I still like MPC Lionel Trains do you?

cheap, maybe. sure cheaper than some of the Postwar versions. But I don't buy any train as a "cheap so I can run it to death" (my words). I run everything I own, and plan on owning them for a long time (I sure hope so)

quote:

Which got me wondering, is there anyone here other then me who owns MPC to enjoy as "collectibles" rather then good cheap trains to do their thing with?

Most of my MPC trains are 100% TCA mint.

Sso the answer is yes, I do.

an observation - I never had any MPC, but in the course of liquidating an area estate, I've now become very familiar with these products, particularly the engines. I've gone through cleaning and testing almost 300 engines in this project, and while many of the modern examples don't run properly because of battery or circuit board issues, I've never had one MPC example I couldn't get running like a watch in 5 minutes. I'm impressed, convinced, and now into them.

Tim

For what it was, it was great, and General Mills/Fundamensions did keep the brand active! I especially liked the billboard reefers back in the day!

The only MPC I currently have is the venerable "Milwaukee Special" set plus FIVE matching add-on cars, and NINE of the POLA/MPC "Standard O" reefers & boxcars, including the iconic Stroh's reefer.

I will say this:  A consist of MPC era Pennsy heavyweights looks durned good behind my restored 2025... 

Mitch

I cringe when I think about my rio grande f3s that couldn't pull 9 cars ..

I have some MPC that are collectible specimens. Special production such as Glen Uhl's Timken boxcar in orange.  I have several mint starter sets from the early 1970s as well, in their original neat-looking boxes. MPC got be back into this hobby so  you won't find me knocking it!

Remember: if it wasn't for MPC, we wouldn't have any new Lionel offerings to enjoy today.

Those were the inexpensive single-motored Service Station set engines. If you'd added a little weight to it, that would have yielded more pulling power. All the later MPC F-3s had dual motors.

The small 41 / 53 style switchers were probably my favorite MPC production items. I purchased most of them as they came out, as well as the other motorized units, such as the #52 style fire cars and the #54 style ballast tampers.

The ballast tampers were over produced. I believe it was Charles Ro who had some painted in other paint schemes in order to sell them.

RGS did some very nice custom paint jobs on burro cranes too.

I run a set of the MPC PRR Baby Madison's behind my 675, they do look good.

Yes, MPC made some good stuff. And the free-rolling fast-angle wheels were a real improvement over the old Postwar Lionel wheel sets.

Yep, one of the biggest operational pluses.  The biggest bone of contention I had with the General Mills era (I really don't like using MPC since they were only involved with Lionel production the first 3 years or so during the birth of the Modern Era) is the odd choice of using that obscure Symington-Wayne truck design; certainly nowhere close to being representative of mainstream freight car trucks.  They should have either stuck with the AAR style trucks that they did utilize briefly from the postwar period, or chosen a more common 70 or 100 ton Barber-style roller bearing truck similar to what LTI ended up using after 1989.

Yeah, I've wondered about that. But what was worse, I thought, was some of the 1960's Lionel cars with arch-bar trucks under modern cars!

great story, and Thank You for your service!

Great stuff. Here's just a few of mine. Amazing innovation, design, graphics and paint application, much of which we take for granted today. An interesting curiosity on the last car shown, the 9873 Ralston Purina reefer, is the "car used" date information. As far as I know, that's unique, although perhaps some other cars had it. It would be interesting to know the story behind that.

Not sure what MPC stands for, but what I can say about my post war trains, such as my 2328 Geep, and 2055 Hudson is that they are over 60 years old, and will run for another 100+ years.  Simple electro-mechanical technology ensures that you can fix them yourself and keep them going.

I do admit however that I prefer realism over toy trains. For that need I will use the smaller scales.  

Model Products Corporation

I think "the company" still exists today in one form or another, although its relationship with Lionel toy train days is distant history.  MPC was a division of General Mills during the 1970's, and that's when toy train enthusiasts are most familiar with it.  

Although Lionel's General Mills "MPC era" is typically referred to as 1969-1986, production under MPC only occurred for a few years in the early 70's after which the Lionel products became part of General Mill's Fundimension division in 1973 until Richard Kughn came along in 1986 to start the Kughn/LTI era of Lionel toy trains.

David

I was just about to post the same thing!  Yeah, my 675 and MPC PRR passenger cars were made for each other.

What's not to like about these guys.   All MPC and all American made.

Unique to MPC. neither of these made before or since.  

Joe

Hello Rocky Mountianeer.........

When did the lionel LTI started and ended ? and was those trains in that time period made in America such as the blue and yellow F-3's #18117 AA units and 18121 B unit ?

the woman who loves the S.F.5011,2678,2003,200

Tiffany

Richard Kughn purchased Lionel Trains in 1986, and formed LTI (Lionel Trains, Inc.). In 1995, Wellspring Associates LLC (limited liability company) acquired LTI, and set up the company as Lionel LLC. Richard Maddox became president in 1999, and, among other things, was charged with the responsibility of moving Lionel production overseas. Over the period of roughly 2000 to 2002, all Lionel production was moved to the Far East. 

The blue and yellow Santa Fe freight F-3s, no. 18117, etc., were produced in 1993 in the Michigan plant, well before production was moved overseas.

Hey Breez, thanks for chiming in to help Tiffany.

David

Hello breezinup....

thank you, I learned something new today. It is NICE to have a American made diesel for change.

the woman who loves the S.F.5011,2678,2003,200

Tiffany