Tinplate photos 📸 and videos 📽

Well hello Tinplate fans, it is some time since I have had anything new to post here but I thought I might be able to contribute today.  At a local train show yesterday , full of Lionel and HO gauge I found, sitting all by itself a Karl Bub tinplate station.  It is what I believe their catalog called a "Wayside Station".  It is clearly marked K.B.N, and "Made in Germany" and that was all the information the seller could give me, he had apparently acquired it as part of a package of miscellaneous trains.  I looked in my only Bub reference, the Michael Bowes book, "Issmayer & Bub Trains, the Secret History" and on pg 169 found some pictures from the 1931 Bub catalog with buildings that are similar to this especially as regards the "house" structure.  So I know the maker but not the exact year...I was hoping perhaps someone else on this thread (Arne?) might have better information.

So here is my new Wayside Station:  The door, although hard to see in the picture, is functional and opens.  The mast to the right is the manual semaphore signal (better view in next picture).  It is all tinplate and enamel construction.

Here is a better view showing the position of the semaphore mast

Here is the rear, showing a hole likely for a lighting fixture perhaps a Christmas bulb holder.

Here is a better view of the semaphore, manually operated of course via a lever at the base.  You can see some unfortunate writing on the side of the house.  I have to try and figure out how to remove that without harming the finish.  I tried just a damp cloth and it did not work.  I am somewhat afraid of chemicals as they might remove the enamel.  Suggestions are MOST WELCOME.  Note at the very base of this side just in the second row of foundation bricks you can see the mark..."K.B.N" and then "Made in Germany" underneath those letters in smaller print.  It is the only manufacturers mark on the item.

The opposite end from the semaphore mast.

Well there you are, my newest "tinplate" acquisition apart from a Lionel #821 stock car from 1925 I posted in last weeks "Box Car Sunday".

Best wishes for a great week to all

Don

Hello Don,

it´s like a gatekeeper´s house. Bub No 1622, made 1928-1934.

This building was used on different models and was avaible in yellow and green.

For example Bub 1621

Bub 1628/3

Arne

Arne:  THANK YOU!  It most certainly is the "Gatekeeper's House"  That picture you posted is an exact match.  Yes I agree, the Bub reference I have (not much) does show the building in several different settings.  Thanks so much for your response.

Best wishes

Don

Well everyone, for some reason postings on this thread have fallen way off.  So I thought I might keep going to see if I can stir up any interest.  Fatman posted a wonderful video of a Hornby train race and the little M1 loco's were doing quite well.  So I thought I might post some pictures of what an M1 loco might have looked like when purchased for that all important Christmas gift to a youngster.  The M1 locomotive was available from 1926 and was originally copied from Bing.  In 1930 it was changed to a different pressing and a reversing mechanism was added. Except for color changes it remained this way until WWII stopped production. After the war the M1 loco was the first back in production.  The lithography was new and the mechanism received some post war improvements. Lithography / color changes went on but the loco remained remarkably stable.  It went out of production in 1956 but remained for sale (presumably with left over stock) till about 1958.  The version shown in the pictures below dates from about 1948 (the dating feature is the "Hornby" under the cab windows in black).  This was part of the M1 goods set which was supplied with a tender, track, and two open wagons labeled "LMS & LNE".

Here is the entire M1 Goods Train set in the original box. By the way, the red little stick on label at the bottom of the box lid says: "Made in England for Sale in the United States by H.HUDSON DOBSON  200 Fifth Avenue, New York"

The Meccano Limited Guarantee and test verification.  It is interesting that the M1 series was the lowest price line that included the Meccano Guarantee.  There was an even smaller line ( O gauge but a smaller scale) called M0 and one of the differentiating features was that it did NOT carry the Guarantee and like Lionel "Scout" trains had a coupler that was incompatible with the rest of the line.

If you wished, you could fill out this form and become a member of the Hornby Railway Company

Here are the "extra's" that came with the set.  The key and two lithographed pieces of luggage, I guess these were the "goods" the train was to carry.  Note the small green one says "Hornby Series" on the top.

Here is the Hornby Type M1 locomotive as it would have been from about 1948 to 1954.

Here she is pulling her LNE gondola out of the tunnel on my layout.

Here is the entire "Goods Train" including the two gondolas and the tender.

For those of you who follow railroading in the UK you might wonder why, since nationalization of the railroads took place in 1948, this train set still carries the names of the individual lines.  Well Hornby was quite a ways behind the time, it did not bring out a train set in 0 gauge that carried the post nationalization livery until about 1953.  OBTW, since I had this fellow out of the box, I wound her up and put her on her way.  The M1 handled this little train with no problem and easily made it around my entire loop plus.

Well that's it for me.  I hope we can get a few more "tinplater's" to sign on.  Best wishes

Don

@Don McErlean posted:

...

Here is the entire M1 Goods Train set in the original box. By the way, the red little stick on label at the bottom of the box lid says: "Made in England for Sale in the United States by H.HUDSON DOBSON  200 Fifth Avenue, New York"

...

Beautiful set and the box is very crisp.  Really unusual to see a low-end set in that kind of condition.  And it's a bit sad, as it means that it wasn't played with.

Fabulous little set, Don. I'm a great fan of the low-end sets, as so few of them seem to have survived intact.

Here's a little Hafner Overland Flyer acquired in the last year:

A shelf queen for now, as the spring is broken. I bought a copy of James Pekarek's book on windup repair, so hopefully I can sort it out (although I hear Hafner is not easy). A partially broken pilot, but otherwise in nice cosmetic condition.

@Mallard4468- thank you for your compliment and your comments.  I agree us collectors sometimes sit on the fence...looking for something in great shape but knowing that if we find it that way it means it likely never fulfilled its purpose. Well I can tell you its loved now (by me!).

@pd - thanks for you comment and compliment.  I just recently got a book that has a full chapter on Hafner so I am finally learning some detail about the line.  It looked like your loco is a #100 with a #1181 tender.  This would have been offered in the 1920's up to the early 1930's.  Its really beautiful.  OBTW I share your love for the low end sets mostly because I think that more children got to play with them than the very expensive high end, especially in the pre war period.

Best wishes

Don

Thanks for the info, Don. I don’t know much about Hafner, certainly didn’t know years of manufacture for the 100. I’d love to get this sorted at some point. So many projects...

Great Set Don !!! really really lovely .

Sorry for lack of postage , I do try and keep this thread humming , but I have sadly been a little bereft in new acquirages !

I know right ? Who woulda thunk it !

My name is Fatman.... and I got nuffing ....

@Fatman - Thanks for your comment on my Hornby set...you have a great movie!  That fellow on the drive rods has perhaps more courage than brains! 

Best Wishes

Don

Isn't that Buster Keaton, I think from the movie, "The General?"

Tom

@PRR8976 - Yes it would seem like a Keaton trick, he was famous for that sort of thing.  I couldn't be sure however.  Good observation!

Don

@PRR8976 posted:

Isn't that Buster Keaton, I think from the movie, "The General?"

Tom

Yes.  I have a copy of The General and that is Buster Keaton sitting on the drive rod. 

That is a great movie!!!

Hello Don, excellent presentation of your Hornby set; always a pleasure to see something from Hornby.

The thread is quite since some time and good idea to resurect it, we need more new trains !!!!

Since I have retired, less money for trains, sad, but much more time to classify all the mess I have done with trains since many years. So new display case and presentation is on the way, not too fast I will do more during winter and after all there is no urgency at all.

So a new display of French Hornby locos, there is more but not for here, it is full...

And some better pictures of the French passenger and freight station, 1937 models. 20 years since last time I saw them ....

All my best wishes, Daniel

@FRENCHTRAINS- Wow Daniel, first thanks for the compliment on my Hornby set. Next the very best of luck in your retirement.  I am not sure about less money for trains, less money for sure but now you have more time to buy them !  The trains you showed are beautiful and the station especially "Lyon" is wonderful.  Who made them?  (JEP?)  Glad you are still posting.  Love seeing your trains and hearing from you.

Best Wishes

Don

Many thanks Don,

The two stations are French Hornby models, not very easy to find.

I will post more in the future but since twenty or more years I have published many of my collection, and it is hard to have something new week.

Keep in touch for next trains...

Daniel

Daniel, my best wishes to you in your retirement!

I went to Paris and Avignon and Nimes recently to practice my recent retirement !
Yes I was sad to leave!

thank you for Your great knowledge and posts as always.

I forgot to mention the Lyon station is amazing! Thx for sharing it.

@Don McErlean nice find on the Bub Gatekeeper House! That’s an awesome find at a mainly HO show- love those buildings!

I posted my most recent buildings & accessories in the “buy anything new/cool lately(tinplate edition)” thread- so I’ll post the rolling stock or motive power here:

Starting off with German-made trains:

This pair of Marklin 2942/0 PRR 4-wheel wood litho coaches arrived today. First American Market Marklin items I’ve acquired!

The axles are knurled at the end, wheels have embossed spokes, Marklin logo at lower right corner of each end.

One is in better shape. That same one also has a stamped logo on the bottom.

Bing 4 wheel PRR boxcar & PRR Lakewood Observation(steel litho Coach)

Moving stateside:

I know these Marx GE 70-ton switchers are plastic, but they have near honorary tin status. WP 702 and ICG(needs a coupler). Both run F-R and do it well!

Flyer 1096 box cab electric! This guy has been on my list of prewar electric outlines. Has original wheels, body is in pretty good shape

Back to rolling stock:

Ives 1811(pre-Winner-ized) Pullman and Ives 1504 Pullman. Trying to acquire different makes of passenger cars to see which ones look good together!

A I love the look of these Hafner streamliner passenger cars! I Can’t believe I didn’t get into these sooner!

Can anyone tell me when Hafner made these types of passenger cars? I know the history of the rare, early Hafner Overland Flyer cars. TCA website has the same coaches(diff litho scheme) from a 1941 set.

And just a pic of each building/acc:

Hornby Plate Layer’s Hut(came with box) to the right of an also new Lionel black #56 street lamp:

Skyline Yard Tower is serving as an apartment on the RA&P(Richmond, Allentown & Philadelphia) RR

some newer tin: Modern Marx Queen’s cafe. Love it!

Modern Marx by Ameritrains Union Oil Co.” Oil Depot

enjoy! Help regarding the Hafner question is appreciated!

@StevefromPA - Steve thank you for your comment on my Gatekeeper's House.  I really liked the/ tinplate you posted.  The American Market Marklin passenger cars and box car are really neat.  Personally, after pre-war stuff I am partial to Marx and the GE 70 tonners you posted are neat, the WP from '72-'74 and the ICG from '74-'75. OBTW in case you didn't know the ICG is pretty much a single variation (reverse or non reversing) but the WP came in 2 or 3 other color schemes (Green / yellow and Green/cream for instance) which are quite scarce and very collectable.

OK now to your question...IAW Greenberg's Early American Toy Trains reference, the passenger coaches you show seem to be No 405 (no number appears on the car) from the period 1940's -1951.  There is a variation in the circular logo that helps date them.  Early cars say "HAFNER'S / STREAMLINERS/RAILWAYS"  and then at some point production dropped the " 'S" and it became "HAFNER/STREAMLINERS/RAILWAYS"  .  The reference maintains that the logo with out the apostrophe is the later cars.

Great finds. thanks for posting

Don

Well Tinplater's we don't seem to be doing so well in keeping this post populated.  So I will try by posting a little item that I just acquired.  Its a Japanese lithographed tin plate floor toy (TN is the maker).  It came with no tender but one passenger coach.  I really just love the Japanese lithograph work of the late 50's and 60's it was really spectacular (then it all moved to Korea and China ).  Anyway here  is my little train (locomotive 6" and Pullman 5" in length).  The coach is missing one wheel set but that should not be too hard to replace .

The power for this toy is one D battery that goes inside the boiler via the boiler front which should open like a door.  At the moment it appears stuck and I have not decided whether I will try to force it or not, as I am unlikely to operate the toy anyway.

The boiler front view (should post on Front End Friday!) The lithographed details are quite elaborate.

The passenger coach - no interior details just a shell.

The coach from the  rear view.  I did note that there is no provision for a coupler on the rear end.  Hence, I am assuming the toy is complete and never had any additional coaches.

Well here's hoping that some of you tinplate fans will post to our thread.

Best wishes

Don

A nicely refurbished Marlines Jubilee found at York for just a few bucks:

The loco looked familiar, but I couldn't place it. My wife said, "Hey, that's the train under the Christmas tree in the last scene of The Polar Express" and, after a quick watch, so it is. Not sure which Marx tender goes with this, but looking.

PD

@pd- Unlike Lionel or American Flyer, Marx mainly sold tenders as separate items from locomotives.  So you could really run almost any tender with this loco (which is really nice by the way) and be "correct" .  The type 451 especially "Canadian Pacific" tenders would be more common or type 951 (called the "wedge type" ) tender was also used commonly with this locomotive.

Don

@Don McErlean posted:

Well Tinplater's we don't seem to be doing so well in keeping this post populated.  So I will try by posting a little item that I just acquired.  Its a Japanese lithographed tin plate floor toy (TN is the maker).  It came with no tender but one passenger coach.  I really just love the Japanese lithograph work of the late 50's and 60's it was really spectacular (then it all moved to Korea and China ).  Anyway here  is my little train (locomotive 6" and Pullman 5" in length).  The coach is missing one wheel set but that should not be too hard to replace .

The power for this toy is one D battery that goes inside the boiler via the boiler front which should open like a door.  At the moment it appears stuck and I have not decided whether I will try to force it or not, as I am unlikely to operate the toy anyway.

The boiler front view (should post on Front End Friday!) The lithographed details are quite elaborate.

The passenger coach - no interior details just a shell.

The coach from the  rear view.  I did note that there is no provision for a coupler on the rear end.  Hence, I am assuming the toy is complete and never had any additional coaches.

Well here's hoping that some of you tinplate fans will post to our thread.

Best wishes

Don

This is a cable train was offered as just the 2-car set and designed to run around the floor following a rubber tube track. Acceptable tenders that were similar in size include the Northwestern tender from their C62 set or the 20th Ex Press tender. TN made several of these trains that run over "cable". They also produced a mine car set in conjunction with Biller that used the same battery motor in a diesel switcher-type loco. I use standard 3/16-ths ID rubber vacuum tubing which can be purchased at any auto parts store to replace the original green rubber tubing track, just superglue the ends together. Instructions included in the original box showed various layout options (bends in the tubing).

@JimO’c. Thanks for all the information. Great to know somewhat more about this little train.
Regards

Don

A few new additions from York this past week.  MTH 1835E and MTH 1764E.

Tom

Picked up at York...

The SGMA Industries building and a Pioneer Zephyr in standard gauge by @Jim Waterman.

@Don McErlean posted:

@pd- Unlike Lionel or American Flyer, Marx mainly sold tenders as separate items from locomotives.  So you could really run almost any tender with this loco (which is really nice by the way) and be "correct" .  The type 451 especially "Canadian Pacific" tenders would be more common or type 951 (called the "wedge type" ) tender was also used commonly with this locomotive.

Don

Thanks for the info, Don. I wasn't aware that Marx sold locos and tenders separately. I most frequently see this loco mated to a 4-wheel wedge tender, which I have one of. Until I find something that looks better, I'll use that.

Hello everyone,

It’s been a long while since I posted on here. Anyway, how many of us have gotten the chance to see a Dorfan in operation? Let alone a rare piece such as the 417 position signal? While I don’t technically have the signal hooked up as it was originally intended (middle light should illuminate), you should get the idea. I’ll post a picture of the whole signal when I can.

                                              Trainfam

Today, I offer up the American Flyer O gauge 3019 locomotive.  This item was cataloged from 1923 to 1924 and appears to have been sold through 1925.  It is simply a cheapened variation of the 3020 as it is an 0-4-0 engine (in most cases) as opposed to the 3020 that was a 4-4-4 engine.

The earliest version was likely painted black, as this color has been reported in the Greenberg's Guide to American Flyer O Gauge.  I do not have a black 3019.

The 2nd version appears to be the dark green with red window trim, as shown below.

Then there is a later lighter green version with yellow windows.  Mine is even more unusual in that it is a boxed item and came on a 3020 frame.  This is a 1924 or possibly 1925 item (as the dark green lithographed Illini cars transitioned to a lighter green colored lithograph, apparently in 1925).  Not sure as to why this 3019 cab ended up on a 3020 frame, but my guess would be either poor quality control, or simply a lack of 3019 frames and too many 3019 cabs.

The Greenbergs Guide lists a 3019 in brown, which would likely be a 1924 item.  I do not have one of those.

As the Columbia cars transitioned from brown lithography to maroon lithography c. 1925, as evidenced by the brown Columbia cars not having an observation car and the maroon Columbia cars having observation cars, with 1925 being the first year that observation cars are cataloged, it would appear that the maroon 3020 and, if it exists, the maroon 3019 both date to 1925.

Here is the maroon 3020

And the maroon 3019 c. 1925

NWL

This week, I had found a newspaper kiosk made by Heinrich Fischer Nurnberg from the 30s.

The size and the roof are the same like the Fischer Victoria Box.

Here with other models made by Fischer.

And together with newspaper kiosk made by Kibri and Bub.

Arne

Arnie - what a great piece, thanks for posting!  Its fascinating to me that in the early days, concern for relative scale was not a driving function to the designers.  Your newspaper kiosk is about the same size as the Victoria Switch Tower, which I expect would not be the case in real life.  However the charm and color of the toy does not depend on scale size but on the beautiful detail lithographed into the decoration.  Beautiful !  Thank you.

Don

Parts of Heinrich Fischer are hard to find. I´m happy to find a lot of them together.

Arrived this week. All made in the late 20s -early 30s

Montgomery Ward had sold American Flyer trains with this accesories from Fischer.

The set needs a bit help.

Arne

Arnie,

The trains shown in the Montgomery Ward Catalog image appear to be Hafner trains, not American Flyer.

NWL

Beautiful pieces Arne - thanks for posting

Don

@Arne nice finds of H Fischer!! They are difficult to come by! Love how the bridge & the track on it arched. Most prewar bridges with ramps/approaches are just flat and simulate an arch with the underlying structure- interesting engineering. Also love that footbridge! Have been seeking a pedestrian footbridge for my layout that works with how my track is configured near the stations.

nice finds Arne- thanks for posting!

@Don McErlean nice find on that Bub gate keeper house! Love it. The lithography on the house looks like it’s in excellent shape, even with the writing on it! Will you be putting it on your layout?

I agree with NWL those trains look like Hafner.  Below is the Hafner freight set without the boxcar.

Lovely Collection @Arne  

My finds have slowed down to an absolute crawl lately so I am forced to dig into the archive just to participate and keep this thread rolling

I dont have a lot of Fischer but I do have a Gauge 1 consist floating about

( most would have seen it , but I really feel my slackness has me missing out lately .. so repost ! lol )

I am in the same situation as @Fatman , nothing new for the moment as I spend some time trying to classify what i have accumulated since many years and decide what I want to keep..... mainly everything, and what I could sell.....mainly nothing....

So a little original JdP train from around 1925 founded many years ago to keep the thread in activity..

Have a nice weekend,  Daniel

@StevefromPA- Thanks for your comment on my "Gatekeeper's House" and yes the lithography (less the writing) seems quite good.  I don't know if I have a place on the layout at the moment, its mostly track these days for running trains and modest scenery.  I have to consider where it might fit.  In the meantime I have it in my den/office on my desk (being selfish )  Thanks again for your comments.

Don

@Robert S. Butler- great Hafner consist, thanks for posting.  @Fatman-the Gauge 1 Fisher consist is great, not seen too many of those here in US.  Thanks for posting @FRENCHTRAINS -Beautiful JEP trains and station.  OBTW - your philosophy on keeping and selling matches mine exactly !  Unfortunatley at 7Bes8 years old, I am facing the question...what do I do with the trains?  I have no family members interested in them so eventually they have to go somewhere...question for another day.

Best wishes tinplate folks, glad we are back.

@Robert S. Butler - forgot to mention, I just got my October Train Collectors Quarterly and found another of your pictures was selected as the cover.  Congratulations on a terrific picture and being selected as the cover.

Don

Thanks Don, the cover is a bit of a curiosity - I'm not sure why but it is the same cover as the one for October 2019.

Well Robert when something is good its good forever!  Great picture for sure.

Don

@Robert S. Butler posted:

Thanks Don, the cover is a bit of a curiosity - I'm not sure why but it is the same cover as the one for October 2019.

In speaking with Mark Boyd, the reason for re-using the same cover photo was the fact that they went with a new printer for the TCA Quarterly and it is for comparison purposes for the new versus the old.

NWL

Daniel, congratulations on the well deserved retirement. I hope to be heading in that direction in a little less than two years. I really look forward to more time with my trains, especially doing more research and layout building.

Well, on the topic of layout building, while recently visiting a dear friend in Europe he helped to connect me with these really nice Marklin signals, most in their original boxes. While unwrapping some of them, my heart almost skipped a beat as I could see they had been boxed for a very long time and were extremely well cared for.

Finally, the passenger coach is a Hermann two rail Eurofirma express coach for my two rail layout “Georgenstadt.”

All the best,

Miketg

Thanks very much Mike, it is finally time for hobbies.

Your Marklin signals are really nice and representative of Marklin quality.

Very Best,  Daniel

Afternoon Miketg:

Lovely signals.....but just a little clarification....if you will allow.

Your second photo of the "stop/go" signal is not Marklin, but infact a signal from Buco - Bucherer manufactured in Switzerland in the early 1950's, before they went into liquidation in 1957. Your particular signal has been "rotated" on its base so that the wire connections are at right angles to the globes, where-as the original signal had the wires running parallel, so the other set of signals (distant) could be wired in series.

I have taken some photos of this particular signal in operation on my layout, as well as depicted in the 1952 Buco catalogue, and one I have (among many) in the original box it came in. The catalogue also shows how these signals could be all wired in series to holt and hold a train on the layout using the "interruptor" center rail sections, and a special switch box.

Peter......Buco Australia

Peter,

Thank you for the clarification. This is quite informative and helpful. When I took the signal out of the box, I had a feeling it was something different but was not quite sure.

I have always admired your posts and have some friends in Europe who have some very nice Buco pieces in their collections. You can never beat Swiss quality!

Again, thank you for the clarification!

All the best,

Miketg

This week a Distler station is arrived. Here together with 2 other.

All 3 with the same baseplate

Made by Heinrich Fischer in the 20s

Made by Distler in the 30s

And made by Distler in the 30s.

And a train from Joustra was also included in the purchase. It´s from a monorail, but is small, more like S gauge.

Arne

@Arne- Fantastic stations, beautiful lithography and very interesting that the base plates were the same.  Thanks for posting.  The monorail from Joustra was also very interesting, is it electric or clockwork?  I see what might be electrical contacts on one of the two cars but can't be sure.

Thought I might try to keep our thread going with a VERY humble offering but interesting in its own way.  This little house or cab or cabin does not directly come from a train maker but is very close.  It was part of an "Erector Set" a toy introduced by A.C. Gilbert of American Flyer fame in 1913 (way before he took over American Flyer from William Coleman in 1939).  It was likely provided to represent an operators cab or shelter for a bridge or a crane that you created with other Erector pieces.  This idea of making items from Erector pieces to use with your trains continued throughout the duration of the company.

This is about 2" square at the base and while small, the doors / windows are clearly represented in "O" scale (the door being about 6-7 scale ft high for example).  The opposite sides and ends are the same.

Here is the side view, showing the "Erector" trademark (note line connecting the "R" and the "T")

I did post this on "Buy Anything Cool Today" as well since I purchased it today for $5 at a local "antique" store however it is lithographed tinplate manufactured by A.C. Gilbert one of the most famous names in U.S. toy trains.

Best Wishes

Don

@Don McErlean

The Joustra Monorail is clockwork. That´s no electrical contacts, they are rollers that run on a single rail.

Arne

The Erector shacks are versitile little buildings.  Here it is mounted on a Flyer light tower.

You can also find it used as a bridge keepers shack on the top of girder bridges.

Enjoying the World's Greatest Hobby

Northwoods Flyer

Greg

@Arne- thanks for the data on the Joustra monorail.  Now looking at the underside closely I can see how that works.

@Greg J. Turinetti- Neat picture Greg, I agree I think the little Erector house will find a suitable place on my layout.

Best wishes everyone

Don

I apologize if this is not the right thread for this question, but it seems those on here might be most qualified to answer.  I recently took the California Zephyr to visit the California State Railroad Museum in Sacramento (with a side trip to see a new grandbaby: tough competition there).  I was bowled over by the whole museum and recommend it unreservedly.  However, one of the tinplate displays stuck another needle in my arm.  Does anyone know anything about this "life size" replica of the No. 57 (I think) street light? I want one! I want one! Waaah!

@Golden Prairie Railroad posted:

I apologize if this is not the right thread for this question, but it seems those on here might be most qualified to answer.  I recently took the California Zephyr to visit the California State Railroad Museum in Sacramento (with a side trip to see a new grandbaby: tough competition there).  I was bowled over by the whole museum and recommend it unreservedly.  However, one of the tinplate displays stuck another needle in my arm.  Does anyone know anything about this "life size" replica of the No. 57 (I think) street light? I want one! I want one! Waaah!

I enjoyed seeing the life-sized lamp when I visited the museum during the 2011 TCA Convention in Sacramento.  I would suspect you would have to have someone make a life sized version for you, if you want one. 

@Golden Prairie Railroad posted:

I apologize if this is not the right thread for this question, but it seems those on here might be most qualified to answer.  I recently took the California Zephyr to visit the California State Railroad Museum in Sacramento (with a side trip to see a new grandbaby: tough competition there).  I was bowled over by the whole museum and recommend it unreservedly.  However, one of the tinplate displays stuck another needle in my arm.  Does anyone know anything about this "life size" replica of the No. 57 (I think) street light? I want one! I want one! Waaah!

That's very cool.  Looks like a convincing paint job.  Guessing that it's made of wood??

Not also the #126 station behind it.

Williams loco 381E and Lionel Classic state set, always nice to run,

Have a nice weekend,  Daniel

Wow .. its been a couple of months since I last had any suprises show up !

Today isnt a surprise however , more a plan coming together ... A couple of months ago I would have posted some Hornby loco bodies I picked up  ( to refresh your memories here they are again )

I grabbed these simply because they were in quite a nice condition ( and yes there is a boiler front for the one missing it ) with the plan one day to hopefully find a couple of mechanisms for them ... Well this week those mechs will be coming to be courtesy of a fellow Aussie ( Nick) who when cleaning out his closet found some pre-war Hornby manual reversing mechs in need of some love ...

So out of those four we should get both units up and running with a little luck ... The good news is , the one body unit without the steam chests at the front (#5508) is a factory omission and quite a bit rarer than the normal unit with siderods and steam chest , assuming it was a special order made to sell at a cheaper price point thru a retailer .

So two more pre-war Hornby's to live again !

@Fatman - Looks like a couple of good projects for this winter (or summer in your case). I'll be interested to see them once you've gotten the bits sorted and reassembled.

PD

New this week.

3 Issmayer passenger cars from around 1920.

Arne

@FRENCHTRAINS - Daniel, great set for sure.  I also noticed in the picture what seems to be a life sized (or perhaps real) locomotive head lamp in the background.  Do you have any history on that?

@Fatman - looks like you have some work cut out for you to bring back some of those Hornby locos.  However the shells seem in beautiful shape. Your comment on the steam chest omission was really interesting.  Did Hornby actually make custom modifications for a particular retailer?  Lionel and Marx made all kinds of substitutions to sets and some to loco's and rolling stock.  Marx in particular would either add or remove side rods to bring the price down or boost the perceived value.

@Arne- beautiful passenger cars.  I looked in my only reference covering Issmayer and Bub and did see some similar cars but in a yellow / red livery in the 1928 Bub catalog.   Would these cars have been one of the many shared items between Issmayer and Bub?

Best wishes and thanks for the postings

Don

@Don McErlean

a lot of the Issmayer and Bub models are very similar but never the same. Both had copied the ideas from the other.

Arne

@Don McErlean , in 1932 on Hornby offered a "revised body Style" of the No.0 locomotives ( colloquially called "Longsplashers", referring to the longer one piece splash guards over the wheels  ) and in 1937-9 they also made some without the steam chests , possibly as a cost cutting measure to appeal to more cash strapped buyers ?

UK retailers were a funny bunch and some of the emerging "supermarket" chains would only stock some things like toys if they were "unbranded" , Gamages was one such retailer .. In this way Meccano was able to make some money from these chains without technically undercutting their existing dealerships . Note the description in this post war train ad

Meccano actually produced a set with no Hornby branding at all under the name " British Express"

http://www.binnsroad.co.uk/rai...britishex/index.html

@Fatman posted:

@Don McErlean , in 1932 on Hornby offered a "revised body Style" of the No.0 locomotives ( colloquially called "Longsplashers", referring to the longer one piece splash guards over the wheels  ) and in 1937-9 they also made some without the steam chests , possibly as a cost cutting measure to appeal to more cash strapped buyers ?

UK retailers were a funny bunch and some of the emerging "supermarket" chains would only stock some things like toys if they were "unbranded" , Gamages was one such retailer .. In this way Meccano was able to make some money from these chains without technically undercutting their existing dealerships . Note the description in this post war train ad

Meccano actually produced a set with no Hornby branding at all under the name " British Express"

http://www.binnsroad.co.uk/rai...britishex/index.html

Was Gamages a supermarket chain?  I thought they were more of a department store, or am I just getting confused by differences in how our two countries say things?  I know that Gamages also marketed trains that American Flyer built for the British market, which were lithographed as British Flyer trains.  American Flyer produced these trains around 1920 or so, per advertisements of the day.  The unusual thing about the British Flyer engines is that they were specifically marketed for the British market as they featured non-American boiler designs.

NWL

@Nation Wide LinesYep Department store sorry ! ... ( I just used the market reference as in "Chain Store" for American friends lol even tho Gamages was mainly the Holborn  store but they also opened a Oxford St frontage as well in 1930 or so  )

My bad

I so seriously want those cast beauties you pictured , but they are hard beasties to find !

Arne, Fatman,and NWL -great information guys. Thank you your posts were really informative. I have a Marx set labeled on the box for Gamages  but it’s postwar perhaps as late as the 60’s.

best wishes

Don

@Don McErlean posted:

@FRENCHTRAINS - Daniel, great set for sure.  I also noticed in the picture what seems to be a life sized (or perhaps real) locomotive head lamp in the background.  Do you have any history on that?

Hello Don,

Sorry I am a little late. The railway lantern on the picture is a real one, it is a tail lantern and it is missing the red glass that I need to replace. It dates from the 40's and i have no more history about it.

All my best wishes, Daniel

Daniel- that is really neat. What a great collectible. Thanks for responding .    

Best wishes

Don

While I was looking on the computer for pictures to add, I just realised that I may be considered as an addict to Lionel stations.... and that I am in need of a 126 one.... they are hard to find in France but maybe in a near future I could add one...

Have a nice weekend and try to post something old or new.... Daniel

Solid Trains

  Like many of us my first introduction to the world of trains beyond the 4 x 8 foot plywood prairie or the living room broadloom frontier was the Bantam paperback Model Railroading featuring the world of Lionel trains.  I poured over that book and spent endless hours reading and re-reading sections, looking at the blueprints of all of those possible railroad empires, and studying the various pictures.

  As it turned out, my favorite pictures, which I returned to time and again, were the railroad empire pictures on pages 18, 97 and 125 of the 4th edition.  Of the group, the one that never ceased to amaze me was the one on page 18.

  It wasn't the scenery so much as the train in the picture and the text which said "Model railroaders who accumulate equipment throughout the years often wind up with "solid trains" of coal cars, "reefers" and others. Shown above is a "solid train" of cattle cars...."

  At that point in my life, it was a very big deal to have just one hopper, reefer, or cattle car. The idea that someday I might actually have a solid train of any of these items was more than I thought would ever be possible.

  As we all know, time passes, you grow up, and, if the passion for trains continues through the years, there is a very good chance you will eventually have enough cars to make up a solid train...so here I am, a long way from that young boy who marveled at the picture of the solid train of cattle cars...and various and sundry solid trains are a fact of life on my railroad empire.

   Here are five of them - solid consists of boxcars, loaded flatcars, and reefers. They are also solid tinplate and solid Marx.

Robert,

Your collection and photos never cease to amaze me.  Well done.

What about a solid consist of American Flyer coal hoppers?

Northwoods Flyer

Greg

Here's a solid unit train of mine from a few years back.

Two K-Line 333 Marx clones double headed and 79 cattle cars.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Zl7_MSigPlw

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UDpJxbWUM_4

@RoyBoy posted:

Here's a solid unit train of mine from a few years back.

Two K-Line 333 Marx clones double headed and 79 cattle cars.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Zl7_MSigPlw

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UDpJxbWUM_4

That's the longest tinplate train I've ever seen.

Long time between drinks for me lately !

But finally scored something shareworthy

One of these has been on my "lookout for " list for a long time , and found via a casual conversation with a friend who piped up with " I have something odd ? been in the cupboard for years , I think my dad found it ages ago"

When I saw it I was a tad " Shut your mouth ! " LOL!!! .... It was something I found one of ,many years ago, and was ghosted by the seller on a trading site , and had not seen another one since .

Its a diecast handcar , from the early 1950's , made by DCMT in England ( the casting firm for Crescent models) and uses the body from their Harry Hayseed Tricky Tractor atop an O gauge size handcar platform ... The body is linked via crankshaft to the axle and he rocks back and forth as it rolls along ... I have seen mention of it as " The Harry Hayseed Tricky Track Van " but have not been able to find much about it , and not even seen it advertised or catalogued . It has couplings to connect to "Something" but I know not what ? Possibly it could have been meant to be dragged by the Harry Hayseed Tractor, but given the violent back and forth of it with rotation in use , I cant see how it would have worked ?

But another missing hole in the collection is now filled

Is this thread dying ???   For me it is a great one and always great to look at tinplate pictures.

Not really tinplate, more brass plate, a great loco made by RV Zero in France of one of the last steam engine in service on tracks in the suburbs of Paris, a 141 TB locotender made to drive trains in forward and reverse with a special car at the opposite side of the train to control.  The real one is still preserved and run excursion trains in summer.

Merry Christmas everyone, Daniel

I hope not Daniel. I really enjoy seeing the tinplate. Now that I am retired, I can start posting pics after the New Year!

Bob

I think this topic somewhat overlaps the "Buy, Make Anything Cool - Tinplate" topic, which has been seeing more posts lately.  So it is not necessarily dying, it's just that the posts have been on that topic lately. 

Merry Christmas Daniel! ( and everybody else too! )

I have been stunningly absent in this thread lately , simply due to the slowing down of new acquisitions lately

This thread has and always will be the lifeblood heartbeat of OGR for me ... I am determined as ever that it will survive its senseless banishment to the boondocks of the Photo Albums area ( yes I can hold a grudge LOLOLOL!!! )

I have scored a couple of pre-christmas goodies for the Fatman Stocking tho

Couple of early Hornby ( UK ) wagons

And a little bit of Aussie history , in really poor shape , but us Aussie kids are notoriously hard on our toys , it comes from wrestling them out of the jaws of passing crocodiles, beating down passing kangaroos who thieve them and put then into their pouches , and braving brown snakes in the back yard and hordes of Redback Spiders in the sheds  simply to play with them

Its an accomplishment for a kid to simply survive to puberty in itself .. that his toys survive is purely a bonus ...

Here is a Boomeroo tinplate tram , made here in Australia and very collectible ... good examples fetching hundreds of dollars , which is kind of odd as they are very simple unpowered tinplate shells , with not outstanding lithography ... but I think perhaps its more nostalgia driven market than playability ...

Joyeux Noel !

Frohe Weinhacten !

Vrolijk Keersfest !

Shchaslyvoho Rizdva !

Bon Natali!

Merry Festivus!

Felice Navidad!

and a Ho -effing-Ho to all !

@Fatman posted:

Merry Christmas Daniel! ( and everybody else too! )

us Aussie kids are notoriously hard on our toys , it comes from wrestling them out of the jaws of passing crocodiles, beating down passing kangaroos who thieve them and put then into their pouches , and braving brown snakes in the back yard and hordes of Redback Spiders in the sheds  simply to play with them

Its an accomplishment for a kid to simply survive to puberty in itself .. that his toys survive is purely a bonus ...

What no Dingos to fight off? 

Here are a few Tinplate Christmas pictures for your holiday enjoyment from this year’s Christmas layout. Let’s keep Tinplate alive, it only gets better with age!

MERRY CHRISTMAS

Glad to see some stuff running as the big day approaches. Here's the Bing set getting a chance to stretch its legs on the Christmas display:

Likely closing in on the century mark, it still runs like a banshee.

PD

Merry Christmas to you "Fatman" from another O Gauge Tinplater in the "land down under"

Merry Christmas to all my other friends who post regularly on this section of the forum....you guys are the greatest.

Here is a recent photo of one of my Buco tinplate trains stopped at a Swiss station, waiting for the signal to move out and continue on its journey through the Swiss Alps!!!! Kangaroos, dingoes, brown snakes, and red-backed spiders won't stop these little beauties!!!!!!

And another shot of the "holding yard" for some of the other passenger trains waiting to go into service!! That's my own little Buco "creation" behind the Williams "Rock Island" diesels......a motorized Buco "railcar".....something they never made, but should have.

Merry Christmas to one and all also from Peter in the land down-under......Buco Australia

Well Buco that is a wonderful display of trains, Fatman a great tram certainly one not seen very often in the US.  So Merry Christmas to both you fellows, as its Christmas Day there and only Christmas eve here!  Rich, pd, NJCJOE great pictures thanks for posting.  So here are some of my tinplate trains to add to the fun.

A Marx Joy Line passenger express from about 1935.

A night express from French Hornby

A Lionel #253 and matching cars from the 1924-1932

The mighty Lionel #256 and her matching train1924-1930

Merry Christmas and Happy New Year to all

Best wishes

Don

So far I have not been able to find the right Beckh locomotive for my Beckh coronation wagon. That's why the train now has a Mettoy replacement locomotive. But it also looks attractive.

Arne

I too have not been very active lately. This thing called work and business travel has really gotten in the way. On thing I did pick up was this small bell ringing signal. I have a soft spot for these. Not sure if this is Bub or Bing and I can’t seem to find a maker’s mark.

All the best,

Miketg

As luck would have it a little "something something" showed up on Boxing Day for sale , so I scored me a little late Xmas pressie

A little cheap and cheerful Brimtoy King George rake from C1938-40 ... based on the LMS Locomotive to celebrate the coronation of King George in 1937

One of the Victims of WWII ... these beautiful locos only ran for three years in their bright colours , and the blue was only in the first year , 1937, before being blacked for the War and post war they were defrocked and taken back to non-streamlined versions .. rather a shame as I think they were beautiful

After many years of searching, and a few more months of waiting until Christmas,  I finally have my holy grail of mth tinplate, the Red 256!

I have been hunting for this at a reasonable price for at least 5 years. And as life would have it, I got so busy this fall I forgot to buy a replacement for the battery.  So yesterday,  living north of York,  I made a quick phone call to J and W, and drove down to pick up bcr 2 in person.

So this morning,  before the kiddos woke up, a quick swap was made, and away we go!

This simple around the tree action is just so satisfying to me it's unreal.  I just love it, and can't wait to set up on dcs and pull the full train.  Thanks for letting me geek out a little!

@Fatman-great little train and a super salute to a prewar Monarch

@jhz563- Congratulations on a great find. I have an original 256 and they are brutes as large if not larger than my Std Gauge #8. Best wishes with it.

Don

First time out of the box in over a year . Love Christmas floor layouts

@Miketg posted:

I too have not been very active lately. This thing called work and business travel has really gotten in the way. On thing I did pick up was this small bell ringing signal. I have a soft spot for these. Not sure if this is Bub or Bing and I can’t seem to find a maker’s mark.

All the best,

Miketg

Made by Karl Bub, model 172/2 (1927-1936)

Arne

Thank you Arne,

Your expertise is always very impressive!

All the best,

Miketg

The mix-n-match wind-up roster for this year's Christmas display. Top to bottom, Bing, Hornby, Marklin, Hafner:

Need to find a correct tender for the Marklin...

PD

I just posted a topic in the tinplate forum so here's my dad's 1936 American Flyer picture and video story.  The train appears at about 17:00 in the video if you don't want to watch the back story.  Please leave comments on the video if you have knowledge or info to help me.  Thank you and Happy New Year 2022.

@Apple & Orange Line posted:

I just posted a topic in the tinplate forum so here's my dad's 1936 American Flyer picture and video story.  The train appears at about 17:00 in the video if you don't want to watch the back story.  Please leave comments on the video if you have knowledge or info to help me.  Thank you and Happy New Year 2022.

See your other post in the Tinplate section for some comments.

NWL

Well as Daniel (French Trains) expressed, I am also hoping that we keep this topic going.  I was really happy as my "new" tinplate train appeared in the mail today, finally.  It was due 12/29 and arrived 1/4 but without any damage or concern.  This one, I mentioned in the "Buy anything cool..." was a very shortly before Christmas purchase that I picked up as the sole bidder for 99 cents!  I am really pleased with it, its a fun to see little train, but as you might expect it is a long way from a Lionel Std Gauge State Set !

I did not know the maker and neither did the seller but "Steve from PA" identified it as Heinrich Wimmer of Nuremberg (HWN) as he had an identical locomotive.  The only markings on the set are an embossed "Made in Germany" on the bottom of the passenger car floor and "Made in U.S. zone Germany" somewhere on each piece, sometimes like on the loco, in letters so small it takes a magnifying glass to find them.  Now, if that marking is real, it would date the pieces from 1952 or earlier (end of U.S. zone) but I have been told by other experts (Arne I believe) that many manufacturers especially of the inexpensive trains, never changed their litho or stamping masks so they could be marked U. S. zone forever.  Who knows.  The set, both loco and cars, have plastic wheels, so I would estimate its unlikely earlier than the 1950's.  Marx for example went to plastic in 1953-54 and Hornby in March of 1951.  Well, at any rate, here is my 99 cent HWN passenger set

Well best wishes to all and a Happy New Year !!

Don

Hi Don !

As has been rightly mentioned it is indeed a Wimmer   HWN was very early on a supplier to many chain stores etc and this little fellow is most likely one of those shipped over in big numbers to the US in the post war prosperity period of the 50's to 60's , hence the wolf in plain clothing look ...

You can also find him with the tender in proud HWN livery

Going by my experience there are far more of these cheap and cheerful Wimmer sets in the States than in Europe! ( because that's where the money was after the war )  It was a real boon to the toy-makers of the time, and they took full advantage of the American presence in Germany , ( Hence the U.S. Zone ), establishing profitable trade to help Germany advance from the terrible destruction and poverty following the defeat of the war . Japan also had a similar such lifeline after WWII ( and even WWI )

Some new ones coming to me ...

A trio of O gauge  Karl Bub Baggage wagons 2 in dark brown and one in the lighter variation ...

and probably 2 out of this collection of Bub/Bing that has been offered to me all below are 1 Gauge ,  ... not sure which ones yet ( lol ) what would YOU choose.. I am being drawn to the two extreme right front and back ones , although the passenger coach is missing the buffers ?

Decisions decisions ....

I was drawn to the same pair even before I saw what you wrote, for what little that may be worth to you.  Can buffers be found?

@Fatman- Thank you so much for your information and confirmation that my little clockwork steam set is HWN.  I also agree that the time period is likely to be the 50's and 60's  and the "postwar prosperity" time period.  Your variation with HWN on the tender now gives me something else to look for.  @StevefromPA- told me about the fact that for some of the passenger cars, the coach body can be detached making it a flatcar and HWN even produced other bodies that could be attached to make a boxcar.  Mine has some sort of release lever but it seems frozen at this point and I need to lube it (or hit it with some "Liquid Wrench") so I don't break it when I try and move it.  The clockwork motor seems to be ok but the brake lever is "frozen" at this point and I don't have a key, so messing with that is a future activity.

Beautiful Bing/Bub cars by the way.  Like @palallin- I would vote for the extreme right front and back to be 1 gauge but the one that seems to be marked with an "11" (or is that 2nd class) would be another possibility.

Best wishes and Happy New Year

Don

@Fatman posted:

A trio of O gauge  Karl Bub Baggage wagons 2 in dark brown and one in the lighter variation ...

Simon,

the lighter brown car is not made by Bub, that´s a Issmayer car.

Arne

@Arne posted:

Simon,

the lighter brown car is not made by Bub, that´s a Issmayer car.

Arne

Thanks @Arne    That's even better news . I was just going off what the seller ( a mate in Queensland)  told me and assumed he had seen it written somewhere ! I have a similar but not quite the same version made by Bub ... but no steps and door recessing different with different litho but similar ... the Issmayer/Bub connection catches me out again ! Looking at it now its obvious

Its got me buggered how you keep all of the knowledge you have in your brain ! Mine keeps dropping stuff everywhere !

@palallin I am sure I will have a rusty something with buffers laying about somewhere ( I hope) but if not I reckon I can live without them .... I love not being OCD about things like that it makes my life so much easier and allows me to grab all sorts of crap LOL!

Like comments above I was drawn to those end two variations .... but then the seller made it easy for me and told me he only wanted to keep one , .. so it seems the other 4 will be coming here ... wallet lighter but decision made

So these 4 Gauge 1 beauties  are coming too ...

Happy New Year everyone and happy Tinplate.

Nothing new for the moment but it will come next....

@Fatman Simon, if you need original Bing buffers in gauge 1 ... I do have some....

Daniel

More old junk, I felt like running some trains after pouring a  little green paint on the layout lol  Kind a like the Athearn boxcars on prewar trucks!

@FRENCHTRAINS posted:

Happy New Year everyone and happy Tinplate.

Nothing new for the moment but it will come next....

@Fatman Simon, if you need original Bing buffers in gauge 1 ... I do have some....

Daniel

Thanks Daniel ... I have had a closer look at the picture and it appears the particular one he was talking about never actually HAD buffers ... LOL ! But again your offer to help out is just marvelous ..

Good morning everyone!

Just finished cleaning up this Bing station. Very nice for its age. When I plan to retire in 18 months layout construction will move forward. (Still looking for a retirement basement.) Enjoy the rest of the weekend! Miketg

That Bing station looks great! What did you use to clean it?

Thanks,

Bob

Hi Bob,

This came to me in great condition so I did not do much. First cleaning was cool distilled water and qtips. Second cleaning was warm water and qtips, no soap at all as I did not want to damage any of the finish. Final cleaning was with a damp wet cloth. That is it. The piece was so nice to start with that I did not want to take any chances in damaging it.

Miketg

I use water to cleaning only on very dirty parts. Mostly I use "Meguiar´s cleaner wax".

Arne

Well today my offering is both "Tinplate" and "Marx" so I guess I will post to both threads.  Some of you may recall that I have been trying to assemble a "Seaboard" tinplate Marx passenger set for some time.  I had obtained one A unit, a Bogota coach, and the 6" tinplate caboose previously.  Well I had managed to obtain the observation car and just over last weekend the dummy A arrived.  Now all I am missing is the B unit (the single most scarce piece of the FM line) and the green / yellow "Montclair" coach.

Here is the new Marx Seaboard FM AA unit with the two matching passenger cars.

Here is a close up of the new Marx #4000 dummy A unit.

Best wishes

Don

Just displayed some Hornby trains in a cabinet in the storage room.  Trains are French and British ones mainly from the thirties.

Now to the next one...

Have a nice weekend, Daniel

@FRENCHTRAINS- Daniel, great display.  Close observation allows me to now know more things I don't have!

Best wishes

Don

Quick video of my O-scale loop on the SG Upstairs Layout- I created the "Majestic Mountain" from chicken wire and newspaper and Elmer's glue, primered and then painted in acrylics. Design and paint scheme after a 1929-1930 American Flyer catalog illustration. The Mountain is 6 ft long x 2 ft high, x 1 ft deep. Two SG tracks run through it.

Showing a few 'special' items I had specifically created for the Circus scene on my SG Upstairs Layout. The red jeep is 1/24, repainted and decaled after "Boss Man" Charlton Heston's in the film, "The Greatest Show on Earth".  Also a redone G-scale bubble wagon that I had decals specifically made and applied for my Circus. Lastly, Mrs. ButtonsN.Bows- who is CEO of the Circus and Head Clown, is an Aristo Craft #1 Gauge figure I repainted, modeling her after my professional Clown persona from years ago. I had/have a similar pink wig and style of costume. The blue "Publicity Banner" seen behind the green light tower, was a former promotional piece I used in my Clowning, that we created a wood and string framing for. MTH Ives Circus cars are seen heading down the track towards the repro 115 station, going through a Pride Lines Passenger Shed. An original Barclay gentleman I repainted, stands next to his 1/24 automobile, on the back side of the T- Reproduction Roundhouses.

@Nation Wide Lines posted:

I think this topic somewhat overlaps the "Buy, Make Anything Cool - Tinplate" topic, which has been seeing more posts lately.  So it is not necessarily dying, it's just that the posts have been on that topic lately.

I have plenty of pics I can share here! Bought and Made some time back, but still cool.

A tail end Tuesday pic taken today, a day late. On the SG Main Floor Layout. “Bogie” in the trench coat is a Preiser G-scale figure. “Big Ben” has a working clock, it’s a chocolate mints tin. The green passenger cars are the MTH Repro Stephen Girard set. The MTH repro 200 series freight cars are pulled by a pink 408E.

@Carey TeaRose - WOW 12 cu ft of plaster !  What a mountain, looks great by the way.  One thing I noticed in your post of what you called the SG Upstairs layout, just across the tracks from Charlton Heston's Jeep is a small brick lithographed building.  I believe I have the same building and its a "Parkville" Station by Chien. I have always dated it to the 1930's but honestly don't know.  Perhaps you have some additional information on it.  Also I will post below, Chien made another version of the same building but with much more elaborate lithography.

Here is the little station that I think I saw on your layout.

Here are views of the front, rear, and side of the more elaborate lithographed version of the same building also by Chien. Note that this station says "Toytown" vice "Parkville" and it does not have the windows in the rear punched out in order to provide more area for lithographing.   I have little to no information on these items and if you have more information that you are willing to share I would most certainly appreciate it.  

Well Carey, its rare that I think there is anything I have that could add to your fabulous layouts but maybe this little building is something you might seek out.  Nevertheless, your layouts are wonderful and thank you for posting.

Best Wishes

Don

A couple of light towers on the Roundhouses area of the SG Upstairs Layout. The green 381E is there, as is the requisite turntable.

A back corner view on the SG Main Floor “Showcase” Layout. Yes, there are marble pieces set in on the four corners of this table.

@Don McErlean posted:

@Carey TeaRose - WOW 12 cu ft of plaster !  What a mountain, looks great by the way.  One thing I noticed in your post of what you called the SG Upstairs layout, just across the tracks from Charlton Heston's Jeep is a small brick lithographed building.  I believe I have the same building and its a "Parkville" Station by Chien. I have always dated it to the 1930's but honestly don't know.  Perhaps you have some additional information on it.  Also I will post below, Chien made another version of the same building but with much more elaborate lithography.

Here is the little station that I think I saw on your layout.

Here are views of the front, rear, and side of the more elaborate lithographed version of the same building also by Chien. Note that this station says "Toytown" vice "Parkville" and it does not have the windows in the rear punched out in order to provide more area for lithographing.   I have little to no information on these items and if you have more information that you are willing to share I would most certainly appreciate it.  

Well Carey, its rare that I think there is anything I have that could add to your fabulous layouts but maybe this little building is something you might seek out.  Nevertheless, your layouts are wonderful and thank you for posting.

Best Wishes

Don

I love this! I frankly cannot remember about it, I may have found it on a “Chein” search in vintage toys on eBay. Since I have a Chein cathedral and Ferris wheel on the Main Floor Layout. Will do a bit of looking, as it could work in a small space on the new Basement Layout.

A picture from Saturday 1/12/2023: for The VintageHubby’s new WIDE GAUGE/STANDARD GAUGE Basement Layout. Just arrived; original BOUCHER Wide Gauge 2222 engine & original BOUCHER Pennsylvania tender. Pulling original DORFAN Wide Gauge freight cars; tank car, Pennsy hopper, caboose. All from Dave Corbett of WI. The original DORFAN WG boxcar was found on eBay. One more freight car is scheduled to be coming tomorrow, the gondola.

A view at the main station area on the Upstairs Layout. Quite an assortment of peeps, cookie tin houses, lights, structures. Plenty of accessories old and new. 3 repainted original O-scale 600 series Blue Comet passenger cars coming across Majestic Mountain after the Hellgate Bridge.

@Arne posted:

I use water to cleaning only on very dirty parts. Mostly I use "Meguiar´s cleaner wax".

Arne

gorgeous buildings! What manufacturer are they please?

For 1/2

01/19/2023

Original Wide Gauge American Flyer beauties! Three car red decal “Warrior” passenger set. Perfect for being pulled by my original Wide Gauge American Flyer 1931 Brass Piper bell ringer locomotive & it’s Wide Gauge American Flyer 1931-1932 tender. All from Dave Corbett in WI.

The original Wide Gauge DORFAN Gondola freight car arrived. A beauty!  The Reproduction DORFAN Crocodile is pulling four of the five freight cars in this video.

Detailing. I love this part of creating our Standard Gauge Layouts at our home.

Using the Barclay pieces, these soldiers and cannons atop an original Lionel 211 flat car.

@Carey TeaRose posted:

Detailing. I love this part of creating our Standard Gauge Layouts at our home.

Using the Barclay pieces, these soldiers and cannons atop an original Lionel 211 flat car.

Wow! Nice!!

Joe Gozzo

@Carey TeaRose posted:

Detailing. I love this part of creating our Standard Gauge Layouts at our home.

Using the Barclay pieces, these soldiers and cannons atop an original Lionel 211 flat car.

The Manoil cannons work perfect.

Steve