I’m new to model railway building and have a small L-shaped layout that is under construction. My grandsons and I have two tracks that are now operational and I’m collecting rolling stock and locomotives to celebrate our country’s 250th anniversary. We are working on scenery now too… a campground, a farm and a small town.
Here’s some items I’ve picked up or have ordered so far.
It’s easy to attach pictures now: just paste them in and they’ll be formatted for display.
HOWEVER, you are limited to one image per post for your first few posts – I am still not clear exactly how many. But keep posting and you’ll get there…
Welcome to the forum, GrandpasTrains!
As woke said, you don’t need to attach or insert pictures. Just copy the picture on your phone or computer, and paste it here. The photo will appear when you post!
Welcome aboard GrandpasTrains! 
Don’t know if you know this (just saying in case you don’t), but the Scale Trains locomotive and Kadee boxcar have knuckle couplers whereas the Life-Like boxcar and the AHM caboose have horn hook couplers, and the two types are not compatible. At least one coupler on one of the cars will need to be replaced with the other type, or find a car where the previous owner has swapped one of the couplers already (I call these adapter cars, where they have 2 different couplers so I can use the two types of couplers in the same train).
Yep… thank you, sir… I’ve become quite adept recently at switching from horn hook to knuckle couplers!
Just another of the many things to learn about the hobby!
Keep in mind some of the products referenced above, and some of the new models coming out, are actually models of Bicentennial equipment from 1976, not 250th anniversary items. If you only want 250th items, you need to be sure what you’re buying.
@GrandpasTrains Neat idea. Keep us posted on everything you get for your celebration train. Looking forward to it.
Yep… thank you, understood and am completely aware… I’m just going with whatever patriotic items I can find
The actual 2026 250th anniversary items are almost unobtainium … many just ‘pre-orderable’ with a ship date in 2027!
Here’s a couple of more oldie-but-goodies which will require coupler switch (to knuckle from horn hook)
Anything referencing ‘1776’ is just as applicable now as for the ‘bicentennial’.
Note that we’re getting two American Freedom Train T1 locomotives… one numbered AFT1, and the other AFT 250… I’m still hoping we get some interest in 4449.
I feel foolish (and poorer)
Today I received this awesome EMD GP40 above in my OP post #1… but failed to note I had ordered (inadvertently) DCC with Sound… but I run only DC
However… These ARE made to and DO run out of the box on DC
But this locomotive is SO LOUD (I believe the prototypes were too) with all the turbos and “whining” and high pitched noise when running that I will never be able to use it. I’d go deaf. It’s cool the way it cycles up, etc etc and has lots of startup and running noise… but it is just TOO loud. I presume DCC users can adjust the sounds down to a reasonable level.
So off to eBay it goes tomorrow as ‘used’ but only for 30 min.
Guess I should have purchased DC Silent like I have in all my other 4 locomotives
If you know someone with a DCC system, or if there’s a good hobby shop nearby, you could probably take the locomotive to them and have it adjusted. Those adjustments should then carry over to DC operation.
Sold the Scale Trains DCC w/Sound GP40 within an hour of putting it on eBay
Lost just $20 compared to what I paid… so I don’t feel too bad
Found this used DC Silent Atlas GP40 bicentennial version to take its place… should be here early next week
The used Atlas GP40 Liberty Bell locomotive arrived and performs flawlessly
Handles the 4% grade just fine with the patiotic rolling stock
Still need to attach the front and rear handrails (they were in an unopened package in the box)
Grandchildren love running the trains and playing with the three scenes (farm, campground and town)
The L-shaped layout is low (42" to track surface) so all can enjoy
So far…7 of the 12 have spent a fair amount of time helping me and design the layout/scenery or just plain playing it (a few are stil a might young)
Still lots of lighting to wire and place… but it sure is fun to see them enjoy it all!
