John's Latest Large Scale Purchases

John's Latest Large Scale Purchases

Following up on Mark's suggestion of folks sharing any "off season" news, projects or purchases, John sent us the following message:  

Mike and OVGRS, for the most part, the off season for me focused on our ongoing kitchen reno and I maintained a couple of member's locomotives.

I have no personal projects to speak of but I did get some ideas for a later date.

I recently purchased a lot of G scale locos and cars from Montreal and in the pile there were two standard gauge tinplate items.

These came from a consignment store selling on FB Marketplace and I suspect were from an estate sale some time ago.

The first is a nice little yellow trolley 12" long and weighing a hefty 3.75 pounds. 

I could not find any reference to brand on the internet but I suspect it is homemade as the metal was quite thick, riveted and overall lacked a refined finish.

Still something of interest that someone crafted quite well with their own hands. 

Maybe it was a kit?

Maybe someone knows standard gauge stuff and can add some input?

The second picture is a reproduction of the original pre war tinplate Lionel "Pay as you Enter" trolley from 1910 to 1915.

It was stuffed in an LGB box.

It took a while to find, but the manufacture is Williams' Reproductions out of Columbia MD.

They released these in 1975 of which only 200 were produced. 50 years old!

Originally they came in a redwood box and had papers of authenticity (see third and fourth pictures).

This one has a small scuff on the top and tiny paint chips along the body where the wheels touched it.

I don't think it has ever been run and was a shelf queen and thus box misplaced from the estate sale. Who knows?

MTH also did a reproduction run of the Lionel #8 as well fairly recently.

Maybe I will reproduce the box and papers but I've got lots of projects in line ahead of it.

They both reside in our new Ikea dining room display cabinets. 

My Lisa hates it.

Most likely wants me to finish the kitchen.

Cheers! John

Thanks, John, for sending along these fine-looking images and great captions!

Hey, I want you to come over to my place to finish off my dining room/kitchen...just like yours! 😀😎😀

It looks amazing!

We are the OVGRS of Ottawa, Ontario, Canada

Mark's Indoor Switching Layout

Mark's Indoor Switching Layout

Mark sent me this wonderful message today:  

Hi Mike, I hope you are doing well. 

Thanks so much for keeping us all “in the loop” with an entertaining and informative variety of blog entries to make us feel part of the action. 

Today is my birthday, and I thought of reaching out to showcase a recent project that I’ve only just started in the last week or so.

It is an indoor large scale layout which promises to hold some pretty challenging operational moves.

Mark continues:

I have a small 2’x7’ nook in the basement that I am experimenting with by building an LGB/Playmobil switch layout. Being a basement, I was faced with the challenge of working around some plumbing, but this only added to the interesting design. 

The final result is some neat operating possibilities for small 2-axle Playmobil rolling stock and LGB ore cars. I wanted to mount this on a rigid foam insulating panel so that the shelf could be portable and possibly brought to train shows etc. 

The goal is to highlight how much operation is possible for G scale in even such a small space! The total capacity of the yard is 15 cars.

Trains approach the yard lead from the bottom left (not shown). The right hand side of the yard can be operated in classic Inglenook 5-3-3 fashion by ignoring the short runaround track and the two industrial spurs on the left. 

To add additional operating possibilities, the runaround track enables one car at a time to be shunted to the two warehouse tracks on the left. Each siding holds only 1, 2 or max 3 cars, so planning moves will be necessary!

Mark tells us that some of the sidings are populated here just for scale.

A few structures add to the scene.

The yard will be worked by small 2-axle switchers such as this wonderful CN “little critter” that used to belong to our good friend from Picton, Dave Walsh, and has found a new home with me 😀.

 I’ll make sure to put it through its paces (but not make it work too hard).

And here we find Mark back in 2019 running a live steam excursion around the IPP&W in Fred`s backyard.

I had a lot of fun chasing Mark and the train around the layout that morning!

Thanks so much for sharing your latest train project with us Mark.

Mark encourages anyone else who has some novel ideas or projects they are working on to share them through the blog via me.

That`s a great idea Mark...and Happy Birthday once more!

We are the OVGRS of Ottawa, Ontario, Canada

John Soehner's Model Truck Pictures

 John Soehner's Model Truck Pictures

My good OVAR friend, John Soehner, sent along a number of pictures of models of trucks he took at the big train show in Springfield.

John sets up at a table with a few friends each year and his truck models are very impressive.

He also sent along a small handful of railfan photos he snapped while down in Massachusetts.

Let's begin with John's railfan photos.

John tells us that he walked through a hiking conservation trail to snap these trackside shots. 

Click on an image to enlarge it and click outside the image to return to the default look of the page.

 NECR was working at the Three Rivers Industrial spur north of Palmer MA, and he managed to walk in on the trail a short distance to get these shots of the train.  

This guy, Doug, had to make a short detour to get around in front of the lead engines to return home.

 John was positioned on the hiking trail through the bush to get the shots.

The cyclist, Doug, told John that he knows at least one of the hoggers so he decided to get a shot of his buddy in the lead engine!

Now on to the model truck displays sent in by John.

John tells us that these are shots from the 1/87th Vehicles Club area at the Springfield show.  

His group was positioned about 25 feet from the aisle connecting the major part of The Mallary Building and the slightly smaller Annex of the Building.  

He says that there was decent traffic for most of Saturday.    

The tables with white coverings were for the Club Vendors with their wares to sell!  

Most of the Vendor shots were taken before the gates opened Saturday morning, i.e. before 10:00 h.

Looks like a decent crowd of visitors for sure!

While trains were a-running, it was the trucks at these tables which were the main focus of attention!

More vendors and/or exhibitors.

Wouldn't you like all these beneath your Christmas tree!

John tells us that these are some of his favourites - B-Trains.  Glen Tay!  Cool!!!

Great displays from the vendors.

Boxes and packages and more boxes and packages!

Love the barge!

Colourful items!

Smiles abound on the faces of the vendors even before the crowds are let in the door!

Like fishing...they've hooked another family into this great hobby of theirs!

Maintenance vehicles abound!

Great smiles!

Lots of traffic...of the vehicular model design!

Detail parts.

An entire fleet!

Various trucking company colours on each cab!

Construction vehicles.

Cement mixers.

More items.

Caterpillar is represented heavily here.

A nice array.

Yet another 'young one' captivated by the displays.

I imagine the green stickers are attached to second-hand items for sale.

Where there's smoke...there's fire...and there will be the fire department!

Quite the pavilion!

Some cranes.

Nice wide aisleways.

Two of the top three fellows who have been organizing the 1/87th Vehicles Club for years on end...Bob Johnson and Ralph Ratcliffe.

John did manage to make a few purchases before departing for home here in Canada in advance of the winter storm that was about to strike New England.

John wrote this:

I did not get too many great buys at the show as Hugh Strobel and I “pulled the pin” early Sunday morning before the BiG Storm rolled in.  

I did get a decent cache of free 3-D printed seconds from Grim Bros., left a ten dollar bill as a donation.  

Mirrors, mud flaps, radiators, missing on many but still a good starting point for another truck or two!  

Lots of trimming to get some of the cabs and chassis free of their printing needles.

There's John in the purple shirt sharing a laugh with Fred, David & Henk.

John also wrote:  

Apparently I also brought back a “hitch-hiker” on the return, a bug that has me down with the “Barking Dog Syndrome”, a knock me down and out Head, Throat and Chest Cold.

 Treating the affliction with Vick’s Vapo Rub, Oil of Wild Oregano, Teas of Ginger Root and Honey and that old Canadian Remedy Buckley’s Completely Terrible Complete Cold Remedy!  

Hack, cough, sputter …. etc., etc.  

Not making February OVAR and probably will be sleeping through Angus’ Zoom Presentation.

We will miss you at OVAR John...but thanks so much for sending along this fabulous account through your many wonderful images.

We are the OVGRS of Ottawa, Ontario, Canada