This firm was founded in Allentown, PA around 1875 and was in business for at least 100 years.
They produced a wide variety of metal products, including metal stampings, wire formings, box-making machines, cabinet hardware, metal trimmings,
nails and rivets, name plates and signs, metal advertising novelties, stationer's hardware, tablesaws, printing, nailing, brush machinery,
safety devices and decorative items such as cigar and trinket boxes. They were widely known for their stamped metal badges.
Very little is known about this company's toy trains. Most train collectors are not
even aware of the Grammes brand. It is believed that L. F. Grammes & Sons briefly ventured into toy train production somewhere between 1918–1920,
during a slowdown in their core business. Evidently, Grammes had decided to design and manufacture toy trains to explore that market. They developed
prototypes, including a rare Standard gauge copper combo unit in the form of a powered 0-4-4-0 boxcab electric type loco combined with a passenger
coach. This train was featured in an article authored by J. W. Cantey Johnson TCA #64-1083 that appeared in the Train Collectors Quarterly in Winter
1975, Vol. 21, No.1. The other cars that were created consisted of a matching regular 4-window type coach, and matching observation coach.
All 3 units featured clestory windows and window shades with colored inserts. The bodies had rivet detail, 4-wheel trucks, and oval shaped
portholes - very much in style with tinplate trains produced by the likes of European as well as American toy train manufacturers of this time
period and era. These trains ran on 3-rail track and were powered by AC. The combo locomotive measured 12" long. The craftsmanship of these
trains was high quality typical of Grammes, leveraging the company's years of experience in producing finished metal products. Despite completing
these designs and prototypes, business picked up again in their main product lines, and L. F. Grammes & Sons decided not to further pursue toy
train manufacturing.
This Very Rare Standard gauge Copper Combo unit was featured
in the Train Collectors Quarterly article. It is a very unusual piece made in the early
1920's by L.F. Grammes & Sons Manufacturing, a maker of Police and fire department badges. This may be a prototype!
When Grammes created their Standard gauge toy train, only 2 trains were actually assembled in 1919 as the company
considered entering the electric toy train market. One was a three-piece painted tin
set and the second was an unpainted copper engine/power unit with passenger cars. Unlike the more intricate, cast-body locomotives
later produced by other manufacturers, Grammes trains were built using the sheet metal fabrication that was the company's
specialty. This resulted in several notable characteristics such as simple, rugged construction. Grammes used heavy-gauge
sheet metal, making the trains robust and durable despite their simple design. Flat-sided bodies - the company's unique
manufacturing process gave the cars and engines their signature flat-sided, rectangular appearance. This simple aesthetic
stands in contrast to the more rounded and detailed designs of its competitors. High-quality finishes - despite their
straightforward construction, the trains were finished with high-quality paint, graphics, and nickel-plated accents.
Many years later, in 1973 a large box of Grammes train parts, tooling and dies were purchased by
TCA member Cantey Johnson from Tom Sage after seeing the unusual copper Standard gauge coach combo power car
on Tom Sages's table at a York, PA train show. Tom Sage had acquired the parts, dies and tooling for these
trains from an antique dealer and had assembled the copper power unit that attracted Cantey's eye. Evidently there were
enough parts in the box to assemble around 10 more units. Over the next few years Mr. Johnson assembled approximately
fifteen unpainted copper units using the available parts, supplemented by Lionel 'O' gauge electric motors, wheel sets
and assorted new stampings as needed, and sold them to fellow toy train collectors.
The most defining characteristic of Grammes trains is their scarcity, as the L.F. Grammes & Sons
Company only produced two sets of working prototypes during a brief period before exiting the toy market. Subsequent
sets were hand-built and sold by curious hobbyists who assembled these trains from the small amount of discovered parts.
Therefore, very few examples exist today. For serious collectors of antique standard gauge trains, the discovery of a
Grammes piece is a major find. The few toy train pieces that L. F. Grammes & Sons produced are considered extremely
rare and collectible prototypes. If you're a collector or enthusiast, Grammes toy trains are a fascinating glimpse
into a short-lived but creative chapter in American toy manufacturing. At a November 2024 Annual Fall Sale Auction
conducted by Bertoia Auctions, a rare Grammes copper Standard gauge set from the private collection of Cantey Johnson
was estimated to sell for a price ranging from $1,000 to $2,000. The final gavel price attained was $2,250.
Rare Grammes 3-unit Copper Standard gauge Set From the Cantey Johnson Collection Sold in 2024 at Bertoia Auctions
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