initial thoughts on my new Hogwarts Express Set

And Jumijo, well go ahead and guess. You know. Think for just a second. That’s right!

Conrail owned a fleet of passenger cars for company service. Originally painted the standard CR blue, they were later redone to Pullman green under the direction of Stanley Crane when he took the helm at CR.

SO YES, I do have a repainted 027 coach done in Conrail.

But I think you guessed that one! [:D]

One of these days I’ll have to get a digital camera. Or even just shoot some old fashioned 35mm film.

On a funny aside, years ago I had a press pass to photograph Neil Young in concert. I was using a fleet of 50 year old 2-1/4 cameras all around my neck at the same time. There were other guys with their up-to-date motor driven cameras and zoom lenses. Neil looked down at me futzing and bending over these old cameras and cracked a huge grin. I knew he thought the sight of me with those old camera was a hoot. Sometimes basic and simple is the BEST.

Too bad we can’t convince the ol’ man and his ten men workin’ to come up with some basic affordable practical technology instead all these rich man’s toys just the way he approaches his music: simple and basic. I could be inclined to return the big grin to Neil. [:D]

Aaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaahhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhh!!![banghead][banghead][banghead]

Can you believe it? I got the whole family together and we made a march up to the layout (finally) with our new H.E… We ceremoniously laid it on the tracks, powered up the layout and watched her rip…right into the portal of my mountain!

I knew passenger cars would be tight (although they are actually fine) , but the overhang on the front of this engine is significant and as it rounds the corner heading into my tunnel (all four of them) it clips the portal and stops dead in its tracks!!!

Well, this is my first layout afterall and I scratchbuilt the portals myself out of foam. Live and lear, I guess…[:P]