> Ed,
> All your protests not withstanding, it
> appears you're a collector at heart after all.
> Ed Kozlowsky
Now Ed K......
It might appear I am a collector, but actually it is just the opposite. Every
engine I have strictly and without variance fits into the NYC 1948-1958 theme
of the layout. So I am very selective about what I spend money on. If'n it
does not "fit", then I do not buy it.
Whoops.....one exception: I do have a working S scale Thomas the Tank Engine
for the benefit of young visitors. But that is it! That is the only loco not
consistent with the layout theme.
Double Whoops, I also have a River Raisin Models UP Turbine which is yellow
instead of two-tone gray. However I can justify that by stating that loco was
built by GE in their Erie, PA facility and traveled on NYC tracks on the way to
Omaha for delivery to the customer. Just don't ask me how to justify that loco
running alongside the Hudson River. Those kinds of questions are not
appreciated. Nor should you ask why the tender is attached since the real UP
attached the tender after delivery. But those are the only two locos outside
of my chosen theme.
Triple Whoops, I just remembered that one entire corner of the layout is
crawling with WSLCo. stuff like a Shay, Heisler, log skeleton cars, etc. Not
to mention a Samson articulated on loan to the the WSLCo. Logging is of
interest to me and so I succumbed to the lure. I just like the monkey motion
of Shays if the truth were known. But having one isolated Shay would not be
realistic. And so and entire logging/lumbering operation was created. Only
one person, so far, has commented on the 20th Century Limited being passed by a
Shay pulling log cars. He has never been invited back again. But those are
the only five locos outside of my chosen era and locale.
Quadruple Whoops, There is also an RS-11 which Sam McCoy sold me at a recent O
SCALE WEST convention. It came professionally painted with the NYC lightning
stripes and had been test run only. The price was unbelievable since Jim
Kindraka and Dick Karnes had already passed on the opportunity. So Sam sold it
for a song. I sang Happy Birthday to Sam. It is a bit odd since the NYC
cancelled it's order for these locos and ALCO later sold them off to the D&H.
But it does have lightning stripes which counts for something. Just don't ask
me to justify it running alongside the Hudson River. But those are the only
six locos not consistent with my era, locale and road.
Quintuple Whoops, I just remembered the RS-32s. Got 'em from Bert Cutler as he
was trying to escape the clutches of the S scale fraternity. (Still with us
Bert?) They were new and quite inexpensive (thanks Bert) and I could not
resist. They were not painted and lettered, but are now the only NYC diesels
not in lightning stripes. A bit overly modern, but I like them. Only one
chop-nosed loco is not too many -- is it? They are close to "fitting in" and
are "off" by only a little bit. But those are the only seven locos not
consistent with.....well you get the idea by now.
Sextuple Whoops, I just remembered my fleet of demo diesels which is under
construction (mostly painting, actually). The fleet started with American
Model's Trainmaster demonstrators which offered some wild colors in contrast to
the stately elegance of two-tone gray. The red-yellow-silver-black paint
scheme sure livend things up around here. No wonder they were called "circus
wagons" by the folks back then. They did run the Trainmaster demonstrators
alongside steam locos on the NYC. So it fits in with everything pretty well.
Still, the NYC never purchased any Trainmasters and so, in a sense, it really
does not belong. Then there is the BUDD demo RDC (currently being painted and
lettered), the EMD demo FTs (finished except for decoders), and the next demo
loco is the EMD E-8 in blue-yellow-white complete with the ET-909 test car in
matching paint. The ET-909 is being constructed by kit-bashing an F-3 B unit
which is exactly how the prototype was created.
I have fallen in love with demonstrator locos and have a small fleet of them in
various phases of contstruction and painting. None of the demo diesels have
lightning stripes, but I am in love with all the colorful paint schemes which
are actually authentic for their time periods. No need for weathering either
since the demos were kept clean as much as possible. Everyone should have some
demo diesels running around. How many do you have?
And so, as you can see, I am very strict about following the exact time frame
and paint schemes as used by the NYC. My interests are quite narrowly focused
and exceptions are not taken lightly.
Just because my fleet of "exceptions" exceeds the entire roster of other
modelers is no reason to call me a "collector" (even if it looks that way).
Cheers...Ed L.
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