Is it going to be a metallic gold like a gold version of the finish we see on the MTH Coors Light train? Or will be it be like any other normal color in a matte finish?
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Lionel calls it a "brilliant gold finish" whatever that means. I would guess it will be shinny. 
The engines are going to be gold plated and have a clear lacquer coat. If this is not done the engines would tarnish. The finish should be shinny a dull finish would ruin the look.
Gold doesn't tarnish, the lacquer coat might help prevent it from scuffing and rubbing off eventually.
Jerry
What about the cars? I assume that they would be plastic. I wonder what kind of finish they would receive so that they look like the gold plated engine. Also, is there a deadline for ordering these from Lionel? Thanks for the info Pat.
Thanks Pat for the update on the finish. The finish on the Gold cars is an interesting question. Perhaps Pat can answer this as well.
Yeah, this is just hard to tell from the pictures. You want to believe that everything will be gold coated and have a metallic finish, but you just can't tell from the pictures. Really unlike any other pre-order because in most other pre-orders, you know what you are getting based on the pictures. I can't think of any other Lionel stuff I've seen with at a metallic finish so it's hard to know what to expect.
It is possible to gold plate make a finish that looks much like gold plating on plastic rolling stock.
MTH did 2 cars for the Millennium. (not sure if the other items they did were plastic or metal, but I seem to remember a GG-1 passenger set as well)
Probably will be a similar process.
-Dave
Originally Posted by towdog:
I can't think of any other Lionel stuff I've seen with at a metallic finish so it's hard to know what to expect.
The 100th Anniv Hudson was actually 24K gold plated, with platinum plated trucks/side rods(white gloves included). The MTH edition was 18K gold plated & platinum. If there was no mention of actual 'gold plating' then its just a pretty color. (the 75th anniv gateman was a gold color finish on a plastic housing). I would think that unless the passenger cars are metal, it would be similar to the 75th gateman.
Brings up an interesting question:
What is the proper term for the type of finish on the Gateman or the Plastic cars?
(After Reading Super'O' man's post, I'm trusting that calling it gold plating is probably not correct, but I'm not a metallurgist, and I don't play one on TV either 
)
When I look at the gold freight cars or the 75th Anniv Gateman, I can clearly see my reflection in the surface, so it looks much like gold plating, even though it's probably not by true definition.
-Dave
