Friday, September 07, 2007

Cool Toys for Good Ole Boys

I'll say this for guy toys -- they're both varied and mighty photogenic! This occasion was a recent model railroad swap meet. (For those from parts East or other countries, swap meet is western for flea market.)

One of two elaborate layouts at the meet. The booths featured all kinds of goodies for a good old boy's own layout...

...track...

...rolling stock...

...cool antiques, including my favorite of all railroad cars, the observation car. (Just parenthetically, I believe that American politics started its downward spiral when presidential candidates gave up the old fashioned coast-to-coast whistle-stop campaigning from the platform of an observation car.)

This was the only model of European-style passenger cars that I saw.

Of course, plenty of staging for the complete railroad complex. My favorite was the ready-mix plant (below.)

Even a tunnel assortment. I was struck by the number of women manning booths at the show. More than one was, I suspect, the widow of a modeler, selling off the collection.

Items for the railroad buff, including comprehensive timetables. The guide at the left, for 1969, was priced, I believe, at $1000. Maybe $100, but that isn't what my picture shows. That's a lot of nostalgia in my books, but then a friend's father, like very many hobbyists, had an entire room dedicated to his layout!

In closing -- couldn't resist the Ts. The railroad theme makes for excellent shirts, I'd say.

FYI Links: The swap meet was sponsored by the Central Arizona Model RR Club; there are pictures of several local layouts here. Over 800 links to railroad related web sites can be found at trainweb. And, consulting The Google, I located a layout for the Santa Fe Prescott & Arizona RR. It includes models of Prescott and two other towns.

5 comments:

Anonymous said...

A good thing that I wasn't there, being a wannabe RR modeler, I probabably would have picked up a suitcase full of goodies

Linda G. said...

Well, it may be for the boys, but I've always been intrigued by all that cunning miniature stuff, and I do love trains... There are also are some larger versions you can set up to run about the garden.

Granny J said...

Dear bro -- As I recall, you did have a Lionel set when you were a kid, but I'm sure it was minimal...

Brain -- one of the better known garden layouts is here in Prescott. I would have given the URL except that I couldn't get TrainWeb to behave (it fought with my Firefox browser.) Here it is: Prescott garden layout.

smilnsigh said...

Ahh yes, Flea Market. :-)

Great photo opp!!!

Why don't I ever think to go to some of the "Shows" {like Woodworking and Firearms and etc.?} in our Civic Center and take pics???? Because I'm dull, that's why. -grin-

Mari-Nanci

Granny J said...

SnS -- I love all those events! They add a lot of flavor to a town.

 
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