Buy/Make Anything Cool Lately (Tinplate Version)

I just found my Christmas Present....  It was listed as follows... "1971 Lionel 0 Gauge Train Set With Track, All Metal, Blue"  It's amazing I tripped over this and saw it in the first place so I made the offer and the seller accepted...  This will go with my other original Blue Comet   I think they will soon be coming out of my ears... Last picture is my current Blue Comet sitting at the Station Platform not waiting on #2 to show up...And this current set was lets say a lot less than a any MTH LCT Blue Comet set I have seen lately.  Probably less than some LCT 263E's I have seen lately.  Love the old stuff

Only you Dennis, only you😁!

For once, something on ebay that is better than described.

@John H. Shetler posted:

Only you Dennis, only you😁!

I concur !

@Dennis Holler this man is on a streak, ladies& gents, fantastic gets the last couple weeks!

As for me, 2 pick-ups today(so far). Nothing terribly special. Had an opportunity for a Prewar Flyer Hiawatha engine(w/o reverselever but w/ functioning F-N-R) for $65, coulda haggled down- I feel I’m gonna kick myself for not buying that one

My first unique arts train- the Caboose

And the collection of Prewar tank cars continues. Will try to post a pick o all of them later today. 804 no label with brass(?)trim.

I don’t know what happened to my other picture of these “odd balls”(as I call them). But these are all hubley, midgetoy or tootsietoy from my grandfather.unfortunately the entire consist of the rear train isn’t shown-I feel it’s supposed to be lead by a steam loco but I don’t have the appropriate tender- but I love the black switcher that’s leading this Passenger consist(brown observation after blue passenger). In front of that is the steam engine(midgetoy) and a yellow oil tender which I believe is tootsietoy. My tootsie toy pic didn’t save for some reason.

Behind the blue Passenger is the nose of an orange Hubley #31 engine with a SRR blue tender(not shown in picture)

because of these, I also bought this midgetoy tank car today. Will try to get the tootsie consist and rest of midgetoy consist up later

Figured I'd never come across an original in the condition I want for a price I was willing to pay, so I snagged the repro by MTH. Hoping it will arrive next week.

Picked up a 1:43 diecast Bentley 1932 convertible for my Upstairs O Gauge Layout Litho-Land area. Will be near the Marx Grand Central Station.

I'm a sucker for 804 tanks as well:

Even made a few one-offs along the way:

This guy started off as little more than a tank, someone having soldered the hand-rails directly onto the shell. Careful bit of refurb, a few replacement parts from George Tebolt, a set of repro postwar decals, and we have a never-was.

PD

I got this 263e with 263w tender. The loco has been restored but the tender looks pretty original except I think someone along the way drilled a hole in the frame between the two trucks. I need to rewire the tender and shine\clean them up a bit. There is a little crazing and some scrapes but it was to good a good deal to pass up. The loco runs good both forward and reverse and I had a friend(Rob English) take a look at it. Thanks Rob!

     Jon

Jon, That looks pretty great!  I wonder if the sticker is just to show the frame was replaced?  Might be the light Blue is original.  It does look pretty nice.

Picked up the chrome state cars from a few years ago and the add on Reagan car. Now I need to find the add on baggage.

Steve

Those are awesome Steve!

I got lucky!! I bought an MTH LCT Orange 255E from a forum member but it had gotten lost in the world of the the USPS...  All of a sudden it was scanned through Indy this morning and showed up at my doorstep by 3PM...  I do like it, I like the slightly darker Orange on the 255E.  The Blue is better in my eye as well.  Gonna have to look for the Orange 261E now... Hopefully, I can get some time tonight to get down and try and run it some!

Nice Dennis, I prefer the color of the 255e and blue roof and tender top makes it nicer too.

Still heavy buying mode

I've been wanting a 248 set for a while and finally found one that wasn't too beat up and at an acceptable price.  Paint appears to be original.  The wheels were replaced (stamped on the inside with Train Tender).  A little cleanup of brushes and commutator, some fresh grease and oil (it was clean but bone dry), and it runs pretty good.  For me the red color is perfect for my Christmas layout.

I was wondering if it's possible to determine approximate year based on the motor.  Also, the wheels move freely but the non drive side is really close to the motor frame.  Is this normal, or were the wheels not installed correctly?

Don

dmestan :  Yes its possible to date your 248.  In fact nearly the exact locomotive is pictured on, page 153 of Greenbergs large treatment of O-gauge from 1915-1928 (although his treatment of the 248 extends beyond 1928).  Your pictures of the motor show the following characteristics...flat rectangular brush plate , no gear cover, double reduction gears (change from 1925-1927), Phenolic intermediate gears, square holes for the pendulum reversing mechanism.  It is listed as a type 6 motor and dates from 1927-1929. Your pictures also show a type 4 pickup spring label which also equates to 1929.  I would say, based on my references and review of your pictures your 248 dates from 1929.

Great set, I have a red one and a orange one from 1928.   Both are great runners.

Don McErlean

@Don McErlean posted:

dmestan :  Yes its possible to date your 248.  In fact nearly the exact locomotive is pictured on, page 153 of Greenbergs large treatment of O-gauge from 1915-1928 (although his treatment of the 248 extends beyond 1928).  Your pictures of the motor show the following characteristics...flat rectangular brush plate , no gear cover, double reduction gears (change from 1925-1927), Phenolic intermediate gears, square holes for the pendulum reversing mechanism.  It is listed as a type 6 motor and dates from 1927-1929. Your pictures also show a type 4 pickup spring label which also equates to 1929.  I would say, based on my references and review of your pictures your 248 dates from 1929.

Great set, I have a red one and a orange one from 1928.   Both are great runners.

Don McErlean

Great info Don, thanks!

Don

I got this O Gauge Flyer 425 and 426 tender over the summer but was searching\waiting for the left side linkage to arrive. Luckily I found a one and it arrive this weekend. I looked at a whole bunch of pics on the web which showed this linkage with the curve up or down. Well this engine has one side up while the other is down. Anyone know how to date which year the engine is from? I have two different 426 tenders and am trying to figure out which goes with it. I believe the tender on the left is from 1938-9 due to the curly Q coupler and the heat stamped AF logo. The other one I think is from 1940 since it has the link coupler and 3/16 freight trucks and silver stamping.

@Jon Edwards posted:

I got this 263e with 263w tender. The loco has been restored but the tender looks pretty original except I think someone along the way drilled a hole in the frame between the two trucks. I need to rewire the tender and shine\clean them up a bit. There is a little crazing and some scrapes but it was to good a good deal to pass up. The loco runs good both forward and reverse and I had a friend(Rob English) take a look at it. Thanks Rob!

     Jon

You are welcome Jon!

Found these at my local train shop. American Flyer 2012 single arm semaphore circa 1922-27, 2009 single Arc light 1920-26. They had just got them in and both the semaphore and lamp worked as soon as I replaced the bulbs(I just threw a random bulb in to test). The water tower has a little paint flaking on the top, should clean up nicely.

     Jon

Here's my latest purchase

Well, I bid $4.99 on this giant double semaphore and won the auction lol.  I assumed it was Bing, there was not a photo of the underside.  However, I found this reference to American Flyer on line and interestingly wonder if it could be AF instead of Bing... or possibly Bing made for American Flyer....If it is the Flyer version, I guess I paid exactly twice the original list price from 106 years ago! LOL And shipping was a whopping 4-5 times the original cost!!

Good deal Dennis, those BING signals are nice and better match with standard or wide gauge than O. They are big models.

Daniel

@Dennis Holler posted:

Well, I bid $4.99 on this giant double semaphore and won the auction lol.  I assumed it was Bing, there was not a photo of the underside.  However, I found this reference to American Flyer on line and interestingly wonder if it could be AF instead of Bing... or possibly Bing made for American Flyer....If it is the Flyer version, I guess I paid exactly twice the original list price from 106 years ago! LOL And shipping was a whopping 4-5 times the original cost!!

Dennis,

Flyer's early signals were indeed made by German firms.  I am not sure exactly which firms made their items, but I know that Bub made at least a few of them. 

Your signal certainly appears to match the one from the Flyer catalog. 

This is what my wife is getting me for Christmas, American Flyer station 101 circa 1925-27. The lithography is so awesome I don't even mind the Navy recruiting post too much. Semper Fi!

            Jon

Jon:  Beautiful station outstanding lithography. Merry Christmas

Don

Go Navy!! Great station Jon!

@Dennis Holler posted:

I got lucky!! I bought an MTH LCT Orange 255E from a forum member but it had gotten lost in the world of the the USPS...  All of a sudden it was scanned through Indy this morning and showed up at my doorstep by 3PM...  I do like it, I like the slightly darker Orange on the 255E.  The Blue is better in my eye as well.  Gonna have to look for the Orange 261E now... Hopefully, I can get some time tonight to get down and try and run it some!

Just curious

What year did Lionel really firm up the orange/blue colors as part of their trademark? I know the boxes started coming out in the 1930's some time, right?

Jim

@StevefromPA posted:

@Dennis Holler this man is on a streak, ladies& gents, fantastic gets the last couple weeks!

As for me, 2 pick-ups today(so far). Nothing terribly special. Had an opportunity for a Prewar Flyer Hiawatha engine(w/o reverselever but w/ functioning F-N-R) for $65, coulda haggled down- I feel I’m gonna kick myself for not buying that one

My first unique arts train- the Caboose

And the collection of Prewar tank cars continues. Will try to post a pick o all of them later today. 804 no label with brass(?)trim.

I don’t know what happened to my other picture of these “odd balls”(as I call them). But these are all hubley, midgetoy or tootsietoy from my grandfather.unfortunately the entire consist of the rear train isn’t shown-I feel it’s supposed to be lead by a steam loco but I don’t have the appropriate tender- but I love the black switcher that’s leading this Passenger consist(brown observation after blue passenger). In front of that is the steam engine(midgetoy) and a yellow oil tender which I believe is tootsietoy. My tootsie toy pic didn’t save for some reason.

Behind the blue Passenger is the nose of an orange Hubley #31 engine with a SRR blue tender(not shown in picture)

because of these, I also bought this midgetoy tank car today. Will try to get the tootsie consist and rest of midgetoy consist up later

The diecast yellow tender was made by Londontoy of London, Ontario.  It goes with a Canadian National style semi streamlined locomotive and four piece set of freight cars.

It also came in black.

The complete Midgetoy Old West train looks like this....

-Mark

@Jim Waterman posted:

Just curious

What year did Lionel really firm up the orange/blue colors as part of their trademark? I know the boxes started coming out in the 1930's some time, right?

Jim

Jim, I think maybe 1934-35 time frame.

@Mark S. Thank you for clarifying! I really appreciate the info. I figures the passenger cars didn’t go behind the switcher but my Wild West engine is missing the tender. Good stuff- thanks again!

I posted this in the Tinplate photos thread but meant to post it here. I felt that my tin has been lacking so I bought this guy today(yesterday). Already gave Arne and rdigilio shout outs for helping with identifying it, so I won’t bother them again, but I cannot fail to mention them as I wouldn’t have known what I was getting without them

front(or rear)

Rear(or front)

Side entrance with ticket window

underneath

Found at a local antique mall months ago but didn’t want to buy it without more info.  The eye catcher for me,initially, was the “A.D. 1898” above the clock- which I now surmise is like the stone on a building saying when it was completed. I posted a picture the other week to ask for help identifying. This station was sold by both Carette & Karl Bub- but it was made by Bub. Produced from 1902- 1911. Possibly made until 1913, per this link which has pictures of the station which I used for reference along with the photo from the 1902 Bub catalog which Arne So helpfully provided https://www.historytoy.com/car...-toy-railway-station

I have some neat European Prewar buildings and accessories- but always wanted a larger, older station. FInally snagged one! I find the use of the tin lithograph station on a pressed metal(correct term?) base with the pressed metal waiting area to be interesting- it’s different.  

Downers: it’s missing the flags, the awning above the ticket window has broken off, the bell atop the tallest/middle spire is broken off on one side

pros:  the lithography is in pretty good shape, no signs of warping, the railings and bench are sturdy and intact, with the possible exception of the red roof, it does not appear that anything was repainted

Very, very happy to have this on my layout.

A Christmas Gift to myself.

Steve

I managed to find a couple more McCoy Christmas cars to add to my collection. Speaking of which, Merry Christmas everyone!

@POC914NUT posted:

I managed to find a couple more McCoy Christmas cars to add to my collection. Speaking of which, Merry Christmas everyone!

Your getting quite a collection of them.

Steve

I have the complete TCA 25th Anniversary set,  but have always wanted to add a few extra cars. Bought a 3 cars set in kit form and this is my first one roughed out.

Steve

Very appropriate!

@Steve "Papa" Eastman posted:

I have the complete TCA 25th Anniversary set,  but have always wanted to add a few extra cars. Bought a 3 cars set in kit form and this is my first one roughed out.

Steve

Arno was such a nice guy!  He advised me when buying this at Cal-Stewart in 2012.

@Jon Edwards posted:

This is what my wife is getting me for Christmas, American Flyer station 101 circa 1925-27. The lithography is so awesome I don't even mind the Navy recruiting post too much. Semper Fi!

            Jon

Very nice, but Go Army!

Tom

@Nation Wide Lines posted:

Arno was such a nice guy!  He advised me when buying this at Cal-Stewart in 2012.

What a neat tribute to Arno - good friend of mine. Miss you badly, been 4 years now. I have to credit him with getting me into the train building business. He arranged the deal that brought the Lee Lines tools and parts to his house, we were going to team on it, but by the time I drove to his place in Atlanta, he let me have all of it, he was too sick to participate.

I made him a shorty streamlined observation passenger car. He got it the day before he died, and sent me a quick text 'Looks like you had a few extra parts laying around, I love it'. Had his name on it as well, 'Baars Lines #1'

Jim