Model Train Journal

I have been meaning for some time to comment on All Scale Rails Magazine.
Reference: viewtopic.php?f=4&t=16852

At first, I was disappointed with the lack of O-scale three rail. I hunted through each issue for even a small image showing my main interest.

Not much there, however, I soon found something else of interest in each issue. For example, issue # 2 mentions, "blue coal."

I had never heard of blue coal. What is it? I tried in vain to find a piece to purchase. I found blue coal rings:
Reference: http://www.ebay.com/sch/sis.html?_nkw=S ... 7675.m4099
But no blue coal to be had anywhere.

Found out what it is: "Blue Coal" is the term for a once-popular and trademarked brand of anthracite, mined by the Glen Alden Coal Company in Pennsylvania, and sprayed with a blue dye at the mine before shipping to its northeastern U.S. markets to distinguish it from its competitors."
Reference: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Anthracite

Found out about Blue Coal's checkered past: "Nuggets of history continue to emerge from the Blue Coal bankruptcy, some full of intrigue amid questions that may never be answered."
Reference: http://citizensvoice.com/news/blue-coal ... -1.1435711

And, got re-united with, "The Shadow."
Reference: https://youtu.be/6gpiUVqI0bY

You might find something of interest in each issue as I have. Recommend you scan through each issue and find out for yourself if it is your cup of tea.

Now that I have done the research, what should appear on eBay?


I have got to have one!

Thank you to J.S.Bach for cluing me in that there is a model in O-Scale.
Reference: viewtopic.php?f=5&t=16837

Hmmm... prices are all over the place, from $32 to $215. And K-line, Lionel and MTH to chose from. I know I am going to blow my March, April and May train budget during this moment of toy train insanity.

webenda wrote: ...snip... And K-line, Lionel and MTH to chose from. ...snip...

Me, I would get the MTH as it is the easiest to convert to two-rail. I just got the MTH orange WADDELL COAL hopper at the Columbia show as it had the Kadee hole pattern.

It was the K-Line graphics that got to me, so that is what I ordered. But I was not about to pay $24.78 to ship a single K-Line hopper!!!! Thank you for the warning in that one Dave. Found one with free shipping... can't beat free.

$99.99? Really?

Holy Schnikes!!!!!!!!!!!!

You think that is not enough to get a good one?
Maybe I should have chosen this one (must be better )

Not as bad as it seems, this offer is for 4 new cars with sequential numbering.

webenda wrote:You think that is not enough to get a good one?

Not enough? Not hardly! I bought a nice factory painted brass hopper from Precision Scale for that amount....

Rufus T. Firefly wrote:

webenda wrote:You think that is not enough to get a good one?

Not enough? Not hardly! I bought a nice factory painted brass hopper from Precision Scale for that amount....

But was it "Die Cast"? Die Cast is to die for!

webenda wrote:

Rufus T. Firefly wrote:

webenda wrote:You think that is not enough to get a good one?

Not enough? Not hardly! I bought a nice factory painted brass hopper from Precision Scale for that amount....

But was it "Die Cast"? Die Cast is to die for!

Apparently so and also way overpriced!

Rufus T. Firefly wrote:

webenda wrote:

Rufus T. Firefly wrote:
Not enough? Not hardly! I bought a nice factory painted brass hopper from Precision Scale for that amount....

But was it "Die Cast"? Die Cast is to die for!

Apparently so and also way overpriced!

Could there be any teensy hint of brass snobbery here?

rex desilets wrote:

Rufus T. Firefly wrote:

webenda wrote:
But was it "Die Cast"? Die Cast is to die for!

Apparently so and also way overpriced!

Could there be any teensy hint of brass snobbery here?

No. Your misplaced hypersensitivity is entirely off-target and unseemly. What you detect is that I'm painfully frugal, despite any appearances to the contrary. It's exceedingly rare that I spend as much as $100 for any car regardless of materials involved (less than 1% of my freight cars).

I'm just shocked that a K-line hopper commands anywhere near this price and that it also appears "normal" or "acceptable"; hence my conclusion of overpriced.

Ebay pricing for a NIB K-Line scale Die Cast hopper is generally about half of that. I have to assume there is some sort of "collector" pressure on this particular decoration to justify the price, otherwise, it's just plain too high.

Rufus T. Firefly wrote:

rex desilets wrote:

Rufus T. Firefly wrote:
Apparently so and also way overpriced!

Could there be any teensy hint of brass snobbery here?

No. Your misplaced hypersensitivity is entirely off-target and unseemly. What you detect is that I'm painfully frugal, despite any appearances to the contrary. It's exceedingly rare that I spend as much as $100 for any car regardless of materials involved (less than 1% of my freight cars).

I'm just shocked that a K-line hopper commands anywhere near this price and that it also appears "normal" or "acceptable"; hence my conclusion of overpriced.

Hypersensitive? Moi? Alas, you do me wrong. I always go with the cheapest accurate version of whatever loco or piece of rolling stock I "need." E.g. The Lionel Gla hoppers. OTOH, I've been slowly collecting N&W 3-bay brass hoppers on account of because there is isn't a diecast option.
Horses for courses, as our English friends day.

rex desilets wrote:

Rufus T. Firefly wrote:

rex desilets wrote:Could there be any teensy hint of brass snobbery here?

No. Your misplaced hypersensitivity is entirely off-target and unseemly. What you detect is that I'm painfully frugal, despite any appearances to the contrary. It's exceedingly rare that I spend as much as $100 for any car regardless of materials involved (less than 1% of my freight cars).

I'm just shocked that a K-line hopper commands anywhere near this price and that it also appears "normal" or "acceptable"; hence my conclusion of overpriced.

Hypersensitive? Moi? Alas, you do me wrong. I always go with the cheapest accurate version of whatever loco or piece of rolling stock I "need." E.g. The Lionel Gla hoppers. OTOH, I've been slowly collecting N&W 3-bay brass hoppers on account of because there is isn't a diecast option.
Horses for courses, as our English friends day.

Ok, punkinhead........

Good luck on N&W brass. No 3- or 4-bay hoppers here....what few I had were sold and moved off to new homes. The one PSC one I just got will displace a 2-bay one from the inventory/roster, but I have 2 weeks to decide which one....

Whatcha doing with an N&W 3 bay 70T hopper??