Montgomery Ward Specials

The top set is basically the same as the 1930 Blue Vagabond, but has 8-wheel red trucks and automatic couplers. The Blue 1125 from the top set and the black 1125 from the bottom set are pretty much the same as what came in the cataloged sets with maybe the exception of the wheels - they appear to be gold in these uncataloged sets and red in the regular cataloged sets, but this is observation is made on very few sets? What is unique is that the tender will always have an automatic couple in these sets. All the cataloged versions came with cars with hook couplers. This set was shown in the 1931-32 Montgomery Wards catalog and included 3 freight cars, a station and signals (see below)

 

All these cars are hard to find, the one above is unusual and appears to be an 'extra' car for the set.

Normally the passenger cars get separated from the freight cars over the years and unless you saw the catalog cut (below) you wouldn't know they actually belonged together

Cut from 1931-32 Montgomery Wards catalog.

The set above with it's boxes below make up a Montgomery Wards Special found in their 1930-31 Fall / winter catalog. It was one of two two sets shown in the Montgomery Ward Catalog that year consisting of a freight set and a passenger set. This was the mechanical version with a No. 66 Steam type pulling 4 freight cars and a No. 30 electric type pulling a No. 550, 552, 558 Buff and Green passenger set. The two tone green baggage probably only came in this a couple uncataloged sets and is extremely rare.

Below is the cut from the 1930-31 Montgomery Ward catalog showing this set.

The set shown Below was in a plain box with just the Number 48 108. Note the catalog number listed with the "41-inch freight train listed above right. This set came with a No. 66 and 4 freight cars. Set No. 48 107 contained a No. 30 in red with three passenger cars 550, 551 and 68 all in red with blue roofs.

Referred to as the 'Black Vagabond' by some collectors - this set is basically a black 1125 from 1930 with three orange cars in the 129/130 series with the Lionel base on them. Everything in the set is like equipment that could have been purchased from the 1930 Ives catalog. Just this particular set was not cataloged.

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