The Hallmark Lionel OO Gauge F-3

Here is a model I have had in my mind to purchase for years, and I finally started searching and found a good deal on one on eBay. As you can see from the first photo, the Hallmark Lionel OO gauge F-3 looks great!

Ed Morlok wrote a two part article on converting this model to an operating OO gauge model that appeared in the November, 2000 and February 2001 issues of The OO Road. He introduced this model as follows:

In May of 1999 Hallmark Card shops began offering a OO gauge reproduction of the famous Lionel O gauge F3 A-A diesel in the New York Central lightning stripe paint scheme. This two-unit locomotive is 60% of the size of the O gauge model. Thus it is almost exactly to OO scale and is exactly OO gauge. But it is an unpowered model, sold only with a display case. The locomotive is very handsome, and looks great with OO scale items. The only major discrepancy is that it is about 9 [scale] inches too low, not very noticeable. In my opinion, this negative feature is far outweighed by its handsome appearance and excellent painting and lettering. Of course, it has the detail level of the original Lionel product, but this matches the level of detail of most manufactured OO items.

Powering is not difficult if one uses underfloor units. I also powered one using an Athearn frame and motor, and that was a very tedious job. It also results in the loss of Lionel’s characteristic swiveling pilot, which is part of the charm or appeal of Lionel to collectors, I’m sure. The Hallmark case can be used to display other models or this loco.

The rest of the Morlok articles deal with the nuts and bolts of making these models operable. There are a few options as to how to do this but the underfloor units such as he describes would certainly make the easiest and best running conversion. He used Tenshodo HO power trucks, 35mm wheelbase with 10.5 mm wheels.

In the photo of the underside of the model you can see better what you are up against. The models will roll, sort of, on my layout as they are but would certainly need working over to use as operating models.

These next photos compare the Hallmark model to the Schorr F-3. The Hallmark model really is, as Morlok worded it, very handsome, but it is also clearly semi-scale. It is close—it is wide enough for sure, but it is not tall enough over the rails. The overall length of the models is nearly the same, the Hallmark model being only a couple millimeters shorter in length.

This model was a part of what appears to have been two series of OO gauge models that were marketed by Hallmark. As stated by Morlok, they are 60% size models of O gauge toy trains. The other models in the series are as a result more toy-like and not very usable as scale models in OO gauge.

According to the flyer packed with the model I purchased, the 2333 NYC F-3A-A was third in the series, released in the spring of 1999, and had a list price of $100. The series was started in 1998. The Hallmark - Lionel Lines 726 Berkshire steam locomotive was first in the Great American Railways 20th century series listing at $120, and the Lionel 2332 Pennsylvania GG-1 was second in the 20th century series listing at $95. Also available at that time was the first model in the Norfolk and Western Train Series, the Lionel 746 Norfolk and Western 4-8-4 which listed at $90. It was priced lower as it did not include a display case. Also based on what I see for sale on eBay, there was a fourth model in the 20th century series, the Hallmark - Lionel Lines 671 Turbine Steam locomotive, and at least one more model in the Norfolk & Western Train Series as well, the Hallmark Great American Railways Lionel 3356 horse car. The later, according to eBay listings, sold for $30 originally. These other models, while interesting collectibles and OO gauge, are not particularly models you might want to convert to operation as they are clearly miniature models of semi-scale toy trains (although, based on the photo in the flyer, you could perhaps think about converting the 4-8-4 to an operating model--but it would certainly be a huge job).

I should mention the track that comes mounted on the base. It is as Ed Morlok noted clearly OO gauge and is similar to Lionel OO three rail sectional track, as illustrated in this photo.

All of these show up on eBay with a variety of ways to list the models. Most sellers seem to think they are approximately HO scale. Also all appear to have been produced in limited edition runs of 29,500 each. My pair are number 20703 in the F3 run. If that makes them rare or not in the world of Hallmark collecting I am not sure but they seem to be common enough so that there is usually one on sale as a BIN item and if you spend a few weeks specifically trying to find one they will come up for auction on eBay. I would say they are not so rare that you could not modify one for operation if you wanted.

The prize in the Hallmark OO line for us I think is still the AA F-3’s. This pair I am not planning to try to power any time soon; it is actually going in my office in the nifty display case seen in this final photo. Every OO gauge enthusiast should have one of these.

More on Scale-Rail Industries Sides

Following up on a previous post on Scale-Rail Industries, I recently purchased a few more examples of these sides on eBay.

Click on the photo for a larger view. I don’t know if this is the complete line of these but it must be close to the complete line.

I like these sides a lot, the printing is sharp and the embossed rivet details are convincing. The only problem is matching the paint. A few years ago I worked up a paint chart with every type of Floquil paint that I could easily purchase, with different coatings applied to the samples. The closest matches to these sides are Floquil 110175 Southern freight car brown and Poly Scale 404079 oxide red with no additional coating.

I will have to try to work over a car with these sides and the closely matching paint; with careful paint work they should come out pretty sharp. The car in the photo in the earlier post linked above would be a good starting point; it is a car I built years ago from parts marred by two paint jobs with paint that did not match well.

A Schorr Drive for the Davis E-7

The best running locomotive on my roster is certainly my Davis E-7A which I have running on parts of a pair of modified Athearn PA-1 drive units, as shown here. Dick Gresham provided some interesting photos of a period drive for this model.

Before going to them, also check out this drive, which is completely different and is also a period drive.

The drive below is marked Schorr and what I notice right away is that it matches the drive on a Schorr F-3a that I have with the same floor stock and drive line based on Baker parts using an O ring belt. Three photos are below; click on any one for a larger view.



With the drive in the box were Lindsey HO PA-1 sideframes, so it may be that Fred Schorr thought the Davis sideframe castings way too heavy, as did I.

Dick also was able to purchase this Davis E-7a and E-7b pair. The drive fits the body perfectly. Note that while the two pair of Davis E-7s shown in the posts linked above are bronze, this pair below is aluminum. I take this to be a late production pair, from a second run of castings. The casting quality would seem to be a little less fine than the bronze version.


One final item, years ago I was led to believe that very few of these were produced. I still don’t think a lot were produced but certainly it is not as rare a model as I had thought. Thank you for sharing these great photos.

A Norfolk & Ohio SW-1

In the photo in this prior post you can see a view of an EMD diesel switcher in action on the great Norfolk & Ohio layout of Carl Appel. In this post I describe the Super Scale SW-1. Today, a treat; Dick Gresham owns a Norfolk & Ohio SW-1, an eBay purchase from a few years back and perhaps the very model in the photo published in Model Railroader in 1958. It is clearly a Super Scale SW-1 with added details including a crew and also a can motor drive. The photos largely speak for themselves and are arranged below. Thanks again to Dick G. for sharing these photos, and click on any photo for a larger view.

Watching OO Auctions at The Collectors Weekly, and a Record for Scale-Craft?

One site that makes watching OO auctions fairly easy is The Collectors Weekly. They have several different functions available which even though the results will be a bit muddied by British HO/OO results in the mix is always interesting to check.

For the top 40 current eBay OO scale auctions see
http://www.collectorsweekly.com/model-trains/ooscale

For the top 20 most watched eBay OO scale auctions see
http://www.collectorsweekly.com/model-trains/ooscale?most-watched

And for the top 20 completed eBay OO scale auctions this past week see
http://www.collectorsweekly.com/model-trains/ooscale?completed

There is a weekly E-mail version available and that is how I normally check these.

This past week was perhaps record breaking as the number one completed auction was this: “OO Gauge Scale Steamer 4-6-4 Boxed 2 Or 3 Rail Old Vg+ - $510 - (#390110705099).” This model is a rarity and it is heartwarming in a way to know that there are several of you out there knowledgeable and interested enough to bid this item up strongly! On the other hand, I may never be able to afford one! For those not familiar with this model, it is a 4-6-4t model from Scale-Craft and is a factory item, not a kitbash job. For more on this model and a photo of an example see this post, and congratulations to the winner of the auction this past week.

The Champion Express Reefer

In a prior post I had some good basic information on the OO products by Champion Model Company, but little on their Express Reefer. I believe this model to be an example.

It is in the collection of Ed Havens and he provided the photos. Actually, I am not certain it is Champion but the details would appear to match what I recall seeing at the home of Bill Chapin some years back. It took a little digging to find but I found my car side list from him which he typed up based on the actual cars and sides in his collection at that time. He had two different versions of the Champion GARE express reefer but they were lettered GARE 783 Wieland Dairy and GARE 710 Western Dairy. His list includes many other Champion, Nason, and Scale Rail sides. He only lists four styles of this model; the only other Champion OO express reefers listed are GPEX 755 Mars-Milky Way and SFCX 1000 Sheffield Milk.

I am still inclined to say this GARE 764 Dairymen's League car is Champion as there are so few other options and I also believe there must have been more than four versions of this car produced. According to Ed the car does not look to have decals and must have printed sides. So at the least this car has Champion sides. It has also picked up some Scale-Craft trucks.

The bottom view is somewhat inconclusive as well, except to say it is a rather plain underside. Click on the photos for larger views.

Digging around to find the Chapin list I got back in my letter archive. I really need to do more digging in this; there are many, many interesting things in those old letters, mostly from “OOldtimers” who have passed on. More on those another day.

The Super Scale diesel switchers

In the previous post there was a photo of a scene on the Norfolk and Ohio layout of Carl Appel which included a diesel switcher. That the model is a Super Scale NW-2 is a good guess as to what that model is.

The model in this photo is an OO gauge Super Scale SW-1 from the collection of William Chapin that I photographed a number of years ago. It is in etched brass.

Super Scale Models of Glenview, IL introduced a pair of OO guage E.M.C. diesel switchers in 1949. These models were introduced in their advertisement in the January, 1949 issue of Model Railroader; they were to be ready January 15. They referred to them as being either the 600 HP model or the 1000 HP model, which would translate as a SW-1 diesel (600 HP) or a NW-2 diesel (1000 HP), the latter of which if I am understanding their language was available as a cow or calf. They offered in addition to the two switcher locomotives a “1000 HP Booster Loco” and a “2000 HP Two Unit Loco.” The SW-1 ran $14.50 “less paint, decals, trucks” and the most deluxe NW-2 cow-calf combo would put you back $28.50.

Super Scale produced these same models in HO, S, and O gauges and over in the HO Seeker site we find this instruction sheet. (The link is to a full size image). These are the HO instructions but the OO instructions must be basically identical as would be the O and S instructions.

Besides these locomotives there were no other OO products from Super Scale. These are a rarity! You were on your own for a drive but the HO instructions make reference to a Lindsay drive which simplified things a bit. A model to keep your eyes peeled for.

A piece of the Norfolk & Ohio

Perhaps the most famous, classic American OO gauge layout was the Norfolk & Ohio of Carl Appel. The photo below is a portion of one of the photos that was published in the second feature article on his layout, which may be found in the November, 1958 issue of Model Railroader.

I highlight this portion in this post not for the interesting locomotives (a Super Scale NW-2 switcher and a M. P. Davis E-7) or the sweeping curves built with Midlin track or for the realistic scenery. But since I brought up the topic, first look at all of those things. Even from just this part of this one photo you know this was a great layout, as I have talked about in prior posts. [And those locomotives are pretty rare!] But instead of those elements I highlight this photo for the string of hopper cars.

Various pieces of equipment from this layout have made it to eBay in recent years, and very recently I was able to win a pair of auctions that included five of his Scale-Craft hoppers lettered for the Norfolk and Ohio. Of the five one still has a load that matches the loaded cars in the photo so it will serve as the best example for examination.

A first general point would be condition. All of the cars look to have been handled roughly in storage at some point, as in thrown in a box with no padding. As a result they have all picked up a lot of paint chips. The decals are complete on three of the cars which I would rate as restorable. They were obviously custom printed for him and include the data needed for the car ends.

Another thing that jumps out right away is they are weathered. Weathering was not nearly so common to do back in the day as it is today and this specifically relates in the case of Appel to him building an operating layout with a prototypical look. He was not a collector!

It is a little hard to see in this photo but another notable thing is four of the cars have Kadee couplers with the trip pins cut off, this being an example. He also upgraded the cars with brake hoses and brake details. The detail parts used are plastic, HO scale parts of two different types. He also added brass brake wheels to all of the cars. It is similar to a Scale-Craft brake wheel but I believe is actually an HO part by some other manufacturer.

In the final photo the car is posed in a position similar to that seen in the photo in MR. It is a little hard to see but the load has collapsed into the car.

Three of the other hoppers are very similar to this one. The other is also similar but was upgraded to Schorr trucks. That car is also one where the decals are falling off; it was obviously made in a different batch, and he did not seal the decals as he did on the car featured in this post. One of them also has dummy couplers of a type I have never seen, I believe a HO dummy coupler.

While I hope that I have not now created a huge bidding war on future lots, I am very happy to have this little piece of the Norfolk & Ohio in my home and I hope to gently restore the three best of these hoppers in the near future. Only one car was operationally up to specs as received.

Review: The Scale-Craft 4-8-4

One classic OO gauge model I have not yet posted on is the Scale-Craft 4-8-4. This excellent die-cast model of the C&NW class H 4-8-4 was produced 1939-42 with the model number K1988 and from 1947-54 with the model number OOL620.

One reason I have not written about it yet is it was produced with two different types of frames and drivers over the years and I am not totally in a position to document when the transition occurred. My best guess is with the transitions of S-C ownership the new frame came to production in 1947 based on catalog descriptions (the Hollywood catalog is from 1947). Another reason I have not posted about it is I don’t have a complete model, just a bit over half of the parts for a late production locomotive, the major parts of which are seen in the photo. Click on it for a larger view.

However, an article also noted in the previous post in the January, 1989 issue of The OO Road (on the Stephans' Railroad Directory) pointed me to a review of the late production kit in the November, 1950 issue of Model Railroader. From it we learn,

Scale-Craft’s latest kit release is an amazingly faithful reproduction of the C&NW class H 4-8-4….

Die-cast parts include pilot, couplers, air pumps, cylinder block, smokebox front, boiler and cab, tender body, frame and truck frames, and loco pilot and trailing truck frames. Each piece is well detailed and carries only slight flash. Most of the drilling and tapping is done….

The frame is made up of two formed, drilled and tapped steel sides with brass spacers between. Driver axles 1, 2 and 4 are sprung….

The superstructure is complete except for the installation of handrails, headlight, number plate, ladder, cab back, grab irons, whistle and generator.

The locomotive is powered by a seven-pole universal motor. It drives the number 3 axle through a gear box mounted to the frame. A flexible rubber coupling connects the gear box and motor shafts. Reversing is by a hand-reversing switch located in the tender. A reversing rectifier could be installed in place of the hand-operated switch at very small cost.

Tender assembly is simple. Steps and couplers are held in place by screws, and the necessary loco-tender hookup wiring connections are soldered….

We think this is a fine kit. The care the manufacturer went to in producing the class H 4-8-4 is evident in the detailed, clean-cut, well-fitting parts. The headlight and bell bracket are overscale; otherwise the model is an exact replica of its prototype.

From the photo in the review you can see they built it up with the tender reversing switch and that the locomotive has Boxpok drivers.

As originally produced this model had a sand cast and machined bronze frame. Ownership of Scale-Craft after WW II changed from Elliott Donnelley to Doug Douglass and back to Elliott Donnelley which clouds some elements of production, but the statement in the review that this is “Scale-Craft’s latest kit release” is a little over stated. Also of note, this is probably the last review ever published of any American OO model in any major model railroad publication.

In any event this is a classic model to keep your eyes peeled for. Someday I do hope to complete this model. I don’t have a tender and will probably resort to using a Lionel tender which are much more common than the big S-C tender on this model.

The Nason OO gondola

Here is a car I have never seen but was for sure produced, the Nason gondola. This photo is from the Nason sixth edition (1940) catalog, where the only text is that the kit is under construction, i.e., not yet released but coming soon. It looks like a nice car but no other construction details are noted. Note also the outside third rail in the photo.

An article in the January, 1989 issue of The OO Road (on the Stephans' Railroad Directory) pointed me to a review of this car kit in the October, 1940 issue of Model Railroader. At that time the Trade Topics column was a review column and they note in this issue that

With this issue The Model Railroader has lost another advertiser because the publishers refused to alter or apologize for a Trade Topics writeup which did not suit the advertiser. We mention this to emphasize the editorial independence of this column of comment on model parts and kits.

With that, the first review up in this issue is of our elusive Nason gondola. Of it they note:

Here is a OO Gauge Pennsy gondola kit that is very complete. The wood framework is of good quality and cut to size, and the cardboard sides are painted and lettered. Embossed rivets are incorporated. Cast bronze truck side frames are used along with an aluminum underbody casting.

That is pretty much all there is to the review but it is enough to show 1. the car was produced and 2. what the car would look like if you have one. I have never seen one listed for sale, and being introduced so late in Nason production it must be rather rare. I would be happy to post a follow-up with a photo of an example of this OO Classic if you have one.