I would like to wish everybody a Safe & Happy Thanksgiving!

Here is the view of my workbench this morning. You can see an AB pair of CNJ F3’s, a pair of MTH 2-rail conversion trucks that recently came off of an MTH LV Fshbelly Twin, and a pair of spare Weaver AAR Type-B road switcher trucks that I was fitting a set of Protocraft conversion wheelsets into. I need to get these parts/projects back together and off the workbench today.

In the early Fall of 2021, I was sitting with some friends BS’ing about different models that have been released in the past that for whatever reason did not end up on our radar. I mentioned that I wish I had picked up the Atlas-O CNJ F3’s back when they were released. But that was not in the cards for me when they were released. It was joked that it would be easier to build a Time Machine and go back in time and buy them, then to find them in today’s secondary market.

I started looking for them online and at the shows, I listed what I’m looking for on my Interchange Track page. They were around in 3-rail but not as 2-rail models. Then to my surprise one showed up at a Strasburg Show. Then a pair online. Over the last year I have been fortunate to find four CNJ units. I’m still looking for one more CNJ F3A, the details of what I’m now looking for are listed on my Interchange Track.

I was working in the basement this morning on the shelves which are making up the benchwork for the back wall. The parts are stained and about to be assembled. I should have some photos to show the progress soon.