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Posted by Northwoods Flyer on Thursday, October 15, 2020 8:42 AM

fifedog

Northwoods - Thanks.  After a dozen years of a winter layout, decided I wanted to run pretty trains through pretty scenery.

Now, which is your favorite Hiawatha, Miss '36 or Miss '37?

 

fife,

That's a tough one.  Miss '36 has the whistle in her tender. Miss '37 has the redesigned front truck

so that she runs on 3 rail track instead of the 40" 4 rail track designed for the whistles - no whistle in her tender. If I had to pick a favorite it would be Miss '37.

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Posted by pennytrains on Thursday, October 15, 2020 6:34 PM

Northwoods Flyer
I am guessing that the one with Lionel latch couplers and journals is from the transition era after the bankruptcy sale.

It's virtually identical to the 258T I have paired up with my 259 (no E) so I'd say you're right on the money.

Big Smile  Same me, different spelling!  Big Smile

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Posted by Northwoods Flyer on Friday, October 16, 2020 1:05 PM

This is the 2810 Crane by Lionel.

I have always thought this car had an amazing amount of play value.

With a gondola it makes a great work train.

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Posted by Northwoods Flyer on Saturday, October 17, 2020 9:34 AM

After posting a number of Marx cars individually I thought I would post what I have assembled.

It isn't a set officially, however in my collection it will be known as the Northwoods Freight.

BTW   Its October 17 and we are having our first snow here in Duluth Minnesotsa.  I'm glad I have an indoor hobby.

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Posted by JonEddy on Saturday, October 17, 2020 7:40 PM

Since your show casing some Marx trains how about this little Marx rider. This is not mine, I saw this at a local antique shop.

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Posted by rrswede on Saturday, October 17, 2020 10:27 PM

Although the photo does not show it, I believe this was a toy that had a wooden T on the boiler and a child actually sat on the locomotive. Am I mistaken??

Thanks, swede

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Posted by Northwoods Flyer on Sunday, October 18, 2020 9:27 AM

Earlier in the thread I stated that I only collect Dorfan rolling stock with black trucks, with or without brass journals. Well somewhere along the line I picked up this version of the #607 Dorfan Lines caboose.

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Posted by pennytrains on Sunday, October 18, 2020 5:51 PM

rrswede

Although the photo does not show it, I believe this was a toy that had a wooden T on the boiler and a child actually sat on the locomotive. Am I mistaken??

Thanks, swede

 

A quick image search for "Marx Lightning Express" shows several with a t-shaped handle just behind the stack.  It also should have had a large bell just above the stack.

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Posted by Northwoods Flyer on Monday, October 19, 2020 9:13 AM

The  3/16"  O gauge   Royal Blue Passenger Train by American Flyer.

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Posted by Northwoods Flyer on Tuesday, October 20, 2020 9:58 AM

In October of 2018 I made my first and so far only trip to York.  I picked up the following Ives items including the 1926 catalog.  While not a cataloged set its close, and all of the components are in the catalog.

The closest set that I can find in the catalog is "The Manager's Special"

It has one less car and the two passenger cars are lighted and mine are not.

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Posted by Northwoods Flyer on Wednesday, October 21, 2020 9:36 AM

#259 and tender by Lionel

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Posted by fifedog on Wednesday, October 21, 2020 11:09 AM

MARX Girard Whistle Station, Oak Park Diesel horn Station, and the original "touch pad" Control Panel.

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Posted by Northwoods Flyer on Thursday, October 22, 2020 10:22 AM

Not the most exciting of offerings but this is a pair of lighted manual Dorfan switches.

The switches came with light hoods, however I suspect that they are really Lionel hoods.

I like the blue jewel added to the top.  Does anyone have a photo of what the Dorfan light hoods look like?

As far as I can tell this is the last of the Dorfan equipment in my collection.  If I find any additional pieces or purchase something I will be sure to post it.

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Posted by pennytrains on Thursday, October 22, 2020 5:49 PM

Take a look at these: https://www.worthpoint.com/worthopedia/dorfan-prewar-gauge-switches-glass-1879918838

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Posted by Snip on Thursday, October 22, 2020 8:16 PM

 

 JonEddy

I got on eBay that was repainted horribly

Here's one of the victims of "the red menace":

[deleted] 

[/quote]

 

Red paint huh?

When I followed the OldTools group (old woodworking tools), it seemed a lot old tools had the same color of green paint dripped on them.

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Posted by Northwoods Flyer on Thursday, October 22, 2020 8:22 PM

pennytrains

Thanks penny,  

There is definitely some similarity.  I wonder if my switches originally came with these hoods.  I'll be looking for something similar now.  I'll be the guy going through the parts boxes and crawling around under the tables when its safe to go to shows again.

Northwoods Flyer

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Posted by Northwoods Flyer on Friday, October 23, 2020 9:30 AM

This is the earlier version of The Oriental Limited by American Flyer.

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Posted by Northwoods Flyer on Sunday, October 25, 2020 9:38 AM

#62 Parlor Car and #68 Observation Car by Ives in Cadet Blue.

The cars were paired with a matching #3260 engine in a set they called "The Blue Comet".  I don't have a #3260 to match up with them yet so I put them together with an additional passenger car and a repainted #3255R.

I'll have to come up with a name for this one.

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Posted by JonEddy on Sunday, October 25, 2020 11:32 AM

American Flyer 3100 circa 1930-33. I got this at a local train store yesterday and they were debating if the roof was a repaint or not. I think it looks original. It'll look good on the layout with my oddball four wheel cars on a small elevated loop. Big Smile

 

 

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Posted by Northwoods Flyer on Monday, October 26, 2020 9:59 AM

I was going through my photo archive and I came across photos of some of the shorter freights by Lionel.  I have no idea where the box is that they are stored in but at least I have the photos.

This is the #651 Flatcar/Lumber Car, obviously missing its lumber load.

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Posted by Northwoods Flyer on Tuesday, October 27, 2020 9:19 AM

Earlier in the thread I posted photos of the B&O diesels by Marx. I found the box containing the engines and the 8 wheel caboose.  I thought I would post them together.

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Posted by Northwoods Flyer on Wednesday, October 28, 2020 4:04 PM

Today's posting should be about Dorfan. Sadly I have come to the end of photos of the Dorfan equipment in my collection, and there isn't anything in the pipeline coming my way. So today will be my last entry about Dorfan until something more shows up. This is the cover of the only book that I have in my library that provides information about the items produced.

And the first page of the section on Dorfan.

Another great resource is the Dorfan Enthusiasts page on Facebook.  There is some very excellent information there.

I hope some of you reading this thread will post some additional photos of Dorfan equipment in your collections.

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Posted by Northwoods Flyer on Thursday, October 29, 2020 11:14 AM

Set #4009  Northern Pacific Passenger Train  by American Flyer.

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Posted by JonEddy on Thursday, October 29, 2020 9:14 PM

What year is this set from Northwoods?

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Posted by Northwoods Flyer on Friday, October 30, 2020 9:16 AM

Jon,

Starting in 1940 the first two digits of the catalog set number of O gauge sets are the year of the catalog.  So this set is from 1940.

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Posted by Northwoods Flyer on Friday, October 30, 2020 11:05 AM

This is the #67 caboose by Ives

They used it for sets with both their short lithographed freight cars and their long lithographed freight cars until the bankruptcy.

Then they had access to the longer cabooses by American Flyer

and Lionel

The larger cabooses were both numbered #121

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Posted by Northwoods Flyer on Saturday, October 31, 2020 9:08 AM

#652 Gondola by Lionel

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Posted by pennytrains on Saturday, October 31, 2020 6:58 PM

Ives 63 gravel car and 567 caboose:

Big Smile  Same me, different spelling!  Big Smile

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Posted by Northwoods Flyer on Sunday, November 1, 2020 1:22 PM

While this entry is not a vintage piece of Marx it does illustrate how the new Marx Trains company carried on the heritage while innovating.

This set holds quite a bit of nostalgia for me.  I grew up in Chicago and rode the CTA El trains until I graduated from college.  As a child the El was always connected with excitement and adventure.

Coming

and going

The set was sold as a 3 car set with additional center cars available. It took quite a while but I eventually found a 4th car to add to my set.

Now if I could just hop on the El at Logan Square with my parents and ride it downtown to the Loop to look at the Christmas windows on State Street.

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Posted by Flintlock76 on Sunday, November 1, 2020 2:26 PM

Very smart of Marx to come out with those CTA El trainsets!  Considering the size of Chicagoland that was a big, neglected market just waiting to be tapped.  And unless I'm mistaken no-one else would try the same until MTH came along. 

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