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 Posted - December 30 2023 : 09:51:02 AM
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https://youtu.be/FmQaB42Yp0c
Going to start a new thread for my Continental European stuff under the tag line "Elbonia," which is a direct reference to the brilliant comic strip contained with Gary Larson's "Dilbert." Elbonia has sinister implications of Eastern European flavor, and prior to the Ukraine War I openly ran Soviet style model train themes, a flagship example being a fantasy advertisement for Soviet Tourism by Rail.
The reason for my interest is that as a wee lad of four I spent a week largely camped out in the State Tourist Hotel in Moscow at the height of the Cold War, with my brother and sister and mother, as father poured over musty volumes, which then, were only available in person at the State Library as he researched various figures of the Russian Revolution. It was roughly the equivalent of visiting North Korea, today.
Why a man would drag his entire family with him to what amounted to the world's largest prison is hard to understand. Perhaps it was simple niavate or perhaps it was using the family as a human shield, or a bit of both. I don't know. Regrettably, it never occured to any of us to point blank ask the old man his motivations while he was still alive.
No nevermind, it left an indelible impression on this young budding Train Head, like Britain, a few years later. And then, finally, Tyco, after immigrating back to the United States.
Elbonia, yes, is a thinly veiled reference to communist railroads, a la George Orwell. Most of the pieces are actually French or Spanish or Italian, but fit my fantasy narrative nicely. I do have one East German model of a Russian train by Piko.
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Posted - December 30 2023 : 10:48:50 PM
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quote:Elbonia has sinister implications of Eastern European flavor, and prior to the Ukraine War I openly ran Soviet style model train themes, a flagship example being a fantasy advertisement for Soviet Tourism by Rail.
Originally posted by Chops124 - December 30 2023 : 09:51:02 AM
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It was most appropriate to use the locomotive with the Красная звезда (red star) on the side.
As I recall, though, Lower Elbonia is waist deep in mud. Looks like a scenery update is in order. 
Carpe Manana!
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 Posted - December 31 2023 : 11:39:41 AM
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Deserves a repeat. Nice action Jeff.
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Posted - December 31 2023 : 7:28:55 PM
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Ball Bearing Production is Up!
https://youtu.be/19XN19fm0rU
I was so disheartened by the events of the past two years I didn't run any of the Soviet stuff out of
concern and respect for the innocents. However, it seems benign enough to do it under the moniker
of Elbonia. Larson really hit it out the park with that humor.
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Posted - December 31 2023 : 7:32:55 PM
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USSR Railski Pass
The cool locomotive is a Pico, and is of East German manufacture. It is actually quite good, considering
most Eastern Block products, whether automobiles or model trains, were terrible junk.
https://youtu.be/1TWVTy4ETgI
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