Spring swap meeting in Zutphen

Last weekend we had our local toy train swap meeting in Zutphen. They even placed bill boards in my street, so I had to go. It is basically a large sport hall, filled with toy trains and toy train enthusiasts.

On top of that, I made an appointment to run a few colourful Lionel trains on Sunday morning on the Merkur layout of Blik en Speelgoed.

So I unpacked my Lionel B&O train and let it run. Obviously the horn made a lasting impression on a few unwary youngsters.

It was nice to let the Lionel trains to blend in on the Merkur layout.

Later we changed back to DC operation and ran a few Merkur trains. This green tank engine is one of my favorites. The new red German rectifier switcher was also present. It was also really nicely made.

There was a nicely made American layout in half zero, which caught my attention. Nice folks with beautiful trains.

For the rest there was the usual trade from the usual suspects. Well hidden we found a few treasures.

Here a wind-up scale zero tinplate train from the fifties, probably commissioned by the German toy trade house Vedes. Anyway, I made myself happy with Marx search light tower and a Merkur lamp post. All in all a beautiful Sunday morning indeed.

Lego swap meeting

Last Sunday, we visited the "Lego und Playmobilbörse" in Hattingen. Although one might argue that Lego swap meeting would be a better name, since there were only a few Playmobil dealers and many Lego dealers.

Well Hattingen is near by and we have never visited such a happening, so went there to see and experience the lot.

There were plenty of bricks in all colours, sorts and shapes. Some were traded by the kilogram, others per piece. Some pieces were only a few eurocents, whiles others had a few Euro's price tag.

There were a few 'professional Lego hoarders' or should we name them addicts that searched for that one rare brick in a sea of bricks.

And then there were the historically interesting 'vintage Lego sets from the seventies'. As toy train collector that seemed a bit odd; seventies and vintage in one sentence, but there was a clear appreciation for rare and early pieces by a few brick-hunters.

For some unclear reason Star Wars Lego from the eighties, which was also considered vintage, was also regarded as highly collectible and some steep prices were commanded for a few space ships from the past.

Although I admired the enthusiasm of the frenzy collectors and the traders, I must admit that I was pleased to notice that this convention was held in an old foundry. The Heinrich Hütte. So, after Lego-over saturation kicked in, we visited the museum. Apparently, some locals discovered iron ore 1 meter under the ground here in 1851 and the first foundry was established here.

We made a walking tour over the train yard and saw some old beauties. A bit more vintage than what we saw earlier.

So much detail visible everywhere.

No humping!

The iron works was closed in the late eighties and although it is now an official museum and the have some pretty good displays of the ore quality control laboratory, the dump pits and the actual ovens, it breathes rust and decay .

Which is partially well understandable and partially regretful. Such a beautiful patina on this pre-war riveted tank car.

Nevertheless, although we embarked on a Lego trip, it became a quiet interesting, historically correct trip in the end, with a sufficiently high train content.

Well it was an enjoyable sunday afternoon with a slight drizzle and abundant trains.