Yes, that's a 90024 Bachmann Liberty Bell Limited set first listed in the 1995 catalog. Also available was the 97290 Gladious coach and the 97490 baggage. My set has number 58616 on it and I have two other different set with that same number. I beleve these were made for a catalog or big box store but have never found any information on them. In 2004 Bachmann listed the 90082 Pennsylvanian set which had a green engine and red cars. For display I switched engines as the green is a close match.

Wade

Hi Bill,

The seller said they received the set to sell without the cardboard box, just the foam insert.

Wade

 I got the 7th Ave. Holiday Express set in the mail today. It looks unused. The seller had cut up the foam liner to ship the engine in. I never though to ask him when it was first listed if he had the box. I sent him a message and asked some question about the set. I'll let you know if he answers.

Now for the good part. The packing he use for the locomotive had the price tag still on it!
It's dated June 12, 2008, catalog price: $249.00, Now $124.50. I'd say the set was in the 2007 catalog and closed out in June, 2008. At $124.50 I'd say alot were repainted. It's a nice Annie.

Wade

 The 93374 175th Anniversary box car was first listed in the 2008 catalog. The price was $50.00. I've never seen one listed in a set.

The first item made were Spanish combs. Here's the history.

http://www.bachmanntrains.com/home-usa/history.php

Wade

Hi Bill,

I just found this from December, 2009:

http://www.bachmanntrains.com/home-usa/board/index.php?topic=11269.0

Wade

Hi Joe,

The 90088 King Coal set was made for Boscov's department stores in 2000. Boscov's main offices are in Reading and the stores are in eastern Pennsylvania. It was never in the Bachmann catalog. The set had engine 2005, a Harrisburg combine and Lebanon observation car. A seperate Pottsville coach, number 97210 was also sold. These also show up on eBay but not often. Hope this helps.

Wade

Hi All,

The cab number on the dc version is 49. I think that's what I was thinking of. I always check the photos on eBay for variations. If I find anymore information, I'll let you know.

Wade

Hi Bill and Alan,

I'll try to find mine and check. My Holiday Express engine is on the shelf by my workshop and it's 49 MHz and I may have had a brain fart about the Big Top set. We're not getting any younger, are we Bill.

Wade

Very old. It was made in 1990 and was never in the catalog. My notes say it might have been a dealer's only set or maybe for Costco. The combine car is not lighted.

Wade

Yes they did. It came out in 1993. It was 49 MHz so it would not interfere with the 27 MHz original R/C set.

Wade

Water in the tender is put in the boiler, which is under pressure, by a device called an injector. Like the siphon, it used steam. It has no moving parts and works pretty good. Anyone wanting more details on steam engine operation just google it. There is plenty of information on the web.

As for the sand boxes on the rear, logging engines do run both directions, you know. They didn't work as good as the sand dome on top of the boiler because the sand there was dry from the heat and flowed better. Today's locomotives mainly use sand in emergency braking as the on board computers and ground radar take care of any wheel slippage.

Wade ( 33 years a locomotive engineer )

It works like Jerry said.

Wade

The tank car came today. Just as pictured, nice crisp lettering. I hope the two reefers in the 2014 catalog don't take as long to get here. I'm not getting any younger, you know.

Wade

It was shipped on Monday.

Wade

I was at a train meet in MD Saturday and Star Hobbies said they had received some the day before, 4-11-2014, but he was at the show when they came in. It sounds like they may finally be in the country.

Wade