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RR Memorabilia: |
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My World of Trains |
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Utilities: |
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E-mail
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WALL OF TRAINS
Behind the roundhouse on the NORMANED RR are shelves like these which
“house” parts of the family collection not currently in service on the
layout. The rolling stock on display is rotated from time-to-time, and
future revisions and additions for this page will highlight other
equipment. This photo shows the current accumulation in the exhibit. |
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Pennsylvania RR 6-8-6 steam turbine locomotive No. 671, built from
1946-’49 by Lionel® |
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A
former Lionel-Santa Fe RR F-3 “A” unit No. 2343 (built c.1951) was
restored, repainted and re-lettered for use as the main “home” diesel
road engine of the NORMANED, and still operates well - now 50 years
since its manufacture. |
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The
real “workhorse” of the NORMANED (NN&T) is this re-built Lionel No. 624
NW-2 switch engine (built c.1953) which performs most yard chores and
many shortline freight hauls on the model railroad. |
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Below left: A Walthers Co. / Pabst Blue Ribbon “beer can tank car”
in O-scale.
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Above right: When Citizens' Band (CB) radio was at the peak of its
popularity (1976 - c.1983), the NORMANED RR family utilized this form
of mobile communication, using the code name ['handle'], “The Copper
Caboose.” It was only appropriate that this special car, a former
Lionel caboose, be fitted out as the “communication center” for the
model railroad. It sat for years in and around the yards, replete with
fresh copper paint, a huge ground-plane antenna and official call
identification number on her side - the real namesake “Copper
Caboose.” |
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This is an assembled Tonka Corp. three-dimensional
“diorama-in-a-box” depicting the Cumberland Valley RR 2-2-2
“Pioneer” locomotive arriving at the Chambersburg, Pa. Station in
1853. Everything in the diorama is crafted in 1/48" (O-gauge)
scale. Photographed with a special wide-angle lens, the
mirror-reflected “extended images” can be detected at both ends of
this diorama picture. The display is lighted from the top, through
a “diffuser.” |
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A close-up of the
“Pioneer” locomotive |
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Another
“Pioneer,” is Chicago's first locomotive, built by Baldwin in 1843 for
the Tonawanda Railroad of New York. It was bought in 1843 by the Galena
& Chicago Union (later the C&NW) as its first engine, and is now
preserved in the collection of the West Chicago Historical Museum. |
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Lionel Searchlight Car No.
3620B |
The TTCo. Trolley |
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Top:
A well-weathered supply car arrives with a delivery of goods for the
NORMANED R.R. shops (click on
open door to examine supplies). |
| Below:
The conductor on the “home-detailed” Normaned caboose No. 30 seems to
reveal a “family resemblance” to the worker in the supply car above, as
they both have rather “wooden” stares. |
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A Boy Scouts of
America commemorative car was manufactured in O-scale by “Kris
Model Trains” (K-M-T) in the 1970s. Although it has been run in
a NORMANED RAILROAD consist, it is now a keepsake, recalling the
10 to 12 years when the proprietor was a Boy Scout merit badge
counselor for both the Communications and Railroading badge
awards. |
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ACCESSORIES
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When the Lionel operating cattle car is positioned at the cattle
stockade, pressing an “unload” button causes the car's side doors to
open and tiny cattle figures move from the car, into the corral,
and/or back into the car. A popular accessory item made between 1949
and 1955. |
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As
trains approach, the door opens and Lionel's “Operating Gateman”
emerges, swinging a lighted lantern. |
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An
'S-SCALE SAMPLER' - The Reading RR 4-4-2 “Atlantic” is the only
S-scale (7/8"-gauge, 3/16" size ratio) locomotive owned by the NORMANED
[the perfect size for On3 (3-ft. narrow gauge)]. Keeping it company in
this photo are ceramic replicas of five famous Lionel O-gauge
locomotives, produced however in S-scale size and distributed under
license by the Avon company. |
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This ceramic model of a Santa Fe 4-4-0 locomotive is a part of the Avon series. It was a birthday present to the author in 2007. |
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TT (for “Table Top”) Gauge was invented by Hal P. Joyce,
following World War 2. It is built to a scale of 1/10-inch to the foot
(1:120) with a track gauge of 0.471 inch (12 millimeters), placing it
between HO and N scales in size, approximately one-half
that of S scale. This small layout with its single
battery-powered locomotive, tender and caboose comprises the complete
Normaned TT “empire,” pictured here with similar “trains” in N
and HO scales at left and right on the tracks in the foreground
(for size comparison). In 1946, this is how products for the then new
TT Scale were often advertised: |
| “TT trim tiny
thoroughbred trains travel tracks through tunnels, trestles,
turnouts -- tugging tiny tons tirelessly towards traffic terminals.
Total territory - table top. These thoroughly tested tiny
thoroughbreds trundle through towns, thunder through tough territory
to the throttle's touch.” |
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A
"Chatanooga Choo-Choo" music box layout (5 inches x 5 inches) displays
two miniature trains in motion when the music is played. The trains are
smaller than Z-scale, but as can be seen here, they are attached to the
track which revolves as the railroad music sounds. The track appears to
be about the width of Z-gauge. The buildings and scenery (trees) are
very small, but the figures (people) are probably N-scale size. However,
when seen all together, it all looks just fine. We have christened it
"The Normaned Baby." |
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The
Normaned RR even celebrates Easter with "The BUNNY Train!" |
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. . . .
and Christmas with a "Santa Claus Train." |
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Norm
shows off his first G-Scale electric train set, the fictional "Polar
Express," which he received as a 73rd birthday anniversary gift from his
children and their families. |
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A
three-dimensional locomotive engraved inside a plastic block which was a
75th birthday gift to the author. |
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THE SILVER LINE
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The proprietor of The NORMANED RAILROAD received a radio-controlled layout,
"The Silver Line" from his daughter Nita and her husband as a 76th birthday anniversary present for 2006. The long horizontal view pictures the entire layout with the portable controller shown near the center. In the circled photo we see the locomotive pulling away from the power house after having its batteries charged up. The model is actually a plastic toy, but very close in size and gauge to
T T Scale |
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