I found 2 more USA Trains woodside reefers for my Mallet which brings the number up to 22. Not what I originally intented to pull, but when I seen those New Old Stock out of production USA reefers going thru Ebay, I knew I may not have another chance to buy them again. I now have my own "Yellow Fleet" which features 3 Rio Grande USA Trains reefer cars. I also have what I decided to call my "Orange Juice" fleet which features all USA Trais Pacific Fruit Express woodside reefers with the white PFE lettering on them, there are 5 of those. This year also marks the 10th Anniversary that I have been collectiong USA Trains and having SB Rail Lines on the floor. The original Bachman train I started with on the wall as a elevated rail system failed in 1999 which forced me to go on the floor and go with bigger and better trains. I have made a major decision, I will not be purchasing those new USA Trains 60ft box cars as planned, they are just way too big and the body mounted couplers will not work with my operation and diameter of curves. I will wait for those neat 2 bay Centerflow ACF hoppers to come out by USA Trains. Picture #1 & #2 Are the last arrivals of the USA woodside reefers I bought. The deliver was delayed due to a major snow storm here, but I did get them in time for Christmas. Picture #3 Is my own "Yellow Fleet" Picture #4 & #5 My "PFE Orange Juice Fleet"
Year End Finds, one being very rare I found the last of the USA woodside reefer car that I was looking for. I also found a Special Edition USA Train Black Widow hopper car made for Gold Coast Station. The seller didn't really know what it was other than a Southern Pacific hopper. I got it at a very reasonable price so it pays to research my USA Trains registry. It looks like it was never even put on the track, just left in the box on a shelf for a collection. Only 150 hopper cars in this paint scheme were produced and sold out fast years ago. Picture #1 The last DRGW woodside reefer I needed Picture #2 My rare Black Widow hopper car find
Most Wanted List After all of my finds in 2009, this reduces my most wanted list down to 2 USA Trains items. I'm looking for 2 USA Trains Auto Flat cars, the ORIGINAL factory versions, not some flat car some idiot put 2 junky cars from walmart and then want $50 for something they put together for only $15. Anyway I have the stock numbers and the road number of the correct flat car that was actually used for the original factory version for the Rio Grande Flat Auto Car. Picture #1 Is USA Trains stock #R1724a which had 2 1955 chevy cars loaded on a Rio Grande#20065 flat car. No other types of cars or flat car ws used for this set up so be careful of fakes. Picture #2 Is the USA Trains stock #R1724b which had 2 1957 chevy cars loaded on a Rio Grande #20065 flat car. It's funny how both versions used the same road number flat car, but that is veriified thru factory photos. Last Note: I see alot of FAKE flat cars being sold on Ebay. There are some people buying up cheap Flat cars for only $10 to $15 and then buying a cheap $10 to $15 Walmart toy such as 2 cars, a tractor, bulldozer, tractor trailer, excavotor, steam shovel, you name it I've seen it. So for thier $20 investment the bidding usually starts around $50 for something they made up. I have seen first hand USA Trains flat cars at the ECLS Train Show. They are not packed in boxes, they are packed indivdually into cases with just paper in between for protection and there was alot of them there at the show, by the hundreds not to over exaggerate for only $15 each. Great for the project maker, kitbasher, modeler, bad for us in another sense as scammers yet have another way to mis-represent something.
