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2518C1DA-1768-4742-83AC-1AB9982D5ECE24BC4BAC-F72E-45AC-9293-04157383B4E5I am having a rough time with the drumhead for my Texas Zephyr observation car, but I’ll keep trying until I get it right…it is a seldom seen original version of the tailsign given to SILVER TRAY which it only wore from inception in 1940 until it was bumped off the TZ by semi-articulated equipment from the Denver Zephyr in 1957.  On the other hand, the Frisco Meteor tail sign turned out great.
Happy Tail End Tuesday from yours truly!

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@Rob Leese posted:

2518C1DA-1768-4742-83AC-1AB9982D5ECE24BC4BAC-F72E-45AC-9293-04157383B4E5I am having a rough time with the drumhead for my Texas Zephyr observation car, but I’ll keep trying until I get it right…it is a seldom seen original version of the tailsign given to SILVER TRAY which it only wore from inception in 1940 until it was bumped off the TZ by semi-articulated equipment from the Denver Zephyr in 1957.  On the other hand, the Frisco Meteor tail sign turned out great.
Happy Tail End Tuesday from yours truly!

Very nice Rob!

@Rob Leese posted:

2518C1DA-1768-4742-83AC-1AB9982D5ECE24BC4BAC-F72E-45AC-9293-04157383B4E5I am having a rough time with the drumhead for my Texas Zephyr observation car, but I’ll keep trying until I get it right…it is a seldom seen original version of the tailsign given to SILVER TRAY which it only wore from inception in 1940 until it was bumped off the TZ by semi-articulated equipment from the Denver Zephyr in 1957.  On the other hand, the Frisco Meteor tail sign turned out great.
Happy Tail End Tuesday from yours truly!

Rob,    
Is that Meteor signage just stuck on - over other drumhead signage ?  I definitely like.  

@TrainBub

I removed the original TEXAS SPECIAL lettering leaving a clean translucent surface. The tailsign image was created on MS Publisher, and I printed the file on white waterslide decal paper.  My first attempt was on clear decal paper and it did not look good.  
It looks like I need to put on my “bionic eyes” and clean up the edges, and then clearcoat it.

@coach joe posted:

Patrick, I just love that Whitehead Flyer. Top of the line passenger service always available on the FSJR.

Thanks Coach!   Yes the Whitehead Flyer is a limited production run made for Schweppes Gingerale.  Schweppes is based in the UK.  After WW2 Commander Whitehead one of the British military branches ( I forget which one )  was interviewed on the radio.  The interviewer asked the commander how he got thru the war.  His reply was by 'drinking a lot of Schweppes' ( of course I'm paraphrasing ).  The Schweppes top management heard this and made Commander Whitehead their spokesman.  

I was at a train show back in 2011 and a friend pointed this trainset  out to me.  Of course I had to buy it because it had my name on it .. LOL!  The set came with the three passenger cars and an ALCO FA2 locomotive.   Obviously Lionel was thinking these pieces would be more for show than running on a regular layout.  The engine has nylon gears.  The passenger cars are extremely lite.  The train does run with locomotive headlight and illuminated passenger cars.  I run it only occasionally.  It's a fun set for me to have in my collection!  

Well here I am, a day late, but I just couldn't get to posting yesterday..  What I have today is a set of passenger cars including the observation designed to accompany the Marx #4000 Seaboard lithograph FM diesel.  These locomotives wereh made both in clockwork (this one is clockwork) and electric and Dummy.  They also made a "B" unit which it turns out is the absolute most rare piece of any of the FM line.  This FM  is accompanied by the #256 Pullman and #258 observation (numbers do not appear on the car).  These were all made from 1955-1962,

Here is the T.E.T. shot of this little train (Ok I know its Wednesday ) !

Marx Seaboard Observation

Here is a look at the entire train including the Pullman and FM Loco.

Marx Seaboard Pass Train

Sorry for being late.  Best wishes everyone

Don

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Patrick, thanks for the info.  I thought you had it custom painted.  I know what you mean about finding something with your name on it at a train show.  I found this 1/34 First Gear tow truck at a toy show.  Apparently a custom run for a towing company or garage in Iowa.  I believe this is the first if not only item, I wasn't searching for, that I bought at a train show on first site without passing by while I thought about it.IMG_1081

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Well hello everyone, its the Tuesday before Thanksgiving and I am willing to bet all you "husbands / partners" out there are running errands to get those "last little things" so that the dinner can be prepared.  Hence I am posting this before I launch off to our local H.E.B. (Texas grocery store) for a list of "can't do without" items.

Today I thought I would post something a bit off the ordinary.  This is a JEP (French) made sheet metal passenger coach.  I bought it in Rouen, France when my wife and I were on a vacation river cruise in 2017 (it cost 50 Euro's - too much but it was also trip souvenir).  Likely made in the 1950's but in any case JEP stopped  0'gauge manufacturing in 1963. The car is pictured on the TCA Western Div web site as part of the #4641 "Fast Train" a clockwork set consisting of an 0-4-0 engine/tender , combine car, and 3 coaches.  No, alas, I do not have that set!!

So here is the JEP  SNCF 1st and 2nd class passenger coach :

Here of course is the T.E.T. view looking at the end corridor.  The inter-coach passage way does have simulated rubber corridor closures but they are sheet metal in this coach like the rest of the car.  The nomenclature of the end likely simulates where train services are connected but I will admit I do not know the translation of the abbreviations.  However the JEP logo and "Made in France" are very prominent.

JEP passenger coach end view

Here is the read quarter view, showing the first class entrance way door.

JEP passenger coach rear quarter view

Here is a full side view showing the two end doors and the "frosted" windows that are likely the bathrooms.

JEP passenger coach side view

Well best wishes for a great week and a Happy Thanksgiving everyone.

Don

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  • JEP passenger coach end view
  • JEP passenger coach rear quarter view
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@leapinlarry posted:

@Don McErlean, Don, that’s a beautiful Marx FM diesel, very colorful and matching observation car, very old, very beautiful, full of memories that bring us here on the forum so much Joy. I loved the 1950’s, and I’m late to the game to, but here’s a couple of my favorite cabooses. Happy Railroading Everyone 45484083-BB05-422A-838B-AEE10AB791F8AB9E8E3F-3D25-4F85-8D4E-3B9FEC058F760CA1EC30-5056-449D-86BD-A97CCE65F3D70A47DBB7-CBE8-4A90-8DDC-F42F9BE04618

Love those Frisco caboose.👍👍👍.
I’ve the brown one and still looking for the red/ white one. 🙂

Well here it is Monday afternoon - Yikes !  Trouble is I have to take the wife to Ft. Worth for an 0830 medical appointment tomorrow which means a 0630 departure...too early to also post to the forum.  So I guess I will post tonight.  I will admit to having some fun lately in posting some of the less well known brands so today I will use Hafner.

First some toy train history.  William Hafner started making clockwork toys in 1902 and produced his first clockwork train in 1905.  Needing money to expand the business he looked for financial backing and approached William Coleman who at the time was involved in the operation of Edmonds-Metzel a firm that made agricultural hardware.  By 1907 the toy manufacturing had become so successful that Coleman decided to devote the full resources of E-M to toys especially mechanical trains and in 1910 changed the name of Edmonds-Metzel to "American Flyer Manufacturing Company". This partnership with Hafner lasted until 1914 when in a dispute over business shares resulted in William Hafner leaving American Flyer to start his own toy train business.  He called his trains "Overland Flyer".  Hafner never made electric trains, he felt they were too expensive to be used as toys.  Much later, this led to a very interesting development...from the 1930's until the beginning of WWII, Lionel distributed Hafner trains overseas to feed a robust market for mechanical trains (especially in areas without electricity) .  Since Lionel had curtailed its production of mechanical trains, it used Hafner trains to fill its line.  OK, so what do we have on this fine Tuesday.

This caboose is from the later (actually the last) period of Hafner trains made by the Hafner Company.  In 1951 John Hafner (founder's son) who had operated the business since his father's retirement during WWII, decided to also take retirement and offered the assets of the company for sale.  This caboose is from that last period just before the sale of the company in 1951, made between 1949 - 1951.

Hafner C&NW caboose side view

The assets of the Hafner company were taken over by the All Metal Products Company who produced toys under the name Wyandotte Toys.  They continued most of the line with few changes until they were forced into bankruptcy  in 1956. The #41021 Caboose below was actually offered both as a Hafner toy and as a "carry over" under the Wyandotte name.  All that changed was the printing in the circular logo between the windows. Offered 1951-1956.

Hafner 41021 caboose [Wyandotte label) side viewHafner 41021 caboose [Wyandotte label) rear quarter view

The lithography with the trainmen in the windows shows some influence from Unique Lines toy trains also created in 1948-49 and some "cross talk" between the designers has been postulated.  To me its a neat effect and increases the  toy like quality of the items. Note that although the Hafner company was taken over by Wyandotte  the trains for some time still carried the "Hafner Trains" name.  Presumably to take advantage of the fact that the name was well known for quality mechanical trains.

Best Wishes

Don

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  • Hafner C&NW caboose side view
  • Hafner 41021 caboose (Wyandotte label) side view
  • Hafner 41021 caboose (Wyandotte label) rear quarter view

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