Weekend tinplate photos/videos 4/27/18!

"I'm pretty happy with how my work caboose turned out."

as you should be, that's beautiful George. I musta missed it, but I take it you cut an 817 body down?

The top two levels are standard gauge, the 2nd level is new to me. It's #8 engine with 337 & 338 period cars.
The 3rd level is the MTH PS3 Christmas engine 261e O gauge with period cars.
The 4th is my new TCM restored 260e circa 1930 O gauge ... the peacock cars are period but restored.

Steamer posted:

"I'm pretty happy with how my work caboose turned out."

 

as you should be, that's beautiful George. I musta missed it, but I take it you cut an 817 body down?

I have been asked by a couple of folks for a step-by-step on this one but have been too busy to put it together. Yes, I used two donor cars. I bought the cheapest 817 and 813 I could find on the Bay, but they couldn't be too rusty or be missing key parts. I cut the middle out of the 817 cab. The cuts had to be pretty straight. I used a Dremel wheel, but a true cutting wheel on a table would work better. To join the sides back together, I used a piece of tin on the back of each side and used JB Weld. As you know, the JB is sandable. I used my Dremel grinders to grind down any excess. The parts will move around and need to be clamped, because JB takes 15 hours to dry. You have to cut or punch new tab slots in the frame. I lined everything up on the frame before gluing. 

I actually dismantled it once and started over because the sides dried crooked. The second time I glued and clamped it on the frame so it stayed level. I used wax paper to protect the frame from the JB Weld. The cab was primed and then painted with Collector Color.

Here is the after priming pic with the windows and plate just loosely in place. BTW, the windows and number plate all had to be cut down to fit with tin snips.

I got this idea from one I saw on eBay. That one is still available and priced way down from the $150 that I originally saw it listed at. Here is the item number: 253576281827. I made a few changes to mine that I thought were cosmetic improvements.

George

I recently acquired a three car set of Lionel standard gauge Blue Comet cars. I don't have a Blue Comet engine to pull them with, but my blue Flyer 4687 actually looks quite nice with them. Alongside on the O gauge trackage is a Flyer 3020 with a freight train.

Great Pictures all

I rearrange my Tinplate 810 - 820 series cars today. Basically I have tank cars bottom 2 shelves then Boxcars/stock cars then my hoppers, now on the boxcar/stock car shelves and then the hopper shelves I'm missing the engine for them which would fill the shelves up, one engine is on the top shelf with the crane train, the other is out being repaired both are 262's one is a mth conventional. the bottom tank car is missing a orange tank car I'm waiting to come in. The crane train is also waiting for two more cranes to come back from being repaired which will not fit up there so I guess that train is going to start filling up the other 11' shelf there which is presently empty. At present between the opening on the top shelf is room for one more train car. 

Jim Z posted:

This is an overall shot of my 8x12 Standard Gauge Tinplate layout and shelves for my collection of  reproduction and vintage trains.   This is in a finished basement. Layout height is a mere 24 inches which actsuily works great.

The shelves are 1x4’s  with track grooves milled in.  They are glued and screwed to 1/2 ply which is supported by 4 legs and is also screwed to the drywall. 

Jim Z

Jim,

Your layout  is very inspiring, as I am in the process as I type building an 8' x 12' layout. Just started sizing up some of the tracK!

Joe Gozzo

Looks great George! Reminds me of my O scale version I did a while back. 

Chris Lonero posted:

Looks great George! Reminds me of my O scale version I did a while back. 

That's pretty cool Chris! You have some nice loads in there, and I can see your brake wheel on the leading edge. I like the light on top too.

George

rtraincollector posted:

Great Pictures all

I rearrange my Tinplate 810 - 820 series cars today. Basically I have tank cars bottom 2 shelves then Boxcars/stock cars then my hoppers, now on the boxcar/stock car shelves and then the hopper shelves I'm missing the engine for them which would fill the shelves up, one engine is on the top shelf with the crane train, the other is out being repaired both are 262's one is a mth conventional. the bottom tank car is missing a orange tank car I'm waiting to come in. The crane train is also waiting for two more cranes to come back from being repaired which will not fit up there so I guess that train is going to start filling up the other 11' shelf there which is presently empty. At present between the opening on the top shelf is room for one more train car. 

great collection Bill!

Dave you might say I got carried away. That was actually started I believe the first of the year then it just exploded lol. I bought one car by mistake and fell in love with the larger tin plate. I always had the smaller tinplate. 

same here...I had been after the 1600 series, then bought my first O Gauge piece...been downhill ever since!

The consensus of the board was too much black on the Flyer car, so I had picked up some green for the 815 tank car, so it got a shot as well.

Looks good 

I began collecting the Lionel 1948 catalog and the car and locomotive part to include 1946 to 49.  This is about the building fleet of six drivered (2-6-2 and 2-6-4) locomotives in that collection.

My project for this week has been organizing my growing fleet of locomotives that are the 224 and its descendants.  They have a way oi showing uop randomly and often in collections of cars and locos that I really want to work on.  Pieces of about 10 of them were lying all around my shop, and there are three of the 225 family (includes 675).  I thought it time to get them all in one place.

As a collector, the locos I need from this era to have a complete collection of six drivered  are 221 (gray and black), 224,  1666, 2026 and 675 (or 2025).

The first photo is some complete of near complete members of the group, 221, 224 and two 675's.  The 675's are both the 1952 models.  Fortunately, one of the other engines was a 1666 that looked really awful but had a good motor - Baldwin disc drivers with nickel rims.  Look hard and you can see it in the back of the photo.So I'm building my 1948 675 using the best looking of each kind of part.  The remainder becomes an engine to sell.

xxxxxx  P1

The next two photos show the 2026/1666 collection - eight motors (3 from 48-49), seven boiler castings (1 2018, 1 1666, 5 2026) and a whole 1666.  I've sorted all of the parts so the as I build the 2026 for my collection I can easily find the best of each kind.

It was interesting to note four kinds of cylinders.  On the left are two older types from 1666 and 2026.  The solid rear is a nuisance for disassembly.  That makes it necessayr to unsolder the headlight wirh from the E-unit to separate motor and steam chest casting..  The third is more recent 2026 with open back.  The fourth is for 1950 and after locos with smoke and has the tabs to hold the smoke unit actuator rod - not used on the smoke free 3036.

For this kind of project, it helps to have a fully assembled model to use for a p[attern.  Here's the 1666 that I restored for  alayout for my grandsons several years ago.  Like with most youth today, trains didn't take root and I have that train back.  Sorry I haven't yet learned to adjust light in a jpeg.

The last photo shows the whole fleet of five locomotives, left to right 224, 221, 1666, 675, 2026.  The gray 221 is being negotiated 

Forgot to mention I got a 815 tank car in today with original box in good condition. It has a price tag on it from Loeser's ( which I found out was a department store in N.Y.C. on Fulton ST. ) anyway it had a price tag of $2.75 on it. 

rtraincollector posted:

Forgot to mention I got a 815 tank car in today with original box in good condition. It has a price tag on it from Loeser's ( which I found out was a department store in N.Y.C. on Fulton ST. ) anyway it had a price tag of $2.75 on it. 

I like boxes for that reason and to see how trains were sold originally. I don't like paying big price differences for trains with boxes, though. I see boxes sold for lots of money alone. I bet your box is worth more than the $2.75 someone originally paid for the car.

George

I must confess I prefer recently-made buildings and structures with lots of detail. However I saw this tea merchant shop and thought "why not?'. It might look appropriate when running pre-war tinplate. Now I just need to look for some other litho buildings to complete my main street.

rtraincollector posted:

Forgot to mention I got a 815 tank car in today with original box in good condition. It has a price tag on it from Loeser's ( which I found out was a department store in N.Y.C. on Fulton ST. ) anyway it had a price tag of $2.75 on it. 

pics or it didn't happen......

Chris & George,

  Ok now you guys have really spurred my interest, in that custom 817 Work Caboose. Looks like I will have to engineer something similar to your great work.  Chris's version is also way cool and combines 800 and 600 Lionel rolling stock pieces to form his Custom 817 Work Caboose, in the Yellow, Red & Black, my favorite of all the Lionel Work Train rolling stock colors.  Looks like I have a new Engineering projects to work on!  Way cool addition to the 810 Crane Car!

Steamer,

Dave put some Lionel Brass numbers and name plates on the Black dump Car it will make it look fantastic!   The Green Tank Car will be cool also!

O Gauge Guy,

Got to admit I like them all, however the more detailed newer Tin does look seriously cool!

PCRR/Dave

Lionel parts on American Flyer??????? Is that even legal? 

rtraincollector posted:

great box! Now where's the tank car?

UP on the shelf Goto my earlier pics and pic one lol. Actually I believe it's the one behind the engine.

Pine Creek Railroad posted:

 

Steamer,

Dave put some Lionel Brass numbers and name plates on the Black dump Car it will make it look fantastic!   The Green Tank Car will be cool also!

Steamer posted:

Lionel parts on American Flyer??????? Is that even legal? 

While it may be legal, it borders on heresy.  

There are plenty of American Flyer brass identification tags and numbers floating around out there to identify the lineage of the dump car.

Northwoods Flyer (although I may have to adopt a new handle -"Tinplate Purist" )    

Greg

Steamer posted:

Lionel parts on American Flyer??????? Is that even legal? 

Well that's one way to improve an American Flyer

the 259e needed wheel,then found out need the rest of them ace,of ace trains ,had some red ones,,,why not,,I think it looks a lot better 

did some reassembly today on the Flyer Dump and the 815. Got a pair of trucks coming for the dump, and need some bits ordered for the 815. I like the green better on the dump than the all black.

Steamer,

  Dave I agree the AF Dump Car looks great in Green & Black as a final color.

PCRR/Dave

Steamer posted:

did some reassembly today on the Flyer Dump and the 815. Got a pair of trucks coming for the dump, and need some bits ordered for the 815. I like the green better on the dump than the all black.

being new to the world of af o,,how does the dump car work,ie,does it have a special track or actuator ?

if you look at the end of the dump body, you can see two silver levers, these are on each end. You move them down and both sides of the body open up.

Dave,

The color on your dump car looks great.

If I remember it was originally a bright shade of green.

It also came in a teal looking color.

Terry,

as Dave said, it is manually operated.

So you can become the actuator.  

Northwoods Flyer 

Greg

Just went to the photo archives.  Here are some family photos of  Flyer's side dump car.

And he has a little brother.

This is the locking mechanism

Did I mention that little brother comes in two additional colors?

Northwoods Flyer

Greg

thanks Greg, and a big thanks for your thread at the other place. I've been getting a lot of info from it.

O GAUGE GUY: Love that tinplate building -very nice lithography!

My selection of Ives electric steamers is fairly small, a small 1100, a med size blue 1125 and and a large 1122. Added two more med sized steamers today, a black 1125 and  1118. Both run but need some cleaning.

Steamer posted:

did some reassembly today on the Flyer Dump and the 815. Got a pair of trucks coming for the dump, and need some bits ordered for the 815. I like the green better on the dump than the all black.

What do you use to reattach the trucks.  I am working on a 3211 caboose. I need to finish strippint the frames and straightening the stairs but I haven't drilled out the rivets yet because I am not sure how to reassemble.  Do you use rivets and set them with a hammer or do you have a more sophisticated method?

Dennis sent me some rivets, but if I didn't have those nuts and bots would do.

I gently tap with a small hammer until the end is mush over.

If I am during something I want close to original, I use tubular eyelets and a rivet setting punch. For customs etc I use screws with elastic lock nuts.

Steve

For Lionel eyelets I have successfully reused the eyelet. I crimp / straighten the non-curled end of the eyelet with needle nose pliers until I can remove it. I have a large bolt set in a vice to hold the eyelet in place when resetting it. I then tap a couple of philips screwdrivers down to furl the end, starting with a small screwdriver and progressing to a larger one, turning the screwdriver between taps. The method is effective, but does not look original. I'm not sure if this works on American Flyer. 

You can buy replacement eyelets for Lionel, and there are setting tools available for trains, but the tools are expensive. 

George

Greg J. Turinetti posted:

Wow!  I don't think I have ever come as close to having tinplate withdrawal symptoms    as I did this morning when I logged on and there was no Weekend Tinplate thread.  I'm glad you got it started Chris.  I feel much better now  .

My first love in tinplate will always be American Flyer. However there are examples by other manufacturers that I will always feel like flirting with.  One of the trains by Lionel that I have always admired is their coal train.

(Borrowed from Google Images and credited to DAKOTApaul)

I have most often seen this set headed up by an electric outline engine, however there is another version.

Lionel Set #393

(Borrowed from Google Images and credited to the liveautioneers.com site)

I prefer the set led by the steam engine.  I have lamented numerous times "Why didn't Flyer make something like this?"  Some time ago I was going through some of the collection that is stored in boxes as individual pieces and I had one of those light bulb over your head moments .  I realized I could make a coal train from Narrow Gauge equipment that paid homage to Lionel's creation.  It has taken a few months but I finally have all the pieces together.

It required a few purchases (no hardship there), so here is another entry into the category  "They never made it this way, but if they had...."

The American Flyer Pennsylvania Coal Train

It is made up of some easy to find components, none of which is too expensive.

A #420 engine and an 1121 tender

 

In this set there are 4  311267 Pennsylvania coal hoppers

and an 1127 caboose

I think it came out quite well.

And its fun to watch running on the layout.

 

 

 

 

Have a Great Tinplate Weekend

Northwoods Flyer

Greg

Now we need an Ives or a Marx coal train.

Here’s an Mth repro coal train