Nice story-telling panels (& shelves). My complements to Fortescue.

Thankee!

Indeed. Let's hope more are not coming, or that Hudson doesn't move forward.

That's a really nice Hudson by the way. Is it a Blue Comet?

Freelance paint job inspired by Lionel's Blue Streak. Will go well with those Blue Comet coaches, of course. :D

Oh, Fortescue, don't you realize that Nature Abhors a Vacuum?

Baldwin 3-Gs, I think, later manufacture (late '20s?) I never knew what the horizontal tank over the headlight was for.

The tank over the headlight was an Elsco Feed Water Heater. The other major brand of locomotive feed water heaters was Worthington, but they were squat rectangular affairs that barely protruded above the jacketing of the smoke box, and were easily missed. In fact, the model looks like it has a Worthington FWH right behind the Elsco.

Its job was to preheat the water before it was fed into the boiler, so the boiler didn't have to raise the tempure of the water too much to get it to steam and not to cool down the water already in the boiler.

IIRC, it preheated the water to about 180 - 200 degrees F.

Or Lionel simply thought they looked good. I rather like Elscos, myself. They definitely add character to a locomotive.

And you're right about the vacuum; got another shelf and a half filled so far, and wasn't even really trying!

I think the Elsco FWH looks better, too; like there's something there rather than just a mysterious bulge.

I've bought a bunch of small ammo boxes recently, Harbor Freight and Mall*Wart are kicking plastic .556 types out the door for under $5. The ones at Mall*Wart are Plano, U.S. made and better quality, but they're out at the stores in my area and the sale is ending. Weather sealed and compact, they're great for tools and parts and, well, (* ammo *).

Now, I need shelving units that can put up with 500-800 pounds of junk. Get it off the basement floor in a neatish stack where I can't access anything without moving 250 pounds of stuff I won't need until tomorrow. Hello, Sam's Club...

Lowe's has heavy-duty versions of these shelves for about $50 which should suit your purposes nicely...

Nearest Lowe's is a 40-minute drive; worth it, though. The cellar floor is supposed to be concrete, but I forget...

Something of similar interest...

^.^

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=R_VGFNZHJS4

Closest I could find to Blue.

Wow.

(Poor imitation of Bill Murray.) "It's the 'Ultimate Boy Trip.' Not only do they get to build a scale model, but they get to ride it too."

Indeed!