Caboose Cabs that are Clear Plastic ?

I've seen some MPC era boxcars that were molded in clear plastic and painted, maybe they did some cabooses in that medium as well.

What are you using for engines?

@Bill DeBrooke posted:

What are you using for engines?

Lionel and MTH made a number of clear plastic diesels.  To name a couple...

MTH 20-80002A F3 ABA Clear Body Diesel Engine Set

Lionel Platinum Ghost Set - 38150 F3AA

Lionel made the GP-7 Wabash in a clear shell and they also made the 36621 O-Gauge operating Milk Car with a clear shell. They also made the AEC clear tank cars. My thought is that it would make a nice train to run but I need a caboose.

idea-thinker

Williams also produced F7's in clear.

Not sure where you would get the engine but here is a tender.  Produced in Korea by someone. (T-6661)

I made a transparent train some years ago. Lots of fun. It started when I purchased a clear cattle car and caboose at a TCA NOR-CAL Cal Stewart meet. The Southern good ol' boy who had them on his table said that he stripped the paint with either "Soil Love" or "Soy Love." His accent was thick enough that I could not tell which and did not want to ask him too many more times. I have never found either one of those cleaning items.

[ I just found Soilove on Amazon] Not sure if this is it or not.

https://www.amazon.com/Soilove...1319134886&psc=1

The difficulty I have had in stripping clear body trains is finding something strong enough to strip the paint, but not so strong as to dull the plastic. It seems like some of the paint strips easily and the rest of it hangs on stubbornly while the stripped portion starts to cloud while soaking.

I found a clear tender shell on eBay. Using a 2056 for motive power, or a "platinum ghost" (or whatever it is called) Lionel clear body F3 set.

The easiest ones to strip are the silver two dome tank cars. many of them were made of clear plastic and they strip almost immediately with spray on oven cleaner. Only leave the cleaner on for a few minutes. Sometimes they will have a clear body, but the tank ends or the dome tops will be colored plastic. If you hold the car up to the light and look through the holes in the frame, you can tell if all parts were made with clear plastic.

The silver cars are the only ones I have been able to strip successfully without clouding the clear plastic.

The cars I have seen are postwar. Most of them were painted silver tank cars, silver action cars, yellow cattle cars, and certain numbers of bright red/plain cabooses.

It's a great idea. Have fun with it!

If you are going to add a steam engine tender you'll need this.

This is what he was referring to

@idea-thinker posted:

Does anyone know of any of MPC or Modern caboose shells that were cast as clear plastic and then painted? I would like to at least find out if any were made...

Some early postwar 2257/2357 cabooses were molded clear which could be stripped, as Roy mentions above.

But unfortunately, there aren't any cabooses made in this manner from 1970 onward. The only known clear cabooses are samples/prototypes or models made for display purposes.

TRW

I was at Eastside Trains a few years ago for an MTH event. I met Mike Wolf there, and I suggested that he make a clear shell Z4000. He wasn’t too excited as he told me it would take a of effort to get it reapplied for UL and government agency stuff. I said it’s just a color change. He said I’d be surprised.

I suspect UL and the government wouldn't really care if they made transparent rolling stock, it's not the same as a transformer that has 120 volts and UL approval.   I would think the major impediment would be how well the transparent item sells, or is projected to sell.

@gunrunnerjohn posted:

I suspect UL and the government wouldn't really care if they made transparent rolling stock, it's not the same as a transformer that has 120 volts and UL approval.   I would think the major impediment would be how well the transparent item sells, or is projected to sell.

I asked if he could make a special run of these clear case Z4000. I told him that I thought it would sell out as a collector’s item. After all, how many transformers have variations.  I told him that if he does do it I would like one as compensation for being the idea guy.  Also, I’d like him to autograph it.
While in the store I asked if he would autograph a box for me. I handed him a Lionel box and he gave me a funny look. I said “just kidding “, and then gave him an MTH box which he then signed. He didn’t seem to express much of a sense of humor, but I figured he’s got more on his mind than my little box trick. However, I don’t think he was mulling over my clear case transformer idea.
Alan

Right Alan, like I said, rolling stock doesn't have the UL issues that a transformer would have.  And you're right, I never thought Mike has a well developed sense of humor.