Brass or die-cast electrics or diesels

Interesting question. Sticking with 3-rail models, off the top of my head I can think of a few die cast diesels. Still my favorite is the Lionel Veranda Turbine (partly diesel), first made in TMCC pictured below and now being remade in Legacy with die cast shells:

Then there’s two VL Lionels, the GE Evo and Baldwin Centpede, and a few more die cast ES44ACs were made by Lionel after the VL Evos.

I have an MTH Little Joe electric that is die cast:

I think that both the JLC and VL GG-1s are die cast electrics. Can’t think of any electrics or diesels made in brass by Lionel or MTH; obviously 3rd Rail has done brass electrics but I am not sure they have done any diesels in that material, or at least not in my recent memory.

MTH also did their box cabs with die-cast, at least my two Milwaukee Road versions are. I also have a pair of the Little Joe's mentioned above in Milwaukee of course. I believe MTH did a number of electrics in die-cast.

3rd Rail did the a brass Electroliner and Liberty Liner a number of years ago.

I own three General models NW2 diecast switchers, totally awesome pieces. Lionel's H12-44 switchers that came out in the late 90's are also diecast.

@milwrd posted:

MTH also did their box cabs with die-cast, at least my two Milwaukee Road versions are. I also have a pair of the Little Joe's mentioned above in Milwaukee of course. I believe MTH did a number of electrics in die-cast.

3rd Rail did the a brass Electroliner and Liberty Liner a number of years ago.

I'm trying to Model The Milwaukee Road from about1930 to 1945 In general from Milwaukee to New Lisbon, with the Northwoods branch. at least that's the plan

Early 3rd rail diesels such as the C44-9, Electroliner, first run scale RDC 1&2, PRR Brill 660, PRR P5, NYC CUT, Budd Burlington Zephyr and its B&M counterpart and the Virginian electric.

Don't forget Weaver models GG1, PRR BP20, "little joe" electric. Etc.

FWIW, I prefer brass over die cast because brass is repairable and one doesn't have to worry about zinc pest.

@prrhorseshoecurve posted:

FWIW, I prefer brass over die cast because brass is repairable and one doesn't have to worry about zinc pest.

That is a big issue - zinc pest ~ in certain locos, specifically some JLC GG1s as has been written up here extensively in the past. I don’t think that it affected the body shells themselves as opposed to trucks.

Obviously, however, there may be more electrics than diesels in die cast. I think I once had a gigantic MTH Great Northern W1 electric that was die cast.

I forgot about the 3rd Rail brass Virginian electric even though it’s recent.

The 3rd Rail Rock Island Rocket is brass

as is the Williams Shark

I'm trying to remember how much metal was in the approx 1973 Lionel starter set steam engine I had a few lives ago....  I can't tell the difference between my memory and my imagination.  But looking above at these gorgeous pictures of brass and other die-cast locomotives excites visions of ME getting some metal trains!  They have an inherent tactile and metal-realism lure such that, no matter how beautiful my plastic trains, metal seems more desirable!

Must be that I'm starting to think and feel like a real train!

Essentially, if MTH made it, and it's an electric motor ("loco") it's die-cast. I have a few.

The Lionel BLW Centipede diesel is die-cast (strangely, the MTH version is plastic - as with their respective Verandas).

My 3rd Rail NYC T-3 motor is zinc and brass.

My five MTH electrics (3 GG1, P5a boxcab, P5a Modified) are diecast, with the boxcab disintegrating. My VL Centipede is my only diecast diesel, with two brass diesels, a 3rd Rail Doodlebug and a Weaver Passenger Shark.

Atlas O SW8/9 diesels from the late 1990s/early 2000s. I have a UP model.

Later models are plastic. Not sure when the diecast versions ended exactly.

I've seen several Japanese prototype boxcab electrics in brass; one of these became "Mighty Katrinka"...

https://ogrforum.com/...47#73087246257406747

Mitch

Just a note on zinc pest. There are very few examples of diecast bodies falling victim to zinc pest in modern trains.

Zinc pest, which has too often afflicted couplers and trucks and occasionally frames, results in the casting warping, cracking and eventually crumbling.

Some hobbyists have misidentified outgassing, which causes bubbles to appear on surfaces, as zinc pest. No relation, and the castings remain intact. One example I have heard misidentified here is the 1980s Lionel Hiawatha reproduction set, which had problems with outgassing, not zinc pest.

Here’s a thread more thoroughly discussing these issues and the differences.

https://ogrforum.com/...sing-the-master-list

Wow, thanks for all the suggestions and I think some will fit into my layout. My goal for 2022 is to make my layout feel a little less "plasticy". I got some hunting to do, although I think finding that NYC T Motor will be a tought chore.

@Hancock52 posted:

I forgot about the 3rd Rail brass Virginian electric even though it’s recent.

The 3rd Rail EL-2B is not brass.  It is plastic with brass detailing as are all the 2011 and on diesels.  It just looks like a brass locomotive. 

@GG1 4877 posted:

The 3rd Rail EL-2B is not brass.  It is plastic with brass detailing as are all the 2011 and on diesels.  It just looks like a brass locomotive. 

I am happily corrected. I don't have that engine or one of the Rock Island Rocket sets, but in light of what you say I'd guess that only the cars of the latter are metal, not the engines (?).

All of the GGD / 3rd Rail streamlined cars are Aluminum.  Fluted and smooth side cars are very easy to do in aluminum as the tooling costs for aluminum are cheaper and it allows for smaller quantity runs.  Once you introduce fine detail like the full length and 3/4 domes brass makes sense for its durability.  Detail like rivets and window frames are more refined in modern plastic tooling, but the minimum order quantity goes up substantially to account for the cost of the injection tool.

I love brass models and have several, but the 3rd Rail plastic diesels are very refined locomotives and every generation they get better.  I have seen the Krauss Maffei samples in person and all I can say is "WOW" and "Why didn't I order one?"  They are out of this world nice.

@D500 posted:

Essentially, if MTH made it, and it's an electric motor ("loco") it's die-cast. I have a few.

The MTH TRAXX and Taurus Euro electric locos have plastic bodies.

SZ

@GG1 4877 posted:

I have seen the Krauss Maffei samples in person and all I can say is "WOW" and "Why didn't I order one?"  They are out of this world nice.

Well, unless you model the Espee or Rio Grande.... 😁

Mark in Oregon