Buy/Make Anything Cool Lately (Tinplate Version)

I don't collect much tinplate but I've always wanted a wind-up train and found this AF set at the DuPage train show.  The seller said it was "The Rainbow" set but my (limited) research indicates that the tender and coaches are not correct, and it does not have an observation.  Either way it's cool enough for me.  It barely runs at all on the original track, and on my O54 circle under the tree I can only get it to go around 2 1/2 times on 4 1/2 turns.  Once it stops it still has 2 turns left on it.  I did apply a drop of oil to the wheels on the coaches which helped a lot.  I also picked up a station stop and water tower.     

Don

dmestan posted:

I don't collect much tinplate but I've always wanted a wind-up train and found this AF set at the DuPage train show.  The seller said it was "The Rainbow" set but my (limited) research indicates that the tender and coaches are not correct, and it does not have an observation.  Either way it's cool enough for me.  It barely runs at all on the original track, and on my O54 circle under the tree I can only get it to go around 2 1/2 times on 4 1/2 turns.  Once it stops it still has 2 turns left on it.  I did apply a drop of oil to the wheels on the coaches which helped a lot.  I also picked up a station stop and water tower.     

Don

At York I picked up an 8 wheel rainbow set.

Steve

Enjoying my recently arrived Bing for Bassett Lowke "George the Fifth" O gauge clockwork loco. It's quite a nice runner- makes two full laps around my O gauge circuit on a single wind. The tender looks great with it, but it appears to be from another engine as both the engine and tender have "pins" instead of one having a slot to hook them together. My other question was, what is the middle spring-loaded lever? The outer push/pull rods are forward/reverse (reversing lever) and stop/go (brake lever). Shortly after posting this I found a scan of an instruction sheet on the internet so I have edited the post; the answer apparently is that it is the Setting Lever (aka "Restarting Lever") intended to work together with a special track section to permit the loco to not only stop via trackside setting, but also to restart once the trackside lever is released. After seeing the sheet I realized I have one of these track sections, so I'll give it a try. 

Some photos and a brief video included below. The video includes one of my other clockwork pieces, an Orbor stationary power plant with bucket loader. Enjoy

The middle lever is to be used with a brake rail to stop and restart the train; see the description here:

https://www.classicogauge.net/....php?f=19&t=1260

Edit: After writing the post I saw you had found out already.

Your tender is a Basset Lowke (not by Bing) one; I assume it is from a Basset Lowke compound 4-4-0 (which might be a clockwork or electric one). Here is a picture and video with a correct tender:

Regards

Fred

sncf231e posted:

The middle lever is to be used with a brake rail to stop and restart the train; see the description here:

https://www.classicogauge.net/....php?f=19&t=1260

Edit: After writing the post I saw you had found out already.

Your tender is a Basset Lowke (not by Bing) one; I assume it is from a Basset Lowke compound 4-4-0 (which might be a clockwork or electric one). Here is a picture and video with a correct tender:

 

Regards

Fred

Fred- many thanks for the info on the tender and the levers. The linked site is great! Much appreciated.

Got my next 2816 in time for Christmas!

Couldn't help myself, got another 5D test set this last weekend. Now I can keep one in shop and display other with the rest of test sets.

Jagrick posted:

Couldn't help myself, got another 5D test set this last weekend. Now I can keep one in shop and display other with the rest of test sets.

Love it Jagrick! Would love it more if I knew how to use it!👍

Joe Gozzo

Pick this restored AF 561 Whistling Billboard and control box off of the bay. Awesome restoration/Custom Paint.

Joe Gozzo

Found a wonderfully bright, late, English-style, 20s/early 30's windup Bing loco (w/catalog page)

John Smatlak posted:

Jim Waterman posted:

John Smatlak posted:

I couldn't resist- it's actually a floor toy, but a great looking piece- such great colors and proportions! Made in Japan, not sure when but I'm guessing 50's or 60's.

 

John - did you chuck a couple of Bild a Loco motors under this beast? Will it clear the Hellgate?

Jim

LOL I hadn't thought of converting it, but that would be pretty neat. And yes, it does clear the Hellgate Bridge. I shall have to keep my eyes open for a lesser quality one for conversion experimentation, this one is just too minty. A photo of the bottom is included below.

 

Modern Toy Company from the logo, probably early 1960s

In the same vein- the mystery standard gauge subway car. It's a wind-up toy, which coincidentally does have flanged wheels with standard gauge spacing, but the trucks don't swivel, so it's basically a floor toy. It's certainly neat looking, and as an added bonus has lights (battery powered) both front and rear. See the photo of the logo (YM?)- I'm hoping someone will recognize the maker. This is definitely a candidate for conversion to operation!

Made some banana plug adapters for both my ZW-L and ZW.

Steve

DMESTAN - your set is a Rainbow.  The 1927 version did not come with an observation.  As for an exact match with respect to car lithography - I wouldn't worry too much about that.  I've seen a number of boxed Rainbow sets over the years. Sometimes the litho treatment of the cars in the box match the catalog cut and sometimes they don't.

Catalog cut for 1927

 For example - the set below was boxed and the set label was "Rainbow".  The car frames were consistent with the 1927 time frame but except for the engine and the fact that one of the passenger cars is blue (wrong window configuration - according to the catalog) and the other does share the window treatment and the color orange with the other car you would have to squint pretty hard to convince yourself that the catalog and the box contents are the match.

Steve "Papa" Eastman posted:

Made some banana plug adapters for both my ZW-L and ZW.

Steve

I had enough spacers to complete the ZW-L, but had to order another pack for the ZW. Guess they’re out of smaller boxes.

Steve

Santhion City Palace all the way from Hungary.

Replica Ives 200 Powerhouse made by yours truly.

George

I didn't buy or make it, but I got the Lionel No.85 racecars for Christmas.

https://www.facebook.com/themo...eos/306895663270256/

Super awesome Christmas present 🎁 

Bought the Lionel sign for my 840 power station. I had to paint and letter it myself. I used Folkart enamel for the lettering . I think I found a great paint for hand painting !

George

George S posted:

 

Santhion City Palace all the way from Hungary.

Replica Ives 200 Powerhouse made by yours truly.

George

Fabulous George!