Weekend Photos - April 2023

[healey36]

Healey,
Thanks for posting the photos for me!!
Pete

You're very welcome, Pete...they are lovely photos of a great layout and I'm very glad to see them.

[healey36]

Went to York with an empty list and still managed to blow a couple hundred bucks...ugh. Proof that intervention is likely required.

Found a decent Flyer 635 for Hondo for not much money:



I think he's planning on converting this to three-rail trucks and knuckle couplers at some point, but I'll let him chime in on that. They only made these diecast versions for a couple of years immediately after the war, than went to a stamped steel chassis.

Only a couple of the parts guys showed up, and by the time I got to them, most of the items I was looking for were gone or out-of-stock. That was disappointing, as that was the main reason I went.

Gorgeous weather, though. Never a bad day at York.

[healey36]

A few other items, a near-mint 2657 caboose and another 2620 searchlight car in search of a replacement lens, rewire, and a good cleaning:



Not sure who made the "UNCOUPLE HERE" signs, maybe Marx. Thought they were neat.

[Wburg Pete]

Nice York finds!! It has been so long since I attended York that I forgot it was this week.

[HONDO74]

Went to York with an empty list and still managed to blow a couple hundred bucks...ugh. Proof that intervention is likely required.

Found a decent Flyer 635 for Hondo for not much money:



I think he's planning on converting this to three-rail trucks and knuckle couplers at some point, but I'll let him chime in on that. They only made these diecast versions for a couple of years immediately after the war, than went to a stamped steel chassis.

I only plan to replace the link coupler with the knuckle coupler to match all my other postwar S gauge that I have that has been converted. When flyer dropped the link somewhere in early 50s they came out with a kit to convert the link to a knuckle. I think you can buy those knuckles by the dozen on ebay.

The diecast chassis was also used on several other early postwar cars.

[healey36]

Thanks for the clarification, and I do remember you telling me about the kits for changing out the couplers. I'll put the 634 back on the list for October.

Now that I really look at that 635, that roof I suspected as being a replacement surely is - it’s missing the stack! Ugh, I think we can find a better example in October, or even online. There’s a number of them out there now.

[healey36]

I've been working on reconditioning this Lionel 252 for awhile. It's still intermittently "sparky" when you crank it up, typically a sign the rollers are dirty or pitted. I gave them a decent polish and they don't look bad, but likely time to just go ahead and replace them and see if that solves it.



Looks like a forest of grade-crossing warning signage in the background. Oy, still a lot of excess crap on the layout.

I stopped by Carver's in Gettysburg yesterday to drop off a couple projects. I wasn't sure if he was still doing repairs, but he is, although the backlog is daunting. While there, we had a look at some stuff he had in the shop. I've been searching for some of the sprung contacts that were used on the early Flying Yankee, and Don had one (I need three). He said he'd keep looking, but I'm guessing I'll have to use a couple of the ones used on the 752. Those are a bit longer, so they'll require some drilling/machining to get them sized to fit the smaller FY vestibule.

Anyway, it was great seeing Don. You go there thinking you'll be in-and-out in 15 minutes, and next thing you know, you've been there 90 minutes. My kids always loved to visit...good memories.

[J. S. Bach]

...snip...
I stopped by Carver's in Gettysburg yesterday to drop off a couple projects. I ...snip...
Anyway, it was great seeing Don. You go there thinking you'll be in-and-out in 15 minutes, and next thing you know, you've been there 90 minutes. My kids always loved to visit...good memories.

Is that the shop west of the circle on US-30? If so, I have been in there and have to agree with you.

Gilbert's is also nice; and, occasionally has some older two-rail available. Last July I ended up with a complete EP Alexander NH EP-3/PRR GG1 two-rail drive train still in its original wood shipping box.

[healey36]

Yes, Don's shop is out on Buford Avenue (Rte. 30) heading west as you ascend Seminary Ridge. You could spend days in there...you'd be broke, but you'd have a good time.

Never been to Tommy Gilbert's shop, but wasted a lot of my ill-spent youth in the old Gilbert's shop out on Steinwehr Avenue. I can remember staring up at the wall of brass drooling. Bought a lot of N-gauge gear in there, along with a ton of plastic models. Still have a bunch of unbuilt kits with the little yellow Gilbert's price-sticker on them.

[Rufus T. Firefly]

Never been to Tommy Gilbert's shop, but wasted a lot of my ill-spent youth in the old Gilbert's shop out on Steinwehr Avenue. I can remember staring up at the wall of brass drooling.

Been there, done that, etc. Never had the money when the shop was out on Steinwehr, but I still made the long walk cross town to look at everything.

Have not been to Tommy's in a while; not much in there last time that I could see worth the time. Used to be a good source of scale lumber, special shapes brass, and other scratchbuilding supplies.

Only shop left really for supplies is Main Line over in Blue Ridge Summit, but my last trip there found only a smattering of brass, wood, and styrene supplies that I needed. And of course very Arttista figure I wanted to get was out of stock, too.

[healey36]

Mainline is a good shop, but terrible for the impulse buyer such as myself (a recovering N-gauger). I usually can find what I'm looking for in there, although I wish they'd add a rack of Tamiya acrylics to the paint section.

I've got my eye on one of those MTH LED-adorned Christmas trolleys...why, you might ask? Yeah, I'm not sure

[gregj410]

3rd rail DM&IR 2-10-4 in the yard

upload pic

[gregj410]

I've got my eye on one of those MTH LED-adorned Christmas trolleys...why, you might ask? Yeah, I'm not sure

That’s great! I’ve been there more than once. You can’t figure out why you want it but you do

[healey36]

3rd rail DM&IR 2-10-4 in the yard

upload pic

That's a beast of a model! Must weigh a ton...

[HONDO74]

Mainline is a good shop, but terrible for the impulse buyer such as myself (a recovering N-gauger). I usually can find what I'm looking for in there, although I wish they'd add a rack of Tamiya acrylics to the paint section.

I've got my eye on one of those MTH LED-adorned Christmas trolleys...why, you might ask? Yeah, I'm not sure

That Christmas trolley would look great on your table top glitter tunnel layout.

MTH Review - Christmas Bump-n-Go Trolley 30-5200 2022
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=O1qzXFTChcc