Merry Christmas to all the fine tinplaters of the O Gauge Community ... thank you all for another year of fun , knowledge, and banter ... Through all the trials and tribulations that 2020 has brought us the spirit and generosity and comraderie has been simply AWESOME !
The many erudite, passionate and generous collectors on this forum make this a very special place for the sharing of knowledge of these fascinating trains.
Hope everyone here had a happy and a safe Christmas with their family.
In the " one can never have too much fun " box ... I just scored TWO Bassett Lowke (?)-6-(?) clockwork mechanisms locally in Aus !!!
Now after years of seeing the occasional Bassett Lowke bodies for sale on ePay and me tapping my fingers thinking "OK When am I ever likely to find a mech for them ?" and letting them go ..watch the drought begin where nary a one is listed for the next 12 months !!!
Unsure of running condition however they were at least listed as " working " , whether that translates to working well could be another matter , but we shall see when they get here ... I think other collectors were a bit put off on the first one because it had the wheels removed , but from the photos it looks like all the goodies are there to put them back on .. the second one got a bit more auction love as it at least looked complete , but with both mechanisms coming to me for an average of $40AUD each (about 30USD/16GBP/25Euro ) I could not walk away ... thats probably less than the wheels value in reality
If nothing else they lend themselves to powering "Something" one day ?
Mech #1
Wheels and hardware for #1
And Mech #2
What else we can share? :-)
A complete original train set made by CR for Charles Rossignol in France, I think it dates from around 1940. The streamlined engine is typical from that period and was a symbol of modernism. The trains made by CR are very specials, they are made of thick tin, very colorful and mainly toy collectors have a specific appeal for them. They are less sought after by train collectors as despite being O gauge they are a little small and their running ability is not the best, despite having more interest in bigger pieces from Lionel, Jep, Hornby and many others I have always kept this one maybe as finding an original boxed model is fine, finally I will restore this one and test it next weekend, it is specified having an automatic reverse and needs a wheel axle on the passenger car, also missing the corridor between tender and car but all of this is an easy fix.
And some accessories also from CR
Daniel
Nice CR set, Daniel. Fatman, good snag on those clockwork motors. Something will come along and you will be able to use them. A few years ago I acquired a Standard gauge basket case Boucher 2500 Pacific and tender (1923-34.) The locomotive was missing some critical parts: no cab roof, one side firebox and wheel shroud missing, missing valve gear, incorrect pilot and trailing trucks, and more. It had much rust and paint loss. Luckily the motor and gears and other internals were in good shape. It's been a long journey to bring this one back, but there is light at the end of the tunnel. Here are a few photos showing the condition as received. This locomotive has some interesting details that I have not seen on other Boucher 2500's. Note the handrail, made of steel not brass, that arches over the boiler front, and the screw-on glass lens for the headlamp, both are features that i am unfamiliar with on 2500s. I'll post some "after" photos when I get it mostly finished.
Monsieur French Train, I find your CR Train Lux Eclair to be tres-elegant! I am in great appreciation of the artwork on the original box as well , Formidable! Hope you get her running! The accessories look remarkable!
merci!
Bonne Anne en toute security.
Pierre (Leroof)
A late version, perhaps the final version, of the Lionel 2677 gondola:
Blackened wheels and journals, automatic couplers, with a few craft store wooden barrels for fun.
PD
@Leroof posted:Monsieur French Train, I find your CR Train Lux Eclair to be tres-elegant! I am in great appreciation of the artwork on the original box as well , Formidable! Hope you get her running! The accessories look remarkable!
merci!
Bonne Anne en toute security.Pierre (Leroof)
Thank you Mister Leroof, the bos is art deco at its best.
Pierre, tous mes meilleurs voeux, Daniel
@Jim Kelly-Evans posted:Nice CR set, Daniel. Fatman, good snag on those clockwork motors. Something will come along and you will be able to use them. A few years ago I acquired a Standard gauge basket case Boucher 2500 Pacific and tender (1923-34.) The locomotive was missing some critical parts: no cab roof, one side firebox and wheel shroud missing, missing valve gear, incorrect pilot and trailing trucks, and more. It had much rust and paint loss. Luckily the motor and gears and other internals were in good shape. It's been a long journey to bring this one back, but there is light at the end of the tunnel. Here are a few photos showing the condition as received. This locomotive has some interesting details that I have not seen on other Boucher 2500's. Note the handrail, made of steel not brass, that arches over the boiler front, and the screw-on glass lens for the headlamp, both are features that i am unfamiliar with on 2500s. I'll post some "after" photos when I get it mostly finished.
Hello Jim, what a very nice model, a great restoration project and I am sure you are doing something great in fixing and making a great restoration of that wonderful Boucher. If only i could find one in France...
All my best wishes for the new year, Daniel
Fatman - good luck with finding engines to go with those motors, your luck seems especially good so I expect to see pictures any day now! Daniel - the CR set is beautiful. finding it in the box is really special, thank you for posting.
Don
FEF
Steve
Another McCoy FEF
Steve
Another unusual STD Gauge piece, this time from Robert’s Lines. It’s a faux track sweeper. The brush roller on the front is not stiff enough to do anything, but a great MOW loco.
Steve
Happy New Year Tinplate fans! pd - great litho tinplate gondola, I also like the Lionel litho trains, thanks for posting, there is not very much data in the references on these trains although the LCCA magazine carried a good series of articles on them over the last 2 years. Steve...what great McCoy and Roberts lines pieces, I remember when those were just new on the market and had such great potential. They are super pieces and I understand they run well also..
My offering today, is much more humble, although I admit to being excited when I acquired it with a bit of luck. It was an e-bay auction, with the final bid due at 0500 in Texas. So I bid what I thought was a fair bid but did not expect to win and went to bed. When I woke up at 0800 the next day I was surprised to find I had won! Its an American Flyer, prewar #90 Freight Station. I immediately went to Robert S. Butler's series of posts on these stations back on 4/7/2020 and identified the lithography as the version of the #90 available from 1918 to 1923. It has a few dents and scratches but hey its somewhere around a century old!! Robert thank you for your series of postings, other data on these stations just does not seem to exist outside of the catalogs (which I do not have).
So here it is currently just resting on the Leonardtown and Savannah, looking for its permanent home. I expect it will get displayed with some of my other small AF stations after I get back home and re-arrange some other stuff.
Best wishes everyone
Don
@Don McErlean posted:Happy New Year Tinplate fans! pd - great litho tinplate gondola, I also like the Lionel litho trains, thanks for posting, there is not very much data in the references on these trains although the LCCA magazine carried a good series of articles on them over the last 2 years. Steve...what great McCoy and Roberts lines pieces, I remember when those were just new on the market and had such great potential. They are super pieces and I understand they run well also..
My offering today, is much more humble, although I admit to being excited when I acquired it with a bit of luck. It was an e-bay auction, with the final bid due at 0500 in Texas. So I bid what I thought was a fair bid but did not expect to win and went to bed. When I woke up at 0800 the next day I was surprised to find I had won! Its an American Flyer, prewar #90 Freight Station. I immediately went to Robert S. Butler's series of posts on these stations back on 4/7/2020 and identified the lithography as the version of the #90 available from 1918 to 1923. It has a few dents and scratches but hey its somewhere around a century old!! Robert thank you for your series of postings, other data on these stations just does not seem to exist outside of the catalogs (which I do not have).
So here it is currently just resting on the Leonardtown and Savannah, looking for its permanent home. I expect it will get displayed with some of my other small AF stations after I get back home and re-arrange some other stuff.
Best wishes everyone
Don
Divesting of a lot of stuff. Most the stuff I have posted pictures of the last few days are set for new homes. Still more to go. Hate to move them, but they do no one any good in a box under the layout.
Steve
These are the freight cars I acquired in 2020, most of them I bought on EBay before the “MTH may be closing announcement”, before prices shot up. I was aware that the odds of MTH making any new tinplate were slim, so I thought, I better buy what I like now. I also bought a black 400e with PS3 from the first MTH auction at Cabin Fever.
I am very happy with my purchases, these kind of round out my freight fleet. Can’t wait till I can participate in public train shows again and run my stuff for the people.
I was lucky to find this clean old tin cookie container!
I like the little bell attached announcing fresh bakery goods!
@Leroof posted:I was lucky to find this clean old tin cookie container!
I like the little bell attached announcing fresh bakery goods!
Sweeeeett LOL
@Leroof posted:
I was lucky to find this clean old tin cookie container!
I like the little bell attached announcing fresh bakery goods!
I’ve got one also. Your colors are a bit nicer I think.
Steve
@Leroof posted:I was lucky to find this clean old tin cookie container!
I like the little bell attached announcing fresh bakery goods!
What a great item. A layout tabletop made to recreate that beautiful wooden floor would have "the" European panache as in the Marklin video.
Scott Smith
Fendermain! I thought the same thing! I will eventually set up a Christmas layout with this little prize of a cookie jar and assorted early tin on wooden floors via an early euro panache, indeed! Thanks. Come to this realization, As I missed Christmas train layout opportunity this year, I will set it up on my birthday next week and send some photos. I may have a day or two off then.
Steve, you have one too! Is it on your layout? I feel like I have been quite fortunate with this beauty.
JHZ, great Harry London tins collection you have. I Like your MTH 260 E! Chunky beast!
Safe path for 2021 folks.
Another quiet week from Casa Fatmanos .... but I did score a Karl Bub NS 1100 series (Dutch Railways) clockwork loco from my Dutchy mate ! ... a little bit ruff n ready , but a cutie nonetheless 
Locally I picked up a heap of ephemera from the Victorian Model Railway Society ... a homemade compendium of their 1938-9 club magazine, The Coupling ... a few hundred pages of history
Bing Gauge 1 hospital car with plenty of customers.
Hi Tinplate fans, today I am going to be a bit redundant. I recently acquired a loco that I first saw in Fatman's post of some months ago and I just fell in love with the colorful livery. It is a Brimtoy "Britannia" clockwork loco, this one with the "Lion and Wheel" tender, dating it from (about) 1956. I know that Arnie also showed this same loco in the other (green) livery but his is the first I have seen that way. Incredibly it just appeared on e-bay one afternoon and the chase was on!! This one was sourced in the US so it may comes from another US collector. Anyway there was not too much competition so I was able to close the deal.
Anyway, here is my "Britannia"
Happy Tinplate Sunday everyone!!
Don
Whoo Hoo! Welcome @Don McErlean to the "Cute but not terribly functional club! " LOL!
A fine example too ! As you pointed out the Red Britannia is a lot more common than the Green Variant , but they are out there .
I might use this opportunity for a bit of Brimtoy necromancy on the thread and post some of the wonderful Brimtoy I obtained from the Michael Foster auction of examples used in his marvellous books on British Trains
A "Cock of the North" rake in both passenger and freight !
And a 35a set in two variants ... One thing I loved about Brimtoy is they made differing versions to suit different pockets ... the front rake in this photo was a simple push train with no mechanism at all and the upper rake is a floor train version powered by clockwork for kiddies who didnt have track or as a cost effective toy if parents wanted to not have to pay for track
All in excellent condition and the actual models appearing in his books .. honoured to have them
OK .. On Fire now !!!
Just had a "win" on a leetle bit of "Rocking Horse Poo" Everyone knows Erector and Meccano , but in the late teens and 20's Frank Hornby in the UK had a bit of competition from W. Butcher and Sons of Blackheath, London who created the Primus Engineering Construction sets , and also made a Gauge 1 clockwork locomotive set !
Now before anyone gets excited ( lol ) .. I DIDN'T get the above ! ... these are serious Rocking Horse Poo rare like I said ... but I did manage to score the clockwork MOTOR for one !
I take my wins where I can get them , and although I suspect I will never ever see a loco kit at a price anywhere near that I could afford .. hey , at least I have a motor for it LOL!!!
( again its the HISTORY of stuff like this that gets my juices flowing )
http://www.binnsroad.co.uk/railways/primus/index.html
Not so cheap even when new ... about 4-5 days of a working mans wage in 1920's UK ... if you got this under the Christmas tree you did well!
Farman: thanks for the data on Brimtoy. Fosters book is my source as well it is a fabulous series. The Primus data as well. Gilbert offered a locomotive as part of its “Erector” series of sets but like you the only one I have seen available was on E-bay for a kings ransom!!
Good hunting
Don
Yesterday I finished a long term project. I started it 16 years ago and then forgot. It is a large signal bridge by Karl Bub, No. 734 / 5E, built from around 1910 - 1924. The model had diverged in several places and was also bent. So it was completely dismantled and rebuilt.
It is painted in the original color scheme by Karl Bub. This is actually wrong, the lower arms should be yellow and black for an English signal.
But it could also be seen in the catalog, here a picture from the 1910 catalog by Ullmann & Engelmann.
Arne
Arne,
That came out great! You should be very happy with it. 
Tom
@Arne posted:Yesterday I finished a long term project. I started it 16 years ago and then forgot. It is a large signal bridge by Karl Bub, No. 734 / 5E, built from around 1910 - 1924. The model had diverged in several places and was also bent. So it was completely dismantled and rebuilt.
It is painted in the original color scheme by Karl Bub. This is actually wrong, the lower arms should be yellow and black for an English signal.
But it could also be seen in the catalog, here a picture from the 1910 catalog by Ullmann & Engelmann.
Arne
Fabulous Arne
@Arne posted:Yesterday I finished a long term project. I started it 16 years ago and then forgot. It is a large signal bridge by Karl Bub, No. 734 / 5E, built from around 1910 - 1924. The model had diverged in several places and was also bent. So it was completely dismantled and rebuilt.
Beautiful work!!
McCoy Black Diamond RR set. The red pipe car was not part of the set.
Steve
Spectacular, Arne.
@Fatman posted:OK .. On Fire now !!!
Just had a "win" on a leetle bit of "Rocking Horse Poo" Everyone knows Erector and Meccano , but in the late teens and 20's Frank Hornby in the UK had a bit of competition from W. Butcher and Sons of Blackheath, London who created the Primus Engineering Construction sets , and also made a Gauge 1 clockwork locomotive set !
Now before anyone gets excited ( lol ) .. I DIDN'T get the above ! ... these are serious Rocking Horse Poo rare like I said ... but I did manage to score the clockwork MOTOR for one !
I take my wins where I can get them , and although I suspect I will never ever see a loco kit at a price anywhere near that I could afford .. hey , at least I have a motor for it LOL!!!
( again its the HISTORY of stuff like this that gets my juices flowing
http://www.binnsroad.co.uk/railways/primus/index.html
Not so cheap even when new ... about 4-5 days of a working mans wage in 1920's UK ... if you got this under the Christmas tree you did well!
You had me excited there. Well, congrats on your find.
Tail End Tuesday
Steve
Arne, that's a fabulous signal bridge and a great restoration!
"Great Hauler - Its power is surprising, being greater of course than No. 33. It will haul one dozen or more trail cars. The controller and the greater pulling power are easily worth the difference in price, between this and No. 33."- Lionel 1917 catalog. I found this nice No. 38 at a show last year sitting on the table all alone waiting to be adopted and put back into action. It needed motor service, a good cleaning, new brushes and epoxy reinforcement for the original fiber commutator ring. It's a common piece but one that has charm and is fun to run.
WOW! ALL great artifacts! Especially liked Leroof's cookie tin bakery with that bell and Daniel's CR Lux Eclair set! Honorable mention to Steve for that nice little McCoy set with the black steamer and little cars!
Overlooked JKE's hospital car and figures in a well-staged scene! Mea culpa!
Shuco in Germany has a nice selection of old timer cars that makes a nice match with standard gauge trains. Size in not bad with a lionel 124 station and the biggest models. The Ford T is from the time where you could choose your car color between blak and black.....
Daniel
NICE! Is that a vintage Shuco model?
@Tinplate Art posted:NICE! Is that a vintage Shuco model?
I think it is from the fifties sixties but my knowledge about this is very limited... I just find it is nice and bought it, 20euros was correct so... it came home with me... Daniel
A fair price for such a nice model! :-)
A Google search of the modern Schuco line revealed only 1:32 and 1:18 models and curiously no 1:24 items!
@Fatman posted:.. Everyone knows Erector and Meccano , but in the late teens and 20's Frank Hornby in the UK had a bit of competition from W. Butcher and Sons of Blackheath, London who created the Primus Engineering Construction sets , and also made a Gauge 1 clockwork locomotive set !
( again its the HISTORY of stuff like this that gets my juices flowing
Those No. 5 & 6 sets must have been impressive if they were too heavy to mail !
Scott, I love the trees and greenery that this layout has gained along with all the lighted houses. Those smaller details really bring the whole thing to life.
What engine do you have at the lead of those red passenger cars on the mid level? I assume those are 710 series cars, though I can't be totally sure.
Looks great to me- Jhz563
@FRENCHTRAINS posted:S
Daniel
Love that little Model T coupe. Is it all metal ?
@G-Man24 posted:Love that little Model T coupe. Is it all metal ?
Yes, all metal except lamps, radiators and rubber tyres. This kind of car is easily available through eBay in Europe. Some of them are pricey and some other less; they have a clocwork system.
Well Frenchtrains if you are going to have a Model T to go along with your Lionel Standard Gauge - how about trying for one that was made about the same time as your Lionel Trains?....for instance something like this Bing version...
Meanwhile...back in the world of passenger trains, I finally managed to get a Flyer set with #1107 lithographed wood sides to go with my #1107 lithographed steel sides
Wood
Steel
@jhz563 posted:Scott, I love the trees and greenery that this layout has gained along with all the lighted houses. Those smaller details really bring the whole thing to life.
What engine do you have at the lead of those red passenger cars on the mid level? I assume those are 710 series cars, though I can't be totally sure.
Looks great to me- Jhz563
Thanks, the second level is a Standard Gauge 42 radius track. The engine is a 10E pulling 300 series cars. MTH use to sell that as a standard gauge starter set.
Scott Smith
Hello Tinplate Fans, I am a little late for the weekend but decided to post anyway. My inputs this week are a little weak, it has been a slow period for my tinplate acquisition I am afraid. Although Robert S. Butler, Jim O'C, and Daniel continue to post really neat trains, many of which I have not ever seen before...thank you!! I do have an Ives #114 station on the way which I will post when received. For today, I have two miscellaneous cars that I am using just to fill out some of my collection. Not rare especially but missing from my display.
First is a small 1515 lithographed Lionel Lines tanker, from the days of "Lionel Junior" wind up and electric sets put out near the depths of the Depression, 1933-1937. This car was offered almost to the end of the lithographed small sets, which became the initial basis for what Lionel eventually called 0-27 although newer cars from the 0-27 line were much bigger and closer to the 0 gauge line. This is a small car primarily offered in clockwork sets although it was offered with a few of the smaller less expensive electric powered locos like the 1511. There were other versions of this car, with and without "Lionel Lines", without the "Sunoco" logo and with a black frame (this from Greenberg's book on prewar although I have never seen one with a black frame). The version shown likely was offered in the middle portion of the time period 1933-37, probably around 1935-36.
Switching over to our European manufacturers, the below is a Hornby No 1 Hopper Van dating from 1954-57 in post nationalization regional livery. This was one of the car types that made the transition to Type 50 in 1957, the primary difference being that the matte black frame became shiny black and a simulated brake rod was added to the outside of the trucks. Otherwise the livery, including the black data sign remained the same. By the way, note the manual unloading lever on the side of the frame. This lever, very realistically opens the hopper doors under the car allowing it to unload its contents, its kind of a neat addition to the play value of this somewhat plain car.
Well, somewhat late, have a happy and healthy week.
Don
This is supposedly a piece of shiplap from the Ives building. I suspect they are somewhat common, but I’d love to know the story behind them.
TIA
Steve
That looks more like rustic V groove than shiplap.
Anyone for a train ride?
Third level ride.
Scott Smith
Originally acquired for parts, I decided to replace parts and rebuild this Boucher 2500 and bring it back into service.
@Jim Kelly-Evans posted:Originally acquired for parts, I decided to replace parts and rebuild this Boucher 2500 and bring it back into service.
That's an amazing job. How long did it take, and how does it run?
Jim,
That is an amazing restoration.
@Jim Kelly-Evans Amazing is the right word! and maybe WOW!!! 
That is a beautiful job resulting in a locomotive anyone would be proud to own.
And is that a wooden steam chest? What was the wooden piece on the small lathe for?
It's like you guys dig up a toy train corpse from the grave and bring it back to life. Very impressive restorations. Wish I had the skills and tools to do it. Arnold
Thanks for the nice comments, guys. I acquired the loco in 2012 and started work on it then. Work was interrupted when I had dual open heart surgeries in 2015. Then the project sat on the shelf for several years. The pandemic came and I was determined to catch up on projects so I finally finished it this month. The wooden part on the lathe is a cylinder that sits on top of the steam chest on each side. One of them was missing so I used a dowel and turned it on the lathe. Here's a video of the L&T running on 80" diameter original Boucher Standard gauge track:
Beautiful job on the restoration. That old track with the wood base is really neat
.
A brilliant job for sure, Jim. Don't believe I've seen a better example of restoring an historic piece. Not too many would have the skill to execute that...enjoy it.
PD
Crikey I love this thread ! where else would you see such marvellous stuff!
Loving the Bing and Schuco "trackside accessories" and Mr JKE what can I say about that Boucher ripped from the grave .. such awesome work!
Today I have but a weird one to share which also probably fits in the "Trackside Accessory" category...
For weeks I stalked this wee fellow on the evilbay, even letting it slip by unbidden once in the hope the start price might drop a little ( although for what it was it was a fair start point ), but I had a few clockwork locos I was chasing and the dip in the budget was worrying lol ... as it turns out those other auctions were too rich for me in the end anyway ... So when this fellow was relisted at a lower price it immediately went on the "must see" list ... 2 days in seller dropped the price ... and again 2 days later ... final day dropped it yet again ... and I was for sure a fellow collector would spot it ... but thankfully not a one did ... Undoubtedly because seller did not know it was a Tipp & Co piece and indeed an early one from the late teens to 20s . I firmly believe if he had done his dilligence and put that name in the title I never would have ended up with it .
Anyway enough of the "Tell" and now to the "Show" part of the post 
Any idea yet ?
OK Heres the money shot !
Its a 19?? to 1925 Tipp & Co Blechspielzeugkran ( Tin Toy Crane ) and the reason I have thrown in the XX in the date is I am unsure as to its original dating ... I have only found 2 other references to this on the web . One at Historytoy has a much nicer one with a full crane platform and cabin rather than the wood block on mine .That Crane is attributed to 1925 and I am basing the earlier dating on the fact that in Phillip Ullmann's day Tipp & Co often put out a new idea in a "lesser" variant to judge orders and sales , and then when they showed promise he would invest in the more expensive things like castings and more lithography , such as in the 1925 model which has a fully lithographed cab, and cast alloy crank fittings , as opposed to the bent wire and sleeve on this one ...
Additional history ... Phillip Ullmann Owned Tipp & Co which he founded with the backing of Miss Tipp and Mr Carstens ( Hence Tipp & Co ) in 1912 and the firm quickly grew to join Marklin, Hess, Lehmann, Carette and Bing at the very pinnacle of the tin toy tree in the Golden Years of Nurnburg ( now known as Nuremburg) toy production ... In 1933 Ullmann was one of the first Jewish Toymakers in Germany to realise the writing was on the wall for Jews in Germany , and after the Reichstag Fire cemented Hitlers position and he began undoing all the checks and balances that were in place to hold the Chancellor's power that was all the proof needed for Ullmann of what was to come and he and Henry Ullmann fled to England, helped by Wenman Bassett Lowke who offered him space in his workshops , where Ullmann produced toys to raise funds for other Jewish refugees ! Arthur Katz his friend and manager from Tipp & Co also took up residence with B-L
In time that business started by Ullmann and Katz was METTOY A brand very well known to many kids and that firm eventually became Corgi! Meanwhile back in Germany Tipp & co was taken over by Ernst Horn .. the ex-director of Bing ( again whose German Jewish founders the Bing's fled the Nazi's)
Ernst Horn went on to show the world what a good Nazi he was and Tipp & Co started producing amazing quality tin toys of various German vehicles right thru the early war years until 1942 ... These pieces attract UBER money now and are most prized by many collectors ...
However in an ending straight out of the Movies .... Phillip Ullman returned to Germany during the Nuremburg trials and regained his company and with his son and Katz in the UK ran both companies after the war
I find it quite cathartic and just, that for Tinplate Collectors, a man who did such evil ( Hitler) had SUCH an important part in the diversification and growth of the great European tin toy manufacturers ... So many toy companies were born out of Hitlers ambitions and grew again from the aftermath, where manufacturers fled and re-birthed their business's which went on to provide so much joy ... seemingly born out of hatred and persecution .... a legacy that defied the oppression that created them ....
@Fatman posted:Crikey I love this thread ! where else would you see such marvellous stuff!
Loving the Bing and Schuco "trackside accessories" and Mr JKE what can I say about that Boucher ripped from the grave .. such awesome work!
...
Mr. Fatman, when things return to normal (2022?), may I suggest that you consider making a pilgrimage to the TCA meet in York, PA? You could join TCA for one year (a pittance compared to what you'll spend on airfare, etc.) or I'm sure that one of the TCA members who follow this thread would sponsor you as a guest. (There was a member who attended from NZ a few years ago, so it can be done.)
There are always a lot of tin trains available in all range of condition. Further, I'm guessing that people would love to see a presentation about your collection and knowledge.
Just some food for thought...
A trip to York is a great thing to do once in a lifetime, there is so many things to look at and buy. Only problem is that it can be "a little" expensive... and it is hard to make a choice, when you find something you enjoy just buy it, if you return later it is gone.
As nothing new I just cleaned and checked some good old rheostats for JEP trains, they where prohibited around 1931 in France but where common use before, just have to be careful.
1923 to 1928 models
Have a nice weekend, Daniel
@scott.smith posted:Anyone for a train ride?
Third level ride.
Scott Smith
Scott, what camera are you using? I tried a GoPro on my Christmas village but the focus was garbage.
Don
@dmestan posted:Scott, what camera are you using? I tried a GoPro on my Christmas village but the focus was garbage.
Don
I am using my new cellphone and placing it in a gondola. It's a Samsung Galaxy Note 20 5G
Scott Smith
@FRENCHTRAINS posted:
Love those old rheostats. Look like something out of Nikola Tesla's lab rather than a kid's toy.
Moving the contents from one storage facility to another is an arduous task, but the silver lining is I get to see stuff I haven't seen in years. Hmm what's in that big box over there..?..Hey it's that 140L tunnel I bought 20 years ago!
After seeing it again I decided to bring it home for a day and take a few pictures so I could contribute to the Tinplate Show and Tell. This is one of the few Standard Gage items I can say I "scored" on over the years. I spotted it as part of an antique doll and dollhouse auction and those folks had no interest in it at all. I don't recall exactly what I paid but I ended up getting it for the opening bid price which made it a real bargain.
Offered from 1927-1932, Greenberg's Guide to Lionel Trains describes the 140L as follows: Standard or O Gage, steel construction 90 degree curve with embossed stone portals. Hand painted to represent wooded mountain with seven chalet-style houses, waterfall passing under fence, road and snow capped peak in shades of gray, green, red and yellow. 37" by 24-1/2" by 20" high, illuminated with one bulb inside each portal.
I've said this before but I'm completely taken with the way the artisans at Lionel formed this scenery out of sheet steel and decorated it. This mountain is huge with folds, kinks, wrinkles and crevices everywhere. Since the the finish metalwork and painting was all done by hand no two were exactly alike and while I love the vibrant colors commonly seen with tinplate, I really like the muted colors on this particular tunnel.
The little chalets are soldered on as is the fence that crosses the stream. I wish I could go back in time and watch the people that worked at the Lionel factory make one of these from start to finish. I don't know why , but the wrinkled sheet metal just fascinates me.
This little guy has lost his chimney. Maybe someday I'll solder one back on.
A light fixture is installed at each portal entrance (hence the "L" in 140L) and it looks like it retains it's original cloth covered wire. A set of terminals at the base with knurled finger nuts facilitate the power hook-up.
I still haven't given up that lifelong dream of someday having a large permanent layout comprised entirely of original pre-war scenery, structures and accessories that I've collected over the years. Until then the 140L waits patiently for the day it will finally find it's place alongside the others and Grandpas 390E can roll through it all pulling it's passenger cars along the tarnished tubular rails.
@Mallard4468 Very Flattering 
However sadly my days of long international air travel are pretty much behind me these days , although something like York would probably be the very thing to tempt me
However due to a particularly nasty motorcycle Vs Semi-trailer event at over 100 kph over a decade ago I am now of limited funds and limited physical mobility , So while a trip like that would be amazing on the intellectual and mental side of things, it would be pretty debilitating for the physical side 
Not to mention 24 hours in a plane seat with limited options for physical adjustment etc would pretty much put me in bed for a week after getting there LOL!!
I am actually a Disability Pensioner eeking a living out of a meagre pension, I am extremely fortunate however to have had the means prior to my accident to have been able to buy my home outright ( downsizing and becoming far more rural from the home I was paying off at the time of my accident ) and no there was no huge settlement ( bugger!)
I live fairly frugally however so I do manage to have a few $$'s now and then to indulge my collecting So it is not all doom and gloom
This might also explain why I get excited over rusty pieces of crap that most serious collectors wouldnt even think of buying LOL! ... Its cos I can afford those ones! And the History is the same for each piece , just not the commercial resale value ,.... in fact the beat up one tells me it was loved and used as intended , so for the joy it brought several generations it is all that much richer in my eye
Anyway I think Frenchy ( @FRENCHTRAINS) The "Tinman-ator" ( @Arne ) Mr Kelly Evans ( @Jim Kelly-Evans ) or Fantastic Fred ( @sncf231e ) and half a dozen more I havent listed would give a far better talk than I would !
( and probably MUCH better looking doing it ! )
Oh and P.S. Daniel ... I hate you for having such gorgeous rheostats and trains to go with them ! 
@G-Man24 posted:Moving the contents from one storage facility to another is an arduous task, but the silver lining is I get to see stuff I haven't seen in years. Hmm what's in that big box over there..?..Hey it's that 140L tunnel I bought 20 years ago!
After seeing it again I decided to bring it home for a day and take a few pictures so I could contribute to the Tinplate Show and Tell. This is one of the few Standard Gage items I can say I "scored" on over the years. I spotted it as part of an antique doll and dollhouse auction and those folks had no interest in it at all. I don't recall exactly what I paid but I ended up getting it for the opening bid price which made it a real bargain.
Offered from 1927-1932, Greenberg's Guide to Lionel Trains describes the 140L as follows: Standard or O Gage, steel construction 90 degree curve with embossed stone portals. Hand painted to represent wooded mountain with seven chalet-style houses, waterfall passing under fence, road and snow capped peak in shades of gray, green, red and yellow. 37" by 24-1/2" by 20" high, illuminated with one bulb inside each portal.
I've said this before but I'm completely taken with the way the artisans at Lionel formed this scenery out of sheet steel and decorated it. This mountain is huge with folds, kinks, wrinkles and crevices everywhere. Since the the finish metalwork and painting was all done by hand no two were exactly alike and while I love the vibrant colors commonly seen with tinplate, I really like the muted colors on this particular tunnel.
The little chalets are soldered on as is the fence that crosses the stream. I wish I could go back in time and watch the people that worked at the Lionel factory make one of these from start to finish. I don't know why , but the wrinkled sheet metal just fascinates me.
This little guy has lost his chimney. Maybe someday I'll solder one back on.
A light fixture is installed at each portal entrance (hence the "L" in 140L) and it looks like it retains it's original cloth covered wire. A set of terminals at the base with knurled finger nuts facilitate the power hook-up.
I still haven't given up that lifelong dream of someday having a large permanent layout comprised entirely of original pre-war scenery, structures and accessories that I've collected over the years. Until then the 140L waits patiently for the day it will finally find it's place alongside the others and Grandpas 390E can roll through it all pulling it's passenger cars along the tarnished tubular rails.
WOW
I raise Steve's WOW with a WOWSA and JKE's Boucher restoration is beyond AWESOME! BRAVO, gentlemen!
Daniel's rheostats deserve honorable mention! :-)
@Fatman posted:@Mallard4468 Very Flattering
However due to a particularly nasty motorcycle Vs Semi-trailer event at over 100 kph over a decade ago I am now of limited funds and limited physical mobility , So while a trip like that would be amazing on the intellectual and mental side of things, it would be pretty debilitating for the physical side
I am actually a Disability Pensioner eeking a living out of a meagre pension, I am extremely fortunate however to have had the means prior to my accident to have been able to buy my home outright ( downsizing and becoming far more rural from the home I was paying off at the time of my accident ) and no there was no huge settlement ( bugger!)
I live fairly frugally however so I do manage to have a few $$'s now and then to indulge my collecting
This might also explain why I get excited over rusty pieces of crap that most serious collectors wouldnt even think of buying LOL! ... Its cos I can afford those ones! And the History is the same for each piece , just not the commercial resale value ,.... in fact the beat up one tells me it was loved and used as intended , so for the joy it brought several generations it is all that much richer in my eye
Anyway I think Frenchy ( @FRENCHTRAINS) The "Tinman-ator" ( @Arne ) Mr Kelly Evans ( @Jim Kelly-Evans ) or Fantastic Fred ( @sncf231e ) and half a dozen more I havent listed would give a far better talk than I would !
( and probably MUCH better looking doing it ! )
Sorry to hear, but glad that you can still play with trains.
One of the reasons I haven't yet been to Australia or NZ is the brutal plane trip, so I get it.
If you ever decide to try, they do rent power chairs at York.
@G-Man24 posted:Moving the contents from one storage facility to another is an arduous task, but the silver lining is I get to see stuff I haven't seen in years. Hmm what's in that big box over there..?..Hey it's that 140L tunnel I bought 20 years ago!
After seeing it again I decided to bring it home for a day and take a few pictures so I could contribute to the Tinplate Show and Tell. This is one of the few Standard Gage items I can say I "scored" on over the years. I spotted it as part of an antique doll and dollhouse auction and those folks had no interest in it at all. I don't recall exactly what I paid but I ended up getting it for the opening bid price which made it a real bargain.
Offered from 1927-1932, Greenberg's Guide to Lionel Trains describes the 140L as follows: Standard or O Gage, steel construction 90 degree curve with embossed stone portals. Hand painted to represent wooded mountain with seven chalet-style houses, waterfall passing under fence, road and snow capped peak in shades of gray, green, red and yellow. 37" by 24-1/2" by 20" high, illuminated with one bulb inside each portal.
Thanks for providing such a detailed 'show and tell'. That's a beautiful piece. You were indeed fortunate to find it in a non-train auction.
Maybe it's just my imagination, but it seems like they've just started appearing at York in the past 4 or 5 years. Since I only "touch with my eyes", I always assumed that they were made of plaster and/or glued cloth. I should have paid more attention to my Greenberg book. I was never interested, since it seemed too fragile to survive the long ride home - maybe I'll take a closer look next time I see one.
@Fatman, sorry to hear about your physical condition. I have only been to York once in the past 20 years. And yup, the members hall was filled with older tin.
If you ever do manage to take the big trip to the states, be sure to let folks know. I am sure as a group we could help arrange whatever services you need.
I hope to make to Australia someday, and maybe ride behind a Garratt locomotive!
@Fatman posted:Oh and P.S. Daniel ... I hate you for having such gorgeous rheostats and trains to go with them !
Sorry, but..... if you are in need of one I can find one here, they are not so rare as they have been used during a long time period, JEP ones are the most common. And the price will be a friend price, I am just afraid that postage to Australia would be much more than the price of a rheostat,
Daniel
Fatman like JHZ 563 sorry to hear about your accident and condition. However, if you ever do decide to try to make a US trip, you can count of me as well to help where we can. Like you I am a modest investor, so please keep posting your finds as they are right in my principal area of interest.
Gman24 - that is one incredible tunnel, never have even seen one before. what a find!
Today, I can't decide whether to post in this area or in the one for Marx trains as I have some vintage Marx tinplate. So I will do some of both. For the Holiday, my family located a gift for me that I think is rather outstanding. It is one very unusual Marx set from the middle 1950's. It is set 4345 which contained TWO Trains, one freight and one passenger. This one is nearly LN and it even has the packing slip still in the box. I will post the passenger consist here and more detailed pictures of the entire set in the Marx Trains post.
This is the passenger set, the 6" Bogota type cars with their "new" (in 1954) silver lightweight lithography for NYC .
I will post pictures of the rest of the set in the Marx trains post.
Best wishes
Don
A couple rare gems. One with tab couplers and one with auto couplers
Steve
@Steve "Papa" Eastman posted:A couple rare gems. One with tab couplers and one with auto couplers
Steve
And those are Marx? dating to??
@Nation Wide Lines posted:And those are Marx? dating to??
Yes Marx, 1939-40 time frame. The Tuscan colored high side gondolas are quite difficult to come by in either coupler type.
Steve
@Steve "Papa" Eastman posted:Yes Marx, 1939-40 time frame. The Tuscan colored high side gondolas are quite difficult to come by in either coupler type.
Steve
Thanks. I recognized the prewar automatic couplers, but am not familiar with the high side gondolas. Interesting to see. Thanks for posting.
NICE! :-)
@FRENCHTRAINS posted:Sorry, but..... if you are in need of one I can find one here, they are not so rare as they have been used during a long time period, JEP ones are the most common. And the price will be a friend price, I am just afraid that postage to Australia would be much more than the price of a rheostat,
Daniel
OOOhhhh ! Thanks for the offer Daniel .. if you do find one sometime at what you think a fair turnover I would be most interested I have a friend in the Netherlands who can forward stuff on to me , I get a decent sized box sent over every 3-6 months from him with goodies ... I think post from him is like 50Euro for a 4-5 kilo box , which is a BIG improvement on normal Eu post , France seems to be around 28-32Euro + for one loco to here from most "ePay" sellers so even paying for Post to Pays Bas ( Netherlands ) is a saving overall !
No rush on finding one at all though , just if you come across one at too good a price to argue
Thanks again !
Scott Smith
I have always liked the looks of the Lionel Standard Gauge Hiawatha; however I was spoiled by how well the MTH tinplate ran. If only I could get the Hiawatha with cruise control, thanks to the ERR board and special modifications by Mike Reagan I finally have the set I wanted.Here is the test run>
Scott Smith
I am a little scared , my tinplate family ... for it has been yet another week without anything new train tinplate acquired ! ... This is not for lack of trying as there have been some marvellous pieces come up locally but on every occasion my meagre resources has not been enough to have them come home with me , and some still sold at absolute bargain prices .. just I could only commit what I had .. it pained me to see a Hornby Metropolitan go for about one third to half its current worth to a guy who had $5 available more than me at the time LOL! C'est La Vie as they say
I did however add to the clockwork tin boat collection with a super bargain Chein & Sons tinplate clockwork shark! Local seller had it packaged with a few cheapy early chinese toys with a buy it now price of ...$25 ! ( about 18-19USD) so it came to me quick smart lol .. couldnt hit the button fast enough!
So as I have nothing new and exciting train wise ... I thought I would turn the clock back a little and delve deep into the collection photos and present the very first Clockwork train, the one that started all this madness... I remember being bored on ePay one day and thinking ..."You know ... I never had a train set as a kid .. What the heck lets see whats out there" ... Now I have always loved older mechanical things , just something about the cleverness and ingenuity that went into turning the inanimate into something with a bit of "life" about it
Anyway my eyes saw this beat up old Hornby set and it was cheap as chips so what the heck !
Who would have ever predicted it would lead to today LOL !
So the auction pics of the thing that started all this madness for me
A couple of rusty MO locomotives , horrible condition carriages , but a goodly amount of track !
And that , as one might say , begat the descent into madness!!!
Ives, 
FEF
Steve
@Steve "Papa" Eastman posted:Ives,
FEF
Steve
Love the row of cookie tin structures, Steve. I have to take a photo of my similar row.
All aboard! The coaches are Carette and the station is a Maerklin No. 2000 reproduction by Santhion.
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