Some Interesting Lionel Items

[CNJRR]

I have this posted somewhere else.
It is a postwar motor and chassis.
The body???
https://www.train99.com/forum/index.php?topic=115.0

[early0electric]

In regards to the non-punched cupola window, the cupola used is the same part for the 801 as it is for the 822. They must have had a small run before the error was caught. I now know of three cupolas that are window punched on one side only.

[early0electric]

I'm in the process of putting my boxed outfits back together and ran across this piece of early OCC "O" gauge track. The printing on the tie is unusual as "NEW YORK USA" is spelled out. Anybody out there noticed similar?

 

[starfire700]

I don't recall ever seeing that, will have to check.

[early0electric]

Here's a couple of interesting items. First one is a roof screw for an 603 that's painted orange. I don't recall ever seeing one of these painted.

Next item is the 068 warning sign. But this one happens to be painted orange with painted black lettering. The base also has holes in it as if they were thinking of making a lighted or a moveable accessory out of it.

 

[Terry]

None of my early trains have painted roof screws. I think the orange 605 cars had painted screws, but they had slots. I don't have enough trains from the late 20s and early 30s to pinpoint a date for painted screws orf the addition of slots.  That might be an interesting for a rainy day.

About the 068 warning sign.   I know Lionel made litho signs from about 1931 in the Winner, Lionel-Ives and later Lionel JR lines. They also made litho signs for Hafner. Those are white with black lettering. Yours is orange with black lettering. I'll have to dig out a Lionel JR sign so we can check the lettering.

I have at least a dozen of the green 068 warning signs. I have one with orange lattice post. The 068 seems to be one of the things Lionel was really consistant about. Any 068 that isn't green with a brass engraved sign is a great find.

[starfire700]

It is my understanding that the 068 signs with painted diamonds were the early ones.
The Hafner signs were only the larger 68, Standard gauge size.

[starfire700]

I just dug-out as many 068's etc that relate to this post
From right to left I show 2 pea green with orange painted diamond, pea green with brass diamond with and without made in USA at top, orange / brass, peacock / brass,
silver and gray with diecast (may be from a gateman) and the LL Jr type, also LL Ives and Winner, diamond is the same blank as used for the clock in this set, not same as an 068. Final one is Standard gauge size Hafner, with post and base made by Lionel, litho diamond by Hafner.

[starfire700]

I forgot to mention, on track in front of signs is a diamond that has not been punched-out, just a flat blank with lettering.

[murph-7]

here's a 068 in terra-cotta with box
 
Terry, this woulda been cool with that t/c 248 passenger set you just sold
 

 

[early0electric]

Those 068's are great. I think I have 6 or 8 or so of them. Thanks for posting the pics Jim!

[early0electric]

I was going through my archives and found an article about  the orange 068 with the holes in the base.
CTT, Jan 1995, pg 178.

[Terry]

I went downstairs and looked at my 068 signs. I don't have the early painted ones, but do have 3 types of brass signs. There are two different sized fonts on the look out for locomotive signs. We'll call them large and small letters. Based on mine neither version seems to be harder to find. 

Here's the three types I have:

 

Comparison of lettering sizes:

 

Based on the signs I have the ones with Made in USA at the top are later and seem to be from 1935/36 at the earliest. All mine have For THE locomotive.

I base the date on the 45/045 gatemen that were introduced in 1935. The first gatemen have darker red and green colors and silver painted lattice posts. Mine does not have the "Made In USA" lettering. Later gatemen have closed silver painted posts with USA lettering. These can have brass or nickel finials, but always have brass signs.  The last gateman has a gray painted post with a blackened finial and a brass sign with the USA lettering.

45 gatement with oldest on left.

The gray post gateman has a decal on the toolbox lid and would be a 45N. 

Next time it rains we can do the 68  and 69/069.

 

[starfire700]

Some times I don't see the forest for the trees......
I did not recognize that some have the word "THE" and some don't, just made in USA and not.
Also note in the last pix that I posted with the blank brass sign, one pea green 068 has an extra large factory hole in a corner, as if it was made for a wire terminal. I can't think of an electric accessory that is on this post, so not sure why that base would be factory-stamped as such. Any ideas?

[starfire700]

It looks like we have stumbled on a subject that results in many posts and discussions
I submit the following on the subject
I have several 45N late gatemen with gray post, black top cap and diecast cross-buck
Late gray 068's one with painted bottom is one most likely to have not come from a gateman
I noticed the P green 068 with extra hole actually has 2 extra holes 1 for ground and 1 for hot terminal, but what would it have been made for?
Note the difference in terminology of what is to be looked out for...Engine, Locomotive, Train
2 different Hafner and 2 different Am Flyer
Ives crossing diamonds
Final deluxe brass diamond on ringing signal
Last, the German mfg's, Marklin in this case, got right to the point.....HALT  some versions probably for export say STOP