help identify brass locomotive

This may be little more than a guess. In the 50's an NYC based corporation, International Models, offered a line of O guage (I'm not sure whether they were true O scale) models in both two and three rail variants. I believe one of these was an interurban type freight motor. I am personally unaware of any other brass, three rail model of this type dating from that era. I hope this is of some help. Thank you.

Jerry

PS Many of this compay's offer> Hi all, I've got an O scale brass locomotive that I think my Dad

Browsing back through some old Model Railroader magazines, I found an International Models, Inc. ad on page 68 of the February 1951 issue. It has a line drawing side and end elevation drawing of the prototype and the following text:

"85-Ton South Shore Line Electric in O Gauge Page 73 of the Model Railroader Cyclopedia (5th Edition) gave us the inspiration for this O-Scale model of the 85-Ton South Shore Line Electric. We've reproduced it in typically authentic International fashion . . . right to every detail. Heavy gauge brass construction with all details already on the body (pantograph - pole, etc.). Usual superbly detailed underframe, ready to attach with just a screwdriver . . . and the same powerful AC/DC motor as used in our Pacific. For those who know International's values we need say no more - to those who don't, you're in for a happy money-saving surprise. Complete for only .............................................$19.50"

Note that International did not assign a model number to this loco - just 'South Shore Line Electric'. I believe I once read that the idea of selling the model with the frame separate so that the buyer had to screw the parts together had to do with import duties - if the model were completely assembled in Japan, it would have been categorized as a toy and been subject to higher duties.

The prototype for this model was the Chicago, South Shore and South Bend Railroad 1000 class Baldwin-Westinghouse steeple-cab freight motors. CSS&SB numbers 1001 through 1010 were built by B-W in 1926 & 28 and were rated at

80 Ton. These units had the typical MCB-style drop-equalizer trucks that are apparently on your model, although it's a little hard to tell from your top-view photo of the trucks. CSS&SB numbers 1011 to 1013 were built in 1930 by General Electric to a copy of the B-W design and were rated at 85 Ton, so these later units would seem to be the prototype for your model. However GE sold the RR on an odd "inverted equalizer" truck where the equalizer bar bulged up in the middle to pass over the top of the brake cylinder. Maybe International's "right to every detail" claim was a bit of puffery. Geezer