Lets see your Arnold N scale!

oldrk Jan 6, 2011

  1. BNSF FAN

    BNSF FAN TrainBoard Supporter

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    I always wanted one of those GG1's. Just thought they were the coolest thing.
     
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  2. Rich_S

    Rich_S TrainBoard Member

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    After all these years, I've finally added a GG1 to my roster. It's not the Arnold or Rivarossi model, it's the Kato model in the Conrail Bicentenal paint scheme. The neat thing is this is a model of "Old Rivets" GG1 number 4800, the first GG1.

    Conrail GG1.jpg
     
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  3. Doug Gosha

    Doug Gosha TrainBoard Member

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    It's a beauty AND patriotic!

    Doug
     
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  4. Doug Gosha

    Doug Gosha TrainBoard Member

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    Dang. I have been putting a dash in GG1 (GG-1) and that's wrong.

    Doug
     
  5. Hardcoaler

    Hardcoaler TrainBoard Member

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    I put a dash with GG-1 and make a similar error with SD-40-2, U-25-B and most others. However, the Baldwin DT-6-6-20 and RF-16 are correct with dashes. I don't worry with it. My GG-1 is a Lionel 2340, with twin motors and a weight that nears the prototype's. :) My model is not the one pictured below.

    [​IMG]
     
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  6. Doug Gosha

    Doug Gosha TrainBoard Member

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    Haha, Lionel, masters at selective compression!

    Anyway, here's three early Arnold cars during the transition from the 200 series to Rapido (around 1965):

    P1030766.JPG
    P1030769.JPG
    P1030770.JPG

    I don't know if the green/yellow EJ&E car was earlier or the yellow/red car or if they were concurrent.

    And here's one of the first two "American" prototype steamers Arnold released, adapted from a German prototype, the 223 S:

    P1030773.JPG
    It runs very smoothly and quietly.

    And finally, the two page brochure from 5/20/65 With the 223 S pictured on the second page. Note "Marcet" which Arnold corrected early on:

    scan0010.jpg

    scan0011.jpg
     
  7. Hardcoaler

    Hardcoaler TrainBoard Member

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    VERY cool photos and document Doug! Every time I see one of those Arnold EJ&E boxcars, I wonder why I somehow never got one of these when the real EJ&E ran by our house with a great view from my bedroom window. I got my first N Scale set in 1968 with the Arnold CN&W Baldwin, caboose and two cars, yet I never knew of the EJ&E cars at the time. I should buy one just to do it after 50+ years. :)
     
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  8. Point353

    Point353 TrainBoard Member

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    The 050 NH Yard Bird was my first N scale set.
    The 057 B&O Royal Blue followed a year later.
     
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  9. Calzephyr

    Calzephyr TrainBoard Supporter

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    I remember most of old Arnold models from the 1970s... which were probably initially around in the mid 1960s. I got rid of most of my Arnold and Arnold-Rapido stuff when better looking alternatives came out. Other than the S2s (because they are DRGW) I don't have other locomotives from them. I may still have some structures and rolling stock somewhere in the depths of my collection... forgotten for decades...

    Sent from my SM-J737T using Tapatalk
     
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  10. Hardcoaler

    Hardcoaler TrainBoard Member

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    Speaking of Arnold, I recall having an undecorated brown 40' steel boxcar that came with Frisco dry transfers. Does anyone remember something like this? My memory of it is hazy after 50 years. Even as a kid, I was able to get the unforgiving dry transfers on pretty straight.
     
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  11. Joe Lovett

    Joe Lovett TrainBoard Member

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    I have a photo of the boxcar you are talking about. On frisco.org I have photos of Frisco locomotives, passenger and freight cars that have been released, around 350 in total. Also have a Excel spreadsheet with all of the Frisco manufactured N scale releases.

    Joe

    Edit: The photos are in my albums page.

    20160127_185457.jpg
     
    Last edited: Jun 12, 2019
  12. Hardcoaler

    Hardcoaler TrainBoard Member

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    Oh man -- that's it Joe! How cool to see it as it was. I'd forgotten that the same dry transfer sheet had WP and Buffalo Creek on it too. Thank you, thank you. :)
     
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  13. Doug Gosha

    Doug Gosha TrainBoard Member

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    That IS cool. I wish other manufacturers would have released undec. cars with dry transfers. Once you get used to dry transfers, they are easy to apply. I used them on test equipment I once designed/built.

    Doug
     
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  14. Doug Gosha

    Doug Gosha TrainBoard Member

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    I finally got the little 0639 engine house put together and here it is, in situ, on my in-progress Rapido layout. And, it IS little. Just big enough for two, smaller locos such as the GP units shown (you can see the Burlington GP30 in there).

    The doors operate by the loco, as it enters, pushing on a padded bar, sliding on two "pins" sticking out at the rear of the structure. Two metal links are attached to the bar and also to the door. As the bar is pushed back the rods close the door. When the loco moves forward to leave the building, springs open the door as the bar is allowed to move forward. An interesting design.

    The pads are cylindrical pieces of foam and I was pleased to see them still intact as usually, foam has long ago deteriorated after these many years.

    P1030779.JPG P1030781.JPG

    Doug
     
    Last edited: Jul 1, 2019
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  15. Hardcoaler

    Hardcoaler TrainBoard Member

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    I remember that Arnold kit, wanting it so much when I was a kid. But, the cost was too dear and I never had one. Yours built up nicely and looks great! I never knew that those big windows provide a nice view of the locomotives inside. (y)
     
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  16. Doug Gosha

    Doug Gosha TrainBoard Member

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    Also, in answer to my earlier question as to which version of the EJ&E boxcar was first, the yellow/red or green/yellow, the yellow/red is obviously correct as it was originally part of the 200 series. In fact, I don't know if it made it into the Rapido series. I doubt it. Are there any without the two slots in the side to lock the body on?

    Doug
     
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  17. Doug Gosha

    Doug Gosha TrainBoard Member

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    I always thought it was cool and wanted one, too. Even though it is of a German prototype, it looks plausibly American and it doesn't really matter, anyway, to me (I am about 3/4 German:D.

    Now for the 0633 engine shed. If I ever see the 0677 tower like you posted, as a kit (I have seen several built-up) on eBay, I will have that, too.

    Doug
     
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  18. Doug Gosha

    Doug Gosha TrainBoard Member

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    Here's the little 0206 blue steeple cab. Just like the red one I posted earlier except it's supposed to be diesel (no pantograph). Now I just need a green one. I believe this was the one included in "The Beaver" train set. There is also another red one with a big "7" on the sides and a single-armed (Faiveley) pantograph.


    P1030784.JPG

    Doug
     
  19. Hardcoaler

    Hardcoaler TrainBoard Member

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  20. Charlie Vlk

    Charlie Vlk February 5, 2023 In Memoriam

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    The 2-8-8-2 was not marketed by Arnold Rapido but by Charles Mertzbach, the primary US importer of the line. It was possibly made from a duplicate set of tooling for the Rowa Y6b but the existence of another set of dies has never been proven. Mertzbach used the Rapido name for these engines and assigned made up Rapido item numbers. They had some different internals to allow a Suethe smoke unit to be added.
    This all took place on the eve of Rapido dropping Mertzbach in favor of Revell. He soon proposed a separate Austrian-tooled line of which, I believe, many items started by Mertzbach eventually made it into the Atlas, MRC, Con-Cor and Minitrix lines.
    Charlie Vlk
     

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