Messages

406

General Discussion / Re: Interesting Auction Items

« on: May 24, 2021, 01:56:05 PM »

When I saw Frank's trains he pointed out the green tender and explained he was keeping it as trading stock. My impression was he was using it as bait.

Plus you can't miss it if you know what you're looking at. It's like a turd in a sandbox.

407

General Discussion / Re: Interesting Auction Items

« on: May 22, 2021, 01:34:27 PM »

I woyldn't have that trolley in my house. I'd keep it downstairs with the other trains.

Here's a few interesting items:

 

1914 Lionel Type Y Motor in the box.

https://www.liveauctioneers.com/item/103996331_lionel-manufacturing-type-y-motor

And a blue American Flyer 4681 5 piper:

 

https://www.liveauctioneers.com/item/103996211_american-flyer-4681-loco

I have a chocolate brown 5 piper loco downstairs, but it has a black tender. Might be unique? Frank Petruzo had a green AF standard tender, but as far as I know no green loco has been found.

That auction also has some outrageously rare early Tootsietoys, and some nice boxed TT sets.

408

Collector Corner / Re: Some Interesting Lionel Items

« on: May 21, 2021, 12:55:38 PM »

I haven't seen black lettering on the bottom of green cars. I bet they used the white or gold for contrast and the black is an error. Interesting variation.

409

Layouts / Re: Terry's Standard Gauge Layout

« on: May 20, 2021, 12:48:11 PM »

I like the noise too. Years ago I cut additional slots into the rails on a layout so it would make even more noise.

I've been working on adding these bridges to the mains:

 

 

The depth of the water wasn't low enough so I had to lower it:

 

 

I have a Dremel Oscillating Cutter which is slow, but worked well and didn't throw too much dust. It did burn a bit so the house smelt like I'd had some cub scouts playing with wood buring kits in the basement.

The ties on the new track are not wide enough to fit on the bridges. I only had American Flyer teis and some were too long so I cut them down:

 

Sincer I had the Dremel out I also started cutting the switches to make the closely spaced yard that will be in front of the turntable:

 

I broke all the shafts I had. The reinforced cutting disks don't break, the little screws that hold them on break.

410

General Discussion / Re: Interesting Auction Items

« on: May 18, 2021, 01:30:25 AM »

Here's the beast. My dad got this from an antique store owner who got it in CA somewhere. My freind thought getting it running would be a good challenge so he has it now. The motor is from an American Flyer standard gauge loco.

It has a siren in it and goes through a sequence. I'll get him to bring it over and do a video of it sometime in the future. It was painted an olive green color over the brass/bronze , but most has flaked away.

 

 

411

General Discussion / Making videos

« on: May 14, 2021, 05:21:32 PM »

Hey I was thinking about buying a video camera so I can shoot better videos. I've been using the phone which is really poor, and th later ones are from my 49 dollar Canon powershot camera I use for eBay.

These go pro cameras are $300+ That's more than I paid for my 763E!

What do you all use?

Also I tried downloading a program to join together the time lapse videos I made of the layout construction, but windows 10 won't allow me to install them, and I can't get any of the free programs from the windows store to work.

I need something that will join toegther AVI. I have a working windows 7 laptop and a great windows 8 laptop, but the whole idea of having to use a different computer because this expensive desktop doesn't work annoys me.

Software suggestions please.

412

General Discussion / Re: Interesting Auction Items

« on: May 14, 2021, 05:05:49 PM »

Mike - That's Allen Drucker who owned the big store in LA for decades. He had a nice collection of early stuff a few years back so I always look at his stuff. I bet those cars were put together by Rich-Art or John Thousand who imported the ETS trains to see what they could do. That motor was used on the track running diecast VW. Drucker knew all those west coast train makers because he sold their trains in his store.


Jim - No I haven't. I was trying to get him to bring it over last weekend so I could video it running. I'll see him in the morning and get him to send me a few pics.

413

General Discussion / Re: Interesting Auction Items

« on: May 13, 2021, 05:11:38 PM »

Here's something interesting.

 

Looks like copies of Lionel 600 car frames and maybe roofs with some kind of odd body and a motor in one that was made by ETS in Czech republic.

Here's eBay listing:

https://www.ebay.com/itm/174765599239?hash=item28b0d76a07:g:KjEAAOSwBKFgmtEG

414

Layouts / Re: Terry's Standard Gauge Layout

« on: May 12, 2021, 02:38:20 AM »

Here's 5 trains running at once on the standard gauge layout.

This is the first time I ever ran the American Flyer wide gauge. I bought that set without the stock car from the original owner about 14 years ago. It runs nice.

415

Layouts / Re: Terry's Standard Gauge Layout

« on: May 12, 2021, 01:20:07 AM »

Here's an article I wrote for the local club newsletter:

Providing The Layout With Power

On my standard gauge layout I need lots of power so I have my own power station and run a special coal unit train to provide energy.  We have power to burn.  We also have a windmill so we can water our horses.

 

 

 

 

 

 

This is a 1929 Lionel 318 coal train running around on original period track and rubber roadbed. The train came with the black loco, three hoppers with coal loads and the black roofed red caboose. I added a few more hoppers because they are cheap and neat.

The 840 power station and the 140 sheet brass tunnel are the two biggest Lionel accessories.  The cardboard mountains are copies of original 1925 Lionel backdrops. The tin fence is from the 1930s. The windmill is from a 1950s kit.

There are currently four Lionel 250 Watt Z transformers, and a small 100 watt fixed voltage transformer under this area of the layout.

416

Collector Corner / Re: Some Interesting Lionel Items

« on: May 11, 2021, 06:13:48 PM »

I just got this 38 set today. I was after the late dark olive 38 with strap headlight, but got an interesting car with it.

Here's the set:

 

 This is a very late 38 maybe 1923-24? It's the same color as a common 33 loco. The loco had a binding post, but it's now missing.

This is the hidden gem:

 

A 36 Observation car with the numbers on the side. The numbers on the side were dropped in the mid teens - 1914 or so. This car with latch couplers, lights, oil label, and early 500 series trucks is from the mid 1920s.

The three 35 Pullman cars have the normal number on the end - two say "No. 35," one says only "35."

 

So in this 5 piece set I got two trains I didn't have. A good find.

417

General Discussion / Re: 2660 crane

« on: May 10, 2021, 01:26:34 PM »

That is a cool crane Jim. Probably the most special of the cranes or maybe it's a Madison wartime peice? You constantly bring out the good stuff. Thanks.

I had a 2660X which came in uncataloged sets with latch couplers, but is the same as a regular RS crane but no pins on the couplers and springs on the coupler hoods.

418

Collector Corner / Interesting Prewar Lionel Boxes

« on: May 09, 2021, 11:56:32 PM »

I'm sorting things out and found an interesting box.


Normal late 1920s/early 1930s boxes have panels like this 814 Boxcar box:

 

One face has young Larry and two text blocks.

 

The other large face has a transformer, and maybe something else depending on the year.  This has a type T and a 126 station. I'd date this box from 1926-28 maybe even later.

Here's an interesting box with a different pair of large faces:

 

One face has a layout and advertises the "new Lionel Freight cars." Those 200 series cars were introduced in 1926. The 381 was introduced in 1928, the state cars came out in 1929 and this shows 418/419/490 cars so it has to be 1928. 

 

The other side shows a taken apart loco that looks like a 402 and advertises Bild-A-loco. The Bild-A-Locos were introduced in 1928 two years after the 200 series cars and was only cataloged in 1928 and 29.

So this box should be from 1928 or 1929.

Nope. It's for a 520 searchlight car which was introduced in 1931.

 

So here's a box that advertises cars that were introduced FIVE YEARS EARLIER as NEW on one side, and on the other side advertises trains that are no longer available.

Hmmm.

I don't have a bunch of 800 and 200 series boxes to compare with these as I sold them with the collection.

Here's another pair of boxes I found:

 

These are from an 18 Pullman and a 190 Observation. My memory says these two boxes came with a Mohave 380. That set was offered in 1923 and 24.

 

The boxes say 18 under the maker's mark, but I bet that is the box number for the 18 Pullman.

419

General Discussion / Re: 2660 crane

« on: May 08, 2021, 08:48:05 PM »

The 2660 crane only came with box couplers. The box coupler will connect perfectly with a latch coupler. There are different versions, but they all look basically the same.

If you are repainting, you could buy any 2660/2560 crane, repaint it, and then drill out a hole on the center of the frame from any 650 series car with latch couplers and make yourself one. You need the 650 frame for theodd shaped latch coupler hole and the bar that holds the coupler up. A 654 tank car for a frame might set you back $5.

420

General Discussion / Re: Did you run your trains today?

« on: May 08, 2021, 01:38:49 PM »

I had some guys from the parking lot swap meet over today and ran the trains.

Some ran well, some didn't. I did manage to run a train on every loop.

Now I need to figure out what cause each problem. Most trains just need to be taken apart and cleaned and then put back together with attention to the tolerances.