Supplies Arrive Lawrenceville Station
Supplies Arrive Lawrenceville Station is the latest adventure of our very good friend Greg Liska. Once again he gets to have fun with his figures through a special find.
Supplies Arrive Lawrenceville Station Greg’s Adventure
Last weekend was an ACW battle in my home. I picked up the train set at a local flea market for $5.00! I painted them a bit and immediately saw the possibilities. I set up this scene which was to the rear of the battle that raged outside the town. Supplies are unloaded onto wagons to be driven nearer the front immediately. The caboose is readied to receive a badly wounded senior officer.
I wish I could find more track for a reasonable price. I checked the hobby stores and it would cost me about $20.00 for just a few straight track pieces. I guess I got a good deal with this purchase.
Greg awesome, you mine find out the brand of train x me please?
Now you just need a flat car to put two cannons and do the movie(I forgot???) you guys may recall it .-Sorry
movie -Is about a civil war confederated train trying to pass blockades made by Union in between mountains pass ,nice movie but I lost the title in my brain.
When I get home tonight, I’ll see if there’s any brand on it. A flat car with guns on it would be great. More stuff to look for a flea markets!
This looks like a NEW BRIGHT TOYS train set. If you look under the track sleepers about three in from one end the company name should be shown. Their logo is a triangle with a lit candle inside which is shown under the rail car base.
If your Engine was originally silver and red then it would appear you have the ‘Silver Rail Express’ train set, missing the under scale Station Building.
The sets were made from the early 1980s to the mid 1990s but as some one mentioned still appear at Christmas in many of the department stores.
Check out Ebay , just put ‘New Bright Trains’ in the search engine and you will get loads of listing from full train sets still boxed to individual rail cars and track pieces. Prices range from a couple of dollars up to over a hundred depending on the condition and wether boxed or loose.
In keeping with the way that Chinese made toys are produced using small crosshead screws to assemble the product, you can easily convert any of the rail cars into flat cars. Under the car are 4 or 6 small screws holding the upper part on. No glue is used. So unscrew them and remove the upper part and you have a flat car.
Other cars are available – passenger car (longer than a box car),
open top gondola car, Tanker car, cattle car, and a different design of box car. Each car comes in quite a few different colours depending on what the set is titled. Your box car has been produced in yellow, red, green, brown , light brown, dark blue for example.
Additionally once you have unscrewed the base of the car you get access to the inside and it is practical to do a little bit of work to be able to have lift off roofs to easily place figures inside.
You should be able to pick up extra straight track on Ebay, but have to keep looking to get it at a good price since we are all looking for it :))
thanks; Les x head up in brand!!?
“The General” is the movie’s name.
Greg I’ve seen those train sets in Walgreens and other discount stores at Christmas.
The reason that there is no straight track is because it’s made to circle the tree.
Thrift stores usually have these. I’ve passed dozens by at flea markets.
I’d seen them enough, but I finally used one. The engine and coal car was a fruity looking red with gold trim. They obviously got a quick paint job. I got rid of any stickers that were not likely to be ‘period’. There are some straight track pieces, just not enough. I can’t see dumping 4 times what I paid for it to get 4 pieces more of straight track. I think I have a plan to make some out of wood. They’ll pass for what they will be used for. I don’t make models, I make toys.
What’s the premise of The General and when was it made? Isn’t that the silent film? I’d seen that.
The General is a silent movie with buster Keaton. The Great Locomotive Chase with Fess Parker is other one I can think of.
I remember the Buster Keaton film well. A comedy. Have not seen the Fess Parker film. Going to look that one up!
http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0043482/?ref_=nm_flmg_act_60 Drums in the Deep South??
Nice !
Thanks, buddy.
The only movie (that isn’t a silent film) that comes to mind is the aforementioned Drums of the Deep South. Confederate attempts to stop supplies coming through Snake Gap. The place is real and Sherman did take the area with relative ease, having surprised Johnston. The mountain in the movie I suppose is supposed to be Bold Face Mtn. I’ve visited these sights and they sure don’t look like the Hollywood sets. The set in that movie is obviously California or someplace out West. Much drier and desert-like. Nope, Georgia doesn’t look like that.
I think this is a new bright train made back in the 80’s and I have alot of track if Greg is interested. The train is very close to 1/32 scale and makes a welcomed edition to any civil war of later diorama.
Dave – If it’s dirt cheap, I’m interested. I got spoiled with this find.
Ok.guys.that is it.
Brian mentioned first and greg right after
Yest “drums of the south”.
Thanks.
Greg.thanks x info/email
Reason I ask was.My brother.
He collect trains and he may have it.
I know he adapt other train lines and match.You may be able to get straight lines x it from other sets.
Erwin,
The ‘Bachman’ brand of ‘G’ scale cars and track will fit in with the New Bright trains. I believe that the Playmobil track with metal rails is also suitable.
I’m sure your brother will know about ‘G’ scale railway models, however the New Bright Toys are considered as just toys not suitable for those that ‘seriously’ 🙂 collect model railways, so he may not be aware of them.
These train sets are excellent to go with our soldiers because they are easy to adapt to many periods. The same company also does a more European style of Steam Engine which could easily be made to look like a WW2 one. Having a set up similar to the Burt Lancaster movie ‘The Train’ would look pretty good with your Germans fighting off some Partizans or Frank Sinatra trying to get prisoners away from the Germans in the movie ‘Von Ryans’ Express’.
Those on a budget should be aware that the Christmas editions of these trains have the same component parts as the normal sets ,with additions to make the Christmas ones which can be easily removed as they are just screwed together, a repaint will create a standard set. The Christmas sets usually work out cheaper if you can pick them up after the festive season. One good element is that some have snow modelled on the roofs hanging off the edges which is ideal if you want to use a train on the Russian front 🙂 or from that Charles Bronson western when they get stuck in a snow drift (sorry forgot the name of it).
A small correction regarding the Christmas sets, the cheaper versions like this one
http://www.ebay.com/itm/NEW-BRIGHT-CHRISTMAS-MUSICAL-ANIMATED-SANTA-LAND-TRAIN-SET-vtg-tracks-works-/301933707104?hash=item464ca6bf60:g:qV4AAOSwlfxXFWnb
have the same components as the standard train set, with the additions.
For example the elves section can be removed to create a flat car but the snow can remain on the caboose if you want the winterised look.
The expensive Christmas sets have a completely unique Engine which is not convertible back to a standard one as it is has premoulded parts in the make up that can not be removed.
Thanks Les. Great tips/suggestions.
Yes my older brother know a lot about as he been doing it for over 35 years now.
He does G and other scale(medium!?) sorry I’m not in to train detail .He do not do small scales
He does these Realistic electric in his large basement nice huge tables with town and cities, once a wile he come asking me for figures and buildings and I loan to him as he does exhibition in seasoning way(4 a years)
Also he does the TOY train/Christmas train scenes as well, buy them for fun with kids in his main house floor in two other large set up tables near large window.
it is large house one floor and basement is awesome done x it as all finished and warm temperature in winter with special dry system for the trains sets electric and magnet system.He is crazy in to it.
He is a good at ,I will ask about as he usually buy double sets x all the toys as he said they last not much.
I will definitely get those movies you mentioned idea in plan as are easy pretty much using your suggestion.; specially now with some partisan figures done .I’m trying to figure out a toy train with the protector plates in sides on engine machine used in WW2 era (if you understand what I mean).I recall see it in small ,but not in large scale.
Will find out searching with your tips and ask my brother too.
Best…
With what you have explained I have no doubt that your brother will know more than I do about the trains produced by New Bright.
The other engine was a definite more modern style, very similar to the types used all over Europe and I have seen one used as part of a WW2 diorama by King and Country for one of the Toy Soldier shows. I haven’t had one in my hands to see how it is constructed however with the pics I have seen adding the side plates would not be a problem if you just want a toy ‘look’.
It should also be practical to produce a flat car with sandbagged position for a machine gun or artillery piece. I have heard of a collector producing a supply train in his garden using the electric New bright train, the ones I have are the battery operated ones, with converted flat cars with BMC Sherman tanks tied on.
The odd thing I find is that ‘G’ scale is listed as 1:22.5 scale but the doorways into the passenger car and caboose are exactly the right size for a 1:32 scale figure to stand in.
The western engine can by altered into something closer to a European version by removing the cowcatcher and the flared funnel top, then add the side plates and paint a nice dull black all over.
The passenger car has smoked glass (plastic) windows but if you remove the roof you can slip out the window inserts and change them for clear plastic. Using some spare parts for the G scale ranges you can fit out the inside with seats for your figures.
So plenty of options for improving a set 🙂 I would recommend that you pick up a set cheap on Ebay and do some experiments. There seem to be plenty of single caboose cars available which is a good starting point for making a flat car and using the left over part as a track side hut OR remove the cupola and use the gap to fit a turret from a tank or anti aircraft gun OR put some aerials on the roof and use it as a communications car.
I checked online and New Bright do not currently list these sets as being available.
Thanks Again Les, good tips ..
I will get one cheap on eBay first to practice as you mention.
You right; few add on can do the train-engine I want.
Doing the flat base car w sand bags is not hard.
Adding plates and else will be timing x me as I’m bad in conversion, I had done some ,but not much .Most x fun than else. But I see is an easy making.
Now I’m inviting myself to a new work and I think will go…let see..
I agree recalling my brother making jokes about the wrong sizes in many train label as G now.
He said you can barely pass a figure inside using doors some times. He had to use 1.35 scale most time to play with it and he get annoyed of it.
Best..
Bachman makes a line called Big Haulers that 1/32 scale. See eBay. A bit costly though but excellent
You’re welcome. I missed a lot not being on all day. Yes, it’s a New Bright and it’s G Scale.
Great find Greg; I really enjoyed the pics; they took me back to my childhood.
Nick and DeAnna Versteeg included a nice train set with their Battle of Newton Station set. I managed to pick one up last year in Texas; brought it home and set it up on the dining room table (which seats 12+ for Sunday dinner and holidays) didn’t have enough space for all the track.
It took me back to the Christmas of 61 when we got a Marx larger scale train set along with the Giant Blue and Gray; we took the “coal” cover out of the coal car and used it to transport troops from one end of the battleground to the other.
Looking forward to getting the house straight one day so I can dig out the rest of my ACW figures and do a bang-up ACW battle with a larger town and two larger armies. In the meantime, I think I’ll enjoy your pix.
Wayne, I hope those days arrive for you soon. I love my big ‘War Room’ that is my basement.
Didn’t know there was such a playset out there. I guess they are basing it on the Duke movie ‘The Horse Soldiers’, but that movies was based on the Grierson Raid. I guess back them we had real Historical things to entertain our young minds (that also educated) now they follow fictional superhero characters on X-Box games.
You nailed it Greg. I always loved the movie “The Horse Soldiers” even if it took a “few” liberties with the actual details of the raid. When I saw the playset I knew I had to get one.
Totally agree with you about movies these days. I believe (as a retired history/social studies teacher) a large part of why so many youngsters are so ignorant of basic history is most come into the classroom with little or no prior background of knowledge in history. We grew up watching TV shows and movies about Davy Crockett, Daniel Boone, George Washington, Wyatt Earp and so on. Now many of these movies and TV shows were largely fictionalized but at least we had an idea of who the major players were..
What is sad is I remember singing folk ballads and songs in music class in elementary school that were loaded with our culture and history, “Fifteen Miles on the Erie Canal,””Casey Jones” to name a few. Nowadays, nothing. I mentioned the idea of re-introducing music like that into elementary schools in our state to improve our test scores (the be-all and end-all in education today) at a State Board meeting one time and was met with blank stares. Sad. I guess I’ll get off my soapbox now.
I would almost give my right arm for a basement or something. Between the water tables, soil, and other factors, basements are few and far between in my part of the country.
It’s sad, but true. Our Heritage will be forgotten for some revisionist contrivance. My education is in History as well, though I don’t think I will ever teach. I couldn’t stand what kids are allowed to get away with these days and I could not stick with the ‘Regime Approved’ version of History, what little they get of it. I don’t want to get political so I’ll call a halt here.
Another option might be a very solid and insulated shed structure, Wayne. It would probably be no more expensive than what I laid out to finish my basement. Just a thought. I’d hate to think that a fellow toy soldier enthusiast did not have a proper ‘War Room’.
http://assets.amuniversal.com/7d3026f0f2b601335939005056a9545d
The original movie was “The General” and it was ranked as film #18 on the all time list
of American movies by the American Film Institute. Made in 1926 and was based on the “The Great Locomotive Chase”.
I’ve seen it several times and it’s not bad for it’s time.
The best part is when Rambo shows up and derails the train with his hunting knife.
Greg I can you more curved track and s few straight for just postage. send me your address to this email or contact admin to see if we can exchange emails thanks dave
Dave
I am sending your email on to Greg
Just saw this now! I’m on it! I see an email!