Buy/Make Anything Cool Lately (Tinplate Version)

Well I haven’t gotten around to getting the Micheal’s building re-stripped yet.

In the meantime, a pleasant surprise arrived in the mail yesterday.  A new to me USTTC box car.  The brake wheel handle is missing but I don’t really care.  The paint is sharp and my wife and I love the Dr Pepper color on the roof.

I am becoming quite a fan of the usttc cars.

There is some grime on the decals, does anyone have any experience cleaning these decals without damaging them?

I think I was watching that one too, nice catch for sure.

Dennis Holler posted:

I think I was watching that one too, nice catch for sure.

Thanks for letting it go!  It was a pretty nice deal 

Just now purchased American Flyer 1115 Auto Box car and 1116 Gondola.

Went back to the store where I bought my paratrooper jacket and bought original jump pants that went with it. Cost $16 !!  Now if I still had my Thompson I woud be set.  Have bought two Lionel O gauge engines too. fun !!

Dennis Holler posted:

I think I was watching that one too, nice catch for sure.

"I THINK I was watchit that one"?? Dennis I'd love a look at your watch page if you're not even sure what's on it..... 

Dave, you know me to well, been trying to take it easy on the purchases lately though 👍

where ya been keeping yourself stranger?

I posted this in another thread, Another Standard gauge project,  but it sure does fit in this one as well.  My home made telltale . Because I cannot afford the real ones and mostly because I like building my own stuff. Next up is to prime it and then finish coat it.  The base is an old Lionel lamp post base and the brass tubing is from my local hardware store .  I had the chain and clasps in a junk/parts box .

JohnnieWalker posted:

I posted this in another thread, Another Standard gauge project,  but it sure does fit in this one as well.  My home made telltale . Because I cannot afford the real ones and mostly because I like building my own stuff. Next up is to prime it and then finish coat it.  The base is an old Lionel lamp post base and the brass tubing is from my local hardware store .  I had the chain and clasps in a junk/parts box .

Great idea, those Broken lamp post that one can pick up at Trains shows for a buck or two have a lot of uses. I have one that I m collecting parts to make a flag pole. I like the brass finial and ball you use on the top. 

A nice "neck, cap, or cup", etc (lamp hardware) could work very nicely as a pole base too. The ornate detail variety is endless... 

The similarities of real lamp base hardware to real lamp base hardware is astounding 😲

😂

Steamer posted:

where ya been keeping yourself stranger?

Work, kids and stuff....  you know family lol I seem to go in cycles, and I think I'm in a soft not do a lot of trains cycle.  It'll shift  before to long I'm sure.

not sure what that first thing is you mentioned......

JohnnieWalker posted:

I posted this in another thread, Another Standard gauge project,  but it sure does fit in this one as well.  My home made telltale . Because I cannot afford the real ones and mostly because I like building my own stuff. Next up is to prime it and then finish coat it.  The base is an old Lionel lamp post base and the brass tubing is from my local hardware store .  I had the chain and clasps in a junk/parts box .

This inspired me an d since I had a broken light post that I bought at a train show for $1.00 I had nothing to lose but a little time. 

Found the first half of my unicorn this last week, the add on car to the mth red 710 set. Now if I could only find that elusive red 713....

went to a train show today with my Dad (Youngstown Model Railroad Club). Got to see Ed Boyle, but didn't get to talk, he was busy whenever I was closeby. Picked up some project parts. Saw a lot of good deals, but couldn't justify getting them (already had), or one was a tinplate observation and I was looking for Pullmans. Great time with Dad and looking forward to their fall show.

A nifty item from the York meet- a custom built Lionel standard gauge interurban by Karl Rammling. Karl added new ends to a 418 Parlor car of 1923, as well as a bell and trolley pole. An old-school chain drive provides power from a Lionel motor, using two-axle trucks. An E-unit was added for reverse. Some photos on my layout. plus a video pulling a similar obs car from my collection for a two-car train. Runs great- needs to have the ends painted to match, but otherwise I really like the patina.

Pretty neat, I have been wanting o do something similar. I have a car or two. Thanks for posting.

Sneak peek of my Pop's attic(about .5% of his collection)- heading back later today to grab some more:

Below is what I took home last night, I wanted to spend time with my Grammy so getting to go up a grab stuff from the attic was a bonus.

Tin Litho Friction ice cream truck(Maker Unknown). Plastic Esso fuel truck(Can't recall maker). Tin Litho Friction 70s El Camino?(made in Japan). Man Mopping made of plastic- maker unknown but fits in with O-Scale Figures). The vehicles also actually fit in well with my other vehicles on the layout. I try to stick to a 1:43 to 1:50 Scale

Lemax figures- Checker scene, seamen figures with boat. Maker of house unknown but it could look pretty good with some modifications. The Pillsbury Dough Boy Pencil Sharpener is going on top of my Plasticville Manufacturing Plant. My Pop worked for Pillsbury and General Mills for 20+ years after he got laid off from the cement company.

Blue Metal Masters Bus- @Steve"Papa" Eastman. And a closer shot of the Ice-cream truck. The metal master's bus is the one I took because the paint job was better, didn't realize the window struts were knocked out on the other side so when I go back tonight I'm going to grab the other one.

Also finally picked this up from the attic. Marx red tin litho clicker rifle. Forgot to take a picture, amazingly found a pic online for once on ebay. My Pop's has a strap with it though.

More to come later today!

 

Pete in Kansas posted:

JohnnieWalker posted:

I posted this in another thread, Another Standard gauge project,  but it sure does fit in this one as well.  My home made telltale . Because I cannot afford the real ones and mostly because I like building my own stuff. Next up is to prime it and then finish coat it.  The base is an old Lionel lamp post base and the brass tubing is from my local hardware store .  I had the chain and clasps in a junk/parts box .

This inspired me an d since I had a broken light post that I bought at a train show for $1.00 I had nothing to lose but a little time. 

It looks great ! You are way ahead of me now, I still haven't painted mine yet . 

John Smatlak posted:

A nifty item from the York meet- a custom built Lionel standard gauge interurban by Karl Rammling. Karl added new ends to a 418 Parlor car of 1923, as well as a bell and trolley pole. An old-school chain drive provides power from a Lionel motor, using two-axle trucks. An E-unit was added for reverse. Some photos on my layout. plus a video pulling a similar obs car from my collection for a two-car train. Runs great- needs to have the ends painted to match, but otherwise I really like the patina.

That's a great find for sure !  Good chance I would have bought it if I saw it first.  I have a similar version started in my project box and I'm   trying to find a power truck for it  now.  That seems to be the hardest part to find. 

Starting tear down and assessment and restoration of D291

Follow on a thread just for this display I started

John Smatlak posted:

Jagrick posted:

Jagrick posted:

This is a paper clip tray Lionel put out/had made in the 1930's. They also made a paper weight depicting a 402 for the 25th anniversary (I have one of those as well). I have reproduced the Lionel streamliner as above from pewter and now will do the same with the airplane.

you can see how the 2 cast pegs on the airplane fit in the holes on the 752

Very cool! Had not seen this one before.

I was pleasantly surprised to find one of these paperweights / executive desk trays on a seller's table at York. No airplane on mine, but still very cool. Sitting behind it is my Wells "Golden Streak" floor toy streamliner. Has anyone got a picture of the version of the desk tray that has the 402?

Today, I am mostly making early Bing O gauge couplings. The photos show some of the stages in the process, firstly the parts as they come from water jet cutting, Then deburred and shaped, next assembled and finally blackend by heating in a gas torch flame and dropping in oil. Got a few bits of stock that need these, so making use of the second extra day off work this weekend.

Big  Mark, I suspect a few of us might be interested in buying some of those!, they look great

 

Dennis Holler posted:

Big  Mark, I suspect a few of us might be interested in buying some of those!, they look great

 

That's exceedingly kind of you to say so Dennis. I'm afraid none available for sale though, I used to produce a small range of Bing, Carette and Märklin couplings for O and 1, but I can't get the bits cut out anymore. If that should change at sometime in the future, I'll let everyone know.

Cheers, Mark

 

John Smatlak posted:

John Smatlak posted:

Jagrick posted:

Jagrick posted:

This is a paper clip tray Lionel put out/had made in the 1930's. They also made a paper weight depicting a 402 for the 25th anniversary (I have one of those as well). I have reproduced the Lionel streamliner as above from pewter and now will do the same with the airplane.

you can see how the 2 cast pegs on the airplane fit in the holes on the 752

Very cool! Had not seen this one before.

I was pleasantly surprised to find one of these paperweights / executive desk trays on a seller's table at York. No airplane on mine, but still very cool. Sitting behind it is my Wells "Golden Streak" floor toy streamliner. Has anyone got a picture of the version of the desk tray that has the 402?

 I will send you a picture of mine. U have toyed with the idea of reproducing in pewter but not enough interest in these to warrant anymore seems like

bigmark75f posted:

Dennis Holler posted:

Big  Mark, I suspect a few of us might be interested in buying some of those!, they look great

 

That's exceedingly kind of you to say so Dennis. I'm afraid none available for sale though, I used to produce a small range of Bing, Carette and Märklin couplings for O and 1, but I can't get the bits cut out anymore. If that should change at sometime in the future, I'll let everyone know.

Cheers, Mark

 

Maybe a template file for the cuts?

Adriatic posted:

bigmark75f posted:

Dennis Holler posted:

Big  Mark, I suspect a few of us might be interested in buying some of those!, they look great

 

That's exceedingly kind of you to say so Dennis. I'm afraid none available for sale though, I used to produce a small range of Bing, Carette and Märklin couplings for O and 1, but I can't get the bits cut out anymore. If that should change at sometime in the future, I'll let everyone know.

Cheers, Mark

 

Maybe a template file for the cuts?

I couldn't make them that way Adriatic, my brain would go numb with the boredom! I only started making these many years back because the guy who used to make and sell them made them by hand as you suggest, and they cost a fortune to buy from him, £10 each, and I'm talking 20 years ago. So I spoke with a friend whos business is water jet cutting, and away I went.

Cheers, Mark

 

Two Tone Blue 381e with Proto 3

 

I meant the layout file used by the water jet so one of us might take a shot at it locally since you didn't seem interested in pursuing it personally. I thought you might have done the sheet layout yourself. That kind of tooling is almost common around here, though cnc plasma is even more common. I think a plasma cutter would work too, though edge cleanup would be more intensive. Still worth a try imo and I'm sure sooner or later someone may put it to use again.

Plasma would work until you needed a critical dimension such as laying out a motor side plate and ensuring the gears all meshes correctly. With each of those there is a tolerance and you have to chooose to center on the profile or stay to one side. I’m trying to get a response from a local firm to see what they would charge for a std sized sheet of parts. I do know over in the UK there is a bit of cortage industry at leadt one guy will laser cut live steamer frames and other parts if you provide the file etc. I got laser cut frames for an LBSC Bat which were very nice but of course shipping would be tough for a few parts.

Craignor posted:

Two Tone Blue 381e with Proto 3

That is one, beautiful set! 

George

Technically this is not a train accessory, but it is tinplate, and I think people will appreciate it. It certainly goes well with the trains; it's a Metalcraft Zeppelin and a mooring mast that I'm not sure who made. At the moment it's been attached to the top of our Lionel station. The Detroit Leland Monorail can be seen circling below.

Thats Awesome @John Smatlak  I am very much a zeppelin man !

( at one stage I used to own and operate a 16 foot radio controlled airship )

I picked up a Mark Clockwork version from I think the 1930's for very much the same task of circling the skies !

A bit over 10" long

 

 

The zeppelin is very cool !!   Yesterday I went with the tried & true and bought a very nice Lionel 2065 that runs nice. My 5th one, I think.  Sure didn't need it but the price was right.

What can I build out of this MTH NYC 999 Empire State Express chassis?  

That's all I got, but it is the high 86" driver version  Would have to make a maybe a tin boiler and cab and tender??  That or wait for an MTH boiler to be listed. Although I am a deep rooted PRR fan, this is one NYC engine that I love, Huge drivered 4-4-0's and this one has just the perfect stance for my tastes...

let your fingers tip toe thru that closet of yours and you may be amazed what you find....

you could start with a piece of PVC pipe for a boiler....

Dennis, I would try to rebuilt the body with brass, or maybe finding a similar model in old style casting. It's a great looking model. 

Daniel