Hello O scale world .
World War 2 was rough on the world and very rough on the model train world ... currently living in an instant gratification society ... where stores are open 24/7 and drones can deliver your Amazon purchase from this morning ...it is hard to understand how we as Americans survived WW2 when all consumer based products requiring metal were stopped from production for about 3 years ..... consumers were told not to spend their money .. imagine today the panic if tomorrow all sales of Star Bucks coffee stopped let alone car , refrigerator, tires, building materials sales...different era different people .
The Model train world ceased production May 1942 of products using War needed materials ...like all metals .... train manufactures were pushed into War time production of every form of widget ... to keep the war a rolling ...
Most of the train manufactures just sold out of remaining pre-war stock ... a few of the wood based kits were able to continue limited production .....but forget about finding rail ....
Walthers was able to sell some of his wood based kits .... but some how he was able to sweep the floors, gather up enough pieces and sell a few war baby switchers ....wood and wood wrapped pieces ... a brass cab and some details, cardboard added detail to wood block ..and some old power units left over from his diesel/ electric power car .
Visually it's a face only a mother could love ... but during the war beggars could not be choosy.... as there are no ads for ( new) engines during the war period . It is easy to see why the General Models Corp SW when introduced ( 1948) was such a huge seller and a successive model as it actually looked like a SW .
I found the switcher only listed in the Walthers #12 1946 catalog ...not listed in Catalog #10 1944 ..may be listed in catalog #11 1945?
( I do not have a 47 or 48 to check .. .if anyone can check if it is listed beyond 46 ..thank you )
Photo of one the war 2 SW's found in MR Nov 1945 layout .
This example is nice preserved with outside 3rd rail pick ups .
Cheers Carey
Do any of the shovel nose E units shown on the same page in the Walthers catalog survive ? ..if so could you please post a photo ..thank you