1900 CARLISLE & FINCH NO. 1, NO. 1-R AND NO. 2 IVES 800 MECHANICAL AND 809 ELECTRIC TROLLEY


Three sizes were produced for a short time, two in clockwork and one in two different electric versions. The 6¹/₂″ No. 800 was made between 1910 and 1913 and cost $1.75. It used a playful parlor car body with motor and spring- mounted pole, track, catenary poles and wire. A smaller, five inch, seven window No. 801, made between 1910 and 1913, was $1.00 and was similarly made and sold. The 7³/₄″ electric No. 810 made between 1910 and 1912 sold for $2.50 had more authentic lithogra- phy and ran from powered overhead catenary and a trolley pole. The same


LATER CARLISLE & FINCH-EARLY, 1900’S


No. 2 was $6.50. Both No. 1’s came complete with a three foot circle of pol- ished rolled steel with wood ties and chromite batteries. The No. 2 had two motors, one for each truck, and was said to be capable of pulling identical trailers; it came with 18-feet of track. Comparing Carlisle & Finch’s models with Bing’s sophistication and pricing is indicative of the rather primitive and expensive state of some domestic manufacture at the turn of the 20th century.


Two of these, shown here, are of a later date. Both are electric, one to run


RAILROAD MODEL CRAFTSMAN


with or without powered overhead wire. No prices are known for these particular models. Ives, after years of making fanciful tin and cast iron floor trains, rebuilt its fire-destroyed factory and reopened in 1901 with a new line of O gauge clock- work trains. Its steam locomotives were blatantly copied from Issmayer and Marklin precedents. Ives began to find its own identity with more repre- sentative American outline locomo- tives, freight and passenger cars, and it tried its hand at competing with Ger- man trolleys of its own creation.


car, numbered 809, circa 1912 to 1915, was sold as inside third rail operating. A matching trailer was an additional $.75 cents.


Of the three styles, the No. 809-810 versions came off best visually. The oth- ers,


while quaint and comfortably


priced, were unable to compete effec- tively with Bing’s enormous capabili- ties, designs and lithography to be sold through outlets such as Sears in the huge quantities it required. Plus, they were individual sets, apart from other trains which could be expanded upon, a valiant try on Ives’ part.


89


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