It’s another week at Trainz, which can only mean there’s another week of quick hits coming right at you, though I’m certain you won’t want to dodge these. This week features an Atlas-heavy line-up and a once-in-a-century budget pick you won’t want to miss! Fire up those transformers, folks, because the quick hits train is ready to roll!
Atlas RS-3 in Long Island Colors Steals the Spotlight
Atlas 8349 HO Scale Long Island Alco RS-3 Diesel Locomotive #1551
Well, I mentioned that it was Atlas-heavy this week, and I wasn’t kidding. The first two picks of the week both come from Atlas, and I’m not regretting my lack of manufacturer variety today. No, not all, and especially not when this HO Scale RS-3 diesel locomotive sporting the Long Island road name falls right into my lap.
The first batch of RS-3 diesel locomotives was delivered by Alco in the late 40s and was intended as a direct competitor to EMD’s well-established GP7 diesel locomotives. To make a long story short, the GP7 won the competition and it wasn’t even close. But hey, that doesn’t stop the RS-3 from telling its own neat story, and that’s just what this little HO diesel engine does.
The Long Island Railroad got its first RS-3 engine during the mid 1950s, and wasted little time in giving this diesel workhorse the incredible “Goodfellow” paint job you see pictured above. A versatile little engine, the RS-3 was just as reliable as it was interchangeable - hauling both passengers and freight throughout much of the American Northeast. The popularity of the engine would catch on quickly, and though it didn’t reach the height of its GP7 diesel counterpart, the RS-3 did make its way to European and South American rail yards thanks to its solid reputation.
For the most part, most RS-3 models have been scrapped, but a famous #1556 model sporting the same Long Island road name is still running and mostly serves as a historic preservation piece, giving rides to the general public. Oh, and here’s some Long Island rolling stock because a freight car or two are great to keep your locomotive company. I’ve also got you covered on plenty more HO locomotives and rolling stock too!
- Manufacturer: Atlas
- Model Number: 8349
- Road Name: Long Island (LI)
- Scale/Era: HO Modern
- Model Type: Diesel Loco
An Underrated GP9 with a Rare Road Name
Atlas 48341 N Scale Bay Colony GP9 #1751
Moving on to some N-Scale love, you may see some constants here – more Atlas, and more railroad networks based in the American Northeast. That’s right, nestled right in the heart of North America’s New England colony is the Bay Colony railroad (BCLR). We’ve been getting tons of N-Scale lately, and this EMD GP9 was impossible to overlook.
The GP9 is the bigger brother of the GP7, boasting an additional 300 horsepower over what we were used to seeing with the GP7, and ensuring that the Alco RS-3 we all love had zero shot at a comeback. Ok, so it’s an engineering marvel, and a dream killer. No, just kidding, competition promotes innovation, and that’s just what we got with the GP9.
What stands out most to me is the relatively low inventory of locomotives and rolling stock displaying the Bay Colony road name. Well, just like the Arizona & California diesel engine you may have seen last week, the Bay Colony railroad is a relatively young railroad company. Founded in 1982, Bay Colony held a 25-year operating contract with the state of Massachusetts that expired in 2008. After a failure to renew the contract, the Bay Colony Railroad has operated on smaller railroad networks mostly handling commercial freight deliveries.
So an uncommon road name boasting a sleek silver base with smooth yellow and orange stripes is a great way to stand out in both my selections, and on your layouts. It’s a conversation starter, and it’s N-Scale, so you won’t have too tough a time trying to make room for this under-the-radar diesel engine. Check out the listing here, and stay tuned for more future Bay Colony locomotives and rolling stock!
- Manufacturer: Atlas
- Model Number: 48341
- Road Name: Bay Colony (BCLR)
- Scale/Era: N Scale
- Model Type: Diesel Loco
A Standout S Gauge Classic: Union Pacific Pony Express
American Flyer 6-49600 Union Pacific Pony Express S Gauge Diesel Train Set
Ok, now it’s time for the highlight of this week’s showcase – The American Flyer 6-49600 Union Pacific Pony Express S Gauge Diesel Train Set! Just from first impressions, this set is stunning! Plus, it’s one for all of my S-Gauge runners – a scale that’s not often featured in the showcase. Sorry about that to the S-Gauge faithful.
Originally released in 1990, this 30-year-old set is actually a remake of the original Pony Express set from the late 1950s. Packed with everything you need including a set of two beautifully painted Union Pacific AA locomotives. And don’t worry, one of them is powered so you can haul the 4 passenger cars also included.
Combining great vintage appeal with modern manufacturing is a home run mix and worthy of my showcase. The Pony Express isn’t alone, and came to rumble with a slew of newly arrived S-Gauge products!
- Manufacturer: American Flyer
- Model Number: 6-49600
- Years Manufactured: 1990 - 1990
- Road Name: Union Pacific (UP)
- Scale/Era: S Modern
- Model Type: Train Sets
Lionel G Scale Figures Bring Subtle Charm
Lionel 11-90041 G Scale No. 550 Miniature Railroad Figures Set
The Accessory pick this week comes in all G-Scale and is a subtle eye-catcher. With the backend of the year quickly approaching and the holidays looming, I think it’s only right that we get some early G-Scale action going. And why not go with some not-so-common Lionel G-Scale!
Originally released in 2009 in partnership with fellow model train giants, MTH, these neat little figures only had one cataloged run before being shelved for good. They’re beautifully designed, featuring a number of characters sporting vintage late-40s fashion. It’s a set that may limit layout designers looking to keep things as true to the time period as possible, but I couldn’t resist the potential of one of you masterminds incorporating time-travelers on your layouts. Sorry, that’s just me getting a little crazy there. Though it’s not a terrible idea…maybe I’d add a dinosaur…ok, sorry I’m getting off track.
All in all, it’s a simple set that could be a part of something much more elaborate! The beauty is that you get to decide just how elaborate. Oh, and don’t worry, I’ve got stations and plenty more G-Scale Accessories to go along with your figures.
A Standout Budget Find: Lionel Century Club Boxcar
Lionel 6-29204 O Century Club Boxcar - Rare 1997 Car
And here it is folks – my favorite pick of the showcase. It’s time for the budget pick! I save the best for last, which also saves your wallet a little bit too. I was tempted to go with a witch accessory from Lionel, but that was a spooky selection, probably better off being seen once the leaves change.
No, instead I found this! The Lionel Century Club boxcar is coming at you all the way from 1997. A lot happened in 1997 – The Verve released their critically acclaimed hit “Bittersweet Symphony”, George Clooney hit the big screen to take on the role as Gotham’s own Batman, and Lionel decided to drop this absolute banger of a boxcar!
The car was only available to “Gold” status Century Club members who only received the car after placing early orders on 5 locomotives. Wow, talk about hard to get. The car is painted in a beautiful blue base with a couple of big Hollywood-style spotlights that instantly separate this boxcar from your traditional rolling stock.
With a limited production run, there’s not a huge number of these boxcars on the market, and once you see what we’ve priced this at, there probably won’t be any left in our inventory either. There is a ton of other great O Gauge Modern budget picks on our website!
- Manufacturer: Lionel
- Model Number: 6-29204
- Years Manufactured: 1997 - 1997
- Road Name: Century Club
- Scale/Era: O Modern
- Model Type: Freight Cars
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