Oldies but Goodies. The Old Stuff.

0-4-0 Steamer

New Member
Great thread! I love these old cars and loco's! I have a few HO loco's and cars from the 50's-60's era and I just love them. I don't run the locos to much, but the cars are always rolling on my layout.
 

Jim Krause

Active Member
Welcome Alastairq: How many of those Roundhouse Shays did you convert? I think they must hold the record for being kits that never were finished or never did run after they were finished. We have one on our club layout that just sits on a siding with some Roundhouse log cars. A static display.
 

alastairq

New Member
as I recall, 4 formself..a couple more or so for others,tho' these were 'proper' ones......

I also have a couple of lame duck consols in H0n3 from the same maker....I just loved the superstructure and tender mouldings.
I think those chassis need more work though.
I found those oldMDC consols were really smooth runners with excellent low-speed performance........especially considering the price at the time?
I did a 'modernised' kitbash on one.....followed the gist of an inspiring article in an old railroader mag......involved a repanel of the cab with plasticard [for a steel cab]...some changes to boiler fittings....plus a remodel of the cylinder block........[I used a 4mm scale casting available here in the uk,made by comet models..I think it was a Gresley block for some sort of LNER loco.....anyway, it was larger than the original, plus had 'sloping' sides [upwards]....similar to those found on engines fron WW1 onwards?...slidebars and crossheads were adapted to fit...a longer front deck, with a more modern [WW1 again?] pilot......brass leccy lights,etc....bell,etc.....and one of MDC's 'Vanderbilt'[?] tenders......all brush painted a very dark 'grey'....and I discovered Floquil paints as well.....especially their 'graphite' for the smokebox!

Turned a MCD Ingersoll-Rand boxcab into a boxcab electric.....cut the chassis in half, longer driveshafts, and added a couple of 'platforms' on each end, for effect......wish I hadn't altered the chassis as it wouldn't go round 2 foot radius curves any more.....made more noise than a worn out angle grinder.......Sommerfeldt pan on the roof looked good tho'!!
 

CNJ999

Member
While neither a piece of motive power nor rolling stock, here's something that does fall in line with the thread's subject and with Hal Carstens' June editorial in RMC. Below are two images of an Ideal Models Firehouse. This cardboard, 1/8-inch to the foot, model was offered for sale to HO model railroaders through various hobby dealers back in 1950.

What makes it particularly unusual is that the model was not simply generic. Rather, it was based on the Hartsdale, NY, Fire Headquarters building on Central Avenue. To my knowledge, it was the only model offered by Ideal for which they specifically identified an actual prototype. It was advertised only once in the pages of MR (February 1950) and seems to be one of the most difficult Ideal models to find today.

Since Hartdale is situated about 16 miles north of Ideal's offices on 18th Steet in Manhattan, one can perhaps speculate that either some company designer or official may have lived there and wanted to see a replica of that interesting structure made available in miniature.

My own tie-in with this particular vintage model is that for nearly 25 years I passed right by the prototype daily on my way to and from work. This spurred me to always be on the lookout for the model kit at train shows... for some 20 years! It was eBay that finally came to my rescue when, in the course of just a couple of months, I saw two examples surface! I purchased and built one of these and haven't seen any further complete models of the firehouse in a couple of years now.

firehouse2.jpg


firehouse3.jpg


CNJ999
 

toptrain1

Well-Known Member
Welcome alastairq, 0-4-0 steamer, Jim and CNJ999.

alastairq, I agree MDC 2-8-0s are smooth runners. And steamer I'm glad you like the photos. Put some in. Jim I have a few MDC shays, one 3 truck I painted for LIMA. I went to the New York Socity of Model Engineers Club day and I did bring it to run on their layout. The member at the throtle laughted quite a bit but he ran it completly around the layout. It ran smooth and it took a long time . I had the 4 car Lima set behind it. It liked the code 86. I run it from time to time at home on my layout, so it lives on code 100. CNJ that is one Ideal model! The only thing I have from Ideal is the Gate arm house.
 

toptrain1

Well-Known Member
Post 26

old metal reefer Carnation Milk 23215.jpg Fleischmann 40' Reefer Blatz Beer 9-2-05 004.jpg Old Metal Reefers

Here are two old metal reefers.
The first is a Fleischmann car. Blatz Beer. With plactic roof, and ends.
The other a Carnation Milk by, to me a unknown manufacture. It has silver roof and ends. It is not a Varney.
 
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toptrain1

Well-Known Member
would it be?

AL no I don't think so. Tho you may be right. The early Athearn cars went together differently. I have some of them. Maybe some of the first reefers Athearn released were upgrades to a different type. Those cars are still produced by Bowser. Their was a company called Silver Edge. Maybe because of the metal finished top and sides it is one of theirs. I am just guessing.
Frank
Here is a photo of the car broken down a little. It is constructed as a Ambroid kit was. With a wood core. Athearn was hollow and all metal except from a floor piece.So it is not Athearn ! The drawings underneath are those of the Athearn metal reefer
 

toptrain1

Well-Known Member
post 29

mantua model railroader 25 anniversity 79%.jpg Very special Mantua 40' box car

25 Anniversary of Model Railroader. Does anyone remember this car? It had to be released in 1959. I didn't know that the plastic 40' box was made that early. Does anyone know when this series of box cars were first released? I have placed a album in the Gallery, Members categories,toptrain1,Mantua Tyco 40' box cars. My collection of these can be viewed their.
 
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60103

Pooh Bah
Toptrain: I missed the 25th anniversary boxcar (I bought the magazine, though) but I have the 50th -- it's on the layout in a train right now, along with the rest of my souvenir cars.
Plastic cars came out in the 50s at least. They were definitely common in the late 50s and some fellow complained about "$50 brass locos followed by 98 cent plastic squeeze bottles."
 

CNJ999

Member
25 Anniversary of Model Railroader. Does anyone remember this car? It had to be released in 1959. I didn't know that the plastic 40' box was made that early. Does anyone know when this series of box cars were first released?

The 25th Anniversary car (Mantua 1959) was the first official MR Anniversary car but MR had provided readers earlier with two sets of printed car sides in the magazine during the mid to late 1940's. You could remove these special pages (printed only on one side) from the magazine, cut out the sides and ends and apply them to commercially available kits of the day. I think MR called specifically for the use of Binkley kits for these and there may ever been a special kit issued without sides/ends just for the purpose. Soon after, these sides were also offered by Varney (probably it was their original artwork). I used to know who actually drew the sides but don't recall anymore. Incidentally, if you can locate a copy of the March 2000 issue of MR, on page 46 you can see my complete collection of MR-related cars, plus an MR&T loco and caboose I made, long before Athearn issued their's.

There was one even earlier example of a set of carsides printed in the magazine. In a very early 1940's December issue, tipped-in was a set of aluminum-coated card reefer sides and ends, sponsored by Red Ball as a Christmas gift to readers. Could any examples of those actually have survived down to the present day?

CNJ999
 

toptrain1

Well-Known Member
post 32

5-29-2007 ho trains 006.jpg 79%.jpg Current project. HObbyline FM, H-12-44

edit 12-20-2017, Boy did I miss this one. I am sorry but having the ability to edit makes me fell alot better and lets me respond, even though late.
* CNJ 999 brought up a good bit of information I have no answers to. I didn't know these special sides were ever made till now. I to hope to find some also.

A factory painted (stock) Lehigh Valley FM switcher in Corrialian red. A little faded. All that remains is to make a new brush holder, and repair a damaged roof edge. A little paint touchup, couplers, some new railings and back on the main line.
 
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toptrain1

Well-Known Member
cool lookin loco TT,what kind of drive did you put in there?--josh

The drive is a stock HObbyline drive using a Pittmen motor. All wheels drive. Only the rear wheels pick up power. I have the parts to make all wheels pick up. Then I would give up my parts I may need to make future repairs to my other HObbyline locomotives. I have this same loco in Pennsylvania, HObbyline, and two others which were custom painted. (CNJ & NYC)
 

toptrain1

Well-Known Member
NYC GP-30  original 1 - Copy.JPG NYC GP-30 original 2 - Copy.JPG post 35

Next Oldie. The Athearn GP30


This loco has a short history with Athearn. It seams Irvine didn't like the locos looks and because he was releasing the GP35 the GP30 was taken out of production. This is a factory painted model. It's finish is crisp, clean, and like new.
 
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toptrain1

Well-Known Member
post 36

155 original.jpg A return to Gilbert HO

One of my favorite Gilbert HO pieces is #155. A Pennsylvania railroad B6sa 0-6-0. I was luck and found this at a Greenburg train show at Edison NJ. This is I think the first 0-6-0 Gilbert made. It has the number 155 is cast into it in rased lettering.
 
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toptrain1

Well-Known Member
post 37

Another Gilbert 0-6-0 is #433. This is also a Pennsylvania railroad engine.
 

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toptrain1

Well-Known Member
0-6-0 31019  BO a.JPG post 39

gilbert 0-6-0s


The last I have had is #31019 a B&O Engine. I am looking for the Eire 0-6-0.
 
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