Weekly Photo Fun 1/17 -1/23/13

[Green_Elite_Cab]

Thanks! And yes, the few, but also the passionate electric railfans!

If you really want to model this stuff, you should join our modular NEC club. We don't have any dues or anything right now, so its all free for the time being. Most of our members are in the Philadelphia area, so you're set.

Yes, certainly. It is especially hard if you are running on a limited budget like many of us, myself included. There is only so much money that I can spend in this hobby. I was just looking back at the Walthers reference book from 2010 and prices have practically tripled in 4 years! I would love some of those new Walthers Amfleets in IVb, but I will have to wait for some discounts because $80 a pop is too much for me to spend right now. Especially when a shorter prototype train is 5 cars. It adds up quickly!

I agree... I was just discussing this on a facebook page. The prices are getting out of hand, but there isn't a whole lot that can be done. I just hope they don't all dissappear from shelves. I could probably afford to pick one up every few months, and by the end of the year i'd have something, at least.

Yes I read that he rigs up his pans so that they are in a fixed position and do not put too much pressure on the wires. He would probably have to do that to the Metros before he put them on his layout. I have never actually seen his layout in person, but would love to some day. The pictures always blow me away.

I was just there for an open house this past November. Its very nice, though its barely 1/4 complete! His pantographs are not fixed. In reality, he has weakened his pantograph springs, AND he has rebuilt is pantographs so that they break away if they snag.

He was showing me one pantograph at a train show, and it crumbled in my hands, I thought I broke it! but that was by design.

At the same time though, his wire is built to a much finer scale than my wire (or most Model railroad catenary for that matter), so he REALLY needs to have the pressure down just right.

I have heard a few people that are dissappointed at Walthers' decision to not run the Metros in PC. Maybe they will hear this and do it down the road.

I would definitely be in line to pick up a set of those, and i'd go out of my way to pick up additional Penn Central cars over time. I deally, I'd like to have two six car trainsets, but I expect it will be a few years before I get there. For now, one 4 car set is good enough for me, as its the minimum.