Taking Toonerville Trolley Temp!

Love the idea. It's pure fun - someone should build a set (less track and transformer). Maybe pitch this idea to Lou Caponi @ LCCA as well. He's actually soliciting ideas for what members might be interested in seeing made. And he's more likely to respond to something niche like this.

Great idea! I would also like to see some tinplate disney items made.

Instead of another high-priced special-issue item, how about a do-it-yourself project, possibly with printed paper lithography on a wood or cardboard body? It's easy to build simple four-wheel battery-powered mechanisms; I have done that myself. This sort of project would be in tune with the spirit of the original Toonerville Trolley, and with the heritage of tinplate. If you look at how tinplate was originally made as inexpensive toys, it's crazy how modern reproductions have turned into an expensive collector market.

I am glad I found one from 1987 about 6mo. ago at a local meet New in the box. Paid $285 for it. I have seen two more sell since then on the bay go much higher. I would not mind seeing this done as a set with the tin buiding and figures.Not sure if you would get Lionel Corp. Tinplate to do this it was not an Lionel item. But MTH could do it.

I would be in for one.

Picked thi up in 1989 :

 

 

I would be very excited to see this, as long as it had a good wobble and the Skipper was free to move the lever.

Thats how it works wobbles and so does the skipper.

Ward Kimball, of Disney fame, suggested to the Rich Art group that one of the wheels have an off-centered hole for the axle to provide the wobble. It worked!

 

Ron M

I'd be in for one.

 

Ward Kimball, smart guy.

Ron, the newbie.

I know that I'd want one.  I think that MTH could do it justice, and with their work in HO, I bet they could add command and sound to it, as well.

 

Andy

I'm "hot" for one.I love this piece.

It would be a great item if MTH would make it!

Here is Lyle H. Cain's version

I'd be in for one.

Rich Art in Escondito CA already does make it! And they do it here in the US. Why does MTH have to make it in China? They also are making the Repro Pre-war armored train that Rich Art also makes. I'm all for the small guy. 

Except he is no longer in business.

 

Steve

Also known as deceased.

 

Ron M

Oh when did he die. I had no idea.

About ten years ago.

 

Ron M

Now I know that is just not true because I went by Dick Mayers  shop in 2011 and saw him building some American Flyer Passenger cars. He had stacks of printed and unstamped tin for Toonervilles.  So unless he died last year your claim is wrong.

The gentleman behind the Toonerville Trolley was Dr. Lyle H. Cain Sr. He dressed up as the Skipper - hat, goatee, string tie and frock coat, when he attended train meets. Met him numerous times at York and the 1991 Rosemont convention.

 

Ron M

 

The Toonerville Trolley was produced by Lyle Cain Enterprises in conjunction with The Richart Co. starting around 1987. It was originally offered in O-gauge, Standard Gauge and G-Gauge. These were marked with the C&M logo (Cain & Mayer). It was later continued under the Richart name. Lyle Cain, the "Skipper", passed away in 1990. To my knowledge Richard Mayer (the "Rich" in Richart) is still among us.

 

ARNO

They are not being made any longer. Again would like to see MTH make them. Just plain Conventional.

I have a book of the original cartoons. What a hoot! I wonder if enough folks would remember it to be interested in buying one. I would!

Count me in. I’d love to see this get made. 

Dick Mayer made a whole line of Toonerville Trolley items in tinplate. 

 

In addition to the tinplate Standard Gauge, G gauge, and O gauge items Arno mentioned, Dick also made an HO gauge Toonerville Trolley.  In addition, Dick produced a unique "operating" tinplate flatbed trailer in both O gauge and Standard Gauge tinplate on which fat Aunt Eppe was towed behind the Trolley and rose up and down via a cog attached to one axle.  Dick also made a tinplate Toonerville train station, which came with a whole set of tinplate Toonerville residents.  Furthermore, he made a set of Toonerville scenic backdrops similar in design to the Ives circus backdrop which could be setup to form a small Toonerville village. 

 

Lastly, Dick made a set of miniature turntables, which automatically turn the Toonerville Trolley around 180 degrees after the Trolley it runs onto the turntable.  When placed at both ends of a section of track, in operation Dick's Toonerville Trolley will run over a section of track and onto a turntable, be automatically turned around,  then run back over the same section of track to the turntable at the other end, where it's again turned around to start the process all over again.  Really neat!   

My grand kids would love to have one.  The problem is they don't have any track, there fore the work of running one would be on me.

Al

Hot, Lukewarm or Cool?

I don't know.

What's a Toonerville Trolley?

 

A nice O gauge Toonerville Trolley and station set are now for sale on ebay.  Items appear to be unused, however, seller indicates the Toonerville signs for the roof are missing, That's strange as on my station the signs are part of the station's front and back walls and slip up through the two slits in the roof when the station is assembled.  Does anyone else own a Toonerville station where the "TOONERVILLE" signs on the roof are separate from the walls? 

 

http://www.ebay.com/itm/C-M-RICHART-O-SCALE-POWERED-TIN-LITHO-TOONERVILLE-TROLLEY-STATION-CHARACTERS-/270971415411?pt=Model_RR_Trains&hash=item3f1727ab73