More of Mike's Collection

Mike just picked up the beautiful Lehman bus. I was never much for these toys because they were so delicate.

But one look at this thing and I have to admit, these toys are really cool. This must have been fun to play with right from the store, look how bright the colors are for its' age. It isn't exactly scale for a standard gauge layout but it still is very appropriate.

I wonder if there was a prototype for this?

Marc

Dorfan Christmas Card

Mike V sent me a pic of his new Dorfan loco (ok, it's new to his collection). Mike said this might be his holiday card.

I liked the composition of Mike's picture. It packs a ton of old trains into one little area. Lots of action and color.

Thanks Mike!

More of James' Collection

Here's a great pic from James' collection. The blue trolley is really nice (and rare).

I have mentioned King Trolleys in the Blog before but I've never actually seen one.

This is one very nice trolley and it looks almost scale.

Marc

PS I have no idea who made that Steeple Cab. Arno has said that it could be one of several people could have made it including it being an original McCoy. It could be Herb Morley as well. It does look like the one in the catalog though.
We might never know.....

World's Best McCoy Collection

I never knew McCoy made a girls train. I think this one is much nicer than the Lionel Girls Train.

It's kind of funny, my wife and I used to go to Redbank, NJ and hunt around antique stores. I saw tons of McCoy sets, mint in their original boxes and I never thought anything of it (this was just 10 years ago). I was always hunting for that hidden 408 and 1912.

Now I'm at the "what were you thinking" stage. The really cool stuff was right there.

They weren't dirt cheap but they weren't terribly expensive either. Now that I see this collection, I think I screwed up!

Marc

James and Giant Collection

Interurbans... I can't even find one friggin Interurban for my collection!

James has done one heck of a job displaying these toys and creating this amazing collection.

What I like about his collection (and there are more pics coming) is that I'm not overwhelmed by Blue Comet sets or State Sets.

The guy has a very diverse collection without bludgeoning everyone with Lionel. I love Lionel but this collection really says something; people made great trains way after World War II and Korea and the Viet Nam war. Maybe it's time we stop identifying trains by which war they were made after.

More pics coming!

Marc

World's Best McCoy Collection

Another great pics of James' trains! I love those Interurbans. And that Steeple Cab!

Yes, I know that some of this stuff was made by Al Merris. I still don't have any o f this stuff so it's all new to me.

I wonder how many years James has been collecting? This shows why standard gauge is the only gauge for the operator and collector. It aint called "Standard Gauge" for nothing!

Marc

World's Best McCoy Collection

Happy Holidays everyone! James sent me some pics of his world class McCoy Collection. This is the same collection I posted a few months ago but these are a few rooms James held back.

To say I am dumbfounded is the understatement of the year.

James is a good guy, he knows one heck of alot about trains and his skill at collecting is on display. Frankly I wish I lived closer to someone like him. Most of my neighbors don't collect diddly and when they do it's things like cookie jars.

I just wish I had this kind of room to even display my stuff. If my wife saw a room like this..... All I can say is that I'd need to make sure my disability insurance is paid up!

James has some other cool stuff besides McCoy. I'll post 'em.

Marc

Talkin with John Davanzo

I was wondering what was going on with Pridelines so I gave John Davanzo a call. John is a great guy with many, many years in the TCA as well a master builder of toys and trains. He is the owner and primary stakeholder in PRIDELINES in Lindenhurst, NY.

Pridelines is putting out some very cool stuff, as evidenced by the preceding two flyers showing some incredible Voltamp Cars as well as the new Clown Train.

Here goes:

MK: John, I thought you were shutting down, going out of business! What happened?
JD: We are. Marc, I'm 72 years old. This is a 7 day a week deal. My son and son in law have been doing this for almost 25 years. They want to try other things. It's not that I don't like it, somehow I think it is in your blood, especially when you do it right. This is hard work and I just need to slow down.

MK: Then why start on the Voltamp gear? And the new trains?
JD: Well, when I started collecting, Voltamp, Carlisle and Finch and so on was plentiful and very inexpensive. Nobody collected it. At one point I had well over 30 Voltamp sets. They were spectacular.

MK: No doubt about that, from what little Voltamp I have seen it has a ton of personality and quality.
JD: Correct. And that's exactly why I thought it was appropriate for Pridelines to produce it. We produce items that other folks will never produce. Either the quantities are too small or they just aren't realistic for Chinese production. These Voltamp trolleys are a perfect case in point. They are highly unusual to see as a collector. Marc, guess how many people have asked for these in standard gauge? 42. Guess how many folks wanted them in stock Voltamp configurations? 3. We've sold 45 so far.

JD: I just saw some Voltamp go at the Ward Kimball collection for $32k. That's just outrageous. That just isn't what toy trains are all about. Great product should be reasonable for everyone to afford. And with originals, I don't see prices going down anytime soon.

MK: Again, I thought you were retiring (but I do hope you sell many more of these)!
JD: I am. I'm slowing down. That doesn't stop me from liking trains or wanting to build more. I have more Voltamp standard gauge on the burner!

MK: HUH?
JD: That's right. I am thinking about some very rare Voltamp Steeple Cabs in standard gauge. With a passenger and freight set. I'm considering the project right now, doing a little planning, and some drawing.

MK: Doesn't sound like you're retiring to me. Frankly that's ok, I'd like to keep a standard gauge manufacturer going!
JD: Well, that's not going to happen. We just can't invest the time and make the quality everyone expects. Quality being the key word.

MK: What about this clown train?
JD: That's actually kind of interesting. I like circus trains and I wanted to do something different. You know we actually also proposed and used the 1764 in circus colors and paint for the circus train as well?

MK: Sign me up? Actually, I'll pass, I have plenty of 1764's. What about all of the amazing Disney stuff you produced?
JD: When Eisner came in, the Disney stuff ended. There's more to it but it doesn't need to get published. Let's just say Disney Stores and Disney proper haven't had a nice train since Pridelines stopped producing them.

MK: I'd have to agree but I would love to see the franchise rekindled some day. The use of the characters with toy trains really seemed appropriate.
JD: Our stuff was the best, no doubt about it. We really did justice to the Disney vision.

MK: I know this is the stuff of many publications, but could you tell me how you got started?
JD: I came out of the Airforce in 1958. Much of my time was at Mitchell Field in Long Island, right by Hofstra University. I went to Hofstra for a while after I left the military but they raised the prices so I left.

MK: I know, they raised the prices right before I left as well. My degree cost an arm and a leg!
JD: Well, I went to Pratt in Brooklyn. That area of Brooklyn has changed but it is still a great school. Then I worked at Grumman for 25 years. At one point after 25 years, I quit. I looked at my boss and he said "You're giving up all this!". I said "I am taking all this with me. If I can do this, putting toy trains together shouldn't be a stretch." I haven't looked back.

MK: That's a good attitude. I wish I could take that attitude in today's world.
JD: Well, I do everything with more than a touch of quality. Look at the new Voltamp motors. They are exactly like they were in the Voltamp originals. Absolutely no compromises at all. No can motors or substitutes. I am not taking any liberties.

MK: What about all of the other stuff you produced? Has eBay had an impact on your business?
JD: I get quite a few repairs and the like from eBay. eBay tends to artificially inflate prices and rarity. People purchase items that need severe repairs; the repairs cost more than the item is worth. I would urge everyone purchasing on eBay to exercise caution, especially when purchasing Pridelines items. We will still sell parts for an extended period of time and very likely support our products in perpetuity. But I get all kinds of calls from people that purchase on eBay. Just exercise some common sense.

MK: Do you see fakes?
JD: Yes, I have. Some stuff has been manufactured to look almost original. Look on the bottom of every Pridelines item. It is abundantly clear who made it.

MK: John, did you ever produce that Boucher Blue Comet?
JD: No. Only about 30% of that project was completed. Again, Boucher was not as collectible in the early days, now it is beyond rare. In the early 70's, we couldn't charge enough to make a decent living....

MK: But now....
JD: Well now is a different story and a Boucher Blue Comet would really be something. I had quite a few original Boucher sets and they were amazing. We just couldn't produce something like that today. It would just be overwhelming.

MK: I'd still love to see it if you ever did produce it.
JD: It really would be something different. That's what's missing in today's toy trains. Everyone is competing to bring out the same thing. One manufacturer brings out a product and then 3 weeks later another manufacturer brings out an identical product made in the same part of China. I really miss the days when everyone was doing different projects.

MK: Well John, I am glad you are still making toys.
JD: Look for that Voltamp soon!

Thanks John and keep up the great work as long as you can! You do one heck of a job and I know I will miss Pridelines!

Marc

New Pride Lines Circus Train

A new standard gauge set? Hold on while I re-adjust my pacemaker!

Ok, I don't have a pacemaker but I will be ordering one of these sets. It's a nice looking set that has just the right amount of whimsy that I need.

I like circus sets and I have always liked K-Lines Circus speeder. The McCoy Circus set is legendary and I don't think this clown set will be any less.

Has anyone ever seen the Pridelines Boucher Blue Comet? Just curious -

Marc

Pride Lines Voltamp

What more can I say? I am excited and I don't want these guys to leave this market!

Don't make us beg Pridelines!

When I see trolley's like this, I think of that old song from Schoolhouse Rock (filler inbetween Saturday morning cartoons from 1973 to 1985 that were brilliant and eventually turned into a Broadway Musical). "Interjections (Hey!) show excitement (Yow!) or emotion (Ouch!). They're generally set apart from a sentence by an exclamation point, or by a comma when the feeling's not as strong."

Heck, old Voltamp is hard enough to see so to see something new produced is exciting.

Marc

Happy Thanksgiving!

I am thankful. I am thankful for your time and your desire to read my scibbling. I am also thankful I have the time and means to even think about having some of these amazing toys.

My Dad loved Lionel but he never had the time to actually collect anything. He had 5 kids to feed and still found time to take a precocious 9 year old to some very large train meets in Michigan and at the Fairlane Town Center in Dearborn, Mi.. That had to be the biggest meet I have ever seen in my life (no, not as big as York but close).

I am thankful that I have a family that tolerates my folly with trains and toys (sometimes going broke until the next paycheck) and lives with a train room and office that has been referred to as the "largest petry dish in the world". If you look in the Thesaurus under thankful, you will see "beholden, content, contented, grateful, gratified, indebted, much obliged, obliged, overwhelmed, pleased, relieved, satisfied". I am all of those things with my life, family and hobby. I hope you are too. Happy holidays -

Marc

A page from McCoy....

Happy Thanksgiving!

I was really anxious to get up and play with some trains today but about a thousand chores before dinner got in the way.

To the left; a few McCoy items I have been looking for. The Interurbans are especially nice. The Rapid Rabbit is another cool little item I have wanted for some time as well. I just haven't seen this kind of innovation in standard gauge lately. Based on the scarcity and cost of these items, I have to believe there is a market for them. I'd love to test my new MTH switches with the Rapid Rabbit. I tried a McCoy Trolley I have (prototype built with Jim Cohen) on some Gargraves Track the other day and it was absolutely smooth as glass. I have to imagine the Interurbans run the same way. By the way, when I say smooth it runs better than some Pittman motor product I have. I think it's also because McCoy had the flanging on the wheels right. Whatever it is, I'd love to see the above trains!

Marc

More McCoy...

My buddy James is looking for more good McCoy. If you have any McCoy to sell, drop me a line or post a message attached to this one and I will get it to him.

Check out the catalog pics to the left. I was perusing an old McCoy catalog last night from 1982. This stuff was unusual and eclectic. I wonder how well these trains worked on a pike?

I've seen some nice McCoy sets going on eBay this week. Some of them for a decent chunk of cash. I've seen a few go at auction for a goodly amount of cash as well. I know these are great toys. I guess from the great collections I have seen like James' they must have passed into the realm of highly collectible. Truth be told, I've never actually seen a fully loaded McCoy Cascade pulling a circus train. It must be quite a sight! Can anyone send me some pics?

Marc

Ted Maurer 11/26/05 Auction

This is why I have no decent stock investments. I see auctions like this and I have momentary stoppage of blood to the part of my brain that creates common sense juice (or whatever the thing is called that stops me from acting like an idiot).

This auction is going to be amazing. Not much Lionel but an amazing collection of everything else. Check it out using the link above.

Marc

SGA Journals

This was the beginning of collecting standard gauge trains. I'm not sure (based on all of the Gauge 1 stuff I have seen) this is near the official start of toy train collecting. I do know it is close to the official start of standard gauge train collecting though.

This literature is detoriorating. I'm no paper expert but I can see the paper is breaking down. This isn't good quality printing (probably how they kept the costs down).

Matter of fact, it is mediocre printing at best, the pages were typed and then copied. Copiers just weren't at the top of their game in 1958. I'm not sure how these were printed, the font is courier from start to finish and the whole magazine looked like it was typed on a vintage Underwood (see the picture to get an idea).

The printing is really light and a bit difficult to read.


I don't think I'll be able to scan much of these into the blog although I do know some real paper experts (not train paper but people that are really experts with old documents). I'll see if I can get them scanned in.

So what do these read like? They read like the early days of toy train collecting. The pontification of bi-laws, rules and meeting minutes looks a lot like the early days of the TCA. Most of the folks in the club actually became long standing members in the TCA.

There was a die-hard brilliance to these guys I just can't get over. They were so serious about this stuff, it really floors me. This club and collecting was almost like a way of life for them. I only know one of them. Jim Cohen was a member but he didn't seem terribly enamored with membership. He's not enamored with membership in any organization (but that's a topic for another time).

Reading this stuff is like reading scripture. These guys were really serious about solving any mystery thrown their way. In one article, they look at the origins of the dark green 408E. They asked Irving Shull to take them to the Lionel Factory in Irvington where they spoke to the two guys that ran the paintshop in the 30's. Can you friggin imagine? These guys thought the dark green 408E they borrowed from Doc Robinson was a fake because it had some of the inside grills bent. It turns out the guys in the Lionel paint shop remembered painting some 408E's dark green and when they couldn't get the grills to fit in properly they bent them to get them to fit right. Turns out every dark green 408E they were sitting on was real!

They mention that at their meets many of the participants actually date the motors, parts and pieces so they can collect variations like stamp collectors. Price didn't really even enter into the picture because there was so much stuff and so few collecting. This access gave these folks something interesting; time to really compare and study the items. Plus it seems like they had access to a tremendous amount of high quality pieces at almost no cost (or what we would consider no cost). They also talked about fakes, which I found fascinating because the payoff for a fake was diddly (or at least what I think is diddly now; $10 then but a ton of fresh trains).

And if you are interested in Ives, I gotta tell ya, I know some Ives collectors and these guys have everyone beat. I have never seen so much detail about Ives production, especially by people like Hertz. Many of these folks had substantial amounts of experience in both the Ives and Lionel factories during production and they were interested even when they were kids.

I haven't counted them yet but I think I have six or seven of these. Not many were published. How do you think I should try and get these out on to the blog? I've only read about 6 pages and the stuff is fascinating. I know everyone will enjoy it.

Marc

Doyle Book Info 2

Here is all the info to purchase the Doyle Book. I refer to it ("The Doyle Book") because whenever I think of standard gauge literature I always think of the author (Peter Riddle, Tom McComas, etc).

Marc

Doyle Book Info

Here is the flyer I just received for the Doyle book. Looks good, I'll definitely be grabbing more standard gauge literature.

It's friggin freezing here in the Northeast! I'm going to be eyeballing some standard gauge literature this weekend.

M

Some neet catalogs on eBay

I just spotted a seller with some really cool catalogs on eBay. I have purchased some items from him before and he's been consistently excellent.

Check out the Dorfan catalogs he has out there.

Marc

NETTE Dec. 3 2005 Train Auction

The New England Toy Train Exchange auction is up for Dec. 3! Looks like a nice auction, lots of selection and very good quality.

Marc

Biggest Layout - Pictures and Contest

Everybody seemed to like the article on E. Carl Pieper. Kirk dropped me a note (he had an a neat idea; he'd like to see everyone's biggest layouts).

Here's my spin on that idea -

I have an extra MTH Standard Gauge boxcar (NIB). It's just sitting in my closet. If I were to get a whole bunch of really great pictures and some stories in my inbox, the "said" boxcar could get Fed Ex'ed to a lucky story teller.

I got an MTH 500 series freight, new in the box. The best pictures and stories about the largest layouts you have seen will win the boxcar. I get decide which story is the best (with a little reader feedback) and I get to decide who gets the freight. Rules and regulations? Solely my discretion and decision. Compensation for stories I don't use??? No.

Please send in any stories and pics you have of the biggest layouts you have ever seen. Even if they are of your own layout. You could win a free freight car (Standard Gauge, MTH).

Marc

World's Largest Model Railroad Housed In Home Of LPIU Family - 6

SIGNAL CIRCUIT DIAGRAM.
E. Carl Pieper instructs Michael Bartoli of the "work crew" on how to determine how much trock and signal wiring will be needed to set up a new track area. The amount of track in use at the time exceeded one half mile, valued at more than $1,000.


"We never know," Pieper said, "when the phone is going to ring and someone will say: 'Mr. Pieper, I hear you have a fabulous railroad and my son is going to celebrate his birthday next week. I'd like to bring a group over with him to see the railroad.' "

He added that they always ar­range to accommodate their visitors. The home of this LPIU family at 12 Hunters Lane is always open to visitors on Sundays.

They never charge admission.

In addition to the railroad, this charming New England house has its own "game" room upstairs, which includes, among other hospitality divertissements, its own pool table and its own outdoor swimming pool that is part of the "back of the house" and not "out there" in the backyard.
The Piepers always hope that some of their guests have trains they don't want, or will spread the word to others who have old unwanted trains, to give or sell them for their line.
In addition to the railroad itself visitors see a maze of bridges, cross­ing gates, floodlights, water towers, loading stations, electric plants, towns, trees, rivers, animals - and even an operating ski lift complex complete with tiny figures zooming down a mountain slope.

In their living room, to the right of the mantel is a 1903 Lionel train, one of their very first, along with other trains. The dining room fea­tures the oldest model train - ap­proximately 100 years old.

A baggage or emergency lantern can be seen in the hallway. If elec­tric power ever goes out - they can light the candle in the lantern. The den features wallpaper with trains as the pattern.
Marker lanterns can be seen in the playroom, more train models and a large old bronze bell of a Norfolk and Western freight loco­motive that gongs and reverberates.
The cookie jar in the kitchen is a "Puffing belly" done in pottery, and the stairwell to the basement is lined with rosters of maior railroads. Toy train catalogues can be seen back to 1903.
The cost of the locomotives ranges between $15 and $500 and all equip­ment is itemized and insured.

The situation has changed since the Piepers moved to Norwalk. At that time Carl couldn't interest any adu1ts in his railroad. Finally, one neighborhood child became inter­ested, then another, until finally all the youngsters in the neighborhood at one time or another have helped. After that, some of the parents be­came interested and one of them painted a lake scene to be used as a backdrop.
Now, the Friday night "work crew" is drawn from all over Nor­walk.
Since all the trains are at least 30 years old and standard gauge is no longer manufactured, Carl does his own repair work and has a huge supply of spare parts.
To furnish enough electrical power to run the rail line, when he built the house, Carl put in a 200 ampere electrical service - enough for a small factory - and uses 150 for the house and 50 for the railroad.

The youngsters aren't allowed to run the trains when they first join the "crew." "They start out as gandy­ dancers - track walkers - and work up, job by job, to engineer, after which they're allowed to run the trains," Carl explained.

He has a regular "work roster" to keep track of work schedued for his helpers. With a laugh this boss added: "At the wages I pay, I can't afford to fire them." When they report on Friday, they check their duty lists, don their uni­forms (regulation railroad caps with metal badges donated by the Great Northem) and tuck a blue and red bandanna in the back pocket of their jeans.
The boys learn all there is to know about model railroads - wiring, track laying, maintenance and re­pairs.

Carl, who has heen the Union's correspondent for both Locals 90p and 65P and is now Local 90p cor­respondent for the GRAPHIC ARTS UNIONIST, said:

"As much as I like to run these, I get an even bigger kick out of watch­ing these kids learn model railroad­ing."

"That's the real purpose C & E," agreed Emily.

MAIN PASSENGER TERMINAL.
"Work crew" member Christopher "Dusty" Yost ond C & E Railroad Pres. E. Carl Pieper solder a broken wire on the bumper of a train sidetracked in front of the main passenger terminal of the rail line. The all chrome train on the right is on American Flyer display train which was featured at the 1933 World's Fair in Chicago. LPIU member Pieper says it is the most expensive train in his collection and would probably sell for $3,000. The youngsters learn from Carl all there is to know about model railroods.

Thanks to Mr. Cohen for helping me fill in some of the blanks on this article. Again, my apologies for the typos. This old typset is really nice to read and look at but can be a bear and a half to scan in. Please contribute to the blog, I'd love to hear some RECENT stories like this one.

Marc

World's Largest Model Railroad Housed In Home Of LPIU Family - 5

ClASSIFICATION YARD.
Kenneth Frazier, one of the C & E Railroad's Friday night "work crew." under the watchful eye of LPIU's
E. Carl Pieper, conducts cleaning up operations in the eastbound classification yard. This is the area where freight cars are sidetracked and then selected,
assembled, loaded and put into operation.

World's Largest Model Railroad Housed In Home Of LPIU Family - 4

INTRICATE HOBBY.
This maze of wires is the central operation that runs six trains, in the complex C & E Railroad in E. Carl Pieper's home. On the night that the Graphic Art's Unionist inspected the line, there was a malfunction in this "brain," but it was diagnosed and cor­rected by Pieper after a quick look. The com­plete railroad occupies a total of 2,100 square feet in the basement, which was specially constructed to house the collection and is large enough to con­tain four full size bowling alleys.
TRACING WIRING CIRCUIT. John Bunzick, son of Stamford local 90P cameraman G. leo Bunzick, a shopmate of E. Carl Pieper at Graphic Color Plate, works with Pieper while tracing the wiring circuit on a gate crossing signal to hook it up so that it will operate automatically. The complete wir­ing circuit can keep six trains running simultaneously on a half mile of track.

World's Largest Model Railroad Housed In Home Of LPIU Family - 3

- (he had started collecting at the age of 10 "but I stopped when I got interested in girls at 15") there was limited space for them and they built a platform in the attic.

To increase the space, "we cut tunnels under the eaves and the trains used to run right out onto the ledge that ran around the house we had in New Haven," Carl said.

The lack of space for the trains and commuting 500 miles a week to work got to be too much for Carl and the couple built the specially designed house for the trains when they moved to Norwalk.

Carl has also changed jobs through the years. Previous to his present job, he had spent 10 years at Fairfield Litho in Stamford, an offset platemaker (an LPIU con­tract shop of both Locals 90P and 76L).

Before that, he was a router blocker at Watson-Cheney, a con­tract shop of Hartford Local 33P and Rundbaken Engraving Co. in New Haven, a Local 65P contract shop, where he was secretary-treasurer for five years as an apprentice (the only photoengraver apprentice, perhaps, ever to hold such a high local post).

This veteran unionist has been a member of the Union since 1946, when he helped organize Rund­baken. He is also a charter member of the Train Collectors Association of America, an organization of railroad hobbyists, which does not dispute his claim to having the largest model railroad in the world. One model railroader from South­port, Conn. challenged his title, but, after getting a look at the line, with­drew his challenge. In telling of the building of his railroad's present facilities, Carl said: "It was two solid years afterwe started work before we could run our first train."

The Gold Spike laying ceremony was held in 1960, with 165 visitors watching the president of the Lionel Corp. driving the spike. Through the years, approximately 7,000 persons have visited the Pieper home to see the line in operation. Some have arrived from as far away as South Africa, Alaska, California, the State Of Washington, Florida and the Virgin Islands.

Cont.

World's Largest Model Railroad Housed In Home Of LPIU Family - 2

Here's the rest of the article -

From all over the world, train collector hobbyists come to see the railroad put together over 40 years by longtime photoengraver member E. Carl Pieper of Stamford's Local 90P.


How would you like to combine two careers - that of a photoengrav­ing router at a graphic arts plant and of president of a railroad? Elwood C. Picper, a member of Stamford Local 90P, has done just that. The railroad - the C & E Line ­is located in the basement of his Norwalk, Conn. home, which was constructed especially to house the cars, engines, tracks, stations and all other equipment of the railroad, which is now valued at $50,000. "The whole thing hegan when I got my first toy train 40 years ago on Christmas of 1928 - and I still have it," Pieper explained. "It hegan growing and just never stopped. "Last August my wife (Emily) and I had an offer of $50,000 from a West Coast millionaire for our layout. We turned it down. "Our rolling stock is worth $25,000 and the more than one half mile of track we have is valued at in excess of $1,000. We have more than 1,000 pieces, including 250 locomotives and 500 cars, Making it the largest standard gauge model railroad in the world." Pieper proudly declared. The railroad, which occupies 2,100 square feet - 28 by 56 feet by 28 hy 18 feet arranged in an 'L' shape - is big enough to contain four full size howling alleys.

The line officially received its charter in 1954, thc 'C' standing for Carl, Pieper's middle name (and the name his family uses), and the 'E' for his wife, Emily. Carl, known as "Ellie" by his shopmates at Graphic Color Plate Inc. in Stam­ford, is president of the line. Emily is vice president in charge of the president and is supervisor of dining cars, which keeps her busy on Friday nights when youngsters living in Norwalk, Conn., now num­hering seven, come to work as the railroad's work "crew."

Every Friday, at 9:15 p. m., Pieper orders a "soda break" for his helper. A train bell weighing 300 pounds is struck to signal arrival of the soda and cookies - supplied hy Emily in her official capacity. After the soda break, thcy do no more actual work on the line, but operate six trains at once from the master control board. A fascinating pattern of motion, sound and light from the illuminated cars holds the viewer's atten­tion. The engines puffing and chug­ging, signal lights blinking, crossing gates opening and closing, whistles blowing and the smoke and din is something to hehold. When the basement lights are all turned out, and the only illumina­tion comes from the trains and signals themselves, the onlooker can easily become hypnotized. While Emily had encouraged Carl to bring his few trains out of moth­ balls (continued).

There's much more...
PS Sorry for the typos, the OCR isn't perfect.

World's Largest Model Railroad Housed In Home Of LPIU Family

The above title is from "Graphic Arts Unionist" in 1969. I have no idea if this publication still exists but the title intrigued me.
I spoke to a friend of mine (Jim Cohen). He'd seen the layout and said it was by far the largest he had ever seen. He said that there was at least a half mile of track. I scanned in the whole article and did some optical character recognition. Ergo, here is the article and captions.


"MODEL TRAINS (AND BOY'S JOY) UNLIMITED. Typical of youngsters (of all ages) was the response of then seven year old Jefferson Moody when he first saw the world's largest model railroad, owned by Stamford Local 90P member E. Carl Pieper. Jeff was with his father, Managing Editor William Moody of the Graphic Arts Unionist, when he covered the story for the magazine. Jeff now has a lifetime C & E pass No. 209 "good for transportation on all trains, subject to conditions and rules started by the company". Jeff is now eager to "join the crew" of local youngsters who spend several hours of their time "working on the railroad" every Friday night."

There's More....

Yale Bowl Trolley

A newer pic of one of the nicest trolley's Lionel never produced. I just like the pic, it's a cool trolley.

Marc

More Stout

Hey, did anyone go the NETTE auction today? How was it? The Stout auction had some amazing prices ($1200 for a damn nice 400E) and some stuff that was in the stratosphere. Espeically the postwar gear.

How did it go at NETTE?

Marc

Just watching the Stout Auction

I'm sitting here watching the Stout Auction. Most of the prices are decent. The Phoebe Snow set went for over $20k. Still not too outrageous for a very, very rare set.

I probably shouldn't watch auctions and try to fix shorts in my track at the same time. It's my own damn fault, I need to get the track off the floor. I've stepped on it at least 6 times and I have a feeling the steel rails are saying something like "if this fat bastard steps on me again I'm going to send his precious Ives set into the friggin closet!". I already have an orange mark on my wall where a Hiawatha kicked off the track and took out a chunk of trim on the wall. As long as the train wasn't damaged!!

Marc

Jerry Williams Story 2

Ah, the Williams Prewar Years.... I like Jerry's stuff now as well. I know it is all Lionel Postwar knock-offs. They work extremely well and are probably the best post war prices in the industry (for new gear). If you have are anxious for a GG1 or Berk in O gauge, check out:

http://www.williamstrains.com

Marc

Jerry Williams Story

I was intrigued by some of the info I saw on early Williams Standard Gauge so I did some digging. Check out this article on Jerry and the early evolution of Mike Wolf....

Let me know if you need help blowing these up. The best way to blow up pics and keep them straight is here:

www.picasa.com (download picasa software and use it to view pictures).

Marc

Pride Lines in their own words 3

Last part of the Pride Lines article. I'm done babbling. Just blow this up and read it!! Best way to do it is download it from the blog and blow it up using Microsoft Word or MS Picture.

Also, some of you have asked me for Jim Cohen's info. Send me an email and I will be glad to give it to you. I spoke to him last week and he said he would be glad to discuss custom trains or do some consulting.

Marc

PS She changed our world, trains included - Rosa Parks, we'll miss you!

Pride Lines in their own words 2

You're going to have blow this up a little to see this but it's worth it.

One more thing, I know I am going to get some letters saying "I thought you liked Rich Art or JAD or Jimmy Cohen or McCoy." I like all standard gauge, regardless of manufacturer.

But here's one thing I see missing out of our hobby: we need to take a very holistic view toward manufacturers. Competition is good for consumers. This is usually true except when competitors don't exist because the market is too small.

The standard gauge market is small and we need every manufacturer we can get. These folks can't look at themselves as competing for finite dollars, eventhough that's true. Any manufacturer in the market helps expand the market and is most likely not taking food out of another's mouth.

Here's the thing; the supply for standard gauge is very small and the demand is small albeit not as price sensitive as other markets. When a supplier exits the market it makes the existing products more expensive (less new products entering the market), reduces selection and eventually contracts demand. Price can become untenable. When a market is this small competition from other forms of entertainment such as video games, computers and HO trains highjacks potential newcomers.

You want to see 200 series cabooses for $3k with no alternative? Let manufacturing exit. You want to be playing with trains on a computer instead of in-person in 2025? Nope.

Here's the bottom line: we need to take a holistic view of the standard gauge and prewar market. Unless we are belabored by extreme malfeasance on the part of the manufacturer, we need everyone we can get. Preferably in our neck of the woods.

Marc

Pride Lines in their own words....

I am going to wax nostalgic for a moment, please bear with me. I hate it when a good company slows down or goes away. Family business departures especially bother me. It isn't necessarily because I like the product (eventhough I do) or that I like the people (I do).

It bothers me because it signals a symptom. It is the changes our society seems to be going through that we shouldn't tolerate. I like doing business with people, families, whatever you want to call it, it's still me handing money to someone I know. They use it to buy goods and services for their company or more likely themselves. It's a one to one exchange and the money goes to other people within the community.

I'm not naive. I know that products get built by all kinds of people all over the place. But most of the products I have in my home are no longer built by people right here, in my country and in my neighborhood. Is it progress? Well, maybe. But probably not.

Just try calling a 1-800 line for help for your computer. Progress left the building long ago after it was outsourced. I speak to lots of customers all day long. They all call me because they like speaking to someone they know will fix what's broken and learn from the mistake.

Let me finish my waxing by saying I'll miss Pride Lines and the New York toys they made in Long Island. They are a company that made graceful little playthings that are now part of train collecting lore. Ok, I am calling the Minwax people to remind me that they are the one's making the wax, not me.

I was scanning a ton of old literature the other day and came across this article by John Davanzano about his company; Pride Lines. I was going to do some OCR and try to scan it in, I just decided that you all can read it as intended. Check it out, it has some things I didn't know about Pride Lines.

Another Shot of the old Sefton Layout in 1977

Before you all start writing me letters about how it's not Tom Sefton's museum, it's the San Diego Railroad Museum, stop. I know.

I like how this layout is done. I wish I had this kind of room in my attic. I have to start considering my layout in two phases. By the way, click on this pic (or any on the website for that matter) to blow it up.

Phase 1 - Will be the initial layout to showcase stnadard gauge and Leland Detroit Monorails plus some accessories. Basically it will be flat with a tunnel. 2006 is the official start year and 2007 (1/2) I will finish (or as finished as I can be).

Phase II - Provided I don't move or have some ridiculous illness, phase II has to involve knocking down my office walls in my attic in 2025. Maybe by then I can have helper robots pack up my standard gauge trains, knock down the walls, clean up the mess, haul it down two levels of Victorian House and polish the 130 year old pine on the floor. It will expand my space by about 25 to 30 square feet. I can move my office and a few prized trains downstairs. Hopefully my kids will be out on their own (depending on what the economy looks like 25 years from now (don't ask, I really hate speculating on the economy, it's too depressing)). Hopefully the solar cells on top of my house and batteries in my house will power the ZW (yes, it will still be used even then).

I'll add some stretching room for the standard gauge as well as a large 2 7/8 addition (two 2 7/8's bridges and an elevated). Maybe a small O gauge pike as well.

It sounds bizarre but I look at the old TCA Quarterly's as well as some of the old literature I have from the early part of the 20th Century and there are a ton of guys that started collecting before television. More than half of the TCA still doesn't use the internet (not a slant, just reality).

Layouts evolve over decades and mine is going to start evolving in 2006. I wonder what the world of trains will look like in 2025? Looking at the above picture, I could have lived just fine without computers, cable or cell phones in 1960.

Marc

Tom Sefton Circa 1977

I'm going to start discussing layouts more and more. This layout is probably one of the nicest I have seen (besides Bill Krames' 1 Gauge Layout).

By the way, I know most of the Krames items were sold to Ward Kimball. I liked Ward's layout but I think I really liked the way Bill had his train room decked out even better. Everyone is nostalgic for Grizzly Flats (including me).

Here is Tom Sefton's layout long before the museum bore his name. It was started in 1960 and had 630 feet of track in 1977. I guess we really missed some of the glory days of collecting. I've heard stories from some of Tom's friends on how he acquired items. All above board and very gentlemanly mind you but those were the days when Comet sets were had for $15 a car and Lionel Trolley's were found in attics and whole lots of Pre WW I toys were bought for $25.

Still, this is a glorious layout. Click on it to blow it up.

Marc

David O. King

This is kind of neat. I have seen David O. King O gauge stuff but I have never seen his standard gauge gear.

This is from a 1977 Quarterly. Weird, I remember 1977 really well. It was almost 30 years ago. The slot cars and Micronauts that I bought at Kmart in 1977 are considered kitsch antiques. Gotta figure that one out someday.

Does anyone have one of these? Some pics of them operating? They look really interesting, at least they are something different than the stock Lionel replicas that get turned out 99% of the time. Does David still make these?

Marc

McCoy on eBay

There is some really nice McCoy out on eBay now. Matter of fact, if you missed York and you are pining away for a 200 or 500 series freight, there is a ton of nice stuff out there right now for not a ton of cash. Just a thought....

Marc

Nov. Stout Auction

The Stout Auction is up! Don't miss checking out this auction!!! It has a ton of very cool standard gauge. It's kind of mixed in with all the Postwar stuff but that's ok.

Makes me feel like I am rummaging through a box under a table at the St. Vincent's show at Elmont.

The sets! The 10 Interuban! The Ives 1 Gauge!

Hey, I also noticed CTT (Classic Toy Trains) is issuing a 100th Anniversary of Standard Gauge. I'm kind of looking forward to it. Most of the Classic Toy Trains Mags are pre-occupied with current production and postwar stuff so I'll be interested to see how they cover standard gauge.

More coming! I've doing some research. I've got found some interesting stuff on Pridelines. Seems as they are closing up shop soon and they WILL be missed!

Marc

NETTE Nov. 2005 Auction is up!

The NETTE Nov. 2005 auction is up. Use the link to go and take a look. Some very nice standard gauge is out there.

I am a fan of Mark and Naomi, Mark is a good guy to bounce trains off of. If there is anyone out there that knows real vs. repro, it is Mark Tobias. He can smell a fake a little under 2 miles away!

Marc

More Gauge 1

Wow. Just wow.

Bill, we're still not worthy.

Marc

Bill Krames Gauge 1 Layout

I was gazing at this and wondering what happened to this amazing layout. If I had seen this before standard gauge, I would probably be a Gauge 1 Collector.

This train room and this collection is just amazing. Now just imagine the huge difference color digital photography has made in our lives (and it only took 40 years to get there!). Still, even in black and white, this panorama is awe inspiring.

How fitting that a founding member of the TCA have one of the most glorious layouts ever. I liked Ward Kimball's collection but it just doesn't hold a candle to this. Did anyone reading this actually get to see this?

M

More of the Herd

Another nice 1965 black and white shot of the thundering herd. I have seen some great standard gauge layouts but this one has to be the most voluminous.

Blow up this picture on your screen. I wish I could make a poster of it. I wonder what all this stuff sounded like when it was running full blast?

Marc

The Thundering Herd

I was looking in some old TCA Quarterly's and I found this one from 1965. It is really something.

Anyone that lives on the East Coast has heard of Fred Ziegler. He probably had the largest collection of 402's and 408's ever. Grab this picture and blow it up.

Rumor has it that Fred used to run all of these 402's and 408's along with a whole bunch of TCA'ers and a keg of beer. I have never been to a train house where we also consumed a keg of beer simultaneously! Probably why so many trains were wrecked in the early days (you thought it was boys lighting them on fire and jumping them over Plasticville houses!).

Also, check out the collection of cabooses Fred has on the top shelf. Talk about top shelf cabooses!

Ya just dont' see this kind of thing anymore, it really kind of hit me when I was looking at this old Quarterly. It got me thinking.... Running trains is much better than acquiring them.

Check out some of the other pics.

Marc

Mysterious Postwar Standard Gauge

Ok, I'm guilty, I'm a postwar nut. Postwar standard gauge though.

I've seen some great discussion on Post WWII standard gauge on the Yahoo Groups lately. I want to keep that going.

Why do we like it? One word: MYSTERY. Everyone loves a mystery. Did you see the amazing little Wakeling cars Arno grabbed off of eBay last week (see below)? It was said that they were prototypes and that they were the only one's produced and the manufacturer died. Sounds like some drama to me. Great ideas that meet an end too early (or their creators) are almost always interesting.

Forget about the money they might be worth, they are really cool looking and I have never seen them before. Did the manufacturer die? Did he make any more? Did he make any variations? How do they work? What do they look like on an operating pike? Were they easy to make? What was the inspiration?

There is a ton of incredible standard gauge that was not produced by Ives, Lionel, American Flyer, Boucher and so on. Much of these are one off's or very low production. They are typically amazing models that are as good as anything Lionel would have produced, sometimes better. Most of the time, the really crummy one's fall apart and don't stand the test of time. The really great one's appreciate a little in value and a whole lot in innovation and creativity.

Some day there may be a "Pebble Beach" of toy trains (AKA York) where we can pull up our one of a kind items and put them through their paces. At the moment it's just the "Seen at York" part of the TCA Quarterly.

Not everyone collects 400E's and 200 series boxcar variations. Rich Art, Jim Cohen, CMT, Jerry Williams, Forney, Roberts Lines and more are some of the amazing creations out there. Check out the little engine above I found in a 1964 TCA Quarterly. Just friggin amazing. Has anyone actually seen one of these things? That seems to be the question every time I see a new piece of standard gauge I have never seen before.....

Marc

T-Repro Tipple

Hmmm. I just got this in the mail. I know there are still quite a few of you out there smarting from the $400 plus loss you suffered. After I got this advertisement in the mail I called Norm Thomas to say hello and see what this was all about.

He says he can't keep these things in stock for more than a day or two. It is a hugely popular product.

I have heard both sides of the T-Repro story (Norm's and several of my esteemed colleagues). Sounds like there was some hardship on both sides. Well, be that as it may nobody ever said life was going be easy or simple. I offer the board up to comments in one direction or another.

M

Word Verification

I have some interesting news coming up tomorrow but first a quick word; we now have word verification in the comments area.

"Sweet Abraham Lincoln's Mother! What are you talking about Marc?"

What I am talking about is the new feature that takes spammers out of my comments area and discussion parts of the BLOG.

When you go to post new comments, the BLOG will ask you to verify your comments with a coded word (presented to you onscreen). A computer won't be able to interpret this word but a human can. Bye bye computer generated spam on my message boards.

Interesting stuff on the way tomorrow.

Marc

I can not believe I missed this!

I can't believe I missed this incredible little car on eBay. It is for standard gauge track. Very, very cool little item. The seller said that the manufacturer was a guy named "Wakeling". I am going to go back over my TCA Quarterlys and ask some folks what I can find out. This is a one of a kind item I guess.

Man, this is the kind of stuff that I like. This is definitely something that turns heads. The seller said that this was a prototype. I am not sure if that's the case, the pictures depict a very slick looking finished good. Any thoughts? Stephen, thanks for bringing it to my attention (shoot for before the auction ending next time!!!).

Marc