21: AT&SF BELL FROM 1929 LITTLE RASCALS MOVIE 'RAILROADIN'

The brass bell in iron yoke having the number 1373 stamped on one upright and also chiseled across the yoke by hand; red interior, various other stamped and cast numbers. The factory markings stamped on the bell itself under the top nut confirm that this bell was originally mounted on engine 1379. It later was re-purposed on 1373, a 4 cylinder balanced compound 4-6-2 built in 1913. It's on engine 1373 that this bell can be seen in the 1929 Hal Roach film titled 'Railroadin.'

One of the many Little Rascals 'shorts' produced in the 1920s was a two-reel feature titled Railroadin.' In it, Joe and Chubby's dad works as an engineer on a locomotive with 4-6-2 wheel arrangement that if you look closely is marked AT&SF on the cab and clearly numbered 1373 everywhere.

After a ride with their dad, the boys climb aboard (barely) and a series of events lead to a hair raising ride that includes rolling over Farina a couple of times going backward and forward as he lays stuck between the rails. They then go speeding through town blowing through vehicles on the tracks, including a grocery truck with eggs. After more slapstick calamity they finally manage to bring the engine to a stop, at which point an egg that was dislodged from the grocer's truck falls on Farina's head and runs down his face. Or did it? Turns out to all be a dream inspired by stories from the engineer during lunch. Farina drifted off to sleep when the stories began and is awakened when an egg - delivered by an overhead chicken rather than the grocer's truck - falls on the boy's head.
Measures 31 x 22 x 16 inches.
Very good original condition.
$1,000 - $1,500