Model Train Journal

Hello Old School O scalers

Last walk around at the March Meet saw a little unassuming black hopper with funky couplers lettered "DELTA" . I asked the seller "Delta like Delta Lines?" ..his reply "yes".

He named the type of coupler that Frank Ellison used but the overall excitement of being able to purchase a small piece of Delta Lines .. quickly erased the name of the coupler from my mind .

So I come asking again ..does this look like one of Frank's rolling stock pieces ?

Hopper is all metal , wheel sets may have been changed as they are insulated in the center of the axle ...Delta Lines was outside 3rd rail till the end ?

Thank you for your help .
Cheers Carey

That is a nice hopper. I believe the coupler is Devore, but not sure. I rather doubt this car is from the famous Delta Lines, since most of those cars had a triangular logo and both words. I do like cast aluminum freight cars.

Bob,

I don't think the hopper is cast aluminum. It looks like a Railcraft twin hopper made from sheet steel. The stirrup steps seem to be soldered the the frame extensions. I don't know anything about the Delta Lines rolling stock but Railcraft from the 1940s would certainly fit in the era of this model railroad. There are a good number of these Railcraft cars still in operation after 60 years. I have a few of them and like them. You still can find them at major O scale meets in un-assembled condition.

Joe

Looking closer, you are correct. I too have some Rail Craft cars - once I put stiffeners in them, the panel side gons became superb models.

Somebody post a Delta Lines car photo? I have a paperback somewhere with nothing but Delta Lines.

Carey,

That looks like a Baker coupler to me. I used to have some of the Baker S scale couplers.

Thank you for identifying the hopper as Rail Craft ..and the couplers as Baker .....

Hopper is not cast ..but sheet metal soldered together ... Baker and Rail Craft .. new names to search for .

Bob if you find the book ? with the Delta Lines info ..if you could please post the name ..so I can chase down a copy.

Thank you
Cheers Carey

Nice

I am not sure the couplers are Baker. Just throwing that out there. I have been looking for a picture of DeVore couplers on the net to compare.

Baker coupler may be correct. The DeVore couplers that I have are knuckle couplers similar to MDC and Graceline couplers. John Allen used Baker couplers someone once told me. Allen was always careful that his photos did not show a clear image of the couplers on his cars.

Charlie

CMorrill wrote:Baker coupler may be correct. The DeVore couplers that I have are knuckle couplers similar to MDC and Graceline couplers. John Allen used Baker couplers someone once told me. Allen was always careful that his photos did not show a clear image of the couplers on his cars.

Charlie

and "modified". There was (in half 0) a hairpin spring to hold the latch down, and John removed those, as it sometimes prevented coupling...kicking the couplee down the track.

Hello all

Yes Baker appears to be the maker of the couplers ....offered with a track ramp for full operation ..ad from 1946 Model Railroader .

Cheers Carey

Hello all here is a better ad and view of the Baker coupler

In 1999 I visited a giant O-gauge display layout in an old chicken hatchery along 443 in Lehighton, PA. It was built by a retired pastor and included unusual animated items such as a real rainstorm that recycled water from a shower head on the ceiling into a lake stocked with gold fish, and an audio-visual light show that started in Genesis 1:1.

The most interesting finds were in display cases along one wall near the door. In one section were several original Delta Lines locomotives and freight cars. I inquired and was told that the collection was owned by a cardiologist who lived in another town. Alas I didn't take any pictures. The box cars had individually-applied bent wire grab irons, none of which were very straight. They also stuck out quite far from the car body.

By 2002 or so the building and layout were gone. I never found out what happened to the layout and the collection.

Do I remember the couplers? No. But I do have one of Frank's books from 1954.



And in Frank's book, there are photos of his equipment that shows couplers.

How cool Bob, thanks for sharing guys

A couple system maps from Frank's book.