# Some of my O scale



## briangcc (Oct 11, 2012)

So I mentioned I had some old Lionel and Ives tinplate a while back. I finally got around to snapping a few photos of that collection. We purchased this years ago from a family friend for a whopping $300. I know when we had both locomotives serviced, we were offered over $300 for just the green lionel engine. None of this is for sale - it's being passed down to my son when he's old enough


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## briangcc (Oct 11, 2012)

Ives collection:


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## gunrunnerjohn (Nov 10, 2010)

Very cool, I love the fact that you're keeping it in the family, nice move. :thumbsup:


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## tjcruiser (Jan 10, 2010)

I just fainted ...

You have the Lionel/Ives 1661 loco ... the precursor to my beloved Lionel 1681. They share essentially the same shell, but with different motors. The 1661 had the nicest brass/copper trim.

I've hunted down a lot of these. And with that, I have to say that your set (loco, tender, passenger cars) are -- by far -- the best original condition I've seen. Near pristine, with original boxes to boot.

You have a real treasure there ... please, please treat them gently!

Where did you find the 1661 set? It looks to me like these were never run.

Can you post a pic of the bottom of the loco?

Wow!

I think I'm gonna faint again ...



TJ


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## gunrunnerjohn (Nov 10, 2010)

They are in amazing condition, that's for sure. I knew the _Tin Man_ would be here drooling.


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## briangcc (Oct 11, 2012)

Thanks.

The pictures do hide some damage to the Ives set. Sometime, under the watch of the previous (original) owner's care, they were used. The tops of the passenger cars have some paint rubbed off. The tender has a piece of red Christmas tape where the coal bunker is. I've looked at it and decided its just too risky to try and repair/clean that up so its staying as is. Some of the boxes are missing an end flap or two but they're mostly complete.

If I recall correctly, the Ives engine was just re-wired when we took it in for service. The Lionel electric had all the wheels replaced as they were splitting apart. K-val Hobbies in Buffalo NY did the repair work.

The story behind this collection is that the husband of our church choir director bought these new for their kids back when they were growing up. The kids grew up and wanted no part of them. The choir director told my mom about them and asked if we knew anyone who would take them. Of course we did and bought them at the price I mentioned. We wanted to pay them more for them as we knew these are collector items but instead they simply asked that once they were running that we invite them over for dinner and let the trains run.


I'll see if I can get more pictures this weekend as they're stashed at my parent's house for safe keeping.


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## briangcc (Oct 11, 2012)

BTW: Somewhere in my collection, I do have the original Lionel (or it might be Ives) transformer for one of those two sets. I'll have to dig that out at some point as well.


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## Big Ed (Jun 16, 2009)

Now a days, those boxes might fetch more then the trains .

Nice, you ought to have them on some kind of display shelf.:thumbsup:


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## tjcruiser (Jan 10, 2010)

I'll have to check my catalogs, but I think the transformer for the 1661 set was a Jr. Transformer Station ... a little train station house with a transformer tucked inside.

TJ


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## briangcc (Oct 11, 2012)

I'm pretty sure that building is awol. But I think I might have a larger set Ives box as well. This is really stretching my memory though as the last I pulled those particular items out was back in '89 when the sets were purchased. I'll have to check when I get a moment this weekend.

I may try to track down more of the Ives to make a larger train set as I know that steamer can pull more. I've seen it from time to time at local shows and ebay. Same goes for the Lionel tinplate.

It's nice history and I don't mind adding to it along with the more modern stuff I have.


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## Big Ed (Jun 16, 2009)

Tis the season, put them under the tree and run them a little.:thumbsup:


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## briangcc (Oct 11, 2012)

Here's the underside on the Ives loco:










And the box & transformer I have for the Ives set:




























Bottom (insert of the Ives box):


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## tjcruiser (Jan 10, 2010)

You have some real treasures there. As I said before, that 1661 loco is pristine ... one of the the best quality all-original 1661's I've ever seen. You can tell it's been very lightly run (if at all) ... essentially no wear on the pickup shoe. Often, these are worn right through, with a slot cut through the shoe from the rail.

Cool lookin' tranny ... G.E.

That tunnel box insert is classic ... not many of those left around.

Thanks for the extra pics,

TJ


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