Anyone here into vintage HO? 1940s thru the 60s?

Model Railroader General Discussion (Model Railroader)
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The 0-8-8-0 camelback was Erie, not P&R.

Anyway, the topic of the post was related to the age of the models, not the prototypes they represent. As in Varney and Mantua HO from the 40’s, and so forth.

There are still a decent number of moderls who model preo-1900’s, or right around the 1900’s. Seems to be about a 40-50 year gap on the most popular eras to model, my guess is most likely due to the age of the modeler and wanting to recreate their childhood memories. In model magazines of the 50’s, there were plenty of turn of the 20th century railroads. As time moved forward, the more popular model era moved forward along with it. Plus the ‘present’ is always popular. We’re seeing a lot more interest in the 60’s and 70’s now than the 40’s and 50’s.

–Randy

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Well, I date from the era of FDR, and I started collecting HO in the 'fifties. I have some Varney metal, Athearn metal, Ulrich and Silver Streak freight cars which I still run, and quite a few brass steamers dating from the 1960’s which I still run (after quite a bit of rebuilding) in fact, my Avatar is one of the 3 Akane Yellowstones dating from about 1965 that do a lot of my heavy freight hauling.

I’m just getting back into the hobby after a siege of ill health, so I don’t have anything in the way of photos to illustrate my layout or rolling stock (I had PhotoBucket until they got greedy), and right now, cleaning up my garage layout and getting it back into running shape is my priority. But hopefully in the future I can illustrate just how much “Vintage” I’ve got, lol. My grandnephew (who will be inheriting all of it) says that it’s Uncle Tom’s Operating Museum. I think he’s right.

Tom

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With Varney f units I like the old die cast ones with the 3 speed gearing. And as to do have vintage HO trains. Yep! A lot. Recient aquisistions, Aristo Craft Frisco 2-8-2 in very good condition, Rivarossi SP 4-4-2 L SP/R (21226)# 3000 need tender, I am replacing drivers. Fleischmann 0-6-0t with a shorty passenger cars 1402 and 1403. Aristo-Craft 4-6-0 #157. LMB NYC 4-8-4.

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Well, I went and jumped in and qualified myself for this thread by buying a large bunch of MEW (Model Engineering Works) 44 tonners on eBay. Any one heard of MEW? Or did anyone notice that lot? I’d never heard of MEW until just last summer, or of their HO scale 44 tonner. Couldn’t resist.

All metal construction except insulating parts. I don’t know the time span of their manufacture, but they sure look 50s-ish to me. I can post pic’s if anyone’s interested. Dan

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This discussion is like those conducted on the “Classic Toy Trains” website, except of course, we are discussing HO…

My two collections are a bit later than those discussed here…

The first is of French made “Jouef” (an abbreviation of “les Jouets Francaises” = French Toys). Some of my models date back to the late 1960s but most are from the early 1970s and early 1980s. I purchased a few model steam locomotives in 1973 during my first visit to Europe. I just kept buying items as they became available here in Australia, although my biggest purchase was in Singapore where items were being sold at good prices, but the passenger cars were only sold in matching sets, no single vehicles. I took about one third of this back by air and the remainder was flown up to Butterworth in Malaysia by an old school friend who had a Dassault Mirage IIIO with the cannon pack removed providing useful cargo space in a jet fighter (along with a similar collection he purchased). These came to Australia as he was posted back home.

The second collection is of Chinese made British prototype OO models. These were initially sold cheaply in Australia from excess stock held in Hong Kong of the “Mainline” brand and some of the competing “Airfix” brand. These eventually became the current “Bachmann Branchline” range although some items ended up in the “Hornby” range.

In the late 1970s, the “Mainline” range had the best detailed models available, but standards have risen dramatically since then. But having kept buying a few of the more recent models, (many at bargain prices as interest in British models waned as Australian prototype models became available - I picked up 50 recent Bachmann Branchline passenger cars in 1990s colour schemes for $10 each, in matched sets of five cars).

I may have to rationalise the collection at some time…

Peter

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I gotta say, the coolest part of that story is the pilot friend with the fighter jet. SHould be able to fit LOTS of model trains where the cannon and ammo boxes used to be. And fast delivery.

–Randy

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He was the one who found the shop and may have felt that he needed to help. He was the senior pilot on the deployment (RAAF Wing Commander) and couldn’t be told off for doing it. I wonder what the other seven pilots took back…

That was part of a tradition for me. My first electric train set (a Hornby Dublo set EDG 17) came from Singapore in 1960 directly back to Sydney on HMS Telemachus a Royal Navy submarine of the Fourth Submarine Squadron based in Sydney. Our next door neighbour was the Squadron senior engineer, who accompanied the boat to Singapore and back. He married an Australian and moved to Australia later.

Peter

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I know of MEW and their 44 ton center cab. I have one powered and one dummy my self.

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  • Locomotives made by the New One company Tokyo Japan, retailed by Silvine.

This name is known by some vintage model train collectors. Their HO steam locomotives are from the 1960’s and a little before. Here is thier old address, and dont try contacting them for they are most likely out of business. I’ll try posting some info and photos of their old products. Of interest here is their vintage era steam locomotives made of white cast metal. I’ll start with a little know importer named Silvine. This company made Ho track and switches and had one 0-4-0t saddletank locomotive they named the Tea Kettle. It was B&O #25. I do like this model and have four in good to very good condition in their original boxes. I have 3 others 2 of which I painted and lettered for the CRRofNJ as their old Hornet #14 and Wasp #15. The other I painted for the Reading. Here is a photo of B&O #25.

New One Model Toy Works, 315 KOEMON-CHO ADACHI-KU, TOKYO JAPAN.

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My reply to this New One Locomotive is about 2 other 0-4-0t locomotives made by New One Toy Works but imported by a unknown company. These are to me mistery locomotives. I have left questions about them in 4 or 5 other HO train forums with no real answeres as to who imported them. For all I know I have the only one’s made. Maybe pilot models for a production run that never happened. All three 0-4-0t locos have interchange bodies and drives. Any drive will fit any body. All locos have their original boxes. They are identical in type and size but of 3 different colors. Only side tanker B&O #25 has it retailers name on it.

here is the B&O #62 saddle tank locomotive.

And now the New Haven 0-4-0t Saddletank locomotive #60.

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2 scratch-built locosI have had a couple of custom-built BRASS HO steam locomotive made possibly before or after 1960. One is a Pennsylvania Railroad K2 pacific and the other a New Haven Mikado. I think they may be built by Joseph Dorazio. Once I get my layout built again, I’ll have time to refinish these models. Does anyone recognize these two locomotives? I do remember and saved the article that was in the Model Railroader Magazine of Feb 1955 on page 4. It was a article on Joe Dorazio locomotives which started on page 4, there are photos of 3 of his PRR types on the following page 5, and the article goes next to an end on page 8 with a list of the locomotive wheel arrangements he makes.

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Sometimes the vintage stuff can be fun. I recently picked up a bunch of old freight car kits with wood or paper sides in a deal with other stuff. Looking forward to putting them together. I have a fair amount of stuff that is older than I am.

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Is vintage HO even a thing or is it just old HO?

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I think it’s just old HO, and I don’t care to go back.

Kind of like the welcome sign you see as you enter just about every town and village across the country: “Welcome to Historic __________” ( fill in the blank with the village of your choice).

Mike.

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I have a 44 ton MEW. I picked it up in a big pile of parts on EBay. It was totally disassembled and every part was there; even the little insulator. I love to run it. Actually, I’m the one who started this thread, but I lost my notebook with my password. I just picked up a pair of John English Alco’s B Units yesterday. Old is better.

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It’s all in the eye of the beholder. I’m old and I like the stuff I played with over 60 years ago.

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I think it is a thing. I am sure it will never catch on with a serious collector following like Lionel, but there is something about these toys from when I was a child.

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I was in grade school in the 1970’s and my toys from that era will still operate on my layout today. That is kind of cool.

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-Kevin

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78

Depending on how fussy you are, many older models hold up very well next to the newer stuff.

Some other old stuff, not so much.

But if any of you are still buying Athearn/Roundhouse RTR items, some of that tooling dates back to the 50’s…

The obvious thing is what era do you model? If you model that era or before, the best models of that era may interest you.

If you model a more modern time, then I guess they won’t interest you.

Me, I like history, I restore old houses for a living, I just moved out of a house built in 1901 that was right near the some what famous Ma & Pa Railroad, yes, in one of those little historic villages…

I model a time period from before I was born - 1954.

I’m not a collector, I don’t just buy stuff because it is old, or famous, or pretty. I only buy what fits my layout theme.

But that happens to include some vintage models made in the 1950’s and early 60’s that still present well next to many current offerings.

Disclaimer - I like detailed models, but I’m not replacing a lifetime of purchases and carefully built and super detailed kits with $50 RTR cars.

Do I buy $50 RTR freight cars? Sure. But I also still run $2 Athearn kits I bought in 1975…

And Athearn and Varney me

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I seem to be very much akin to many of those who post here in this thread. I have very similiar thoughts about running my very old, old, and just a little older HO trains. Like some here my large layout days are over and just trying to make a slightly enlarged 4X8 with a hill cutting it in half is major challange. I keep choosing to work on a locomotive and not the hill, or track work. An old HOTCO brass 0-6-0t side tanker has been my recient distraction. Today here in Jersey is a beautifull day so a peanut butter and jelly sandwich and a few apples will go with me on an adventure someplace. Again postponing work on the layout.

Good luck to everyone. Like Arnold S. says." I’ll be back"

frank

80

That B&O #25 saddle tank loco looks exactly like the Life Like one I had in the early 70’s. Perhaps it is. Thing ran horribly.

Familiar with MEW 44 tonners, their other big product was their log buggies. Well advertised in the hobby press of the time.

–Randy