Discovering Varney

[jonathan]

With the holidays upon us, and so many questions coming in about old trains sets in the attic, I decided to look at a couple of my grandfather's trains, and see what I could get running.

I found two coal hoppers that needed new trucks, couplers and weight to make them roadworthy.  As I removed the plastic coal loads, I found the molded words "Varney 1959" and "Varney 1961".  That got me curious as I had heard the name before, but didn't know anything about it.  Turns out these are not years, but instead, part numbers.  These hoppers were first marketed in 1950.  They originally sold as kits for $2.35US.  I even found one for sale on ebay.  I also learned the contributions Varney made to HO modeling starting in 1936!

For those of you, who have been modeling a couple of years longer than me, Varney must be a familiar name.  I think it's marvelous that they actually put their name on the parts.  Here are nearly 60-year-old cars that have survived being tossed around, and somehow made it onto my layout with all their parts, including the brake wheels.  Very cool for those of us who get into history a little.  I've said it before... HO trains may not hold any monetary value, but things like this are priceless to me.

Here's the brochure and the two hoppers with upgraded trucks and couplers:




Looking forward to making new discoveries as the box isn't empty, yet.

Regards,

Jonathan

P.S.  I'm making new coal loads as these plastic ones are atrocious.

[jward]

those varney  hpooer cars still are marketed to-day. i've seen them as low end lifelike cars in train sets.

[jonathan]

Amazing.  Over half the Life-Like sets include that little hopper.  I wonder if they're still cast from the original mold...

I notice the Bowser version looks identical, too.

Regards,

Jonathan

[jerryl]

  Alot of Varney rolling stock is still around under assumed names.  Bowser still offers Varney's Little Joe. The original was cast in white metal,but Bowser makes them from the same mould in plastic. ( it's actually the B&O Docksider).There are probably more models of this engine than any other in existence despite the fact that only 2 prototypes were ever produced.
                                                                      Jerry

[jonathan]

I actually have one of those original metal docksides.  The wheels and drive rods are brass.  My grandfather scratchbuilt a tender for it out of a block of wood.  I don't know why...  A someday project is to see if I can get that thing running again.  I think I was 13 when I saw it running last.  It has a jewel where the headlight goes.

I'm getting all nostalgic now...

Jonathan

[ebtnut]

Varney was a grand old name in the hobby back into the 1960's.  They had a line of steam loco kits that were pretty advanced for their time.  The "Super" Consolidation was a model of the Reading I-10's, and is still a desireable find.  The Docksider was probably the most popular HO steam loco model of all.  Central Valley once made a valve gear kit for it.  Varney hired John Allen to provide photos for their ads on the back cover of Model Railroader, on the original G&D layout.  In the 1950's they introduced the Casey Jones 4-6-0 and Old Layd 2-8-0 "screwdriver assembly" loco kits.  They used the same boiler/cab casting, cylinder block, drivers and tenders.  With a little TLC, you could get them to run pretty well. 

[Robertj668]

Jonathan
Great find!  I have a lot of older stuff like Gondolas and Box cars from the 70's and got some new Bachmann's ones and I swear the are from the same mold!
Robert

[Jim Banner]

Varney cars may not have the detail we are used to today but they were good for their time.  Remember that the molds were younger then (yes, Virginia, even hardened steel wears eventually.)  But they certain are a big part of model railroading history.  I have a couple of Varney cabooses, one on the layout, the other brand new in the box, both from the late 50's or early 60's.

Here is a link to a 1955 cataloque showing your hoppers or their cousins:

http://www.hoseeker.net/varneyinformation/varneycatalog1955pg04.jpg

I am also proud to run a variety of Revell, Lionel, Tyco, Marx, Cox, tinplate Athearn, die cast Herkimer and other old H0 cars, not for their fine detail but for their historical significance.

Jim

[CNE Runner]

The very first steam locomotive (HO) that I owned was the Varney Ten Wheeler. This kit was a challenge for a 10-year old to assemble (lots of assistance from Dad). It ran much better, and more reliably, than my Athearn GP7 with 'Hi-F Drive'. I wonder whatever happened to that engine?

Thanks for the excellent post Jonathan.

Ray

[jonathan]

Thanks, everyone, for the history lesson.

Imagine the questions I'll have when I get around to working on that old Dockside....

Jonathan

[jerryl]

  I think Bowser still has the valve gear available along with a small super detailing kit. I got mine a few years ago.  I've got the plastic version.  It is on the "project " list.  Have everything i need including a NWSL motor. flywheel & gearbox.   Jerry

[BestSnowman]

Very cool find! I have some stock and a locomotive that was originally my dad's (I've discussed the SDP40 at length on this forum) and while there is no varney there are some usable pieces that I hope to eventually have the time and resources to put a good set of wheels and couplers on them.

In the meantime I am saving up to re-do my layout learning from my mistakes made in a rush to get a layout built. If you have extra code 83 track without roadbed taking up space...

[ebtbob]

I still own several Varney tankcars.

[Johnson Bar Jeff]

I am also proud to run a variety of Revell, Lionel, Tyco, Marx, Cox, tinplate Athearn, die cast Herkimer and other old H0 cars, not for their fine detail but for their historical significance.

Until recently I'd only known Varney "by reputation," meaning what I read of Varney engines and rolling stock in various model railroading books. Then a couple of months ago I bought a vintage (early 1960s) Mantua/Tyco set on eBay. The set came with a couple of extra cars that didn't belong with it, and one turned out to be a Varney flat car. In color it's a hideous shade of yellow, but it's completely intact, including the brake wheel and the couplers. I'm really happy to have this piece of HO model railroading history.

(And my first train set, a Revell U.P. 0-6-0T with a flat car with logs, a bulkhead flat car with pulpwood load, and wooden caboose, has pride of place in my display cabinet, on the bottom shelf as the "foundation" of my lifelong love of trains.)

[ebtnut]

Perhaps just a brief review of some of the manufacturers from the last half of the previous century - Mantua: began with loco kits of cast metal and brass sheet, mostly Reading prototypes.  Early car kits were pretty standard for the time - wood or sheet brass bodies with embossed printed paper overlays.  Later loco kits (the Mike and the Pacific) were originally cast metal; later versions had plastic tenders and cabs.  They also went to plastic rolling stock, under both the Mantua and Tyco lables.  The old Mantual loop and hook couplers were the de facto standard in those pre-Kadee and X2F days.

Model Die Casting (Roundhouse):  Also made a line of cast metal loco kits, generally of Santa Fe prototype.  Their rolling stock was originally all cast metal as well.  Later they went to plastic bodies with metal underframes.  Still later, they went to all-plastic.

Athearn:  Began in the O scale business, then moved into the HO market.  They took over the old Globe dies and produced the infamous Hi-F drive F-7 (my first HO model).  This was followed by a Hi-F GP-9.  They also tried to make a Hi-F drive 4-6-2, but changed it over to gear drive instead.  Their "blue box" rolling stock is just now being phased out after more than 50 years.  They made a couple of plastic and metal steam loco kits back in the early 1960's - a (more or less) USRA 0-6-0 and the "Little Monster"
0-4-2T.  Their later gear drive diesels have been staples for years. 

Central Valley:  Made the best-looking and best-rolling trucks of their day.  They also made some old-time craftsman kits.  Still make the nice plastic Pratt truss bridge kit and some other detail parts.

Bowser:  Originally manufactured cast metal loco kits.  Their NYC K-5 was very nice for its time.  They have now phased out virtually all of their steam-era kits. 

Penn Line:  Also made a line of cast metal loco kits following PRR prototypes, as well as some rolling stock kits.  Bowser eventually took over the line. 

Silver Streak:  Made an extensive line of craftsman-type car kits.

Walthers:  Once made some steam loco kits back in the late '40's, but pretty much limited themselves later to some gas-electrics and trolley kits, and a line of craftsman kits.  Walthers dates back to the early 1930's, and had an extensive line of O scale models and parts available until about 20 years ago. 

Just as a touchstone, PFM's first brass import was in about 1954 and if memory serves, it was a model of a V&T Ten-Wheeler with tender drive.  International Models (IMP) brought in the first brass import in the late 1940's, a crude 0-6-0T of indeterminate prototype called the "Tootsie Roller".