Some Fun Stuff From Wanswheel!

[Flintlock76]

Wanswheel was a frequent contributor to the "Trains" magazine Forum.  His research abilities were astounding and still are.  We correspond by e-mail and he's sent these along for my and everyone else's enjoyment.

First off, anyone recognize the address 15 E 26th St, New York, New York?  Of course we do, it's Lionel's old corporate HQ.  Want to see what it looks like now?

https://www.corcoran.com/nyc-real-estate/flatiron/building/65776

Interesting, huh?  How about a Lionel catalog from 1956?

https://archive.org/details/lionel_the_new_lionel_accessories_1956/mode/2up

Or one from 1958?

https://archive.org/details/lionel_trains_027_superO_HO_1958/mode/2up

And a Lionel catalog from 1961, with the Porter Science Line?

https://archive.org/details/lionel_1961_train_lines_andPorter_science_lines/mode/2up

Good stuff!  Thank you Wanswheel!

[M636C]

The featured New Haven EP-5 in the 1956 catalog is a mock-up using two F3 cabs, presumably with a hand made roof and pantographs.

The HO Pacific in the 1958 catalog is a Fleiscmann German 03 missing its smoke deflectors with an added headlight.

By 1961, the HO Pacific has become a USRA Light Pacific.

Peter

[Flintlock76]

M636C

The featured New Haven EP-5 in the 1956 catalog is a mock-up using two F3 cabs, presumably with a hand made roof and pantographs. The HO Pacific in the 1958 catalog is a Fleiscmann German 03 missing its smoke deflectors with an added headlight.

Right you are, and it's probably easily explained.

The EP-5?  Chances are better than good they just gave the catalog artist some development concept sketches and said "Get to work!"

A Fleischmann 03 really is no surprise either.  Lionel didn't make the HO line, they imported it. Rivarossi, Roco, and Fleischmann were all sources. 

Something else from Wanswheel.  Anyone remember MajGen John Medaris, who ran Lionel for a time in the early 1960's?  A pretty remarkable man, even though he couldn't stop Lionel's downhill slide in those days.

https://history.redstone.army.mil/bio-medaris.html

[Leverettrailfan]

Flintlock76

How about a Lionel catalog from 1956?

https://archive.org/details/lionel_the_new_lionel_accessories_1956/mode/2up

I have the Lionel accessories catalog for the following year... got it at the 2020 Amherst Railway Society show for $5. I'm planning on scanning it, at the moment I've been too busy to but this is definitely nudging me a bit.

The prototype EP-5 is very cool! I'm also very fascinated by the track cleaning car displayed... looks almost nothing like the one Lionel ended up producing. If only the text was legible!

-Ellie

[Demay]

Thanks for sharing Flintlock, those are fun to read.  I especially like the Air Force items in the 1961 catalog.

[Flintlock76]

Demay

Thanks for sharing Flintlock, those are fun to read.  I especially like the Air Force items in the 1961 catalog.

 

You're welcome, my pleasure!

And Ellie, to read the catalog texts try hitting the (+) on the lower right hand side of the screen as much as you think you need, then give the image a few seconds to stabilize, worked for me.  Put your computer's cursor on the image and "click and drag" to move it around.

Wayne

[smokey1]

https://onedrive.live.com/?id=8DE90F1D8BE7FFD9%2113437&cid=8DE90F1D8BE7FFD9

[Leverettrailfan]

Aha! Thank you, worked like a charm :)
I think maybe the other day my internet washaving trouble because even without zooming in the text was more readable than I remembered. Either way, the "zoom" buttons certainly make a difference.

-Ellie