Messages

871

Collector Corner / Re: Lionel Manufacturing and Corporation Stamps

« on: June 02, 2020, 04:42:38 PM »

I was looking at my Lionel 10 series cars today. I have a 16 with the little Lionel Lines stamp on the end and few with the number 16 on the end, but not with both the number and the Lionel Lines stamp. The stamps are always on the end away from the door handles.

None of my other 10 series cars have the Lionel Lines stamps.

The 100 series freights and 35/36 passengers will have to wait until  I get them unpacked.

872

Collector Corner / Re: Lionel Manufacturing and Corporation Stamps

« on: May 29, 2020, 12:26:23 PM »

 Jim's question got lost in the discusssion of 601/602 cars.
 

I was specifically interested to know if anyone had an example of the large Lionel Lines stamp on something other than the end of a 114 boxcar or underside a 601, 602

I haven't seen that stamp on anything other than the 601/602 cars. The boxcar you showed was new to me.

I do have a pair of 35/36 passenger cars with the "made and gauranteed" stamp. I haven't unpacked the 35/36 cars or the 100 series freights yet.

Since you posted the interesting 701 pickup, here's an interesting pickup on a 728 loco:

 

 

Terry

873

Collector Corner / Lionel 601 602 and 603 early O passenger cars.

« on: May 28, 2020, 04:33:41 PM »

I showed the bottoms of these cars earlier and Mike said maybe trucks were wrong? The greenberg starts with 602C, but does show the earlyist car on page 55 in a 706 set.

Here's what I have:

Two cars with the long or half moon trucks and wide tread wheels. The 602 baggage has slots in the bottom and no lettering. All my baggages have door handles.

The 601 pullman hs no slots or lettering on the bottom. NYC over windows is serif lettering 3.75 inches long.   

Here's the two cars:

 

 

I have three 601 pullmans with window film between the insert and the car body. I don't have a baggage to match these. They have the type 2 truck with two cutouts, and WIDE tread wheels. Frames have slots and The Lionel Lines/ New York/ Made in USA on bottom. NYC over windows is serif lettering 3.75 inches long.   

Here's one of them:

 

 

Then I have another dark green set with the later trucks. This is the one with the block lettering over the doors on the 602. The baggage does not have slots, but does have the The Lionel Lines stamp. This car also has one truck with dimples. The NYC over windows on 601 pullman is 3.125" long, bottom has slots, but no stamp.

Here they are:

 

 

That's it for the dark green ones.

874

General Discussion / Re: Sizing Photos to be compatible with the site

« on: May 28, 2020, 01:42:21 PM »

WINDOWS 10 Photo Program

In Windows 10 photo viewer, with the photo open select the settings . . . then select RESIZE (3rd down). In resize you can save as option C define custom Demensions. Select 1200 for width which should set height to 900 automatically, Check MAINTAIN Aspect Ration, and with the quality slider select a value between 40-80%.   

The sweet spot is about 80-120KB for a 1200 by 900 image from my camera is at 75% quality . It will take some experimenting, but once you find it, it's the same every time.

With the Windows Photo Viewer, you can import from the camera, and then open and save each picture to a new location. Those pictures are then uploaded.

After you upload the photos, you can delete them from your computer. Next time you post, save the new pictures into the same folder.

I just took a picture of the dog as an example.

40% is a size of 70KB

 

60 percent is 99KB

 

80 percent is  129 KB

 

You can use the arrow in the viewer to move between those pictures. No difference I can see.

NOTE that all these pictures are physically the same size. It's just the number of pixels per inch that is different.

BATCH RESIZING

I use a program that is no longer availible to do this. I've been doing it for my eBay listings for 22 years so I don't even give it a thought.

I wrote a book on eBay and did a chapter on editing with free programs. XNview is the program that seemed easiest to use then.

Here's the chapter:

https://train99.com/images/ar_ebayimages.pdf

The program looks more robust than what I wrote about back then. Might be a little different than I wrote. Here's the program download page:

https://www.xnview.com/en/

875

Collector Corner / Re: Lionel 33 Loco Body Types

« on: May 28, 2020, 01:27:44 PM »

I found a 33 with the strap headlight hood on both ends. I bought it from the original owner's grandaughter on eBay so I'm reasonably sure the motor hasn't been swapped and the two cars I got are correct. I also got a 121 station with 4 high windows.

Here's the loco:

 

Better view of bell end:

 

This is just a common late teens early 1920s loco. I don't know if it's a factory error, or a late production when they just didn't care. We need to find more of these.

The cars might be a better clue. They have three hole steps, no air tanks, the small lionel lines and number stamps on ends by doors. Couplers are last hook style with tabs.

 

I have the same cars with crinkle couplers and black detail around the end doors:

 

I haven't unpacked all the 35/36 type cars I have yet.

876

Collector Corner / Re: Lionel Manufacturing and Corporation Stamps

« on: May 27, 2020, 05:05:51 PM »

We're getting some cool stuff now.

The 601/602 cars with Those are the second or 3rd version of the car. First versions had long trucks.

The baggage comes with block or serif New York Central over the doors. I have Serif lettering with long trucks and no stamp on bottom. Doesn't say Lionel anywhere on car.

 

Here's the interesting version with block NYC lettering and the Lionel Lines on bottom.

 

I inventory my train going alphabetically with oldest having letter A. The two cars above are A and C so there is certainly a car between them. These letters should match the latest Greenberg book.

Here's a neat stamp. I think 1924 and later.

 

I think that's the stamp that would go on the end of the box. The tender with this stamp is not rare, and the tender with slotted trucks can be found with or without the "6 Tender" stamp.

Here's picture of my monitor.

 

The little blue dude came from the 1991 TCA convention Banquet. I think you made them Jim. I should have a handful of them, but either the dog is eating them or they are hiding.

877

Collector Corner / Re: Lionel 33 Loco Body Types

« on: May 26, 2020, 10:23:19 AM »

Mike - What about the paper stamp? Do you have boxed sets with that on it? The one I saw had it beside the set number on the end label.

878

Collector Corner / Re: Lionel 33 Loco Body Types

« on: May 25, 2020, 12:24:50 PM »

The little Lionel Lines stamp is on the earliest O gauge so it was used in 1915 or before. It was used until 1921, maybe even later. I say 1921 because my orange 35/36 passenger cars have the stamps and that set was first cataloged in 1921.

Here's the stamp on a 42 loco:

 

The earliest standard gauge locos aren't marked as Lionel anywhere. Sometime in 1912 or 13 they started using a reverse plate with Lionel Manufacturing on it. The 33 didn't get the reverse until later so it got a paper stamp inside.

 

That's a U frame loco with 4 cast iron wheels. Dates from 1913 to maybe as late as 1915? That stamp was also used on setboxes. Maybe the O gauge setbox collectors know when it was used?

That is the only loco I've seen with the paper stamp, but they'd fall off, and few collectors are as interested as me so they might be ignored on collector's shelves.

One more note about dating -- you can't date a 33 or 38 by reading the reverse plate. I have locos made well into the 1920s with mfg reverse plates.

879

Collector Corner / Lionel 33 Loco Body Types

« on: May 25, 2020, 01:02:18 AM »

I've gone way down the rabbit hole in my collecting of 33 locos. I'm close to having two dozen of them. A lot of them are similar looking, but have different body parts.

I look at three areas of the body. . . The headlight hood, the center section or cab, and the bell hood. You cannot change these parts as they are soldiered together and then painted.

I collect based on headlights. There are three types of headlights and three types of hoods to match them.

 

• A - Earliest style with slide on headlight.
• Ab - transition with slots for slide on headlight and an extra hole for a pedestal headlight.
• B - Middle style with pedestal headlight.
• C - Last style with strap headlight.

Here's pictures of the type B (front) and Ab (back):

 

Here's a shot of the inside of Ab showing the slots:

 

I also collect based on the bell hoods. There are 4 types of bell hoods:

• A - Earliest style with two holes. This hood is the same hood without the ears for the slide on headlight.
• B - Middle style with 3 holes. This is the same as the pedestal headlight hood.
• C - Second middle with 3 holes with end hole larger for binding post.
• D - Last style with 2 holes with end hole larger for binding post.

The hoods should match up chronologically. Like this:

• A) Slide on hood comes with A) 2 hole bell hood.
• Ab) Slide on hood with pedestal headlight comes with A) 2 hole bell hood.
• B) Pedestal hood comes with B - Middle style with 3 holes. This is the same hood on both ends.
• B) Pedestal hood comes with C - Second middle with 3 holes with end hole larger for binding post. 
• C) Strap hood comes with C - Second middle with 3 holes with end hole larger for binding post. 
• C) Strap hood comes with D - Last style with 2 holes with end hole larger for binding post.
• C) Strap hood comes with strap hood on bell side. I don't know if this is a factory error or if this is last production. See post on 5-28-2020 for more on this.

FROM HERE DOWN THIS THREAD HAS INFORMATION about the different hoods as we figure out changes to the lists above.

I think there should be locos out there with pedestal headlights on one end and the type A 2-hole bell hood. 

It would be either in dark green or black with a u-frame and either 6 or 4 cast iron wheels.

But I haven't found one yet.
From the side it would look like this. . .

 

But that's not it. That's just the earliest pedestal version with the same hood on both ends.

Here's a close up:

 

But if you look closely there is something odd about this loco.

Here's the weird black loco next to a dark olive loco that is identical in all features except the odd handrails.

 

This is the first one of these I've seen.

While I'm on the subject of hoods, I think there should be very late locos with two strap headlight hoods and no binding posts. The 38 and 42 locos are found this way, but I haven't seen a 33 yet. More on late versions without binding posts later.

[/list]

880

Collector Corner / Re: 2227, 2228, 2233 tender mess

« on: May 20, 2020, 11:06:37 AM »

I thought the sprung hood was to close the coupler. I think it is used on trucks without spikes that use selenoids to open. The selenoids stick - I have a 3859 dump car that goes down the track a ways with the hoods up after visiting the coal loader. 

It also might be to keep it down on rough track? The hood on the car without the spike is the whole connection. If it flaps up going over a bump, the cars come apart.

The sprung hood comes on cars in sets where there are both remote and manual coupler cars. Usually with the 2689 tender having this and the cars being manual, but sometimes it's a car. I sold a 2660X crane a while back that had these on both ends. I think the 3659 dump comes with these.

I sold the trains from after 1925 so I have to go by memory. I know the crane had two sprung hoods, but now I think some cars had only one.

881

How To and Technical Information / Re: What are these parts?

« on: May 20, 2020, 10:50:04 AM »

I'll put them aside for now. I wonder if I could fit the selenoids into a lionel 82 Signal? I don't like the way Lionel signals work. That might be why I kept this. I think that's what the box of 1950s HO switch machines is for.

882

Collector Corner / Factory Errors versus Clean Outs

« on: May 20, 2020, 01:10:37 AM »

I was writing eBay listings for trains I used to collect, but don't want anymore and I found a few odd 4-wheel cars.
First is a common 902 peacock gondola. Nothing special about it.

 

But if you look at the other side, you see it has three Lionel plates and only one number plate:

 

I call this a factory error. The person putting the plates onto the car, put the wrong one on.

Here's a different car:

 

This is an uncataloged 807 caboose from about 1935 with brass number plates and nickel Lionel plates. You can find this same variation in the 804 tank car.

I think this is more of a clean out. The Lionel plates went on everything. They'd certainly use the brass ones up.

Terry

883

Collector Corner / Lionel Prewar Remote Couplers

« on: May 19, 2020, 12:39:18 PM »

In the 2245T tender thread, Jim asked when plastic nibs started on the coupler slider shoes.

Here's his picture:



I saw this instruction sheet and figured it might have clues about the evolution of the remote coupler.

(Click on picture to open viewer, then click on box with arrow in corner to supersize it so you can read it. Use triangles to move to next picture to see back side.)

 

 

Copyrigt date of 11-38:

 

These talk about fibre board insulating sheets that a service station can attach to couplers.  I've never seen these sheilds. From reading the sheet it sounds like it was an envelope with sheilds and instruction sheet.

This show Lionel was aware of problems with the couplers in 1938. 

Maybe items might help dating couplers. The 1939 2226W tender that my Grandfather bought in Dec. 1939 does not have nibs.

Both my 3814 Merchandise cars with decals do have nibs. That car was introduced in 1939.

Terry

884

How To and Technical Information / What are these parts?

« on: May 17, 2020, 02:32:59 PM »

I'm sorting parts.

I found these and don't know what they are:

 

Big double selenoid was rivited to a base. Maybe a flyer standard gauge switch machine?

The small handrail stantions have two holes for rails. They are nickel. The parts I was sorting that was in go from mid teens to about 1985. Could be from anything.

Any ideas?

Thanks.

885

Classifieds / Re: Using Paypal?

« on: May 16, 2020, 11:57:49 AM »

Paypal won't hold funds except for newer sellers.

The buyer is protected. Credit card payments can be reversed. A reversal happens if  seller can't prove delivery (After 90 days fedex deletes tracking information, but buyers can complain for 6 months so a hinky buyer can cheat you that way.) I recently lost one of 6 chargebacks from a man whose son used his card without permission because I'd shipped that box with Fedex. The other 5 transaction went by US mail so there was still tracking.

The buyer can claim the package was stolen off his porch if the tracking shows it was delivered. In this case the seller is not responsible. Paypal may refund the buyer if the buyer has a police report for the theft, and has not claimed other items stolen in the past year.

If the item is not as described Paypal can force the seller to take it back just like ebay does. However, and this may have changed, Paypal can only refund the buyer if there is money in the paypal account. Ebay will refund the buyer and put the amount on the sellers fees.

The seller is protected because he gets the money before he ships, and ships with tracking information to prove it was delivered, (Paypal told me that I could take a screenshot of fedex tracking page showing delivery and that "should" work.


There are still ways to cheat. I won't explain them here, but no matter what you do someone trying to scam you always has the advantage. I didn't know about the fedex tracking issue until I got screwed by it.

For me, I feel that the majority of buyers just want trains to play with. If we are selling electronics or maybe camera equipment it might be different. When a buyer seems off, I don't do the deal.

Here's an example. Lately, I've had a string of people  asking if I'd guarantee the "authenticity" of HO figures in sealed packages. I've sold thousands of these sets over the years. The buyers open the boxes and put the people on their layouts. No one asks that question.

And as far as the sellers, we know what the trains are and how people who own or collect them act.