Let’s see your Lionel Glass Lined Milk Cars

My New York Central ones........

Peter

With LCCA Convention over stamp by Weaver.  John in Lansing ILL 

Peter. Thanks for posting very nice 

John. Thanks for posting I really like that car

Here’s my line up. I may post them separate later 

Only have six.

Ron

Guess need to research prototype more carefully..have not seen these cars modeled, except for the northeast...and that LCCA car is, apparently, over stamped Santa Fe. Would like to see prototype photos of these cars used west of the Mississippi.

colorado hirailer posted:

Guess need to research prototype more carefully..have not seen these cars modeled, except for the northeast...and that LCCA car is, apparently, over stamped Santa Fe. Would like to see prototype photos of these cars used west of the Mississippi.

Can assure you that the six cars pics posted are prototypically correct except for length. These cars were about 54-feet long.

Covers of my reference books.

Of the six car pics posted my most favorite are the "American Railway Express" (predating REA)and the Borden's.

Ron

Eastbound:

 Led by a freshly serviced "Mike", and headed back west after picking up a few extra empties:

Milk car information.  Most would have been insulated.  Current raw milk transportation via truck and highway is not refrigerated, Milk is chilled below 40 degrees at the farm, and in most cases would maintain a safe cold temp when delivered to the processing plant.  Transportation time usually less than 12 hrs.   IMO.  

Often times creameries leased cars. Simple steel placards were bolted to the cars sides.

The above is a Lionel repaint. The sign boards are printed cardstock glued on.

Oh those cans, I was never so glad to see them go away.    Painted by my sweetheart.   Missing the lid. 

FM powered milk train! All Kadee equipped...

thanks,

-Mario

Another old video.....2012.....

Peter

Mike CT...was that a real mill painted  on that and, and if so, where is it?

Ron.  I like a Bordens that one’s on my list thanks for posting 

Ricko.  Thanks for posting your stuff always his enjoyment to watch 

Dave.  Thanks for posting I never knew they done that thanks for the info 

Mario.  What a nice lineup of cars and a great video thanks for posting 

Peter.  Thanks again for posting another great video very nice lineup of cars 

 Thanks guys for posting keep those pics and videos coming I’m seeing cars I haven’t seen before and you guys are helping me out thanks 

colorado hirailer posted:

Mike CT...was that a real mill painted  on that and, and if so, where is it?

Sweetheart said no.  If anything copied from a calendar. 

 Enjoy what's out there for milk cars. Don't really know if Lionel will ever offer them again given the status of the missing molds.

 I approached Atlas at the last Springfield MA. show about doing a run of milk cars using their 53 ft. Express refrigerator cars. Car is just like the one they presently offer. The only change would be the removal of the ice loading hatches. I don't believe these cars were ever big sellers. Certainly nowhere near the level of their 40 ft. Reefers. Well you can probably figure out how that went. Was told they would have to redesign the car to have a removable roof and tool up tanks and it probably wouldn't be worth it. I really just wanted the hatches removed and a properly painted and lettered car. The only time I remove the roof on mine is when I add Kadee's or becomes dislodged when picking it up. I believe these cars would sell.  I was a big buyer at one time of Atlas. The last 8 years or so the buzz is definitely gone in their product and enthusiasm for building it.

 I've done one car. Removed the hatches. Repainted and used the steel sign method of lettering. If decals were easily available I'd do a few more. Highball Graphics has the White Brothers and NE Farmers sets.  Walthers did a run of these in HO. I believe they were good sellers. The only other one I remember was the Dairyman's done with a green body. Car would look like the below pic. . I'd be in for 3 or 4 of them to fill out my Rutland Milk train bound for New York.

Dave. I never knew the Lionel molds were missing. Some one should pic these up and start making them. I like those old reefers and milk cars. I’m with you on removing the roof I’ve only removed one just to see what it was all about. Thanks for the info. 

  Lee, a few years ago Lionel contracted a maker in I believe Hungary to do these cars. They were sent the molds to make them. I guess the product samples weren't to Lionel's standard for these cars. From what I've heard they are still trying to produce the cars. It's been a few years now and still no cars. It was a few catalogs ago they offered some new paint schemes. Long enough now. That I can't even remember if I ordered any.

Thanks Dave I never heard that. It’s ashame they can’t get it going. I’m finding out Lionel is a lot like Walthers in HO you better buy it now because of you wait to long you will not get it and there prices are the same very expensive. 

Some individual cars and pics for dairy transportation. With two sets of the Century Club II milk cars, and additional, makes a really

nice consist.  Also, let us not forget the larger sized milk cars Lionel produced in the post war periods.

Jesse   TCA

METCA (Metropolitan Train Collectors Association) who have milk cars being produced for them by Lionel, the word from Lionel is: Due to the excessive delays with the current factory being able to produce quality cars, Lionel will be getting these cars made at a different factory in a different country.  The good news is that these cars are going to be made to a level of quality that we expect.  The bad news is that moving production (and the logistics dealing with tooling) to a different factory in a different country is going to further delay these cars.  These cars are now scheduled for production at the very end of 2019.

And other refrigerated cars, not labeled for dairy, but also used for transport of milk products.  Hope this helps and gives you a good idea of the selection available for make up of a milk train consist.

Jesse   TCA

Well, I happen to have one I can get at that I could include here. I found these fascinating and just had to get a few whenever they were offered. I do hope they get those VL ones into some sort of production so we will see them this year.I just like the way these look.

My Grandfather designed milk company milk bottle caps from the days when they had glass milk bottles delivered to your home. Hood's milk was one of his designs and my Grandfathers  cow is on the Lionel Milk Cars. Needless to say i have a couple of those cars plus a tinplate car I created from a tinplate tender. I also scratch built a Hood Milk Factory, delivery truck and bill board.

Thanks guys for all you post. Some great stuff here.

Gene. That jersey looks like one of my jersey cows I had her name was “Half Pint” I love that cow like one of my kids she was so gentle and tame her horns were perfect just like that black and white pic you posted

Gene, thank you for the history of your Grandfather, and the pictures of your milk cars, billboards and the factory! Good stuff from everyone that's shared photo's so far ... And, thanks Lee, for starting this thread!

Rusty

Glass lined, eh?  Sounds like an opportunity to scratch build something.

Steve

I won a milk car I’ve been looking for off the “bay” yesterday can’t belive it happened I will post it as soon as it gets here. 

You're welcome Rusty. 

Steve.  That would be neat if you could take these one step farther 

RideTheRails posted:

Glass lined, eh?  Sounds like an opportunity to scratch build something.

Steve

They already have full interiors!

REA milk car from Lionel's first series.  Left to right:  Atlas REA express reefer, Lionel REA milk car, REA heavyweight baggage from Jerry Williams' first five car set and a Lionel NH milk car.  The REA cars sold out very quickly as they could be used as head end express cars.  John in Lansing, ILL

Posting some pictures of several Lionel glass tank milk cars not shown in this thread yet.

These are a two-car set, released in ~ 2010 maybe. Don’t have the set #, but the individual car #’s are; 6-27335 and 6-27336.

Here’s another three-car set, set # 6-21855, of A&P cars. Car #’s; 6-27308, 6-27309 and 6-27310.

As a person who drinks about a gallon of milk a day, it's no surprise the milk train makes frequent appearances on my layout. As of right now only two of the five cars are Lionel (others are Atlas and MTH). I can't believe I don't have any pictures of the side, but I have two Hood's cars; one grade A and one not. Here's a picture of when I was doing the Kadee conversion. I must say, as cool as the removable roof and tanks are, I personally would rather just save a few bucks and not have that feature. 

Guys your post are great. Thanks for posting the REA John and the info. I was wondering what the A&P looked like up close thanks.

I'm with you will I rather save some money and not have the top open but I’m glad they did it anyway 

  Here's my offering

  A side note on NYC2UP's  Lionel Freeport Milk Cars:  Several years ago I purchased a "kitbashed" tinplate American Flyer pre-war reefer which some unknown modeler had converted into a Freeport Milk Car.  The basic car was the American Flyer NYC Merchant Despatch. 

  The owner painted the car yellow with tuscan red ends and then carefully scribed lines into the yellow paint to guide the extensive hand lettering of the car.  I haven't been able to find a photograph of the actual car but, other than the color, the graphics of the Lionel car matches this car in every detail. Given the probable time frame of the kitbash I suspect it, and not the Lionel car, is the actual color of the prototype.

Stand pipes are for unloading raw milk.

Hoods milk truck is between the unloading track and chilling building. Trees are made using Sedam plants.

One way to fill a corner.  John in Lansing, ILL

I have a Lionel milk tank car converted to 2 rail by Lee Turner that faithfully models  Supplee's SWJX number 9.    The large lettering on the prototype  was done with enameled steel letters attached to the wood body.  To simulate this we used a lettering set created by the late Ben Brown printed that was on paper stock and glued to the repainted body.  The Lionel trucks were longer than prototype so I replaced them with shorter wheelbase ones from Overland. 

Below: is an overview of the prototype operation I'm attempting to model:

Every day a pair of wood body Supplee milk tank cars moved between the main Supplee plant in Philadelphia and the PRR Middle Division town of Huntingdon, PA.  Two local Supplee creameries were involved.  One located just south of the PRR main in Huntingdon, and the other in Bedford, PA.  In the morning a westbound PRR local passenger train dropped off two empty Supplee cars at Huntingdon.  A PRR H9 2-8-0 would spot one of the cars on a siding at Supplee's Huntingdon creamery, and deliver the other empty milk tank car to the Huntingdon and Broadtop Mountain siding across from the Huntingdon station.  A waiting H&BT 2-8-0 would take the car in a southbound 3 car train to a Supplee creamery in Bedford. 

At the creameries the cars' glass lined tanks were loaded with chilled milk (the cars were not refrigerated).  Within hours of loading the car movements were reversed. Late in the afternoon at Huntingdon the loaded Supplee milk cars were added to the rear of an eastbound PRR mail and express train for the run to Philadelphia.  This operation continued until the abandonment of the H&BT in 1954.  

Supplee owned 9 milk tank cars from 2 different builders.   Below is a photo of my other Supplee car. It started life as a brass Overland model.  Note the design difference between it and the Lionel model in the area where the side meets the roof,  and at the side sill - both are correct.