Not a “BIG BOY” but a very “Little Brat”

e*Train Issue: Dec 2008 | Posted in: 1970-now Modern Era, Collecting

By Mike Stella

I remember when I saw the magazine ad for the new Williams 4-6-6-4 Challenger Steam Locomotive in the early 1990s. I had to have one. And then the 4-8-8-4 Big Boy the following year. And then a 4-8-8-2 Cab Forward and then this and then that.

It seems every one of the BIG articulated steamers I have admired in books have been offered and I added most of them to my collection, including the EM1; an Allegheny; the 2-8-8-8-2 Triplex; a Yellowstone; 2-8-8-0s; 2-6-6-2s; and on and on. Even a few “rigid” Big steamers like a 4-4-4-4 Duplex and a 4-6-4-4 Q.

**Six little Lionel 0-4-0s that add color and fun to my collection**.

But not all “O” Gauge locomotives have 12 or 16 drivers. Some have only 4 and these “Little Brats” are just as collectable and a lot of fun to operate.

The Lionel Kickapoo style 0-4-0 was introduced very early in the MPC era. The #8200 and the #8209 date from 1972 or 35 YEARS AGO. I remember one fellow selling new Kickapoo sets for $11 at a big West Coast train meet. I already had one but bought another which I have never taken out of the box. Lionel made great use of this 0-4-0 making it RED for the Rock Island set #8700; and Dark Blue for the Santa Fe #8512; and Light Blue for Learning Center Award #18709.

**Terrific locos from K-Line and from Japan**.

Finally the #8905 was used in the Smokey Mountain set. Six locomotives that are very easy to obtain and never too expensive. More small locomotives abound with a few from K-Line (now Lionel) and a few brass imports from Japan.

I really think K-Line did a fantastic job with the little diesel switcher and the tiny steam loco which could run in you mining area or citrus plantation (we all have one of those?).

Three rail brass imports seem to turn up quite often and are a great addition to any “O” Gauge collection.

Finally we turn to one of my favorites, the Docksider.

The B&O used these tiny 0-4-0s in the streets and on the piers to clear very tight spaces.

R-O-W made a beautiful model of the B&O Docksider and it runs as good as it looks.

**I admire the beauty of the Docksider. A Lionel Saddle Tank is a “Must Have” loco**.

Lionel brought out an 0-6-0 Saddle Tank switcher a few years ago and it is a great value and a great runner.

While all of the “Little Brats” may not be as glamorous as their bigger steam giant brothers, one thing you can truly say about all of them… they are a lot easier to get on the track!!!

Shop Amazon and Help TCA

TCA members who shop at Amazon.com can have each of their normal purchases generate a modest payment to TCA! And it won’t cost you anything!

The Train Collectors Association is now a participant with AmazonSmile, which is a special website operated by Amazon that lets customers enjoy the same wide selection of products, low prices and convenient shopping features as on Amazon.com.

The difference is that when customers shop at AmazonSmile (smile.amazon.com), the AmazonSmile Foundation donates 0.5% of the price of eligible purchases to the charitable organizations selected by customers.

The process is simple. Just search for and select Train Collectors Association when you sign up and shop at smile.amazon.com.

You use your regular Amazon.com username and password, but when you log in to smile.amazon.com, you’ll see that you are supporting TCA with your purchases:

Note that if you just log in to the regular amazon.com, this benefit does not operate.

There are no costs to either you or TCA, but TCA benefits!

This is a great way for TCA to earn extra cash to offset costs, so sign up today to help support TCA.

* Note: TCA is not a party to any of your Amazon transactions, and does not endorse any products or vendors.

Helping TCA with your ebay purchases when you use PayPal

If you’re an ebay user and have a PayPal account you use to make payments, you can designate a donation for TCA when you’re checking out — any amount, small or large.
If you’re a regular seller on ebay, you can pre-designate a percentage of your sales to be donated automatically in your name to TCA as long as the purchaser pays with their PayPal account.

In both cases, you will receive a donation receipt from the PayPal Giving Fund, and enjoy applicable tax advantages.

How to do it:

Click on the image above, or use this link. This will take you to ebay, where you will see the following page (log in to ebay if you are not already):

This offers TCA as an option. Click on the “Add to My Charities” button where indicated with the red arrow. Thereafter, when you make a purchase, at checkout you will be offered the option to make a donation to TCA in any amount of your choosing. Small amounts add up, larger ones are great! It’s always up to you!

The option will appear at the lower part of your checkout page, something like this:

If you’re a regular seller on ebay, you can allocate a portion of your sales proceeds to be donated to TCA. Look at the green arrow marked “Optional” above to see how to do it. Details on how ebay calculates the donation may be read here. This is a wonderful way to share the financial benefits of your hobby with the organization that promotes it!

An added benefit to TCA is that these donations are not subject to normal processing fees, so that makes your donation work harder!

* Note. TCA is not a party to any of your eBay transactions, and does not endorse any products or vendors. PayPal issues the receipts to you for your donation, not TCA.

Not a “BIG BOY” but a very “Little Brat”

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