Help identify and info on Winner Train company set

[Anonymous]

New to the forum and looking for info on a train set I recieved from a relative. My great uncle gave me his collection of H.O. He also included a box with a much larger O27? from the winner train company. 13 Pictures posted on my website
http://www.canns-bilco.com/train.htm
It appears complete (no instructions)
He found it in the rafters of his house in the 1950s. Its was stored in a dry dark area since then. The only info on the web I found was winner was a low priced version from Lionel made from 1930-1932. The box refers to it as Deluxe winner train outfit # 1004. The trainsformer had been opened and their are several metal plates laying in the box. He had never tried to fix it just set it aside.
Any more info or estimated value would be great. Also is their a replacement transformer available it says 110AC 60 cycles only. The transformer fits in a neat metal house to operate it.

[ben10ben]

That's a nice find, and a really nice condition tinplate trainset. It appears to have been run very little, as most of the time pieces that had been run would show more scratches and chipping on their lithographed parts.

With regards to the transformer, there are plenty out there for just about any price you want to pay($5 to over $300), but I'm not sure of anything that would fit in the house.

For your needs, the best bet is probably a Lionel Type Q transfomer, which should sell in the $20-30 range on Ebay or a shop selling old Lionel trains. Just make sure that you get one with a good condition cord.

[Dr.Fu-Manchu]

The [}:)] Doctor is in !!! A bit more info on your train was in one of the books in my train
library. The winner sets were made by Lionel using Ives wind-up locos with electric motors. It was a cheap set that were made from 1930 to 1932. They dropped the winner name and used Lionel -Ives Line from 1933 till 1934, then it was called Lionel Jr. untill 1937 when the low priced sets became known as the 027 gauge line. They also made steamer sets. You have a bit of history in your hands ! Treat it well.
Till My Next Missive, I Remain The Humble, Yet Strangly Evil Doctor !!!!!

[Chris F]

From "Greenber'gs Guide to Lionel Trains 1901-1942 Volume II: O and OO Gauges (2001):

1030 ELECTRIC: 1932, 0-4-0, Winner, New Haven-type, lithographed "WINNER LINES", no reverse, dark orange body and green roof, dummy headlight and brass pantograph on top, operating headlight in cab front, hook couplers, offered originally only in sets, 5". Came with an easy-to-remove motor with two driven axles. [Condition] Good - $45 Excellent - $110

1011 PULLMAN: 1931-32, four wheels, lithographed, hook couplers, sold in sets only, 6" long, cream door and windows, green roof, reads "WINNER LINES" above windows and "1011 PULLMAN 1011" on green-lithographed rectangles below windows. Matches 1019. Good - $25 Excellent - $50

1019 PULLMAN: 1931-32, four wheel, mathces 1011, lithographed body, one hook coupler, lettered "1019 OBSERVATION 1019" below windows, brass railing, sets only, 6", cream windows, green roof, "WINNER LINES". Good - $25 Excellent - $60

The book doesn't list accessories, so I don't have anything on your station/transformer.

Ben - Why did you recommend a type Q rather than a 1033? I'm not questioning your recommendation - I just don't know anything about the Q.

[Dave Farquhar]

Seems to me at the last train show I attended the Winner station/transformers were selling for $35-$40. None were in working order; they were only good as buildings for the layout. That's fine; it's much easier to find an AC transformer than a good litho building.

That's a very nice set. From the wear on the pickups and the wheels it doesn't look like it's been around the track much at all. Someone must have gotten bored with it pretty quickly and packed it up.

[ben10ben]

Chris,
I suggested the type Q rather than a 1033 because the 1033 maxes out at 16 volts. This is fine for many postwar locos, but many prewar locos require a little extra push. The type Q, which is a 75 watt transformer, should have plenty of wattage available, and can deliver up to 20 volts, making it more ideal for such an engine.

[Chris F]

Thanks, Ben. I always learn something from everything you post![:)]