# 300 engine



## flyernut (Oct 31, 2010)

Picked up this 300 silver lettering engine in a box lot. No tender but I went through it and it runs great. New fingers, re-faced armature, polished drum, and a general clean-up with 90% new wiring. This is a very early 300 with brass buttons and the cast trailing truck, with a bar across the cab bottom for the tender draw-bar. I'm thinking of selling this as I have too many 300, 301's etc.. I'm waiting for new hand-rail for the cow catcher on front, there is paint loss on this one, but still a un-common loco.


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## apoc444 (Jan 28, 2013)

*300*

you can never have too many,,keep me in mind if you would


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## flyernut (Oct 31, 2010)

apoc444 said:


> you can never have too many,,keep me in mind if you would


Sent you a PM....


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## mopac (Feb 24, 2011)

That is a very early 300. And a cool one at that. I guess in the 1946 to 1948 range.
You mentioned the silver lettering. I see dry transfer lettering in silver. I was looking
at my 312 the other day and noticed it is silver lettering. It is an early 312 with slotted
brushes. No buttons.


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## apoc444 (Jan 28, 2013)

do you have a pic of the bottom?


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## flyernut (Oct 31, 2010)

apoc444 said:


> do you have a pic of the bottom?


yep, give me a minute.


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## flyernut (Oct 31, 2010)

here you go.


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## AmFlyer (Mar 16, 2012)

Also note the two round head rather than hex head rivets in the linkage. This is almost certainly from 1946. A date stamp, if present would confirm that.


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## flyernut (Oct 31, 2010)

No date stamp.. I have a fellow member here interested in it, but I want to be sure this isn't a put together engine made by someone.. I don't like the idea of selling someone a "faked" engine without verifying it is indeed original.. I saw one of these on a facebook page last week and no one could confirm this engine as being authentic... Nothing in my price guides/manuals/literature.


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## AmFlyer (Mar 16, 2012)

I do not have an original 1946 or 1947 in my collection, my 4 piece Atlantics are 1948 production. The engine in the pictures looks like an original 1946 to me. The two handrails that go from the bottom of the smokebox to the top of the pilot are missing. The spreader bar across the bottom of the cab was used on early 1946 production along with the cast trailing truck. Based on the damage to the slotted screws at the crosshead guide this engine was taken apart multiple times.
Too bad the metal tender is missing, it would possibly have the indentation where the silver READING stamp is located.


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## cramden (Oct 13, 2015)

I would agree about being a 1946 engine. You can only make a best guess on the date, but given what you have, I wouldn't be concerned about it being a fake. Even a complete 300 from 46 in like new condition is not something you can retire on. The tender will be difficult but not impossible to find and a smooth side tender stamped with READING was also a variation listed in the guides. I generally didn't look at 300's when at shows but can't remember if I ever ran across an early one. I don't own one either.


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## flyernut (Oct 31, 2010)

AmFlyer said:


> I do not have an original 1946 or 1947 in my collection, my 4 piece Atlantics are 1948 production. The engine in the pictures looks like an original 1946 to me. The two handrails that go from the bottom of the smokebox to the top of the pilot are missing. The spreader bar across the bottom of the cab was used on early 1946 production along with the cast trailing truck. Based on the damage to the slotted screws at the crosshead guide this engine was taken apart multiple times.
> Too bad the metal tender is missing, it would possibly have the indentation where the silver READING stamp is located.


The engine has it's hand rails now. I picked up a pair from a vendor but one side isn't so great.. So in your opinion, this is a original 300 from 1946??


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## AmFlyer (Mar 16, 2012)

As far as I can tell without actually looking at it and touching it. I see nothing incorrect in the pictures for an early 1946 production that was still using the prewar trailing truck design and attachment. If the motor appears original then it is likely original.


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## flyernut (Oct 31, 2010)

AmFlyer said:


> As far as I can tell without actually looking at it and touching it. I see nothing incorrect in the pictures for an early 1946 production that was still using the prewar trailing truck design and attachment. If the motor appears original then it is likely original.


Motor is all original with those stupid, pesky, springs!!! I sometimes convert from those darn springs to the later coil springs but this one was so original I left it alone,just did my usual re-build.. Thanks for helping out.


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