Tinplate photos 📸 and videos 📽

Jim  Kelley-Evans the AF Wide Gauge "President's Special" is one of the peaks of American Tinplate in my view.  It is truly beautiful and it was great to see it running.  thanks for posting.  Tinplate Art thank you for your compliment on "Joan"...those little cars are humble but fun and I always get a smile thinking of the joy that they might have brought to some young person in 1930 as the world began to collapse.  Daniel - what can I say, your offerings are spectacular.  Beautiful JEP coaches.

My offering today, which I also posted on the layout thread, is my singular accomplishment in improving my layout in months.  It is the installation of the 1953, Hornby No 2 Junction signal.  It will now protect the team/passing track that goes behind my City Depot.  This signal was made for many years then was unavailable during the war.  It re-entered the Hornby line in 1953 with a few changes, mostly it was slightly smaller.  My Hornby reference fixes the date of this one to 1953 because in 1954 they changed the color of the dummy lamps behind the signal lenses from white to black.  Anyway, here is my new signal installed on the layout.

Best wishes for a happy and healthy weekend everyone

Don

Yes, the Christmas layout is still up. Plugging away at it in my own dogged way. Except for the woeful lack of signals, it is pretty much accessorized. You will note (horrors) snow glued to the roofs. This is a mix of joint compound, washable Elmers glue and diamond dust, so completely reversible. (I hope) Doesn't matter, this is their final destination.

I posted the unfinished balustrades a few weeks ago. For now they are "cream", matching the bridge posts. I could make the actual rails and turnings green as suggested by John Shelter, but will it be too busy?

Still have to finish the ballustrade on the other three sides, make legs, and add a few more figures and cars.

Will, the layout looks great. Incorporating the balusters into the perimeter looks very classy as does the finish matching the Lionel sign. Painting the balusters green is a tough call, I wonder if you could photoshop that to see how it would look.

The layout looks great, Will. My opinion, I'd leave the balustrades a cream color. It works well with the winter theme, and darker coloring would likely appear garish against the white of the layout. On the other hand, if you're looking for contrast, a nice apple-green might look nice.

Don, I have a Hornby semaphore on the layout as well. I'm not sure of the vintage, and a previous owner repaired it with two same-height fixtures (one should be taller than the other). While the mechanism is manual, mine has a pair of connectors on it which are presumably for lighting...not sure, haven't spent any time trying to figure it out.

Will when you previously solicited opinions on the balusters I thought cream and green like the 102 bridge based upon the photos you had posted. Now that I see your “Classic” looking layout in its entirety I would just leave them cream. They are a nice subtle contrast to the table facia and adding green may look too busy.  I also like your pale green control panel corners. Overall the layout is great and features some very nice pieces of Lionel memorabilia.

PD;  signal looks great. Note you have “lattice work” on the uprights which date your signal as pre-war. Not sure about the terminals but expect they were for the lights as you suggest. The chevron color does coordinate somewhat with year of production as do a few other small details like whether you have finials or flat caps on top of the uprights. I can try to see if my Hornby reference gives any clues as to Year if you wish.

Don

PD.  That signal is nice. I just got finished redoing a few old AF signals.

Will / PD great layouts.  Will that "Lionel Lines" table is really neat, was that a commercial product or did you make it?  OBTW I have used "Elmers" white glue to temporarily hold things (mostly my layout people) and it is normally reversible but it does seem to get tougher with age.  In addition packing stuff with Elmers on it away in the attic (hot/dry) seems to make the glue tougher to get off.

Well besides my "new" Hornby No2 Junction Signal I also managed over the Holidays to acquire a little Karl Bub cw train set.  This little guy is not old, most certainly post war, likely fairly new (plastic wheels).  However he was auctioned off at a very low price and  I just couldn't resist.  Loco is all tinplate except for the plastic drive wheels and has a clockwork motor (which works fine).  Motor is also all metal, both frames and gears and incorporates a simple brake with a lever in the cab. Cab is marked    "413E" under the cab window whatever that means.  Loco has a rear swiveling hook coupler also made of sheet metal.  Rest of consist has simple hook and eye couplers where the eye is just an extension of the frame stamping.  The tender has an "eye" on both ends whereas the gondola has one eye and a swiveling hook similar to the loco.  No idea when it was made although it is marked "Made in Western Germany" which, if accurate, would put the date before October 1990.

Here is the full train, showing the small consist of just the tender and a gondola.  Note the "lightning bolts" on the smoke deflectors.  I liked the neat black / orange color scheme as well.

Here he is coming at you showing the (simulated) marker lights (just a tab with holes) and you can see the "BUB" name on the front pilot.

Side view close up of the locomotive.  He is just 4 3/4" long and 2 3/4" high to the top of the cab or smoke deflectors.

Here is a boiler front view, showing some detail embossed into the boiler front stamping and more easily showing the "BUB" name printed on the pilot.  By the way, there appears to be some sort of vertical mark just ahead of the word "BUB".  Under a magnifying glass it is simply a short vertical stripe, no idea what it means or perhaps it is just left over from a part of the paint stamping that has eroded - like perhaps the BUB was supposed to be surrounded by a printed rectangle.

The tender, with its orange frame and rivet / leaf spring  detail. It is but 3" long and 2" high to the top of the coal pile

The gondola, appears to have writing on it, but under close evaluation the writing is just simulated with a series of short "dots".  It does have a number, "62541" and the legend "made in western Germany" . The black panel in the lower left is just a simulated car data panel but it contains no actual writing.   It also has an odd logo of sorts in the upper right hand corner.  It is hard to describe but resembles a semi-circular head with a capital "T" under it.  ??? who knows what this means, help from anyone most desired.  Gondola is 4 " long (not including couplers) and 2" high. Frame shows same leaf spring detail as tender.

Although this is likely an inexpensive toy, I remain impressed with the quality of these German made toys.  The construction, while inexpensive, is solid, well executed, and without obvious production defects.  The finishes are solid and well done, embossed detail is high, and one gets an overall impression of quality work.

Well that's it for me today.  Anyone who can help with any further information on the Karl Bub train set it would be most welcome.

Best wishes

Don

Nice job, Pete. I have a well-worn Lionel 76 that could stand a refurb, but then part of me says leave it as it is.

Thanks for the Hornby info, Don. Someday I'll take some time and trace the circuitry on it. I tried connecting it to a transformer years ago and it immediately tripped the pack circuit breaker.

I'll post a pic when I get a moment.

PD

Daniel: Love that beautiful JEP set!

Don M: DELIGHTFUL Karl Bub set - a real little GEM!

Here's another piece from storage I had not seen in many years and one I'm quite proud of :  Lionel's Scenic Park from 1932.

Aside from my Grandfather's 390E and passenger cars, which hold great sentimental value to me, this is probably my favorite piece from 50 years of collecting. In fact I own very little in the way of rolling stock as I have always focused on the factory built accessories and scenery. Given it's size of almost 5 ft. long and low production numbers (offered 1932-33 only), this piece stands alone for me because of how hard they are to find, especially complete and in good condition.

From Greenberg's Guide : 920 Scenic Park (1932-33). Rectangular plywood two-section base with rounded corners and raised felt composition terrace, hand-painted and detailed with grass, trees, hedges, and shrubbery, two 184 Bungalows, two 189 Villas, two 191 Villas, 910 Grove of Trees, 914 Park Landscape. 57" x 31 1/2"x10" high, illuminated.

I really like the abundance of trees , the ground covering, and especially the hedgerows.

Each Bungalow or Villa has it's own set of hand made wooden stairs which descend from the top of the terrace to the "Park" area below. Some of them lead to the sidewalk which runs along the backside of the platform .

A brass makers plaque adorns the front

Each house is wired for lighting and there's a recessed wood cavity that allows the wiring to jump from one section to the next when the two halves are joined. I wanted to show this as well as the underside framework  but the post is already getting photo heavy . Perhaps I will make a separate thread for it someday and add some of the construction details for anyone who may be interested.

Hope you enjoy seeing it as much as I do.

That Lionel factory-built scenic plot is too awesome for mere words!    Literally priceless!

Gerry, I am VERY interested!

Gerry, that is a pretty amazing possession to have.  I don't think I've ever seen such detailed photos of one. Did you see my winterized scenic plot on the Christmas layout I posted a few posts up?

Yes I did Will,  I added my "Like" this morning. Looks like you made your own corner elevation in the back left. Very nice work I enjoyed looking it over and I agree with the others who say the balusters look good in that cream color. Looks factory.

@Don McErlean posted:

Will / PD great layouts.  Will that "Lionel Lines" table is really neat, was that a commercial product or did you make it?  OBTW I have used "Elmers" white glue to temporarily hold things (mostly my layout people) and it is normally reversible but it does seem to get tougher with age.  In addition packing stuff with Elmers on it away in the attic (hot/dry) seems to make the glue tougher to get off.

Don

Don, I love the Bub set. As for the table- home-made. I still have to make the legs which will be tapered straight legs in the same ivory color. One thing different than the Lionel factory tables is the chamfered corners.  A lot of work, but it sure makes walking around it in a tight space easier.

Scott Smith

ALL great artifacts shared here by seasoned collectors who truly appreciate their found treasures! THANK YOU from this vicarious "armchair" enthusiast!

Hi All !

Well AGAIN .. no new tinplate from the Aussie this week .. things are looking dire indeed!

( I did buy a little Gama clockwork tank , but its in no way train related lol )

@Don McErlean Your little Bub is in really great condition and as you have already decided it is probably from the late 60's to late 70's time frame due to the plastic wheels ... the "T" mark is often found on european wagons... I have a few Kraus Fandors and other German makes  with it ... I am assuming it was a makers mark of the real life wagons, or a designation from real wagons that has been carried over to our "toys"

bub

Kraus