Need help identifying track

[larak]

Hi all, 

I friend just dropped of a large box of old three rail track that he found in a dump. Amongst the pre and post war Lionel there is are a few light pieces labeled IVES and three heavy ones that "look like" IVES due to the stepped ties but have no labeling.

I model HO and am NOT a tinplate expert by any stretch. Can any of you experts help me with identification? Thanks in advance.

Karl

Is this early IVES?   Date?

 

 

These newer versions are labeled IVES. Are these the later post acquisition Lionel version and does anyone have an idea as to date of manufacture?

 

 

EDIT:

I have posted a few more photos on my web site in case they might be helpful.

http://www.stremy.net/SRA/Misc/Lionel/3_Rail_Guide.html

Feel free to correct my best guesses on anything that you see.

[rtraincollector]

Not saying there valuable but one thing you have I notice is the banked curve pieces that you don't see that often. Not sure if there really sought after. Lionel did some but I believe they were a green color not sure they did anyothe color or if these have been sanded/wire wheeled clean. Been a while since I've seen them. can't for sure say who's they are but most likely they are pre war track so before 1942

[larak]

Thanks collector for your reply.

Yeah, the banking is what caught my eye. That and the four ties vs the usual 3. Also I noticed that the banking is stepped whereas the later IVES is sloped. Perhaps it's something else altogether.

Lionel green was early 30's. Black followed and looked identical except for the color. 

Other than you it looks like no one else knows more than I do. Somehow that's not very comforting LOL 

Karl

[butleryard]

The stepped track was made by American Flyer back in the 30's. I obtained some they same as you did and I posted the same question.

I was told that American Flyer made this track because they were having to many complaints of the engines flying off the curves. I don't think it worked the best, though!

[larak]

 Thanks for clearing up the mystery!  Time to update my web page.

butleryard

I was told that American Flyer made this track because they were having to many complaints of the engines flying off the curves. I don't think it worked the best, though!

 

Dang kids running everything at 120MPH 

[mackb4]

 I have a box of track that looks identical to the track you have pictures on here of,and they came from a Pre-War A.F. set that my Dad had.

 I know A.F. bought the stamping for some of the Ives cars that Lionel produced,but I had no idea that Ives had made this same track

 Very interesting to see this,thanks for posting .

[Northwoods Flyer]

Karl, et. al.;

Thanks for the contributions to identifying the manufacturer of this track.  I posted several of these pictures on another thread asking about super elevated track.  I wasn't sure who the manufacturer was at the time.

The track that I have has the stepped ties but it only has three of them as compared to Karl's track.

 

It also looks as if the height of the ties is different from his.

 

 

Since taking and posting those pics on the other thread I was rummaging around in some of my boxes and came across the box containing my American Flyer 4 rail track designed to go with the whistle in tender that they developed and marketed in 1936. It was designed with a wider radius to accomodate the Hiawatha engine. Its the track that has the fiberboard base.

 

Here are the 4 different pieces of track that I know to exist.  This track has the four ties like Karl's examples do.

 

 

The profile of the tie is the same as the 3 rail without fiberboard base.

 

 

 

I'm fairly confident that American Flyer did make these two examples of banked track. I wonder if Karl's unmarked track is also made by Flyer.

 

As a side note; I have also seen three rail track (minus the 4th rail to activate the whislte) mounted on a fiberboard base.  It was listed on ebay so I couldn't examine it more closely, and I was outbid on it.

 

Enjoying the World's Greatest Hobby

Northwoods Flyer

[mackb4]

 You know I've got a few pieces here somewhere that have the black ties with the screw holes in the end,but really never noticed the difference between them and the A.F. set track that's grayish ties with no holes and the  little ripple effects on the ends.

 I've also got a box of the A.F. four rail track for my Dad's big Hudson w/whistle and never noticed the elevated rail ,man I need to pay more attention don't I.

 Oh,CTT had a question sent in in the News and Notes section in the Nov.1998 issue about elevated track i.d. .

In there it stated that Gil Astaire figured it was Ives o gauge track,and it was hard to come by.But it had a flat surface on the rail head,and appeared to have brass pins to connect them..I don't know what the replies were.I'd have to look for the next issue.

 I didn't realize until reading all of this on this post and in the 98' CTT that soo much elevated rail was manufactured. 

[larak]

... and to further complicate matters, check out this fantastic web site:

http://www.railwaypages.com/index.php?t=2&id=17&p=3

and the top track in this photo from that site. 4 ties but does not appear stepped. (It's wide gauge.)

Charles believes that my samples may be AF but not sure either. The search goes on.

One more link:  http://en.allexperts.com/q/Model-Railroads-2372/2008/11/Sloped-Banked-3-rail-1.htm

Says that this (below) is AF. The profile looks the same but it doesn't show the  number of ties.

Also AF (and Lionel) bought out IVES so ...