Weekend tinplate photos 📸 and videos 📽 6/27/19!

Pictures of an exhibition in France some years ago, centered around french models by the biggest competitors of the 50"s JEP, HORNBY and LR.  trains are displayed for each manufacturer in three groups. Pictures are from the internet, not mine. It was really a great display.

Have a nice weekend,  Daniel

The French company AS in the eighties and ACE of London in the nineties both made 4-4-4 locomotives more (ACE) or less (AS) based on the pre-war Hornby 4-4-4. The both made these in many liveries. I have an AS NORD version and an ACE Metropolitan version:

Last weekend I ran them both with a matching AS and ACE train respectively:

AS:

ACE:

Regards

Fred

American Flyer freight set ca. 1920

   This is one of those mystery sets that seem to be par for the course with Flyer.  I purchased the set from the original owners many moons ago. There was no surviving set box or anything else that might have given me a clue as to when it was made.  The engine has the later diecast wheels with metal rim wrapping so I'm assuming it was later than what was shown in the 1918 catalog.  The other problem is that if you check the catalogs from the early 1920's (I don't have a 1924 catalog) the only sets shown with an electric steam engine are all passenger so the consist is at odds with what was shown in the catalogs.

DANIEL: Fantastic displays and almost TOO much to take in! FRED: NICE engines and consists! RSB: KUDOS for that  very nice early Flyer set!

Keep 'em coming!  ☺

Hello Fellow Tinplaters...This was my rebuilt Lionel prewar #227 posing for the camera after almost being completed.

Some day, I will repair the marker lights! This loco was a disaster when I bought it and was one of only two locomotives I had to ever send away for repairs. Unfortunately, the two "bad sheep" were bought one after the other. Luckily, the pattern broke and the next one ran fine! 

Tom 

Robert S. Butler posted:

American Flyer freight set ca. 1920

   This is one of those mystery sets that seem to be par for the course with Flyer.  I purchased the set from the original owners many moons ago. There was no surviving set box or anything else that might have given me a clue as to when it was made.  The engine has the later diecast wheels with metal rim wrapping so I'm assuming it was later than what was shown in the 1918 catalog.  The other problem is that if you check the catalogs from the early 1920's (I don't have a 1924 catalog) the only sets shown with an electric steam engine are all passenger so the consist is at odds with what was shown in the catalogs.

 

Sam,

That set would have to be an uncataloged set, because Flyer did not catalog electric freight sets between 1922 and 1924.  They cataloged a couple of sets with electric steam engines, but the sets were always footnoted as "same as set x but with steam engine".  However, Flyer did not show any sets with boxcab electric engines and freight cars, so there is no cataloged Flyer freight set number from this era. 

It may be that the original owners simply bought all the components separately, or possibly a retailer had Flyer put a set together for them.

As for dating the set, the steel rim/tire on the wheels indicates 1922 or after for the large wheels like on that engine.  However, there is something that points to 1922 for your set.  The motor features the short lived variation that has the odd commutator that is entirely contained within the frame of the motor and is on the same shaft as the armature.  This style motor is 1922 only (based on the smaller engines being featured in 1922 only) and is featured in 4 engines to my knowledge.  

There is a small version that is in the 1101 with cast iron frame and also this steam engine (which came in set 1100 cataloged in 1922 only).  

That larger motor was also used in a 1201 boxcab electric engine.  I have not observed it in any other engines.

NWL

The other usual posters must be on vacations?

Märklin gauge 1, London & North Eastern Railway, 4-6-2 and bogie tender, but not your regular, boring live steam 4021 version, but a clockwork example, 1021. Never seen another, or any catalogue reference either.Cheers, Mark

Torpedo taking water at the station

Coal cars ready for their loads

not quite sure how this made it up the conveyor......

waiting for some cars so it can get some track time...

Thanks NWL - I was hoping you might be able to shed some light on the set.  At this late date I would guess it was a set assembled for  a retailer. The only reason for this guess are memories of the owners comments about having purchased the set for a birthday.  From what I recall of the conversation the implication was that it was a one time purchase and it all came as a unit.  

Flyer Steeple Cabs

The black 1201/1218 engines must be some of the most common Flyer prewar engines to find.  So check these out...

Set 1217 c. 1920 - Although the set numbers generally correspond to the engine included in the set, this set came with a black 1218 and the remains of the original box that featured a c. 1920 end label (same as wind-up labels of the era) with 1217 rubber stamped on the box.  Set came covered in dust with one dented roof.  Took me several years to match an un-dented roof to the set, but it was worth the patience.

Close-up of engine

Set 1217 c. 1921 - I date this set to 1921 simply because Greenberg's indicates engine 1217 is c. 1921 only.  Engine is dark green, which looks black from a distance.

Here is a close-up of the engine.

One interesting thing about the above engine is that the underside of the cab is unpainted.  Possibly it is from 1920 and not 1921.  No box came with the set, so I cannot say for sure.

Here is an unusual 1218 from the same era

The above engine is unusual due to it being an apparent factory repaint.  Note the handrails on the engine are painted green to match the body.  Not visible in the photo is that the repainting covers early decal lettering, such as found on the 1201 below.

The outlines of the decals are visible under the green paint on the 1218 engine.  

Here is a 1201 set, c. 1921.  This is also a boxed set and comes with the end label that shows the steeple cab engine (1921 only) instead of the 3020 engine.

Close-up of the engine

Below is a 1201 engine, c. 1922, which has the same funky motor that Robert S. Butler's steam engine has in a previous post.  The engine has the commutator mounted on the same shaft as the armature, with everything contained inside of the motor frame (ie no access to brushes or armature, without taking frame apart).

The above motor is unique in that it has no hand rails on it and the holes for the hand rails are full of factory paint.  

Set with 1218, c. 1924.  I bought this set to get a boxed station that was with it and just could not bear to sell the set, due to its spectacular condition.

Here is a close-up of the engine

So, although the 1201/1218 engines are relatively common, there are still some nice ones to be found.

NWL

A nice bit of Hornby History has found its way to me via the late Bill Baker's Collection here in Australia.

Hornby first produced Clockwork trains in 1920 starting with The Hornby Clockwork Train which was an 0-4-0 constructional model and was designed to be disassembled and reassembled using Meccano bolts and nuts!

They were essentially an expansion of the Meccano system and were marketed as such.

Due to Frank Hornby's massive sales exposure established via the Meccano network already in place, they became immensly popular and within a year the much larger #2 Locomotives (4-4-0's) hit the market.

Hornby however recognised there was a market for "less constructional" models of the form we are used to with the familiar tab and slot permanent arrangement which was simpler and cheaper to make . The first of these was released as "ZULU's" and bore the  name proudly on one side of the loco and the other bore the "Meccano Limited Liverpool"  This was first catalogued as a 1922 release .

( from Sept of 1922)

SO originally Hornby differentiated the two different forms of construction between "Hornby" trains and "Zulu" trains , however as the success of the Zulu was so spectacular due in no small part to its quality, yet cheaper price ( It was a non-reversing laquered finish unit and thus cheaper to produce) Hornby soon merged the Zulu into its regular lines and begat its familiar pricing tier model ...

I am fairly sure that the unit I bought is one of the first produced in early 1922 due to its brass boiler cap which was overpainted in later production as evidenced by the TCA reference photo from their website and even more so because of the collection it was from , as you can see by Sept 1922 it was overpainted in the catalogue offering

So without further ado I give to you my New Favourite Train ... ( as you know I dont mind them a bit rough, but its 100% original and intact, a true survivor   )

The 1922 Hornby ZULU!!!

* As always if my research is wrong I am fluid to input .. Have at it fine folk ! lol !

from 1919-1935, Schuweiler states that the #1114 caboose was cataloged as a 4-wheel car, but could also be #1117, and #1117 was cataloged as an 8-wheel car, but could also be #1114.

here is one he may not have considered...

overlandflyer posted:

from 1919-1935, Schuweiler states that the #1114 caboose was cataloged as a 4-wheel car, but could also be #1117, and #1117 was cataloged as an 8-wheel car, but could also be #1114.

here is one he may not have considered...

You've got the oddest ducks Gary! Very cool, but not surprising coming from Flyer.

George

My two-car Kingsbury trolley set in standard gauge. These are a motor-trailer set converted by someone years ago from the familiar Kingsbury floor toy trolleys. They just so happen to be nicely proportioned for standard gauge. Since acquiring these, I've added lighting to the motor car and fixed the wiring, and next step will be adding pilots and lighting to the trailer car, and then changing the trucks out to match what's on the motor car (Lionel 200 series freight car trucks with Marx steam engine wheels!). The photos and video show the train on my layout at home and visiting Hollis Cotton's awesome standard gauge layout.

John Smatlak posted:

My two-car Kingsbury trolley set in standard gauge. These are a motor-trailer set converted by someone years ago from the familiar Kingsbury floor toy trolleys. They just so happen to be nicely proportioned for standard gauge. Since acquiring these, I've added lighting to the motor car and fixed the wiring, and next step will be adding pilots and lighting to the trailer car, and then changing the trucks out to match what's on the motor car (Lionel 200 series freight car trucks with Marx steam engine wheels!). The photos and video show the train on my layout at home and visiting Hollis Cotton's awesome standard gauge layout.

LOL, as I was scrolling through the pictures I thought that last layout photos looked familiar and had to go back and read the post.  That is a fantastic layout HC has.  Will be visiting it soon!

George S posted:

overlandflyer posted:

from 1919-1935, Schuweiler states that the #1114 caboose was cataloged as a 4-wheel car, but could also be #1117, and #1117 was cataloged as an 8-wheel car, but could also be #1114.

here is one he may not have considered...

You've got the oddest ducks ...

sometimes even when expected, it's still a smile...

Nation Wide Lines posted:

John Smatlak posted:

LOL, as I was scrolling through the pictures I thought that last layout photos looked familiar and had to go back and read the post.  That is a fantastic layout HC has.  Will be visiting it soon!

visited Holaces layout last year. We contaminated it with Dorfan. Fabulous layouts.

Steve

overlandflyer posted:

from 1919-1935, Schuweiler states that the #1114 caboose was cataloged as a 4-wheel car, but could also be #1117, and #1117 was cataloged as an 8-wheel car, but could also be #1114.

here is one he may not have considered...

Flyer has a lot of oddities, if you look

One Plate

Two Plates

1113

1116

1112

1115

OK, me bad, I could not resist, 1112 and 1115

NWL

Ok, I teased you a few days ago with pictures of the boxes I picked up at Fed-X. Here’s the contents. All oiled, greased and a few missing parts replaced. The W&ARR set came from the same seller a couple of weeks before. I love getting complete sets for well under the price of the loco itself. I love these #6 sets.

Steve

today,two day coaches ! got the 2nd one,,will have to fire up a 42 and run them for a vid 

I’m in a yellow mood tonight.

Steve

overlandflyer posted:

from 1919-1935, Schuweiler states that the #1114 caboose was cataloged as a 4-wheel car, but could also be #1117, and #1117 was cataloged as an 8-wheel car, but could also be #1114.

here is one he may not have considered...

What about an 1111?

Got my #42 running again