PREWAR TUNNELS

[CNJRR]

Post your tunnels you may have here, if you want to.

MARX PREWAR #390 FARM SCENE TUNNEL

This is the Prewar Marx #390 Farm Scene tunnel, it is a common item.

There is also a Marx #309 Camouflage tunnel this is the scarcest one to find, collectors often call this one the autumn leaves tunnel. I think because of the "camouflage" coloring it did not sell in great numbers.
Then there is a Marx #392 Mine Scene tunnel which is also quite common.
Most of these went for around $.98 cent when new.

All the tunnels come as two halves joined at the top by interlocking 'fingers' and at each end by either a metal clip (early versions) or a screw (later versions).

This is an earlier version.
I don't know the year, I am guessing middle to late 30's?
This was also saved from the trash/dump pile from my Bro in law.

 

 

 

 

[starfire700]

Good subject! I just love tunnels. Hear are a few of my favorites.
First is Lionel's 1023 composite/felt tunnel, made for Junior trains. It is the late version made as late as 1942, as it is the brighter colors. It sold for between $1.25 and $1.50.
Next is the late 1930's to early 40's 072 curved tunnel/mountain #924 made for Model Builder's track, 072 tube and T-rail. $4.50 bought this tunnel and it came complete with trees and metal houses.
In my picture Errol Flynn is pondering the outdoor layout on the set of the Movie "Four is a Crowd". This 1938 movie should be on every train collector's favorite list as it features an elaborate outdoor layout with Flynn racing his Lionel UP City of Portland streamliner against Walter Connolly's 763E Hudson with Blue Comet cars. In the end, Flynn wins not only the race, he cheats by buttering his opponent's tracks, but also wins the affections of Olivia de Havilland. The #924 072 tunnel should be on this layout. I will have to watch the movie again to check. (Trains in movies) another good subject for someone to start. OOPS, I put the pix in the wrong order, but you get the idea.

[starfire700]

Here are 2 more. A Marklin composite and wood tunnel that dates to the 1920's or earlier.
The last example is litho on formed metal, similar in size and construction to the Marx 390 and 392 (and camo Army version).
It has no name of country of origin, has a great "snow scene". I am guessing it was made in Germany between the 1930's and 1950's.
CAN ANYONE IDENTIFY THIS TUNNEL?

[CNJRR]

They all look in great shape for the age, I have never seen the one your asking about.
I will keep my eyes open for one.

You can move the pictures around if you want.
Click modify, then copy and paste and move them to the correct order.

Thanks for adding.                      

[CNJRR]

I wonder if that is a Bing tunnel?

[Terry]

My first thought looking at Jim's white and blue tunnel was Junoir Bridge compnay, but their tunnels have a different portal and seem like thicker metal. Neat whatever it is.

Here's some interesting ones:

Lionel 915 felt tunnel for 0 gauge track made from 1932-35:

 

Bottom view with cut out areas for track:

 

Lionel 130 metal tunnel for O gauge made from 1924-33:

 

Comparison of 915 on left with 130 on right:

 

Lionel's biggest tunnel was the metal 140 made for O or Standard from 1927-32:

 

Comparison of 140 and the smaller 130:

 

And just because we like to play what is it. . .

 

Same construction as the lionel felt tunnels and about the same size as a metal 120 tunnel.

[starfire700]

I also thought my snow-scene tunnel could be Jr Bridge or an other small Company. I don't think it could be Bing, as their production ceased before 1930's, if I recall correctly.

[CNJRR]

Nice tunnels, they do take up some room.
I am surprised so many lasted through out the years.

[Terry]

My dad was into the Bing trains. Bing items are almost always marked.  Bing tends to be thinner metal especially if it's after 1920.

The Bing brothers lasted into the mid 1930s, and then ran to England to escape the Jewish pogrom. I think the Nazi's wouldn't even let them sell the company.  Bub ended up with some of the tooling, but only made the cheaper crap. 

It might be a Bub tunnel.

Is it silk screened or done with sheets like were used to decorate china? That might be a clue.

[Terry]

Here's a Life Like tunnel from the mid 1950s and a matching mountain. These are made from compressed paper or sawdust. Very light and sturdy.

 

 

Here's the undersides:

 

The table is 30" wide at the end.

The mountain is much more difficult to find. That's the only pressed paper one I've ever had. I've had and seen many tunnels. They also made a small straight tunnel about 12 inches long. The tunnels also come in green or brown versions.

Life Like is a underappreciated accessory maker.

[starfire700]

I noticed what looks like an artist's signature on my mystery tunnel, that I had not seen before.

[CNJRR]

I noticed what looks like an artist's signature on my mystery tunnel, that I had not seen before.

You show one side in your other pictures, what is painted on the other side?
 

I wonder if someone took an old tunnel and repainted it?

[starfire700]

Both sides of this tunnel are lithographed, not painted. The last close-up shows the dot pattern of the litho artist's screens.
The artist's signature is in the screen artwork, implying that art was done in a flat format then screen or litho-printed on the tunnel material before blanking and forming into the tunnel sides.
I understand the lithography process from experience in producing Marx Trains between 1991 and 2004.

[Terry]

Jim's White tunnel was made by zthe J. C. Schrey company of Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania and sold under the brand S&G Novelties. They made the same tunnel in a green summer scene, and also made fences.

 

Here's a page with pictures of much of the J. C. Schrey Production:

http://www.binnsroad.co.uk/railways/schrey/index.html

It's interesting that the tunnel says JP Schrey, not JC Schrey.  J. CHARLES was the son, J. PAUL was the father.

John Charles Schrey was born on month day 1919, at birth place, Pennsylvania, to John Paul Schrey and Anna Margaret Schrey (born Gruss).
John was born on June 7 1882, in Marburg, Austria.
Anna was born on July 13 1896, in Pennsylvania, United States.

See what you can find on the internet when you're trying to avoid working.

[starfire700]

Bingo, you found it. I looked up J.C. Schrey as an artist, and drew a blank, did not expect a company name to be written like that in the artwork. I have had the fencing before, but not the summer tunnel.
I guess that you can find almost anything if you look hard enough. Thanks for finding it.
Now I have to find the summer tunnel.