McCoy

Hello Parker, I really like the McCoy trains. I have the blue Pacific Electric engine with the four matching passenger cars. A while back I picked up the McCoy book and was taken by what I saw. As much as I like the McCoy stuff, the only items Ive seen in person are the pieces I own.

Yea-don't see much McCoy at train shows, but it is nice stuff and I'm always on the lookout for collections to buy-find one once in a while.

Parker

Parker, I just noticed the lettering on your tank car. I think we know a few of the same people. I remember Dale at the hobby shop in Lancaster telling me about you a while back. Also noticed you have given items to the Pickaway Historical Society.

Back to McCoy. Why the crazy prices? I have seen the set I have sell from 300-800 dollars. Same for the common rolling stock. Are there variations in the models that make them more valuable or rare?

Jason

McCoy made some interesting items and a whole lot of low-end rolling stock. What you see mostly on the Bay is stuff they made for various TCA conventions. Most of the convention cars go really cheap, because there is no collector interest, the graphics are typically billboards for the theme of the convention, and a lot of them are really, really ugly. The good news is, many of the cars have the graphics applied with easily removed stickers rather than decals or printing. I've accumulated a bunch of them for under $40 apiece and one of these days I'm going to repaint them. 

McCoy did make some cool items, notably a circus train (which is not an Ives copy). Their one-and two-motor Cascade electric locos are highly sought after and bring good money on the Bay, as do their steamers - a 4-4-0 and a 4-6-0, if I remember correctly.

And finally, the coolest McCoy item I've ever seen just got posted on eBay, from the collection of Bob McCoy Jr. Unfortunately I don't have $1700 to drop on a tinplate locomotive just this minute, but it is pretty neat. The description says only 4 were built.

http://www.ebay.com/itm/290777647443?ssPageName=STRK:MEWAX:IT&_trksid=p3984.m1423.l2649

I have seen the red, blue and even a few yellow cascade engines. that one you have posted is awesome. McCoy jr also had a white 4-6-0 posted a few years ago. It looked so neat but the price was crazy!

I dont know why the McCoy stuff is so interesting to me. Maybe its because it was such a family based operation. Heck, I cant even figure out why I favor tinplate over postwar or even scale trains. Must be the metal, or the nostalgia. But I for sure enjoy tinplate the most  !!

The Milwaukee Road E2 is new manufacture? Is Bob Jr. making new stuff and / or offering replacement parts? Bob Jr. and Bonnie used to advertise pretty regular in the TCA National HQ News. Over the years, some of the castings on my McCoy engines have deteriorated badly. I managed to pick up some replacement parts for my red E2 and red 1965 that suffered some zinc pest issues. I could still use a part or two to finish off fixing my Cheif Cle Elum.

Bob Jr. and Bonnie are definitely still in business.  The Milwaukee Road E2 is not a new manufacture, but they are producing some new items.  They are also selling the inventory of the old factory and their parents' estate.  Yes, some of the prices they are asking are high, but 1) many of these are one of a kind or at least very low production, and 2) what they are selling now is their heritage, the remaining inventory of their dad's business.  Their prices may come down if nobody buys at these prices, but you can't fault them for trying.

Bob Jr. and Bonnie also have parts for McCoy, and they have replaced motors for me that had some deterioration of castings.  They frequently sell on eBay under the handle "mccoyswoman", and you can contact Bonnie by finding the "contact seller" option on one of their listings.  I have found them to be very helpful and reasonable, but they are a very small 2-person operation at this point, with their own quirks, so a patient approach is helpful.  They have been very kind and helpful to me.  I can't recommend them enough.  It is an opportunity to work with some truly good people, and one of the really influential families of standard gauge.  They are the real McCoy, accept no substitutes!

McCoy trains caught me by surprise also.  I was raised on my dad's prewar Ives, and in a way nothing could be more different than the much more toy-like McCoys.  But I've really come to love and treasure them.  There is a wonderfully whimsical playfulness to the designs.  Their trolley and hand car designs are the best things out there.  I've built up quite a collection of steam and electric locos, freight and passenger cars, and the trolleys and interurbans.  I'm learning to to make videos and will try to post some McCoy footage in the near future if I'm successful.

Hay-forgot to tell everyone-have a FREE 17 page Excel spreadsheet of all known McCoy regular production items, just email me at parkerh138@aol.com   This will give everybody a hanlde on what is really out there.  It's free with no alternative motives but to pass on info about these trains-five years of work here and countless trips across the country on this project at my own expense.

Believe it or not there actually was a Higby Petroleum Co.-I have stock certificates to prove it-just can't find out where it was located so made this one up from my home town.  Repainted three of these tankers now-one for Al Merris, one for Margaret McCoy and one for me)

Got a copy of Higby's list.  Good place to start. You should get a copy. "The McCoy Story" book is too,except photos, but has little about production. Making a photo list of all McCoy items for myself but is slow because of the lack of photos available on the web to "borrow".  So far I have over 100 pages (photos are big). Catalogs are a good place for an interested person to start also but they are hard to find. And, they're in B&W too.

All-in-all, McCoy is great.  Tinplate came back from the dead in the 50's-60's thanks to the McCoys in my opinion. Reguardless of what the "chatter" is, as long as there is a McCoy to make trains, there will always be McCoy trains.

Long may they run.

Parker, would the hobby shop you referred too, have been the Strasburg Station?  I had the pleasure of visiting that shop while staying over night while staying there on a bus trip Thursday and Friday night.  We stayed at the Holiday Inn Expess next to the Rockvale Outlets.  I picked up some smoke fluid, a toy T Rex to set by my out house which the departing fat lady has not seen.  Also, found a K-Line by Lionel O-4-O that I have been wanting for a number of years, so I bought it.  Gary Burger was very helpful, and made me jealous such a hobby shop exists here in Springfield.

Al

I disagree that the convention cars are ugly. They are collected.I need 6 more cars to have all of the TCA convention cars. I also have 5 of the division cars & 7 of of the TTOS cars.

...ps-start collecting them again!!)

Parker Higby

Way too late for me to do that, Parker!  I have just about exhausted all the available space in my home, and really need to start disposing of some trains.  That's something I have set as a goal for this fall and beyond.

Having grown up in Milwaukee, I'm a big fan of McCoy trains particularly their Milwaukee-oriented items.  Over the years I have collected several including their Milwaukee Road E-2 and their three Milwaukee-based brewery beer reefers, i.e., their Miller, Schlitz and Pabst beer reefers.  You can see these and more McCoy in action on SGMA's layout at Trainfest in Milwaukee this coming November 9-10.

Bob

The Real McCoy!

THE REAL McCOY?

Wait, I thought it was this guy......

No, I bet it was this guy.

John Blanton........Happy Rails to You

New McCoy Prototype!