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 Posted - October 02 2009 : 3:53:35 PM
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Dissamled axle for viewing lettering "HOBBYLINE".
Found this HOBBYLINE caboose today, HO Seeker claims its from the 50's.
Does anybody know more about this brand? - Erich
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Posted - October 30 2009 : 12:35:55 PM
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Hobbyline is the successor to John English trains. You are looking at the late forties, fifties and early sixties. Hobbyline produced some of the John English models in plastic. They were sold assembled in sets and as kits.
The English pacific and mike were reincarnated by Lionel in their first foray into HO. Lionel put there own drive under the English boilers and lengthened the tender for a whistle unit.
This caboose, and the whole HobbyLine line, may have wound up in the Varney line which was then made by Lifelike. I'm not sure about this. Hobbyline may have been sold to Penn Line.
English made die cast passenger cars. These definitely became plastic cars in the Penn Line line. They then were made by lifelike when Penn Line went bankrupt.
I owned a John English A-5 PRR switcher. It was all die cast. English, and other lines of the period, had the same problem. Because of the Korean War there were shortages of some metals and, as a result, the zamac castings often crumbled. If you come across an English A-5 buy it, they are very rare and can be refitted with Mantua switcher wheel sets.
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Posted - October 31 2009 : 04:42:39 AM
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LIGuy45 : Very interessting, thank you! - Erich
Edited by - Erich on October 31 2009 04:45:05 AM
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