i was at trainfest over the weekend and found a very well-done classic standard gauge layout there. but there was more than just that to it (i mean aside from an authentic hellgate bridge). i swear i saw some very rare sets there either running or on display. i took the following 2 pictures to help explain:
here is the first:
am i looking at an actual state set AND Blue Comet set? i learned both are very rare when i was watching Great Toy Train Layouts of America (TM Video) and was amazed that i got a chance to see these sets. but am i right in saying that those are the state and blue comet sets?
now for the second image:
i swear that’s the Ives Olympian. it looks just as it did on TV. i was also told that the Olympian was regarded by many as the most beautiful locomotive ever made in standard gauge and the rarest Ives product to come by. is that the actual Olympian and are either of those passenger car sets the cars that came with the Olympian train set way back when it was still being made? and hey, i think i see an Apple green 408 E back there too. another standard gauge favorite of mine
i hope anyone here can help out. sometimes i wonder i’m the only 18 year old out there who has such deep respect for these classic standard gauge trains
Yes, those are Blue Comet and State sets; and yes that’s the Ives Olympian locomotive (but not the cars). The set in the 3rd pic looks to be an Ives Prosperity Special. I think I also see the American Flyer Mayflower set in the second pic, too. Judging by the condition of these trains (pristine), I’m wondering if they’re not MTH reproductions? MTH has reproduced all of these sets in the past few years. In any case, they’re all beautiful!
And FWIW, when I was your age, I was hooked on Classic Period tinplate as well - and I still am (I’m 37 now). This stuff just gets in your blood! [:)]
i know what ya mean. the trains looked to neat in person. i couldnt say if they were reproductions or not though. thanks for confirming it. i wish i saw the olympian passenger cars too. note in the first pic. the state set looks to be missing 2 cars and the blue comet set looks to have one additional car. if memory serves, i believe the state set had 4 cars (California, Colorado, Illinois, and New York) and the blue comet set had 3 cars (faye, westfall, and tempel)? i could be wrong though.
man the modern trains just dont have that gleam like those trains there do. simply amazing. oh and you can see the pocahontis set too if you look. and i think the black diamond? this guy has, like, every set i know of minus the orange banker’s special and the AF President’s special
update: i watched GTLoA volume 6 again, the one where they describe which state sets and blue comet sets are rarer than others. it explained that the blue comet set has one passenger car with a different name and number that’s very hard to find. it may be part of that set in the picture. i was unable to get close enough to read the car names
and which is the mayflower? that silver set near the olympian?
The trains in the photos look like either reproductions or repainted items as Ives went out of business in the late 1930’s, no paint job can look that good after almost 70 years to be the original paint. The question that I would have is their age, how old?
i honestly can’t say that i know. i’m sure there could be ways to keep an aged paintjob looking nice. at any rate, it’s always possible that these could be reproductions. arent the repros still very expensive?
There were a mix of original and reproductions on the layout at Trainfest. All very interesting to look at.
While I was watching the layout, a reproduction electric locomotive was on the track. You could glimpse through the cab window what looked like the top of a can motor with flywheel, and even if you couldn’t see the motor, the sound coming from the locomotive was clearly not from a prewar motor.
MTH has made a number of Standard gauge reproductions over the years, as did Lionel about 15 years ago.
Lord Atmo: Yes the reproductions are pretty pricey - nowhere near as expensive as originals in “excellent condition,” though. You can check out MTH’s latest Tinplate catalog here and see for yourself: http://www.mth-railking.com/catalog/catalogweb/index2.htm
