I just purchased a Schilling train set off ebay.Boxed and in very good condition ,and complete except for the lockon.It runs very well also.Does anyone have any info on the Schilling company, it’s products,this train set,it’s value,and what type of lockon it used?Any help would be appreciated.[bow] Thanx!
Schilling makes condiments like pepper - is that the company?
I can speculate a little. Louis Marx released its first plastic train set in 1952. Unique Art was a competitor of Marx in the late 1940s and early 1950s. The passenger cars in this Schilling set (I looked it up) resemble those of Unique, although the Unique cars were made of pressed metal, I believe. It’s more likely that Schilling copied the Unique design rather than acquiring Unique’s tooling and adapting it for plastic.
I’d be very surprised if this set is older than 1952.
A Google search on “Schilling toy company” (no quotes) turns up some references to tin toys in the 1930s and also some references in the 1990s. It’s possible the company is still in business.
Are you sure of the spelling? I’m familiar with a Schylling company that produces some Lionel-licensed items. See http://www.schylling.com/LRZ.htm for an example.
The Shilling set was actually produced in the late 1940’s. While Marx did produce their first train set of their standard 4-wheel plastic design in 1952, they actually produced a plastic train set that was a very close copy of the Schilling set in 1948. It was the same colours (red engine, blue tender, yellow passenger cars) and everything. They also made a train set the same as this in Canada, but with a black engine and tender and blue passenger cars. Both of these Marx sets are extremely rare and highly sought after by collectors. I myself own a boxed Schilling set. I always get a laugh from the instructions that claim that the idea of having a battery box instead of a transformer “may be the greatest development in the history of toy trains.” Also, is the tender in your set blue or grey? It is usually blue, but a few grey ones turn up from time to time.
Thanks to all who replyed,The correct spelling is The J.L. Schilling Co. New York NY. The tender is a blue one.Sask,How are the hookup wires connected to the track?Did they use a lockon like lionel or Marx?The bottom of the box is dated 1947.Do you know the average value of this set?Thanx![:D]
Really! So Marx copied them. Very interesting. Of course Marx definitely wasn’t above copying a good idea when he saw it. And Marx got copied himself. All’s fair, right?
Batteries were the greatest development in the history of toy trains, eh? Tell it to Carlisle & Finch then! I guess Mr. Schilling didn’t know his toy train history… 
From the pictures I saw on eBay, it sure looks like a Lionel/Marx/K-Line lockon would work, whether that was the way Schilling did things or not. I’d also be willing to guess you could dispense with the batteries and use a DC transformer intended for HO sets, set on low speed.
It does use a lockon similar to Lionel or Marx. It appears to be made out of bakelite with brass connectors. The major difference is that the wires are actually soldered right onto the lockon. As far as the value goes on this set, it’s really hard to say. They show up on ebay from time to time and the selling prices can be high or low. It just depends on who’s bidding that day. I don’t think I’ve seen any sell for more than $100, though.
So I guess $36.00 was a bargain! Thanx![:D]
While we’re discussing Schilling, for Christmas I got a Schilling Railroad System #301. This is a cardstock set of buildings (“suitable for any train set”). Included are … 1) Block Signal, 2) Crossing Gate, 3) Gate House, 4) Gate Crossing Sign, 5) Gate Man., 6) Water Tower, 7) Station House, 8) Porter, 9) Porter, 10) Station Master, 11) Conductor, 12) Dispatcher’s Tower.
What do ya’ll know about this? Hope you got cool stuff for Christmas too.
I believe that Marx actually bought the Schilling trannie,which was used in DC sets.