Post by Deleted on Jan 24, 2018 11:46:30 GMT -5
(EDIT: I might have accidentally posted this in a black hole last night? Never showed up in recent threads, no comments or likes, views were maybe only my edits? Moving here... hope that's OK)
Since I mentioned my affection for these in another thread, I figured I'd show the ones I have here. For my purposes this concerns the blue and orange "comet" scheme, not the plain brown and white version.
I was actually planning an HOC feature whereby we compare "the same car by different manufacturers", with a B&O Timesaver as the debut feature. I need to do some more research, and acquire a few more, first. Also thinking about SP's MK Popsicles for another. Among other candidates...
Anyway, here's the full consist as it is now:
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And one by one: here are the different models:
^ Gilbert. Two different numbers released, on two different tooling variations. This model is rather crude but has its charms. Notice how the body ribs have a break on the left side, to assist with decor on earlier schemes. Deco concessions are still evident in the Timesaver logo decal, which is of course comically small.
The doors on this one are from a Varney. The car otherwise is as I found it in the bottom of a junk box at The Golden Spike.
^ Varney, lithographed metal. Absolutely beautiful. I think other road numbers may exist as well. But these kits all have a major flaw in that nearly every one I have seen, it's like the roofwalk shrinks and is a poor fit. I got this one mint new unassembled and even then the walk was a tough fit. Very common to find them broken in my experience. This model has sharp lettering and even a B&O Mount Claire shop bug... but the comet lettering " Fast Dependable Etc" is just not quite exact... but close!
^ AHM by Kader. Nice colors, a little faded... but the Googie Blob loses points for some jagged edges and bad T-S lettering. The road number is fake, too. But a pretty attractive car from AHM.
^ Mantua, late 90's. A very nice job! Nice even paint, lettering is sharp and stylized properly. This was a late addition to Mantua's 40' boxcar lineup. I think in the final year, 2001, it came with knuckle couplers.
^ Athearn, Metal (1950's). At least I think it is Athearn as it bears similarities to an Athearn O kit I built.... but it might be Silver Streak or someone else... I am not certain. I've been told this is a rare find and I'm inclined to think so, I've not seen another. Easily the best lettering of the bunch, and more accurate blue color than the Varney. Just a gorgeous model!
My version was another train show junk box rescue. It is missing the roofwalk, brakewheel, and some stirrups.
^ Tyco's "Electronic Sound of Steam" boxcar from 1982. The production version is on the right, the one-and-only hand-decorated pre-prod catalog mockup is on the left. Setting aside the incorrect but understandable (for electronics packaging) use of a 50' car... this rendition has some really bizarre choices. The red logo is wrong... but the Googie Blob looks like it got wadded up! Now I always assumed that was some weird glitchy mistake, like Tyco used a decal set the crinkled up before they took masters for the tampo press, but no: that pre-prod has the same mistakes, almost deliberately made!
Yet I have long held assumptions based on strong clues, if not confirmed facts, that Kader did a lot of dev work for Tyco. Remember that goofy AHM blob? Well here it is, blown up. That's almost far too coincidental... unless Tyco's art dept. researched this soley by copying an old AHM car.
~~~~~~~~~
As for other Timesavers, I'm aware of a few I need:
- Bachmann release from 2014+
- Intermountain
- Bev-Bel using Athearn (limited run of 3 car numbers)
And I am sure there are probably more. I want to say Marklin maybe did one too.
Since I mentioned my affection for these in another thread, I figured I'd show the ones I have here. For my purposes this concerns the blue and orange "comet" scheme, not the plain brown and white version.
I was actually planning an HOC feature whereby we compare "the same car by different manufacturers", with a B&O Timesaver as the debut feature. I need to do some more research, and acquire a few more, first. Also thinking about SP's MK Popsicles for another. Among other candidates...
Anyway, here's the full consist as it is now:
And one by one: here are the different models:
^ Gilbert. Two different numbers released, on two different tooling variations. This model is rather crude but has its charms. Notice how the body ribs have a break on the left side, to assist with decor on earlier schemes. Deco concessions are still evident in the Timesaver logo decal, which is of course comically small.
The doors on this one are from a Varney. The car otherwise is as I found it in the bottom of a junk box at The Golden Spike.
^ Varney, lithographed metal. Absolutely beautiful. I think other road numbers may exist as well. But these kits all have a major flaw in that nearly every one I have seen, it's like the roofwalk shrinks and is a poor fit. I got this one mint new unassembled and even then the walk was a tough fit. Very common to find them broken in my experience. This model has sharp lettering and even a B&O Mount Claire shop bug... but the comet lettering " Fast Dependable Etc" is just not quite exact... but close!
^ AHM by Kader. Nice colors, a little faded... but the Googie Blob loses points for some jagged edges and bad T-S lettering. The road number is fake, too. But a pretty attractive car from AHM.
^ Mantua, late 90's. A very nice job! Nice even paint, lettering is sharp and stylized properly. This was a late addition to Mantua's 40' boxcar lineup. I think in the final year, 2001, it came with knuckle couplers.
^ Athearn, Metal (1950's). At least I think it is Athearn as it bears similarities to an Athearn O kit I built.... but it might be Silver Streak or someone else... I am not certain. I've been told this is a rare find and I'm inclined to think so, I've not seen another. Easily the best lettering of the bunch, and more accurate blue color than the Varney. Just a gorgeous model!
My version was another train show junk box rescue. It is missing the roofwalk, brakewheel, and some stirrups.
^ Tyco's "Electronic Sound of Steam" boxcar from 1982. The production version is on the right, the one-and-only hand-decorated pre-prod catalog mockup is on the left. Setting aside the incorrect but understandable (for electronics packaging) use of a 50' car... this rendition has some really bizarre choices. The red logo is wrong... but the Googie Blob looks like it got wadded up! Now I always assumed that was some weird glitchy mistake, like Tyco used a decal set the crinkled up before they took masters for the tampo press, but no: that pre-prod has the same mistakes, almost deliberately made!
Yet I have long held assumptions based on strong clues, if not confirmed facts, that Kader did a lot of dev work for Tyco. Remember that goofy AHM blob? Well here it is, blown up. That's almost far too coincidental... unless Tyco's art dept. researched this soley by copying an old AHM car.
~~~~~~~~~
As for other Timesavers, I'm aware of a few I need:
- Bachmann release from 2014+
- Intermountain
- Bev-Bel using Athearn (limited run of 3 car numbers)
And I am sure there are probably more. I want to say Marklin maybe did one too.
