Apr 12, 2013

The Trains of Allentown





As a blogger, at the moment, I need a rest from those bureaucracies which I find so exasperating, and perhaps visa versa. I suppose it would be a good time to stop and reminisce some more about trains, both model and real. Shown above was the real deal when the 0 gauge was king. Before I go too far, let me state that growing up I never had a train. For a few years I had a friend whose father, looking back, was rather obsessed with the hobby. He had the transformer shown. It was 275 watts, and could operate four trains and an assortment of accessories. For many years, Bloch's Hobby Store, in the 400 block of 7th Street, was a model train expert. Trains were also sold at Pollard's Firestone Tire Store, also on 7th Street.

I've presented a number of Barber Quarry branch line photographs in previous posts. The one below shows the siding at the former Traylor Engineering Plant on S. 10th Street, now owned by the AEDC. About 20 years ago the track was removed for the entire  length of the former rail line.
  photogragh by Mark Rabenold, 1987

3 comments:

  1. Mike I'd suggest a walk in the park as respite but that (as you well know) could be the seeds of dangerous physical injury.

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  2. I had that transformer too. It was the top of line in multi-train operations. I loved my O-27 trains. Now all the ads show trains decked out as sports teams or movie themes. Go back to good old box cars and crossing arms.

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  3. The current version of that Lionel transformer, ZW-L cost $750. Ouch!

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