@palallin posted:Excellent; thank you!! I know now more of what I am looking at and what I am looking for.
I have seen pics of poles just like the sheet metal ones in the first group but with square bases. A variation at the time or modification in the intervening years, I wonder.
Flyer never used square bases on their telephone poles.
And again: thank you for that tidbit!
That is really cool. A lot of drama going on in that little station. I can kind of make up scenarios in my head what people are thinking. Love the soda fountain scene. I was a soda jerk back in my feckless youth and that might have been some of the best times ever. I can still make a Hubba Hubba, 5 scoops and plenty on top, and don’t miss a chance to chat up the pretty girl on the high stool.
Cheers, W1
@William 1 posted:Just an attempt to put together the most colorful train I could with 500 freights and my super smooth running Blue Comet 390E. She is a honey, hauling 7 cars with nary a whimper. Have a great weekend all you tinplate nuts!
Marvelous; thank you!
@William1 : That is a great train, both with the 500 freights and with the Baby Blue State Cars you showed earlier. It seems to run smooth and really pull well. Did you have to rebuild the motor? Arnie - What a great station, I never knew that Banner Plastics (note "plastics") ever made any lithographed tin items. If you look at how the people are pictured, both women and men with everyone in hats and little boys in knickers etc, I would have to agree that it dates to the 50's. Men in the US stopped wearing hats about the time JFK became President (he didn't wear one) in the 1960's. Great station thank you for posting.
Best wishes
Don
Don - I never had to do anything to her but turn the button on my Cab1 to the right a couple turns and off she goes. I feel so lucky to have her. Long may she run.
Cheers, W1
Scored this really nice green base 520 searchlight car. I was momentarily dismayed when it didn’t light up but screwing in the bulbs took care of that. Probably the easiest fix in toy train history! Pretty happy with this find. I think now I do have every color scheme of 500 freights. Not every variation, but the base colors. Gonna double check my Greenberg guide on that now.
Cheers! W1
@William 1 : Beautiful searchlight cars...my data says that the terra cotta / brass car dates from 1931 and the green / nickel car dates from 1935. The fact that your 390E never needed much of a re-build is really amazing. A true credit to the quality of the trains when they were manufactured.
jhz - Great video, really like that mallet and you have my strong cheers for the little Hornby.
Best wishes
Don
Don - Quick back story on the 390E. Don’t know if it’s necessarily in good taste to comment on prices, but I bought her on a Christmas Day for $500. I see a similar model as far as condition on a site and the guy is asking $7995 for it and I can guarantee it can’t run better than my girl. I thought it didn’t run when I put it on the track at first. Was DOA. I think she was a shelf queen for 2 years before I decided to give it another go. Can’t remember what it was I did, a direction lever to lock it in forward? but I did something right and she started right up and now you can’t stop her. Best Christmas present I ever gave myself.
Thanks for your comments, W1
MTH Telegraph poles for $110!
@William 1 : Great story about the 390E I had a similar experience with my 224 pre-war steamer. Seller gave me a great price but told me that honestly it didn't run. I wanted a shelf queen for a set of pre war Lionel passenger cars so that was ok. Some 2 years later when I finally negotiated some room to put up a layout...I set it on the track and started fooling around with the direction lever...lowe and behold, she took off and has been running since. Can't reverse but I don't back up a passenger train anyway. I also liked your "double headed" #8's they look good.
Don
@Nation Wide Lines posted:Don,
I saw your post and set out to find some of these.
In my search, I first found this pond.
It is unmarked, but similar enough to the rock mounds, that I suspected it may have been made by the same manufacturer.
Finally, I found some of the rock mounds.
In finding the rock mounds, I discovered the manufacturer of both the rock mounds and the pond. These items were made by T. Cohn Inc. and are often confused as Superior Toys as the T. Cohn Inc. used the following slogan "Another Superior Toy by T. Cohn"
The rock mounds were included in 3 different western playsets that they made, the Fort Superior, Fort Comanche, and Fort Apache sets that they made in the 50s and 60s. The rock mounds are designed for the plastic indians/cowboys to hide behind.
The pond, was labeled as a duck pond in the farm set that they sold.
I also found a picture on-line of a swimming pool that used the same stamping as the pond and was included in a doll house set that they made.
Now I need to find some ducks for the pond.
NWL
I found one of the swimming pools, which will be placed behind one of my Lionel Mansions or Villas.
I just need to make a diving board and ladder for the pool, as the base is stamped for these accessories, but mine was missing them.
I also have some ducks/swans coming for the pond. Will post photos of it after they arrive.
NWL
Geese. How about a gaggle of girls in bikinis.
@William 1 posted:Geese. How about a gaggle of girls in bikinis.
The geese/ducks are for the duck pond. Will have to look for some bathing beauties now that I found the pool.
NWL : AMAZING ! I have no idea of the source of such finds that you come up with. But the swimming pool is really amazing. Great find.
Don
@Nation Wide Lines posted:I found one of the swimming pools, which will be placed behind one of my Lionel Mansions or Villas.
I just need to make a diving board and ladder for the pool, as the base is stamped for these accessories, but mine was missing them.
I also have some ducks/swans coming for the pond. Will post photos of it after they arrive.
NWL
Here are a group of Grey Iron people that may interest you . They are Grey Iron , “The American Family at the Beach” series . More or less the size fits Standard Gauge . They pop up on eBay every once in a while. The pond and pool are cool finds that’s for sure . I did see two rock mounds for sale on eBay a week ago . Starting price was $19.00 . 
Well its been a rather self imposed drought here at the Musee de Fatman ... Sadly with the state of things in the world I figured my train budget for a while could be better served elsewhere .
But I simply couldn't pass this little fellow up .... and I think the Brothers Bing might have a little to say about the blurb on the box 
Specifically the "complete " aspect of it ...
However the loco itself IS a good deal smaller than a Bing OO ( Bing is about 110mm )
And a "Stolen off the web" pic to give us an idea of actual size .... Mine is complete and running this one is broke lol
Going by that the loco is about 68mm long ... I suppose then they might get away with their claim ???
Made in the UK post war I believe .. "Teeny toys " also made clockwork cars and other diecast stuff .
Been after one of these for a while now ... 
Fatman - Great set..."Teeny Toys" another name I had not heard before...thanks for posting. I wish I had something to add but I am afraid that its been a dry spell for me as well on the "tinplate" front. Best wishes.
Don
Nice little set Simon, as you all is quite here but I just traded with a friend a bunch of ETS freight cars for a nice looking Hornby loco in French livery, it is a 20v electric model from 1934-35.
So, one more in the collection....
Daniel
Greetings Tunnel Fanatics
Couldn't pass up acquiring my second big Marklin 2523 tunnel from 1902-1919. Somehow I was able to shoe horn it on to the layout by taking out a Ross LH 054/072 switch (sold on O gauge forum plus the connecting track that led to a Lionel switch which also was removed.
End result is shown in the following photos. Lew Schneider
My #10 is back from the shops and rollin again good as new! Very happy. Should have posted here first. For a 95 year old girl oh man she is a honey when she gets warmed up, think I’ll put in her on a pillow next to me tonite and tell her how much I missed her.
Cheers! W1
Daniel- what a beautiful French Hornby. Since it’s marked “NORD” it must be pre nationalization right? Lew rail- tunnels are amazing. Hoe anything that large survived a century plus is hard to believe. Great find!! W1-that#10 really looks good. Are you repairing / reconditioning them yourself or do you have a trusted repair source?? Best wishes everyone.
Don
Don - I’m not there yet. Bill at Des Plaines hobbies got her back in shape. Very grateful. I would like to learn how to fix these up like you guys do but not sure where to start. Baby steps for now.
Beautiful Riviera Daniel ! The hard part will be finding coaches just as nice !
Lew outstanding tunnels , you come up with the most amazing things !
And a gorgeous old girl from @William 1 
Don't be too afraid of these old girls , they were built tough,....With time will come the confidence to "have a crack" yourself
( start out with something you don't mind messing up and build from there LOL #Protip No.1 )
Maybe even buy an uber cheap post war Marx and pull it down to start with , as you say "baby Steps" and youtube is your friend!
Thanks, the loco is pre nationalization Don, the national French railways where founded in 1938 and unfortunately Hornby stopped producing that loco just at the beginning of world war two. It will not reappear after and a SNCF model would have been nice. Only PLM for Paris Lyon Mediterannée where produced but in a large quantity of variations, several clockwork types of motor and electric ones in 4 6 and 20 volts, both manual or auto reverse; it makes a huge number of variations to find...
The cars are already in stock Simon, not a problem, here they are. Sorry for the pictures of poor quality...
Daniel
I have been searching for ducks for my duck pond, but due to the rising prices caused by inflation, all I could afford was half a duck!
NWL
As spring approaches, I always try to find something special for my birthday. This year I again lucked out and found something interesting. I offer this up for your viewing pleasure. I estimate it to date to the middle 1920s.
I have to admit it is the first 1 Dozen box I have acquired. Previous acquisitions include 1/12 dozen (a complete train set) and 1/2 dozen boxes (assorted cars).
Here is another shot
As you might guess from the stamping on the box, it is a dozen light bulbs
What is interesting is that 8 of the bulb containers are un-opened, factory sealed, NOS bulbs.
I guess if I had posted this photo first, there would have been little mystery as to what was in the box.
NWL
NWL: Neat box of lightbulbs and the box is in extraordinary condition including the labels. Given these items were not really printed with any long life in mind, the fact that they are so clear and bright is really amazing. OBTW remember those famous words..." half a duck is better than none !!"
Best Wishes
Don
Nifty!
Daniel : Coaches are beautiful and that new loco will make a gorgeous train. I admit I didn't realize that it was the Hornby version of the famous "Riviera Blue" train. Thanks for confirming that the "NORD" markings made the loco pre nationalization. I have been studying my new book on French Hornby and thought that was the case. W1 thanks for the repair source information, I may choose to have a std gauge loco that I have repaired but at the moment I have no where to run these big guys.
Best wishes to all
Don
Despite the electric power, it must be a Texas train, all cattle and oil
Looks great!
Some more information on Hornby's Nord Pacifics. Of course we know that Hornby cheated by providing 4 not 6 driving wheels. But they were quite accurate when it came to producing their final version, because it was numbered 3.1290. That number was the last of the 1931 3.1251-3.1290 batch of
"Super Pacifics". Here are two photos of my 3.1290. The other Hornby locomotives in the photos are the very rare Canadian Pacific 2800 and an Argentine Export 4-4-2. Lew
Wow, those are some beauties. Very impressive.
@lewrail - Those Hornby engines are really something. Thanks for posting. W1 - another great engine and running really well. Palallin - (old Texas saying)..."People tell us "cattle smell" we agree...to us they smell like MONEY!"
Best wishes everyone
Don
The last French model of the Hornby Nord loco with smoke deflectors. A little different from Lew's British one. Passenger cars are the original set that matches the engine, 1935.
Now looking at William 1 ' videos.......I think I will run some standard gauge trains this weekend, I really enjoy looking at yours...
Have a great weekend, Daniel
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