Instruction Sheet for Lionel Rio Grande "California Zephyr" 18 inch Aluminum Passenger Car 4-Pack (6-25722)

Sometimes I have found a suitable alternative LIS by expanding my search - maybe try "18 inch Aluminum Passenger Car". Many time Lionel uses the same LIS for many different but similaritems. Also, look at the selection boxes on the right side. Sometimes I only type - on the left side - the item number and not finding anything the name (as I suggest above) and nothing comes up until I check some of the selection boxes on the right. Doing this you might find the same numbered LIS from other items.

Absent the requested LIS, perhaps the LIONEL's service parts photos and parts lists may be helpful:

https://www.lionelsupport.com/...;submitButton=Search

paulp575 posted:

Many time Lionel uses the same LIS for many different but similar items. Also, look at the selection boxes on the right side. Sometimes I only type - on the left side - the item number and not finding anything the name (as I suggest above) and nothing comes up until I check some of the selection boxes on the right. Doing this you might find the same numbered LIS from other items.

I think, from memory and owning several of these cars, that the above is correct in saying that Lionel produced one “generic’ manual for each of the 18” aluminum 4 and 2 car sets and probably also the StationSounds diners issued to go with them. The manual I have is numbered 72-5600-250 and was issued in 9/11. I can’t see that this is listed in the LionelSupport website but I have a copy and can post it here as a PDF if anyone wants it.

This manual probably came with the Shasta Daylight 18” aluminum set I have. As an aside, I think that the cars were based on what was originally K-Line tooling although I might be wrong about that. In any case, the manual was published by Lionel, is 8 pages long and is mainly concerned with how to replace the incandescent lamps in the cars. There is a different procedure for observation, baggage/combo and coach cars. 

Hope this helps.

Hancock52 posted:

paulp575 posted:

Many time Lionel uses the same LIS for many different but similar items. Also, look at the selection boxes on the right side. Sometimes I only type - on the left side - the item number and not finding anything the name (as I suggest above) and nothing comes up until I check some of the selection boxes on the right. Doing this you might find the same numbered LIS from other items.

I think, from memory and owning several of these cars, that the above is correct in saying that Lionel produced one “generic’ manual for each of the 18” aluminum 4 and 2 car sets and probably also the StationSounds diners issued to go with them. The manual I have is numbered 72-5600-250 and was issued in 9/11. I can’t see that this is listed in the LionelSupport website but I have a copy and can post it here as a PDF if anyone wants it.

This manual probably came with the Shasta Daylight 18” aluminum set I have. As an aside, I think that the cars were based on what was originally K-Line tooling although I might be wrong about that. In any case, the manual was published by Lionel, is 8 pages long and is mainly concerned with how to replace the incandescent lamps in the cars. There is a different procedure for baggage/combo cars and others.

Hope this helps.

That would be great as Lionel service manuals on these cars are seemingly impossible to locate. Anyone know how to take the Milwaukee Super Dome apart?

OK, I will post it later today.

Super dome cars are a different animal! I haven’t got any Lionel version of one but do have an old K-Line, which I suspect was the pattern for Lionel.

I think that the basic technique is the same as with the 18 and 21” aluminum cars in that you have to remove the end caps, detach any lighting wiring  that is connected either behind the end caps or through the metal frame and then slide the frame and the attached plastic interior assemblies out one end of the car. But in such cases it’s a question of reverse engineering how the car was assembled in the first place. Note that the trucks might have been the last thing installed and in some cases (skirted cars) you might have to detach and lower them so that the frame will slide out without the trucks catching on the body shell.

P.S. I looked at the Lionel diagram for the 18” Milwaukee Road Superdome, which may or may not be the one you have, and it is explicitly described as a K-Line model. So all the components illustrated are typical of K-Line aluminum cars and the process of disassembly described above would very likely apply to them. In particular the dome seating and frame appear to be either fitted into channels in the body shell or screwed to parts in the inner sides of the shell:

Thanks to everyone for their responses. Regarding Hancock52's most recent comment regarding Superliner cars, I own some of them and the LIS referred to in my OP (71-5314-250) is what came with the 2-Pack (6-15314). Notice the similarity (which I tried for the Cal Zephyr 18 inch cars - but to no avail).

Attached is a PDF copy of the manual I have. But the above post by PH1975 actually led me (via Google) to a whole raft of possibly useful manuals, which appear at this page (if the link works - sometimes linking to Lionel replacement parts pages doesn't):

https://www.lionelsupport.com/...ch&startRow=5501

In any event, here's a link to a PDF of what is listed as a California Zephyr cars manual, which actually includes references to Super Dome cars (and so it must be generic): https://www.lionelsupport.com/...ents/71-5311-250.pdf

As the list indicates, Super Domes and Lionel Superliners are different things, the latter have no dome but full upper floors with side and sometimes partial overhead windows. They are actually my favorite Lionel passenger cars and I have all of the fantasy NYC version.

Bingo Hancock52!  The PDF attachment at the bottom of your latest post - specifically for 18 inch aluminum passenger cars - is exactly what I was looking for, so Thank You very much.  

Actually your Post also got me thinking as well, because the PDF corresponds with a Postwar Scale Canadian Pacific 4-car aluminum passenger set (6-25600) that I'd seen spread across the bottom of pages 38 & 39 of Lionel's Volume 2 Catalog 2010. During my research I had seen this set and noticed that - like the 18 inch Zephyr cars I was inquiring about - the CP set appeared to have the same 'swing skirts' that the Zephyr set (6-25722) has; which allows them to run on 031 curves. However, unlike the Zephyr set - no mention is made of the swing skirts in the catalog description for the CP set. In fact, the catalog description for the CP set states that a minimum curve of 054 is required. 

Anyway, the mystery has been solved and I have the 8 page manual, so thanks again to all who responded. For me, it just reaffirms how beneficial the OGR Forum is, especially during these uncertain times.

Stay safe all.