I think the new beer reefers in the Lionel catalog are really nice. Having grown up in Colorado, I'm very attracted to the Coors car.
On the page it reads 21+. Will the hobby shop owner have to check I.D.'s?
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They let kids buy the MTH Silver bullet train so maybe they might, because its the law?
Gentlemen,
I want a Tin Plate Bourbon Tanker Car Consist to pull behind my 263E P2 and the last Car could be marked White Lightening, with George Jones's picture on her, and if they wanted to card this old man that's ok too.
PCRR/Dave
I thought that some years back Lionel promised never to make beer/alcohol or tobacco cars again. There are probably some regulations prohibiting the decoration of toys with these logos, hence the designation of 21+.
What goes around, comes around. I've read that ome old tinplate beer/alcohol cars from Germany are generally found with the decorating blanked out. I am certain one of the tinplate guys here can elaborate.
All I know is, having beer/tobacco/alcohol decorations on some of my rolling stock never gave me the urge to indulge.
For years, MTH beer and tobacco cars have carried a small "Adult Collectible" label or printing on the box. There probably are laws prohibiting the sale of these kinds of items to minors, and I doubt these laws are enforced much, but in this day and age, you can't be too careful.
Andy
Making new Tobacco themed cars would be an issue with the AG Master Settlement Agreement. This almost certainly would be construed as Youth Targeting. Private sales of existing items are a non-issue.
As for beer et al alcohol cars, it is a matter of trademark. I had heard that Coors was no longer licensing their trademark to third parties such as model train manufacturers. If a manufacturer choses to license their trademark, there should be no reason why a model train car couldn't be produced with that logo.
To the best of my knowledge, nothing has been outlawed and no one should expect to get carded when they buy a model train car.
I think the model train companies should make tobacco and alcohol reefers. The ones that have been made so far, are some of nicest most colorful cars going.
