Recent Additions

[starfire700]

Lionel originally stamped the 3659 bins from steel, but found they were too heavy for the solenoid to tip with a load. They switched to aluminum to solve the problem and used the surplus steel bins as 106 accessory bins.

[Terry]

Jim - Thanks for the input on the steel 160 bin.

I bought a Ferdinand Strauss Twin Trolleys set at a show on Sunday. The seller had some wonderful English 1 gauge live steam from the 1920s that I find very tempting. Then he put out this much cheaper set which I immediately bought.

 

 

 

Each is about 7 inches long. Only the one with the pole has a motor which is a windup. From searching online, the dummy with the center doors might be a little harder to find as most sets have two of the end door type.

These aren't hard to find.

I think these are from the 1920s, but could be from the late teens. Louis Marx and Henry Katz both got their start working for Strauss. Marx supposedly took over The Ferdinand Strauss Corp in 1927. So these are historical relics too.

[Terry]

Here's a new 800 Boxcar (on the right):

 

 

The car on the left is my 800a2 Wabash 6399, orange sides, CLIPPED brown roof, type 2 stamping on both ends, wide wheels.

The new car only has lettering on one end. Might be an error as all my cars have stamping on both ends up to the green 800e. Or maybe I should say all cars with type one and type two stamps have lettering on both ends.

Stamp types:

Type 1 No. 800 on right, LL on left.
Type 2 LL on right, No. 800 on left.
Type 3 LL on right, 800 on left. – Some have corp stamps on bottoms.

[early0electric]

Nice find. Any addition is great as they are few and far between.

Probably not an error as I have a couple.

 

 
 

Happy Holidays to all! Stay Safe!

[Terry]

Here's something new - a 53 with strap headlight. I've been looking for one of these for over a decade.

 

The loco came with 180/181/182 cars. It was a mixed set. Early sets have Pullman, later sets have Parlor Car. The new set has Parlor Car on the combine and Pullman on the coach. I have the same cars in matching sets so I probably won't keep the cars.

I also got from the same seller this 16 hopper with just the top face of the beam painted black. All my other hoppers either have the entire beam painted a contrasting color, or left the same color as the body.

 

 

[early0electric]

Terry, great to see somebody adding to their collection!

[Terry]

Here's something cool from today's swap meet:

 

 

 

 

 

I think this is a type K transformer from 1914. Cast Iron body with slate top. Looks like the screws on the the top originally had some type of gum rubber sealing them so they couldn't be opened.

Here's the other transformer I got last fall. The  Alternating Current reducer 106 introduced 1909.

 

The cast iron bodied transformewr was on a seller's table with postwar and newer O gauge. He bought something in a liveauction and this was in the lot. It was just junk to him, but we both were happy after  I gave him some money for it.