What great posts! Daniel, thanks for the info on the baggage car in your JEP Golden Arrow set. It certainly is a unique configuration and one that I have never seen before. Arne - beautiful locos for sure. Well my contribution today is considerably more mundane, although not for me. I have had the Lionel #252 loco from 1927-28 for many years but I could not find the proper passenger cars to go with it. Lionel used the #252 in a number of colors actually in set # 294 but the Lt. Olive color came with matching Lt Olive #529 Pullmans and #530 Observation. I had the (supposedly) more valuable terra - cotta color but simply could not locate the Lt. Olive. Finally on e-bay I was able to secure at least the #529 Pullmans (still have the #530 to go) in the Lt. Olive color scheme. The #252 + two #529 Pullmans + #530 observation in the Lt Olive scheme was Lionel set #294 in 1927-28. So at this point I have 4/5 of the set!! By the way for trivia buffs, the #529/530 was exactly the same car as the #629/630 but Lionel (in 1927) charged $.15 more per car for the #529's. Now $.15 in 1927 was not a trifling sum as it is today, for 2 Pullmans and an observation that was almost 1/2 a dollar. Why so much more for just a different number ? Lionel claimed it was due to the presence of the blue celluloid window treatments over the windows in the #529's ...who knows, but you can see the treatments in the following photo.
Here are the two Pullmans, note the blue celluloid treatment over the windows . By the way, I know that there are no wheels and axles on the cars...they came with the proper ones but I have them cleaning and will replace them tomorrow. These cars did not have journal boxes in 1927-28 so that is accurate. These frames, properly, do not have the slots for journal boxes so they are correct.
Here is a close up of one of the cars. you can see the window treatment, the fact that the frame is properly embossed with two springs over each axle and a simulated air tank and steps under each door. The earlier cars, even in this color scheme have rubber stamping on the bottom of the frame stating..."Lionel Lines, made in USA" however in 1927-28 they replaced that rubber stamping which what is called an "oil label", just a paper label glued to the bottom of the frame giving lubrication instructions. These cars do have the appropriate oil label.
Well not the most rare or valuable, but the end of a (Partial) long term search for me. I now have most of the correct consist for my 252 loco.
Have a great weekend everyone
Don
