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Some tail ends.. I like the Jersey Central...prototype "2-rail" and also 3-rail o-gauge.

91500 Croxton NJ 9-76 WMM photo with info

First CNJ steel caboose built from a kit supplied by READING RR.

8-31-2017  At the farm just painted but before CNJ lettering.

91545 Painted (brown roof version) + CNJ lettering done.

CNJ cabooses in O gauge with decal work by SIRT. 3 SIRT photos.

Walter's CNJ caboose fleetWalter's-2 caboose fleetWalter's-3 caboose fleet

IMG_20240111_195331_hdr Brother Love custom CNJ caboose

Walter

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  • 91500 Croxton NJ 9-76 WMM photo with info
  • Walter's CNJ caboose fleet
  • Walter's-2 caboose fleet
  • Walter's-3 caboose fleet
  • IMG_20240111_195331_hdr
  • 8-31-2017
  • 91545
Last edited by Walter Matuch

@WP - What a great train!!  I am lucky enough to have the "Peerless" tanker but little else in Bing.

Now on to today's post:  The Lionel PRR #19807 smoking / illuminated caboose from 1988 (note large diameter smokestack to accomodate output of the smoke unit inside).

Lionel 19807 PRR caboose side

Lionel 19807 PRR caboose non coupla endLionel 19807 PRR caboose coupla end

Best wishes , Happy Tuesday!

Don

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Images (3)
  • Lionel 19807 PRR caboose non coupla end
  • Lionel 19807 PRR caboose coupla end
  • Lionel 19807 PRR caboose side
Last edited by Don McErlean

Boston & Maine caboose #482 (Atlas O Trainman 2003001, 2019, MSRP $67.95) is at the tail end of a short freight train pulled by B&M GP7 #1562 (Sunset Models/3rd Rail) on my 12'-by-8' layout.

This type of steel caboose was built for the Chesapeake & Ohio Railroad by the Magor Car Corporation of Clifton, NJ, St. Louis Car Company, and ACF, between 1937 and 1949. All photos and videos taken by:

MELGAR

MELGAR4_2024_0820_70_B&M_482_12X8MELGAR4_2024_0819_16_B&M_482_12X8MELGAR4_2024_0820_73_B&M_482_12X8MELGAR4_2024_0820_43_B&M_1562_12X8_TRAIN

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  • MELGAR4_2024_0820_70_B&M_482_12X8
  • MELGAR4_2024_0819_16_B&M_482_12X8
  • MELGAR4_2024_0820_73_B&M_482_12X8
  • MELGAR4_2024_0820_43_B&M_1562_12X8_TRAIN
Videos (1)
MELGAR4_2024_0820_34V_B&M_1562_12X8_EAST_17S_TET
Last edited by MELGAR

Well this Tuesday I thought I might post something a little different.  This is an Ichiko "Bullet Train" friction toy.  I found this when I was doing Air Force business in Japan in the early 80's.  At the time Japan was turning out extremely high quality, lithographed tin toys of all sorts, I have several railroad items based on Japanese trains at the time.  Today, Japan has moved on to much more complicated products and most of this tin toy business has moved to China, with a very high drop in the quality I might add. You can note that the box is mostly printed in Japanese hence it was likely expected to be a domestic product.

Here is the box, the picture is reasonably accurate except the toy only includes the power car section, not additional coaches.

Bullet train box 3

So in honor of Tail End Tuesday, here is the tail end of the power car.

Bullet Train end and trade mark

Here is a better look at the entire unit.  Passengers, motormen and all.  Quite an elaborate lithography job.

Bullet train side view

Happy Tuesday, hope you had a great Labor day weekend.  Best Wishes

Don

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Images (3)
  • Bullet train box 3
  • Bullet Train end and trade mark
  • Bullet train side view
Last edited by Don McErlean

Well this Tuesday I thought I might post something a little different.  This is an Ichiko "Bullet Train" friction toy.  I found this when I was doing Air Force business in Japan in the early 80's.  At the time Japan was turning out extremely high quality, lithographed tin toys of all sorts, I have several railroad items based on Japanese trains at the time.  Today, Japan has moved on to much more complicated products and most of this tin toy business has moved to China, with a very high drop in the quality I might add. You can note that the box is mostly printed in Japanese hence it was likely expected to be a domestic product.

Here is the box, the picture is reasonable accurate except the toy only includes the power car section, not additional coaches.

Bullet train box 3

So in honor of Tail End Tuesday, here is the tail end of the power car.

Bullet Train end and trade mark

Here is a better look at the entire unit.  Passengers, motormen and all.  Quite an elaborate lithography job.

Bullet train side view

Happy Tuesday, hope you had a great Labor day weekend.  Best Wishes

Don

Very nice Don, I wonder if you could drop a Marx motor in there?

@pennsyfan - from the perspective of straight line propulsion, the Marx 4 wheel drive mechanism (like on their plastic 400 loco's would work.  However, its quite long for taking small radius curves, I am not sure how to handle that problem but certainly with an unobstructed rear truck able to swing in a large radius you might make it.  Interesting idea.  Thanks for the comment Bob.

Don

Last edited by Don McErlean

Well this Tuesday I thought I might post something a little different.  This is an Ichiko "Bullet Train" friction toy.  I found this when I was doing Air Force business in Japan in the early 80's.  At the time Japan was turning out extremely high quality, lithographed tin toys of all sorts, I have several railroad items based on Japanese trains at the time.  Today, Japan has moved on to much more complicated products and most of this tin toy business has moved to China, with a very high drop in the quality I might add. You can note that the box is mostly printed in Japanese hence it was likely expected to be a domestic product.

Here is the box, the picture is reasonably accurate except the toy only includes the power car section, not additional coaches.

Bullet train box 3

So in honor of Tail End Tuesday, here is the tail end of the power car.

Bullet Train end and trade mark

Here is a better look at the entire unit.  Passengers, motormen and all.  Quite an elaborate lithography job.

Bullet train side view

Happy Tuesday, hope you had a great Labor day weekend.  Best Wishes

Don

Boy, is that neat, Don! I guess she was designed to run on the floor...

@walt rapp - On my bullet train, I think you are right, although she is practically perfect 0 gauge she was not designed to run on track especially on 0-31 or 0-27 curves like I have.  Maybe on high radius curves you might make her length work but I don't know, so for now she runs on the floor.  Like your caboose by the way.  I note a lot of members seem to be installing those LED light kits, how difficult is that ?

Best Wishes

Don

@walt rapp - On my bullet train, I think you are right, although she is practically perfect 0 gauge she was not designed to run on track especially on 0-31 or 0-27 curves like I have.  Maybe on high radius curves you might make her length work but I don't know, so for now she runs on the floor.  Like your caboose by the way.  I note a lot of members seem to be installing those LED light kits, how difficult is that ?

Best Wishes

Don

Don, the Evan Designs 7-19 volt universal LED kits for transformers make conversion fairly simple. Thanks to @WesternPacific & @Sitka for originally suggesting these. All you have to do is solder the leads of the kit to the leads that feed the incandescent bulb you're replacing. No worries about wire polarity or whether the supply to the bulb is AC or DC. The built in circuitry contains the rectifier and voltage regulator that ensure maximum life for the LED.

When working with potentially collectible items, I make my installations "reversible" which does add some complexity to the job. Here's what the inside of the FARR#5 PRR Cabin above looks like:

20240902_045120

I made "plugs" that fit into the existing bulb socket without altering it. The grey plastic insulator was just slipped in between the plugs:

20240902_045234

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Images (2)
  • 20240902_045120
  • 20240902_045234

Well folks, imagine its 1929 and the world seems to collapse, Lionel who typically sells rather expensive "Toys" realizes that family discretionary income is going to take a big hit and so it needs to enter the "low priced" market.  Remember Marx does not become a factor until about 1935-36.  So to reinforce its entry into the low priced market, Lionel designs a series of 6" Lithographed, 4 wheel cars that are lightweight and inexpensive to manufacture and markets them mostly in sets.  There is the 1512 Gondola, 1513 Stock Car, 1514 Box car and the 1517 Caboose.  In 1932, the 1515 Oil car joins the group.  These were originally marketed as part of the 1930 "Winner" Line however that changed through the years. These cars are eventually marketed under 4 trade names: Winner, Ives, Lionel-Ives, and Lionel.  The sets were pulled by another somewhat unique Lionel product a clockwork locomotive, the 1511.  Also interesting although most of the series transitioned from Winner to Ives to Lionel - Ives to Lionel the 1513 stock car does not appear to exist as Winner nor did it transfer from Ives to either Lionel-Ives or Lionel so exists as an Ives car only and reference material places its availability in 1931-32 only.

So here is my T.E.T. post for today, the 1931-1937 1517 Caboose.  Note it was Winner in 1931-32, Ives in 1932, Lionel-Ives in 1933, and Lionel in 1934-37.  The configuration I am posting today with the black frame, Lionel name, and fully red roof and cupola is from 1935 however it always carried the NYC oval logo and the number on the rear.  From 1931-1934 it carried NO Ives, Winner, Lionel-Ives, or Lionel marking thus is a major departure from Lionel normal marketing practices.

Lionel 1517 Caboose side viewLionel 1517 caboose Lionel endLionel 1517 caboose NYC end

Like most low priced items, these did not represent major value to the family and were thus played with HARD by the children.  Therefore finding examples that are even in a condition as good as this one is rare.  In the collectors market an Excellent condition item would command a considerable price premium.

Best Wishes

Don

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Images (3)
  • Lionel 1517 Caboose side view
  • Lionel 1517 caboose Lionel end
  • Lionel 1517 caboose NYC end

I don't recall if I've posted this before so please forgive me if I have.  Lionel Conrail N5C caboose from the 1997 Service Station Set. Lionel chose to number this caboose 6417 but show us it's PC and actual Conrail  road number, 23130 underneath the 6417.  This N5C was built for the PRR in 1928 and was one of 180 N5Cs numbered from 477820-478019 for PRR and renumbered 23000-23179.  The model shows two portholes on each side blanked over.  Pictures I've seen 23130 in Conrail paint show all portholes intact and a sliding window centered in the cupola sides.

IMG_3713IMG_3714

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Images (2)
  • IMG_3713
  • IMG_3714

ATSF MOW tie car with added lighting from Evan Designs:

20240917_040542

20240917_040628

20240917_041437

This car was designed to complement the TMCC Tie-Jector with an electrical tether but goes well as a "tail end" for any work train. It looks great in the dark, too, as the two lanterns nicely light the tie work area. Unfortunately, my rudimentary cell phone camera simply does not do nighttime scenes justice.

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Images (3)
  • 20240917_040542
  • 20240917_040628
  • 20240917_041437

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