Buy/Make Anything Cool Lately (Tinplate Version)

I received this last night, really happy with it.

The movie is all the cars I added this year.

@George S posted:

It looks like an acceptable repair. I may have tried to smooth out that solder joint a little more.  I'm not sure how durable it will be.

Isn't that fiber board with the pickup assembly replaceable? It might require pulling the wheels on one side. I could look up the part if I knew the model number of your engine. 

George

Thanks and agreed; it's held up well for now but I have my doubts ...

As for the board/assembly - If it's replaceable, not visibly or going by the parts blowout guide. That said, model number is 30-6036-1. If you can locate a part number, I'd be thrilled. Thanks in advance.

- The Other Guy

@Mallard4468 posted:

How does it look when the engine is on the track?  

If it's durable, then it's perfect.  As Red Green would say, "it's only temporary... unless it works".

Ha! 

Ran it for about another 6 hours (cumulative) after "the fix" and nothing else fell off. So, in that regard, it's proven minimally durable.

To add a corollary to that quote: "Everything's permanent ... 'til it ain't."

- The Other Guy

I didn't realize that was an MTH version of the engine. The parts guide does not show a separate part for the collector plate.

George

A little tinplate smorgasbord centered around my newly arrived Marklin coastal defense gun. The other players include a Dorfan electric loco, an American Flyer 3020, Lionel 763-E, Marklin 3120 electric, and in the background the Lionel Power Station. I first saw one of these cannons on Ward Kimball's layout (he had an even bigger version) and have wanted one ever since. 

That Defense gun and layout are MOST cool. John.

Thanks for sharing the pics.

John Smatlak:  What a great piece - your Marklin coastal defense gun.  You might like to know a little about some real ones.  At Fort Screven on Tybee Island at the mouth of the Savannah River, there was a  battery of four 8" coastal defense guns   These were installed at the very end of the 19th century (1897 ) and had a range of 10 miles.  They fired a 700 lb projectile that had to be moved from the fort's armory by mule cart and raised to the gun platform by crane, just like yours.  The hydraulic force taken from the recoil was used to depress the entire gun and platform below the parapet for reloading under relatively safe conditions. The guns, once reloaded were then raised to fire.   At the time of their installation they were called by our Government..."the largest cannon in the world" and they measured about 30 ft long from breech to muzzle end.  There were four of these monsters in a line at the Battery and it took 4 officers and 157 enlisted men to service the 4 guns.  They were all part of the U.S. Army's, Coastal Artillery Corps.  Never fired at an enemy, they were removed in 1916 and sent to the front for RR artillery pieces.  By the time the war was over, the airplane had simply eliminated the need for coastal defense forts and they were never reinstalled. 

What a great find!

Don

French Hornby

Tcox009 - Cool car for sure...after 2 months home alone could use a few barrels of Bordeaux

Don

@tcox009 posted:

French Hornby

 

Need to park one by my Bordeaux station

Steve

This came last week!

An Orange 2012

For whatever reason, the Orange 2012 is relatively uncommon.  I believe that this item is a result of unsold 2011 unlighted semaphores being converted to lighted 2012 versions.  

It is somewhat difficult to note in the photos, but both of the wires go up to the light fixture itself, with one attaching to the bracket that holds the light fixture and the other going to the bottom of the light.  This is very unusual, as all of the other 2012's I have observed feature a wire being attached to one of the eyelets on the base and the other going to the bottom of the light bulb.

The other oddity, which I just noted this morning is that instead of the bracket for the light fixture on this item being removable and held in place by a nut and bolt, the bracket is riveted together with the 2nd wire being held in place by this rivet.  See photo below

As the wires on this 2012 are clean and not exposed at their ends, it appears that this item was never used, or at least never wired to electricity.

NWL

Wow, 2 posts in a row!  I am on a buying spree!  

Actually, it is very difficult to find something to add to my collection these days.  Every so often something pops up and I get it.  This week it is this.

Here is a close-up of the rubber stamping.

1/2 Dozen?  of what?

It took me a while to search through my paperwork to verify that the 1126 number was correct for the contents of the box.  It first appeared in the 1925 price list, but the end label is incorrect for that era.  I found my answer in the 1930 dealer's price list, which is the correct era for the box label.  The number appears in the 1930, 1931, and I believe 1932 price lists, before disappearing into the depths of time.  So you ask, what is in the box?  

1/2 dozen assorted 4 wheel cars.

The dealer's price list indicates that there should be a log car instead of the 2nd box car, but these 6 cars are so well matched, that I suspect the log car was either swapped at the factory or by the retailer.  The cars feature minimal use.

They go well with my item 1127, 1/2 dozen assorted 8 wheel cars

and my 1/2 dozen 1118 tank cars

NWL

Nice items. I picked up a AF prewar double header set. The engine, a 420 has extra weights in the front and back. It really pulls easily. The set consists of a 420 loco, 401 dummy and three cars. 

@Trainman290 posted:

Nice items. I picked up a AF prewar double header set. The engine, a 420 has extra weights in the front and back. It really pulls easily. The set consists of a 420 loco, 401 dummy and three cars. 

Yes, the correct 420 for the double header has extra weights.  

@John Smatlak that is an awesome Märklin coastal defense fun!! Very jealous- would love to have that on my layout! And thanks for the historical background @Don McErlean , good stuff. European military themed trains and accessories from 1900- 1945 really get my mind going- who owned it? Where were they from? Did a boy in one country own it- especially if was made in or represented an enemy’s country?? Did people trash enemy country toy trains, as they did with some goods, in their surge of nationalism??

@@Nation wide l@Nation. @Nation Wide Lines - as usual fantastic prewar Flyer! And great shape too! I find the assortment info 4 wheel cars to be quite interesting- 1 Passenger car 1 Baggage car, then parts of a freight consists? Seems like it was just thrown together but aI Love it.

Havent gotten much of my own tinplate lately. Although Local antique mall booth has a bunch of prewar std gauge and O gauge accessories &  rolling stock that are tempting. Anyway, here’s my recent tinplate:

Crossing hate and Semaphore- makes of both unknown. Crossing gate appears to be for a larger gauge.

Semaphore has “made in Germany in form of red rubber stamp on the bottom of the base. The stamping doesn’t look like Bing or Bub- but INfeelnits made by Karl Bub

also- in great working order!!

Prewad 811 flat car- aluminum versionThe 811 is one of my larger prewar o gauge trains- for comparison see the Ives  9 inch transition gondola and American Flyer  9” box car below

on the subject of army toys/accessories  as stated earlier in my post- picked up the 5 soldiers in shooting positions- almost appear to be from same maker as the marching soldiers which I bought a few months ago. Have a feeling might be by Comet or Swedish African Engineers. They’re only an inch tall but will have somewhere to fit in

In the 2 pictures below are American Flyer Postwar figures I said that I’d lost A few weeks ago. Got these for a STEAL! Made Postwar for AC Gilbert Flyer by Comet Metal Products/Authenticast. Comet Metal Products made there own figures, as well, I think Comet figures had a square base while the one’s made for American Flyer had different shapes bases.

Like the guy turning the switch on the left and the one nailing down a RR spike the best.

Finally, while not prewar- it is tinplate. It’s got rust by the Flyer label and under the one part of the crane- otherwise in good shape.

@StevefromPA posted:

@@Nation wide l@Nation. @Nation Wide Lines - as usual fantastic prewar Flyer! And great shape too! I find the assortment info 4 wheel cars to be quite interesting- 1 Passenger car 1 Baggage car, then parts of a freight consists? Seems like it was just thrown together but aI Love it.

 

Steve,

I suspect these assorted cars were simply thrown together as they were only listed in the dealer's catalogs; therefore, I am guessing they were purchased by dealers in order to have extra cars available for customers who wanted to add inexpensive items to their trains.  The other option is to sell the assorted set of cars with an engine, with the buyer getting both a freight set and passenger set, instead of buying two sets.

NWL

Haven't posted on here for a while,  but found something cool. Got a chance to wander around at Dale's Trains in Norfolk VA last week,  haven't been in an actual store in months and what a place!  The staff was really nice and great with my little guys.

As far as tinplate goes,  I found this cool Marx crane.  It's a fun little piece and the price was certainly right. 

Nice MArx Crane @jhz563 that’s a classic. I have the NYC version which has 2 metal strips/bars connecting the 4 supporting “pillars” and has built in slots for to connect to the track. when I was first starting out it used to cause shorts so I didn’t put it under the track anymore but electrical tape would’ve fixed it. I’d rather have an open base underneath like yours.

It is super nice to have places open again! Last summer my dad and I would go to a show or new hobby shop at least every other weekend, between covid and his knee surgery, though, we sadly haven’t been able to this yet summer- I’m hoping we can this weekend though!

been awhile since I dropped by. Haven’t Picked up much since but did get some. Here’s my tin contribution: 

Picked up this little Charles Rossignol tin lamp off eBay for less than $5. Neat little addition:

Also bought this supposedly Bing freight station. I know that this comes in 2 colors, this one I see less often but that’s not to say it’s more common. It is missing the Bing logo on the back, which I’ve seen on the other Bing station of this color. Any thoughts on this and/or the Semaphore from my previous post?

@jhz563 posted:

Haven't posted on here for a while,  but found something cool. Got a chance to wander around at Dale's Trains in Norfolk VA last week,  haven't been in an actual store in months and what a place!  The staff was really nice and great with my little guys.

As far as tinplate goes,  I found this cool Marx crane.  It's a fun little piece and the price was certainly right. 

 

Nice 422.

Steve

@StevefromPA they actually had another Marx crane with those bars, but it was missing the hook and instead had the string tied around a barrel.  For $15 ,either way I took the one with the hook.

@jhz563 posted:

@StevefromPA they actually had another Marx crane with those bars, but it was missing the hook and instead had the string tied around a barrel.  For $15 ,either way I took the one with the hook.

might benefit from an Erector Set shed.

@Nation Wide Lines posted:

Yes, the correct 420 for the double header has extra weights.  

Thought this might be right up your alley NWL. 

https://www.ebay.com/itm/Vinta...p2060353.m1438.l2649

Just got these Ives items in the mail today.

The orange 3255 and its cars each have a sticker like this:

Not all of them have ‘CXNN’ on the sticker. The 135 Parlor cars have ‘RSN’ and the 136 has ‘RSN’ and ‘3255 - 2 -135 1 -136 - Orange ANNX’.

@Lionel2056 posted:

Just got these Ives items in the mail today.

The orange 3255 and its cars each have a sticker like this:

Not all of them have ‘CXNN’ on the sticker. The 135 Parlor cars have ‘RSN’ and the 136 has ‘RSN’ and ‘3255 - 2 -135 1 -136 - Orange ANNX’.

The Kuehnle's sticker indicates that they came out of Bernie Kuehnle's collection, which was sold through Bertoia in 2003 or 2004.  I know that Bernie marked all of his items with tags and the CXNN / RSN would have been some sort of cataloging method of Bernie.  I bought a few items from his collection and all of them came with those tags and some markings on the tag.  I would suspect if you were able to find the Bertoia Catalog for that auction, you could find those items.

NWL

The mailman delivered these today.  I really wanted the 3046 log car, as it is an upgrade.  The 3046 log cars with blue frames are harder to find.

The rest of the cars show a bit of dirt, but should clean nicely.

NWL

@terry hudon posted:

what could be a better bday present ,,,,,,the mth black diamond cars,,,,olympian diner and bacon !!

Mmmmm...... bacon.....

Just acquired the Marklin 2012B station from the 1930.  Had a serious case of rust

on the platform but my Hornby hedges covered it up nicely.  Here it is.

Hope you guys noticed that the Lionel 238EW has six wheel drivers and looks like the original streamlined K4s. I didn't convert it, but found it in a Florida model RR shop a few years ago.

Lew

Marx pre-war 897 with wedge tender RI gondola and NYC caboose

tcox009:  What a great find, the 897 lithographed engine is a bit of a hard find and yours seems in wonderful condition.  Thanks for posting.  StevefromPA :  In looking at your station, I was surprised by its similarity to one I have that has been previously identified as Hafner.  The shape is nearly identical as far as I can tell and as you will see from the pictures the lithography, although different somewhat in color, has very similar treatment of the windows and stonework.

Finally just fooling around today, I tried to take some "off layout" pictures of some recent trains I acquired while on vacation.  You may know my "Leonardtown and Savannah" is a late war years RR with one terminus at the wartime port of Savannah.  Today, the mid day express is running cargo down to the port for a special assignment. They are loading an old wooden sailboat with some secret cargo.  The ship, although slow, can hug the coast and once under sail makes almost no sound for submarines to pick up.  Plus what Sub captain is going to wast a torpedo on an old hulk like this...She has pulled this masquerade off before with success. 

Happy Tuesday

Don

@handyandy posted:

Mmmmm....... bacon.....

What a great find!  That Olympian dining car is rare! 

Bob Nelson

PS.  I haven't seen production numbers on any of MTH's/Lionel's tinplate.  Does anyone have them?

 I’ve had my eye on a car like this for a long time. There have been plenty on eBay but this one was unique

8 wheel, Number 20508 Karl Bub/Bing Baggage car with dual “KB/BW” logo(right side under the window)! Very excited to have gotten this- I’ve seen the purely Bing version but never this one. It has more Bing like features than Bub. Also says “Made in Bavaria” on the top of each end. Trucks are just like the ones on my 8 wheel American Bing passenger cars.

For comparison- With a 4 wheeled Bing counterpart

For further comparrison- on the left is the 14780 Bub/Bing, again same dual logo this time on the left side. The car on the right is pure Bub with KBN on the top of one side

I just think it’s reeally neat how the cars show the history of the link between these two companies. So chalk up another green, German Baggage car to the collection!

@Don McErlean regarding your comments, I was gonna bring up something similar to you! Having remembered our previous conversation. Hafner’s #1200 series had the freight station(like the one you have), passenger station, and passenger platform- all had 10 inch long bases. I happened to recently acquire the passenger platform as well(had the passenger station for awhile):

Sure enough, the length of the base on this platform and my Hafner passenger station measured 10 inches and matched up perfectly. On the other hand, the station that I have had a longer base. Also, I think is a combination of items from different companies due to the missing Bing symbol on the back, color scheme, base, etc...

Stay tuned for a new Prewar Tinplate set! Bid on it at a local auction house back in March, auction was just held this Sunday due to covid. Should have it Friday!

Steve,

the KB / BW double trademark is only printed on Bub models, never on a Bing model. Was used only 1933 - early months 1934, later it was forbidden by the copyright owner of the Bing trademark.

Here a few Bub cars with the double trademark

Bub had buyed some tools from Bing after 1932, but the Bing trademark was not used on them by Bub.

Here a example

Bub car 1607/0 was Bing 10/5117

Left Bub right Bing

Printing on frame is a bit different, Bing on top.

Arne

@Arne was hoping you’d comment! Thank you, as always, for the helpful knowledge and the pictures! I really appreciate it. I know that a lot of the Prewar European, especially German, train manufacturers made trains for each other(Bing for Basset-Lowke)- prior to the beginning of the Nazi’s assuming power in Germany.

I used poor wording by calling the train “Karl Bub/Bing”. It implies that the two companies we’re partners which they were not. I thought I knew much more about the history of Bing, but your info prompted me to re-read the entry on the TCA western page of manufacturera and there’s been some additions. -I attributed Bub’s use of Bing tooling and the logo as some type of collaboration between Stephen Bing and KBN after the forced shutdown of the German Bing factory and Stephen Bing’s fleeing to The UK. Didn’t realize that different Bing tooling was divided among a number of companies. I had no idea that Stephen Bing allowed KBN the use of and then revoked the use of  the Bing logo. thought I knew much more about the history of Bing, but your info prompted me to re-read the entry on the TCA western page of manufacturera and there’s been some additions. Thanks again for the info and sharing those pictures!

Saw this boxcar and had to buy it...

Here are the Prewar  Lionels To which I alluded in my last post;

Olive green 252 with cast headlight and hand-lever reverse unit. 805 boxcar, late(?) 803 hopper and 807 Caboose 

Scratch built “L Co.” industrialbuilding with larger tank with CIties Services logo

Hi,

I bought this nice 1990s vintage MTH Tinplate Traditions Stephen Girard 4 car set last week online to go with my 392e. I originally bought the 392e to pull 200 series freight which it does well, and then I came to learn it was really made to pull the Girard cars. This loco will now be a dual purpose engine on my layout and the SGMA club layouts. I thought these cars would look good with the loco, and on my 0-54 curves. I happened to be alerted to a shop that was having a sale on tinplate and checked it out, and there it was this nice NOS set at a decent price.

When unboxing, the first thing I noticed there was these cars have never seen the track, second thing was there were no chairs in the car, just a bench along both sides, I have the blue comet cars, the state cars, so I am used to seeing the chairs. I thought it was a mistake, so I stopped unboxing, checked online and saw that was the way they were supposed to be.Relief...back to unboxing and oiling the axles. Ran the train, and it was perfect and quite pretty.

Now, I am thinking about getting a baggage car and a No. 9. to match the cars as well. If anyone knows of either for sale please let me know. The hunt never ends.

@Craignor congratulations on your recent purchase. These are some really sharp looking passenger cars and go nicely behind the 392E. You should get many years of enjoyment from them. Could you share the store that was having the sale either here or just drop me an email, which is in my profile. 

Rich,

Thanks. Unfortunately, the sale is over, and they are completely sold out of tinplate.

It was called All About Toy Trains, the store website is:

https://www.allabouttoytrains.com/

I bought a 9e on EBay to pull my Stephen Girard cars.