My Issmayer's gauge is measured at 30mm.. but does anyone know of "track" that's 30mm?
This train will run on regular "0" track (barely) but was curious if 30mm track even existed.
Thanks in advance!
Link to photos:
https://www.flickr.com/photos/...le/with/16208244430/
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Gaucho, the only real options for prewar German trains in this size range are spur 0 and spur 1. O Gauge measures around 31-32mm, so your Issmayer is undoubtedly spur0 that is a bit worn. 00 (dublo) only measures around 16mm, not even close.
Nice little train!
Gaucho, the only real options for prewar German trains in this size range are spur 0 and spur 1. O Gauge measures around 31-32mm, so your Issmayer is undoubtedly spur0 that is a bit worn. 00 (dublo) only measures around 16mm, not even close.
Nice little train!
Thanks Hojack! I figured it'd be 0 gauge... but it sits a little narrow on the track. Plus, upon first seeing the train, it looked "tiny" compared to all my Hafner and AF's clockworks. It's size also reminded me of a Bing's Miniature Railway!
What about "S" Gauge/Spur? (*not Standard) I think I read somewhere that this was also an early european gauge (*24-26mm?)
NICE set!
Could the wheels be slightly out of gauge, and therefore correctable? 
What about "S" Gauge/Spur? (*not Standard) I think I read somewhere that this was also an early european gauge (*24-26mm?)
An S gauge train wouldn't run on O track, it would fall right through. Besides, although there is more S around now, it started as a proprietary American Flyer gauge post-war; it didn't exist when this little train was made.
The wind-up trains particularly, and tinplate in general, were made with very wide tolerances; the track could vary a couple of mm and they didn't want the wind-up loco binding on curves, so things were made with as much free play as they could get away with. Art has a point, the wheels are just pressed on the axles, and maybe over time they've been pushed on too far. Theoretically they could be pulled out on their axles 1/2mm or so on each side which would fine-tune your gauge. Be very careful though, the old wheels could be quite fragile. I had an old Ives whose wheels looked fine but crumbled completely in my hand as soon as i put a little pressure with the wheel puller. Bummer.
I'm enjoying the picture of your train; love Issmayer although i have very little of it. Have a small station which is like your little train in being quite whimsical. Seems like maybe Issmayer didn't take themselves quite as seriously as Bing Marklin et al?
There were at least two European tinplate train manufacturers that used a gauge of 28 mm; I have a Bing (German) and a Jep (French)with this gauge. So maybe your Ismayer train is also 28 mm; however Issmayer also made floor-trains and your set could be on of these. You can see the Bing and the Jep see at this video:
Regards
Fred
Note: I just found this book on Issmayer (http://nl.blurb.com/books/5313628-issmayer-trains); It mentions that Issmayer made trains in 21, 25, 28 and 30 mm (and also the normal 0 and 1 gauge).
Wow! Thanks everyone! Much appreciated..
Fred, I do know of the Issmayer Train Book on Blurb. That's a bundle of info indeed!! I was just curious if any German manufactures even "made" tracks that size.
Hojack, that's very interesting about about the different tolerances in gauges. Although with this trains wheels, they're soldered onto the axles for a fixed fitting. This gives it no room for adjusting itself to slightly different gauge tracks. Curious..
I find Issmayer produced some of the most elegant, whimsical, toy-like trains I think... And one of the first to introduce cheap print on metal lithography. They indeed did not replicate what Bing or Marklin where doing with their "realism" but they too came out with some whimsical, cartoon-proportioned trains too.
To everyone who likes the photo, please take a look at more photos on my Flickr site. I lucked out with this beautiful train...
https://www.flickr.com/photos/ariville
hojack posted:Originally Posted by Elgaucho:What about "S" Gauge/Spur? (*not Standard) I think I read somewhere that this was also an early european gauge (*24-26mm?)
An S gauge train wouldn't run on O track, it would fall right through. Besides, although there is more S around now, it started as a proprietary American Flyer gauge post-war; it didn't exist when this little train was made.
The wind-up trains particularly, and tinplate in general, were made with very wide tolerances; the track could vary a couple of mm and they didn't want the wind-up loco binding on curves, so things were made with as much free play as they could get away with. Art has a point, the wheels are just pressed on the axles, and maybe over time they've been pushed on too far. Theoretically they could be pulled out on their axles 1/2mm or so on each side which would fine-tune your gauge. Be very careful though, the old wheels could be quite fragile. I had an old Ives whose wheels looked fine but crumbled completely in my hand as soon as i put a little pressure with the wheel puller. Bummer.
I'm enjoying the picture of your train; love Issmayer although i have very little of it. Have a small station which is like your little train in being quite whimsical. Seems like maybe Issmayer didn't take themselves quite as seriously as Bing Marklin et al?
Hojack,
Sorry for the late reply but would love to see what type of Issmayer station you have!
Cheers!
Elgaucho posted:What about "S" Gauge/Spur? (*not Standard) I think I read somewhere that this was also an early european gauge (*24-26mm?)
This is a bit off topic, but since you mentioned this gauge... I have this passing siding in my collection. It is around 15/16" gauge, or close to 24mm. But, I don't have any trains to match, or any mating track for it. American Flyer "S" gauge doesn't work with it... the gauge is just too wide:
This is a BUB from Germany product as can be seen here (text in German but pictures show the passing siding):
http://www.maetrix.net/t305f65...-S-Ausweichbahn.html
The German company BUB started to make S gauge (Spur S) after WW2, however they made a measuring error (as the story goes) and made it to 24 mm. I found out the hard way when I added an S gauge track to my garden railway. During the building I checked the gauge with American Flyer and some JEP trains. When finished I found out that my BUB trains do not fit. Other European S gauge (like German Stadtilm and JEP) do run, since they are made to a gauge of 22.5 mm:
Regards
Fred
Elgaucho posted:Sorry for the late reply but would love to see what type of Issmayer station you have!Cheers!
It is a small station, the base is 6" x 3-1/2", it is 5-1/2" high. As you can see, someone has soldered the building to the base. Nice detail lithography.
david
WindupGuy posted:Elgaucho posted:What about "S" Gauge/Spur? (*not Standard) I think I read somewhere that this was also an early european gauge (*24-26mm?)
This is a bit off topic, but since you mentioned this gauge... I have this passing siding in my collection. It is around 15/16" gauge, or close to 24mm. But, I don't have any trains to match, or any mating track for it. American Flyer "S" gauge doesn't work with it... the gauge is just too wide:
James, lemme know if you want to part with it. I have several of the green powered trolleys but no track.
Good thread, everybody. A bit off topic, but the passing track reminds me of the East German Stadtilm S gauge , although the Stadtilm track is more lightly built. I have enough of it to build a loop and siding or two. American Flyer locomotives will run on it, but it is slightly wider. Not bad for pressed tinplate and fiberboard; I refer to them as my capitalist trains on communist track.
German show layout here:
Not into clockwork tinplate, but this is a fascinating thread! 
That is one fine GEM of a station!
Arne posted:As add, Issmayer 30 mm cars, sold by Carette
Bing 28 mm train
difference between Bing 0 gauge and 28 mm gauge
Arne
Hello Arne. I realize this is a fairly late reply... but would you happen to want to part with that Bing loco/tender? Or have a similar one for sale? I've got coach cars but am having a hard time finding a matching engine.
THanks so much!
Ariel
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