I think that 2-4-4-2 is a Gem brass engine from the 1960s.
Wasn’t made in the 60’s I bought new from caboose hobbies in the early 90’s.
That’s when caboose was on 500 Broadway in Denver. That place seen me allot through my teens and into my twenty’s. Knew the owners quite well and bought my first sound system from them after saving forever it seemed like and every time I would go in there the owner would run an engine that had sound in it and I would just smile from ear to ear.
I told him I’m going to own that PFM sound system some day. He told me if I really wanted one (complete system) make payments and he’ll keep one back for me.
So I put a down payment on it and said just keep one back for me and he said he would and when I had the money just come in and he’ll go through everything with me and if I paid cash for the balance, he’d give me a big discount.
I did and it was. Great people miss that place. Tried buying some stuff from the present owners and didn’t have a good out come. I still think caboose is a great store to buy from. It got me started back in the early days and I’m still in the hobby so they must of done something right.
Oh and when I was 19-20 years old I had a $500 limit credit card. Only for gas and course hobby stuff, but I went to caboose hobbies (500 S broadway). And tried to buy some stuff and my credit card was bad, told the cashier to try again, she did, it failed. I asked if I could right a check cashier said yes do you have two forms of ID? Told her yes my license and this card. She said that wouldn’t work.
Now a line is starting and just then the boss came in (the one that sold me the PFM system and asked what the problem was? Cashier told him what was going on and I asked him if I could write a check, he said yes and the cashier started to say something and he turned back and said his check is good it’s ok.
lol she didn’t know what to think then when the boss said this kid’s check is good. Boy I know I puffed up a little just to see him say that and her reaction.
I’ll never for that moment and I’ll never forget the great service I’ve had over the years there.