Model Train Journal

One of my first train sets was a Marx clockwork from around 1960. Looking back, it amazes me that they were still making mechanical sets that late. Anyway, I picked up this Marx streamline steamer at York a year ago; finally got around to giving it a spin around the layout:



Looks to be in nice clean original condition and runs great (for Marx). I have it dragging a 4-wheel coffin-style NYCRR tender which the books say it often came with, but I know I've seen a picture of prewar versions that have a black/silver/red tender that matches the loco paint scheme...gotta run one of those down.

March 10 and there's snow in the weekend forecast! What's on the layout?

Was up to Sarge's place this week to drop off the 623 for the postwar display along with some other stuff. The 623 is running pretty good, but could no doubt stand some additional cleaning of the internals, which I leave to Sarge.

While there, I was checking out the latest additions to the 2-rail layout. He's been continuing to work the details, along with some new additions to the roster. I took a few pics while there; here's a crew of riggers on-site:



Sourced from various manufacturers, he's reworked and repainted the vehicles to fit the scene. They look sharp. I have a couple other shots I'll post later. I'm having some trouble transferring images off my iPhone

When I dug the trains out of my grandparents' basement a year back, there were two sets; one was an early low-end Flyer passenger set headed by a 1096 electric-profile motor that had belonged to my grandfather, the other a nice steam freight set headed by a 3326 2-4-2 steam loco that had belonged to my uncle. My father's set, a Hoge 900 streamliner set, he had found some thirty years ago, taken home, then given away.

It's always a disaster to find trains in a musty old basement, and this held pretty true to form for these. Perhaps because of the way they had been packed, the low-end set survived in relatively good shape, but the freight set is pretty rough, especially the 3326. It's a shambles:



It actually photographs a lot better than it is . The wheels are swollen and crumbling, and there's no turn in the motor. I haven't tried disassembly yet, but I suspect it will fall to pieces in my hands. I was thinking I'd just gut it for parts, then move on, but now I don't think I could stomach that, so I'll be looking to do a restore. Certainly all the wheels will need to be replaced, and maybe a good bit of the motor and e-unit. The boiler seems good, along with all of the trim. Last time up to York, a Flyer mate had a bin full of reconditioned motors, so maybe I'll just try that first. I don't think these are that uncommon, but the pilot and trailing truck may be (both of which are riveted onto the motor frame).

This looks tough, but do-able...we'll see.

Here's a couple close-ups of the vehicles on the mid-section of Sarge's layout:



The tractors are Spec-cast Army bulldozers, disassembled, painted and weathered, then re-assembled one without the blade and one with. The trailers are repainted Corgi tank-transporter trailers, the tow-truck a repainted and weathered Corgi military Diamond T with a Holmes crane rig on the back. The other truck is an Ertl Peterbilt, dulled up a bit.

The red paint looks especially good to me. I always have trouble getting a dull sheen on red paint, but this looks about right for a scale look.

Some action across the pond:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7FMEoFqwnac

3-rail, 2-rail, live-steam, the works.

Wow, that's nice...has a prewar-kit look about it.

Never had a Blatz beer, but figured with a name like that, it must be good.

healey36 wrote:Here's a couple close-ups of the vehicles on the mid-section of Sarge's layout:



The tractors are Spec-cast Army bulldozers, disassembled, painted and weathered, then re-assembled one without the blade and one with. The trailers are repainted Corgi tank-transporter trailers, the tow-truck a repainted and weathered Corgi military Diamond T with a Holmes crane rig on the back. The other truck is an Ertl Peterbilt, dulled up a bit.

The red paint looks especially good to me. I always have trouble getting a dull sheen on red paint, but this looks about right for a scale look.

Any idea where the man on the dozer is from? Looks very well done.

My guess is Arttista, one of the engineer figures, but next time I talk to Sarge, I'll ask.

Yeah the Blatz is postwar barely All wood kit, but looks great on scale,tinplate, or postwar trucks. Here is another on prewar trucks along with some Athearn tinplate/wood boxcars also on prewar trucks. I love the look of them.





That Diamond T is really cool

healey36 wrote:Wow, that's nice...has a prewar-kit look about it.

Never had a Blatz beer, but figured with a name like that, it must be good.

I've had Blatz eons ago. (Early 70s). It's on a par with Schaeffer and Narragansett. Drinkable if that's all that's available.

Here are a couple that are prewar, both Westbrook wood/cardboard kit built cars on sprung scale Auel trucks. Cardboard printed sides so kinda delicate for storage. A lot of em you find are really messed up but these were built fairly well and seem to have no damage due to storage...



They can really get closer than some would think to looking scale like than a lot of people would think. Keep in mind when these were being made, Lionel was building tinplate Blue comets lol!

One thing that makes me sad is I used to be able to find these for $4-$5 a pop all over the place but it's harder now although I don't get to any shows. I was hoping to get to the Chicago O scale show a couple weeks back but was not in town.

Dennis Holler wrote:Yeah the Blatz is postwar barely All wood kit, but looks great on scale,tinplate, or postwar trucks. Here is another on prewar trucks along with some Athearn tinplate/wood boxcars also on prewar trucks. I love the look of them.





That Diamond T is really cool

Those are very cool, especially given the prewar trucks and box couplers. In lovely shape, too.

I remember reading through The Old Man's Model Builder stacks when I was a kid, seeing what guys were doing with prewar kits and conversions during the 1930s. That's a chunk of underappreciated railroad modelling history that few have any grasp of. The progression from there to the RTR world of today is rather sobering.

And, yeah, I agree...that twin hoist set-up on the back of the Diamond T is money.

Dennis Holler wrote:Here are a couple that are prewar, both Westbrook wood/cardboard kit built cars on sprung scale Auel trucks. Cardboard printed sides so kinda delicate for storage. A lot of em you find are really messed up but these were built fairly well and seem to have no damage due to storage...



They can really get closer than some would think to looking scale like than a lot of people would think. Keep in mind when these were being made, Lionel was building tinplate Blue comets lol!

One thing that makes me sad is I used to be able to find these for $4-$5 a pop all over the place but it's harder now although I don't get to any shows. I was hoping to get to the Chicago O scale show a couple weeks back but was not in town.

Those are nice too (but I'm partial to the prewar trucks ). When I finally dug the trains out of my grandparents' basement a year or two back, I found a box with one set of Auel trucks. Auel was unfamiliar to me, so it's good to see examples as intended. I think I sent the found set over to Rufus to see if he had any use for them.

BTW, I like your Marx clockwork loco. I am pretty sure Marx was still making some clockwork trains right up till the end in 1974 when Louis sold it all.

Yeah, that way too, I keep some scale, some get the prewar trucks... funny thing is I don't go out of my way to put postwar trucks on em though... For some reason that doesn't do much for me... who knows why lol. I used to buy up the old model builders no matter the condition just for the articles and the layout photos. Thse were the coolest thing and they are proof that hirail was coined and in vogue before WWII no matter what some people think lol.There is even a few articles using the term hirail. Lots of layouts with Gargraves track, yet running tinplate or then tinplate converted to scale-ish lol... so much variety... I love it all.