Look at the detail on this 1912 Bing Station

[pbjwilson]

This is just amazing that something of this age looks so good. And also the great litho that used to be.

http://cgi.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&category=19150&item=5975656263&rd=1

[brianel027]

Yeah Paul, that is great. When one considers the age of that, wow! That station is an example of what was at its time, some real artisanship and quality.

But I'm just as impressed with some of the so-called cheap MARX toy trains and how the lithography on them was very good in many cases. They may not have been scale to proportion, but the skill and quallity of the "suggested detail" through the lithography left little doubt as to what those toy trains represented.

[Sturgeon-Phish]

I've got a Marx Glendale station, andd when on display folks can look at it for for a long time just taking in the details. The Bing Station is beautiful!

[Anonymous]

That Bing station is fabulous! When people talk about accessories, many instantly think of all the postwar operating accessories, but when it comes to stations, signals and related accessories, you can't beat the prewar German stuff, both in beauty and sheer variety! For example, the 1909 Marklin catalogue had 32 pages of stations and other buildings! I never cease to be amazed at the many inovative things that they were able to come up with back then.

But, having said that, I agree 100% with what Brian and Sturgeon-Phish had to say about Marx. I love tin trains and accessories and have a Glendale station. It's definetly my favourite station in my collection. It may have been cheaper, but I still put it in the same category as that Bing station. Plastic items may technically be more realistic than tin lithographed items, but in my mind, the Marx Glendale (and many other tinplate stations) do a much better job of conveying the look and feel of a station from the golden age of rail travel!

[pbjwilson]

I'll have to check out a Glendale station. I've seen them on e-bay but it's difficult to get an idea of size and detail from some of the pictures. I love the Bing and Marklin stuff but don't have the pocketbook to afford such items.

I too like the Marx lithography. Over the winter however I picked up a few pre-war American Flyer passenger sets. The colors and litho on these is fantastic.

[mersenne6]

If you are going to talk about U.S. litho stations - don't forget pre war Flyer. They made a whole string of stations and even gave them catalog names for various suburbs of Chicago and the downtown area (Flossmor, Kenilworth, Hyde Park, Terminal, and Union Station). They also turned out a great litho freight station.

[Anonymous]

How can any forget Ives, these guys started it all in North America. In my opinion their lithography is the cream of the crop. The faces in station windows were often Ives factory workers or friends of those who made the plates. Check them out. But that Bing station is breathtaking, and an example of the gilded age.

[philo426]

Wow! i do not think I have ever seen such an impressive litho station!Bing obvioulsly reseved this station for the top of the line!Whoever wins the auction will end up with a rare and beautiful find!

[cnw1995]

I think I've mentioned this before - but I've bought several Marx items from Ray Ellen - he also has Bing and Ives stuff - and it's very reasonable here's his website - http://www.trainmarket.com/

[Anonymous]

QUOTE: Originally posted by philo426

Wow! i do not think I have ever seen such an impressive litho station!Bing obvioulsly reseved this station for the top of the line!

Actually, Bing made many stations that were even more elaborate than this one. Their top-of-the-line models from this time were hand painted rather than lithographed and included many extra details on both the outside and inside. Here are some examples:


(This first image doesn't seem to want to post, so look at it at http://auction-team.de/new_highlights/2003_05/toys/758.htm .)

[philo426]

Wow I stand corrected!Bing really knew how to make a beautiful station and so early in the century!I guess we will never see such craftsmanship any time soon!