Vintage Docksider

[Carey Williams]

Hello all

Any ideas who built this Docksider ? .... Nicely done older piece , heavy little brick ...open frame motor ..unique ( to me) set of contacts that rub on the insulated wheels for pickup ... little round pieces pushed against the wheel by a captured spring . Doors open .
Both US Hobbies and International made a Docksider .....but this has that flavor made well before they ever though about a Docksider ....
Any ideas ?
Thank you for your thoughts
Cheers Carey

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[bob turner]

No idea. A Dockside is in my future planning. I have O Scale or 17/64 models of all my favorite HO stuff except for the Dockside and the gray Varney CNR refrigerator car. I even had special decals made for a couple box cars and that Mantua.

If I were to guess, I'd say a pretty good scratch built. Check with Ed Bommer, who really is a talented B&O modeler, over on OST forum.

[Carey Williams]

Hello all

Stephen Bloy of Australia is the super sleuth to identify the little Docksider .... as found in MR Nov 1951 built by Frank Caliri of Mass.. investing some 625 hours into the lovely model .

Thank you Stephen for solving the mystery "who done it"

Here is the photo as shown in MR Nov 1951

Cheers Carey

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[ScaleCraft]

So the writeup says scratchbuilt from plans.

I don't think it's the same engine....your photo and the model on the magazine.
Headlights are different, whistle or whatever is sticking up past the dome is different,
Appliances on bunker different, window mullion thickness different, but you never know....sometimes things get changed in all these decades.

Crossheads different, crosshead guides to cylinder end different, air pump is different.

[Carey Williams]

Hello all ..I found another photo of the docksider by Caliri in the Hertz book "new Roads To Adventure in Model Railroading " published 1952 ...showing the other side of the engine . ...Some work has been done on the engine since the photos of 1950/1 .... but the rivets are the same ...and the screws holding the steps on the boiler lagging are all in the same position...hard to replicate that .... so during it's rebuild new valve gear , headlight , remove power reverser etc ..

Cheers Carey

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[2railjon]

Beautiful little engine!

[rrjjf]

Carey,

I think you nailed it! A very nice model of a popular locomotive. I often wonder how many of the nice scratch built locomotives and models that were shown in Model Railroader and RMC in the 30s thru the 60s have survived today. There were quite a few modelers capable of doing this kind of work back then who only ever made a few models unlike Bill Lenoir, Fred Icken, Jerry White and other custom loco builders. Some of the locomotives were truly outstanding pieces of workmanship considering the lack, at that time, of lost wax detail castings that we have at our disposal today. I attend several O Scale meet every year and seldom see any of this equipment being offered for sale. Were a lot of these models trashed by the uninterested heirs or are a lot of them still in private O scale collections?

There seems to be a growing interest in finding and restoring these older models and I have done some mechanical work on some models from the 1930s for a few folks. One thing I will say, before WWII the locomotives had robust mechanisms and were built for operation, lots of cast bronze and iron in use.

Joe

[bob turner]

Jim Seacrest had a lot of them. A small number went through Maurer a decade or so ago when Frank Thomson died. Cindy, and then Art, had a pair of Troxel scratchbuilds and a Daylight when Bud died. They are out there, and I agree - becoming more collectible with age. Bernie Corbin's collection made it intact to a March Meet in the 1990's.

[stephen neill]

Carey - Great that you found yours, and then got help with the ID.
Here is another one to ponder. In as found condition; not nearly as nice. Any help on an Id would be appreciated.
3 pictures in this post, 3 in another one, so as not to overload the system
Steve

[stephen neill]

Here are the other 3 pictures, yes I know that some of the pictures are upside down, but like someone else on this forum, regardless of how I position the photos, some come out upside down.

I at first thought that this model was an early Japanese import, but now I think it is US scratch built. Note that the workmanship is not consistent throughout the model, and the picture of a part of the bottom of the engine is attempting to show that there is a round weight inside that is held in place by putting it in a piece of heavy walled round tubing. The cut edge of the tubing is rough and uneven, and that seems to me inconsistent with a production model.

Steve

[John Webster]

Interesting axle retainer. I wonder what the source of the die cast steam chest was.

[rrjjf]

John,

The cylinder casting looks like a Varney/All Nation part.

Joe

[Carey Williams]

Hello all ...at long last got the little Docksider running ....

Please see link for video action .



https://youtu.be/-5YGiswihCI?si=4IOBHYkv-j-TAi-K



Pulling Lobaugh Shell tank cars and a Hawk caboose all prewar.


Cheers Carey

[bob turner]

Very nice. i like the caboose!

I remember this thread! Hopefully all those photos are not lost - they do not show up on this ancient iPad. Carey's model stirred me to build one like it. I chose the earlier wood cab - photos in a bit.

[bob turner]

I must have posted this before, since it is in my Shutterfly file, dedicated to MTJ (the only forum I now participate in for trains). Scratch, 17/64 scale, junker Thomas caboose that may someday get resurrected.