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I have this boxed CMC set, but have some questions. The engine and cars match the ad photo. My question is, what else came with the set. The track that came with it is silver painted Ives, looks good in the box, but obviously not original. In the early to mid 70's, what track would they have been supplying?  Also the transformer that came with it is a DC MRC 202UL Twinpower unit. I doubt they packed a two channel unit with a starter set, so what did they use?

Steve

CMC AD 1CMC Ad 2CMC Set Box 1CMC Set Box 2CMC Set Box 3CMC Set Box 4CMC Set Box 5

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  • CMC AD 1
  • CMC Ad 2
  • CMC Set Box 1
  • CMC Set Box 2
  • CMC Set Box 3
  • CMC Set Box 4
  • CMC Set Box 5
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Steve, you have set #1012 (#21 loco & tender, box car, lumber car, caboose).  Sold for $120 in "build-a-train kit" form or $160 "ready to run pre-built".  This was in the 1971-1972 catalog.  The sets continued to be available throught the 1970's although the catalog was not reprinted.  

The back page of the CMC 1971-2 catalog does list both track and a transformer (this was scanned high resolution, so click to enlarge):

CMC track page

The notes I have on CMC from Arno do not mention CMC making any transformers or track.  

Also, the catalog descriptions do not mention track or transformer coming with the sets.  

There were several small outfits making SG track at the time; KTM, Richart, MEW, Gargraves, a couple others.

It appears that the track offered by CMC had a lot of ties, and it looks like they may have been wood.  Maybe someone will recognize this track and can name who manufactured it?

david

 

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  • CMC track page
Last edited by Former Member

Thanks David, great input. This was one of those "I want to call Arno" moments when I saw it.  I am pretty sure this was originally sold in kit form due to a baggie of screws and nuts in the box along with the unused stickers and brass wire.

Did a little looking around and Gargraves track would have made sense at that  time. Most Std Gauge tubular track is 14", not 12" as in the flyer. Gargraves is sectional is actually 12.4". Also, the transformer has the appearance and specs to have been a MRC 500 series. Still a lot to learn, but I know more than I did yesterday.

Steve

Steve, if you think your set was a kit, I wonder if the extra compartments in the set box were for the various parts of the loco and cars, and not originally for track and transformer??  Just seems odd that the catalog descriptions of the sets would only list the loco and cars and never mention the transformer or track, if in fact they were included?  

The photos in the catalog are not great, glad you are able to make something of them.  Obviously from the catalog, CMC did sell track and transformers.  Also seems odd that Arno does not mention it in either his chapter on CMC or his separate chapter on SG track.  That probably just means that Fred Mills did not make the track himself, since Arno was mostly interested in who was making it.

After my dad died, I suddenly had tons of questions I wished I'd asked him.  Same with Arno.  I really miss that guy.  

It is possible that I may be learning more about this in the next couple of months and may have more to share.  

david

David

I have never had an engine or tender in kit form, so I don't know how big their boxes would be. . I do have an unbuilt boxcar kit for comparison. Looking at how they are assembled, I would guess a tender box would be a bit bigger than the boxcar. If I were to guess, they bought an off the shelf carton for the sets, then packed the kit boxes in with a bit of filler of some sort to fill the empty space.

Steve

Steve, here is what I am coming up with:

CMT listed this transformer for sale in 1990:

CMT 1990 catalog p16

Here is one I picked up from Carolyn Baars last week:

PICT0003

 

As for track, here is the CMT 1990 catalog page on track:

CMT 1990 catalog p17

By this time Charlie Wood was buying track first from Andy Kriswalus (KMT - Kris Model Trains), and later from Rich Bimmer of Antique Trains after Rich bought the track tooling from Andy.  In Arno's pile of boxes of CMT parts and inventory, there are boxes of track, some unopened, from both KMT and Antique Trains.  (This was the track tooling which Bimmer then sold to EBR Products which made track for MTH for years until it sold the same tooling again, to Kirk of USA Track.)

The 36" section of flexible track, I believe is Gargraves, and I think you are right that the earlier CMC track that would have come with your set was also Gargraves.

In this ad for Antique Trains track, you can see that they sold through CMT, Roberts Lines, and others:

Antique Trains Track Ad copy

I do realize this is all CMT, and therefore at a later date than your CMC set, but for obvious reasons it is what remains in inventory.

david

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Images (4)
  • CMT 1990 catalog p16
  • PICT0003
  • CMT 1990 catalog p17
  • Antique Trains Track Ad copy
Last edited by Former Member

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