Bing Cars

[runtime]

I was just time traveling in the attic, and found 4 Bing tinplate cars I didn't remember us having.

How can I figure out their value, and also learn more about Bing?

On-line info would be great for starters, printed stuff to buy I'll consider, but I'm not sure how far I want to go with this.

I also found a bunch of two rail tinplate track and one crossing. Was bing two rail DC?

My Bing cars are O-gage, and in pretty nice condition; I would say C-6 or C-7 .

Is Bing stuff readily available, or rare as hen's teeth, or somewhere in between?

Thanks,

runtime

Help! my font changed and I can't change it back?////????

[Penny Trains]

I'm not an expert, but I do like Bing!  From what I've seen, the majority of their pre ww2 equipment was clockwork O or 1 gauge.  Surfing Ebay is a good way to get some ideas of what's out there and what it sells for in the US.  If you check international listings, you'll see a lot more.

Becky

[lionelsoni]

That two-rail track is probably meant for clockwork trains, like this one: See whether the rails are actually insulated from each other.

[mersenne6]

 There’s not much out there on the web about Bing.  There are a few European sites with some info and pictures concerning Bing exported to North America but you will have to hunt for them.

 

The best references are German books.  Your single best source for info about North American Bing trains would be a reproduction copy of the 1914 US catalog.  These show up on E-bay from time to time.

 

Bing trains were clockwork and 3 rail electric – main gauges for North America were O and 1 gauge with some of the 1 gauge equipment offered with either O gauge or Standard Gauge trucks.  

 

Bing was the prototypically correct train maker of its day.  The litho treatment for the cars was copied from catalogs of real US train manufacturers and the color treatment of their cars was very prototypical. Because Ives, not Lionel, was the main competitor when Bing began exporting to the US the Bing cars do match the look and size of Ives trains.  Bing was one of only a few European manufacturers who took the time to research real US trains and offer toys that looked like US trains and not like a European train with a tacked on cowcatcher.

 

Bing specifically for the US/Canadian market:

 

Freight cars and passenger cars available in either 4 or 8 wheel

 

Boxcars: P&R, PRR, B&O, CP – wood sided, CP – outside brace, Erie, CNJ, NYNH&H, AT&SF, IC – Note: boxcars litho colors are caboose red, tuscan red, dark brown, light brown.  All of the boxcars come in all of the colors.  Boxcar roofs are either “American” or “European”. American are stamped to simulate a catwalk for the brakeman whereas the European style is a simple arch – in reality both types of roofs appeared on real US rolling stock.

Hoppers: LS&MS, Penn Coal and Coke

Gondola: PRR, Hocking Valley, IG&Y

Flat car 8 wheel: generic – with stakes and either no load or lumber or hay bale for load

Flat car 4 wheel: generic - wood load fastened to freight car body

Tank Car: Peerless, United States Leather, generic two dome with number “1025” on the side.

Reefer: Pabst, Schlitz, Budweiser, Swift, Cudhay. The beer reefers come pre and post 18th amendment.  Those post have the word "beer" blanked out with an overlitho.

Caboose side door: NYC, PRR, CM&StP, Canadian Pacific

Generic:  Cattle Car, Side Dump, Horse Car – has a door that drops down to form a ramp for the horses, Milk Car – gray painted version of the cattle car with the word “MILK” on the side

 

Passenger cars: Multiple sizes – small , medium, large, very large. Railroads: NYC, PRR, Canadian Pacific, CM&StP, New York & Erie

 

Steam Locomotives: 

3 sizes of 0-4-0 steam – small, medium, large.

One size of 4-4-0 with either 4 or six wheel tender.

Locomotives all have “BING” cast under the cab windows

 

Electric Outline:

Cast Iron NYC boxcab style – small and large. Railroads – rubber stamped id on the sides: PRR, NYC, CP. 

Sheet metal boxcabs: 0-4-0 or 4-4-4. Railroads: NYC, PRR, CP, CM&StP and generic.

 

Accessories: usually generic in nature – many look like European structures but some don’t and then there are others that a generic enough that they will fit in either setting.  Bing line side houses are typically way under scale.  Their stations and freight sheds have proportions all over the scale map.  They made a freight shed for the North American market that is an obvious copy of the Ives freight shed.

 

  As to the value of your cars, other than overall condition it would depend on wheel arrangement and railroad logo.