While drinking my coffee this morning I got to thinking about my first short line the "Detroit Connecting" and the 6 brass Alco Models RS1s I used that was painted Black body and yellow frame,yellow pilots and lettering and was numbered 50-55.I paid a whooping $34.95 each for these engines and picked up two a week for three weeks.I was 15 years old at the time and was unloading boxcars-I lied about my age since all they checked when the company hired you was your Social Security card.
Needless to say the pay was good for a kid that wasn't afraid of hard work.I was bringing home $135.00/week after taxes.
These RS1 was true "coffee grinders" with their KMT drives yet,this racket didn't bother me because it was normal back in the day..The DC also had 2 PFM/United UP 0-6-0s but,I sold those and bought 2 Alco models S2s.
The hobby has come a long way since those days..The Atlas RS1 and S2 is superior to those old brass Alcos even though they was nice models back in the day.
<!-- m --><a class="postlink" href="http://www.caboosehobbies.com/catalog/popup_image.php?pID=68929&prod_image_ext=jpg">http://www.caboosehobbies.com/catalog/p ... ge_ext=jpg</a><!-- m -->
I have some Atlas RS-1s, S-2s, and an S-4 (purchased in the early 1990s. Except for the directional lighting thing, they run flawless and pull a house as well as run on very tight radii,
You're making me remember my first post-war Marklin train set, and wishing I still had it. 8-)
Cool stuff, Brakie. About what year was that?
I designed the Detroit Connecting in '64 and used 2 Hobbytown RS3s and the UP 0-6-0s for motive power.I use Champ's private road name decals..The DC operated on the old Columbus HO club layout.
I was in Deshler on Sunday and one of the local peddlers had a trunk full of Athearn blue box for sale. He bought a collection, kept a few for himself, and was selling the rest to cover his cash outlay. Most of the boxes had original price tags of $4 to $6. I think a few limited run items had $8 price tags on them.
railohio Wrote:I was in Deshler on Sunday and one of the local peddlers had a trunk full of Athearn blue box for sale. He bought a collection, kept a few for himself, and was selling the rest to cover his cash outlay. Most of the boxes had original price tags of $4 to $6. I think a few limited run items had $8 price tags on them.
I remember buying BB car kits starting at $1.29 then $1.49 still a excellent buy.
Gee.... Talk about the "good old days"... The one and only brass diesel I ever purchased was a Hallmark GE 44ton that I paid about $90 for in the mid 70's. The mechanism was so poor that on a regular DC throttle, it was either sitting still or finally took off at 90 mph at full voltage! Made more noise than any coffee grinder! Got an SCR throttle (a/k/a chopper - any one else remember those?) and that ran it very slow because of the variable pulse spikes from the SCR throttle, so I was happy with it after that. Detail didn't compare with today's plastic GE 44/45 tonners.
Always remember whenever I purchased a new Athearn engine - it would either run okay or very poorly (perhaps not at all) and of course geeps had hoods that were too wide, but we accepted that. Speaking of Athearn, how many folks on here remember their Hi-Fi rubber band drive on their F-units and Hustler? Those things ran like slot cars.
I remember how we all fussed when those nice Roundhouse box cars, covered hoppers and tank cars were released that sold for a whopping $6 to $8 a piece for a shake the box kit. What are we paying now for a single car? $30+++ And of course the days of purchasing a new locomotive for $25 are long gone too! The hobby has certainly improved over the past few years, but I feel for the younger people who don't have a pocket full of money and are just getting started.
I remember buying Athearn locomotives for $9.95 mail order when they had the cast metal trucks, in the 70's. I also got a deal on Atlas FP7's for $12.95 each (Sante FE only) and redid them as PRR. Inflation has taken it's toll, but I find prices on models a little above the inflation rate, but the quality too has increased. I just find it sad that the shake the box kits are no longer desired by most. I enjoy putting them together, and if I live long enough I might even add the proper details to some of them.
Charlie
Ed:Speaking of Athearn, how many folks on here remember their Hi-Fi rubber band drive on their F-units and Hustler? Those things ran like slot cars.
--------------------------
Ed,I fully believe that Hustler could out run any 60 and 70 era slot car.
Today's slot cars are so fast that Hustler would be left standing in the rubber tire dust at the starting line.
I changed out the older GP7 Hi-Fi drive to Hobbytown's drive for the Athearn GP30/GP7..
Oddly enough I still like those old Athearn GP7s.
I have about 20 of them ready to roll DC. I am now DCC and running steam exclusively so they just sit right now. Most of my rolling stock is Athearn or Round house / MDC.
My very first "complicated" project was to isolate two track sections when I got my second engine as a little boy prior to any school education in physics etc..
I got 8 (eight!) old toggle switches from old cars and used them to switch the eight cuts I had made into the rails. It was simple circle with a siding, two stub tracks and only one power feeder. The following days were fascinating when I started to understand how electric current can flow :o That kept me fascinated all my life.