Lobaugh 2-8-2 Engine Mystery

I have a Hines Line USRA heavy Mike built up by a friend of mine when he was a teenager.   he did a great job.    It looks a lot like that.    I am not that familiar with Lobough stuff.    But it could be a Hines,    Henry Pierce bought/took over hines but I think that is later than your time frame. 

I have not had mine apart in awhile, and I can't remember what the mechanism looks like.    Howeer it does a similar worm on axle gear assembly.    Also my center drivers are blind as these seem to be.

Where's bob2?

This is an Acme ...  later marketed by Walthers   1937-39 ... before going  "poly drive"....  do you have a photo of the bottom ?

Wheels insulated for 2 rail or ?

If you ever consider parting with it please keep me in mind ..thank you

Cheers Carey

Hines.  Definitely not Lobaugh.  I was at the airport, rib-stitching (and flying).

Gentlemen....  thank you so very much for your insight, as it is greatly appreciated.  bob2, I’m not familiar with Hines, but you have provided me with a new avenue of discovery...  prrjim, I am familiar with Pearce, and am pursuing that with Stevenson Preservation Lines.  Does anyone know what the value of this engine????  My intentions are to value this collection and reimburse the original owner...  they are elderly and on a fixed income and it’s just the right thing to do...  at least it is to me.  Please continue to provide your insights...  Here are a few more pictures of my Mystery Engine ...  Also, any estimates ( guesses ) as to the age of this thing???

Again, thanks for your assistance and expertise,

Mark

I can't help you with your "mystery", but I do applaud your intentions...good for you! 

Mark in Oregon

The frame of this loco is familiar to me because I have one, but I dont know the manufacturer, its not Hines or Pearce. I reckon Carey is on the right track. Ive seen a couple of these go on the Bay over the last twelve months. There a devil to resemble if you pull the drivers out, which come out from the top, rather than the bottom. This one unfortunately has had the ashpan cut out, for some reason.      cTr....( Choose the Right )

It's interesting that mail from Carey Model Locomotive Works arrived with an RPO postmark on the envelope.  

Welcome to the OGR family Mark!

Regret I can't help ID the locomotive but you've come to the right place to find the guys who can.

Respect for your intentions helping the elderly couple.  You made my day!

If I had had the fortune of receiving such a collection, I'd convert to O in a heartbeat.

Joseph Toth Jr.

that one is sort of beat up.    All the lubrication is probably dry.    You could lube it and see if it runs.    It should power the same way as in HO, one rail pickup, probably engineer side from the loco, and the other rail from the tender, assuming 2 rail.    I did not notice "whiskers" so it appears it is not set up for outside 3rd rail.  

I would estimate a market value around 2-300 depending on if it runs and how it cleans up.    Might even go for 350-400 if someone wants it.    the detail level on these does not compare with more modern brass.     the older freight cars also don't compete well with more modern stuff.    I would guess you could get 10-20 apiece at an O scale show, again depending on condition.   It they are truly bad and beatup, you may not get 5.  

so to help out you friends,  you need to decide what  you want to do.    There is not a huge amount of value in this stuff, but there is your feelings of charity and nostalgic value.   

this is just my opinion from seeing stuff like this at O scale train shows.

By the way, these older models do clean up nicely.   Often a new paint job and decals makes a decent model for a layout.

Here are some photos of my Hines Mike.    As I mentioned, this model was mfg and sold by hines and then the line was sold to Henry Pearce.    It was  unpainted when I got it and I had decals made for my friend's RR and painted it.   I also changed the trailing truck on the loco and added builder plates.   Other than that it is pretty much original build.    He built this I think in the late 40s or early 50s before he went to Korea.

Hello ..here is a link to an Acme/ Walthers  that sold in December  at the Steve Neil auction ...

https://connect.invaluable.com...steam-lo_EFD47BBA48/

cheers Carey

Very Interesting.   I have never heard of "Acme/Walthers" before.     That is probably not the original tender with that one.    That looks very much like a PRR K4 tender, including the PRR truck sideframes, and the steps on the side of the tender.    In addtion just the overall tender look.

The mechanism does look very much like the one in the first photos above.

MYSTERY SOLVED!!!!!  Or at least a very SOLID lead....

Carey...  thanks for the link...  the pictures are almost identical to my Mystery Engine!!!  Outstanding!!!  So now that you have identified the manufacturer as Acme, does anybody have information on the products & brass engines produced by Acme?  My web searches have discovered nothing about Acme Models, no products, no company history...  I’m still curious as to a time frame when this particular engine kit was available for purchase...  As an HO guy, I’m getting quite the education about vintage O scale.  Thanks to everyone that’s helping me out...  Greatly appreciated.

As I mentioned, the one in the link from Carey has a PRR tender.    The original has a USRA tender like the one I have which is a Hines. 

Pre-WWII means 1940-41 at the latest before the government shut down using metals for non-essential mfg like model trains.  

Whoever the mfg of the kit was, it is a model of a USRA mikado - and appears to be a "heavy" like the Hines/Pearce model.    Since that was a very common steam loco design in service at the time, it would be likely that more than one mfg would make a kit.    However, I doubt they would include a PRR tender.    I'm guessing the one on the ebay listing does not have the original tender.    The replacement is possibly a Scalecraft.

Hello Mark

Here is the same engine .,,in kit form

Are you keeping the engine ?

I'f love to replace my kit with a built model for the collection .

Cheers Carey

Either way, it’s an interesting survivor, well worth preserving.

Carey,

Your kit appears to have been modified with an enclosed gear box.    Do you think that is original?    I thoiught the original had an open worm and gear.

Hello yes some misguided owner decided to upgrade the drive fortunately he left the original Drive In The Box if I keep it long enough it'll go back to the original Drive just to keep it as original as possible

Well if any one has bits and pieces for one of these Id be happy to make my frame and drivers more complete.       cTr...( Choose the Right )

Phew, I feel better.   I was thinking I was wrong in believing that most stuff from about the mid 50s at least back had open gears.      My Hines still has the original and runs quite nicely and smoothly.    I did replae the original series wound motor and travis reverse switch.

Lobaugh began enclosed gears in 1940 ....but yes most had open gears ...

MiniScale ..enclosed gears in 1937

Cheers Carey

Carey Williams....  I am interested in finding my “Mystery Engine” a new home, and am willing to part with it to financially help out the original owner.  So please provide me a means to contact you.  Thanks again for your assistance and insight to identify the Mystery Engine.

Mark Joseph

I find this O scale history very interesting, because of the surprising number of different models made, even though l am in three rail.  Seemed to take forever for a Mikado to be done in 3, and the C&O version, done in 2, as early as this?, exists not in 3.  Never before heard of Acme....how many more "ghost" brands are there? And pro- totypes of ???