Midwest Monday

Well I am going to follow the lead of @ScoutingDad and favor the Illinois Central Gulf  (ICG) but my addition will be a rather well known set by Mr. Marx that came under the heading "Work Train". It was offered in 1974-75.   It consists of the ICG GE 70 Ton locomotive and a string of freight cars with the ICG name.  For those of you who are interested in collecting sets of this sort, I will tell you that the hardest thing to find (unbroken) are the yellow side rails that go on the flat car and the next hardest thing is the IC searchlight car with the yellow generator.   So here is my ICG work train.

And here it is with its set box...some prior owner put plastic tape over the box lid, I suppose to keep it closed when moving it (string would have worked so much better) and hence has really caused harm to the lit artwork.

Best wishes and happy "blue" Monday!!

Don

Well since we’re on the IC here a Atlas O with the Dot over the I instead of the C there were some that was misprinted.

KMT IC boxcar. Also with a dot over the i.

And another in BCR.

Did a quick search in the USPTO trademark registration. Forgot about this one as I remember the offset dot above the I.  Still active.   The other does not show up but probably a search term issue.

Ha! Interesting, if you look at my post of the Marx "Work Train" above, if the "dot" is supposed to be centered over the "I" well it looks like Marx got it right!

Don

See the link for the Logos used by Illinois Central 1936 to present.  The offset dot was used from '66 to '72, merger centered the dot '72 to '88 and the current "death star" logo since '88. Rail representation changed slightly with each revision.

Illinois Central Logo History

@Scouting Dad - Man, can't believe it.  Given your explanation above that the centered dot dates from 72-88, Mr Marx when he made my GE 70 Ton loco in 1975 got it RIGHT!  Amazing and a real compliment to the manufacturers at that time, they really did try and take care of the details, even in these "toy" train lines.

Best Wishes and thanks for the information and discussion

Don

Well here it is another Monday!  Well since I am retired, Monday is pretty much like any other day .   So this is kind of a "thin" post but I wanted to keep the thread going.  So here is a real "oldie".  This is a Dorfan tanker from the Indian Refining Co of Lawrenceville, Ill so its certainly a "Midwestern Car.  This dates to the early 20's so its about one CENTURY old and still fully functional if a bit tarnished and scratched.

Hope your week is going OK and that the rest of this week is happy and healthy.

Best Wishes

Don

Thanks for keeping the thread alive, Don!

This is the first Monday I've gotten off work at a reasonable hour in several months.  I'm looking forward to contributing more on a regular basis.

A Penn Central manifest freight makes time on the main line:

Have a great week!

Tom

@Tom Densel-Hello Tom glad you came aboard and I really like the PC video's you post.  The detail like the tractor trailer and all the PC cars are really neat.  Glad you signed on.  Hope you are getting overtime for all that work and be careful and don't get hurt.

Best Wishes

Don

@Tom Densel posted:

Thanks for keeping the thread alive, Don!

This is the first Monday I've gotten off work at a reasonable hour in several months.  I'm looking forward to contributing more on a regular basis.

A Penn Central manifest freight makes time on the main line:

Have a great week!

Tom

Great video I too like that PC Trailer and this shot looks great the background looks like it goes on forever thanks for sharing.

From Norfolk, VA to Kansas City and everywhere in between, the Norfolk & Western - Great MwM to you All !!!

Well MWM fans here we are again on a beautiful Monday in central Texas, 82 degrees and sunny !  Its interesting but my collection has little to offer here so I am reaching deep.  Today, I have a "modern" Marx refr labeled for the MKT railroad.  That's Missouri, Kansas, and Texas and that's about as "Midwest as I can get on this fine Monday.

The MKT or "Katy" as it was often called, HQ in Dallas Texas, operated from 1870 -1988.  It is Currently part of the Union Pacific.  It had lines to Texas, Oklahoma, Kansas, and Missouri operating 3,765 miles of track in 1970.

This car, all tinplate, was offered by "modern" Marx - the company that took over the assets of the Marx company long about 1980's.  They made trains up until the later part of the 90's.

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Best wishes for a great week

Don

Some Penn Central action on the Killbridge Junction:

Tom

How can I not keep the Penn Central Power Rolling Forward, thanks for the great lead Tom!

GREAT MwM to All!!!  My collection is focused on Detroit/Michigan/Rust Belt Midwest in the late 60s / Early 70s.  There was a lot of interchange especially in Detroit between CN and CP and the roads there.  First because of proximity, secondly CN owned GTW.  So as of late I have been building out the Canadian portion of my collection and also the passenger fleet.  A couple quick shots, Weaver GTW express baggage (super nice detail) and Non-Powered MTH CN Geep.

Was the Lionel Lines a Midwest road?

Tom

@Tom Densel-  Why Tom, it is well known, especially to members of our hobby, that "Lionel Lines" was the first true transcontinental railroad.  It provided well loved service across the United States, Canada, and Mexico and even in some international countries.  Like many of our Class 1 railroads, it was independent from its formation in 1900 till it was merged into other lines in 1969.  However, vestiges of the original railroad still exist and operate today under new Corporate titles and in homes all across the United States.

Best Wishes

Don

Memorial Day edition of Midwest Monday. Let us not forget those who gave all so we could have all.

A Penn Central manifest freight passes through a couple of vignettes:

Enjoy the holiday, everyone!

Tom

Well I can't let Tom Densel be the only MwMon post today, although Tom I really like and always watch your Penn Central video's.  I normally don't have too much indicative of the Mid West but I will try and dig some photos at least of rolling stock out of my archives.  So here goes:

The Rock clearly a Midwestern RR and the Lionel (MPC) RI boxcar from '77-'78.

Not too sure the C&O qualifies as "Midwestern"  although it did get as far west as Illinois and Indiana. (Lionel C&O  work caboose #6219 from 1960)

A Rock Island S-3 makes short work of a small freight train.  (Loco and cars by Marx, loco from 1962 )

Well enjoy your Memorial Day Holiday and keep in mind our armed forces members who are deployed all over the world keeping us both free and safe.  Remember those who have given all for us to be where we are today.  Remember that today at 3pm local time where ever you are is a national moment of silence for our fallen comrades.

Don

I'm going to do two posts today.

The first I hope sets the right tone for Memorial Day, reflection and the most sincere appreciation.

To all those who have served in the defense of our country; those that were able to come home and especially those that could could not. 

With the deepest humility and appreciation, Thank You!

Just a wee bit of MWM action from me.  Cheers 😉

Remember our fallen hero’s today.

The second, I hope a bit lighter to follow Tom Ds amazing layout and camera work.  A bunch of Midwestern Penn Central.  The Heart of America (IMHO) great MwM to you all and great kick off to the start of Summer!  Jim

Well here is some KCS for our Monday viewing.  Marx tinplate KCS FM A&B from 1957-1960  Along with a Wabash gondola, a C&O gondola and a KCS caboose.   Except for the SOM boxcar its a Midwest train!!

Best Wishes for a great week

Don

I was trying to take a video of the ceiling fan in our kitchen when out of nowhere a train comes along and screws up the shot. i guess timing is everything.

Have a great week!

Tom

The dam Train!!!  I was looking forward to an unadulterated 1:40 of kitchen fan video.  Please don't be so careless next time Tom, look and listen.

Keeping it simple on this MwM - two recent acquisitions of great, long gone midwestern roads.  Erie Lackawanna and Soo Line Weaver 57' reefers, enjoy!

Good MwM to you all.  I'm headed home for some holiday time in Michigan in the next few weeks.  If anyone has any suggestions regarding layouts that are a must see, I would love any suggestions especially in Detroit, SE Michigan.  Also, the only remaining hobby shop I an aware of that has a significant amount of O scale is Great Lakes Hobby, is there anything else???

In my ongoing attempt to try to present different rolling stock, how about a bunch of chemical rolling stock you might have seen in the Midwest in the 60s/70s.  Not sure why you never see too many tank cars in videos.  Best, Jim

Well if @DETROIT- says the Erie / Lackawanna is a Mid west road then I guess my Erie Lionel 6454 box car from 1949-1952 must qualify.  So here it is.

Best Wishes

Don

I'm late to the party tonight.  Back to working OT trying to get a project at work finished.

A Penn Central manifest freight with GE power on the point:

Have a great week!

Tom

@Tom Densel-great train Tom and great sound effects.
Don

Well it looks like I am following up myself today, but hopefully others will "join on" later today.  Not exactly the heart of the Midwest but centered in Utah, Colorado, and New Mexico was the Denver and Rio Grande Western.  This is Lionel's interpretation of a some DRG trains.

First is a made up small train including the Lionel postwar #221 DGC Alco from 1963-64 and including the Lionel (MPC) #9200 Illinois Central boxcar from 1970-71 and a #9077 DRG  SP type caboose from 1976-1983 (in catalog) and 1984-1991 (uncatalogued).

Next is the Lionel (MPC) # 8602 2-4-0 locomotive from the "Black River" freight set of 1976-78

Hope everyone has a great week

Best Wishes

Don

Here's a few. Start off with some Belt Railway of Chicago

Metra

Milwaukee Road

Burlington Route

Happy Midwest Monday from NEPA. Frank's Roundhouse Milwaukee Road.

Bob

Here is some Penn Central action to start off Midwest Monday this week:

Have a great week!

Tom

MwM - Happy 4th!!!

Happy Independence Day!

A quartet of Penn Central covered wagons leads a manifest freight through Killbridge Junction:

Be safe and have a great week!

Tom

About as Midwest as it gets - Missouri Pacific.
2 MTH U-boats  MTH didn’t do many MP diesels.  These two probably fall into an even smaller sample size. The left is an unpowered model, the right has fixed pilots.  

Here's a MPC trio and some local old Chicago favorites Marshall Field is now Macy's and Brach's candy moved to Mexico.