Nice catches all round Dan and Lew !
Those lamps look stunning Daniel and in pretty good nick too ! The bulbs are killer ... you can see they were hand drawn glass so they must be pretty early?
The South African Hornby is an elusive beast Lew as is the O Gauge Mitropa .. you have pulled another one( well two really) out of the hat there! 
(Wow .. if thats the SAR just sold on Vectis you made off like a bandit with it Lew! .. 
)
A few news in the collection.
A very small Bing loco, is 0 gauge, but the size is more like S gauge.
From Bing set 11/933, made only 1930 in this colour.
Bing had made 2 different sizes of the 4 window coach and the smaller is matching to the loco
Issmayer train around 1920
Arne
Most of this set arrived in the mail today.
C. 1914-1915 American Flyer Pennsylvania 1107/1108 cars with engine and tender.
Metzel style engine with machined cast iron wheels, which only are found on the 1914-1915 engines. Bonus, the engine spring is good and the engine works as it should.
The rivet style 120 tender, which is the first variation of this tender.
The Penn Line wood sided litho pattern 1108 baggage car. The wood sided cars are c. 1914-1915 only.
The 1107 Pennsylvania coach is the only car that did not arrive in today's mail. I bought it at York several years ago at one of the bandit shows.
The coach that arrived in the mail could not be saved, but donated a frame, roof, and wheels to the coach above (prior to these pictures being taken).
Now I have all of the wood sided cars, except for the blue 1108 Penn Line baggage.
NWL
Nice set NWL
Well, my input today comes all the way from France. Daniel, this seller sent this car in a simple envelope (carefully wrapped) decorated with 10 different French postage stamps on the outside. If I was a stamp collector I might have kept the envelope and thrown away the car !
It is a French Hornby Saint Freres Covered Wagon or...SNCF Wagon Tombereau Bache "Saint Freres" . Postwar made between 1949 and 1954 . Here he is...
Best wishes everyone. I should also add, Arnie and NWL those are really beautiful sets. Thanks for posting.
Don
Nice pickups everybody!
I am kinda stoked to reveal my pickup this week , another Hornby , I have found a couple of really tatty locomotives in the past of the same ilk , but never a full rake , always hoping to come across the carriages at some point , I mean they must be out there , the locos were lol ..
However locally I found the full set at a do-able price so jumped on it ...
Let me present ...
The 1936-40 Hornby Clockwork Silver Link set in not too shabby condition
Lots of Hornby "Artistic License " applied to this one but I think its one of the nicest clockwork 0-4-0's they made , a shortened stubby version of the real life A4 locomotives , slightly cartoonish even, but you can bet the farm any kid getting ths futuristic streamliner would have wet his Christmas or Birthday pants !
Was at the Great Midwest Train Show yesterday and picked this up for $50. It needs replacement light castings and replacement telegraph poles, both of which I have. So, I need to paint the items and install them.
Now to see if it will fit on the layout, next to the other bridges.
NWL
**** you, fatman, your the one who beat me.
Best John 
Was a very "interesting" auction, epay said I won the auction, couple of seconds later they said I didn't win. Must be the time
difference.
@FRENCHTRAINS posted:Nice catch @Fatman many times sellers don't have the right knowledge of their stuff so some good deals may happen. I just had a similar opportunity in Germany on Ebay with two lamp posts described as Lionel from 1926. If the date is not bad they are definitely something else....
The first one is an IVES model, not yet received but seems in good condition, I am not sure about the paint is right or not, and the two bulbs have a more Marklin or Bing look but maybe someone knows better than me. Finding IVES pieces in the old Europe is rare so not too bad and for half the price of a simple Lionel one from the same period even if I would have preferred a Lionel one....
The second one is an American Flyer model, as the previous one not sure about the paint but for me it looks nice... even if more common than the IVES model.
Have a nice weekend, Daniel
Love those bulbs!
FATMAN SCORES!!! What a great set. Good Hunting.
Don
@beardog49 posted:Was a very "interesting" auction, epay said I won the auction, couple of seconds later they said I didn't win. Must be the time
difference.
@Fatman had about a 10 hour head start - he's living in the not-too-distant future. 
Hello Don, you have been very lucky to receive that nice Hornby car without any damage, it is not a heavy piece but I would have been afraid to send it this way. Now maybe you will have to search for a matching engine from the same period....
Simon, nothing more to say..... your Hornby set is a beauty, I have never found one and would be very happy with such a nice little set. I have in a similar style a PLM streamlined set in French livery and electric, it was also offered as clockwork.
Great finds guys,
@John Smatlak , as you John I enjoy those old bulbs but they are more and more hard to find...
Daniel
Daniel - thanks for your comments. I have an OVA loco which I know was available in 1959 (thanks to the catalog from that year that you sent me) and I have a PO type electric which apparently (at least according to my Hornby ref book) was available until 1954. I think these would be aga appropriate, but what do you think?
Oh you are right about sending the car the way the seller did but no damage was done and the shipping cost was very inexpensive, maybe he found a way to by-pass the e-bay shipping charges.
Best wishes
Don
@Don McErlean Your two locos are a little older than the car, it is the last type made by Hornby.
The matching one for your engines would be the same one but with a green base.
And a perfect matching loco would be a common BB type as this one in a set box (tracks are missing in the upper part of the box)
Shipping charges are definetely too expensives, but a solid parcel is generally the best thing to do, I received a Lionel post war generator car with the plastic shell totaly destroyed using this system...
Very best, Daniel
Daniel. Thank you for your response. I do like the “BB” type engine but have not come across one here. The “STEF” boxcar is also neat. I guess I will continue to hunt for either the right loco / set or a car with a green base !!
Don
@beardog49 posted:**** you, fatman, your the one who beat me.
Best John
If thats the case you made me pay for the priviledge Been watching it all week with a $125AUD start bid until the final few minutes
Yep I hit you up with 9 seconds to go ... and you beat me with your max , but my nimble fingers put in one last ditch bid with nanoseconds to go fully expecting not to get it ... then BAM ( Darn! ) I won it at more than I wanted to pay lol ! ( but still a good price )
It was totally unfair tho as you would be bidding US$ which already gives you a 30% advantage to us poor Aussie cousins only getting 70c to the dollar 
@FRENCHTRAINS , The PLM Aerodynamique is on my bucketlist for sure but they are so hard to find in half decent condition with a half decent price LOL! Beautiful set you have
@Don McErlean, the best part is ...Its Hornby , so it wont matter too much which loco you use unless you are uber "anal" lol <-- bet it censors that ? Hornby is built to play with and has such interconnectivity across most of its life span
(Edit .. ok it DID let it go thru .. hee hee .. hmn you cant say d a m n but anal is fine )
Actually, Fatman, I was bidding in Oz dollars. The auction was in AU$ so i was scrambling trying to convert
John
@beardog49 posted:Actually, Fatman, I was bidding in Oz dollars. The auction was in AU$ so i was scrambling trying to convert
John
Ahhh ok quick and easy convert for you is always around 70 UScents ( $0.70) to the AU dollar for the last year or two its been constant ... I saved you a heap on shipping tho I bet !
I believe it was about $40usd. anyway, If I didn't get it, I am happy to see it was you.
John
I am returning to focusing my energies on streamliners like this. I have a lot of hornby I will probably be unloading to
afford things like this. Also need to focus on my cars. The cadillac first off.
Enjoy your prize
Best John
Good Morning
Fatman, I was thinking about the auction that you won. You said you bid with 9 secs left only to be beat by my max bid.
That is interesting because there were only 6 seconds left when I entered my max. Maybe there is something to the
time difference after all.
It is tail end tuesday so I better go find some tail.
Best John
@beardog49 posted:Good Morning
Fatman, I was thinking about the auction that you won. You said you bid with 9 secs left only to be beat by my max bid.
That is interesting because there were only 6 seconds left when I entered my max. Maybe there is something to the
time difference after all.
It is tail end tuesday so I better go find some tail.
Best John
Morning John ( late evening here)
The 9 seconds on my side is my cue to hit enter on the bid , as I am in a rural area , relying on an old fashioned ADSL set up ... for local auctions that gives me a wee margin of buffer in case the ether glitches on me so my 9 second bid probably hit the auction platform about 0.000 poofteenths of a second before yours ... and hence .. you got top bid ... but my cat like reflexes ( lol ) enabled me to get in an uber quick panic bid with gawd knows how many poofteenths of a second before the auction end ... so you won , and then right on hammer fall my top up bid snuck in thru the ether on the last electron bus available !
I was for sure thinking "no way" it would get thru ... It has not worked before for me in the past , but it sneaked in by a sparrows fart
It was a Battle Royale and you were a formidable foe!
Happy Tail hunting !
I guess I will just torture you with pics of my other small streamliners. 
Here is a can of worms I should not have opened. I acquired these Hornby bugatti railcars a couple of years ago. From what
I learned then, it appears the two car sncf set is postwar, while the blue plm car is part of a prewar set. I had the windup
motor pictured laying around, I think it is from a cheap hornby hachette loco, so I thought I would see if it could be
adapted to the prewar frame. If fit perfectly, however the winding shaft did not line up with the holes in the prewar body.
Nor was there a place for the brake lever. If you notice on the postwar set the first three windows on the side are cut out
which accomodates the brake lever, not so on the prewar. I could not find any pics of a three car prewar set online.
Part two of the can of worms is while searching online, I came across another postwar set and a prewar single car,
both from the same seller. I made reasonable offers on both and they were accepted. I asked the seller to combine shipping
which he would not do. My total for the transaction was 154.22 euros which at the exchange rate at the time of the
sale was $172.18usd. Paypal charged me 189.04 for the 154.22eur transaction or $16.86 for a fee. I think this is
a bit excessive. I am probably going to start a return on the items immediately. Also am going to rethink using Paypal for
my ebay transactions.
In the meantime, I am looking for electric motors that fit these, also dummy trucks, and a center car for a red sncf
prewar three car set.
Please save your "you should have done this or that" comments for another time.
John
I dont have any French Bugatti/Streamliners ( yet ...lol) so hopefully @FRENCHTRAINS Daniel will pop in ... its probably relevant here that French Hornby was a company in its own right so its pure guesstimation as to what if any UK hornby components are compatible although by eye the motors look the same format in such things I do have like the MO ... and certainly Hachette although of the right size and configuration has literally nothing to do with actual Hornby except in name ..
@Jim O'C Has some examples too If memory is correct?
Your PLM Railcar seems to be the lead car from this set
https://auctions.specialauctio...e%3D19%26view%3Dgrid
As to modern electrification you could try this chap here ...
Thanks for the info Fatman. Sorry, here is a pic of the complete PLM train. It is hard to identify a lead car because the
two end cars appear identical. I believe the center unit on the 3 car trains was the powered unit. But having said that, I believe
any of the cars could have been powered as the frames are virtually identical. I am also enclosing a pic you might appreciate.
A "WELLS OF LONDON" SILVER STREAK. I actually got this in a lot I bought for another reason. When I did a bit of research
it seems it may be part of a british Mickey Mouse set.
Best, John
Hi John I can match your Silver Streak ( three times lol ) and up the ante with both Red and Blue Golden Eagle versions . as well as the Brimtoy( Wells) Silverlink set
In good condition ...
Annnnd not so good
And full rake for the red set ...
But sadly I have bad news for you regarding the Mickey Mouse status of your loco ... although basically the same mechanics and body shell shape the Mickey Set had a slightly different lithography with red and black accents , Dual cab window cut-outs , real wire boiler handrail ( litho on non-Mickey sets) and red siderods ..
( Not mine .. borrowed from web)
My internet is like a yoyo. It appears I sent a lengthy response that went nowhere. I have seen the red and blue, but did
not want to pay the price. I did notice that a lot of the Mickey set bears a more than passing resemblence to the lionel one.
I think I have only seen black and white photos of the mickey set which is why I may have thought the silver link was part of it.
It does seem I need to up my game now, tho. I attempted to start a tinplate streamliner thread on the forum, but no takers.
John
I must have missed the thread .. I would have been there in a flash lol
Ahhh youve hidden it in the Photo section !
https://ogrforum.com/.../a-streamliner-a-day
( but just cos I know you will like it ... heres a few Streamliners from my collection )
Chad Valley Merlin ( battery operated D cells in boiler)
Jep france
KD ( Dressler)
Mettoy ( HO )
Louis Roussi ( french)
Ottmar Beckh
And Maurlyn .. AUSTRALIAN!
@Fatman posted:I dont have any French Bugatti/Streamliners ( yet ...lol) so hopefully @FRENCHTRAINS Daniel will pop in ... its probably relevant here that French Hornby was a company in its own right so its pure guesstimation as to what if any UK hornby components are compatible although by eye the motors look the same format in such things I do have like the MO ... and certainly Hachette although of the right size and configuration has literally nothing to do with actual Hornby except in name ..
@Jim O'C Has some examples too If memory is correct?
Your PLM Railcar seems to be the lead car from this set
https://auctions.specialauctio...e%3D19%26view%3Dgrid
As to modern electrification you could try this chap here ...
I have the Hachette version of the Hornby AD2E PLM Railcar set which came 1 car a month with the magazine (issues 47, 48, 49 and 55). https://www.binnsroad.co.uk/ra.../hachette/index.html
Although in great shape appearance-wise, the working clockwork mechanism is loose inside the flimsy sheetmetal loco shell and was received that way.
5-car example (not mine)
I have the plm loco and tender, but no cars. Thanks for the info
John
Hello tinplate fans...here I am posting another crossing signal, although this one is potentially a lot older than the Lionel one I posted on 7/24...this one has all the "bells and whistles" (somewhat literally). It is an American Flyer #2116 with a light and a ringing bell all connected to track power. This is complete including the bulb for the red light, but I don't know if I have the courage to put power to it...(LOL)!
OK here is my "mystery"...all my references for prewar AF do not cover accessories. The internet yielded lots of pictures of the #2116 variations but they were all in selling articles and no one listed any history of the item beyond stating it was pre-war. I know there are those on this thread that are far more familiar with pre-war flyer than I...does anyone know the years that this signal was available?? If so I would really appreciate you sending me a response via this thread. Thank you.
Here she is...sign, light, bell, and fancy "hat" still all intact. The square little black / gold sign on the base is a metallic add on piece that says simply..."American Flyer Lines" in gold letters on a black background. The construction is rather neat and is designed to allow "variations" The bell and the light for example are held onto the main support via a nut and bolt clamping arrangement that can easily be added or removed from the main support. The power wire is inside the hollow support and just runs to two simple pressure activated contactors on the side of the bell mechanism housing. From my internet research, I could see that AF offered this item with and without these add on's.
well anyway, that's my mystery for today
Regards, Don
Don,
The Greenberg's Guide to American Flyer Wide Gauge, includes the prewar accessories at the rear of the guide.
The 2116 was cataloged between 1928 and 1939. The 4116 (same item but coming with wide gauge track connection) was cataloged between 1928 and 1936. From 1922-1927 the 2016 was cataloged, which was roughly the same, but there was no riser between the base and the post.
Your 2116 would fall in the dates of 1928-1935, because in 1936 the item's design changes to having a rectangular base.
Here is a 2016 c. 1922-1927
Here is a 4116 with its original box
There is also a version with a green post
There are different bell mechanism designs
Here is a photo of the 1935-1939 version
NWL
@Nation Wide Lines posted:.There are different bell mechanism designs
NWL
Sweet! I've got one also & I refuse to give it up! Mine is like the one on the right end with the bell on top. I absolutely plan to rewire it & install it on my layout.
Despite the vow to lay off, picked this up recently:
Marklin 2nd/3rd-class coach - vintage? No idea.
PD
Two items of interest
1. Just received my copy of Graebe's Hornby O Gauge Trains in France. It is a masterpiece-- or as the French say a chef d'oeuvre if my memories of high school French are correct. True, it is not cheap, but it is worth every centime.
2. As I posted elsewhere on the Forum my Vectis acquisitions have arrived and here they are.
Hi Lew, excellent memories, it is a real chef d'oeuvre, the best reference to French Hornby, Chris Graebe is the best Hornby historian and his books are full of interesting facts.
I am impressed by the quality of the two pieces you present, not every day you see a Hornby for the South African Railways, export models are especially rare pieces. The Mitropa is also excellent, they where produced during a short time and did not have a great success so also rare to find today. Congratulations for those two wonderful pieces, a perfect addition to a great collection.
All my best wishes, Daniel
I know I showed the front of this little Mettoy set awhile back on fef. Thought I would put up some better pics before it
gets put away.
Have a great day, John
Well after all our eyes being assaulted recently with gorgeous models and accesories , after quite a buying holiday( well for me anyway) I have but one new aquisition to show the world
I present a humble and plain Pioner Expressen tender !
(...now to find a locomotive! )
( oh and I have been a little quiet in all my activities due to being an Old Fart living alone who spectacularly* .. *read stupidly...broke his foot a week ago and has been down to doing the bare minimum to support life lol )
sorry about the foot
John
Thanks John
I am going to be posting some Hornby and Bing locos soon for ID. Keep you busy
Hey Fatman...neat tender, but Clockwork Guys will have trouble with a "spring in their step" with a broken foot!! Get well soon and take it easy.
Don
Studying Graebe's book on O Gauge Hornby in France I learned that the motor in the 3 car Bugatti motorcar train is in the end car, although the litho makes it appear to be in the center car.
Lew
Hello @Fatman,
Sorry for your accident, now plenty of time to search on the bay....
Have a good recovery and take care
I would be interested in seeing an original prewar motor, I have a three unit plm but no motor came with it. I have
been told that all three unit Bugatti Autorails were prewar. The frames on all three units are identical so technically the motor
could mount in any of them. It would depend on the reverse lever. Other units I have have some of the side windows punched
out, thus allowing access to the lever. The 3 unit set has no side windows punched out so I am not sure where access to the
lever would be.
John
think I may have solved the mystery about the three unit set, it may have been electric. But ones I have found have a slot on top
for a reverse lever. Another thought I have had is that perhaps i have parts of two different sets
Hey Fatman, something to keep you busy. These two may be part of thinning my stuff. Any info
regarding dates, values, etc. would be appreciated.
John
I really like the cover art on this one
Hey Fatman: Sorry to hear about your foot......who (or what) were you kicking to do that sort of damage????
I know I've been that mad at times with electrical gremlins in my layout I just wanted to kick the whole thing out of the garage!!!
Anyway, with the whole state of Victoria now in "lock-down"...... you can't go anywhere can you???
Take it easy and just "kick back"......pardon the pun!!
Peter.....Buco Australia
Geez, Arnie, what a fantastic find. I am super impressed!
Do you dare wind it up and run it?
Mannyrock
Yes, runs with all cars.
Arne
Arnie: fabulous set incredible find! Thanks for sharing
Don
Thanks for the good wishes Guys Sadly its probably LESS time on the hunt as I use a laptop on a stand for most of my computing these days , which necessitates me sitting on the couch with feet down lol ... I am sure I can rig it better for "flat out " browsing lol ... but yeah the last few weeks its been foot up unless it has to be down ...
Stupid story how it happened ( and those are the best kind I guess?)
Warning long story .. TLDR ... doing ok!
My house is built on 2 levels where one part of the house is about 8 inches higher than the rest , coming out of my lounge into the dining and entry area I have a huge slate hearth which the wood heater is on and this Hearth also doubles as the step down into the ground level parts of the house ... As I am sure I have mentioned , my main partner in crime these days is Tuco the Moustache Parrot , and she has a smaller cage for travel and getting sun outside with me on nice days ... This cage lives along the wall of the step down off the hearth, its not in the way because there is a bifold door to the lounge which when open ( as it pretty much always is ) blocks off that area of the step down ... it has been like that for years without the slightest problem .
However one Sunday night ( 2 sundays ago) I was doing my nightly routine of cleaning Tucos paper and getting her fresh water for the next day , when I scooted out the lounge door ( barefoot as I mainly am) and for the first time ever I mis-stepped and my little and next in toe went straight into the bars of that cage , I was commited by momentum to take the next step and my foot DIDN'T come clear .. hence in mid stride I was heading forward into an 8" drop with my right leg having nothing but air underneath it , and my left foot into the cage .. this surprisingly did NOT end well and I ended up slamming that left knee into the ground, then half commando-rolling at which point me next in toe flicked free , but my little one refused to play ball ... So while I am laying on the ground feeling mainly embarrasment and my knee pain .. it dawns on me my toes are "burning" and I cautiously had a bit of a feel and it wasnt good lol! ... my fingers came back covered in blood .. OK this is unexpected thinks I ... goes in for another feel and there is a complete seperation of my little toe under my foot .. yep I can feel all sorts of things in there that normally you dont LOL!
Looking at it , it was obviously displaced , so we better fix that ...( I am a level 4 MICA trained First Responder... about as good as you can be and just under Ambulance level here in Australia) Luckily it just popped back ok , but still bleeding , so sterilised ( rubbing alcohol 
) and packed the gash ...bleeding controlled .
I live very rurally so I thought it best to phone the local hospital ( about 30 miles away) and tell them I was on my way , at which point they told me better go to Bendigo ... a lot further away ... I didnt really trust myself to drive that far , and it wasnt worthy of an Ambulance as it would tie up a crew for half a shift where they could be doing vital work elsewhere , so I opted to just go to my Doctor in the morning ( still 30 miles away lol )
I was expecting stitches as the wound is the full length of the first toe join to the foot pad , but he was really happy with the way I had packed and managed it and the tendons were still attached so we decided natural healing was an option , but lets get a precautionary X-ray ... well it took 5 days to get one !
The joy of living in the Bush !
X-ray comes back and it turns out I had a complete transverse break on the first bone( in two pieces top and bottom halves) and a fracture on the second , but both were beautifully in place ... so no surgery required , just careful management and splinting ... Dressing changes etc are handled by a local nurse so thats good .. but obviously some nerve damage as while it is painful , its nowhere near the level it should be ... but the toes is still there and healing well so far
As my Doc says " You breed em tough in the bush Don'tcha ! "
@Arne Fantastic pick up my friend!
@beardog49 get back to you in a bit ( I have rabbited on too much lol ) but they are common Hornby in the UK and out here but you might get a good price over there for them ...
The LMS 2270 loco is from 1947-54 (postwar model 101) and is not fantastic condition cosmetically
The LMS 501 "longsplasher" is also post war of the same period .
What you have going for you is they both appear complete with siderods and control knobs etc and thats a good selling point as many are not , however you seem to be missing the droplink element of the front couplers on both , no biggie... as to value , we are not talking huge numbers as they are pretty common
Importantly to note the 2270 numbering was also used on the pre-war version and that loco commands premium pricing compared to its later sibling you have ( identified by single bar drive rods , no connecting rod between wheels like the later ones)
Value ? at the moment there is a 2270 on ebay for £29 buy it now ( which is a bargain I think lol ) realistically you could list each at say 75-100 USD and see if the market there will stand that ?
There are lots listed at silly numbers £100+ but they arent selling and are not in better condition than yours.
A boxed example with inspector tags is listed at £250 which is "dreaming" money lol ( it is markedly played with and does have cosmetic issues )
Who knows if you get a couple USA peeps interested you might make good ?
geez, you don't do anything halfway do you?
Farman. Quite a story in regards to your fall/injury. Really glad it turned out reasonably well and fixable. Us older folks ( I am 77) need to be extra careful about falls. A broken hip can put us out of business for quite a spell. I hope Buco appreciated the sacrifice you made to keep his cage neat😊.
Don
Arnie,
Glad to hear it runs. If possible, I would love to see a video clip of that! I would never have believed that a train of that age, including the box, could look that good.
Fatman, so very sorry about your injury. My father was a doctor, who practiced for 60 years, starting back in the day when people in the neighborhood, would show up at the door with horrific wounds, wanting to be sewn up in his office in our basement. He did it all.
As a result, all of us kids were required to have our shoes on and tied, from the moment we woke up, till the moment we got in bed, or else we got beaten. (Yep, standard punishment in those days.) He said that 90% of all of the terrible foot wounds and nail punctures he treated were because someone didn't have their shoes on. I keep them on to this day!
Oh well, . . . he bought me a Super-O set when I was ten. And, I've never cut my foot or stubbed a toe. :-)
Mannyrock
beardog49: For your comparison, below is my 2270 LMS tank engine by Hornby. It is complete with all valve gear, control knobs, and no zinc pest but it is obviously well used and scratched. It cost $14 for the engine, but then shipping (outrageous) from the UK plus tax drove the price up to $46 delivered in early 2020. Not sure if it was a bargain or not as there is little comparison here in the states. Anyway just FYI.
Don
I started to list the 2270 and the 5600 on epay today. I started with the 2270, wound it up and checked that everything worked. Then I moved to the 5600, when I started to wind it up I realized there was no spring or control knobs. Geez, I handled it all day yesterday and never noticed this. Another part of my retirement fund down the drain. I also took another small loco of the shelf to take pictures of for this post, guess what, no spring. So I went into the train room and took down an 8324 that I was planning on keeping. Runs fine, but no valve gear. I had to think back to when I bought them. Up until about 2015 I went thru a four or five year period of homelessness, living in my car, couch surfing. After that my social security started and a small pension and life became comfortable.
Any way, my point is when I was buying these things I still did not think I had any money so I bought what I thought I could afford. Add to this that I was incredibly naive about anything but Marx at the beginning. Hence the defects.
I have lots of parts locos anyway.
Best, John
=
This guy is small, the entire engine is but 6 1/4" long . OBTW if you have the reference, the # 2509 Silver Streak set is pictured in Foster's Book, Volume 3, pg 168. As you can see, my example has been well played with , but I enjoy that actually by thinking of the young person who most likely greatly enjoyed running his streamlined train, probably on the floor of his home.
Have a great week
Don
A string of STD Gauge Erie boxcars rounding the bend headed by a Erie 2-6-0 Camelback
Steve
What is that thing?
Here is a tinplate, handpainted, handsoldered "made in Germany" windmill I dug out
today. No makers mark. Any ideas, on the bay.
Geez, steve, what is your epay Id, I want your leftovers.
It appears you are in socal so hopefully not affected by fires or smoke
John
@beardog49 posted:Geez, steve, what is your epay Id, I want your leftovers.
It appears you are in socal so hopefully not affected by fires or smoke
John
Yes, So Cal. Luckily other than smoke we have been safe from fires this time. Last year we were packed and ready to leave, but luckily were not evacuated. I am gig1949 on Ebay, but don't sell there a lot, although I seriously need to thin the herd a lot more. I'm getting ready for a meet this weekend.
Steve
I am jgjg49 on ebay. I tried to curtail my selling there after their changes, but it is pretty difficult, they seem to have a monopoly. We have had severe smoke here in the Carson Valley for about 6 or 7 weeks now. AQI, especially for people like me has been dangerous virtually every day.
John
The CMT Camelback making a slow pass.
Steve
@beardog49 posted:Here is a tinplate, handpainted, handsoldered "made in Germany" windmill I dug out
today. No makers mark. Any ideas, on the bay.
pic?
Thought I put three on, lets try again. 
about 7.5 inches high, btw
@Steve "Papa" Eastman posted:The CMT Camelback making a slow pass.
Steve
This looks great Steve, thanks for sharing. I wish mth had issued a tinplate camelback in o gauge.
Hi Tinplate fans, I thought I would present my progress (slight) on a hunt for a late French Hornby set that Daniel (Frenchtrains) told me about in an earlier post. On 8/8 I had posted pictures of my new (to me) "SNCF Wagon Tombereau Baches "Saint Freres " . In asking about a suitable vintage engine Daniel pointed out to me that my car had a yellow frame and was thus in the color scheme of the last of the cars that were offered. He then showed me a boxed set containing this car. Please note that this picture is copied from Daniel's post.
Given that I had just obtained the yellow framed, covered wagon, I am now on a search for the remaining elements of the set. This week I received (also from Australia which Fatman pointed out is a good source of Hornby ) the SNCF STEF refrigerator car for the set. It is pictured below. By the way, like the prior shipment from Australia, this shipment also arrived in perfect shape, the car appears brand new. Of course besides the Mecanno label, it also proudly displays the "made in France" loco on the end plate.
Now all I need is that BB loco...the search goes on 
!! I do have one question however, perhaps if Daniel reads this he can help. What does "STEF" stand for? Is it a commercial firm or a standard marker ? Regardless I am really pleased with this little fellow and he joins my tiny but growing collection of Hornby and French Hornby tinplate.
Best Regards to all
Don
PRR8976 (Tom)... THANK YOU ! Thinking STEF would be an unknown acronym I had not tried to "Google" it * and hence had not found the link you provided. I found the history fascinating and the fact that STEF had been in fact a part of and owned by SNCF for over 50 years! Thanks very much. The company really provides an excellent historical introduction on the web site you provided.
* OK I admit it, at 77 years old, I sometimes don't think of modern solutions to research like the internet. 
!
Don,
I am lucky what I find sometimes.
Tom (the 61.5 year old Googler)
Tom ... Way to go shipmate! Don
Hello @Don McErlean , pretty nice car, and finding one in Australia, on @Fatman territory that is definitely something special... it would have more easy to buy one in France and so much less dangerous...
Now you have to find the BB loco, common piece here and not expensive. If you need help you can ask, not a problem for me.
If you enjoy trains from France here is a strange looking one made by BLZ just after the second world war, very successful even if this engine is more Pennsy looking than any French model.... No idea why and how the manufacturers took inspiration from a GGI, it is even shorter than the Lionel model...There is several color variations, most common one is the green model. Here all my models are running on carpet central with original BLZ cars.
Very best, Daniel
@FRENCHTRAINSS: Daniel, I would most appreciate any help you might give in me finding that BB locomotive. As best I can observe from your picture the engine appears to be the OBB loco in dark green livery with the 20 volt motor. It would not have to be perfect but I would want to operate it. I would certainly welcome your help as their advertisement here on e-bay is very scarce. Thank you for your offer.
Don
@FRENCHTRAINS I forgot to mention that BLZ locomotive does look remarkably like the GG1, especially one of the early ones that was called "old rivets" which was made before the streamlined shell was welded and in fact on this one engine it was riveted. It would be interesting to know what prototype BLZ was modeling on the engines in your collection. I .don't recall any French prototype that resembled a GG1.
Best Wishes
Don
I feel that I have been letting the side down a lot the last few weeks and will probably be doing so for another few weeks still .. apart from the broken foot issue , as luck would have it I went to have a poo the other weekend and it loved me so much it just wouldnt go away ... no matter what I tried it just sat there mocking me LOL!!! 
Old fashioned kinda, sorta, off grid living here .. so after vigourously attempting to rectify it myself for several HORRIFIC hours I waved the white flag, thus the poor Septic Man came and worked tirelessly for a few hours with his big sucker truck and pressurized hoses ( yep it was THAT bad ) ....any trainy wainy budget went right out the window and halfway into the next state over !
But I did manage to score one little item for mega low bucks this week that might interest some of you ...
I have had a three-wheeler version of a Lutz-Hielscher steam car for a while now , but I found his fancier brother , the 4-wheel Steam Coach and snaffled him up ...
They look very basic ( and they are ! lol ) but at the time they cost a pretty penny and are made out of laser cut Stainless so were pretty high tech in the day I guess
Live steam with a tiny wobbler piston
pretty awesome, dare I ask how much?
You May @beardog49 simply because it was a ridiculous find ... I laid out the immense sum of $39AUD Buy it now and $12AUD postage .... about $36USD
It actually came from the same ePay seller I bought the three wheeler off 6 or so months ago ... We were talking about it in a group and I knew the seller ( at the time ) had another 3-wheeler listed at the time I bought mine so I popped in to see if it was still there ... it wasnt .. but THIS one was ! ... needless to say my finger hit the button in 0.001 seconds to make it mine as well ... sadly no more listed except one in France that the seller wants 418 EURO for it !!! ( they were spendy at the time , but not THAT spendy ! )
@Fatman posted:I feel that I have been letting the side down a lot the last few weeks and will probably be doing so for another few weeks still .. apart from the broken foot issue , as luck would have it I went to have a poo the other weekend and it loved me so much it just wouldnt go away ... no matter what I tried it just sat there mocking me LOL!!!
Old fashioned kinda, sorta, off grid living here .. so after vigourously attempting to rectify it myself for several HORRIFIC hours I waved the white flag, thus the poor Septic Man came and worked tirelessly for a few hours with his big sucker truck and pressurized hoses ( yep it was THAT bad ) ....any trainy wainy budget went right out the window and halfway into the next state over !
But I did manage to score one little item for mega low bucks this week that might interest some of you ...
I have had a three-wheeler version of a Lutz-Hielscher steam car for a while now , but I found his fancier brother , the 4-wheel Steam Coach and snaffled him up ...
Great find at a great price. I'm always amazed by the stuff you find. Thanks for sharing.
And if you want a laugh regarding your other "situation", search for Red Green Show Winston Rothschild and watch a few scenes. Here's one... https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IXzGt7ryoYk
I am sorry, but I am confused.
You mentioned that the carriage was made from lazar cut stainless, pretty high tech in the day .
But, wasn't lazar cutting just invented in the 1970s or so? That was just yesterday for most of us on this board. :-O
Mannyrock
Correct @Mannyrock these are from the 2000's to 2010
The examples came from a specialty technical company that was formed when Heilscher visited a steam factory in the late 60's and fell in love with them to the extent he used his engineering background to start making models as technical examples of old time technology ...
Not a lot on the web in English but a short synopsis here
https://www.mysidewheeler.com/hielscher.htm
Interestingly the family has kept the youtube channel after Hielschers demise with lots of examples of this clever mans work preserved for future generations ... He loved making small things .. anyone with a heap of money could buy big steam engines
https://www.youtube.com/c/Lutz...irlingmotoren/videos
He also made beautiful scale reproductions of steam trains and traction engines, but the business was just as much about clever tiny toys
In "normal" train circles he is probably most known for his Wuppertal monorails
https://www.monorails.org/tMspages/CPWuppModelRR.html
An Idea of his BIGGER models
Decided to do a video this weekend. I just repaired the 447 and it is now running great! I was having a problem with the armature overheating to the point that after a few minutes one could not touch the brush tubes without getting burned. I pulled a wheel and swapped armatures and that did the trick. After getting the original armature out, I discovered it was coated in grease/oil and was unlike the used one that I put in, which was clean and shiny. It ran great with the newly swapped armature, no overheating.
So here is a 1939 American Flyer 447 Hudson with 3 chrome streamline cars, a 1938 American Flyer 1680 Hudson with 4 red streamline cars, and a 1931 American Flyer 3109 engine with 3 freight cars. Unfortunately, I did not have a set on the Standard Gauge loop, so nothing is running on the outside loop.
NWL
Video from Sunday afternoon.
Scott Smith
I bought this Gondola with LCLs and the chains on Ebay it came this week. Fundamentally all is in good shape, except someone in the home was a big smoker, I could smell it when I opened the package, and it all had a brown tint. I could see in the EBay picture it was dirty and expected to have to do a little work.
After a few hours of wiping it all down with soapy water, rinsing with clean water, drying, and a rub down with some liquid car wax, it’s like new again! (And no more smell)
EBay photo:
After the clean up:
Having some fun and showing off😀:
Well hello everyone...I am going to wander a bit to the side of the tinplate trains today, follow Fatman's lead a little bit. This offering is definitely tinplate and its from the wonderful era of the 1950-1960's of superb Japanese tinplate toys. This would be a little large for O gauge but not by much. I found it virtually new in the box so I just had to have it, you know boys - "trucks and trains" !
Here is the cardboard box, really in remarkable shape for its age and not really dried out. The manufacturer is Craigsten of Japan.
Here is a better look at the box top.
Here is the truck, about 12-14 " in length and about 4 " high. The lever with the blue knob is how you dump the bin.
Rear quarter view.
Here he is with the side dump bin tipped for unloading. He has a friction type motor powering the front wheels of the cab
Well I hope you enjoy this truck, l know its not trains but I thought you might like to see it anyway.
Don
Lovely video, NWL; the layout and trains are just wonderful to see running. Thanks.
Hard to have something new each weekend, so as I am cleaning dust on my trains, I just took some pictures of my favorite Lionel Standard gauge steam engines. I know they are common ones for you in USA but there is certainly not many of those in France.....
Have a great weekend, Daniel
Daniel - what a fabulous collection of standard gauge steamers, how you put that together in Europe is amazing because they must be even more rare there than in the US and they are far from common over here.
Craig - great video the new gondola looks great.
Have a good week everyone
Don
Hello Don, Thanks, and I have much more models, only one engine, the gunmetal 400e, have been founded in France at an auction, all the other ones came from trip in your country and each of them as a little story for me. Unfortunately in the two past years nothing due to covid situation, maybe in a near future who knows.... Very Best, Daniel
Well I certainly hope that you will be able to travel to the US, maybe for York? Now that you have started down the trail of 400E locomotives, your next step is to seek out the "pinnacle" of the tribe, the blue one! It was used to head up the "Blue Comet" express where each of the cars was named after a real comet. In case you didn't know, the actual "Blue Comet" was a passenger train on the Jersey Central Rail Road that went from NY City to Atlantic City on the New Jersey coast. Interesting for the time for a premium train, it was an all coach train. More importantly this trip was a favorite of Joshua Lionel Cowen and his family, founder and leader of Lionel.
Best Regards
Don
Good idea Don, I will have to find one complete set as i do not have the cars, main problem it is just a question of price.... I saw several at York but really too much for me. The blue 400e is an icon but I would prefer a blue 390e that is more well sized with the Blue Comet cars. Maybe next year for a trip in USA.
Best Regards, Daniel
Getting more stuff ready for my sale table Sunday. MTH Milwaukee Road set with the add on Sioux Falls car.
Steve
@Steve "Papa" Eastman posted:Getting more stuff ready for my sale table Sunday. MTH Milwaukee Road set with the add on Sioux Falls car.
Steve
You're not going to sell that, are you? IMO, it's one of the most beautiful modern SG sets.
@Mallard4468 posted:You're not going to sell that, are you? IMO, it's one of the most beautiful modern SG sets.
Already sold, didn't even get to the meet.
Steve
Scott Smith
I've been indulging in some Marx and Hafner clockwork this year. I picked up a neat postwar Marx set at the Old Colony Model Railroad Club's Show last weekend.
I don't think it's anything rare or remarkable but I like it anyways. The cars have black plastic wheels and twisted sliding couplers, so it must be postwar, although I don't know much else about it (maybe some of the Marx experts can make commentary on it). After dusting, cleaning and lubing, the set was ready for the track!
Despite all the modern thingamajigs cluttering my layout, the little clockwork Marxies can still manage the mainline pretty well!
A train French set made by LR ( Louis Roussy ) very similar in size to 027 trains and made with high quality materials, also used a lot of wood for ties. In that time you good have been considered as a modeler with those tracks. This set dates from 1935 and the loco is a good representation of an electric box cab used on the Paris-Orleans railways. It was also the year of the introduction of automatic couplers which where not very easy to fix but it was a great improvement.... 85 yeas later the train is till running fine.
Have a great weekend, Daniel
Trainguy Key...I looked in my Marx reference material and in short found no perfect match to your set. Here however is what I did find.
The engine is a 591 windup and it is accompanied by a 551 wagon top, NYC tender. This combination was made between 1950-1958. Note that the engine also came with an electric motor and even in wind up had many variations (9) but yours with both side rods and hand rails is one of them. Further dating might be possible if you would state whether or not your locomotive and a headlight and / or a sparkler.
In terms of the set, the closest I came was set # 9507 (B) which appeared in the 1955-56 Sears catalog. This set came with 0-27 2-rail track to make a figure 8 (thus it would have had the cross over), instruction sheets 212 and 71 and a key. It sold in the Sears catalog those years for $3.97. This set had all your cars with one exception. It had the high sided, 28500 LV green gondola as well as the 554 red one that your set has. However, this set did NOT have the 738701 PRR hopper car. However the variation of this car that you mentioned, with tab /slot couplers and plastic wheels is listed and this car was made from 1940 onward so it is certainly appropriate.
My guess is that sometime in its 70+ years of existence, someone either lost or broke the LV high sided gondola and replaced it with the PRR hopper. After all, these cars were sold in the 1950's via 5 and dime stores for about 25 cents apiece.
Its a GREAT SET, congratulations. Finding anything this old and still more or less complete is a wonder for sure. That happens to be especially true of Marx because as the "low end" leader, parents etc were more prone to throw them away after a few years around the Christmas tree vice expensive Lionel's that were carefully protected between Christmas seasons.
Before I forget, Daniel that is a beautiful LR set that you posted. To me, one of the interesting things was that I observed that the picture on the LR box was what was actually in the box!! We all know that toy train manufacturers (Hornby was one of the worst) greatly exaggerated what was in the box through the picture on the cover!!
Best Wishes Don
Trainguy Ken...I just realized that I mis-spelled your handle...I wrote Trainguy Key vice Ken. I am very sorry.
Don
@Don McErlean posted:Trainguy Key...I looked in my Marx reference material and in short found no perfect match to your set. Here however is what I did find.
The engine is a 591 windup and it is accompanied by a 551 wagon top, NYC tender. This combination was made between 1950-1958. Note that the engine also came with an electric motor and even in wind up had many variations (9) but yours with both side rods and hand rails is one of them. Further dating might be possible if you would state whether or not your locomotive and a headlight and / or a sparkler.
In terms of the set, the closest I came was set # 9507 (B) which appeared in the 1955-56 Sears catalog. This set came with 0-27 2-rail track to make a figure 8 (thus it would have had the cross over), instruction sheets 212 and 71 and a key. It sold in the Sears catalog those years for $3.97. This set had all your cars with one exception. It had the high sided, 28500 LV green gondola as well as the 554 red one that your set has. However, this set did NOT have the 738701 PRR hopper car. However the variation of this car that you mentioned, with tab /slot couplers and plastic wheels is listed and this car was made from 1940 onward so it is certainly appropriate.
My guess is that sometime in its 70+ years of existence, someone either lost or broke the LV high sided gondola and replaced it with the PRR hopper. After all, these cars were sold in the 1950's via 5 and dime stores for about 25 cents apiece.
Its a GREAT SET, congratulations. Finding anything this old and still more or less complete is a wonder for sure. That happens to be especially true of Marx because as the "low end" leader, parents etc were more prone to throw them away after a few years around the Christmas tree vice expensive Lionel's that were carefully protected between Christmas seasons.
Before I forget, Daniel that is a beautiful LR set that you posted. To me, one of the interesting things was that I observed that the picture on the LR box was what was actually in the box!! We all know that toy train manufacturers (Hornby was one of the worst) greatly exaggerated what was in the box through the picture on the cover!!
Best Wishes Don
Thanks for the information, Don! I believe that this is a #898 locomotive and not a #591-- according to the neat locomotive guide on MarxTinplateTrains.com, the #591 has fake leading and trailing trucks stamped into the body and is a bit longer than mine.
The locomotive does have a sparkler mechanism-- the flint is ages gone but the flint lever that would have held it is still hanging inside. There's no headlight and no provisions for a battery to power one. I forgot to photograph the motor while I had it out for cleaning but it looks very similar to this example.
Ken...I checked again. IAW "Greenberg Guide to Marx Trains", second edition the #898 has the number stamped on the shell in white and I could not see that. But you are indeed correct that your loco does seem to lack the stamped leading truck of the # 591 and indeed the #898 did come with a sparkler. However, if it is a #898 windup then this locomotive only led 3 mechanical sets (Greenbergs Guide to Marx Trains , Vol III "sets"). The set numbers were #815 (Circa 1950 Allied catalog), #823 (1949-1950 Allied catalog) and # 860 (A&B) both from the 1952 Allied catalog, These sets do not match your picture except for the #556 red NYC caboose and in one instance in set #823 the 787701 PRR brown hopper. Even more unexpected, in all set cases the #898 is listed with a #551 NYC tender with a grey band or in one case the #951 black "wedge" tender. Now Marx made any collectors life miserable by switching tenders all the time and the #551 has many variations so this is not too unexpected. The cars all changing however to this extent seems a bit odd, although any Marx fan will tell you that he had no difficulty switching cars to please some retailer and all the cars in question are 4 wheel 6 inch lithographed cars with tab/slot couplers. These cars were commonly used from the middle 1930's to the 1950's and then faded through the 50's but some were still in use in the 1960's.
Anyway its a great set, made up by Marx, or some retailer, or some customer who had (no doubt) hrs of fun with the set, Its a great find. I loved the video of it running. Thanks for posting.
Don
The drought at Musée de Fatbloke came to an end recently which also signalled a new beginning for me ... In my hunt for all things wonderful to me I have always drawn the line at "No Plastic" ( lol ) but in order to finally get my hands on a Marx setup I have always liked, that unwritten rule had to be bent ... although Marx etc is very common to you fellows in the States , outside the U.S.A. its actually hard to find sometimes , but luckily I came across the following set at a very FatFellow friendly pricing along with local shipping to boot ...
A sight familiar to almost everyone here I would think ...
But inside lurked a set I have wanted for a long time ( loco-wise anyway)
And yes ( shudder...) Plastic 8-wheel wagons ... but look at that glorious Monon A & B !!!
Hasnt seen a lot of track time either by the looks ..
So while its a very common piece over in the USA , I am pretty stoked to have found it here in such good nick ( even with the plastic )
But....
I realise it just wouldn't be me if I didn't post something hopefully exotic lol ... Sooooo in other news this week , I also managed to pick up a little bit of French history in the form of a rather sun faded , but otherwise nice condition Martinan & Larnaude ML180 toy locomotive ... A quick bit of research so far shows me only one other example in an auction listing grouped with several other trains on a European catawiki sale, Apparently Martinan & Larnaude started C1920 and produced until the mid to late 30's , Mainly cars trucks and planes , but obviously also at least one locomotive .. they were interrupted by the war then at some point resurfaced ( possibly in name only? ) to produce many tinplate toys in the 50's-60's on ?
Apart from that one auction reference I can find no other info ( yet) about this well made floor train, it looks to have wheels similar to those types found on cars of the time which ran on litho tracks , so maybe there was also a circle or oval supplied ( all that is pure conjecture tho)
( Might need some intervention from @FRENCHTRAINS here?)
Hello Simon, nice to see you are doing good in the collection. Sorry but I do not have any knowledge about ML, they are not rare in France but not easy to find in good condition. They are floor toys so no tracks where ever made.
Lasr piece in the collection for me is a nice LR steam loco for the ETAT railways, made around 1935. As usually with LR trains very hard to find in good condition but this one doesn't look to bad..
Daniel
Thanks Daniel ... beautiful Louis Roussy !
@Fatman posted:The drought at Musée de Fatbloke came to an end recently which also signalled a new beginning for me ... In my hunt for all things wonderful to me I have always drawn the line at "No Plastic" ( lol ) but in order to finally get my hands on a Marx setup I have always liked, that unwritten rule had to be bent ... although Marx etc is very common to you fellows in the States , outside the U.S.A. its actually hard to find sometimes , but luckily I came across the following set at a very FatFellow friendly pricing along with local shipping to boot ...
A sight familiar to almost everyone here I would think ...
And yes ( shudder...) Plastic 8-wheel wagons ... but look at that glorious Monon A & B !!!
Hasnt seen a lot of track time either by the looks ..
So while its a very common piece over in the USA , I am pretty stoked to have found it here in such good nick ( even with the plastic
Great find on the Marx stuff! I live in Monon territory - just a half mile from a rails-to-trails path on former Monon right of way. I've always found it interesting that Marx chose to put the Monon livery on so many pieces, as it was a relatively obscure line that wasn't prominent in Marx's major markets (despite "Chicago" being part of the line's official name).
A "Flying Hamburger" from Marklin, this one is a clockwork from 1935, with a great mechanism, it run very smooth and make many laps. The same model has been made in 20v electric also. It seems to have been a very popular model as finding one today is always very easy.
As usually, have a great weekend, Daniel
Trainguy Ken - Nice find on the Marx windup set!
Greenberg's can be confusing when it comes to mechanical Marx locomotives... but Marx mechanicals can be confusing all by themselves. The following is what I have been able to determine from my research on Marx mechanicals concerning the 897/898/833 and 591/533 locos. Marx came out with the #897 prewar, and that number was used for both the electrical and mechanical versions of the loco with the lithography on the body. I have seen period ads from 1941-42 for mechanical 897's:
Postwar, Marx used this same basic body for electric and mechanical locomotives, but they were just plain black, no lithography. It is my belief that the 898 designation is for the electric version and 833 is the proper designation for the mechanical version. From period ads I've seen, I believe that Marx produced the 833 from 1947 through 1953, although I do have one ad from 1954 with a set led by an 833. However, I suspect that Marx was getting rid of leftover sets through that retailer at that point, since the 591/533 had been introduced by that time (more on that in a minute). I've documented six different variations of the 833, not including the 897. Below is a common set with one of the simpler versions of the 833; Marx was notorious for taking details off the locos in order to meet a given price point for a retailer. Note that the 833 doesn't have handrails or side rods - it came this way from the factory:
1953 is the last year the 833 is seen in most retailer ads, but it is the first year that the 533 makes an appearance. Again, I believe that 591 is the proper designation for the electric version, and 533 is proper for the mechanical version. Note that the construction of the 833 is considerably different than the 533. The 833 is all stamped steel, whereas the 533 has a stamped steel body with a plastic piece in front for the smokebox door/pilot. I believe the 533 was cheaper to produce, which was very important in keeping the price low on the entry-level mechanical sets. I have retailer ads from 1953-58 showing various 533 locomotives. The 591/533 was also sold in a battery operated version powered by two "D" cells with a switch on the top of the boiler - I haven't figured out what the Marx number designation would be for this version. I consider it an honorary windup since those sets came with 2-rail track - haha! I've documented ten different variations of the 533 (mechanical & battery). Here are a few variations, with a couple of battery operated locos at the top, mechanicals below:
I won't go into sets or possible sets, but I will say that I was unable to find a set exactly like yours in the ads . That's not to say that it isn't a valid set, and it seems that Marx didn't have any qualms in substituting cars to get sets out the door, either. But, it is a nice train, thanks for posting it!
Frenchtrains,
That flying hamburger looks great!
Novice questions, but are the electric ones 20 volt DC or AC?
Thx,
Mannyrock
@Mannyrock posted:Frenchtrains,
That flying hamburger looks great!
Novice questions, but are the electric ones 20 volt DC or AC?
Thx,
Mannyrock
The electric motor is 20v AC so you can use a Lionel or AF transformer without any problem.
Very Best, Daniel
While I was finding a home for my new postwar Marx set, I decided to take down my other two clockwork Marxies and give them a spin on the layout while the mainline was clear.
First I brought out one of my favorite Marx trains in my collection, a handsome prewar set that I picked up on everybody's favorite auction site last year. It has a matching set of silver litho framed passenger cars with riveted tab and slot couplers.
The locomotive has diecast wheels, a screw-in key and the bent-over start lever indicating a reversible mechanism. I believe that this is a fairly early set from the mid 30s (1935-1938) since the locomotive and cars both have some peculiar features such as three steam domes and round frames.
Here's an elevated view that shows off the cars a little better. I have two Montclairs and one Bogota-- I'm not sure if the earlier passenger sets came with observation cars, but my set doesn't seem to have one.
Here's a video of this lovely silvery set running around my layout-- it runs just as nice as it looks!
And of course, we have to demonstrate that reversible motor too, don't we? I only wound it up partway since the set tends to pick my Fastrack switches and derail when running backwards at full speed.
Here is a more humble offering. Not a real set but a convenient assortment of cars that I often run together. I've had the cars and Pennsy tender for almost fifteen years, they were some of the first O Gauge trains that I bought when I started out in this wonderful hobby. I bought the engine at one of the antique shops in Putnam last year. I was planning on using it for parts but I realized that it could navigate the switches on my layout. I had so much fun sending the little critter scurrying around the mainline that I started dabbling in clockwork for my collection!
Here's a closeup of the locomotive. The Marx Commodore Vanderbilt must be the most common windup train in the United States, but thankfully it's quite a good looking little streamliner. It has stamped metal wheels, two domes and the typical Marx clockwork motor with ringing bell.
Despite being rusty and battered, the whole train still runs like a rabbit. Check it out!
I have a pair of Hafner sets as well, I might put them out on the track next. Tinplate is very addictive you know!
@FRENCHTRAINS beautiful TW ... finding them might be easy , but paying for them isn't LOL!!!
@Fatman Less than you think Simon, 120-150 € for a very good one.... The electric is much more but the clocwork is very fine.
Daniel
@Fatman posted:The drought at Musée de Fatbloke came to an end recently which also signalled a new beginning for me ... In my hunt for all things wonderful to me I have always drawn the line at "No Plastic" ( lol ) but in order to finally get my hands on a Marx setup I have always liked, that unwritten rule had to be bent ... although Marx etc is very common to you fellows in the States , outside the U.S.A. its actually hard to find sometimes , but luckily I came across the following set at a very FatFellow friendly pricing along with local shipping to boot ...
A sight familiar to almost everyone here I would think ...
But inside lurked a set I have wanted for a long time ( loco-wise anyway)
And yes ( shudder...) Plastic 8-wheel wagons ... but look at that glorious Monon A & B !!!
Hasnt seen a lot of track time either by the looks ..
So while its a very common piece over in the USA , I am pretty stoked to have found it here in such good nick ( even with the plastic
But....
I realise it just wouldn't be me if I didn't post something hopefully exotic lol ... Sooooo in other news this week , I also managed to pick up a little bit of French history in the form of a rather sun faded , but otherwise nice condition Martinan & Larnaude ML180 toy locomotive ... A quick bit of research so far shows me only one other example in an auction listing grouped with several other trains on a European catawiki sale, Apparently Martinan & Larnaude started C1920 and produced until the mid to late 30's , Mainly cars trucks and planes , but obviously also at least one locomotive .. they were interrupted by the war then at some point resurfaced ( possibly in name only? ) to produce many tinplate toys in the 50's-60's on ?
Apart from that one auction reference I can find no other info ( yet) about this well made floor train, it looks to have wheels similar to those types found on cars of the time which ran on litho tracks , so maybe there was also a circle or oval supplied ( all that is pure conjecture tho)
( Might need some intervention from @FRENCHTRAINS here?)
Only the second ML Fabrication item I have seen in my days of hoarding. Here is the 1st one.
They look strikingly like the Memo locos
This ML race car is pretty neat too.
I took down my two Hafner sets down from the top shelf and got them ready for some track time! First, my prewar Hafner 1010 streamlined steam engine with its questionably-period menagerie of cars. I think that the engine, tender and gondola are from the same set since they have similar wear, but the caboose is probably from some other set.
I bought this along with a box of assorted Hafner on a whim a few years ago. I couldn't get it to run at all until I figured out the secret to success with clockworks-- heavy-handed lubrication of every axle and gear on the whole train!
This engine runs a little stiff, but it does still run!
I also have this neat postwar Hafner set. This is one of the few vintage sets that I own with an original box lid. I don't really care much for train paper but I do like box art when it's something worth looking at.
This set is headed up by a Hafner 2000 locomotive in an interesting black and red livery. I read a TCA website with a page on Hafner trains a while back that suggested that these engines were primarily made in the immediate postwar period, just before the Wyandotte buyout in the early 1950s.
The set included this neat ATSF boxcar with a clever slide-open door. This is one of my favorite Hafner cars, it's really nicely made with some nice lithography. It had a mysterious rattle when I first picked it up, and after some effort I extracted this mysterious wooden block from inside of it. I would like to think that Hafner included some little wooden blocks to tuck into their boxcars, but more likely this is some unrelated toy that a curious kid inserted into the doors many years ago. Anyone else seen these blocks before?
I wound up this set and started it off on the layout. Unfortunately, this engine has a questionable regulator and the bell clapper tends to catch on the Fastrack switches when moving at speed. By the time I remembered this I witnessed the most horrible sight imaginable in the train room: a locomotive plunging to the floor! Thankfully the strategically placed thick carpets protected the lightweight 70-year-old engine from any noticeable harm.
I've been slowly constructing a little layout to run my fat-wheeled Marx and prewar Flyer on. I call it the Lower Deck since, quite naturally, it is tucked underneath my "main" layout. I set the speedy Hafner up down there and cut it loose for a whirl. You can hear the bell clapper striking on some of the track switches as it spins around.
Hope you all have a nice weekend and don't be like my Hafner #2000, keep them all on the rails!
I have always had a great interest in high voltage trains and box cab locos, so when I had the opportunity to buy this lovely MARKLIN in gauge One, I jump on it. Pictured with a French Marklin catalog from 1926. And as always, or near..., with Marklin, it runs very well.
Have a nice weekend, a nice York show for those who attend, Daniel
Beautiful find Daniel ! @FRENCHTRAINS
Remarkable condition for its age and just lovely!
This week all I can add is the result of a wonderful young fellow up in Queensland who started off by saying he might have a tender for a Mettoy A4 loco I already have ... and well , you know how it goes ......
Soooo eventually I managed to sweeten the pot with a little Robilt ( Australian ) 0-4-0 , which came with a rather rare brass double bogie tender ( needs wheels for one bogie) along with a little Marx electric mech, and a Mettoy passenger coach for the A4 as well
The Robilt , as many are , is a very much a roughie! but its the green version which is not too common ...
Even Mongrels need a loving home
( thanks Peter ! )
Hello everyone, I am just catching up with the postings as I have been absent for about 3 weeks on vacation. Trainguy Ken- some neat Hafner sets, I also have some and I agree with your comment, the 1010 loco was first produced in 1938 but the 2000 loco dates from just before Hafner sold out to All Metal Products (Wyandotte) in about '51. Glad to see you run them. Frenchtrains (Daniel) that Marklin gauge 1 loco is in amazing condition, what a find!! Fatman - loved the Robilt although the tender looks more robust with its brass bogies than does the engine (LOL).
My find today is a little more mundane in that it only represents a single car. However this one configuration somewhat unusual and for the 800/2800 series was only produced for 2 years (some sources say only 1). It is the 2812X (as catalogued) gondola...although the catalog # is 2812X the car only carries 2812. The differences are in the coupler and truck mounting. This is one of the cars that Lionel configured to lower the coupler height (for more realism?). It came painted in only this bright orange color with white stamped lettering and had automatic box couplers with a simulated knuckle on the top of the box. The trucks were moved (in comparison to the prior 2812) closer to the ends of the car and the frame carried two depressions or disc's where the trucks were mounted. This distinctive coupler height and truck placement differentiate this car and some other late production cars from the earlier members of the series.
Here is a side view showing the lettering scheme, note all rubber stamped and no "plates". The car 's trucks are quite close to the ends of the frame.
In a close up of the brake wheel end you can see the car number underscored and the date overscored. Again best information is that these low coupler cars were only made in '41 and '42 ( and of course production of all toy trains stopped in '42) This picture also shows how close to the frame ends the trucks were mounted.
Finally an end view shows the "simulated knuckle" on top of the coupler box and at the other end you can see the "depression" or "disc" punched into the underframe to mount the trucks. This depression allowed the couplers to be low while keeping the body of the car at about the same previous height in order to match up with earlier cars.
Well that's my contribution this week. Best wishes to all.
Don
Love your posts and research @Don McErlean
Well a little more bottom feeding from the master catfish today ( lol )
( It has been said I have very long pockets and very short arms )
Just for fun and giggles , and because it was there and I have always wanted one .... a Little Wagner Walking Bear , sold under the Max Carl label in the early 1950's... He would look awesome in a big freight car lol
And coming via Dutchboy is what we think is a Charles Rossignol ( CR France) Train de Plancher ( floot train )
Unsure as to dating , as it is very simple, so obviously low end, my gut is telling me 30's but could quite possibly be a simple post war offering as well ?
Also via Dutchboy is a wonderful Erno crane car .. Erno was a Swiss company that arose after WWII to fill the gap in toys with the new found prosperity after the war and broken supply lines because of it ... In Many countries after the war this happened , even all the way over here in Australia . It is very much an indicator in just how big the influence the German and Western European countries had in providing the hub of toy manufacturing in the early half of last century.
Erno started in 1945 but after only 4 years was struggling and it was bought out by Buco ...
Last in the bargain box was via a new friend up in Brisbane who passed yet another little "Sakai/Daikin" B&O set to me .... this was a bigger set than the others I have and included the stop rail ( which is the main reason I grabbed it )
Not O , but "S" gauge
Very ratty box lid !
But such treasures underneath!
Hey Fatman thank you for your comments. I also like your posts as they continue to introduce me to brands I never heard of before … like Buco.
best wishes
Don
Thanks Don .. Buco has a bit of a cult following lol .. very nice stuff but a bit pricey for me usually ... I have a friend here in Australia who is probably the most fervent Buco people on the planet @Buco LOL .. Waves to Pete ! ( when he gets here )
I will get a Buco clockwork one day !
Fatman. I will now add “Buco” to my watch for list. Not sure I have seen any here in US or as you say I might have passed it by due to price. ( Now retired my pockets do seem a little more shallow these days 😄)
Best wishes and keep hunting!!
Don
Here are my finds from York...
First up is a trio of Robilt cars - in great shape with original boxes. The wheels show little if any wear. I know very little about these, but since they're Australian maybe @Fatman can chime in. I gave $20 each - no idea if that was good or not.
Next is a Kibri crossing. Probably been repainted, but it's a nice job and I only gave $15 for it. Based on some searching, it might be item #2210; unfortunately, I can only locate thumbnail-sized pictures. Seeking information regarding what the missing item looked like (possibly a guard shack) so I can fabricate a facsimile. Any help is appreciated.
Ran 252e and 251e , they are fun to operate and easy to maintain.
Hey Fatman & Don:
Saw your post and just had to "chime in".
Buco forever!!! Best 3 rail tinplate in the world!!!!
And still going strong some 70 years on.....here is a link to the Buco company in Switzerland that continues to manufacture pure tinplate Buco loco's, passenger cars, and rolling stock. https://buco-gmbh.ch/
I have also attached photos of some of my own personal "Buco creations" I have made using original Buco tinplate wagons and passenger cars, cutting them, and joining two together, to make a longer bogie wheeled car or wagon. These are the wagons Buco never made, but should have!!!
I have also turned one of the original bogie wheeled passenger carriage into a motorized "rail car". I used the original Buco body and chassis, removed both end access compartments off, added the standard Buco clockwork loco front and rear panels, installed LED headlights to both ends, and powered the whole thing using two diesel MTH motors, pick-ups and wheel trucks. Added an electronic E-unit board and bridge rectifier from JV Digital Engineering, and away it goes in forward or reverse.....smooth as silk!!!
My latest project.....taking the original Buco "drop-link" couplers off, and installing "Kadee" couplers.
Only done the conversion to a couple of selected loco's and some rolling stock at this stage.....don't want to "dilute the breed". They work at treat, look awesome, and I don't have to have "the hand of God" couple or uncouple my trains any more.
Hope you enjoy my tinplate fantasies.....stay well, and keep safe. Our Premier in Queensland has indicated we can "leave home" and come back again without any hotel quarantining come December 17, so look out Fatman, we will be on the move south, and you are on our radar!!!
Peter.....(Buco Australia) on the fabulous Gold Coast in sunny Queensland, Australia.
Ampol - just for us Aussies!!!
@Mallard4468 ... Major score on the Robilt ! @ 20US per ... you could probably buy one end flap off the boxes !
Listed here on ePay or similar you would make a considerable profit!
The most common is the plain wagon "Open Truck" and mint in box you are probably talking a min of $150AUD
The Brake Van would be higher than that
and the Peters Ice Cream is considered the MOST collectible of the commoner 4 wheel variants and I couldnt put a valid price on it, as I haven't seen a NIB example sell in a looong time ... but conservatively its well into three figures . Even ratty examples ( and I mean RATTY !!!) sell for $100+
Most Robilt was painted with regular paint and had no real primer coat , so they tended to chip and flake easily ... most pristine examples are repaints , but yours having the boxes amply demonstrates this is not the case ....I would hate to think of undervaluing it so lets just say ...you have tenfolded your investment in the open wagon and brake vans ... and in reality only the market on the day will determine the end point of the Peters wagon
What you have are truly Museum Quality examples if I made that score I think I could safely say I had used up all my collectors karma at once and would never find a cheap loco again .
Probably also important to say that is LOCAL value here ...where there is a strong collector base for Robilt .... in the USA or many other countries they would never have been heard of , and consequently vastly undervalued ... which is why you got them for $20 each lol ... so resale in the US who knows ? but here in Aussie... you have the cream of the crop once in a lifetime find .
(oh and Buco .. I live in the arse end of nowhere lol .. but if you wanted to meet socially for a lunch or summat in a bigger locale say , we could probably do that )
@Fatman posted:@Mallard4468 ... Major score on the Robilt ! @ 20US per ... you could probably buy one end flap off the boxes !
Listed here on ePay or similar you would make a considerable profit!
The most common is the plain wagon "Open Truck" and mint in box you are probably talking a min of $150AUD
The Brake Van would be higher than that
and the Peters Ice Cream is considered the MOST collectible of the commoner 4 wheel variants and I couldnt put a valid price on it, as I haven't seen a NIB example sell in a looong time ... but conservatively its well into three figures . Even ratty examples ( and I mean RATTY !!!) sell for $100+
Most Robilt was painted with regular paint and had no real primer coat , so they tended to chip and flake easily ... most pristine examples are repaints , but yours having the boxes amply demonstrates this is not the case ....I would hate to think of undervaluing it so lets just say ...you have tenfolded your investment in the open wagon and brake vans ... and in reality only the market on the day will determine the end point of the Peters wagon
What you have are truly Museum Quality examples
Probably also important to say that is LOCAL value here ...where there is a strong collector base for Robilt .... in the USA or many other countries they would never have been heard of , and consequently vastly undervalued ... which is why you got them for $20 each lol ... so resale in the US who knows ? but here in Aussie... you have the cream of the crop once in a lifetime find .
(oh and Buco .. I live in the arse end of nowhere lol .. but if you wanted to meet socially for a lunch or summat in a bigger locale say , we could probably do that
Wow - thanks for the info. My luck is usually the opposite. This was a situation where both buyer and seller were uninformed. And considering that the seller was happy with $20 each, he probably gave almost nothing when he picked them up - he told me that they were just "throw-ins" when he bought a collection.
As you mentioned regarding paint, the brake van has a couple of chips on the roof - can see the bare metal underneath.
While I'm thrilled about the value, I bought them because of the condition and I thought they looked cool. They will be displayed and they aren't going anywhere for a long time.
OK Buco...now you have done it...I won't rest easy until I have at least one Buco example on my shelves...
Thanks for posting, really liked the pictures
Don
Arnie : beautiful items, especially the Distler set. I would agree, I think the crossing light / sign is Marx.
Best Wishes
Don
Orange Trains for Halloween:
Scott Smith
Just returned from an antique show with a new train. It is a French model from LR and was offered in a homemade wooden box, certainly by the previous owner.
Interesting model as it dates from the 1940's time area. The automatic couplers where introduced in 1938 at the same time that the new SNCF company emerged from the fusion of private railways in France. Not a common find as trains where not produced in general during the second world war. The loco is interesting also as it is a 20v DC motor and it can be reversed from the transformer, a characteristic of LR trains was to be always a precursor in many toy technology.
The passenger cars are also equipped with diaphragms, really uncommon in France as only Hornby has offered that option some years before. The baggage car is equipped with a red lantern which is broken and needs to be repaired. Some general cleaning will be done later also.
Have a nice weekend, Daniel
Daniel: GREAT FIND what a beautiful set. Thanks for sharing.
Don
Well Tinplate fans, like Daniel, I just unpacked something new today. Not all that rare but a car that I did not have in my collection. It is a variant of the Lionel #809 manual Dump Car. This one from 1932 with all Ni trim and a green heat stamped bin. This date is about 2 years later than the more common orange bin version. He was a busy car, came in one color or the other (orange or green) in 6 sets or outfits from 1932-1941 with 5 different engines (262,259E,289E,259,and 204). Note there are two versions of the green bin, one like this one from 1932 and one from 1939. The difference, which you can't see in this picture is that this one has the early "thick" axles and the 1939 version has "thin" axles.
Here he is with his green bin stamped with identifying information. The stamping is only on one side the other side is blank. This is the second version or "5-line" version of the stamping. The first version only had 4 lines, leaving off..."in the U.S.of America". The frame, unlike other cars of this series, has no markings nor does it have an "oil label".
Here is an end view, showing the dumping mechanism along with the locking lever that kept the bin from dumping while in motion. All trim including brake wheel and stanchion are Ni .
Here is a view of the inside of the bin.
Well folks, again Happy Halloween and best wishes for a good week to all.
Don
Don @Don McErlean thanks for the post. I just learnt something new. My TCA standard of the world book doesn’t detail the information about the 4 or 5 line stamping. I have the copper journal box series and an orange 809 dump with 4 lines. I need the 805 box car to complete my series, of one of each car offering. I usually don’t try to get each variation. However, I may have to add a green 5 line to my lookout list. Would that 5 line version been available with the copper journal?
Rich : Yes, according to the information that I have the "5 line" stamping would be available in a variant with copper journals with both the orange and green dump bins. All circa about 1930-31.
Best Regards
Don
Don hopefully you paid less for yours, than this orange five line 809!!!!! YIKES
My GOODNESS, I can't believe that price. Yes, I paid substantially less for mine...and I thought it was expensive 
at $40...including shipping and tax on "Evil Bay".
Heh Heh ! I think looking at his other auctions that was a wrong decimal place effort ! $24.99 or else I want whatever he is having !
I only have one new find this week .. picked up in Denmark , and advertised as "Made In Denmark" but I suspect it is a Karl Bub from around the late 30's ... Interestingly though it DOES have a taller funnel than usual ( I think) which incorporates the Danish Rail colours , and there is NO "Bub" on the front boiler footplate nor on the cab sides ... So is this a "remodelled" Bub with the introduction of Danish identity in its early history, or could it possibly have been an import order from a Danish importer from Bub ?... I think only time has the answer to this and we are left wondering ...
A very cheaply made non-reversing motor , and yet the higher class polished wheels , no handrails yet provision for them ... an interesting beastie made to a price point
Oh and @FRENCHTRAINS, Daniel I don't know how you do it , but another magnificent set ! Gorgeous !
@Rich Wiemann posted:Don hopefully you paid less for yours, than this orange five line 809!!!!! YIKES
Must have been a typo the seller corrected. I just clicked on the link and it is $24.99.
Well I am glad of that...I guess. Rich / Will / Fatman for awhile there, I thought maybe I had found my grand-kids first year of College tuition !! Best wishes everyone!
Don
@Don McErlean I seem to have the same version I picked up on Ebay last year for $29. But I am not sure if it has the thick or thin axles. I assumed it was from 1939-41, because that is how I interpret the text in the TCA book:
"DUMP, 4-Wh. 1931-34.
orange-RS
medium green-RS (uncat.-circa 1939-41) "
I read that as the green are all from the later period, but that is not correct? Like @Rich Wiemann, I'm surprised the book doesn't go into more detail and differentiate the 4 and 5 line stamp.
Anyway, a charming little car and it carries and dumps candy on my Christmas layout.
Will: That seems the same version as mine in so far as the trim and stamping is concerned. My reference that I used is Greenberg's Guide to Lionel Trains, 1901-1942: Volume II, edited by Christian F. Rohlfing. This is dated 1988 and is a revised edition of Volume I. It lists two versions of the "green" dump with Ni Trim. 1932 with thick axles, a frame with two 3/16" dia holes punched in the frame about 1/2" behind the coupler for no apparent reason (for this car). It then lists 1939 version, with a frame not having the holes punched behind the couplers and "thin" axles. I can't find the data at the moment to tell you the dia of the thick/thin axles but I can tell you that if you hold two cars together and compare, the thick axles are obvious.
Thanks for your comment. I agree, this makes a dandy little "candy carrier" for a Holiday layout.
Best Wishes
Don
@Don McErlean posted:My reference that I used is Greenberg's Guide to Lionel Trains, 1901-1942: Volume II, edited by Christian F. Rohlfing. This is dated 1988 and is a revised edition of Volume I.
Don thanks for this reminder. I tend to just default to my TCA Standard of the World book. And I neglect to look at my Greenberg’s Guide. Yes, this has a whole lot more information such as 8 different variations discussed. I will have to leave this book on top of my bookcase rather than in it. LOL
I was in a tinplate mood this morning, so I pulled down some of my favorite blue trains and gave them a few laps around the layout. I am extremely fond of blue things, particularly shiny blue things.
On the outer mainline, I have my latest modern tinplate acquisition, a MTH PS2 1694 electric. I've never seen many of these MTH reproductions with command control and I didn't know they came in blue and silver until I discovered this fine specimen over the summer. I picked up a set of semi-restored 601 series coaches to run it with a couple months ago.
On the inner mainline I have one of my best running MTH tinplate locomotives, the sturdy and dependable 249e. This locomotive has traction tires, smoke and everything you'd expect from a modern engine with all the looks and charm of the prewar period. I've paired it with some two-tone blue coaches from my MTH American Legacy set.
Last but not least, I have my beloved MTH Blue Streak running on the top level of the layout. This is my favorite tinplate train set and one of my prized possessions. I coveted this set for years after seeing it in the MTH catalog and was so excited to be able to order one when I got out from college and got my first real engineering position.
And of course, here's a video of all three engines chugging, whistling and honking (in the 1694's case) around the layout!
Arnie I have no idea how you find such incredible specimens but thank you for posting. The loco and shed are beautiful.
Don
I had this French HORNBY set from 1935 since a long time but I just completed it today with the right period transformer which was missing. Always great to have something complete and in great condition.....
Have a great day, Daniel
Daniel what a beautiful set...thanks for posting!
My offering this week is not nearly as old as Daniel's set, but the Marx Company, starting in 1955, began to make toy versions of the Fairbanks Morse (FM) cab diesel. These were clearly TOYS with little regard for prototypical detail. As such they were normally played with hard and finding examples that even halfway look good is tricky. The three road names used were Monon, Kansas City Southern and Seaboard. Marx made both electric and clockwork A units and matching unpowered B units. The Seaboard FM, especially the clockwork A diesel, have eluded me for some time although the green and yellow matching passenger coaches are also difficult to find. According to a recent article in "Classic Toy Trains" ("Spotlight on Marx Diesels from Fairbanks Morse", Robert Wendt, Classic Toy Trains, November 2021) , the Seaboard FM "B" unit is the scarcest item of the three road names produced being made in 1962 only. This remains on my "hunting" list although the collector value is often listed well beyond my limited budget. So here for you is a little Seaboard "mixed" train as my offering for this week. The clockwork #4000 Seaboard FM diesel "A" unit made between 1955-1962, a single green/yellow #558 "Bogota" coach, and the #956 Seaboard caboose.
Here is the full train. Note that despite the clearly matching green/yellow decoration Marx did not put "Seaboard" on the Bogota coach (or the observation which I also don't have). The caboose on the other hand is clearly labeled for the road.
A little closer look at the FM unit. The fact that its clockwork is revealed by the start/stop lever protruding through the roof of the cab.
.
Well best wishes for a great week Tinplate fans.
Don
Congratulations Daniel on completing such a beautiful scarce set !
Don, well done .. the SEABOARD is something that has been on my radar for quite a long time now yours is lovely!
Today I have a rather modest offering in comparison , but one I also have had on the "Wanted" list for a bit
Ticking off the last of the series in the collection for me is the third variant of the 1930's Brimtoy Series , the George V version .
No tender as yet unfortunately , but you take your opportunities where you find them .. this was local here in Australia
The George V is the "Upper" end of a Low End series if you get what I mean ? Brimtoy was certainly not competing with any of the serious train manufacturers of the time and was known for its less expensive toy-like creations , but with the George, the Britannia , and the Royal Scot locomotives , they took a pretty cheap mechanism and dressed them in beautiful, much richer, lithography than many of their counterparts of the time .. all flash and little substance lol ! ... Naturally these toys were aimed at different markets to "serious " train models and were not built to last eons , so they fact they do survive after nearly 90 years is testament to them winning hearts more than actual monetary value
Those looking for quality of manufacture turn away now .... before I ruin the illusion for you ...
( under the hood)
Built to a price point for sure ! But yep she still runs !
Fatman thank you for the compliment on my Seaboard. I would point out that your new "George V" sports the same marvelous green and gold livery. I really like the Brimtoy items, I have two , a "Britannia" and a "Silver Streak (but like you no tender). Now I must also search for the George V.
Best wishes
Don
Arnie...great post, beautiful set. I was wondering are the station and the freight cars also Brimtoy? Thanks
Don
Don,
yes, it´s Brimtoy No S4 Junction Station 26 1/2" long. And the short freight cars are Brimtoy too.
Arne
I am sure I have posted these before ( probably in this very same mega-thread) but for comparison here are the other two
Britannia
Royal Scot
Bing Large and Small
Even though the Bing catalogs did give size dimensions it is easy to overlook the print and just look at the illustrations. If you do this it can come as something of a shock when you first see items in the flesh that heretofore you had only looked at in catalogs. Case in point the size difference between a Bing crane ca 1907-1911 (on the left) and one from ca 1926 (on the right).
My uncertainty with respect to dating the crane on the left is because I'm sure it was made after 1906 but I'm also sure it does not match the catalog illustration for 1912 and later and I don't have any catalog information between those two dates (the book Bing Modellbhanen by Jeanmarie does have some information between these two years but no illustrations of cranes) The 1912 and later have cranes illustrated with a raised square base on the car frame to support the crane cab.
jhz : Neat trains and you have a great collection of coal hoppers for sure. I liked the English passenger coaches who made them? Best wishes...glad you migrated over to the "tinplate" site for this post, although Switcher Saturday is one of my favorites.
Don
@Don McErlean posted:jhz : Neat trains and you have a great collection of coal hoppers for sure. I liked the English passenger coaches who made them? Best wishes...glad you migrated over to the "tinplate" site for this post, although Switcher Saturday is one of my favorites.
Don
Hi Don! I love tinplate. I have this demented dream of acquiring one of every 2816 hopper that mth produced. If I could get the Christmas Express one without buying the whole set I would be about done! Pulling them all at once requires some modern day distributed power operations.
The coaches technically belong to my wife. They are from the Hogwarts set!
kHz. Hog warts set! No kidding. I have that set so those coaches are coming out to be pulled by some of my Hornby. Good luck on the Christmas coal hopper
best regards
Don
When there is no new trains to find it is always nice to discover some accessories that have been stored in a box since a long time.
The telegraph pole is from Karl Bub around 1925-30 and all the others are Marklin from the thirties, the electro magnet signal is still in working condition but unfortunately the most interesting piece is the destination board, which is in French, where the base is missing.... I absolutely need to find one.
Daniel
Daniel : those are really interesting signals, thanks for posting.
Don
Nearly four decades since my grandparents passed away, we finally retrieved my grandfather's Flyer set from the stuff remaining in the attic and basement. Been looking for this for a very long time:
The Suburban from 1926, quite a bit of surface corrosion, but the wheels look good and the motor turns freely. Hoping to have this back in running order soon. To be honest, just having it sitting on a shelf would be fine too. Lots of memories in this box.
PD
@pd posted:Nearly four decades since my grandparents passed away, we finally retrieved my grandfather's Flyer set from the stuff remaining in the attic and basement. Been looking for this for a very long time:
The Suburban from 1926, quite a bit of surface corrosion, but the wheels look good and the motor turns freely. Hoping to have this back in running order soon. To be honest, just having it sitting on a shelf would be fine too. Lots of memories in this box.
PD
That actually looks like a 1927 Suburban set. The reason I say this is that the engine has 2 brass pantographs on it, which is a characteristic of 1927 engines. The 1926 engines had cast pantographs on them, similar to below
NWL
The 2021 version of Radiator Springs is up and running. This is one of nine layouts for this years MUZEO display opening on Nov 27.
Steve
Steve - that is an amazing layout and I'll bet the young folks will love it. Super job!
Don
@Don McErlean posted:Steve - that is an amazing layout and I'll bet the young folks will love it. Super job!
Don
A group of Disney mgmt types were on a advanced tour of the displays and I was told they went nuts when my layout was plugged in for them even though it was not done yet. Finished it up this morning.
Steve
@Nation Wide Lines posted:That actually looks like a 1927 Suburban set. The reason I say this is that the engine has 2 brass pantographs on it, which is a characteristic of 1927 engines. The 1926 engines had cast pantographs on them, similar to below
NWL
Yeah, I would agree, although the 1927 catalog describes the pantographs as being the stamped version but nickel-plated. I'm just hopeful we can get the surface corrosion cleaned up and back in running order.
@pd posted:Yeah, I would agree, although the 1927 catalog describes the pantographs as being the stamped version but nickel-plated. I'm just hopeful we can get the surface corrosion cleaned up and back in running order.
I seem to have misspoke. You are correct that they would be nickel plated pantographs on the 1927 engine. I just looked at my 1096 engines and they are a mix of brass and nickel, but the ones with 2 pantographs are nickel plated. The later ones that have a bell and a pantograph are more often brass than nickel. I believe that Flyer changed from nickel plated to brass plated in 1928.
Rearranged a few sets on the layout around the station. They are all original except of course the Chromed 265E and matching 2613/14/15 cars. I was just able to purchase the Chrome Streak cars together with the Chromed 265E so I have matched the 618/619 with a correct 1935 version of the Black 265E with Chrome rims and no firebox int eh cab etc. Nice Blue Comet a found a few years ago and the Blue Streak is a nice set of cars with a piced together engine and tender. You can't see but the engine shell is a mess!!! 1936 Red Comet on the other side, forgot I need to reinstall the observation platform lol. Fun stuff!
@Steve "Papa" Eastman posted:A group of Disney mgmt types were on a advanced tour of the displays and I was told they went nuts when my layout was plugged in for them even though it was not done yet. Finished it up this morning.
Steve
Steve we can only hope that might prompt them to rethink canceling the project with only three buildings left to complete the town. I guess we can dream. Nice display. Terry
@Dennis Holler posted:Rearranged a few sets on the layout around the station. They are all original except of course the Chromed 265E and matching 2613/14/15 cars. I was just able to purchase the Chrome Streak cars together with the Chromed 265E so I have matched the 618/619 with a correct 1935 version of the Black 265E with Chrome rims and no firebox int eh cab etc. Nice Blue Comet a found a few years ago and the Blue Streak is a nice set of cars with a piced together engine and tender. You can't see but the engine shell is a mess!!! 1936 Red Comet on the other side, forgot I need to reinstall the observation platform lol. Fun stuff!
@Dennis Holler: I LOVE that all-chrome Commodore Vanderbilt! Thanks for putting up the pictures for us, you've got several of my favorite prewar sets in this one shot
My latest tinplate acquisition is this awesome Hafner set that I just picked up at a local train show. It's an M10000 in copper and green!
The clockwork is the pretty standard Hafner mechanism, it drops out of the locomotive with one little screw. The motor was pretty gummed up when I first got it but after a thorough cleaning and lubrication everything came unstuck and it now runs like a rabbit.
Here's the set put together on the track. Looks nice!
The previous owner told me that the tail car is very hard to find. I've only been collecting Hafner since last year but I would believe it. I haven't seen many of these M10000 sets for sale, even the Flying Yankee ones are not super common compared to the typical steam engine sets.
And of course, because I'm one of those crazy people who insists on running everything that they collect (even, GASP, rare prewar trains!), here's the Youtube video of the set spinning around my layout.
Ken that is a great Hafner find. I have only seen one other even offered for sale and it was in really bad shape. Great job getting it running again.
Don
Great find and clean up on the Copper set Ken .. she's a beaut !
A small Hornby set recently acquired, I believe early 1950s vintage:
This completes a personal trifecta of small clockwork sets (Bing, Marklin, and Hornby). Now I just need to build a small set-up to run them on.
PD
pd: That is a fabulous set. According to my reference..."The Hornby Companion Series, The Hornby 0'gauge System" by Chris and Julia Graebe, New Cavendish Books, London 1985. The LMS 101 Tank Engine was one first locomotives to return after the war and was one of the more readily available engines postwar (wartime shortages continued to hinder production of the Hornby line) and was available from 1947 -1954, There is listed a "101 Tank Engine Passenger Set" but the book does not list the contents. However the LMS / LNER No 1 passenger coaches that you have shown in your picture are likely candidates. These coaches were available post war from Nov 47 to Mar 59 mostly in the color scheme you pictured although there were some other liveries. The postwar versions are known by their light grey roofs. So my reference would confirm your feeling that your set was from the 1950's although it could be as early as 1947. GREAT FIND!!!
Best wishes
Don
Thanks for that info, Don. According to McCrindell's book, they made a version of the 2270 before the war as well, but that had some slight differences in the paint scheme, along with red-painted spoked wheels. The graphics on the coaches have a very postwar look about them.
What a treat
Hi Dennis, your chrome set is awesome, whish i could fine one... great video, thumbs up.
Daniel
Nothing new so running some Lionel Standard Gauge in France during a cold weather.....
The State set is Lionel Classic and the 381e is a Williams repro, only the motor is an original Lionel BAL.
Daniel
Hello Tinplate fans. Back in early November I posted some pictures of my Marx Seaboard FM clockwork and a small train consisting of one coach and a Seaboard caboose. At the time I commented that I did not have the matching Observation car so was using the caboose on my "mixed" train. Well, just before Thanksgiving, I managed to acquire a matching observation car. So here are some updated pictures of my Seaboard train.
So here is the matching Observation car, Marx 558 Green/Yellow Observation. Since these were obviously made to match the # 4000 Seaboard FM diesel, this puts their manufacture between 1955-1962
Here is the observation car with the matching "Bogota" pullman
Finally here is the full train. Now all I have to find is the green / yellow "Montclair" Pullman and I will have the full set. I saw one the other day on e-bay but the asking price was out of my range (and it was missing both wheel/axle sets although those are not too hard to replace).
Well that's it for me this week. Best wishes to all and hope you have a happy and successful week. By the way, Dennis and Daniel, super trains and great pictures / videos. Thanks for posting.
Don
Don, the Seaboard passenger set is looking nice! I did the same thing, finding the Seaboard cars and locos piece by piece. After you find the last passenger car, don't forget that there is an unpowered Seaboard loco as well... :-D
Windupguy: thanks for the compliment. Yup that unpowered A unit has to be on the “hunt” list. Even harder to find is an unpowered B unit in Seaboard colors. I keep looking and hoping that’s part of the fun.
Best wishes
Fon
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