Aristocraft Items for sale

Made by Aristocraft this G scale New York Central Caboose is for sale. I am asking $50.00 plus shipping. If you are interested please contact me.

Made by Aristocraft this Gscale Log Car is for sale. I am asking $45.00 plus shipping. If you are interested please contact me.

Made by Aristocraft this Gscale New York Central covered Gondola is for sale. I am asking $50.00 plus shipping. If you are interested please contact me.

New York Central Coal Car made by Aristocraft G scale is for sale. I am asking $50.00. its in like new condition. If you are interested please contact me.

Aristocraft New York Central Boxcar for sale G scale I am asking $50.00 the condition is like new. If you are interested please contact me.

I have an Aristocraft F1A New York Central locomotive for sale I am asking $200.00 plus shipping for it. It is in fine working order. message me if you are interested.

My G Scale Layout

The weather has turned a lot nicer and the temps are reaching the 70's the out door layout is just about ready tto go for the season. I have dusted off the rolling stock and oiled the locomotives. The extention cords are strung out to the transformer. I have repaired the buildings and the landscaping looks good. The main train I run on the out door track is a New York Central freight train pulled by an Alco F1 Locomotive followed by a Boxcar, a Reefer, a Tank car, a Hopper, a Coal car, a Log car, a covered Goldola, and a caboose.

 Alco F1 Locomotive

Boxcar

Reefer

Tank car

 Hopper

Coal car

Log car

covered Goldola

Caboose

My Inventory Is Growing

I have been using the program called "Yard Office" to log my inventory of Locomotives and rolling stock that I have collected to support my hobby of model railroading. I have managed to log in all the stock into this program which allows me to print off a wide variety of reports. I can also create custom reports. so my every need is met with information on my stock at my fingertips. I have concentrated primarily on HO scale and supplemented my inventory with G scale to occupy my summers. There is a large G scale track out in my backyard.

Lately however, I have become interested in N scale. I began by creating a coffee table layout featuring an Ann Arbor freight train. The layout is progressing along and will provide me with a lot more hours of enjoyment as I complete the landscaping.

I have planned a new much larger N scale layout that is still in the planning stages. My plan is to have two tracks powered by separate transformers allowing each track to run a train independently. The first track I have already decided will be a Canadian National freight train I have already began to accumulate the rolling stock and the track to support this effort.

The second track I have not yet began to plan out so far I was thinking a passenger train would be nice.
I began pricing the passenger cars in N scale and discovered the cost is a bit prohibitive. so I am still wide open as to what the second track would run.

Lastly I began putting together an HO layout for my grand kids. Its a BNSF freight train. So far I have been working on creating a model of their house and barn.

 

The Great Debate

I have been debating what scale I should concentrate on. So far I have built a large HO scale layout on my sun porch, a large G scale layout in my back yard, and a small N scale coffee table layout in my library. I have two layouts in the planning stages a large N scale layout and a smaller HO scale layout for my grandchildren.

The N scale layout is the Canadian National layout I have been talking a lot about lately. with it I can cover a lot more scale miles and have a greater variety of landscapes and structures. I have already begun to accumulate the parts such as track and cars to put the layout together.

The HO scale layout is not so far along I have a small amount of track, enough to run a small oval, and a BNSF locomotive and caboose along with a boxcar, gondola, and 3 bay hopper. there are also some street signs and telephone poles that I can integrate into the layout. The grandchildren seem to like it and we have talked about buying a barn and a farmhouse for the layout as well.

What do you think I should concentrate on?

I am Looking For an FB Unit

I am running a New York Central FA unit made by Aristocraft in G scale and I would like to find an FB unit to go with it. Aristocraft no longer makes the locomotive and does not have anymore in stock. If anyone can help me find one I would appreciate it.

Mothers Day Brought Me Outside

The weather is great today so I went outside to run my garden train. Sandy is busy cutting the grass and enjoying the weather also. The day could not be nicer for watching my New York Central freight train run around an expanded track. The track is roughly twice the size it was last year. I'm having a few issues with the F unit locomotive running smoothly but it is running. I'm sure it is because it hasn't been run all winter. I am looking forward to an expanded season of running the train.

It turned out there was nothing wrong with the locomotive. There was a loose wire that went from the transformer to the track which is now fixed.

Pere Marquette locomotive needs a workout

As I look over my G scale items to run next spring, I came across my #1 gauge  Pere Marquette locomotive and caboose. I have been on a quest to find rolling stock for it. I prefer passenger cars however I will take anything in 1/32 scale. So far no luck what so ever. I might just have to resort to having cars custom painted. I have no idea as to what that would cost.

I have enough curved track to set up an 8ft circle, but I don't have a transformer yet to power the track. I still could use some straight track, a circle just isn't interesting enough. Plus I will need to be sure the place I lay the track is very level as the locomotive is very picky as to the levelness of the track.

Freight train freight train rollin round the bend.....

I have decided to add a New York Central freight train to my passenger train layout. It requires a lot more track, but I really like the visual of two trains passing each other. If I can figure out how to do it, I will post a video of the two trains as soon as I am able. The video will show the very simple state the layout is in at the moment. i.e. no tables no scenery and simple track layout. I still have a long way to go to complete this project.

Mamma is in the house

Barry has made me co-author of the Blog. Thanks Barry. I will be posting on this blog bringing the female perspective.

Today we went to the Lansing Michigan train show at the MSU pavilion. It was a very large show. Barry walked up and down every aisle in the place. I was able to check out a few horses while we were there. We almost found a Walthers heavyweight New York Central RPO for Barry, but almost doesn't count.