CRACKER JACK TRAIN DEPOT
I recently showed this in a Facebook page, but I think it is important enough to put here also as part of a discussion on Canadian prizes. I have never seen this Cracker Jack Depot before, and I think probably a lot of collectors haven't either. As Ann Brogley pointed out, at least it is marked. That and the fact that it is the same plastic and color of other pieces, and it has the same base as the telegraph/telephone poles makes it easier to identify.
- Canada Cracker Jack Train Depot
- crackerjack depot.jpg (82.63 KiB) Viewed 8798 times
This is one of nine different shapes in the "CRACKER JACK" Train series made and distributed in Canada. Here are the nine shapes:
1. Engine
2. Tender or Coal-Car
3. Boxcar
4. Tanker
5. Caboose
6. Curved Track
7. Straight Track
8. Telegraph Pole
9. Depot
[I have put the photo of items in my collection in the next post in this thread.]
The reported 2" tree and 3.2" telephone pole have been removed from my list until the confusion is cleared up. (Please post photos of possible candidates if you have any.) Years ago on this forum in a discussion of black colored prizes, Larry White identified a telegraph pole as a tree, but a close look reveals that the two arms of the pole have glass insulators on the ends that would have held the wires. The poles I have are 1-1/2" tall, and not 2" as he lists in the CD-ROM.
[EDIT: I just saw an old post by Gail Sullivan as a follow up to Larry's that shows a black Canadian Cracker Jack Train Depot. Shucks, I thought I had a real original discovery, because I didn't find it listed anywhere before. She also correctly identified the poles.]
To tell whether or not a train engine or car is Canada or USA, just look inside. The Canada pieces have no inside markings that I have ever found after buying multiple accumulations from Canada. The engine of USA has "CRACKER JACK" inside the hollow bottom. The USA cars have a mold number inside -- all the ones I have are marked 1, 2, 3, or 4 for each shape. EXCEPT one tanker that I have looks like the American molds, but does not have a number.
Have fun!
Jeffrey Maxwell
Here are links to the old posts on black colored prizes I referred to above. I put them here so you will read my post before you go wandering elsewhere (based on personal experience):
viewtopic.php?p=802#p802
viewtopic.php?p=865#p865