c.1935 Stafford, Streamliner Train Set in Original Box
This awesome three piece pressed steel train set is one of those "thorns" in my side. I've had it in my own collection since 1993 without the box and during that whole time I couldn't find a single, blessed, thing about it. That goes for both the manufacturer and the toy... I found nada! During its 15 year hiatus I've never seen another complete and unused set. Only incomplete and severely rusted. So at least I know it's difficult to find. The three pieces; locomotive with integrated tender, gondola, and caboose are heavy gauge pressed steel with baked on enamel paint. The flat disk wheels and axle rods are all aluminum. The fact that it has aluminum components, plus its streamlined art deco design are the basis for my assigning its year of manufacture around the mid-1930's. The box has a fantastic illustration of the train set speeding, speeding, speeding... Even the toy name was designed in perspective to give it the illusion of speed. Originally printed in red and blue on white (now darkened to brown) background. Company name and address, plus catalog number were printed on front and rear panels as well as both endflaps. The bottom side of the box is completely blank. The box is complete and all original. Locomotive - 12¾", solid black with embossed, silver painted Stafford Liner 100 name in raised lettering on either side of the tender. Headlight is also silver painted. Beautifully angled giving it its streamlined appearance. Single cab window on either side. And embossed boiler edge. Runs on three pairs of 7/8" wheels under the loco, and four pairs of ½" wheels beneath the tender. One end of each aluminum axle was hand hammered to broaden it which would explain why every axle has a faint kink in it (unless they got hot and melted which I doubt). Rear has an unusual split designed hitch. Gondola - 6¼", robin's-egg blue with three embossed raised lines on both sides. Metal ends were die cut with hitch and hitching hole. Has two areas on the interior where the paint glopped up. Caboose - 6¼", deep red with two embossed cross-hatchings (like tic tac toe) and two windows on both sides. Front end is die cut to accept hitch. Rear has overhanging roof and flooring. Box is complete with all six original endflaps firmly attached. Its most prominent condition issue is the age darkening which has progressed to a uniform bronze color. Sold: Sep. 2008
Price Sold: $ 283
