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"Little Black Thing" rail car
Built by Herb Danke, Milwaukee, WI
The "Little Black Thing" was built by Herb Danke, a member of the Badger Model Racing Association of Milwaukee, WI. The car was never completely finished and the rail guide mounts have not been drilled for the rail guide posts.
It is believed that Danke set out to build the car to compete on the indoor rail track located in Calumet Park in Chicago, IL. But when that track began limiting competition to cars with engines no larger than .09 cubic inches, Danke's McCoy .19 powered car became obsolete before it was even finished.
The car features a cast magnesium pan with a hand-carved wood body. The one-piece combination front axle and front rail guide mount is also cast magnesium. In addition, the two-piece ball bearing front wheels are cast magnesium as is the bolt-on rear rail guide mount.
The engine is a McCoy .19 race car engine with 1 3/4 to 1 bevel gear drive. Thimble Drome Champion tires are mounted on all four corners. A custom made brass fuel tank completes the package.
Herb Danke successfully raced both rail cars and tether cars in the Milwaukee and Chicago areas. One of his more notable cars was a Hornet .60 powered Matthews V-Car which was painted black with the number 63. Several of his competitors nicknamed the car the "Black Thing". So it is no surprise that Herb Danke's rail mite was also painted black with the number 63 and named the "Little Black Thing".
