Show me your #437 Switch Towers!

This one is all original, just need some cleaning. It is my prefered color model but you have a good choice of various colors.

Very Best, Daniel

Thank you!!

Let's see:  that roof is Peacock, and the windows frames are orange, I think.  The door is red (too bright for maroon?), the base Mojave, the lower walls Terra cotta.  Are the upper walls cream or yellow?  I think the middle floor/cornice is ivory.

I especially appreciate the photo of the label on the bottom, which my piece lacks.

The door is red, not maroon, and the upper walls are a light yellow color. pictures where taken outside.

Here is another one but with a flash so maybe not the best...   You must be able to find a repro label.

Daniel

I have an MTH version with a maroon door and an upper wall cream but all other colors match.

OK, this is interesting.  It arrived today, and there are a couple curious colors here.  What's left of the upper walls paint (inside) looks much darker and more yellowish brown, sort of like a mustard color.  Did Lionel use something like that?

The windows were apparently peacock and the roof pea green.  the base was Mojave, and the lower walls were Terr Cotta, so they matched what I expected.  there is just a hint of ivory (or maybe cream:  too little left to get a good idea) left on the upper floor/cornice.

  The door and the round part Under the bay window were apparently maroon.  (Riddle uses the term "vermilion in one of his descriptions, but no pic.)

So I think I will try to come close to the original scheme.

I am not going to try to take it any further apart.  I can feel how delicate the tabs are already.  Reassembly concerns me.

I will try to finish the exterior stripping mechanically with a wire wheel in a dremel.

It came with the knife switch panel and all 6 switches as well as a pair of switch controllers and the necessary screws.

MTH version.

My tower is by MTH and is placed in the rear corner of the layout.

Jim

Good problem to have. The 437 is an item I would like to acquire at some point in the future. Here is the original Lionel prewar color combinations. Hope this helps and keep the thread going as you restore this beauty.

Thanks, guys!

Rich, it looks like I have the second one except that it has the brick litho chimney of #3.

At any rate, GOOD LUCK with your project! :-)

The later version with the orange roof w/ cream sides is a rare bird I think. Didn't one in the OB just sell for big money at a recent auction?

As an aside, the early versions had the knife switches mounted to a block of painted wood whereas the later ones used what looked like fiber board of some kind. The fiber board is often warped.

Edit: Here's the auction result...

https://connect.invaluable.com...ower-hard_B514848A52

.

Wow.  Just wow.  That is a beautiful piece but so far out of my league, I closed down the window lest I somehow get it dirty or scratch it by looking at it.

And the thing is, I briefly considered duplicating the paint scheme, but I don't think it looks as good as the two-color ones. 

Well, I sure appreciate ALL the posts so far.  Keep posting anything of interest.  It will be a couple more days before I can shop for paints!

The Lionel Classics line reproduced the rarer version with the orange roof.

OGR did a Collector's Gallery on the two MTH repros a few years ago. Story had good photos of both versions which may help you.

Ed Boyle

UPDATE:

I am just about finished with painting (just two parts left); I hope to begin reassembly this weekend.

I have read about the problems likely to happen if I rebend the tabs.  In fact, I repainted a #92 once, years ago, and lost a handful of tabs.  I know I am going to lose one on this 437 no matter what (it's on the base and VERY weak).

I have also read about an alternate technique of twisting the tabs.  I *think* I understand this notion, but I'd like to be sure.  So instead of bending, I use a pair of pliers to turn the tab from side to side rather than bend over.  Am I on the right page there?  Can anyone who has done it offer advice one how much twist and when to stop?  Will the tab tear at its base?

@palallin yes twisting the tabs is a viable alternative. Just a slight clockwise (that is my typical direction) twist is all that is needed to keep the two pieces together. Looking forward to seeing the finished tower.

Minor set-back:  I pout the middle floor/cornice together with the upper story, and the colors just didn't work.  Either the colors in the can are off (all the other colors are spot on, so I doubt it), or I chose the wrong combination (that'd be me all over).  The upper walls are Buff and the cornice was Cream.  In low light, I could hardly see a difference; in bright light, the Cream looked more like sour baby burb-up when next to the buff.

I am running out of time dedicated to this project because of a change in my schedules, so I grabbed a can of Antique White Krylon I had in the cabinet and gave the cornice a light coat.  I'll see what the pairing looks like tonight.  I'm hoping it both lightens and whitens the piece.  I still hope to assemble this weekend.

On a happier note, the Peacock windows look great against the Buff walls.

OK, here we are!  I do NOT intend to imply this was a good job.  Some steps were rushed; others were botched.  I haven't wired it yet, and I still need to find a few screws.  I did not do anything but clean the chimney as it is lithographed, and I'd rather have the original finish than a paint job there.

It arrived mostly disassembled, partly stripped, parlty over-painted with home latex, and starting to hint at rust in some places.

I think it will look fine on the shelf or the floor layout.

palallin: You're to hard on yourself, I think you did a great job, it looks wonderful to me! Now I want one!

Rusty

Looks terrific- another one saved!

@palallin this turned out great .  I would be proud to have this displayed in the forefront of my layout. How did the tab twisting work out?

Beautiful!

@palallin That turned out fantastic!  Restoring old items in disrepair is one of the best aspects of this hobby  - at least in my opinion.

Are the switch throws on the top row sprung or do you have to re-center manually?

Thanks for the compliments, gentlemen!  They mean a great deal coming from you guys. Much of the credit for the paint job goes to Train Enamels.  I *really* like those paints!

Rich, the tab twisting ended up working just fine; thanks for the tips.  I only lost the one that I knew was going to break.  One had already been lost on a window.  Otherwise, they all remain intact.  Twisting the ones one the bottom floor was really tough, partly because they were still in great shape and partly because I couldn't get my meaty hand in their with pliers   I reread Peter Riddle's materiel on the 437 before the reassembly, and his notes on the sequence were invaluable.

JD2035RR, I am not sure, to tell you the truth.  I haven't cleaned them up yet--no remote switches yet, either.

Which actually brings me to another question for the wizards here:  what screws are used to attach the light mount in the upper story?  I have examples of all the other screws to work with, but neither of the two up top came with it.