# hi from newbie ,whats this thing i got here pls lads????



## lollypoppy (Aug 12, 2012)

hello there guys first time I've been on so thought its right to introduce myself as dave ,im a self employed landscaper based in leeds ,ive had this old train thing for donkeys years never seen it work and never known anything about it but its big and heavy and got lots of nice brass bits ie brake calipers etc ,i wondered if anyone here could tell me anything about it and if it might be possible to get her going but this is all i have of the set
http://i464.photobucket.com/albums/rr4/lollypoppy_01/P1020063.jpg
http://i464.photobucket.com/albums/rr4/lollypoppy_01/P1020062.jpg
http://i464.photobucket.com/albums/rr4/lollypoppy_01/P1020061.jpg
http://i464.photobucket.com/albums/rr4/lollypoppy_01/P1020060.jpg
http://i464.photobucket.com/albums/rr4/lollypoppy_01/P1020058.jpg


----------



## gandy dancer#1 (Jan 21, 2012)

I have no idea what it is, but it is beautifull!! Some one knowledgable will be along shortly and lend a hand i am quite sure!!


----------



## lollypoppy (Aug 12, 2012)

gandy dancer#1 said:


> I have no idea what it is, but it is beautifull!! Some one knowledgable will be along shortly and lend a hand i am quite sure!!


thanks mate am glad you like it ,ive had it atleast 20 years and never seen anything anywere quiet like it !
i dont need it unfortunately its been sat in a box for 10 years but before i make any rash decisions id like to find out a little more and maybe even see her work even briefly im sure the lights will work etc ,i was told it could be american because there tracks are wider than ours ?? who knows cheers dave


----------



## Big Ed (Jun 16, 2009)

Well it beats the donkeys out of me.

But I think it is cool, :thumbsup: did you put power to it?
What is the space between the wheels in inches?
Is that some sort of working brakes shoes on it or does that transfer the power?
Do you have any of the track or more cars to pull with it?

I wonder what vehicle it represents?
The car to me looks French, English or from Germany?
It doesn't look American.

A lot of times when someone post from photo bucket the pictures disappear after a while. I will put them here permanent.
I have no time right at the moment but I will research these some more.


----------



## lollypoppy (Aug 12, 2012)

big ed said:


> Well it beats the donkeys out of me.
> 
> But I think it is cool, :thumbsup: did you put power to it?
> What is the space between the wheels in inches?
> ...


THANK YOU SO MUCH.......
i wish i gave her a good wipe over now for the picture ,i wasn't expecting her to be something unusual ....cheers dave


----------



## shaygetz (Sep 23, 2007)

Like nothing I've ever seen in 40 years of the hobby...welcome to the forum:thumbsup:


----------



## lollypoppy (Aug 12, 2012)

wheels span 2"outer edge to outer edge , anyone no what its worth to sell or how i can make it work thanks again for the time it took for all your replys


----------



## brylerjunction (Aug 8, 2011)

was it something from the Thunderbirds? are there any markings anywhere on it??


----------



## T-Man (May 16, 2008)

You should list it at Toy Pedia our parent site. European design maybe Asian.


----------



## lollypoppy (Aug 12, 2012)

http://i464.photobucket.com/albums/rr4/lollypoppy_01/P1020064.jpg

never seen it from this angle in all the time i owned it can't find any names or marks im intreaged to no more !
cheers guys


----------



## gunrunnerjohn (Nov 10, 2010)

It's unique, that's for sure! 

It looks to be standard-gauge or perhaps #1 or G-gauge. Measure exactly the distance to the outside of the wheel flange, that should tell us what scale to be looking for.


----------



## shaygetz (Sep 23, 2007)

Looking at the guts, it has all the makings of a fantasy scratch build...there's nothing there that looks run from an assembly line.


----------



## Big Ed (Jun 16, 2009)

I was thinking maybe Asian too T?

What is the dimension in *inches*, of the car itself?

I wonder if someone took an old push car and kit bashed that together. 

Anyone have an ideal of what the brake shoe things are on the wheels? I doubt it had working brakes but that is what they look like.

If that was mine I would keep it on the mantel, after arguing with the old (young) lady.

A second look it actually looks like a working brake.


----------



## lollypoppy (Aug 12, 2012)

gunrunnerjohn said:


> It's unique, that's for sure!
> 
> It looks to be standard-gauge or perhaps #1 or G-gauge. Measure exactly the distance to the outside of the wheel flange, that should tell us what scale to be looking for.


2" outer edge to outer edge thanks for reply dave


----------



## lollypoppy (Aug 12, 2012)

big ed said:


> I was thinking maybe Asian too T?
> 
> What is the dimension in *inches*, of the car itself?
> 
> ...


haha its been on the mantel window ledges tv cabinets everywere mate but got a bit sick of it 
its 10-1/2" long and 3" wide the brakes look real to me cheers dave


----------



## Big Ed (Jun 16, 2009)

lollypoppy said:


> 2" outer edge to outer edge thanks for reply dave


Dimensions of the car itself?

Length/width/height?

Edit.
You beat me posting OK.

It must pickup power through the wheels, Huh?


----------



## lollypoppy (Aug 12, 2012)

anyone no what its worth or were i should sell it ??????


----------



## lollypoppy (Aug 12, 2012)

big ed said:


> Dimensions of the car itself?
> 
> Length/width/height?
> 
> ...


10-1/2" long and 3" wide and approx 3" high the brakes look real to me


----------



## Big Ed (Jun 16, 2009)

What is under the car body itself?
Nothing?


----------



## lollypoppy (Aug 12, 2012)

big ed said:


> What is under the car body itself?
> Nothing?


when you say under the car body what do you mean can i take some more pic for you and if so of which bits thanks for your help dave
http://i464.photobucket.com/albums/rr4/lollypoppy_01/P1020064.jpg


----------



## Big Ed (Jun 16, 2009)

I have no ideal on the price, e bay might be the way to go it seems if you put a low starting price the market will take over.
Wait for winter as there are more buyers looking at train stuff then.
List it for a longer period so more see it?
Post good pictures of it all around.

Someone somewhere might have to have it.

I don't like reserves but you could do that too.

Heck put it out in the shed and find out what you have and the value.


----------



## Big Ed (Jun 16, 2009)

lollypoppy said:


> when you say under the car body what do you mean can i take some more pic for you and if so of which bits thanks for your help dave
> http://i464.photobucket.com/albums/rr4/lollypoppy_01/P1020064.jpg




The cars body...the thing that looks like a station wagon. The thing that you would wash if it was your car.

You took it off to take the pictures?
I would imagine it is just a hollow space right?
Does it have any type of battery hookup, up in it?

I guess it gets power from the rail. 
All the red lights sit facing up in the "body" right?


----------



## lollypoppy (Aug 12, 2012)

big ed said:


> I have no ideal on the price, e bay might be the way to go it seems if you put a low starting price the market will take over.
> Wait for winter as there are more buyers looking at train stuff then.
> List it for a longer period so more see it?
> Post good pictures of it all around.
> ...


thanks for all your help with it ,is it a good thing ? i don't need the money depending how much it is haha ,i can put it bk away for another 20 years if i want just seems a waste but if its a good nice thing to have i could be persuaded to keep it maybe cheers again dave


----------



## lollypoppy (Aug 12, 2012)

big ed said:


> The cars body...the thing that looks like a station wagon. The thing that you would wash if it was your car.
> 
> You took it off to take the pictures?
> I would imagine it is just a hollow space right?
> ...


i think its powered by the rail the lights hang from the roof but im sure head lights and brake lights also work maybe driven by the motor inside the car .


----------



## Big Ed (Jun 16, 2009)

lollypoppy said:


> thanks for all your help with it ,is it a good thing ? i don't need the money depending how much it is haha ,i can put it bk away for another 20 years if i want just seems a waste but if its a good nice thing to have i could be persuaded to keep it maybe cheers again dave



OK, I am still looking though.

If you ever do find out what it is please come back and post.

Turn on e mail notification on your thread, maybe months from now someone will know what you have and an e mail will be sent to you when you thread gets a hit.

I am not giving up yet.

How much do you want for it?


----------



## lollypoppy (Aug 12, 2012)

big ed said:


> OK, I am still looking though.
> 
> If you ever do find out what it is please come back and post.
> 
> ...


haha i have no clue big ed i really wanted to no just anything about it and ive always struggled with info for it ,id love to hear off anyone with information on its age weather it will work or even a rough valuation thanks for all your help guys if i find owt out ill be back thanks for now.

big ed ill be in touch pal if i find owt out ill be back , let me no how much you might want in it although i might keep it ! its doing me no harm .


----------



## norgale (Apr 4, 2011)

I'd say it is somebodies idea of a futuristic train with the front end of a 40's automobile and a body that is reminicient of the early streamliners. There probably isn't a prototype for it but it certainly is different.
With all the gears and lights I would imagine that anybody who would go to all that trouble making this creation would have made at least a hundred of them to justify the R&D that went into it.
I does look a little American but more European to me. It appears well made and I'd bet that it will run with little or no problems other than a good cleaning. 
I've never seen anything like it either but there's more than one laying around somewhere. 
I would deffinetly keep this engine at least until I found what it might be worth. Being as how it's so rare that even Shay can't identify it I'd say it was worth upwards of $500 in a heart beat. pete


----------



## norgale (Apr 4, 2011)

The "brake shoes" look like brushes for picking up the current for the motor. The spring keeps them against the wheel but not tight enough to slow the wheels down. They are only on those wheels too and on only one side of the engine. pete


----------



## tjcruiser (Jan 10, 2010)

Casey Jones meets Buck Rogers! 

Way cool ... never seen anything like it.

Saying the obvious, perhaps, but ...

Looks like 2-rail operation ... + power from one rail, ground to the other. The "brake shoes" transfer power from those 2 drive wheels (on one side of loco) to the motor. Other drive wheels (on the other side) must be electrically isolated, and grounded to the frame / motor.

TJ


----------



## manchesterjim (Dec 30, 2011)

*I'm going with Aliens.....*

Thats right.....I said it.......

I Think maybe it came out of the Roswell crash in the 50's! 

Jim


----------



## Southern (Nov 17, 2008)

manchesterjim said:


> Thats right.....I said it.......
> 
> I Think maybe it came out of the Roswell crash in the 50's!
> 
> Jim


 
Jims right.

Do not sell it untill un know what it is. ( unles you sell it to me )

If this group on this forum do not come up with an answer in a week or less, it dose not exsit and there for it is priceless.


----------



## lollypoppy (Aug 12, 2012)

Bump bk to top anybody ???????

I've emailed over 40 model shops around the world not including museums and associations and toy specialists and nobody has any any clue , everyone likes it and I'm still waiting for more replys from just people who just wanted a picture and auctions etc !!! 

Who can I try for info to its value and were it comes from ??????

Anybody ? 
Cheers Dave


----------



## gunrunnerjohn (Nov 10, 2010)

We don't even know what it is, never mind the value! :laugh:


----------



## New Berlin RR (Feb 11, 2012)

Southern said:


> Jims right.
> 
> Do not sell it untill un know what it is. ( unles you sell it to me )
> 
> If this group on this forum do not come up with an answer in a week or less, it dose not exsit and there for it is priceless.


or me


----------



## Big Ed (Jun 16, 2009)

I got 1700 miles on in 3 days, 38 work hours in 3 days.
And 2 days to go to the end of my work week.

I have not had time to research it further yet, sorry.

You want $25 bucks for it.





OK....$35?


----------



## lollypoppy (Aug 12, 2012)

sorry big ed $35 won't buy it mate !

nobody has come up with any useful info yet on what or were its from ,been told possibly french and the wheels are very unusual and to expect anything upwards of of £500 gbp with a possibility of it going much higher , ive tryed everything and every were! any one fancy making me a nice offer for it cheers. 

realistic offers only pls lads or ill just put it back in a box for another rainy day ta dave


----------



## brylerjunction (Aug 8, 2011)

http://www.ebay.com/itm/JOUEF-the-p...121856?pt=Model_RR_Trains&hash=item25734b9000

look at some of the examples in that auction from the book, if it is french I wonder if its a Jouef item.


----------



## brylerjunction (Aug 8, 2011)

http://cgi.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dl...XS9cUn2gQJ2PlJPDuZPrg%3D&orig_cvip=true&rt=nc


that pin also resembles your item somewhat


----------



## norgale (Apr 4, 2011)

Maybe it really is a one of a kind engine. Could have been a proposed design from a factory or somebody just went nuts and rehabed some engine for himself. It looks too good to be a scratch built model but then again some guys are really good with that sort of thing. I'm surprised that another one hasn't shown up somewhere along the line. Pete


----------



## lears2005 (Feb 26, 2010)

Where is shaygetz at. He would know he may even have one him self it looks like something he would build.


----------



## norgale (Apr 4, 2011)

I've loked at every model locomotive I can find on lie and this model does not exist other that the one we see here. Has to be a toy-bash or something like that. Whoever did this sure did a great job on it but I'm wondering now if our member ,who owns this little marvel,doesn't know more about where it came from than he is letting on. Hey? Pete


----------



## Kwikster (Feb 22, 2012)

lears2005 said:


> Where is shaygetz at. He would know he may even have one him self it looks like something he would build.


He's already had at least one look:


shaygetz said:


> Like nothing I've ever seen in 40 years of the hobby...welcome to the forum:thumbsup:


I've been puzzling over this item since I first saw it. Beats the dickens out of me. Nice looking piece. The presence of slotted screws marks it as a fairly early piece.

Carl


----------



## brylerjunction (Aug 8, 2011)

lollypoppy said:


> sorry big ed $35 won't buy it mate !
> 
> nobody has come up with any useful info yet on what or were its from ,been told possibly french and the wheels are very unusual and to expect anything upwards of of £500 gbp with a possibility of it going much higher , ive tryed everything and every were! any one fancy making me a nice offer for it cheers.
> 
> realistic offers only pls lads or ill just put it back in a box for another rainy day ta dave


just because its unique does not really make it super valuable as the market may be limited on it..if someone said you could get that kind of money for it and you wanted to part with it I would let them have it


----------



## Big Ed (Jun 16, 2009)

lollypoppy said:


> sorry big ed $35 won't buy it mate !
> 
> nobody has come up with any useful info yet on what or were its from ,been told possibly french and the wheels are very unusual and to expect anything upwards of of £500 gbp with a possibility of it going much higher , ive tryed everything and every were! any one fancy making me a nice offer for it cheers.
> 
> realistic offers only pls lads or ill just put it back in a box for another rainy day ta dave



You do know I was only kidding?
I have to add this or some bleeding heart will get mad at me for trying to "steal" it from you.

If I had it I would not put it back in a box, I would just clean it up some and see if it ran.
Then find a spot on a shelf until I knew exactly what I had and the worth.
Even then I probably would just keep it anyway. 

Like I asked if you ever do find out please come back and post.

I will keep it in my mind, but for now I am done searching for it.
I can't find anything that looks like it anywhere.
There are some old metal push toy cars from the 20's & 30's that look like it.
I wonder if someone made it himself, that is why we can't find anything.
My first thought was from France.

But like T man said it does almost have an Asian futuristic look to it. 

$50 bucks my final offer.
With free shipping.:thumbsup:


----------



## brylerjunction (Aug 8, 2011)

big ed said:


> But like T man said it does almost have an Asian futuristic look to it.


thats why my first post I thought maybe it was based on the Thunderbirds which was a popular British Show with roots in Asian Sci-Fi


big ed said:


> $50 bucks my final offer.
> With free shipping.:thumbsup:


I bet he takes that deal!!


----------



## Big Ed (Jun 16, 2009)

brylerjunction said:


> I bet he takes that deal!!


Isn't that what this is?
£500 gbp


----------



## brylerjunction (Aug 8, 2011)

big ed said:


> Isn't that what this is?
> £500 gbp


sounds good too me!!!


----------



## gunrunnerjohn (Nov 10, 2010)

We're just joking with you. The truth is, I doubt anyone here has any idea of the true value of this item. It may be like gold, or maybe fool's gold, we really simply don't know what it is, never mind what it's worth.


----------



## lollypoppy (Aug 12, 2012)

a big thanks lads to all you who have taken the time to try and help and search for me !

i really dont have anymore time to waste searching this thing out its just far too complicated and time concuming specially when trains aren't really my hobby and i don't no one thing from another about them ,so shes back in a box safe were she can sit for another 10 - 20 yrs .

my email is [email protected]

if anyone comes up with anything or whats to get in touch pls email me to be sure i receive your mail otherwise ill keep popping bk to your forum thank you all once again dave


----------



## New Berlin RR (Feb 11, 2012)

big ed said:


> Dimensions of the car itself?
> 
> Length/width/height?
> 
> ...


no, but I'd love to have such a unique thing to keep LOL!!! Yes I would clean it up and run it a bit too


----------



## gunrunnerjohn (Nov 10, 2010)

New Berlin RR said:


> no, but I'd love to have such a unique thing to keep LOL!!! Yes I would clean it up and run it a bit too


Well, you'd have to figure out what kind of track it needs.


----------



## Big Ed (Jun 16, 2009)

gunrunnerjohn said:


> Well, you'd have to figure out what kind of track it needs.


Make your own, a scale 1/4 mile straightaway.:thumbsup:


----------

