Hi Mogul. I was aware of the sources you have sent me, and, I repeat, of the remarkable similarity of shape between the New England and the puzzle car; I had not noticed the detail of the white dot, which indeed reinforces your argument. I had also noticed some (small) differences, such as the shape and size of the side slats, or the shape at the bottom right corner of the entrance to the car. Besides, these cars were built to order, so the styling of individual cars from each builder was probably not as rigidly defined as it is today (for example, I have seen a picture of a car identified as a 1899 New England, without the cut off rear edge, I can send you the link). I understand the case you're making, and I agree it makes sense, and there is a sizeable probability that the puzzle car is in fact a New England, but I hope you also understand that I if a reasonably reputable source like the Centre d'Histoire de Montreal (which is in possession of the Dandurand's family photographs and documents) says it's a Waltham, I cannot dismiss that out of hand. What I was hoping for was an alternative, equally reputable source that stated that Dandurand's first car was actually a New England, but I doubt such source exists. Anyway, I don't think this conundrum is worth giving any more thought.
