Just received the new Lionel Chateau Martin “milk car” reefer. The color ( pinkish red) looked a little weird to me (supposed to be color of wine?) so I did some internet browsing and found some color photos of the car from the 1950’s and the Lionel paint appears to be accurate. Got me thinking about the old wood sided billboard reefers that were banned in the 1930’s. How is it Chateau Martin is doing a billboard reefer in the fifties? Was it illegal?
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@fcavolo posted:Just received the new Lionel Chateau Martin “milk car” reefer. The color ( pinkish red) looked a little weird to me (supposed to be color of wine?) so I did some internet browsing and found some color photos of the car from the 1950’s and the Lionel paint appears to be accurate. Got me thinking about the old wood sided billboard reefers that were banned in the 1930’s. How is it Chateau Martin is doing a billboard reefer in the fifties? Was it illegal?
The pic I found of this car shows reporting mark CMWX. This indicates a privately owned car. They can paint it anyway they want to.
Fred
PHOTOS, Please! THANKS! :-)
That wine car was one of the ones on my list,.. does it have the coupler problem described in "Continuing Saga of Lionel's poor new truck design"? Meaning will it couple with older lionel cars.
@Mike in NC posted:That wine car was one of the ones on my list,.. does it have the coupler problem described in "Continuing Saga of Lionel's poor new truck design"? Meaning will it couple with older lionel cars.
Yes it does have the same coupler/truck issues.
I believe the Federal order that banned most of the Billboard reefers in the 1930s stipulated that a car with specific Branding on it like the Chateau Martin car had to transport that company's product in the car. So this car was legal as it was operated by the winery for transport of its product.
in regard to coupler issues, i don't have this car but do have the central Vermont reefer as well as the two PRR and LIRR cars offered by METCA as part of this run. I have ab earlier run Hoods car operating between the two METCA cars without trouble. Initially , I had a derailment of a reefer when coupled to a Atlas USRA hopper through an S curve. Also had a newer Lionel tank car open it coupler when coupled to the CV car. I substituted a 6315 Gulf tank car for the tanker and a latest run Rutland Hopper for the Atlas car and everything has been running fine.
I believe the company is working on replacement couplers as a remedy.
Here's my train in motion
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