1950 Berkshire

@Reverseletter2350 posted:

Happy Holidays to all!

Question(actually opinions, please). I have a C-8 738(1950) that I acquired from a reliable seller....yet...while the cab lettering is correct in style for the year, the RS numbers just seem more WHITE than the proper silver. I have several steamers with both styles from various years to compare yet this color seems to fall in between. Could just be these 66 year old eyes....What do you think....?

The Numbers on the left look white, the numbers on the right look silver by your photos, that's with 59 yr. old eyes, good luck

Lousy camera...The pix still displayed here is spot on.(thanks!)

Well, like Jack Benny, my eyes are only 39 years old. Nonetheless, I have noticed similar variations in the lettering of some of my postwar steamers making me wonder if they had been carefully restored. Perhaps the silver paint is more resilient or perhaps the locomotive was displayed with only one side getting exposure to light.

Be interesting to see what bmoran4 has to say about it, …..he’s pretty high on the list of all things post war accuracy, …

Pat

I have seen pure white as well on 736 locos that surley looked unrestored and with age \ battle scars

Thanks for the responses, though still wondering if anyone else has  pre-1953 steamers with silver rs letters that-well-look like this one or simply more white than silver.

The only thing in your picture that I see( which is kinda blurry on my phone)  that is kind of odd is the space between the seven and the three is larger than the space between the three and the six. Also the three and the six seem to be touching. now I don't know enough about it, but that's just my observation.

Here is a pic of my 1950 736 in silver. It is exactly the same as yours. Silver and white are hard to distinguish on a black background, but white is brighter.

Thanks to all..(thank you for the pix, Chuck-I feel better)!

Since @harmonyards summoned me, I'll share my two cents...

As noted, the restoration stamps that are available now are pretty good. As such, I find it hard to fully validate via photos alone. I will say that nothing in the provided photo seems off, but that is not me stating it is genuine. I usually look for other clues beyond the numbers.

One general curiosity is the placement of the numbers. I find they generally fall into two categories - centered to the cab windows and centered to the cab side itself. The photo in question shows centered to the window. I've yet to strongly theorize a pattern or rhyme/reason.

Here is a photo showing one centered to the cab side:

It was more color that had me concerned(though if the stamping color isn't right, I'd have to think restoration). Your pix looks to be from an early 60's Berk. with white letters. The 'silver' on my '50 just seemed to tend closer to white. My older steamers with silver stamping are clearly silver when looking at them in the same light. I realize it's tough with photos. Appreciate the response.

Reverse,

Here's another example from my '50/'51 Berk.

Definitely silver, but not as obvious in the photos.

What would concern me most about the white stamping on your engine is how even the color is. Most rubber stamped 736s have areas in the numbering where the stamping is lighter or faded in appearance.

Also, does the 3 actually run into the 6 making them look connected as your photo seems to show - or is there a small chip in the black giving it that appearance? Not sure if I've seen connected numbers in an original. Some of the original stampings were rough, but distinct.

Jim

Hi Jim....I've seen several with the 'dollip' (is that a word?) on the left side of the 6. I had noticed it as well and did some internet research via past live auctions, etc.. The engine is high grade with very little wheel wear. There are areas where it's lighter...tough to see in the pix. I've been collecting PW for near 30 years and whenever in possession of a high grade piece, my suspicions take over. Sad, uh?  Thank you for providing the pix.

I know -it's tough having to be skeptical of high grade pieces!

I think you just have to consider the source. Sometimes you have to trust a reliable seller and hope he's right or you will pass up some really good pieces!

I have a beautiful 2353 SF F3 set with what might be either mismatched power A and dummy A units or just an unusual factory combination of details. All the "experts" have looked at them and nobody is sure!

Part of enjoying collecting is knowing your variations, but not letting uncertainties bother you!

Jim