And if you think that's odd, here's one for you: the day after I posted this, someone else sent me another one!
I later discovered that this is variation D in the 1991 edition of Greenberg's Guide.
(Picture courtesy of Don Hasenzahl.)
Most were made of black plastic, but mine is white plastic.
In addition to this shiny chrome, Greenberg's reports three other versions that are acknowledged neither by Heimburger nor the TM Guide:
- a shiny lacquer-chrome version
- a very rare dull finish lacquer-chrome version
- a very rare satin silver painted version
I asked Bob Bubeck, one of the authors of the TM Guide about it and he sent me thie following response:
"Most chrome cars have a thin coat of lacquer, but a relative few do not and these are usually 96x chrome cars. The lacquer was applied to retard tarnish. The few without lacquer are due to factory omission. Remember that they were just knocking out toys as fast as they could. The vast majority of chromed-plastic 66x series are lacquered and every 405 I ever remember seeing is lacquered. Sometimes the lacquer is quite thin, but it is observable if one knows what to look for (e.g., hints of orange peel, a slight haze, etc.). The dull finish chrome that you are referring to are "frosted chrome" cars, as they are usually referred to by collectors and are not "rare". They are just tougher to find. The frosty appearance is related to how the lacquer was applied. There are some shiny chrome cars with spots of frost. The frosted chrome cars often came in a set with a frosted chrome 405. So, the three production variations are:
- aluminum
- shiny chrome (lacquered)
- frosty chrome (lacquered)
If we ever did another edition of the guide, I'd distinguish between the two chrome types."
(Picture courtesy of Paul Sell.)
There was also an extremely rare satin silver painted version made in 1953.
This one is listed in both Greenberg and the TM Guide!
(That was before I talked to Bob Bubeck.)
I couldn't tell whether it was dull chrome or satin, but Greenberg said both were very rare.
Since it has factory-installed knuckle couplers, I concluded it was made in 1953,
which means it could be the satin version acknowledged by the TM Guide.
I was so focused on the finish that I missed the obvious signs that this is actually a repainted chrome car.
Look at the word "PULLMAN" above the windows:
the person who repainted the car masked only that word and not the entire chrome panel.
The chrome cars have a chronic problem with flaking so a lot of people repaint them.
(Picture courtesy of Jim Marski.)
A chromed plastic Observation Car appeared in the 1952 catalog,
but Heimburger says it "is not known to exist" and it does not appear in the TM Guide.
Greenberg's 1980 edition reports both the chromed plastic and lacquer-chrome versions.
Greenberg's 1991 edition reports chromed plastic and satin painted versions,
but neither Heimburger nor the TM Guide acknowledge their existence.
The aluminum cars were sold in six sets.
It was pulled by a #283 C&NW Pacific locomotive and came with
#1-1/2 transformer, #690 track terminal, #722 manual switches, #725 crossing track, 43 #693 track locks,
18 #700 straight track, 4 #701 half straight track, 27 #702 curved track, and 3 #703 half curved track.
It had a #660 combination car, #662 vista dome car, and #663 observation car, but no #661 coach.
It was pulled by a #362 satin silver Santa Fe Alco PA/PB engine set and came with
#690 track terminal, #706 uncoupler, #708 Air Chime Whistle Controller,
6 #700 straight track, 12 #702 curved track, and 18 #693 track locks.
(Picture courtesy of mediman0909.)
The nearly identical #5008 set came with the harder-to-find chrome #362 engine set.
It had a #660 combination car, #661 coach, and #663 observation car, but no #662 vista dome car.
It was pulled by a #334DC Union Pacific Northern and came with #706 uncoupler,
#690 track terminal, 6 #700 straight track, 12 #702 curved track, and 18 #693 track locks.
The nearly identical #5011BBW came with a #332DC engine and #577 whistling billboard.
It had a #660 combination car, #662 vista dome car, and #663 observation car, but no #661 coach.
It was pulled by a #365 satin silver Santa Fe Alco PA/PB engine set and came with
#1-1/2 transformer, #690 track terminal, #706 uncoupler, #708 Air Chime Whistle Controller,
6 #700 straight track, 12 #702 curved track, and 18 #693 track locks.
(Picture courtesy of DAKOTApaul.)
The chrome cars were sold in four sets.
It had a #660 combination car, #661 coach, and #662 vista dome car, but no #663 observation car.
It was pulled by a #405 chrome Silver Streak Alco PA engine and came with
#708 Air Chime Whistle Controller, #690 track terminal, #706 uncoupler,
2 #700 straight track, 12 #702 curved track, and 14 #693 track locks.
(Picture courtesy of Rick Dunn.)
The nearly identical #5205WCX Silver Streak was sold in 1952 without track locks.
It was pulled by a #302 Atlantic steam locomotive and came with
#1-1/2 transformer, #690 track terminal, #706 uncoupler,
2 #700 straight track, 12 #702 curved track, 14 #693 track locks,
#50 District School, #166 Church,.#275 Eureka Diner, and #585 Tool Shed.
#62 sold in 1954 matched a #660 combination car with green #650 and #655 New Haven coaches,
a red #650 New Haven coach, and #735 New Haven anumated coach.
It was pulled by a #299 Pacific steam locomotive and came with
#766 animated Guilford Station, #1-1/2 transformer, #690 track terminal,
#704 manual uncoupler, 2 #700 straight track, and 12 #702 curved track.
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