# Lionel / Ives Windup Locos & Motors (1501, 1503, 1506, 1508, 1511) -- a photo study



## tjcruiser (Jan 10, 2010)

*Lionel / Ives Windup Locos & Motors (1501, 1503, 1506, 1508, 1511) -- a photo study*

Teledoc (Jerry) and I have recently been exchanging info on early Lionel / Ives windup locos and motors. This has prompted me to start a photo-study comparison thread, so that we can identify the different locos, and see where they share things in common, and where they are evolutionary and different. I am sure Teledoc will chime in with his encyclopedic knowledge, and I encourage him to do so.

As most of you know, Lionel acquired Ives in 1929, and the next several years of "Transition Era" production saw an evolutionary exchange of tooling, parts, mechanics, and the like. In my description here, I'm going to use the term "Lionel" generically, encompassing both Ives and Lionel under the same roof. Teledoc will prudently correct me, as needed, and I'll happily defer to him to slap me on the wrist with a ruler to set my record straight.

First, though, I'll point readers toward three of my prior threads:

This one discusses the small Lionel 1501 and 1503 windup locos ...
http://www.modeltrainforum.com/showthread.php?t=26844&highlight=1501

This one discusses the Lionel 1506L windup loco (and its electric 1015 and 1035 cousins) ...
http://www.modeltrainforum.com/showthread.php?t=8279&highlight=windup

This one discusses the Lionel 1508 and 1511 "Vanderbilt" style windup locos ...
http://www.modeltrainforum.com/showthread.php?t=11839&highlight=windup

Now, a brief description of locos ...



1501 / 1503 Series -- Very small 0-4-0 windup locos. Twin "sandpipes" pressed into the tinplate, below the single dome. Frame extends AFT of the back of the cab. Red boiler, cab, and steamchest; black frame.

1501 -- As above, with NO drive rods on this loco.

1503 -- As above, but this loco DOES include drive rods.

Variations -- Here's where things get tricky. I have seen variations of the 1501 / 1503 both with and without an internal bell. And I have seen variations with an early (Ives carry-over) windup motor with a semi-permanent screw-in key, and later Lionel windup motors with a removable square-peg skate-type key. I have also seen variations with red-painted 8-spoke wheels, and non-painted 8-spoke wheels.

Governor -- all 1501 / 1503 loco motors include the twin-crescent governor mechanism on the left-front wheel

1506 series -- 0-4-0 loco, larger than the 1501/1503 series. This has just one "sandpipe" pressed into the tinplate below the dome. The frame ends EVEN with the back of the cab, and there are 4 round "dots" on the boiler (per side) just forward of the cab. (The 1501/1503 boilers lack these dots on its foreshortened boiler.)

Variations ...

1506 -- All red (boiler, frame, steamchest). Blank boiler front (no hole, no bezel). With drive rods, I believe. Uses a windup motor with the Lionel square-peg removable key. No bell. Nickel trim.

1506 -- (like the one Teledoc just acquired). Black boiler, cab, steamchest. Red frame. Small hole and small bezel on boiler front. With drive rods. Ives-style screw-in key. No bell. Copper trim.

1506L -- With a battery-powered light. Black boiler, cab, steamchest. Red frame. Large hole and large bezel / lamp-holder on the boiler front. With drive rods. Lionel square-peg removable key. With bell. Copper trim.

The 1506-series locos share essentially the same shell as their electric 1015/1035 cousins, except the 1506 frames are cut differently internally to accept the windup motor insert.

Interestingly, I believe the ALL-RED 1506 (which has no battery or light, and no bell) DOES include cutouts for a battery location and a bell location in its frame, even though these were not included in the loco. I believe that the all-red 1506 likely followed later in the series, after the black-red 1506 version.

1508 / 1511 -- The "Vanderbilt" 0-4-0 loco, often referenced as the "Mickey Mouse" loco. All red with Nickel trim.

Variations ...

1508 -- With battery compartment and electric light. NO bezel on the nose, in way of the light socket. With bell. No side rods (I believe). Mated to the 1509T, Mickey Mouse "stoker" tender.

1511 -- With whistle-chugger mounted to front of windup motor. NO battery/light. But with chrome bezel on nose of boiler front. With drive rods (I believe). Mated to the 1516 conventional tender.
​
Importantly, I will note that the windup motors used on the 1501 & 1503 are significantly smaller than those used on the 1506 series and on the 1508/1511 locos ... smaller in all three dimensions: length, height, and width.

Now, here are some windup locos from my collection ... left-to-right: 1501, 1503, 1506L, 1508 ...

More to come ...

This is an ad taken from Greenberg's Guide to Ives Trains, 1984 edition, for the 1501 windup.









TJ


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## tjcruiser (Jan 10, 2010)

Here's a closer look at the windup motors themselves (or parts thereof ... a couple of these are just derelict motor frames). From top to bottom we have:

1501/1503 motor with Ives-style screw-in key

1511 motor (frame) which would have been mated to a whistle-chugger

1506L motor with bell


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## tjcruiser (Jan 10, 2010)

Here's a comparison of 1501 and 1503 motors. Though I believe there are likely many mix-match combinations and variations, shown below is a 1501 with bell and Lionel-style square-peg key; and the 1503 with no bell but with Ives-style screw-in key.

(The stainless screw-in key below is original. The brass square-peg key is a reproduction, fancier than what would have been original.)


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## tjcruiser (Jan 10, 2010)

Here's an all-red 1506 with the blank (plain) boiler front. This one is NOT in my collection ... simply spotted on eBay. Note the frame cutout for the battery and bell (a carry-over from the black/red 1506), even though this all-red 1506 never had the battery/light or bell.


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## tjcruiser (Jan 10, 2010)

Here's some photos of my 1506L (prior to restoration) showing how the battery compartment, electric light, motor with bell all fit together ...


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## tjcruiser (Jan 10, 2010)

And here some photos showing of my 1508 (prior to restoration) and how the lamp (bulb) socket and battery holder were integral with the loco frame ...


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## tjcruiser (Jan 10, 2010)

Finally, here are some eBay example pics of a 1511 with whistle/chugger. Note that the boiler nose here does include a chrome bezel, whereas the 1508 (with light socket nose) does not.


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## tjcruiser (Jan 10, 2010)

Oh, I meant to add this, too. A collection of 1501 parts showing how they would fit together. My apologies to this little orphan. He's in sorry shape, and will get some much-needed t.l.c. from me at some point soon ...


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## teledoc (Oct 22, 2014)

TJ, A very well done description in the first post, But I took the liberty to make few correction, and edited a few item. Your use of Chrome trim was edited to Nickel trim, and I corrected the “Stoker tender” number from 1508 to 1509T, which is the correct number. The follow up posts, with the visuals is great, for people to actually see the variations. I may chime in later!!! Great job, as usual. Prewar Tinplate is fascinating to research, and a few of us, like to delve into the lost history, from the early years of Ives & Lionel.


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## wvgca (Jan 21, 2013)

lots of good information here ....
actually fun to read


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## tjcruiser (Jan 10, 2010)

Here's the 1506 black boiler with red frame loco (NOT the 1506L loco) recently acquired by Teledoc/Jerry. Jerry, perhaps you can take and post some photos of the loco close-up, showing the motor, frame, boiler front, etc.? I'd love to see these in detail, especially your eyes/description of what cutouts exist on the internal loco frame. Please confirm "no bell" on this 1506?


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## tjcruiser (Jan 10, 2010)

teledoc said:


> TJ, A very well done description in the first post, But I took the liberty to make few correction, and edited a few item. Your use of Chromr trim was edited to Nickel trim, and I corrected the “Stoker tender” number from 1508 to 1509T, which is the correct number.


Thanks, Jerry ... I was hoping you'd chime in. I added the ebay pics of your 1506 loco and set. Can you please take and post detailed photos of the loco ... showing frame with cutouts, boiler front, etc.? Thanks!

TJ


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## teledoc (Oct 22, 2014)

This is a continuation of the windups, produced under the Ives, Lionel-Ives, then Lionel Lithographs. These windups were actually all produced by Lionel, in both the Bridgeport, CT, and Irvington NJ plants, by Lionel only. As mentioned before, Lionel had bought Ives, after bankruptcy, in Nov. 1929, and all these windups were produced from 1930, up through 1935-36 time frame. The Ives 1501, 1503, and 1506 were made under the Ives lithograph, and cataloged in the Ives 1931-32 years. The Ives label was totally eliminated by Lionel in 1933, which is when Lionel-Ives appeared.

All of the early issued windups, until 1935-36, had governors, to control the speed of the windup, and provided braking. Here is the Patent for the governor, also found in an earlier tjcruiser post.










Below are photos of the Ives 1506, which I recently purchased as a Set. The Set was missing the 1512 gondola, but luckily, I had the needed 1512 black frame gondola.

Right side view 1506.








Left side view 1506.








Top view of 1506.








This is front view, small hole with copper bezel. There were different combinations of steamchests used throughout production, of these small windups. 








This is rear view of cab, with control lever.








This is bottom view assembled, and NO Bell TJ.









This is view with motor removed, showing curved cut-outs. This body style, with cut-outs was for future models, using electric motors. The Ives 1815 loco used this body, for the electric powered model, with an 1815T, which is the IVES R.R. LINES tender, similar to the 1016T.








This a view of the motor, from rear, and top view.








This is view of the motor, from rear, and bottom view.









This is view of motor from the front, top view.








As TJ mentioned in his post, the Ives locos & motors were smaller, as compared to later issues. Primarily, the springs were different. The Ives 1501/1503/1506 had springs at just under 3/8" (.3670") wide, and the later issues of 1506L, 1508, 1511, 1588 are about 7/16" (.4245) wide. The frame of the Ives locos, measure 5/8" wide, versus the later Lionel frame, at 3/4" wide.



This is a 1588 Torpedo Loco, that used a whistle as the governor, to control the speed, and braking, viewed from the left side.








This is a bottom view of a 1588 loco, showing the similarities to the earlier windup motors.








This is a view, with attention to the gearing, attached to the whistle motor, as the governing device.









The transition period after Lionel took over the Ives line, gets confusing, trying to identify Ives issues, from Lionel-Ives, to Lionel issued windups. Also in the same time span, Lionel created another line of locos, with another identification, but NOT linking it to Lionel, as the “Winner Line”. The Ives labeled windups were offered in 1931-32 ONLY. The Lionel-Ives labels offered in 1932-33 only, when the Lionel-Ives was no longer used after 1933. In 1934, the new identity of Lionel Jr., came about. That identity continued from 1934 until 1937, and then, all issues of locomotives became “Lionel 027”.

This is the Patent, for the whistle, that was used in the 1511 as pictured, & the 1588 windups. It was invented by Charles V. Giaimo, who worked for Lionel.


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## teledoc (Oct 22, 2014)

*Greenberg's Guide to Ives Trains*

The following is excerpted from the Greenberg Guide to Ives Trains. With Lionel acquiring Ives, in 1929, the manufacturing was initially in the Ives plant, in Bridgeport, CT., and Lionel closed that plant, in 1931, and moved every thing to the Irvington, NJ. facility.:::

With the closing of the Bridgeport plant in 1931 and the move to Lionel's Irvington facility, the clockwork series was redesigned by Lionel to both modernize the line, and reduce its production cost. Ives produced stamped steel steam engines, rather than cast-iron boilers. In 1931, Ives offered three new Lionel designed 0-4-0 mechanical locomotives. (although it says Ives, it was really Lionel) They had modern low design. The new 1501 and 1503 models were 6 1/4" long, and the 1503 had side rods and a brake. Both came with the new four-wheel 1502 tender. The deluxe locomotive was the 1506, which was 6 3/4" long, and came with a brake, and the larger 1507 coal tender. The 1506 was also offered electrically powered in 1931 as the 1815. No electric outline clockwork-powered models were produced

The 1501 and 1506 engines were offered by Lionel-Ives line in 1932, but the in-between 1503 was dropped. After closing out Ives' trains in 1932, Lionel offered the 1501 and 1506 as "Lionel-Ives" in the 1933 catalog and then finally as "Lionel Jr." line, in 1934, thus ending the tradition, started by Ives, in 1901.


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## tjcruiser (Jan 10, 2010)

Hi Jerry,

MANY thanks for the info above, and for posting detailed pics of your "new" 1506, including detailed shots of the frame and motor disassembled. Much appreciated.

This confirms that this black/red version of the 1506 (no battery/light) DID have a small bezel on the boiler front, and that the frame is THE SAME AS the frame used on the electric-powered 1015 and 1035 locos. (This 1506 frame has a screw-on rear motor mount, and does NOT have the battery-compartment cutout that exists on the RED 1506 loco and the 1506L loco.)


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## tjcruiser (Jan 10, 2010)

OK, Jerry, what is this little beast??? ...

The guys over at OGRForum.com had this image/post of a little 1506 (or 1815) Ives/Lionel loco ... but with a DIFFERENT BOILER FRONT. It's NOT the same as the blank (no hole) boiler front used on the RED 1506, nor the same as any other 1506, 1015, or 1035 loco.

https://ogrforum.ogaugerr.com/topic/lionel-ives-clockwork-loco

Do you think this boiler front is original? If so, what loco is this? Or do you think that this is a non-original replacement boiler front (from some other loco/mfr) that was simply stuck here to replace a long-lost front? Do you recognize that boiler front from something else? Marx, maybe???

TJ


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## teledoc (Oct 22, 2014)

TJ, To answer your question, that loco is James Pekarek’s 1506L, with a different boiler front. I am in communication with James AKA “Windupguy”, via email. He is heavily into Marx windups. He verified it has the battery cut-out, switch, but not sure if I remember him saying it had wiring to a headlight. Otherwise it is a 1506L. You have to read through the whole thread.

I measured the boiler front, which came in at 1.45” diameter. There is a distinct possibility that Ives, Lionel, & Marx boiler fronts are interchangeable, with different designs, i.e.: solid front, small hole w/ bezel, large hole w/bezel. More detective work!!!!


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## tjcruiser (Jan 10, 2010)

Thank you, Jerry!

And, to complete the dialog on this subject, Jerry and I have confirmed that the black, blank (no holes) boiler front on the 1506L loco shown above is, in fact, a Marx boiler front ... from a Marx 833 loco.

TJ


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## teledoc (Oct 22, 2014)

After re-reading the thread over on OGR, Windupguy bought that without the front, and stated he used the Marx 833, as a quick substitute.


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## tjcruiser (Jan 10, 2010)

*Be careful what you wish for ...*

I spotted this all-red 1506 on eBay and couldn't resist. Put in a crazy-high bid (for me) ... thought I'd have plenty of cushion, but ended up winning by just a few pennies. Dohh! Oh, well ... another orphan for the stable. It's all original. In OK shape, though the windup spring doesn't hold its wind. Not sure why ... I'll have to delve into that.

Reiterating: this later-generation all-red windup 1506 is built directly upon the electric-motor 1015/1035 series locos. The frame cutouts are exactly the same at the 1015/1035 with battery holder, though there's no battery/switch/light here in the 1506. The windup motor does have a bell and drive rods. The boiler front is blank ... no hole, no bezel.

On TJ's restoration list ... someday.

TJ


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## eljefe (Jun 11, 2011)

Uggg, I hate these TJcruiser threads. Always so fascinating but they make me want to buy more tinplate, and I already have way too many trains!


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## tjcruiser (Jan 10, 2010)

eljefe said:


> Uggg, I hate these TJcruiser threads. Always so fascinating but they make me want to buy more tinplate, and I already have way too many trains!


HA!!! Too funny!!! Truth is, I kind of hate these TJ threads, too. I got sucked into the Deep, Dark, Tinplate hole a while back, and haven't been able to escape, since. My only consolation is that I managed to pull Teledoc down into the hole with me. So, together, we're chasing the demons around.

There's always room for more!!!



TJ

(Thanks for the kind/fun words ... much appreciated!)


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## teledoc (Oct 22, 2014)

*1931-1932 Ives catalog pages*

As part of the research of the Windups, and the transition into powered units, of the same time period, we have to include Ives, into the mix. As some may know, Ives went bankrupt in late 1928, and Lionel and American Flyer bought Ives in 1929. American Flyer was bought out by Lionel, and Lionel had complete control by 1930. The Ives line from 1930 until 1933, was actually made by Lionel, first in the old Ives plant, in Bridgeport, CT., and then eventually moved to Livingston, NJ. Lionel was producing trains, under the Ives name, until 1933, when the Ives name, was abandoned. 

Below are photos from the 1931-32 Ives catalog, showing the 027 trains, both windup and powered, that used the same basic body, of the 1506 loco.


This is page 4, of the 1931 Ives catalog. The top two photos are the 1810 Electric locos. The bottom two photos are the 1815 Electric powered & 1815T tender. The 1815T was renumbered in 1932, to become a 1507T tender. The 1815 used the same body as the Windup 1506. The Electric locos, all came with the 1012 transformer in the power house.








This is page two of same catalog. The top two Sets are the 1501 Windup loco, with a 1502T tender. The next two Sets are the 1503 Windup, with the 1502T. The bottom photo is the 1506 Windup, with 1507T tender. The 1502T is smaller than the 1507T. The 1931 catalog was the only year to offer the 1503 in a Set. It was dropped from the 1932 catalog.









This is page three of the 1931 catalog. The whole page is the 1506 loco, in layouts. The 1507T tender was the common tender used with the 1506 Windup. The 1506 is slightly larger, than its predecessor 1501-1503 locos.








This is page three from the 1932 catalog. The top three locos are the 1501 Windups with the 1502T tender. The bottom two locos are the 1506 Windup, with the 1507T tender.








This is page four, with two layouts, of passenger Sets. The top loco is the 1501 Windup and 1502T tender. The bottom photo is the 1506 Windup, with the 1507T tender.








This is page six, with two windups at the top. The left loco is the 1501 loco, with the 1502T tender. The right photo is the 1506 Windup, with the 1507T tender. The remainder of the page are the passenger & freight cars available.








This is page seven of the 1932 catalog. The top two photos are the 1810 Electric locos. The bottom two photos are the 1815 powered loco, with both locos having the 1507T tender. One is a freight Set, the other is the passenger Set.
****Take note of the 1815 from this year, is NOT the same as the previous year. The 1815 from 1931, had the same body as the 1506 Windup. This 1815, now has a brass plate with IVES R.R., both sides near the boiler front, and brass plates with 1815 on both sides, under the cab windows. Although these are pages from an Ives catalog, Ives no longer existed, and was solely owned by Lionel. Lionel apparently took some liberties, to change the 1815, from 1931 to 1932. So there are actually two versions of 1815 locos to be found. The 1815 appears to be quite rare, for collecting, and I presume not many were made. There is one Set#1802, listed on eBay, (March 14), that is the complete rolling stock, minus track, or the 1012 Transformer Power Station.. The loco is 1931 issue, and the tender is 1932 issue, and one extra 1811 Pullman car.****








MORE TO COME........


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## tjcruiser (Jan 10, 2010)

'Doc,

EXCELLENT info added to the mix! Thank you!!!

Can you email me higher-resolution images of the above catalog page scans? Hard to read detail here.

I am very surprised to learn that there were two different versions of the "elusive 1815".

OK ... I get that the first electric-motor 1815 was essentially built on a clone of the windup 1506 shell, and that this 1815 was eventually retagged as the 1035 Winner loco. (We'll discuss more on that later.)

However, what is this SECOND 1815 loco with brass nameplates? I've never seen that before ... no photos, no ebay listings, nada. Good find via your catalog scans, but ... did it actually exist? Was it "artistic liberty" on the part of the catalog illustrator???

The 1802 set that was recently listed on ebay has the first-generation 1815 loco (i.e., 1506-like shell), not the second-generation version.

Show me the money!!!  If there is a second-generation 1815 out there, first, I want proof. Then, I want one in my collection.   

Great info, Jerry!

Cheers,

TJ


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## tjcruiser (Jan 10, 2010)

*Getting "Winner" into the mix ...*

Here's a page from the 1932 Lionel "Winner" catalog ... Lionel's lower-end, cheaper model train line.

Note the locos on the bottom left. Listed as the Lionel Winner 1015 locos ... but identical in form (as drawn) to the second-generation Ives 1815 loco that 'Doc noted, above.

I'm going to go out on a limb and decree that both the graphic representation of the 1815 loco in the Ives 1932 catalog and the graphic representation of the 1015 loco in the Winner 1932 catalog were purely artistic license on behalf of the illustrator. In real production, I believe that these locos ALL shared the same, basic 1506-style shell (windup version) and 1035 shell (electric motor version).

Can anyone prove me wrong???

Gauntlet tossed



TJ


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## teledoc (Oct 22, 2014)

*Is it a "Winner"......*

TJ has thrown out the gauntlet, and made a decree, that the illustrator used artistic/literary license,with the Ives 1815 & Winner 1015 being the same. I have the physical HARD copies of the 1932 Ives & Winner Lines catalogs. A little explanation is needed..........

One major key to this whole mystery, is the fact of Lionel, actually having sole ownership of Ives, from 1930 onward. Lionel had to survive the depression, as many other Corporations. Their "0" gauge line of products were considered expensive, and a luxury, by many consumers. Ives, had produced a different line, that was scaled down, to what would become "027", which was easier to produce.

In 1931, Lionel did not produce "027" items, but strictly "0" gauge items, in their catalog. This same year, Lionel decided to introduce a new line of "Novelty" trains, under the name "Winner Lines", and published a catalog for that year. There was No association, in this catalog, with Lionel. Lionel's reasoning was to distance itself, completely, from the parent company, by not putting the Lionel name on anything. If consumers didn't like the Winner trains, it would not impact Lionel's reputation, as a better quality product.

This brings us to 1932 catalogs, which can be compared. If you look at the photo above, from the Winner catalog, with the whole page at the top, it shows two Electric trains #'s 1010. One passenger,and one freight. The bottom two locos are the 1015 locos, in both freight and passenger. One thing of note, with the 1015 loco, as illustrated in the catalog, is the Name Plate, and Number Plate, which can be seen, in the lower photo. When you look at the Ives catalog page #7, titled Yankee Complete Electric Outfits, from my post, the same physical illustrations are shown as Ives 1810 Electric, and the 1815 Steam loco. The 1815 loco, also has the Name Plate & Number Plates, shown in this catalog illustration. If you put the two pages, side by side, they are the same illustrations of the locos, with only the 1012 Transformer Power Station in a different position. The Power Station Xfrmer was offered in both the Ives and Winner catalogs, but Not in the Lionel.

The catalogs for both locos, are the same locomotives, with only the Graphic lettering, changed to the particular company it was sold under. The actual bodies are the same, but the exception is the actual SOLD products, do not have the Name & Number Plates, as shown in either catalog. One brand used 1000 series numbering, the other used 1800 series numbers. In 1933-34, some of the items were still being sold, with Lionel graphics, and using the 1800 series numbers. (Rolliing stock of Passenger cars). The freight cars leading into 1933-34 were numbered in the 1500 series.

Although, this thread has extended into Powered units, some of the physical bodies, were from the original Mechanical/Windup loco bodies. Certain modifications were made to adapt electric motors, into an original Windup body.


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## tjcruiser (Jan 10, 2010)

'Doc,

Good summary / narrative on the introduction of Lionel's "Winner Line" and the consistency of those products with the Ives-tagged offerings in the early '30's. I think we're dusting off history quite accurately.

Cheers,

TJ


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## tjcruiser (Jan 10, 2010)

We know that the 1508 Vanderbilt windup loco had a bell and electric headlamp, and that the near-clone 1511 Vanderbilt windup loco had a whistle-chugger (but no bell/headlamp). Here's a comparison I've just done of the inside of the loco shell to see/identify the differences ... 1508 on top; 1511 on bottom. (The 1508 is from my collection, the 1511 is via a recent eBay listing).


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## teledoc (Oct 22, 2014)

Great comparison without the motors installed. The cut out for the battery, and lamp socket is quite evident on the 1508. If only the windup motors could have lasted!!


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## Chiefmcfuz (Dec 30, 2008)

This is an awesome thread. Thank you so much!


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## tjcruiser (Jan 10, 2010)

Thanks, guys. Fun stuff, for sure!!!


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## teledoc (Oct 22, 2014)

TJ, We are in a small group, that try to analyze the subtle variations on these early Tinplate. It’s fun figuring out the comparisons of individual pieces, and how changes took place through production.:smilie_daumenpos:


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## tjcruiser (Jan 10, 2010)

First time I'm seeing this:

Via a current listing on eBay, photos of a 1506L loco with an old battery installed. As noted previously, this type of battery (specified by Lionel as an Eveready No. 935 type) had its paper jacket removed ... the exposed cylinder was the ground/negative terminal of the battery.

Cheers,

TJ


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## teledoc (Oct 22, 2014)

The Eveready 935, is cross referenced as a “C” battery, in today’s market. I don’t know for sure if the newest “C” cells would fit. Those older batteries had paper jackets that could be removed, where the new ones don’t have that feature.


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## tjcruiser (Jan 10, 2010)

I had checked that a while back, Doc ... a modern-day C battery will not fit in the 1506L casing ... it's just a bit too big.

And modern batteries have their negative terminal on the bottom (isolated from the cylindrical shell), whereas the battery required here needs its exposed shell as the negative-terminal ground.


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