Model Train Journal

Picked up a couple of 6464's off eBay:



Like new without boxes, they are nice. The 510 starts the build out of a Girl's Train; the 525 just came with it. Less than thirty bucks all in for the pair. These are repops from 1999.

A buddy of mine has built a collection of all of the 6464's, both the original postwar and the repops. He also has most of the promotional versions...still missing a few of those, however. I'm not big into display shelving, but his collection is an impressive sight, let me tell ya.

I agree. The reissued 6464's are often new or like new and go for $10 - $55. (Price range today.)
6464 by Wayne Benda, on Flickr


Father: Honey, look what I found in the attic!
Wife: What is it?
Father: My dad's old trains!
Wife: So?
Father: Don't you see? It's our children's college education fund!

I started collecting 6464s when I got back into three rail bout 25 years ago. After about 6 originals it became apparent I was never going to be able to afford all the originals and started with the remakes. I think the count is now approaching triple digits with the club cars and many of Robert Salernos (RGS) efforts. Big plus of the repops are freer rolling sprung trucks.
Too bad the ones offered in the past few years are no longer 6464s but 9400s lettered 6464.

Pete

Norton wrote:Big plus of the repops are freer rolling sprung trucks.

I'd certainly agree with that. The few genuine postwar versions I have suffer a bit of drag in the wheelsets.

I often wondered if these postwar trucks would benefit from a bit of light oiling. Coming from the tinplate world where everything calls for oiling, does the same hold true for any of the postwar rolling stock? I guess I could experiment a bit.

That's a nice bit of backdrop, Wayne:



I need to make myself a piece of something for photo purposes.

Also, a very nice M&StL 6464...I like that version better than the red one.

healey36 wrote:I need to make myself a piece of something for photo purposes.

Tri-fold foam core from Michaels works well.

healey36 wrote:

Norton wrote:Big plus of the repops are freer rolling sprung trucks.

I'd certainly agree with that. The few genuine postwar versions I have suffer a bit of drag in the wheelsets.

I often wondered if these postwar trucks would benefit from a bit of light oiling. Coming from the tinplate world where everything calls for oiling, does the same hold true for any of the postwar rolling stock? I guess I could experiment a bit.

Oiling helps a lot. The wheels roll on the axles so there is a lot of friction. I have a 1st year 622 NW2 switcher with the very weak magnetraction. Before oiling the cars it could only pull three, oiling doubled that number.

Pete

Rufus T. Firefly wrote:

healey36 wrote:I need to make myself a piece of something for photo purposes.

Tri-fold foam core from Michaels works well.

I ordered a city skyline backdrop off Amazon to play with. Not very expensive, and only 3’x5’, so if it turns out to be a throwaway, not much bad feelings. I’ll probably paste it onto some foam core, depending on what it’s printed on.

From the archives, another shot of the complete Flyer 401 we found at York a in someone's under-table junk bin a few years back:



There's something weirdly cool (IMHO) about this last-gasp tin-bodied loco from America's last days before entry into WWII.

Runs?

Rufus T. Firefly wrote:Runs?

Perfectly, but it is forward-only by design, so about as simple as it gets. Someone gave up on it or just thought it was hideous (can't argue much with that). Remarkably good cosmetic condition given its age. This design carried forward from the pre-Gilbert Chicago days and sat firmly at the bottom of Flyer's product offerings during those last 2-3 years before the balloon went up.

healey36 wrote:

Rufus T. Firefly wrote:Runs?

Perfectly, but it is forward-only by design, so about as simple as it gets.

That was probably all that a child really needed.

I was mowing the lawn today when I got this sinking feeling.
20260614_Sink by Wayne Benda, on Flickr

Oh, joy! I get to use the tractor to recover the lawn mower.
20260614_Recover by Wayne Benda, on Flickr

There is a spring at the location where I got stuck. I usually just mow over it because the stream of water is only a foot wide. Today, there was enough water flowing to sink the mower in mud.

Water table is up?

Rufus T. Firefly wrote:Water table is up?

Most likely explanation.