Front End Friday

@CGWforever posted:

Happy Friday! Pair of M&StL RS-1s park at former M&StL Marshalltown diesel house. Left from Atlas O and other one from MTH.
Patrick

Two sharp paint jobs! Nice!

Take the A train and ride the front end!

@Strap Hanger posted:

That front end has seen a lot of combat!

Took a hit from a German 88

In their treatment of Distler Toy Trains the Western Division of TCA reports in some detail the growth and then decline of this company founded in Nuremburg around 1900 and incorporated in 1909 by Johan Distler and Kathe Distler.  The company operated until 1968 in various forms and under different management but always retained the "Distler" name.  Their initial product up until the beginning of WW1  was lithographed penny toys and other action transportation toys.    In the course of time, the Distler's passed on ownersip of the company to new owners by the name of Braun and Meyer who ran the company  from late 1920's until 1935 when Nazi anti-jewish laws forced them to reliquish the firm.   The firm was purchased by Ernst Voelk who also took over Trix.  Voelk was an avowed Nazi and became a powerful figure in Hitler's organization.  Yet the company prospered, nearly tripling in the number of employees and still producing metal action toys and trains.  Voelk ,despite his despicable political leanings,  was quite the inventor and accumulated some 14 international patents in the construction of toys & trains.  During WWII the Distler firm (like most others) produced war materials and was virtually wiped out with over 85% of its facilities and manufacturing capability destroyed.  However due to its location in the U.S.zone , after the war between 1948-1953, Distler's major facilities  were completely rebuilt . It continued to produce toy trains, mostly battery powered or clockwork, of a quite excellent quality.  However over time the line continued to be reduced both in number of offerings and their quality  and finally in 1957 Distler switched from making 0 gauge trains to H0 claiming it could no longer compete with the larger German firms.  By that time the 0 gauge trains had been reduced to a very few offerings, almost all clockwork and of a very simple nature.  The trains below are of that nature, dating from about 1955.

This is the presentation of my Distler set, likely circa about 1955.  Note the "cartoon" like character of the illustration on the box lid.  Oh by the way, as an interesting note, the tubular track supplied with the set,  was a Distler innovation, in that it  is tilted inward to allow faster speeds in the turn.  It does this by having the sleepers slightly triangular with the outside higher than the inside.

Well that is about it for me this Friday,  Best Wishes

Don

@Don McErlean posted:

In their treatment of Distler Toy Trains the Western Division of TCA reports in some detail the growth and then decline of this company founded in Nuremburg around 1900 and incorporated in 1909 by Johan Distler and Kathe Distler.  The company operated until 1968 in various forms and under different management but always retained the "Distler" name.  Their initial product up until the beginning of WW1  was lithographed penny toys and other action transportation toys.    In the course of time, the Distler's passed on ownersip of the company to new owners by the name of Braun and Meyer who ran the company  from late 1920's until 1935 when Nazi anti-jewish laws forced them to reliquish the firm.   The firm was purchased by Ernst Voelk who also took over Trix.  Voelk was an avowed Nazi and became a powerful figure in Hitler's organization.  Yet the company prospered, nearly tripling in the number of employees and still producing metal action toys and trains.  Voelk ,despite his despicable political leanings,  was quite the inventor and accumulated some 14 international patents in the construction of toys & trains.  During WWII the Distler firm (like most others) produced war materials and was virtually wiped out with over 85% of its facilities and manufacturing capability destroyed.  However due to its location in the U.S.zone , after the war between 1948-1953, Distler's major facilities  were completely rebuilt . It continued to produce toy trains, mostly battery powered or clockwork, of a quite excellent quality.  However over time the line continued to be reduced both in number of offerings and their quality  and finally in 1957 Distler switched from making 0 gauge trains to H0 claiming it could no longer compete with the larger German firms.  By that time the 0 gauge trains had been reduced to a very few offerings, almost all clockwork and of a very simple nature.  The trains below are of that nature, dating from about 1955.

This is the presentation of my Distler set, likely circa about 1955.  Note the "cartoon" like character of the illustration on the box lid.  Oh by the way, as an interesting note, the tubular track supplied with the set,  was a Distler innovation, in that it  is tilted inward to allow faster speeds in the turn.  It does this by having the sleepers slightly triangular with the outside higher than the inside.

Well that is about it for me this Friday,  Best Wishes

Don

Wow Don your knowledge of trains is just Amazing! I am sure we all have learned from you.

Thank you for sharing it with the rest of us!

@Sitka posted:

Took a hit from a German 88

It looks like you had a lot of fun with it, Sitka. As a kid, I ran all the fins off my US Marines engine but she still runs. It’s not worth much on the aftermarket in its current condition but it’s the most prized engine to me in my collection.  

Wow, we just made it home from Trainz Headquarters in Flowery Branch Georgia and they have a new 75,000 square foot warehouse and it’s so neat. So for front end Friday, I’ll show a couple of pictures of their Front… as well as a few diesels of my own and their fronts… Happy Railroading Everyone

@mike g.- Thanks Mike, I appreciate your compliment and I am glad you enjoyed the post

@leapinlarry -  Hey mate, glad to see you on your adventure.  Just remember Atlanta is only about 4 hrs from Tybee Island!

Best Wishes

Don

A day late, but better late then never.

Rival Railroads SP and WP face to face! Gee, in a pushing match I wonder who will win? Doh!

Have a great weekend!!

My front-end views for this Friday, March 28, 2025 show Boston & Maine USRA 0-8-0 #617 pulling a freight train including Brookside Fresh Milk car MTC 1835 on my 10’-by-5’ layout.

Boston & Maine #617 was one of twenty-two Class H-2-a 0-8-0 switchers built for the B&M by Alco Schenectady in 1922. It was sold to the Maine Central Railroad in 1946.

MELGAR

Marx 333 smoker on the Front End today.  A nice heavy diecast tender in Reading with Pullman cars & NYC with NYC cars.  Typical light flickering as well.

Have a great Friday!

Here's my ends of the front kind for this fine Friday!  " Late night meet."

A PennCentral RS 11 Front End......

Have a great and safe day, folks!

Peter

Front end of PRR RS 27 with maintenance crew checking out a possible early bearing failure.

Gene

An MTH one in the Pittsburgh Brewing Company line

- walt