Bill Lenoir's Aero train ..1955-6

Jeez Carey, you've done it again. 

Where do you keep finding this historic stuff?

Mark in Oregon

@Carey Williams posted:

Hello all....Bill Lenoir played a major force in,shaping the early O scale world ...building for manufactures early on and custom building pieces for high end customers in later years. Here is Bill's Aero Train #96 ..( of roughly 200 total trains / engines built by Bill 1932- 80's. )
All scratch built ...unfortunately the obsevation is missing as are two wheel sets to complete the 4th and 5th,cars ..please see link for video. Dating back to,late 1955 / early 56. Full interiors and lights ..and Bill's signature engineer and fireman .

Cheers Carey,

https://youtu.be/0yM2Jobi1ns

 

Neat train! Pity about the obs car being missing. Thanks for sharing

I agree. You are the maven of early O scale models. well done.

Thank you, Carey, for your usual fascinating post. You piqued my interest in the Aerotrain. I thought it was odd that the engine was higher than the cars- they almost look toy-like against it, so I did some research on the prototype and I'll share some interesting factoids.

1. GM made only two Aerotrains in, both in 1955. They were tested by the Pennsy and NYC but both were eventually sold to the Rock Island, where they were in service until 1966. Both engines are preserved. One is in Green Bay and the other is near St. Louis.

2. The design was based on an airplane cockpit. This was when the railroads were trying to stem the flow of passengers switching to the airlines. The coaches were modified intercity bus bodies and only 40' long!

3. Disneyland did a scaled down version that ran from Tomorrowland to Fantasyland. I think this is how I remember the Aerotrain, not from the actual full-sized train.

Thanks Carey for the photos.  I would love to get raised script chrome plated "Aerotrain" emblem for my own Aerotrain. May have to bite the bullet and make my own!

Thank you for your kind words ...Bill Lenoir created some wonderful one of kind trains .  I have a friend taking on the task of making new wheel sets ...so I'll have a 5 car running train . 

The Aero train was so tomorrow like the Jetson 's ......well we still are not flying with individual jet packs ..and the Aero was like riding a bus with steel wheels .....anything that end up running on the Rock is one step up from the scrap yard ....truly a face  only a mother could love .... and the fact that both real train sets were saved ....compared to the hundreds of other wonderful trains lost to the torch .......

cheers Carey 

@John Meyncke posted:

Link does not work...at least for me

John

Yes, I see that and can't seem to fix it. Sorry.

The GM-built Aerotrain sets acquired by the Rock Island were initially placed in service as the PEORIA ROCKET along the route from Peoria, IL (my hometown) to Chicago.  As a teenager, I rode that train from home to an academy boarding school located in a suburb of Chicago. 

The ride was rough due to many years of "deferred maintenance" of the RI roadbed, so the train could not achieve its top rated speed (100 mph).  The loco was re-geared to run at 77 mph, but even that speed was too uncomfortable for passengers.  Further, at that speed the Aerotrain could not compete with air service between the two cities.  The train was re-assigned to commuter service (Joliet to/from Chicago), where high speed wasn't required. I visited the Aerotrain held in the Train Museum in Green Bay, WI. It is under cover and in relatively good shape as a static display.

That sleek train set remained in my memory for decades.  As an adult hobbyist, I bought the O-gauge RI version of the Aerotrain by MTH for my RI-oriented collection.  It looked like a Silver Caterpillar!

Mike Mottler    LCCA 12394

Carey, what material did he use to make the bodies? Whatever it was it looks to be very stable for 60+ years. Congrats on a great find!

I remember seeing the PRR version on display at the train station in Harrisburg, PA. Guessing I may have been 11 or 12 years old. I thought it was an ugly piece of crap then and my opinion hasn't changed. The railroads didn't care much for them either.

Simon

@Simon Winter posted:

I remember seeing the PRR version on display at the train station in Harrisburg, PA. Guessing I may have been 11 or 12 years old. I thought it was an ugly piece of crap then and my opinion hasn't changed. The railroads didn't care much for them either.

Simon

Although I agree with your sentiments...this model is pretty cool. 

Mark in Oregon

Great find, thank you for posting it!

While going through St. Louis, in March of 2014.........................

Hello all ...Bill Lenoir's layout was in the garage ? ..do you have any photos of the layout ? 

the car bodies are wood ...the rest of the set ( 3 cars and obs)  has been located ....just need to out live the current owner ....called the waiting game . 

Railroads were hoping the cheap / light Aero would help save the day in the 50's to slash overheard when running passengers ...... anything that ends up running  on the Rock ... has no lower rung to fall to .........

cheers carey 

link to Cedar Falls museum with Bill's layout   

https://www.cfhistory.org/who-we-are#LenoirModelTrain

@Trinity River Bottoms Boomer posted:

* Of course, those like me who might just happen to like the Aerotrain too, wouldn't you love to be the proud owner of the Zooliner, that runs in a park in Oregon, or have one built using the plans, to operate on a live steam railroad?

 

 

Here is a photo, taken from the Zoo's website:

Although not a "fan" of the style of this type of train, it runs on rails, so I like it!

Mark (also) in Oregon

I like the Aerotrain as well. I attempted to model it in G Scale. The finished train set would have been about 17 feet long if I modeled the complete 10 car train as delivered to the PRR. I gave up after the completion of the locomotive,  2 coaches and tailcar. Duplicating 7 more coaches was a daunting task to look forward to. So after several years of it on display here on a shelf, gulp, I sold it. 

I don’t care for the prototype, but you are a master modeler!  Very nice work.

PRRK4s,

An outstanding job!  

I know where the balance of the train is ....just  waiting  game ...to wear down current owner ...

Joe,     Suggest you read the post directly above yours.

Simon

Hello no updates I have seen the remaining parts of the train I've touched them however it's going to be a long long wait before the train is reunited it's a grudge match