Buddy L Trains

In 1927, Buddy l debuted an outdoor railroad. This was, as with most buddy L toys large, heavy and made for outdoor use. The trains were ⅝ inch scale and ran on two rail track that was 3¼" gauge. The track had heavy rolled steel rails welded to steel ties. A complete circle of track measured 25’ in diameter The rolling stock consisted of a box car, tank car, stock car, hoppers, gondolas, flatcar, , side dumping ballast car, wrecking crane, clamshell dredge, pile driver and steam shovel. And of course to drive it all a Pacific type 4-6-2, highly detailed non-powered locomotive and 8-wheeled tender and at the end a 19 inch red caboose. Overall, there were 14 different pieces of original Buddy L railroad equipment produced. Loco and tender measured 42 inches in length. It even had a hinged door on the firebox..

Railroad prototypes

Two railroad prototypes - on the left a double truck construction car, one of two produced on the right a cross track for the outdoor railroad from the Richard Keats auction

Railroad Construction Cars

Buddy L made a series of railroad construction cars – these had the same bodies as the more common wheeled versions but mounted on railroad cars with ability to turn

#1023 Locomotive Steam Shovel

#1021 Locomotive Dredge

#1020 Locomotive Wrecking Crane

#1003 Red Tank Car

#1005 Coal Car Gondola

#1006 Flatcar

#1007 Bottom Dump Car

#1003 Yellow Tank Car

#1002 Boxcar

#1004 Stock Car

#1001 Caboose

#1000 Tender

Trestle and Bridge Piers

#1202 Right Hand Switch

Burlington Zephyr Train introduced in 1935 to mimic the streamlined new passenger trains running across the country. There were versions with one, two, and three cars, all ride on with steering handles.

Industrial Train Layout with roundhouse and switches

#50 Industrial Train Set

#81 One stall roundhouse (rare)

Industrial Train Crane Car - prototype, never produced

#80 Three Stall Roundhouse with Turntable