Last year I picked up a cast coach and a cast RPO. The RPO was easy…“Gilbert”. The coach, not so easy.
I ran this past Jim Hediger at Kalmbach, he had never seen one. I just got this e-mail: As a new member of this yahoo group I was going back over photos sent in the past. I came across 4 photos sent by you on June 4th 2007. I think you were asking to have it identified. I don’t know if you ever got an answer. This is a Knapp passenger car from 1938-39. made by Knapp Electric Inc. 739 E. Market St Indianapolis Indiana, Producers of Minature Motors since 1890. Their catalog number for this item was 601. They were to have a combine numbered 600 but I don’t think it was ever sold. Knapp had big plans to produce many items that were listed in advertizements but there first engine had problems. That was a cast brass 4-8-2 Engine and Tender with 6 volt motor Catalog no. 400. The problem was that most insulated spoked drivers shorted out and people who bought them were not happy. This engine was bought out by Bill Bowser of Redlands Calif and after he changed to different drivers and a 12 volt motor it became the Bowser Cast Brass 4-8-2 Mountain. Knapp HO items disappeared and were hardly known after. This passenger car came with brass and or bronze trucks and were unique that they had a slot in the top that took a long shanked cast brass coupler before being assembled to the body.