Chrome Ives 1764

wow! beautiful layout. thanks for sharing.

Nice Layout!!!!

  Its probably a Cohen. He liked his plating. Rich Art made their own motors, at least at the end. So I'm not sure how you ended up with McCoy. Maybe I'm wrong but I know MEW got the tooling for IVES wide motors when he bought out Dick at Rich Art.

  I kept watching it go around the snake curves and picturing my Black Diamond cars knocking over all the accessories. I need wide radius, and a bigger house!!!

That inner loop of track is the only one with 42 curves - and they are graduated - a 72 on each end of the 42 to make 90 degrees.  The outer two loops are all 72's and 84's.

Mostly short cars get run on the inner loop, like the Ives freight, or the little sets with a 384 loco and 320 or 339 cars.  It's also fun for the McCoy trolleys.  But there's actually enough clearance for the 19" cars as well, although they look a little silly.

In the yard at the beginning of the video, those are the new Ross 42 standard gauge switches.  Very smooth.

I just came across a Cohen terra cotta 1764, and it had the side rods.  That, along with your comment that the Rich-Art locos had the Ives motors, has me thinking it may be a Rich Art after all, despite the idea that the chrome and brass would otherwise suggest Cohen.

As for the mayflower, maybe the McCoy motor in it is a replacement, who knows?

Hojack, the engine and the layout look great.

I wonder if your 1764 is not a Cohen reproduction, because it seems to operate well on smaller radius track.  I own a Cohen 1764 and it will not operate on the normal 042 curves because the lead and trailing truck wheels have abnormally deep flanges which the frame at each end of the cab, interferes with. I have often considered turning the flanges down as there do not seem to be any other options other than continuing to operate mine only on my 072 curves. Is the frame on your 1764 "relieved" in any way to afford wheel clearance? That is a beautiful layout and I love the chrome version of the 1764.

Eric Hofberg

TCA, LCCA

You mean like this?

I did this some time ago.  Thought long and hard about it, but in the end being able to run the locomotive won out.  This one had trouble even on the 72 curves.  Tried shimming up the pilot trucks, didn't work.  So out came the Dremel.  In the photo the relieved area looks like it should be further forward, but it's centered over the wheel when the truck pivots to turn. Did this on all four corners.

So Eric, in your opinion does this pretty much mean it's a Cohen after all?

Joe and Steamer, I appreciate your encouragment!  It is gratifying to share with others who enjoy it too!

Hojack,

I thought that in the video I caught a glimpse of a relieved frame and indeed that is what you did! Due to the oversize flanges and the clearance issues, I now strongly suspect that it is a Cohen repro. The metal used to construct mine is very thin  because Jim didn't have the heavy duty presses that Lionel used back in the day and that might be another clue. While I like your solution to the wheel clearance issues, I believe I will first try turning about 3/32" off the flanges or failing that, I'll swap all 8 wheels for Lionel pilot wheels which have shallower flanges.

Your plated engine with a set of matching MTH repro cars stripped and plated would be a knock out! I wish, Like the Mckeen Motor car that MTH/Lionel would produce it.

Eric Hofberg

TCA, LCCA

one of my all time favorite loco's ,I have an mth ,that the side rods keep hitting the frame so bent out the frame abit works fine,,,would love to see mth make it again in a rr logo , thanks for the vid ,terry

Now that is a very interesting idea.  I do have a set of three Cohen brass and chrome day coaches, but they look very good behind the new Lionel Classic brass #7 and tender, and proportionally, I don't think they'd fit the 1764.

Is there someone who does brass and chrome plating that I could send a set of MTH 1766-67-68 cars to? Seriously!

That was really neat to see.  I have never seen one of those before, and enjoyed seeing it run around your beautiful layout.  Thanks for sharing!

hojack, was that you who emailed me looking for 3237s?