Any Vintage HO Collectors Here?

I was reading this thread again and there is some really super stuff here.

I posted this item in the weekend photo thread awhile back but I thought I'd include it here as well as I think the piece qualifies as "vintage" HO. This is the Rivarossi built model of the Krauss-Maffei ML 4000 which was introduced in the AHM product line in 1964. Despite the very limited numbers of the prototype locomotives built, the model enjoyed a long production run into the 80s. A gift from my grandfather, the ML 4000 was the very first HO locomotive I owned. My original model did not survive my childhood but I was fortunate enough to finally acquire a nice boxed example complete with paperwork to replace it a few years ago.

Bob

Gilbert used to sell a 220V transformer so some sets must have made their way over.

Among some ancient Tenshodo brass steam I have a C&NW 4-4-2 and a CSPM&O 0-6-0.  I also have a factory painted (gold) A & B Globe unpowered A & B diesel set.  They have been knocking around in a box for decades.  If anyone wants them make offer including shipping and I'll consider it.    Odd-d

I found this vintage  freight car kits:

The boxes have Made in Japan printed and the couplings  look like Tenshodo. I do not know when these kits were made, but surely some time ago. No trucks included in the rather small and flat boxes. I am going to try to build these kits.

Regards

Fred

I have a lot of vintage HO, but have not always photographed it.  Here are some of my more interesting pieces. 

Not truly vintage, but the HO and N Bachmann Metroliners were really well done for the time they were released.

What I believe to be a Walthers tin side kit of a 60' commuter car.

Early Penn Line 60' passenger car that is all cast.  I have a set of these.  Later Penn-line and then Varney versions were plastic.

The rarest HO locomotives in my collection.  3 George Stock GG1s of which one is still in the original kit box. 

Walthers HH-660 circa late 1940's or possibly prewar.  I don't know for sure.

Hobbytown E7s hand detailed and hand painted for NYC.  I have the A and B powered and each has a DC-90 Pitman motor.  While it's a little rough, I have not redone the set to honor the original modeler.

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Japanese brass electric of unknown origin.

Varney cast F3 that I custom painted for my Uncle who is a Varney collector back in 1996.

Brass PRR N6b.  I believe circa 1960's.

Brass Mack Railbus.  Another 60's item I believe.

Not a vintage train, but my all time favorite model for electric trains.  Love the separate throttle and brake settings.  Pretty realistic and requires practice when using the momentum switch!

I have many vintage trains including an athearn band driven NH F7 unit, and a few AHM C-Liners in B&O and NYC paint. All but the NH f7 have been restored. I also have several of the old IHC Budd RDCs.

Is there any interest out there yet in early HO?  I collect and run only early HO mainly early Varney and early Mantua. My main rule is pre-plastic, but I do have some as in all the Lindberg line and early Revell too. Also have a number of plastic 1950’s and 60’s Mantua of stuff that I had as a kid. I’m not out to collect all early plastic Mantua but just enough of the items I remember. I really love the prewar Varney and prewar items as the Megow line of built and kits of their freight cars. Love all the Model Die Casting line of metal locos and freight cars. I build old wood kits of cars anything early vintage HO back when everything had to be built from kits. In to Penn Line, John English, Hobbytown of Boston. Winton, Tiger Valley, Barr Nixon, Cary, metal Athearn, Ideal, and on and on. Any other vintage nuts out there. Let’s talk.... Martin

I love the vintage HO items on this post-very nostalgic.

Anybody enjoy old Marklin HO? The examples below are from the 50's and 60's and they still run like new.

@GG1 4877 posted:

Walthers HH-660 circa late 1940's or possibly prewar.  I don't know for sure.

 

I hvae one of those body shells and had started to assemble it with a modified Athearn chassis and drive. The unfinished project still awaits my attention.

Mr. Winslow. I appreciate HO Marklin as I’ve seen some at train shows but I never got in to foreign models except some metal German Fleischmann of American equipment. I’ve read that HO started in Europe way back in the 1920’s but I’ve never even seen pictures of any of it. Would be great if someone had information on that first stuff. I look on eBay all the time and find some really great items (in my opinion) of some really early American items and 9 times out of 10 the owners have no idea what it is. Usually in sad shape too but most items can be restored to acceptable condition.

The Walthers HH-660 is really great in my opinion. Love that lead. I have two and a half of them. One runs great, one is a basket case in process of being rebuilt and pieces of another. They do show up on eBay now and then. I want to paint the good one but then you can’t tell it’s lead unless you try to pick it up. I’ll probably just leave it raw. I just love the crude factor of back in the day folks would have thought it to be a good scale model because there was nothing better. I think it came out just after the war. If anyone has evidence that it’s pre 1942, let me know.

I collect some  Ahm and Athearn sets but I primarily collect Tyco RTR sets that were made between 1955 and 1968.

Below is a picture of my 1957 T-10 set which is considered to be one of the tougher sets to find.

And also my TYCO clock that was available to authorized service stations.

Hey Don, I share your love of vintage Maerklin:  I was re-bitten by the train bug while stationed in Berlin back in the ‘80s and since then, it’s been quite a journey.  While my collection of pre-war O gauge has grown quite a bit since then, I still return to the Maerklin — and it takes up a lot less space!

Bob:

Just LOVE seeing pics of your fabulous collection of stuff! It's like stepping into a hobby shop back when I was a kid: Goodies everywhere... but not a dollar to spare!

Andre

@Varneynut posted:

Is there any interest out there yet in early HO?  I collect and run only early HO mainly early Varney and early Mantua. My main rule is pre-plastic, but I do have some as in all the Lindberg line and early Revell too. Also have a number of plastic 1950’s and 60’s Mantua of stuff that I had as a kid. I’m not out to collect all early plastic Mantua but just enough of the items I remember. I really love the prewar Varney and prewar items as the Megow line of built and kits of their freight cars. Love all the Model Die Casting line of metal locos and freight cars. I build old wood kits of cars anything early vintage HO back when everything had to be built from kits. In to Penn Line, John English, Hobbytown of Boston. Winton, Tiger Valley, Barr Nixon, Cary, metal Athearn, Ideal, and on and on. Any other vintage nuts out there. Let’s talk.... Martin

I have a decent collection of Varney, but between my uncle and my father they have every postwar piece ever made when they did most of their collecting in the 80's and 90's.  My uncle started collecting in the 60's actually and his layout hasn't changed since I was a small child which goes back well over 40 years.  He still runs it .... with Penn Line power.  He was never a fan of the running capabilities of the Varney drive although he has plenty.  Also zinc rot caught up with a few of his items being in a PA basement.

They also have their share of pre-war Varney, Penn Line, English, Hobbytown, MDC, Mantua, Athearn, and Lindberg pieces.  My dad also has several Tenshodo locos from the 60's.  Decent runners.  I have a Tenshodo FT B, a Tenshodo GP7 and an Athearn rubber band powered F7 all painted for CNJ even though none of them are prototypically accurate.

About that Penn-Line power he is currently running with.  He picked up some at an Allentown show about 5 years ago.  The GG1 (the original 4917 in Tuscan 5 stripe) and the K4 run like clockwork.  So smooth with no modifications.  Goes to show that these older locomotives can be great runners when I don't build the kit.  My Bowser K4 needs new drivers as they all oxidized and a little work to get it to run smoother.  Admittedly it has been a while since I've had HO anything out and running though. 

@taycotrains posted:

I collect some  Ahm and Athearn sets but I primarily collect Tyco RTR sets that were made between 1955 and 1968.

Below is a picture of my 1957 T-10 set which is considered to be one of the tougher sets to find.

And also my TYCO clock that was available to authorized service stations.

 

 

 

 

Wow...  99 bucks was a pretty good piece of change back in 1957.

Pretty fancy packaging for an HO set.  Was the T-10 some kind of presentation or commemorative set?

Rusty

@Rusty Traque posted:

Wow...  99 bucks was a pretty good piece of change back in 1957.

Pretty fancy packaging for an HO set.  Was the T-10 some kind of presentation or commemorative set?

Rusty

Yes that was a lot of money for a HO set ! 

It was a catalog set that offered 2 train operation and it came in a fancy wood box...but the price was way out of range for the average buyer...so that’s why it’s kind of rare.

I do have an early TYCO set in the box with the 0-4-0 switcher with slope back tender and freight cars and bobber caboose. Neat thing is they all have old loop couplers. It says T.Y.C.O. on the tender.  Anyone know what year they went from loop couplers to NMRA couplers? I don’t. I’d take a picture but the set is good and buried in my spare bedroom.

I collect Marx HO from the 1950's and 60's.  have re-amassed my child hood trains. But am now still going after more when I see them!

Maybe not quite in the spirit of this thread as most of my Tyco and Gilbert HO are long gone. I even had a few Strombecker wood and paper kits with wooden wheels. My oldest brass engine is from 1958. Imported by MB Austin. Its been stripped of its crude detail which has been replaced with Cal Scale and Kemtron parts. also features real glass windows. Rebuilt in 1972.

Pete

I have some and pick some up every now and then.  I have some older Marklin ho and then a good bit of older American ho including Mantua, Tyco, AHM, Athearn, Varney, Bowser, American Flyer, and a few others as well.  No where to run any of it now lol

Hmsjr, I had a Marx H0 set in the box a few years ago. It had the 4-6-2 Pacific loco. I never got around to try running it but at least it was metal. A friend who collects Marx just had to have it and it wasn’t my thing so he bought it. Great to have seen it though.

@Varneynut posted:

I do have an early TYCO set in the box with the 0-4-0 switcher with slope back tender and freight cars and bobber caboose. Neat thing is they all have old loop couplers. It says T.Y.C.O. on the tender.  Anyone know what year they went from loop couplers to NMRA couplers? I don’t. I’d take a picture but the set is good and buried in my spare bedroom.

Loop and hook was used until 1956 ....1957 was the  first year.

Maybe that Marx locomotive was not a Pacific but probably a Hudson.

Here is one of my athearn sets...

B&O F units (rubber band drive) with some familiar looking cars that Lionel once produced.

Cool thread!

I think I was a freshman in high school when  I remember walking canal street NYC from west to east and back again looking in brick a brack electronic shops et al.  I was particularly intrigued with a small shop that had a display case area in their shop. In it contained several treasures. The ones that caught my eye were  the different shade copper cases that housed the model rectifier transformers. Edison NJ? Yeah I had been there! There were two different ones with pulse power and one that had momentum control. There was a third one that was pictured above post the cab control one!  This was three times more expensive than the regular transformers the double throttle one was about the same price as the hand held one. I bought the Basic one I could afford. It was a strong copper color. I was always interested in looking at Rivarossi locos and passenger equipment. I had a streamlined NYC Hudson and a couple of heavyweights one green, one grey. I also had a TEE loco euro passenger  set Made by Lima. Cheap and ran well! No layout, but ran them on a friends plywood set up (stored under his bed!)

Thanks for posting your photos of Vintage HO great packaging with cool artwork of that era! 

Dennis Holler:

I love seeing your vintage HO stuff, too! You has some REALLY cool stuff that you've acquired over the years. Shame that you have no where to see it run at the time being. I'm sort of in the same boat upon have decided to go ahead and indulge and acquire some Postwar 3-rail, both Marx and Lionel: No where to run it, really. Oh well... it's cool stuff and fun to look at, smell, oogle, etc.

Bob:

'Nuther great set. BIG set, too! (9 cars, caboose and A-B set of power!)

Andre

@taycotrains posted:

Here is one of my athearn sets...

B&O F units (rubber band drive) with some familiar looking cars that Lionel once produced.

I thought it was the other way around, Athearn producing some HO for Lionel.  Still, it's fun to see these old sets "in the flesh" as it were.

I recall Athearn inadvertently re-releasing the Erie gondola back in the 80's with the Lionel Circle L logo still on it.

Rusty

@laming posted:

Dennis Holler:

I love seeing your vintage HO stuff, too! You has some REALLY cool stuff that you've acquired over the years. Shame that you have no where to see it run at the time being. I'm sort of in the same boat upon have decided to go ahead and indulge and acquire some Postwar 3-rail, both Marx and Lionel: No where to run it, really. Oh well... it's cool stuff and fun to look at, smell, oogle, etc.

Bob:

'Nuther great set. BIG set, too! (9 cars, caboose and A-B set of power!)

Andre

Thanks Andre,

I used to have this little 4x8 section on my main layout set up with the Marklin ho, then took that up a few years ago and put down American Flyer S in the same 4x8 spot.  It's tempting to set up a 4x8 or some size of table in the other room that I could set up different trains and easily put them away so I could put up these various scales and styles  that I can't really run as it is.

Dennis,  that last photo pretty much sums up our collective appreciation for this hobby, regardless of brand, scale, etc:  there’s something about a train that always brings a smile!

1955 TYCO RTR set T-1003 “power pack” included...This set was well played with but is in amazing shape and includes all the paperwork and uncoupling strip !

@taycotrains posted:

Bob:

Cool little set! That engine appears to be very detailed? Also, that bobber caboose mold might have gone on to become an AHM property?

Question: In the above list, is Missouri also listed? If so, in Kansas City, MO is there a "Spotlight Model Railroad" listed?

Some really great memories were created for me at Spotlight beginning in the mid-60s.

Andre

@laming posted:

Bob:

Cool little set! That engine appears to be very detailed? Also, that bobber caboose mold might have gone on to become an AHM property?

Question: In the above list, is Missouri also listed? If so, in Kansas City, MO is there a "Spotlight Model Railroad" listed?

Some really great memories were created for me at Spotlight beginning in the mid-60s.

Andre

I will check the Missouri listing on that sheet Monday Andre ...I’m away from that set at the moment.

Thanks for your willingness, but promise me you will not make special effort to do so. When/if it's convenient is fine. IF it doesn't happen... it's absolutely no big deal. Just an idle curiosity on my part.

Promise?

Andre

Bob:  That is the same set I have that I mentioned earlier. Same exact box. 1955 the year I was bored. 65 years ago. Do you have any sets earlier than this?

@Dennis Holler posted:

I have a later unassembled Athearn kit of this car. Unfortunately, it is missing one of the sprung Bettendorf trucks.

@laming posted:

Thanks for your willingness, but promise me you will not make special effort to do so. When/if it's convenient is fine. IF it doesn't happen... it's absolutely no big deal. Just an idle curiosity on my part.

Promise?

Andre

oh no it’s not a big deal ! That set is in my basement ...but me and my camper are in Gettysburg...be back Monday ! I’m on a furlough from my job so I figured I’d get out of town for awhile ! Lol !!!

@Varneynut posted:

Bob:  That is the same set I have that I mentioned earlier. Same exact box. 1955 the year I was bored. 65 years ago. Do you have any sets earlier than this?

Not as far as TYCO goes....I believe the Little Trains Line of RTR sets started in 55. 

I guess my oldest HO set is this 1953 or 54 Hobbyline set. I bought it because I like the locomotive.