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ShermanHill

Well-Known Member
Yeah, I did not even realize there were running multiple numbers for the locos. I just saw Pere Marquette and clicked the "order" button.
Have to keep an eye on some model suppliers. A few years back, someone was offering EMD DD40-AX in the "Road name of your Choice". I hear B&O got a couple sales.
 

tootnkumin

Well-Known Member
Staff member
Have to keep an eye on some model suppliers. A few years back, someone was offering EMD DD40-AX in the "Road name of your Choice". I hear B&O got a couple sales.
Intermountain Trains were right into the "Furphy" models, tried a GE ES44AC in Montana Rail Link (an all EMD railroad), still see them come up on ebay at times.
 

Bruette

Well-Known Member
Yeah, I did not even realize there were running multiple numbers for the locos. I just saw Pere Marquette and clicked the "order" button.
You my friend are not alone! I've done similar things and I am sure we are not the first or will we be last to do so.
 

Iron Horseman

Well-Known Member
When I saw this I thought of the Iron Horsemen, but I also thought other might be interested.
So, 18 Months after I ordered it, I got a call from the dealer yesterday with confirmation for the order. It should be in the mail today.

http://www.lionelstore.com/Polar-Express-Scale-Baggage-Car
pe84811.jpg


http://www.lionelstore.com/Polar-Express-Scale-Coach-Car Times three.
pe84813.jpg


Also is the Combine car, so I have a "full train" now. Full train as in at least one of every car Lionel has made. As for the "Prototype" in the book and movie …. As the train stops to pick up the hero boy the train is only 3 coaches and the observation car long. When it picks up the shy boy it is 4 coaches and the observation car. As they go up on the roof with the hobo & the fire and at one point one can count 6 cars (none of them dark like the abandon toy car shows from the inside). As the wolfs are running along it and the train goes across the trestle there are at least 20 coaches on the train. As the train is on the ice it is 5 cars long..... In none of the movie pictures I could see are there any identifiable head end cars. So I plan on running a non-prototypical: baggage, combine, coach (as abandon toy car), coach, diner (hot chocolate car), coach, observation. Hmmm now looking at this in retrospect, I would like to have 2 more coaches, one more on either side of the diner.
pe84812.jpg



The only issue I see is that the ones I already have don't have the snow painted on the roof.
 
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Bruette

Well-Known Member
Those are fantastic!

What is the minimum curve for those beauties?

The snow on the roof is a recent addition to the traditional scale cars and sets as well. I can't make up my mind if I like the snow or not. It might be my mind trying to help me to not buy another set. I have the original conventional RTR set and the LionChief set, but neither of mine has snow on the roof. My son has last years LionChief set, it has snow on the roof.

Congratulations on your new cars!
 

Bruette

Well-Known Member
O72 is much better, they will look great!

I'm sure you know, but just incase, Lionel has O84 and O96 available in their FasTrack line. Inventory was spotty when I bought mine, but MB Klein finally had them.

I find it curious that Lionel has several pieces of equipment that have a minimum curve of O54, but they don't make O54. If I were Lionel it would concern me that people may use another brand of track.
 

Iron Horseman

Well-Known Member
I find it curious that Lionel has several pieces of equipment that have a minimum curve of O54, but they don't make O54. If I were Lionel it would concern me that people may use another brand of track.
They used to make in the tubular type track for both standard O and O27 heights. I think they when they expanded the line, O54 was abandon in favor of the O60 because it fits exactly between the O48 and O72. BUT there are so many folks out there who have layouts with the old O54 or MTH track they don't want to dissuade them from looking at equipment specified as O60.

Also it looks to me like the original standard O31 is being fazed out in favor of the O36 which has become the de-facto standard as it is the size being included in most sets.

Standard O42, O54 tubular track is now being sold by Menards.
 

Bruette

Well-Known Member
Iron Horsemen, originally I thought they did not make O54 FasTrack because of guys like myself, operators who run multiple ovals. With 6 inches from center rail to center rail there is little or no chance of equipment colliding due to over swing in the curve if the tracks haver proper spacing. Then they came out with O31 and I scraped that theory. The original FasTrack lineup was O36, O48, O60 and O72. As far as I know, they have only used O36 in RTR sets. I don't know of any set with any track other than O36.

I believe they came out with O31 in the 2014-2015 Track and Power catalog, It was in response to operators complaining O36 was too big in comparison to O27. Using O36 made it impossible to recreate O27 layouts in confined spaces. While O31 makes it easier, it is still bigger then O27. I'm not sure precisely when O31 was introduced. It was not included in FasTrack Book by Robert Schleicher first published in 2006. I bought my copy in 2013 and as far as I know it was the latest edition at the time. If I remember correctly O31 is not included in the book; Track Plans for Lionel FasTrack (Classic Toy Trains Books) Most of my books are still packed away or I would check for you, forgive me.

I do have an oval of O31, it fits perfectly on my front porch layout. Here is a bit of Baltimore cultural history; train layouts in windows for Christmas were common in Baltimore in the 50s, 60s and even into the 70s. Maybe other cities as well, I don't know for sure. That tradition is kept alive and well in the Baltimore neighborhood of Hamden. They call it the "Miracle on 34th street". They even have their own website https://www.christmasstreet.com

For the record; I live in Dundalk, Baltimore City. Not Hamden, Baltimore City. The two neighborhoods are not close in distance or anything else for that matter. Dundalk is in blue collar southeast Baltimore. Hamden is a community made up of many artists and millennials love it and many live there as well. Hamden is located in northcentral Baltimore City. There are still many old-time residents in Hamden. A few date back to the original "Miracle on 34th Street" (in Baltimore that is) in 1947. oddly enough, the same year as the movie of the same name. I can't say if the movie inspired the Christmas displays, but they probable did borrow the name.

The original production run of O31 Can be difficult to snap together and has trouble staying snapped together. many operators, including myself have complained to Lionel about it. I don't know if they have been able to resolve the problem or not. I would assume it has been. Maybe and I am only guessing that is why they did not make O27 in FasTrack. As far as I know O31 FasTrack is not being fazed out. O31 FasTrack is still readily available in the Lionel Store and they continue to add O31 FasTrack switches and other O31 FasTrack options. Many, maybe most Lionel operators operate small layouts.

Menards is making a lot of cool stuff in O gauge. When I get my stuff situated I am going to buy a few of their prebuilt structures. It's great to see them selling O gauge stuff!

May God be with you always. I wish you and your family a very Merry Christmas and a Healthy and Happy New Year!
 

Bruette

Well-Known Member
I had no idea that O31 was not an original FASTtracks. I guess I always assumed since O31 had been the standard for what .. 50? years they would have just naturally made it first.
As usual you know more than me. I did not know they made O31 tubular track :)
 

Bruette

Well-Known Member
Do you know if they are going to redo the entire set of scale cars to go with it? So far all I've got is the observation and diner.
I just saw these are in stock at MB Klein as of 10am 1/15/2019 They each list for $199.99, but MB Klein is offering them at $149.99 each
1547563832774.png

Lionel O 6-84813 3-Rail Heavyweight Coach, The Polar Express


1547564023797.png

Lionel O 6-84812 3-Rail Heavyweight Combine Car, The Polar Express


1547564206370.png

Lionel O 6-84811 3-Rail Heavyweight Baggage Car, The Polar Express


They also have the Observation Car and Diner Car with snow on the roof.


1547564394123.png

Lionel O 6-84815 3-Rail Heavyweight Observation Car, The Polar Express


1547564465197.png

Lionel O 6-84814 3-Rail Heavyweight Diner Car, The Polar Express
 

Iron Horseman

Well-Known Member
Well that is a little sad. I had just went ahead and got a Diner and Observation car (they arrived last Friday) so I would have a matched set, but I paid $179. Could have saved $60r. But one, or the other, or both cars were already sold out at Walther's, TrainWorld, and umm umm one other place I frequent, so I purchased the very next ones I saw.

So now I have a surplus original run diner and observation car I guess I should try to sell.
 

Bruette

Well-Known Member
Well that is a little sad. I had just went ahead and got a Diner and Observation car (they arrived last Friday) so I would have a matched set, but I paid $179. Could have saved $60r. But one, or the other, or both cars were already sold out at Walther's, TrainWorld, and umm umm one other place I frequent, so I purchased the very next ones I saw.

So now I have a surplus original run diner and observation car I guess I should try to sell.

Yes, I know how it feels to find a better deal, it has happened to me several times. When it comes to Lionel sometimes you have no choice, but to grab the first one you see. They should not be hard to sell. They are out of production for good, at least for now.

You could run another train, God knows you have enough trees. :)

I have 2 traditional scale polar express trains and I plan on buying another next Christmas. I already bought the add-on cars with snow for my next new set. I'm counting on Amazon selling the set crazy cheap again.
 

Iron Horseman

Well-Known Member
You could run another train, God knows you have enough trees.
And guess what. I just walked into Home Depot where they still had a pile marked 75% off. They had 3 nine foot ones in the pile, so I looked up a manager and said how much of a better deal will you give me if I buy them all. He did and so I walked out with the 3 nine footers, two 7.5 foot white, a 6.5 foot, and umm 12 three footers. That is in addition to the "new" 14 footer, 12 footer, and 9 foot ones I got at the thrift store earlier. Got a whole forest of new trees just this year.
 

Bruette

Well-Known Member
Iron Horsemen,

I wish you were my father ;)

I don't even know how old you are, but you are my kind of guy!

Several people commented to me this Christmas saying I have a lot of Christmas trees, I only have 4. I tell them "you should see my friend on the train forum, he has a full blown forest of trees!" I showed a few of them pictures of your trees. One asked me if we were related.

Next year if you have time I'd like a count so I can tell them.

Congratulations, if I lived close I would be right over to help you unload.
 
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Iron Horseman

Well-Known Member
Next year if you have time I'd like a count so I can tell them.
Well, number of trees owned isn't necessarily the number in the forest. For example last "year" 2017, there were only 11 trees in the forest because we went for quality rather than quantity plus we went with the larger trees so as many didn't fit. The prior forest 2015 there were 36 trees in the forest (even though we owned 40 or so), 2013 there were 29. My guess is we have (only counting 3' and taller) close to 60 now.
 

Bruette

Well-Known Member
I'd love to have close to 60 trees, but if I did I would have no room for trains.

This year I had one 7.5ft tree in the living room, two 7ft trees, one in the family room, another in my train room and a 3ft tree on the front porch.

I also have 2 Bradford exchange tree with train pre-decorated trees and five 3ft trees all still packed away.

The most I ever had up at any Christmas was 7.

God wiling I will top that one Christmas soon.

I must say I was very happy with last Christmas.
 

Iron Horseman

Well-Known Member
This year I had one 7.5ft tree in the living room, two 7ft trees, one in the family room, another in my train room and a 3ft tree on the front porch.
I think the most we had when living in a "normal" house was about 13 and I remember that being a hardship to navigate without brushing one or two. The trains crossed the entry way to the living room, and with my wife's neuropathy, she would have never been able to get around them today. Having the "big" house with both a formal lobby and a gym lobby, the one with a 15' ceiling and the other 10' ceilings, created a huge opportunity that 99.5% of the population doesn't have.
 
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Bruette

Well-Known Member
I think the most we had when living in a "normal" house was about 13 and I remember that being a hardship to navigate without brushing one or two. The trains crossed the entry way to the living room, and with my wife's neuropathy, she would have never been able to get around. Having the "big" house with both a formal lobby and a gym lobby, the one with a 15' ceiling and the other 10' ceilings, created a huge opportunity that 99.5% of the population doesn't have.
Iron Horsemen consider yourself blessed. Through what I am sure was sacrifice, diligence and hard work you have been able to obtain a great place, congratulations.

Thank you for sharing your Christmas and trains with me. I can live vicariously with your trees and trains, without all the work! :) By sharing you have made your sacrifice, hard work and diligence a blessing to me as well.

I believe most blessings as well as curses are earned. I always tell my kids, grandkids and any who will listen "do your best, let God take care of the rest, but for that to work we must truly do our best." That is not to say some don't fall on hard times or good fortune through no fault of their own. I have no explanations for that, I see it as the random factor of life.

The problems I have had in my life are not do to the random factor, I earned my problems through my own choices and actions.

I'm one of the 0.5% you mentioned and as much as Id love more room for more trains. I struggle with the maintenance, up keep and yard work for the house I have.

Since late december 2017 I have struggled again with my health, fatigue and a loss of appetite became a real problem. I ignored my health problems, I over worked myself against doctors recommendations and paid the price for it. By trying to do to much I wasted the best part of a year, I won't make that mistake again.

Recently I found a pace I can maintain. It is my hope that I can keep up this pace and accomplish much more that I had in the previous year. It seems "slow and steady" does win the race, at least for me anyway.

I consider myself blessed as well, I feel good, I have more room than I can utilize and I even work again. I only work part time, but I enjoy being productive again!
 




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