Bob Bubeck posted:Robert S. Butler posted:Bob - there are so many additions/corrections to be made to the accessory section of the AF Wide Gauge book that about the only thing I've found it good for is a simple listing of accessory numbers and possibly some sort of timeline. My guess is that if there had been a second edition that section would have seen a major revamping.
Agreed. I attempted to say something along the same lines, but more gently.
However, folks reading through this thread and absorbing this topic on a first pass should be made aware of Mr. Schuweiler's scholarship of the time. The table on page 122 is very good. One's alternative back then was to pick through many issues of The Collector. Given that it was 32 years ago, the chaos inherent to the subject, and the resulting incomplete nature of the accessories portion of the book, Section 8 Tunnels, on AFMCo. tunnels is actually still quite serviceable, but in need of a revamp, as you say. Errors of omission rather than commission. That's why it is so wonderful to see NWL initiate and seriously flesh out the topic of AF prewar tunnel variations in this thread.
Respectfully,
Bob
I would also say that the listing of the tunnels in the chart in the Greenberg's guide is good, but the photos are somewhat poor quality, photos are in black and white only, the chart does not include the variations for 1938-1941, and some of the photos are not labeled/captioned as to what tunnel they are.
One mistake of the guide that sticks out to me, is that the Cascade tunnel shown on Page 125, appears to have its negative reversed, as all of the variations I have ever seen have the house on the left and the roads going opposite to what is shown in that photograph. To prove that all one has to do is look at the catalog artwork at the top of Page 124, which shows a Cascade Tunnel, with the building on the left and the roads reverse to the photo on page 125.
As you guys mentioned, the Greenberg's guide was published 32 years ago and some areas are in need of a refreshment. The Greenberg's guide is a reflection of the resources and information technologies that were available at the time. It is much easier and quicker for us to share information/photos via the internet than it was to share information when the guide was published. The guide is what it is, and there are unlikely to be any updates to either of the American Flyer prewar guides.
NWL
