What's in Your Closet?

My friend Brigid has a wonderful post up tonight on Pieces of History and as happens occasionally I was rummaging around here tonight as it is a rainy day here. 

I found this:

 I bought this little train set from Monroe Hardware when they announced they were selling everything and moving out of downtown Monroe. Sad really. The building is still there and I remember walking down the wooden floors so worn down by many shoes over the decades. 

A faithful reproduction of the "Hooker Chemical" scheme from back in the day, but sadly I think that would mean silicone and meth now. 

Then this:

See the difference in packaging? Doesn't the "Southern" look so much more appealing than the box below sitting on a retail shelf? This was made during the much derided "MPC Era". Another footnote in history. Inside we find this:

And everything else to run a train set. At least it says "Made in America" as Lionel is made in China now. 


"Pieces of history" my friend said. She wondered who in the future would cherish or discard items. This train is one of my most cherished possessions.

Not even a cataloged set. Apparently the hobby shop cobbled up something for my parents to buy from loose rolling stock. A much derided "Scout" engine to the purists. No matter. To me it is priceless for what it is and what it means. My Mother kept this train for decades and presented it to me a few years ago. I thought it lost in the haze of my youth. 

So now we do still run across some items of interest. 

  

 































ZW and KW train transformers. The largest made. They command a premium now as actually putting 275 watts of AC power on some metal track laying in the floor of the living room would make a corporate lawyers head explode now.

I fear in the age of Xboxes, PS, tablets, etc. that the era of these is done. I don't know who if anyone will be stewards of these pieces of history in the future. Sad, but I am glad they are here to remind me of the sacrifices made so long ago so I could run over green army men with my train!