Part II: Christopher Ferrone Finishes his Special Steamshovel on a Flatbed Train

Monday, December 9, 2024

Overcast
-7° C / 20° F

Part II:

Mr. Christopher Ferrone Finishes his

Special Steam-shovel on a Flatbed train 

I hope that you enjoyed the first part of this amazing toy creation. And now, 

I'm going to present the second part of this most-amazing toy creation.

I can't believe how many photos Christopher sent me to work with.

It's truly amazing how cell phones today are so advanced, 

that they can take such great photos. Of course, the person behind the camera

also deserves a good part of the work and nice photos. 

The finished toy looked so great, that I had to return to the first post. The reason being,

that the design and finished toy were so astonishing, that I couldn't believe it was the same toy! 

Yet it was, and wow!

Below is the carriage (housing) for the operator of the steam-shovel.

Christopher's beautiful toy was based on a steam-shovel that operated from a train's

flatbed rail car.

Below is a side view of the engine, with the

right side to have the steam shovel placed atop.

Below is another view of the train flatbed

Below is a top view of how the toy looks

And below is the side view 

with the scoop bucket fully extended

This camera angle is great. Taken from

a slight angle to the toy, the toy shows  with

a nice 3-dimensional view.

Notice also the flatbed wheels of the toy

that would roll on tracks

Below is a close-up view of

the moveable steel wheels that would roll on the tracks

I'll have to ask Christopher what that

small hole at the bottom of the smoke stack is.

Perhaps, that's where the coal was thrown into

in order to operate the steam-shovel.

I like this finishing photo below.

What attracted my attention is the "soldier" in the background.

Since I'm the writer of the blog, my "poetic license" grants me 

the freedom to write. And what came to mind is that the soldier or guard 

is protecting all the fine toys that Christopher has been making. 

I'm just wondering.....

Maybe Christopher is Santa Claus!

He most certainly has the name, and all those toys that he makes...

Hmmm???

I'd like to wish everyone of my readers a Very Merry Christmas,

and 

A Healthy and Happy New Year

My name is (Mr.) Stacey Bindman

and I canalways be reached at:

toysearcher@gmail.com

 

Mr. Christopher Ferrone Sends me a Christmas Present

Sunday, December 8, 2024

2° C / 36 F

Variable Sun and Cloud

Mr. Christopher Ferrone

Sends Me a Christmas Present

(Part 1)

Sometimes, coincidences happen for no reason at all, and the results are euphoria and elation. And so it happened with myself and Mr. Christopher Ferrone.

 Christopher contacted me a few years ago. He's a very busy businessman in Chicago, but he finds the time to restore toys. He's a real craftsman, and his finished toys are beautiful. I asked if I could use his photos to write a post, and I have had the pleasure to present his wonderful toy restorations on my blog. From one post, I have been writing blog posts about Christopher and his fantastic restorations and creations for a few years now. Several years later, he's still taking the time to send me lots of photos to be able to present his wonderful talent, skills, craftsmanship, and restorations.

In the last several weeks, I had wanted to write to Christopher, but backed off. I figured that the time is near to Christmas, and he might be busy, and so I backed off, and didn't write to him. As luck would have it, he wrote me a few days ago, and sent a large group of photos of his latest masterpiece. 

Sometimes happenstance (coincidence) just happens.

Christopher built a composite railway flatbed car with a steam-shovel on the flatbed. He sent me a photo of a drawing from the web of what he used to create his latest toy.  

Please click on this sentence  to redirect to the sketch that he built his unique toy.

Christopher is an exceptional craftsman, and most certainly knows the skills in creating  this most unique toy. The model from which he built this fine toy was based on a drawing that he saw on the 'Net.

The photo below shows you what Christopher started out with.

It's the cabin that will become control room for the steam-shovel.

Below is a salvaged train engine with coal bin toy

The image below shows how the cabin section 

will be removed.

Below is a top view illustrating the parts used

to move the bucket up and down.

The next 2 photos below show you how the

 parts are used to move the bucket up and down.

The image below shows the completed  bucket

with its' parts to move the scoop up and down.

The photo above shows the beginning of the toy,

while the photo below shows the control room.

The photo below shows the control room

with its' door 

The photo below shows an almost finished bucket with its' control room.

The photo below shows the toy from a side view.

Christopher certainly has a myriad of skills needed to have created 

this one-of-a-kind toy. Of course, he still had to sand the parts, 

and then later, paint the toy.

On the next blog post, you'll see how he painstakingly worked on this special toy.

As always, thanks for dropping by,

and have a Very Happy Holiday and a Happy New Year.

My name is Mr. Stacey Bindman

and I an always be reached at toysearher@gmail.com

 

Another Fine Restoration from Mr. Christopher Ferrone

 7 C   44.6 F                                                                                                                                     Overcast with rain                                                                                                                           November 13, 2021

       Another Exceptional Restoration 

        from Christopher Ferrone

I don't know where the time is going, but it's already November 13, 2021. I've received my 2 Covid-19 injections, and in a couple of weeks, I'll be getting a booster early on, because I'm in my early 70's.

Changing the subject to a more positive topic, I received a nice letter and photos from a friend from the USA. Mr. Christopher Ferrone wrote to me this week and presented me with another grouping of a recently finished toy restoration. Today's presentation is a superb example of a 1930's pressed steel aerial fire truck that was made for young children to ride on. The manufacturer was Keystone, and their firetruck was modeled after the "real" truck from Packard. Chris's marvelous restoration is 30" ( 76.20 cm) long. 

I normally don't get personal, but I thought I would add something personal. Chris had a very fine dog by the name of Lola, who just passed away recently. It's hard when you lose a "friend", and animals (pets) become part of the family. I couldn't believe that Chris could find the time to send me photos of his latest project, and I appreciate his effort during this very hard time.  

  My wife Heidi and I had Buddy for 17 years and he passed away 2 1/2 years ago. It was also very hard when he left us. We said we'd never get another dog, but we did! My wife teaches interior design and commercial window display, and happens to have a friend who is a breeder of Brussels Griffins. We've visited her and her dogs a few times, but never even thought about getting another one. However, 4 months ago, Heidi said should we get another dog, and we both said yes. Percy is a Brussels Griffon from originally Belgium. This breed were bred for catching rats in barns, but now they are pets. Percy has what to me is an "interesting" fave. But once you get to know him, his face became "cute".  He's a puppy, and we've certainly learned a lot in terms of taking care  of him, to sat the least.

Lola

Buddy

Percy

It's hard to believe that it's November 13 already, and quite soon, the American Thanksgiving holiday will be celebrated. This is one of the major festive holidays where families and friends return to their home towns to celebrate. 

So if I don't write another blog post soon,

I'd like to wish all Americans a very happy Thanksgiving holiday.

And to Chris, my friend, I hope that you will recover from your loss of Lola in due time.

Thanks for dropping by,

and please feel free to write to me anytime, 

as I'm looking for people and their toys to be able to continue my post. 

My e-mail address is toysearcher@gmail.com

      

                          

 Friday, May 7, 2020 

Sunny with clear skies

     16 C  61 F                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                 

                   I Get A Little Help (Again) From My Friend                                  

       I hadn't heard from my Chicago friend (Mr. Christopher Ferrone) for a while. About 3 weeks ago, I received an e-mail. I don't know where Chris finds the time to restore his marvelous old toys, but he manages to always surprise me. Chris is a successful businessman in Chicago, but his passion is in restoring toys, and he does this fantastically. Hopefully, all of us will see the day that COVID-19 comes under control, and We can all get back to our normal routines.

                          A Buddy "L" Burlington Zephyr Train Pressed Steel Circa                                  1935-1936

As always, Christopher always amazes me, and I never tire of his wonderful restorations.

Soon, I hope we all will get back to our normal routines, and will travel. Some of us by jet, by bus, by car, and of course by train.

Trains are not as popular as they were in the 1900's-1960's, but they still are a way of travel for those who appreciate the scenery, and traveling in a relaxed and  tranquil manner.

        Take care everyone,  and have a great day, 

  wherever you may be. 

(Mr.) Stacey Bindman

(toysearcher@gmail.com)

                                                                                                                        

Thursday, December 24, 2020
8C (46.6 F)

Mr. Christopher Ferrone Sends me
a Christmas Present  in the Form of
His Latest Creation

     I haven't been posting for the longest time, so I was pleasantly surprised when Christopher Ferrone sent me his lastest creation. If you haven't read my blog, Christopher has sent me lots of his creations in 
the past. He happens to be the president of  Americoach Systems Inc. in Glenview, Illinois, USA.  He has a degree in Mechanical Engineering, so I can see where he gets his talent from.

He discovered my blog, and started to send me his marvelous toy creations, and so as they say "the rest is history". I don't know how he finds the time to create such fantastic work, but he does.  His latest work of art is a fire engine, and I'll let the pictures speak for themselves.

        As you can plainly see, his work is very exceptional. He's able to visualize what he wants to do, and from there, he goes along making his toys.  Sometimes he takes old toys and works with them, and at other times, he'll take an old toy and remodel it to what he has in mind.

So that's it for today.

I'm a bit rusty at writing, from not having posted in a while,

but I hope that in the New Year I will get back to writing.

I'm always happy to have people send me photos, along with a narrative about their creations or old toys that they have come upon.

 Please take care of yourselves and your family during these very difficult and trying times. It's not the time to let your guard down, and with several pharmaceutical companies now having been approved to make the Covid-19 vaccine, hopefully, we all will be vaccinated.

Time will only tell when all of us will have received the vaccine,

but there is a shing light at the end of the tunnel.

In closing, 

I would like to wish each and every one of you, my readers

a Merry Christmas, and a very healthy and Happy New Year.

Sincerely,

Stacey Bindman

December 24, 2020

Mr. Christopher Ferrone Says Hello

Saturday February 25, 2017
Overcast,  record warm
17 C  63 F

Mr. Christopher Ferrone

Says Hello

It's been an "acceptable " winter up here in Montreal (Quebec, Canada). The weather hasn't been took cold, and  the snow hasn't been too much. Also, the older that I get (I'm 68), the faster time seems to go by. It was just fall (September 22), when I started the countdown to spring (March 22), and as of today, there are only 25 days to spring!

Of course, there are still 2 months after the first day of spring until the weather is warm enough to prepare the grass, and start to mow the lawn. I can't wait!

Mr. Christopher Ferrone is one of my readers who  is the president of  Americoach Systems Inc., a company that  is in "Specialized Transport Technology, Safety, Management, and Logostics". Christopher specializes in bus transportation in Chicago, Illinois.  Chris also happens to be a toy enthusiast, and restores and innovates old toys into new ones. He's quite an "artisan", and very capable at what he does. 

Today's post is his latest model that he has magnificently restored and innovated.

In his own words…...

"Hi Stacey 

I hope you are well !!

and that the winter is not too harsh !!

I just finished a 1930 Marx/Studebaker custom fire truck

I started with just the cab and side fenders

I made the body/box and rear step, ladder racks, front bumper

I obtained a grill from another truck and customized it to fit this one

base coat / clear coat finish.........."retro red metallic, and clear

wood wheels

I hope you like it

thanks

chris"

I don't know where Chris finds the time to make such a nicely-restored toy firetruck, but he does.
It's always great to hear from Chris and see what his latest "piece-de-resistance" is .

Thanks Chris, and I hope all jus well with you and  Americoach Systems, Inc. in Chicago.