|
|
Post by harborbelt70 on Feb 3, 2024 12:55:43 GMT
There will be no prize for guessing why I have chosen this week’s side shots after last week’s postings. This side view is of Lionel’s TMCC Burlington Zephyr set from about 19 years ago, #9900:
It’s die cast metal – possibly one of the earliest Lionel scale-sized diesels with such a body although I understand AF made an aluminum body version years before – and chrome plated, including the articulated diaphragms. What got me thinking about this engine and actually taking it off its place on a display shelf to run after several years was a series of photos of metal bodied streamlined trains posted by our regular contributors. These ones in particular caught my eye:
  
Apart from the finish, the best feature of this Lionel train is the distinctive sound of the Winton diesel engine that powered it. I’ve tried to capture that in this video short but it does not do the model the sort of justice it deserves – mainly because it does not run great under CAB2 control:
In any case, however, this model is a double dose of nostalgia for me. First, it comes from an era when Lionel still produced some really innovative quality items even before the Vision Line was started. (Around the same time Lionel issued the UP Veranda Turbine in both O scale and HO.) Second, the prototype #9900 and its two cars have been restored and are preserved in Chicago’s Museum of Science & Industry. In years gone by I have made pilgrimages there just to see it:
BTW, this set is heavy because the cars are die cast and plated too:
 
Now I’ll move from the sublime to the ridiculous (or maybe I mean just a trinket) only to prove that I listen to and take on board what all you guys say. A couple of months back, Josef a.k.a. Walter posted a thread about “T” scale trains and Adam weighed in with a reference that led me to something called “Teeny Trains” who supplied ultra-small-scale sets that run by magnetic action. I worked out that this business is now really only selling off its remaining stock and this novelty “Haunted Castle” set caught my eye at a knock-down price:
I’m not big on Halloween-themed trains but I am on novelty animated structures and dioramas. I have found this one to be pretty entertaining in a hypnotic sort of way and it may amuse my kids’ kids when they see it (definitely a look but don’t touch thing). It has a choo-choo sound effect and the cars come in the metal matchbox show above:
I haven’t worked out what plastic the cars are made of but as you see from the video after passing through a UV light tunnel they glow goblin/ghostly/Southern Railroad green.
|
|
|
|
Post by ron045 on Feb 3, 2024 14:29:10 GMT
Cool train harborbelt70 It's nice that you took the time to run the engine again. Here is a neat little project I did. This depressed flatcar started as an MTH Union Pacific Spotlight car. A friend of mine had two MTH RK Spotlight cars. He asked me to take the UP light and electronics and install it on a Conrail car which was broken beyond repair. He did not want the UP flatcar back and told me to keep it or throw it away. Since the latter would be a crime, I decided to have a little fun and try to dress this semi scale car up as best I could. The engines were a kit I built. They are T-56 engines which are common on many aircraft including the P-3, C-130, E-2 and C-2 among other civilian aircraft also. I scratch bult the engine stands from some photos. When I worked with Navy Support Equipment, SE was yellow. I understand it's all white now. The depressed part needed something, so I made a crate out of some scrap wood and printed some Allison decals for it. Allison is the manufacturer of the engines. Some custom paint and weathering and this is the final product.     |
|
|
|
Post by healey36 on Feb 3, 2024 14:35:08 GMT
A beautiful set, for sure, harborbelt70 ; Streamliners have been family favorites here, originating with The Old Man's trip to Chicago and the 1934 Century of Progress exposition where both the Zephyr and the M-10000 were introduced to the public. He was marked for life after that. Here's the last MTH set I acquired, some three or four years ago:  I wanted a traditional-powered Flying Yankee in the red scheme, a tall order. After much searching, and nearly giving up, I found one at Mario's, NOS, who gave me a great deal. It is very nice and runs like a top. At the time, I didn't have a Flying Yankee example, but since acquiring this, three originals have turned up at my door. All three are in rough shape, but are complete and look to be reparable. The toughest bit to find is the sprung pick-up plates for the early version vestibules. I have one, so I'm hoping to use that as a template to fabricate new ones using the larger version that fits the 752 (those are available from parts dealers). The development and construction of the Zephyr (CB&Q) and the M-10000 (UP) was highly innovative. Not only were they the first examples of diesel-electric mainline equipment (technically the M-10000 powerplant was not a diesel, but some distillate-fueled variation of a conventional plant), but also the advanced materials that were developed for their shrouding and light weight construction, and most of all, that Winton (General Motors) power plant which had been introduced the year before when the exposition opened. We have an MTH M-10000 around here somewhere...I'll have to dig that out and get it going. It's ABS, not metal. I haven't run it since we downsized the layout; I hope it will handle the O-42 curves on the outer loop (and make it through the tunnel). In the meantime, I pulled the GS-4 "bantam" off the storage track and fired that up this week. Having sat unused for 4-5 years, I expected it to be deader-than-a-doornail, but it started right up. I left it to sit for a bit at half-throttle to recharge:  MTH made three "bantams", an N&W J, a Pennsy S-2, and this SP GS-4. Most folks roll their eyes when they see it, but for my tinplate world, it dimensionally fits in. It headed a "Rugged Rails" Daylight set, "Rugged Rails" being a sub-class of the Rail King line. When I bought it, I expected it to come with some variation of RailSounds, or whatever they called it - just smoke and sound. However, it is equipped with PS-2, so it has the other features (none of which do I use). After these many years, it still runs great (even if it looks a bit ghastly). After a couple laps around the layout, I saw that it was still running itself out of its traction tires. I fitted a couple replacements, adding a thin coat of rubber cement to help hold them in place. The problem seems solved. I gave it a good wipe down with a damp cloth and, for now, I boxed it up and put it away. |
|
|
|
Post by af3020 on Feb 3, 2024 15:15:07 GMT
The neat thing about streamliners is most of the toy train manufacturers turned out at least one version and most of them made several types. One interesting version is American Flyer's lithographed sheet metal version of the Burlington Zephyr.  It was made in two versions - this one with the engine having two sets of wheels and an earlier version with the engine having only the drive motor wheels. The version with only the drive wheels on the engine has completely different stampings and wheel locations for the cars. Flyer also used the same cutting die set up for another of their sheet metal streamliners - the New Haven Comet which, as you can see, has a completely different litho treatment and, like the prototype, is a push-pull train set.  If you look closely at the head end power for the Comet you can see the embossed outline of the side window that is closest to the cab in the Zephyr. The window was plugged for the die cutting for the Comet. The other interesting feature is the odd horizontal slot with two small punched holes on either side at the base of the door on the power units and the same kind of slot underneath the rear window on the tail car of the Zephyr. This slot was support for a manual switch for the battery powered tail and head lights in the clockwork version of the Flyer Zephyr. The holes are for the rivets which hold the battery/switch assembly in place. These trains run well - their biggest problem is the thin sheet metal which makes finding one of these sets in decent condition a real challenge. |
|
|
|
Post by healey36 on Feb 3, 2024 16:02:38 GMT
Wow, that New Haven Comet is a version I've never seen before. I can't imagine they made very many of those.
You're right, af3020; finding a nice example of the lithographed sheet-metal Zephyr is tough. Most I've seen are pretty beat-up and/or missing cars.
|
|
|
|
Post by rtraincollector on Feb 3, 2024 20:26:03 GMT
Okay didn't want to start a new thread and most of this is good for side shot Saturday. I did some rearranging and pulled out a couple of sets that have been in boxes under the train table for years. only been out to move from one town to the present LOL.
Here is my first set I ever had ( actually a copy as sold the original one. ) 1962 set #2572 B&M diesel freight set, and My Williams remake of the Girls set.
The 6844 missile carrying car was not part of the set.
I bought the 129 Terrace and 116 Station. I bought the remake terrace used and it was missing the vase with flowers on the right end, but I had the sundial on stand and the park benches so I added them and the red ball on stand on other end. None is permanently mounted yet and not sure if I will.
|
|
|
|
Post by atsda on Feb 4, 2024 2:14:33 GMT
harborbelt70, interesting post. I enjoyed the historical backgroung, personal comments, and description of the tiny trains. Alfred
|
|
|
|
Post by atsda on Feb 4, 2024 2:15:19 GMT
Ron, healey36, interesting projects and backgroung info. Alfred
|
|
|
|
Post by af3020 on Feb 4, 2024 3:10:25 GMT
healey36 - yes, the Comet is a difficult beast to track down (sorry about that  ). It was an uncatalogued set offered in 1936 only. |
|
|
|
Post by Adam on Feb 5, 2024 12:27:20 GMT
Busy night at the drive-in.   |
|
|
|
Post by harborbelt70 on Feb 5, 2024 14:14:44 GMT
Here's the last MTH set I acquired, some three or four years ago: . . . In the meantime, I pulled the GS-4 "bantam" off the storage track and fired that up this week. Having sat unused for 4-5 years, I expected it to be deader-than-a-doornail, but it started right up. I left it to sit for a bit at half-throttle to recharge: MTH made three "bantams", an N&W J, a Pennsy S-2, and this SP GS-4. Most folks roll their eyes when they see it, but for my tinplate world, it dimensionally fits in. It headed a "Rugged Rails" Daylight set, "Rugged Rails" being a sub-class of the Rail King line. When I bought it, I expected it to come with some variation of RailSounds, or whatever they called it - just smoke and sound. However, it is equipped with PS-2, so it has the other features (none of which do I use). After these many years, it still runs great (even if it looks a bit ghastly).
|
|
|
|
Post by healey36 on Feb 5, 2024 14:55:01 GMT
My recollection is that we got this new around 2001-2002. I recall MTH cataloging other variations as late as 2008, equally horrific: GS-4 BantamThe wheel-set is ridiculously small, but unlike the "scale" version, it will easily run through O-31 and O-42 curves, which is handy on our downsized layout. It is a prodigious smoker, has good sound and crew-talk (if you're into it), and compares nicely size-wise with the smaller pre- and post-war steam. I like to think it's "cartoonish" in appearance, but much of my prewar stuff would qualify similarly. It's fun! |
|
). It was an uncatalogued set offered in 1936 only. 
