I just found this nice little Aster C&S Mogul #22 in an estate sale. (Don’t know why they always seem to end up in my lap.)
It’s the same prototype as the ubiquitous LGB 2-6-0, but this looks a lot different, being made from metal by Aster, and also as a live steamer.
When visiting a steam-up, it is always good to have a small train - 2 or 3 freights and a caboose, or 2 or 3 coaches.
The loco is 1:20.3, so it would be dwarfed by proper 1:20.3 (Fn3) rolling stock. I would think this is an opportunity to acquire some (cheap) LGB or Bachmann or similar stock. What I am finding is that there are lots of freight cars labelled Colorado & Southern, but very few are realistic. USA Trains seems to slap Colorado & Southern on lots of its 1/29th stock - and although I appreciate it is actually the same size as a Bachmann Big Hauler boxcar, the details are smaller and I think the 1:22.5 stuff is more realistic, and probably less expensive.
Coaches, on the other hand, while there are plenty in 1:22.5, they are all shrunk from prototype size. I’m familiar with the LGB coaches, which seem to be similar to Bachmann but maybe not so short? And the Piko ones seem even shorter.
I guess what started it was my LGB-derived Mason/Mogul, which looks good with a few LGB+Bachmann freights.
I also found some DSP&PRR coaches on Jack’s shelves.
(That last one should have been in the “Spring Photos” thread?)
So what does anyone suggest? Are Colorado & Southern (authentic) freight cars freely available? How about coaches?