

I also have 300 feet of flex track coming in as well. (100 pieces)

and these cars came in a week ago from the guy from Florida that was getting out of the hobby.

 

[Alcomotive]

continued.......the rest of the ones from Florida.......

Not too shabby. None of these came with Kadees so I got my work cut out there. A lot of these will get some weathering done to them and loads added (the gondolas)

 

[Alcomotive]

I also got a few more buildings coming too. I will post those later. I did get a string of Guildford cars 6 white ones and 4 black ones. Half of them came weathered and all came with Kadees and metal wheels these were on the expensive side on average 23 dollars each when I break that down including shipping. I justified it as I didn't have any of them or rather the Guildford RR in my rolling stock fleet plus they were cool looking!

 

[Alcomotive]

Ya so I have been spending some coin! Getting ready for the fall and winter projects! I am going to make a big push on the layout. Unfortunately due to the current status of the economy I am putting off the garage expansion. When things calm down on building material cost I will re-visit that next spring I hope.

I also got my very first Genesis Athearn Caboose today with the full on DCC LED lighting etc. I have yet to try it out. I got if on Face Book HO scale yard sale for 75 dollar including shipping I think that was an absolute steal! These things sold for over 100 bucks!

 

[Alcomotive]

One more post for tonight...

I did get a few other cars. I finally got 2 tank cars for JR's Fuel Co. for the layout. I am still trying get my hands on a propane tank car. Hard to get them darn things. I hope to get at least one of them or maybe 2 but no more than that.

Here are the 2 tank cars...

then I got a long awaited wish list locomotive in Western Pacific scheme. This is an Athearn RTR Western Pacific GP35 that someone put a decoder in for DCC/Sound. I sniped this at the last minute for $68.69 plus $15.50 shipping so total was 85.18 not to shabby for that!

So that's it for now.... I do have more to share but thats enough.

I am still searching for a few more building structures. I also picked up HO scale figures from local hobby shop spent like 50 bucks on that. It was a mxture of rail yard workers and warehouse workers and track maintenance crews.

Ya'll have a good one! I will post later on.......going to go fishing this weekend on Lake Champlain at Peru NY. Gotta get me some fish for the freezer!

 

[Alcomotive]

Here are the figures I got from the LHS.... a little pricey but gotta support my LHS.

and as mentioned before I got my cork roadbed in....

 

[Alcomotive]

Well 2 more items came in today. My Norscot Caterpillar dump truck I didn't have in my collection of Caterpillar equipment. It's a nice addition!

Then my "baby Wings" Dash 8 came in too! Awesome. Full DCC & Sound for 110 bucks! I got it from a guy's estate sale in Pennsylvania.

Union Pacific #9077....it will go nicely with my other Dash 8s and Dash 7s.

 

[Alcomotive]

Things are getting serious around here....loading up on supplies.

I ordered tonight from that crazy Bezos who thinks he is an astronaut

Ordered me the a different set of LEDs for the layout. 2 sets of 6 pack of lights.

Then I ordered a set of Xuron clippers....

and lastly I ordered a new fangle track aligner for propper spacing.

all of this coming from outer space I guess....lol I should have by this weekend.

I also have 4 case of track coming all code 83. I decided to buy most of my switches from my LHS and not on line. I need to contribute in support them. I would save a bundle I am sure online but maybe a total of 100 bucks but.....gotta do my part in supporting them. I will be buying around 30 different switches.....yup pretty penny for sure.

 

[Alcomotive]

Christmas in July may be over but lawdy, lawdy.... I got big freight package coming in....cannot wait for it!

 

[skyliner]

One more post for tonight...

then I got a long awaited wish list locomotive in Western Pacific scheme. This is an Athearn RTR Western Pacific GP35 that someone put a decoder in for DCC/Sound. I sniped this at the last minute for $68.69 plus $15.50 shipping so total was 85.18 not to shabby for that!

View attachment 130396

[trimmed]

I'm guessing this locomotive started life at the Ace Hardware in Berkeley, CA? That's the one Ace I'm familiar with that has a decent model railroad and hobby section.

 

[Alcomotive]

I'm guessing this locomotive started life at the Ace Hardware in Berkeley, CA? That's the one Ace I'm familiar with that has a decent model railroad and hobby section.

Funny you mentioned that....I took a look at the price tag again.....ACE as you said lo' behold surprise surprise surprise! Golly I didn't pay attention to that..!

At first no other information was given to me. So thanks for pointing that out! I will post on my other thread when I get it on the layout and try out all the operations lighting etc & sounds. That's cool though that ACE hardware is selling trains.....