I’ve had a poor Xerox of their catalog for many years, but Al recently sent me photos of his original of the Limco catalog, and it certainly clears up a few things on this rare line. They produced several rare and interesting models.

Overview

On pages 60-62 of my book the topic is the Long Island Scale Model Company, also referred to as Limco or LIMCO. They were active from about 1936-38 and advertised regularly in The Model Craftsman. The catalog has a red cover with 8 pages of text and photos. They entered the market after Nason, and must have been part of the overall activity in OO scale that Scale-Craft and Lionel saw, convincing them that OO was a good bet.

The MU car and coach

Their signature model certainly was their PRR MP54 MU coach, pictured as below in the catalog.

The photo gives you some sense of the drive setup as well, with a large motor similar to the Mantua Midjet fitting easily. This model has die cast sides and ends, which they must have spent a good sum to produce — reflected in the price, as a complete kit sold for $19.75. According to an inflation calculator online that would be something like $450 today! There will be a follow up post soon with photos of a surviving model, which shows that the ends have port hole windows.

UPDATE: More on the LIMCO MU car here.

I believe the same sides were utilized for the other two passenger car models in the catalog, a trailer coach for the MU and also a 64′ coach (the MP54 is also 64′ long). I would think that a plain end would better suit the coach version, but only the MU car end is listed in the catalog. To my knowledge no examples of either of these non-powered models have turned up, and hardly any of the MU cars. The production run must have been pretty small.

The truck produced for the MP54 is the below. This also was available for separate sale and must be very rare. The catalog also indicates they made a die cast 6-wheel truck, but there is no photo.

The reefer

Also seen in the catalog is this reefer.

I don’t know that any of these have turned up in a collection, this is really a model worth looking things over to try to find one. Looking at the catalog description, it has a solid block body, a die cast “double girder” underframe, die cast AB brakes, stamped brass ladders, die cast end beams, and a die cast brake wheel. The sides are described as being “PAINTED, SCORED, and LETTERED.” I take that to mean some sort of cardboard side. The only lettering offered was Western Fruit Express.

The trucks are the arch bar trucks seen below. There is a photo of a pair of them from my collection in my book, but presently they are misplaced.

And more

The catalog also offers other parts and supplies, including notably a group of steam locomotive parts for an unspecified model.

Subsequent advertising indicates they produced a boxcar of some sort and also a tank car. While examples or details of the boxcar are unknown, there are a few survivors of their brass tank car around, the very first tank car offered for sale in OO. More on that model here:

The first American OO tank car

The cover of the catalog is below. Something to keep your eyes on the lookout for.