@WindupGuy- THANK YOU for posting those pictures of your wind up lay out. Its just great! I agree I have tried to collect the metal buildings myself although I don't have enough space on my current layout to use them. The Colonial Brick House and the Freight Station are just too big for the open space I have. I will also admit that when I look at the shelves in the background of your pictures they look a lot like mine 
! What a great picture of you opening the box at Christmas and that set with the box is really neat. Here is a set I recently acquired, clockwork but a "Whistling" Engine. It is set #965W with a clockwork Mercury.
Thanks for the tip on using 0-27 tubular track with the center rail removed, that is a very good idea especially for the larger radii.
@pd- Classic Marx 6" tin lithographed 4 wheel gondola. The 241708 was first made in 1953 and likely continued until the end of Marx in 1972. It came with a red interior, black interior, and a grey interior but always with a yellow exterior.
Best Wishes
Don
