Could this possibly be the first-ever blogg within a forum?
Kinda busy dealing with Operation Swarmer today for Army’s homepage (largest air assault operation in Iraq since start of war), so I can’t possibly put out all of the toy train info I gleaned from Austin in just one post reply, so may take a week or so to post in this “blogg.”
Got to meet the train enthusiasts Ed Welten, who’s planning a new layout; spoke but didn’t meet Jim Duda, the guy who got me started in remote control ops (thanks!) and visited the legendary Bob Nelson.
Here’s what I’ll serve up in this blogg:
Bob’s DC to AC conversion of a way cool Czech switcher.
Bob’s secret to organizing workspace
Bob’s empire in only an 11X19 room
Bob’s atomic bomb-proof benchwork that’s as thin as a razor
Bob’s condensers that power his 027 switches
Bob’s 89-scale-foot long center-depressed flatcar that navigates 027 curves (he didn’t shorten it!). This you gotta see!
Bob’s conversion of a Big Boy to a Small Boy that will fly around 027 curves and switches
Bob’s half-wave rectifier bricks that magically convert conventional trains into “command control”
Bob’s DC reducer that can literally kill you
Bob’s electrical couplers, created without electricity
As you can tell, it’s all Bob. U the man, Bob. Bob’s material will be interspersed with scenes from Austin, 1:1 choo choo tracks and the most decrepid railway in the world that still sees traffic. We’ll also explore old streetcar track and trackage that goes right into downtown Austin.
For starters, I’d like you to meet normal Austonians who dress a bit more colorfully than other Texans (photos 2-5).
Photo 1 is downtown Austin under I-35 bridge. Looks kinda Texan with the bumper and track in background.
Photo 2 is the green guy standing in front of Austin Conventio
Austin was originally called Waterloo. It was renamed after Stephen F. Austin when it became the capitol of Texas. It was also called “The City of the Violet Crown” by O. Henry (an Austinite) in his “Rolling Stone” newspaper. Both names are still used.
If the moonshine in Austin don’t kill ya, Bob’s “reducer” (2nd photo), certainly could!
No, this isn’t the latest fad in weight loss (unless U think death is the ultimate weight loss).
This reducer was produced by Lionel in the 1930s for households that used DC (one of Edison’s really stupid ideas). Transformers are only used to convert AC to DC (and lowering the current to safe levels).
This reducer does the same, if. And the big IF word means, if you plug it in correctly. Notice that the plug prongs are the same shape; thus, you could easily plug it in the wrong way, sending 110 volts thru the tracks. Any kid touching the tracks would be toast (or dog or cat etc). Some of these reducers were even 220 volts!
And furthermore, if the current didn’t kill you, the large chunk of white asbestos inside will certainly do it over time if the dog gets ahold of it and tears it apart into tiny airborne particles.
And you thought toy trains were safe?!
And to answer your question, yes, brave ole Bob did power his trains with this device, but he has the skills to do this as well as the equipment that lets him know it’s properly plugged in. I think he got this off eBay from a widow.
More Austin bloggs to follow in upcoming days and week(s).
Ah! The Lionel # 107 Widow Maker! First offered in 1923, this direct current reducer was code named “Kentucky” and sold for $10…$12 west of the Mississippi. The DCR came originally with a screw plug ( meant to screw into a light socket ) which avoided the accidental reversing of polarity. Pretty interesting to see one first hand here. I wasn’t aware it was so massive. This is one item that Greensberg Price Guide lists as NRS.
Thanks for sharing all this with us, Dave! I’m looking forward to future additions to the “blog”!
As for that reducer-YIKES! And I thought that early electric trains powered by glass jar batteries and other devices before houses were equiped with electricity were dangerous!
Wow, who knew toy trains could be so dangerous - so that’s how they reduced the surplus population in the old days? I look forward to future installments!!
Jim, you should try to get Julie, the Amtrak phone-answering computer, to understand “Austin”. She invariably thinks I’m saying “Boston”.
Bruce, I think that that is the original plug. In my 1929 catalog, all the transformers are shown with plugs like that and adapters to Edison screw bases. Lionel was very proud of the versatility of this arrangement, which completely nullified any polarization that the screw base would have provided (assuming that the sockets were wired correctly). I’ll have to check whether the reducers are also shown with adapters in the catalog.
I only used the thing once, for less than an hour, just to see how it worked. I was pleased to find how smooth and comfortable the control was.
Mitchell, it just shows that toy trains aren’t for sissies!
To add to the 1923 screw adapter transformers, round bout 1930ish, the latest technology involved a screw/plug adapter that would both screw in AND allow plug in. Man, was technology on a roll. And, the streamliners, Zephyrs, Super Chiefs, and a paved Rt 66 were just around the corner!
More about Bob’s cool stuff and Austin craziness, perhaps tomorrow. We shall see.
By the way, there is a cool power plant down by Town Lake that has the words “Austin Energy” in big red letters and lightning bolts. I think they should change the utility name to “Austin Power”
Pigseye,
Imagine the torture we endured, manning an Army booth in South by Southwest…
“ma’am, we’re not here to recruit for Iraq, we’re here to share Army homepage technology.”
One lady pointedly said to me that I’d be a lot popular if I took off my Army.mil shirt. I obliged to show my hairy chest and Texas Shiner beer belly. Didn’t work, needless to say.
Bob,
In searching a little deeper on the subject I’m getting conflicting information on the 107.
Seems it was first introduced in 1909 and lasted till 1938. It makes sense that your DCR has it’s original plug as the transition from light socket to wall socket plugs happened sometime during the reign of the 107. It makes me wonder if DC powered houses using wall sockets had negative and positive markings to correctly guide plugging in an item such as your 107?
As I understand it, the use of “screw plugs” or Edison plugs was pretty common during the first years of electricity. Lionel liked to illustrate them in their early artwork. They were especially important with DC motor powered appliances so that polarity couldn’t be reversed, making the appliance run in reverse. A vacuum cleaner for example. This is assuming, as you said, that every socket was wired identically.
Interesting to note that before transformers and reducers and during the era of powering toy trains with wet or dry cell batteries there was one other option. Take 110 volts directly off house current and use 5 or 6 lightbulbs wired in series. No lights lit meant no power to the track but screw in one bulb and off went the train. The more bulbs turned on the faster the train. Just a bit more hazzardous than a Z4000 I’d think! [;)]
Neat Pictures Dave! I bet that Bob inherited that DC Gizmo from Grandpa Munster himself. Remember the old saying? “If it doesn’t kill you, it’ll make you better!” I guess that applies in this case.[;)][:P][:)][:o)] Just imangine what Bob can do with a Corvair. He’s fearless.[;)][:)] Can’t wait to see what else you post here. Take Care.