The American Display Company was formed by brothers Milton and Byron Dunkelberger in Dayton, Ohio, to create animated advertising displays. The company also produced two toy train items together with fishing rods and other 'survival' equipment.
The American Display Company launched the Dayton Dinky Railway in 1922, production continuing for about three years. The railway was substantial, with a four inch track gauge and track which had to be assembled by the user, hand laying rails with 1/2 inch square profile wooden ties (sleepers). The locomotive was 0-4-0 industrial tank type, heavy cast aluminium, with a flat car and dump car. The loco was powered by an electric motor transmitting power via belt drive and controlled by a solenoid allowing remote reversing, uncoupling and operation of the dump car.
Dayton-Dinky Railway advertisement circa 1924 |
TCA members will find additional information with illustrations within Train Collectors Quarterly magazine issues 24/2 (Spring 1978), 32/5 (October 1986) and 57/2 (April 2011).
Dunks Train Control no. 100 was a small (3 by 3 by 2.5 inches tall) box containing switches and resistors to prevent Lionel E-units (reversers) cycling whilst a loco was stopped for a short time, such as at a station. The unit was necessary to prevent power being completely shut down as, in that event, the reverser would have to be cycled through nuetral-reverse-neutral before moving forward again.
Dunk's Train Control No. 100 |
Dunk's Train Control No. 100 |
Dunk's Train Control No. 100 |
Dunk's Train Control No. 100 |
The American Display Complany manufactured a range of other products, including the Stubby fishing rod and reel and Dunk's Steel Rods illustrated below.
American Display Co Stubby fishing rod and reel |
American Display Co Stubby fishing rod and reel |
American Display Co Dunk's Steel Rods advertisement Field and Stream 1947 |
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