Buy/Make Anything Cool Lately (Tinplate Version)

Nothing as exotic as all this neat stuff but did buy a few things yesterday in West Virginia at a small shop full of "Good old Boys".  A guy had a Lionel logging set, box looked new but from the Michigan era, I think. Had a steam tank engine, a Forney with 3 dumping log cars & caboose. I wanted it but he wanted to sell more so I ended up getting two pretty nice Lionel 2034s. After I hit them with  CDC solvent they run good. Still have to clean them & lube. No sure what I will do with them. The Forney looks new, has smoke and a"whistle" plus traction tires-a first for me. I have some funky On3 freight cars with Lionel trucks on them and maybe an old passenger car on the rear as a caboose. I got a nice red caboose with the set. Went to a much bigger antique mall and bought two pre-war Lionel Standard gauge signals. One a semaphore. WE  ate a good meal at a Cracker Barrel anticipating a nap when we got home but that didn't happen. A water line by the oil furnace sprung a leak spraying water all over.  It is an oil-fired boiler and a hot water heating system. Called  plumber who came right away and it was fixed in 30 mins. Amazing. The young man knew what he was doing.

  Logging and Michigan was once like bread and butter. 

Not being defensive, but very much curious Jim; likely just a fluke of words that can be read various ways but... Is there anything wrong with items from Mich.?  (" it is what it is ", good or bad...just curious if it is bad for a reason.)

(I finally removed that tender from my 4x9.  Now it's running on a carpet central (thanks again )

A fluke of words. Just dating the time it was made. They are nice engines. Got them CHEEP!   From what I have read on logging, a lot of loggers from Pa. went to Michigan and beyond when Pa was cut over.

And once Michigan was pretty much clear-cut, they went North and West.

I figured it was an origin ID, but had to ask. 

Gramps worked some of the remaining camps in the summers as a teen in Canada and Mich UP from 1926 till about 31 or 32 when he landed a full time steel mill job "down south" here in Detroit where he was schooled.

I bought this little guy as a Christmas present to me. It's one of two McCoy pieces I really want to get my hands on, the other is the Wapid Wabbit

Best part is, it runs great! Just needed a little lube

Got this for a tinplate harbor scene that I am planning. It’s missing a couple of parts, but it works.

George

George S posted:

Got this for a tinplate harbor scene that I am planning. It’s missing a couple of parts, but it works.

George

Nice find George

nice George!

She needs a Popeye figure

samdjr74 posted:

I bought this little guy as a Christmas present to me. It's one of two McCoy pieces I really want to get my hands on, the other is the Wapid Wabbit

Best part is, it runs great! Just needed a little lube

 

A very cool piece. I like the figures though I find them curiously "random". Like there is a story to go with it I don't know about... like what's the passenger got... milk and crackers? And whats up with the "lab coat"? ... A pharmacist and a guy with milk of magnesia? Nice whimsy, but the figures seem almost out of place to me.

I think a cowboy hat on the standing figure might have me thinking western trenchcoat, but I only see lab coat right now.  (not sayin' I'm not jealouse )

Adriatic posted:

samdjr74 posted:

I bought this little guy as a Christmas present to me. It's one of two McCoy pieces I really want to get my hands on, the other is the Wapid Wabbit

Best part is, it runs great! Just needed a little lube

 

A very cool piece. I like the figures though I find them curiously "random". Like there is a story to go with it I don't know about... like what's the passenger got... milk and crackers? And whats up with the "lab coat"? ... A pharmacist and a guy with milk of magnesia? Nice whimsy, but the figures seem almost out of place to me.

I think a cowboy hat on the standing figure might have me thinking western trenchcoat, but I only see lab coat right now.  (not sayin' I'm not jealouse )

I thought the figures were Bob McCoy and Bob Jr. I can't find any online reference to back me up right now. I think it is a western style, long overcoat, not a lab coat. The farming and western themes match some of the other McCoy train themes. The characters can certainly be described as whimsical!

George

George S posted:

Adriatic posted:

samdjr74 posted:

I bought this little guy as a Christmas present to me. It's one of two McCoy pieces I really want to get my hands on, the other is the Wapid Wabbit

Best part is, it runs great! Just needed a little lube

 

A very cool piece. I like the figures though I find them curiously "random". Like there is a story to go with it I don't know about... like what's the passenger got... milk and crackers? And whats up with the "lab coat"? ... A pharmacist and a guy with milk of magnesia? Nice whimsy, but the figures seem almost out of place to me.

I think a cowboy hat on the standing figure might have me thinking western trenchcoat, but I only see lab coat right now.  (not sayin' I'm not jealouse )

I thought the figures were Bob McCoy and Bob Jr. I can't find any online reference to back me up right now. I think it is a western style, long overcoat, not a lab coat. The farming and western themes match some of the other McCoy train themes. The characters can certainly be described as whimsical!

George

In the book From A Chicken Coop to Model Trains, it says the #45 hand cars were made from 1980 to 84, then again in 1987. The figures were all hand painted, so no two were exactly alike. No reference to the figures being patterned after anyone.

Steve

Steve "Papa" Eastman posted:

George S posted:

Adriatic posted:

samdjr74 posted:

I bought this little guy as a Christmas present to me. It's one of two McCoy pieces I really want to get my hands on, the other is the Wapid Wabbit

Best part is, it runs great! Just needed a little lube

 

A very cool piece. I like the figures though I find them curiously "random". Like there is a story to go with it I don't know about... like what's the passenger got... milk and crackers? And whats up with the "lab coat"? ... A pharmacist and a guy with milk of magnesia? Nice whimsy, but the figures seem almost out of place to me.

I think a cowboy hat on the standing figure might have me thinking western trenchcoat, but I only see lab coat right now.  (not sayin' I'm not jealouse )

I thought the figures were Bob McCoy and Bob Jr. I can't find any online reference to back me up right now. I think it is a western style, long overcoat, not a lab coat. The farming and western themes match some of the other McCoy train themes. The characters can certainly be described as whimsical!

George

In the book From A Chicken Coop to Model Trains, it says the #45 hand cars were made from 1980 to 84, then again in 1987. The figures were all hand painted, so no two were exactly alike. No reference to the figures being patterned after anyone.

Steve

Knew I could rely on you Steve! TCA Western says something similar. Not sure where I saw the reference to one of the figures being Bob McCoy.

George

Reminds me of "Hell on Wheels "

Steve "Papa" Eastman posted:

George S posted:

Adriatic posted:

samdjr74 posted:

I bought this little guy as a Christmas present to me. It's one of two McCoy pieces I really want to get my hands on, the other is the Wapid Wabbit

Best part is, it runs great! Just needed a little lube

 

A very cool piece. I like the figures though I find them curiously "random". Like there is a story to go with it I don't know about... like what's the passenger got... milk and crackers? And whats up with the "lab coat"? ... A pharmacist and a guy with milk of magnesia? Nice whimsy, but the figures seem almost out of place to me.

I think a cowboy hat on the standing figure might have me thinking western trenchcoat, but I only see lab coat right now.  (not sayin' I'm not jealouse )

I thought the figures were Bob McCoy and Bob Jr. I can't find any online reference to back me up right now. I think it is a western style, long overcoat, not a lab coat. The farming and western themes match some of the other McCoy train themes. The characters can certainly be described as whimsical!

George

In the book From A Chicken Coop to Model Trains, it says the #45 hand cars were made from 1980 to 84, then again in 1987. The figures were all hand painted, so no two were exactly alike. No reference to the figures being patterned after anyone.

Steve

Steve,

Arno had several of these hand cars in his collection and you are absolutely correct, no two were painted the same.  As I recall, not all the figures were the same either.

Bob Nelson

Was fortunate enough to acquire this beauty. An early 1930's Bing windup.

Adriatic posted:

samdjr74 posted:

I bought this little guy as a Christmas present to me. It's one of two McCoy pieces I really want to get my hands on, the other is the Wapid Wabbit

Best part is, it runs great! Just needed a little lube

 

A very cool piece. I like the figures though I find them curiously "random". Like there is a story to go with it I don't know about... like what's the passenger got... milk and crackers? And whats up with the "lab coat"? ... A pharmacist and a guy with milk of magnesia? Nice whimsy, but the figures seem almost out of place to me.

I think a cowboy hat on the standing figure might have me thinking western trenchcoat, but I only see lab coat right now.  (not sayin' I'm not jealouse )

I get it, not very "train" related I guess for the two guys but they are fun to watch, the coat looks like an old west style coat but it has a purpose to cover the hinge in his hips. The passenger is drinking milk, eating a sandwich and has a banana in his lunch box. His head goes back and forth as it goes around the track. I'll try to get some better pictures this weekend

navy.seal posted:

Steve "Papa" Eastman posted:

George S posted:

Adriatic posted:

samdjr74 posted:

I bought this little guy as a Christmas present to me. It's one of two McCoy pieces I really want to get my hands on, the other is the Wapid Wabbit

Best part is, it runs great! Just needed a little lube

 

A very cool piece. I like the figures though I find them curiously "random". Like there is a story to go with it I don't know about... like what's the passenger got... milk and crackers? And whats up with the "lab coat"? ... A pharmacist and a guy with milk of magnesia? Nice whimsy, but the figures seem almost out of place to me.

I think a cowboy hat on the standing figure might have me thinking western trenchcoat, but I only see lab coat right now.  (not sayin' I'm not jealouse )

I thought the figures were Bob McCoy and Bob Jr. I can't find any online reference to back me up right now. I think it is a western style, long overcoat, not a lab coat. The farming and western themes match some of the other McCoy train themes. The characters can certainly be described as whimsical!

George

In the book From A Chicken Coop to Model Trains, it says the #45 hand cars were made from 1980 to 84, then again in 1987. The figures were all hand painted, so no two were exactly alike. No reference to the figures being patterned after anyone.

Steve

Steve,

Arno had several of these hand cars in his collection and you are absolutely correct, no two were painted the same.  As I recall, not all the figures were the same either.

Bob Nelson

Funny thing is years ago I was talking to Arno about them. He told me they were always a little "quirky". When I got this one the front wheels were seized up from rust and the motor smoked. A little lube fixed it but I can see it as somewhat fragile.

Robert S. Butler posted:

DMESTAN - your set is a Rainbow.  The 1927 version did not come with an observation.  As for an exact match with respect to car lithography - I wouldn't worry too much about that.  I've seen a number of boxed Rainbow sets over the years. Sometimes the litho treatment of the cars in the box match the catalog cut and sometimes they don't.

Catalog cut for 1927

 For example - the set below was boxed and the set label was "Rainbow".  The car frames were consistent with the 1927 time frame but except for the engine and the fact that one of the passenger cars is blue (wrong window configuration - according to the catalog) and the other does share the window treatment and the color orange with the other car you would have to squint pretty hard to convince yourself that the catalog and the box contents are the match.

 

Thanks for the info Robert!

So do you think this is a 1927 set? 

Don

I’ve always admired AF tinplate coaches (look similar to Hafners) but never quite understood why the locomotives are “smaller” in scale to their coaches.

Hafner locomotives are at least the height of the coaches (That’s just a personal preference)

They’re all beautiful to look at

Ah ha! , So the randomness was planned!! 

I'm not sure what that means exactly 

But all the logic I need I guess 

Nothin' trumps a "one off" 

A recent acquisition of some fairly elaborate Bing O gauge tinplate to go with my Bing (for Bassett Lowke) George the Fifth 4-4-0 clockwork loco- three Pullman cars for the British market, fitted with flip-top roofs and dining car interiors. They are 12" long and I have two "Rosemary" and one "Plato". One of the "Rosemary" cars has a very interesting cloth curtain inside that the other two do not. Does anyone know if these curtains were original to the dining car interiors (perhaps someone made it themselves)?

I also recently acquired a copy of the 1972 book reprinting Bing's catalogs 1866-1933. From page 258 (1927 catalog), my new cars appear to be the 10/559/0 Speisewagen (Dining Car). Also on page 243 (1926 catalog) is the Bing "Mercury" Train, set 3710/02 being a George V 4-4-0 loco / tender and "two Pullman dining cars fitted with chairs and tables, each running on two dour-wheeled bogies, and with doors to open". Some images are attached from these catalogs. And by the way, this nice person put a scan of the Bing 1926 catalog online at: https://www.fulltable.com/vts/t/tcat/bing/a.htm

Comparing these cars to other photos of similar cars on the internet I note that they may originally have had passageway diaphragms that clipped into the hole above the train door. Also, some similar cars have spring-loaded buffers whereas these are plain. 

Any additional info would be welcome. I'll make a video of them running behind the loco and post that as well.

Underside of "Plato":

And here is the pic of a similar "Plato" Pullman, but with diaphragms and spring-loaded buffers:

Hi John, nice set of cars. To answer to some of your questions I will say at first that there is many variations around those cars. They may be founded with different type of couplers, die cast and brass but I have never seen spring loaded buffers, they are certainly non original, we must be careful with pieces coming from great Britain, many of them have been altered by modelers. Couplers may be drop link or automatic for the latest ones. Here some examples from my collection, sorry bad picture quality.

The curtains in you car are originals, I have the same thing in different models in o and I gauge. Bing have made some elaborate models with completely equipped sleeping cars with curtains and beds, they are often lost now. Here is another example on a smaller series of cars, end of BING production in 1930 and without markings as they where made for different countries so standard models.

BING has also offered diaphragms for their passenger cars, tey are similar to Marklin ones but I still have to find some.... Sometime they are available in Germany on the Bay.

Very best,  Daniel

Daniel- many thanks for this info and the related photos. And interesting that you mentioned some late production Bing cars not having end markings, one of the two "Rosemary" cars is exactly that way- otherwise identical to the older one but no logo on the ends.  And regarding the passageway diaphragms, I do see them shown in a few illustrations of coupled cars in the Bing catalogs, for example here in 1927 (page 267 of the book). None of the individual car illustrations appear to show them. Thanks again

THis afternoon I went to a local "antique" store(I was the oldest thing there) but a dealer has recently been buying trains. Spotted a brand new looking Lionel 2065, one of my favorites. A nice discount made it a good deal.  I have 3 others but this new one ha been use very little. I might sell her a few of my lesser one. Fun day.

Here's a few more pictures of the McCoy 45

FRENCHTRAINS posted:

Hi John, nice set of cars. To answer to some of your questions I will say at first that there is many variations around those cars. They may be founded with different type of couplers, die cast and brass but I have never seen spring loaded buffers, they are certainly non original, we must be careful with pieces coming from great Britain, many of them have been altered by modelers. Couplers may be drop link or automatic for the latest ones. Here some examples from my collection, sorry bad picture quality.

The curtains in you car are originals, I have the same thing in different models in o and I gauge. Bing have made some elaborate models with completely equipped sleeping cars with curtains and beds, they are often lost now. Here is another example on a smaller series of cars, end of BING production in 1930 and without markings as they where made for different countries so standard models.

 

 

BING has also offered diaphragms for their passenger cars, tey are similar to Marklin ones but I still have to find some.... Sometime they are available in Germany on the Bay.

Very best,  Daniel

And here's the next question- how do you get a wheel/axle set out of one of the Bing 1920's O gauge trucks? I'm used to being able to widen up the truck frame enough to slip one end of the axle out (either by some gentle bending or disassembly), but I've discovered you can't do that with these. I removed the side frame from the truck with some further loosening of the tabs (this one was already loose at the old solder joint between the bolster and the side frame), but the ends of the axle appear to be captive inside the little O gauge axle box on the side frames. Do they have a collar on the end of the axle?

I need to straighten one bent axle, hence my interest. Some photos attached, along with a video of the Bing clockwork train running with the other two coaches.

Hi. I’m the new guy.

I went down to a local thrift shop to buy a pair of pliers. For some reason I can’t really explain, I bought a caboose. I didn’t need a caboose because I didn’t have a train. A few weeks later, I found myself back at the shop buying a flatcar that I had not noticed before. Then I went on eBay to get a reproduction lumber load so that the flatcar stakes wouldn’t flop around. They were flopping around. While I was already there, on eBay, it didn’t seem unreasonable to get a locomotive and some track. I went back to the thrift shop for the tranformer and now they’re going ‘round and ‘round. I now have a complete train set, everything I need. Except... I compulsively just bought a little depot, for that passenger car that’s probably still at the thrift store. THEN, I’ll be done, right? I mean, I can stop any time I want. Right? I still need a pair of pliers.

Here they are, going ‘round and ‘round: 

nope....there's no hope for you now..... and welcome!

    I can't wait to see what follows him home when Phillip finds out they make pairs of track pliers 

John Smatlak posted:

FRENCHTRAINS posted:

 

 

And here's the next question- how do you get a wheel/axle set out of one of the Bing 1920's O gauge trucks? I'm used to being able to widen up the truck frame enough to slip one end of the axle out (either by some gentle bending or disassembly), but I've discovered you can't do that with these. I removed the side frame from the truck with some further loosening of the tabs (this one was already loose at the old solder joint between the bolster and the side frame), but the ends of the axle appear to be captive inside the little O gauge axle box on the side frames. Do they have a collar on the end of the axle?

I need to straighten one bent axle, hence my interest. Some photos attached, along with a video of the Bing clockwork train running with the other two coaches.

 

Nice video John, your cars are perfect  with the 440.  Restoring Bing cars of that series is sometime painful...  I have also had some difficulties and it seems that the bogies where not intended to be removed.

I have in the spare part section an extra bogie with the cover axle lost and here is the solution, a round collar at the end of the axle, you are right. Easy to remove when the cover is not on the bogie but at first you will need to move the two tabs, top and under, of the main frame bogie. look at the pictures it's maybe better to understand.

Good luck with your fixing.    Daniel

Philipp posted:

Hi. I’m the new guy.

I went down to a local thrift shop to buy a pair of pliers. For some reason I can’t really explain, I bought a caboose. I didn’t need a caboose because I didn’t have a train. A few weeks later, I found myself back at the shop buying a flatcar that I had not noticed before. Then I went on eBay to get a reproduction lumber load so that the flatcar stakes wouldn’t flop around. They were flopping around. While I was already there, on eBay, it didn’t seem unreasonable to get a locomotive and some track. I went back to the thrift shop for the tranformer and now they’re going ‘round and ‘round. I now have a complete train set, everything I need. Except... I compulsively just bought a little depot, for that passenger car that’s probably still at the thrift store. THEN, I’ll be done, right? I mean, I can stop any time I want. Right? I still need a pair of pliers.

 

 

A common situation.... just need to buy another car and after another...... then don't miss to buy your pliers they are very useful when you have some restoration to do....

There is not yet a medical treatment known, sorry for you.   Daniel

Adriatic posted:

    I can't wait to see what follows him home when Phillip finds out they make pairs of track pliers 

Wait... what? Do I need track pliers too?

Philipp posted:

Adriatic posted:

    I can't wait to see what follows him home when Phillip finds out they make pairs of track pliers 

Wait... what? Do I need track pliers too?

No, you can get by with other pliers and tools. Just focus on buying more track and trains for now.

I still don’t own track pliers. I use my needle nose, cutting and regular pliers depending on what track repair I am doing. It’s worked so far. 

George

John, here is another BING sleeping car from the very end so 1930-32, it is stamped with a serial number on the side and the German eagle. The inside shows the curtains and the beds removed. All original car.

Daniel

The Bing diaphragms are attached at the top and bottom, they are complete different to Marklin.

Arne

George S posted:

Philipp posted:

Adriatic posted:

    I can't wait to see what follows him home when Phillip finds out they make pairs of track pliers 

Wait... what? Do I need track pliers too?

No, you can get by with other pliers and tools. Just focus on buying more track and trains for now.

I still don’t own track pliers. I use my needle nose, cutting and regular pliers depending on what track repair I am doing. It’s worked so far. 

George

No, you don't necessarily NEED them; "a golden hammer"

I use blunted top cutters, etc. just as often.

  You could spend a lot on the "right" tools if you choose to, and some jobs do require them, but many thousands of folks "make due" daily as well.

John Smatlak posted:

......the next question- how do you get a wheel/axle set out of one of the Bing 1920's O gauge trucks? I'm used to being able to widen up the truck frame enough to slip one end of the axle out (either by some gentle bending or disassembly), but I've discovered you can't do that with these. I removed the side frame from the truck with some further loosening of the tabs (this one was already loose at the old solder joint between the bolster and the side frame), but the ends of the axle appear to be captive inside the little O gauge axle box on the side frames. Do they have a collar on the end of the axle?

I need to straighten one bent axle, hence my interest. Some photos attached, along with a video of the Bing clockwork train running with the other two coaches.

 

You might want to anneal the axle box tabs with a soldering iron to prevent a snapped tab while bending.

Adriatic posted:

John Smatlak posted:

......the next question- how do you get a wheel/axle set out of one of the Bing 1920's O gauge trucks? I'm used to being able to widen up the truck frame enough to slip one end of the axle out (either by some gentle bending or disassembly), but I've discovered you can't do that with these. I removed the side frame from the truck with some further loosening of the tabs (this one was already loose at the old solder joint between the bolster and the side frame), but the ends of the axle appear to be captive inside the little O gauge axle box on the side frames. Do they have a collar on the end of the axle?

I need to straighten one bent axle, hence my interest. Some photos attached, along with a video of the Bing clockwork train running with the other two coaches.

 

 

You might want to anneal the axle box tabs with a soldering iron to prevent a snapped tab while bending.

This is very good advice. I never broke a tab when doing this. It seems to make the metal "younger" and more pliable.

George