The Milwaukee Road’s Hiawatha first ran between Chicago and Minneapolis in 1935. Don Gorsuch heavily modified this HO-Scale model to represent the Hiawatha’s original locomotives from 1935. This original equipment lasted until the early 1950’s, while the Hiawatha service survived through Amtrak’s creation. The Hiawatha name is still used today.
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Don Gorsuch kitbashed this HO-scale model based on the “Galloping Goose” motorcars of the Rio Grande Southern Railroad of Colorado. The “Geese” were built in the 1930’s to save the railroad money by replacing conventional steam trains. This model most closely resembles Motor #2, which was built in 1931 from a Buick sedan, and later rebuilt with a 1926 Pierce-Arrow body. The Rio Grande Southern had a total of seven “Galloping Geese,” and all but one, including #2, survive today.
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The General was built for the Atlanta-based Western & Atlantic Railroad in 1855. In 1862, a group of 22 Union raiders stole The General in an attempt to sabotage the Confederate railroad. They were pursued by Confederates aboard another locomotive and were captured. Eight of the raiders, including their leader, were hanged. The event was recreated in two motion pictures, The General in 1927 and The Great Locomotive Chase in 1956. Today The General is on display at the Kennesaw Civil War Museum in Georgia. This HO-scale model is a commercial product made by Mantua.
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The Dewitt-Clinton made its maiden run in 1831 as the first steam locomotive in New York. This HO-scale model is a commercially manufactured set made by Bachmann.
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Ives was founded by Harry Ives in 1868 and produced clockwork floor trains among other items. Following a fire in 1900, Ives introduced a new line of cast iron and tinplate trains in both O-Gauge and the larger 1-Gauge. Ives became the market leader in the United States in 1910 after introducing electric O-Gauge trains, and it maintained its position until surpassed by Lionel in 1924. Ives declared bankruptcy in 1928. Lionel and American Flyer jointly acquired Ives, and Lionel bought American Flyer's share in 1930. Ives trains were produced until 1931.
This #1679 boxcar, dating from the 1920s if not earlier, is the only Ives piece Don Gorsuch had.
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A British model train producer that produced trains in America from 1913 to 1929. Hornby started producing trains based on American designs in 1925. Hornby ended it's American production in 1929 after the stock market crash. Hornby still produces HO & OO-Scale trains in Europe today.
Hornby Portland Cement Car & LMS Brake Van
Hornby is a British train company that still exists today. These pieces may date from the 1920s when Hornby had a factory in the United States. A "Brake Van" is a British version of a caboose.
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The Unique Art Manufacturing Company added clockwork and electric tinplate trains to its existing toy line in 1949. The trains were priced at the low-priced end of the market, where they could not compete with Marx. Unique decided to stay with its existing lines of toys and office supplies and ended production of the trains in 1951.
Unique Lines trains were little known and short-lived, being produced only from 1949 to 1951. This Tender and Caboose are presumably quite rare.
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