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I was really lucky and recently acquired a Hafner "Century of Progress" windup train set.  It runs great and what really amazed me was a battery powered headlight and tail light that uses 2 AA batteries.  I believe the set was sold from 1933 - 1935 (I didn't realize that AA batteries were in use at that time!).   Since Hafner manufactured windup trains in Chicago, then a special set would make sense for the "Century of Progress" World's Fair in 1933 that took place in Chicago.

 

 

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Very nice train.

 

I have since a couple of years a similar Hafner loco and was also surprised at the AA battery powered headlight. I noticed a difference between your loco and mine; mine has something on the cab (might be a whistle) which I thought which was original, but I do not know.

 

SAM_0665

 

Regards

Fred

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I am starting to wonder about the date of manufacture of my Hafner "Century of Progress" train set.  The Chicago "Century of Progress" World's Fair took place in 1933.  The train set has a headlight and taillight that is powered by AA batteries.  When I searched for the history of AA Batteries, I found that the standard was set in 1947.  Does anyone have any information to share on this subject?

The "Century of Progress Special" train by Hafner was made 1933-1935, according to the Greenberg section on Hafner by Paul Doyle. It was made to coincide with the World's Fair.  It had the light and batteries.  "The illuminated feature was a very important selling attraction."  The batteries were just called "penlight" batteries back then; they were the same size but were not called AA until later.

 

Fred, I don't know about the whistle on the top of your cab either.  The Greenberg book has one picture of the Chicago Special locomotive in which there is a small nubbin on the roof of the cab. David from Dearborn, does yours have this? Other examples of this locomotive do not have anything on the roof. So it is possible your whistle is an original variation?

 

david

I found information at batteryuniversity.com about the AA "penlight" battery history.  So the AA batteries go back a lot farther than I had thought!

 

AA cell

14.5 x 50mm

Introduced in 1907 as penlight battery for pocket lights and spy tool in WWI; added to ANSI standard in 1947.

Last edited by Former Member

here is photo of the split rivet Steve was referring to...

 

Hafner split rivet

sort of a cross between a rivet and a cotter pin.

 

if the pin was missing, my guess is that a previous owner just found something to fill up the hole.  cab roofs sometimes had a vent?  whatever it was meant to be, i doubt it was original production.

 

cheers...gary

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