On bottom of frame it says "NO. 831 Made by the Lionel Corporation New York" I looked in Doyles catalog 1900-1942 and found nothing resembling this car. Wondering if it is a bash from someones imagination. There is a screw on the bottom near the back of the cab that keeps it from rotating. Even the shape of the boom does not correspond with any prewar Lionel. Not sure what the cylinder under the boom represents.
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hhtrains,
What you have there appears to be a prewar hybrid! Someone got creative and combined a Lionel 831 flatcar with the remains of an American Flyer 481 wrecker. If you check the cast boom, you'll probably find an AF part number (PA-######). I'm not sure about the cylinder under the boom - perhaps it is serving as a counter weight to keep the thing from tipping backwards.
Interesting combination of the two pieces. Have fun with it!
I think I found my answer after much searching., It is the crane from the top of a AF 583 electromagnetic crane. The frame #831 is a Lionel flatcar,
You may be correct. I think flyer used that same crane on the 583, 514 or 481 crane cars, and 612 station.
That appears to be an American Flyer 635 crane married to a Lionel base.
Greg Northwoods Flyer
Greg,
What makes you think postwar crane? Is the green on the boom a different shade than prewar?
Rob we agree on the 831 flat but I can't find a AF 481 wrecker to compare. I believe the 583 crane is the answer.
Rob Shaubach posted:Greg,
What makes you think postwar crane? Is the green on the boom a different shade than prewar?
Only that it is a Gilbert production piece, pre and post war. The cab and boom were used on all of the pieces mentioned so far, and I think they are all the same design. I just happened to think of the #635 crane car number first. There are some variations in the shades of green used but I am not sure that they correspond to either post or prewar.
Greg Northwoods Flyer
pretty sure only the #481 wrecker crane had a chrome or nickel stack.
all the others versions of this crane i have seen have a black stack.
by the way, if you want to recreate the #583 e/m crane, that's a fairly easy to find Erector Set electromagnet that is used.
cheers...gary
overlandflyer posted:by the way, if you want to recreate the #583 e/m crane, that's a fairly easy to find Erector Set electromagnet that is used.
cheers...gary
I bought an erector shed a few weeks back and the boom magnet must have stuck to the side of it when they shipped it out because it came along for the ride in the package.
Gentlemen,
Way cool hybrid Crane Car have one myself, that a man made long ago.
PCRR/Dave
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