[AmFlyer]

Mopac, good idea starting this thread. For my first contribution I am unfortunately breaking a few of the rules you set. I will try to adhere closer with future contributions.
This is a Lackawanna Trainmaster from AM. I purchased it new at an S Fest many years ago in Chicago. It has been modified to add Railsounds and run with the Legacy control system.
The photo was taken today in the freight yard area of my layout.

 

[AmFlyer]

I was thinking about what I could post that would be both interesting and not something one sees every day. While my first trainset was purchased in 1950 by my parents I have been collecting in some manner since the late 1970’s. On the other hand some of these items may be totally boring to look at.
I cannot post every day since I am home usually only 4 days/week.So here goes.
Ever wonder how train sets and some other items got from the factory to the distributors. The answer is master cartons. Here is a master carton for shipping the 5108-W set. It holds two sets. Yes, this one has the two complete sets in it. One side has a closeup of the set info, the other is just the other side so the whole carton is visible.

 

[AmFlyer]

That is a nice gas station. They are hard to find in S scale. Somehow I missed out on buying one.
Here is a picture of the Gulf station on my layout along with some 1/64th cars.

 

[AmFlyer]

Sagas, the 215 Water Tank in your picture was sold from 1934 through 1940. There were three variations made. The one in the picture is a type 1 with a green ladder. Type II had a red ladder and Type III a yellow ladder. The original weight is a medium gray color.

 

[AmFlyer]

For todays picture I chose a 342AC that I run on the layout and a modified 613 GN boxcar. I bought the 342AC December 1993 at the DuPage meet. It is just short of excellent condition because the lettering is a bit weak and there is very slight paint wear on the edge of the coal bunker. It is likely a 1950 engine, it has AF not AFL on the tender and it has the 2 spring rather than 3 spring tender trucks. I have never had it apart to look for a date stamp, it is completely original.
The 613 has an SnS track cleaning chassis under it with link rather than knuckle couplers. They usually put this assembly in a D&H gondola and use the center canister to hide the vertical motor.

I tried posing these on the mantle in my office rather than on the layout.

 

[AmFlyer]

Take good care of Gabe. In that condition with the OB and all the paper it is worth about $600.

 

[AmFlyer]

I purchased the master carton separately from the two sets now inside the carton. I got the master almost for free. This one is nice because the cardboard is in good condition and all the stamps are factory fresh. I have seen other master cartons with things such as separate sale freight cars and passenger cars inside. I passed on those because the sellers wanted 5X the separate sale value of the contents. One was MSOB but the seller wanted $2,500 for it. there were six boxcars in it worth about $600 total at the time.
I have more uncommon things in the works but not until I get back home and find them in the storage crates.

 

[AmFlyer]

Back at home this afternoon so I was able to photograph a contribution for today. These are 3 new in the box Pikemaster items. The 24302 Terminal and Uncoupler Track, the 26320 RH Remote Control Pikemaster Turnout and the 26322 Pikemaster 90 deg crossover.
These also came in blister packs, unfortunately after 10 minutes searching through my storage crates I could not find those to include in the picture.

 

[AmFlyer]

Here is a special today for Mopac. I came across one of my LN/OB Eagle boxcars while looking for the Pikemaster Blister Packs. This is the 983.

 

[AmFlyer]

They definitely belong together.

 

[AmFlyer]

The 25049 is not common. It is listed as a 4 in the rarity guide and in fact is the example used for that classification. I have never before seen one in that condition. Treat it well!

 

[AmFlyer]

For today’s contribution I have two pictures of the hard to find 1952 342 with 5 wire, 3 spring tender trucks and red glowing smoke. I acquired this in June of 1988.

 

[AmFlyer]

I like the 370's. One of my two original sets is the 5112T with the 370.
Cramden, all the 342's like the one I posted yesterday were made in 1952. I have not taken the shell off to see the exact month of production. Not very many of these were made. My box storage routine is the opposite of yours. I keep the boxes for everything operating on the layout under the layout. All the rest are stored in the attic or in racks under the garage ceiling.

 

[AmFlyer]

That is a nice passenger set.

 

[AmFlyer]

Great looking engine Cramden. When you post these pictures it is obvious you have a clean looking layout in a great train room. Nice to see those Gilbert accessories on the layout. It is also obvious you do not live in earthquake country with those trains on unprotected shelves. I would not dare do that here in SoCal.

 

[AmFlyer]

That caboose looks to be in perfect condition. My similar 977 has the metal man, the rubber man looks nicer.
So you need a bay window action caboose? There is the hard to find tuscan 979 and the much harder to find 27052 silver.

 

[AmFlyer]

Here is my contribution for the remainder of the week. It is for those who like the NH RR. I planned to post the Gilbert NH engines but that turned out to be not possible right now. Since these four American Models engines NH are on my layout I posed them at the roundhouse. Do not mind the other engines. It is also a reminder that we do have some diverse choices in S gauge engines for our layouts.

 

[AmFlyer]

Nice Cramden. Now I see why you want to add a bay window version (or two.)
Fred, if you want to see a video of my layout go to smarttinc.com, then Gallery, Personal, then larger scales. The mosaic of layouts has mine in the upper left corner, the S scale. The videos were made at the builders shop just before disassembly for delivery, it was about 90% complete. Sorry, the TT is not used in the video. Drive over from Utah and you can run it in person!

 

[AmFlyer]

He is an employee of the builder. The better link and video is at the smarttinc.com site I posted above.

 

[AmFlyer]

There is plenty of room under the layout for a nice blowup bed!