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Another from the archives, an MTH (Lionel Corp.) 254E with a short drag of 2800-series freights hustles down the mainline toward Heat-Pump Pass:



Taken a decade or so back, this is before all of the utility work in this section completed in 2023.

Another archival shot from the same approximate location, this a Lionel 259E in gunmetal with a string of 600-series passenger cars:



The 259/259E series locomotives went a long way toward keeping Lionel's sales going during the mid-1930s when things were looking pretty bleak.

I've been working on assembling a set for a young couple and their two girls; a good friend had sent me this modern-era Lionel Columbia-type 2-4-2 after thinning his collection a bit. I figure it would make a fine locomotive for the set:



Can motor, so it runs super smooth and quiet, with smoke, whistle, and a blazing headlight. I think they'll think it's pretty neat.

Rolling stock next.

Another shot of our gun-metal 259E, this one in less light so the head-end lighting can be appreciated:



Headlight, illuminate number board, green marker lamps, and the red glow of the smokebox coming up through the stack, all from a single 18v bulb.

Every year the company sets up a Christmas tree at the Lionelville station (#126):



It looks pretty desolate ten days out from the big day, but the word is things will be hopping by the middle of next week!

Got a couple scale inches of snow on the basement layout tonight, just enough to throw a panic into the passengers looking to board the last express out of Lionelville:



No worries, though; they should be home a little before Midnight this Christmas Eve. Might even get a glimpse of Red One passing through.

As Tom McComas would say, "Merry Christmas everyone...Merry Christmas!"

Tonight, the newly-acquired MPC-era Lionel F3 took the point on the Coast Daylight:



After a bit of lubrication, it ran great. It's a nice-looking train, but I'll need to find a couple more cars for it.

Happy New Year everyone!

Taking down the Christmas tree and display today...thought we'd give the Lionel 290E set a spin around the basement layout before packing it up:



It's a terrific little set, one that may have made some lucky kid really happy on a Christmas morning some ninety years ago. Runs like a champ.