A Good Site About Old Toy Trains

Here’s a link to a site that provides some really good information about the weird and wonderful world of N scale railroad models from the late sixties/early seventies (i.e. the Hippie Era).

All About Aurora Postage Stamp Trains

David K. Smith (the owner of the above site) is my kind of guy. He’s a genius who takes care of himself and asks very little from others. He is self sufficient. He operates on the principle of rugged individualism.

Unfortunately, as anyone will discover, being “my kind of guy” is extremely difficult. Being independent, inventive, self-sufficient and competent means that you will not tend to spark those feelings in others that we usually refere to as “love.” If you are especially capable, you are likely to go through your life baffled by the apparent lack of affection from other people, and because simple affection is the fuel upon which the universe is run, you are likely to find yourself spending much of your life in a state of spiritual starvation. (Not that I’m saying that Mr. Smith has suffered from this malady– but he may have, given his streak of what my great uncle used to call “inde-goddam-pendence!”) It’s this feeling of being starved that turns people like me into bitter old curmudgeons (and not the diet of saturated fat… I’m being serious!).

Let’s face it. It’s a rare individual who can warm up to a lone wolf who never asks for anybody’s help–even if that lone wolf desperately needs some spiritual nurturing.

The One-Horned Super Chief, Ya’ll

As I pointed out in our last installment, Trix (the makers of the Aurora trainsets) made only a few American locomotives. This is one of them. I’m not sure what it is (I’m smiling at this). God, it’s good to be blissfully ignorant!

The broken horn needs replacement, and I’m working on it. The parts have to be scrounged from the internet, fishing here and there…

So a question comes up. Is it OK to remove the one horn and replace it, and it’s mate, with a more “accurate” set made by modern toolmakers? Or should I only consider restoring the original antique model to it’s original state, using original parts only?

These questions are my own, and are not intended to be broadcast to the world (stop typing). The question fascinates me because it is so unlike the usual crap surrounding plastic kits. It’s a good question, but alien. This is what clears the sinuses of the psyche. To gain a fresh perspective, which is what this is all about, go to a new place, and look around.

2 Replies to “A Good Site About Old Toy Trains”

  1. I dabble in N scale trains as well. I’d just replace the horns with a fresh pair. The train is a F7 loco, which is like the P-51/Spitfire/Me109 of model trains.

    1. Now that I’ve got some replacements (made by KATO) I may just follow your advice on the horns.

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