|
Post by steveoncattailcreek on Sept 13, 2023 1:48:00 GMT
You guys have some amazing collections. I admire your collections but have no desire to start one of my own because I don't collect anything, not even trains. All the trains I have I run. If I find that I have trains that I don't run I sell them. I have other hobbies but collecting isn't one of them. Yeah, I'm pretty much in the same school. I'll pursue particular items if they attract my interest (like the groundbreaking Marx "Sound 'O Power" tender), but just collecting for collecting's sake leaves me cold. When I see literally rooms full of racks of trains some accumulate, I just envision the enjoyment a whole lot of other enthusiasts might have had if so many hadn't been collecting dust in a 'collection'.. Ah, well, different strokes . . .
|
|
|
Post by Bill on Sept 13, 2023 5:44:23 GMT
Well, Country Joe, we all have our "druthers". We won't hold it against you. ![:)](//storage.forums.net/forum/images/smiley/smiley.png) just curious, do you have a pile of magazines somewhere, or maybe certain glasses you use for certain drinks?
|
|
|
Post by dlagrua on Sept 13, 2023 15:20:46 GMT
I have too many hobbies and collections to list but of my 6 classic car collection this one is my favorite; 300HP Supercharged/Intercooled and 2700lbs . When you slam that pedal down you could snap your neck!
|
|
|
Post by david1 on Sept 13, 2023 16:06:11 GMT
I have too many hobbies and collections to list but of my 6 classic car collection this one is my favorite; 300HP Supercharged/Intercooled and 2700lbs . When you slam that pedal down you could snap your neck!
Not to be a smart guy but what is it? Dave
|
|
|
Post by Adam on Sept 13, 2023 16:24:16 GMT
You guys have some amazing collections. I admire your collections but have no desire to start one of my own because I don't collect anything, not even trains. All the trains I have I run. If I find that I have trains that I don't run I sell them. I have other hobbies but collecting isn't one of them. Yeah, I'm pretty much in the same school. I'll pursue particular items if they attract my interest (like the groundbreaking Marx "Sound 'O Power" tender), but just collecting for collecting's sake leaves me cold. When I see literally rooms full of racks of trains some accumulate, I just envision the enjoyment a whole lot of other enthusiasts might have had if so many hadn't been collecting dust in a 'collection'.. Ah, well, different strokes . . . My definition of collection is a bit different. I do use what I collect. I regularly change out the trains, always have a record playing in the background and pick up a guitar for a bit almost every day. I agree that collecting for the sake of collecting isn't fun.
|
|
|
Post by steveoncattailcreek on Sept 13, 2023 16:41:23 GMT
My definition of collection is a bit different. I do use what I collect. I regularly change out the trains, always have a record playing in the background and pick up a guitar for a bit almost every day. I agree that collecting for the sake of collecting isn't fun. Oh, I agree. IMHO, if you regularly run what you own, I don't consider that "collecting". Buying stuff and never taking it out of the boxes, or racking the stuff up and almost never running it, just to be able to say (or know) you have it, is the "collecting" I'm talking about. OTOH, a lot of our fellow enthusiasts *do* seem to enjoy just accumulating the stuff rather than using it as it was designed. *That* seems a shame to me, if only for the enjoyment they are denying to all those who might actually make good use of the stuff. Collecting bottle caps or figurines or other objects does not seem quite as bad, but for items designed to be used (like model trains or cars, for instance), ISTM they should either *be* used, or passed on to those who will. But, to each his/her own . . .
|
|
|
Post by Bill on Sept 13, 2023 17:39:49 GMT
Oh, I agree. IMHO, if you regularly run what you own, I don't consider that "collecting". Buying stuff and never taking it out of the boxes, or racking the stuff up and almost never running it, just to be able to say (or know) you have it, is the "collecting" I'm talking about. OTOH, a lot of our fellow enthusiasts *do* seem to enjoy just accumulating the stuff rather than using it as it was designed. *That* seems a shame to me, if only for the enjoyment they are denying to all those who might actually make good use of the stuff. Collecting bottle caps or figurines or other objects does not seem quite as bad, but for items designed to be used (like model trains or cars, for instance), ISTM they should either *be* used, or passed on to those who will. But, to each his/her own . . . As you say, to each their own, but then say if someone doesn't use it the same way, it's not as valuable? I see display racks on walls, or trying to find one more car to add to the "perfect" consist, or all types of variables in between. There are all kinds of collecting. But really, the main thinking that I disagree with is the common feeling of "enjoyment they are denying to all those who might actually make good use of the stuff." Who determins what is good use? If someone gets enough pleasure to pay for something, just to put it in a closet, how is that not as valuable to them, as to someone else who does something else with it? I like to think the more people that acquire things, for any purpose, the stronger our hobby becomes. We should celebrate the differences our hobby affords. Focus on what we like, but appreciate the wide variation of opportunities our hobby allows. Please understand I am not picking on any one individual, just explaining another point of view. ![:)](//storage.forums.net/forum/images/smiley/smiley.png)
|
|
|
Post by af3020 on Sept 13, 2023 17:40:41 GMT
Welllll... as has been noted, to each his own, and one of those "own" categories is essentially a blend of collecting and "running" where "running" implies doing something besides just having the trains on display. For me a blend approach is the only thing possible. Because of space considerations, operating layouts are, as I've mentioned previously, restricted to the world of the Broadloom Conspiracy - temporary. The actual "active" space I have for "running" is about 4x6 feet. There is also the issue of a train being able to run at all. For example, ever since I learned about the second generation of American Flyer cast iron superstructure locomotives from the 1930-1932 period I've been on the hunt for them. Unfortunately, their drive wheels are diecast with nickel plated tires and, with only the rarest of exceptions, they are "blown" which means running is impossible. There are available pre-war reproduction drivers which can be made to work with these engines but they don't look anything like the originals and I really don't care for them....so, what to do. I like photography and I enjoy assembling dioramas and 4x6 feet can give the impression of the whole world if you want it to. Since a photograph is static, running is not a problem and I can use any train I want to. In the case of the Flyer engines mentioned above I put together a ready line diorama featuring nothing but these engines. I slipped a thin piece of plastic between the commutator and the brushes. This disabled the motor but still allowed electric current to get to the headlight. On two of the engines the swelling of the wheel dicast had resulted in the gauge being wider than 3 rail O so I took a scrap piece of rail and ground out the inside part of the rail to accommodate the "swollen wheel gauge". Once I had everything in place I set up the diorama and got the following result: ![](https://uniim1.shutterfly.com/render/00-yhf6E4wlYj7FDv7XyhSrJJ2CFVjTIIYK2Kq38W7DADPpCkhDFhKEflByUwXk4eZSKwg5ydwHipy3aIZBf9dNYQ?cn=THISLIFE&res=large&ts=1694626269)
|
|
|
Post by Bill on Sept 13, 2023 17:56:23 GMT
Just thinking - does anyone have more trains than tracks? Surprise, you have a collection. ![:)](//storage.forums.net/forum/images/smiley/smiley.png)
|
|
|
Post by healey36 on Sept 13, 2023 19:55:45 GMT
...ever since I learned about the second generation of American Flyer cast iron superstructure locomotives from the 1930-1932 period I've been on the hunt for them. Unfortunately, their drive wheels are diecast with nickel plated tires and, with only the rarest of exceptions, they are "blown" which means running is impossible. There are available pre-war reproduction drivers which can be made to work with these engines but they don't look anything like the originals and I really don't care for them....so, what to do. AF3020, here's my 3195/3196 (3197), or at least I think that's how they numbered them. I haven't had this on the track for years, but it ran fine last I did. Maybe I need to pull it out and check it over: ![](https://live.staticflickr.com/877/26321388827_d95ab45ece_z.jpg) ![](https://live.staticflickr.com/812/27320184438_ebb42e421e_z.jpg) What do ya think? Original wheels? I'm not sure...
|
|
|
Post by af3020 on Sept 13, 2023 21:13:33 GMT
healey36 - yours is a #3195 - the #3197 has a manual reverse lever sticking out of the cab. The wheels look to be original and since you can run it this means you have one of the rare runners. If the wheels weren't blown when you got it then it is very unlikely anything would have happened to them in the meantime. For reference here's a picture of the #3197. You can see the lever and if you look at the area below the back of the cab you can see the insulating material that is part of the reversing switch. ![](https://uniim1.shutterfly.com/render/00-yhf6E4wlYj7FDv7XyhSrJJ2CFVjTIIYK2Kq38W7DADOKgJdfj8IpwiCvGNnuVPWBrnHjCyIZu59oV2we_kMG9A?cn=THISLIFE&res=large&ts=1694639313)
|
|
|
Post by dlagrua on Sept 14, 2023 2:28:49 GMT
I have too many hobbies and collections to list but of my 6 classic car collection this one is my favorite; 300HP Supercharged/Intercooled and 2700lbs . When you slam that pedal down you could snap your neck!
Not to be a smart guy but what is it? Dave That my friend is a modified custom 1987 Pontiac Fiero GT. It features a reworked leather interior, a GM 2006 3800 SC(supercharged engine), 4 speed 4T65eHD automatic transmission with many select custom speed equipment parts on the engine and suspension. Its fuel injected and the best part is that it gets 29 hwy MPG on my trips to the GM Nationals at Carlisle every June. Most of the time it can be seen in NJ at area cruise nights in Somerville and Flemington. The Pontiac Fiero was the only mid engined car that GM made up until the new Corvette made its debut.
|
|
|
Post by healey36 on Sept 14, 2023 11:52:18 GMT
Numbering of AF motive power is quite confusing. I seem to recall that Flyer sometimes referred to loco/tender combinations with a third number; in this case, I thought that I'd seen the combination of the 3195 loco and the 3196 tender referred to as a 3197 in some of the paper. Seems unlikely, however, if they actually produced a loco numbered 3197. Coleman and the fellas were an eccentric bunch, lol.
|
|
|
Post by af3020 on Sept 14, 2023 13:08:10 GMT
healey36 I don't want to derail this thread but since you asked - you are correct - Flyer had separate numbers for the engine, the tender, and the engine/tender combination. Most collectors don't bother with the engine/tender number identifier rather they will just give the engine number or if it is one of the "odd" combination of engine/tender they will give the number of each one.
For the second generation the engine numbers are 3195, 3195X, 3197, 3198, 3180, 3190, 915 and 1084.
3195 and 3197 are the same construct with 3197 having a manual reverse.
3195X has the same motor as 3195 and 3197 but has a different superstructure casting - as far as I know it is only marked as such (3195X) by a rubber stamp ID underneath the cab.
3198 is a completely different casting with 0-4-0 wheel arrangement and
3180 and 3190 are essentially a "stretched" 3198 casting with a separate steam chest casting and either a -0-4-0 or a 2-4-0 wheel arrangement - (3180 is 0-4-0 and 3190 is 2-4-0).
The first version of the 3198 appears to have been very short lived.
The casting with the 3180/3190 superstructure was later substituted for the 3198 and can be found with that identification. For this version as well as the 3180/3190 the ID is rubber stamped on the underside of the cowcatcher.
915 is the bottom of the line and it went into production in 1932 and lasted through 1934 - it came in two versions an inside gear motor and an outside gear motor.
1084 is a "cute" cast iron engine - it was never catalogued and only listed/illustrated on dealer price sheets.
...and now I'll try to get back to the purpose of this thread.
|
|
|
Post by healey36 on Sept 14, 2023 14:15:03 GMT
Thanks for the info, AF.
|
|