Therapist: "Now, to review, what do we say when we're sad, stressed, or depressed?"
Me: "Add to Cart!"
Therapist: "Um, no."
This extended period of self-quarantine and stay-at-home orders has certainly created a cottage industry of funny memes. I thought of the one above shortly after I got a text from Randy about a sale ExactRail was running on B&O wagon-top boxcars.
Now, despite basically being a shut-in for over a month now, I'm not sad or depressed. "Stressed" depends on how "teleworking" is "working" on a particular day. But any railroad set in the late 1940s could use some B&O wagon-top boxcars and ExactRail makes probably the best and highest detailed ones around.
So I added to cart.
And through the wonders of the USPS - and despite the challenges they're facing during these crazy times - this showed up a few days later:
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| Ah - almost like Christmas! I can just begin to understand how online shopping can get addictive - especially when you can't leave the house! |
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| Here's three standard cars having just arrived on Track 5 in Old Saybrook, for later transfer up the Valley Line. The first car has the original 1937 paint scheme, while the other two are a bit closer to my era (and even have era-correct reweigh dates!) |
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| But the pièce de résistance is this REA boxcar - the only one I have on my railroad. And here it is sitting at Saybrook station waiting to be unloaded. Very cool! |
Now, far be it from me to encourage any bad habits, but one of the silver linings of the current crisis is that there are not only some deals to be had, but supporting your local - and even not-so-local - hobby shops and suppliers is always a great thing to do.
If you've gotten any cool acquisitions lately, be sure to let us know in the comments! Enjoying purchases vicariously is a lot less expensive than "adding to cart" every time we get the urge :^)
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Be sure to tune in again tomorrow for a special Saturday post as I try to get the blog caught up
%^)
Chris,
ReplyDeleteBill Shanaman here. Watching the Gra-Rock Bottling Co modification. I lived in Wethersfield at 55 Harmond Place. Near the Wethersfield Lumber Co. As a kid in the early 60's I used to go down to the Station. I also remember playing around the Gra Rock building. There was a siding up to the freight door. I remember that because I too am doing the Valley Branch in HO myself. It came off the main just south of the Church Street in front of the additional wooden storage buildings south the Gra Rock that were part of it. It ended right past the first window north of the freight door. They were boxcars parked there sometimes. I think it was used as a box factory or something like that before closing. THe Art center took out the siding and mad it a parking lot. It had a Hayes style bumper at the end of the siding because I cut my hand on the thing one time. So something to think about before you jump into static grass and scenery. Please use my billy44@centuytel.net email addy if you would like to respond. Nice job on your layout Chris. Bill