Let us see your Homemade Lionel (or Other) Style Cars or Engines you have Made or Modified

Nice...It's always fun to make something from nothing and have it turn out GOOOOD!

D

Here is a Lionel 8510, 0-4-0 switcher sold by Sears I have had a long while.

It has an ugly front and no coupling on the front, making it a lousy switcher.

I decided to add a front end and working coupling like my better 0-4-0 switcher, a Lionel 8516.

I drew up a sketch and used a spare operating coupling I had, and some sheet metal and balsa wood scraps.  I assembled it with J B Weld metal filled epoxy glue.

I soldered in the bottom brace.

J B Weld metal filled epoxy setting up with rubber bands holding in position

The hand rail was made from a piece of wire.  Whole unit was painted with semi gloss back paint.

Now this is much more handsome

Now I have two great 0-4-0 switchers with operating front couplers.  The old 0-4-0 needs a paint job now

Charlie

Nice job!

Gene

Thanks for the complement.  This was a fun project making the switcher much more fun to operate too.

Charlie

Nicely done Charlie!

Here’s a Lionel O27 Piggyback Flatcar I upgraded and made some homemade hitches

I've posted these on another thread but since I bashed the loads I'll put them here also.A transformer load for the C9 well car to replace the wire spools it came with.  And a homemade submarine car.

Some re-lettering I did so that I would have some switchers that could handle duties for several different roads that could converge in their area.

I wanted a Penn Central Diesel so I painted decaled and flat coated a Williams FM. Not prototypical but it matches a caboose I already have. The florescent lights made it look more blue than green the color looks correct in person.

The roster continues to grow.  564 finally got steam generator equipment.  Flared spark arrestors are still eluding me.

546 and 569 still need 3-chime horns  

I don't remember if I've posted this before.Out of a K-line Club freebie Santa Fe work caboose I made this Alaska RR transfer caboose.  I removed the tool boxes, shifted the cabin from the end to the center, added handrails I had found at a LHS, I had to hand bend the corners, stripped the ATSF markings and added HO decals.  Didn't think to add wood real decking but tried painting the decking with Testor's "WOOD" color enamel.  Either the plastic wasn't clean enough or just didn't like the enamel, you can see where the coverage is a little thin.

Homemade N5c Union Pacific Caboose

Next I wanted to make a colorful port hole window N5c Union Pacific caboose.  I found this picture of a MTH N5c Union Pacific caboose on the internet.

Here is a Lionel 9168 Union Pacific N5c caboose shell I have had for years and is one my more colorful cabooses.  This one has a, homemade by me, extended SP caboose metal base with SP caboose end plates with steps and added light and pickups.  Lets see if I can beat it.

I found a good shape Lionel N5c shell without the metal base.  I had several spare SP type metal bases but they are about an inch too short for the N5c shells.  I cut the metal base in half and added one more inch in length by adding a piece of 1/8 inch Masonite to joint it, to lengthen it.  I glued it together with E6000 glue and added a Christmas tree mini 12 v light and socket with pigtails.  I also made a light pick up, as above for the SP style UP caboose, and added two trucks with couplings.

I had to make plastic end floor plates and steps as the shell of a N5c caboose shell does not have them like the SP shell has.

The shell was painted with the Model Master Insignia yellow paint and Testor's Red paint.  Painting was a chore with all the masking and hand painted junction of the yellow and red.

I had to cut out some of the side rail to allow a Union Pacific logo to go on the side.

The Lionel N5c shell has a translucent plastic window liner installed.  Wow, that is a handsome N5c caboose  probably a tie with the Union Pacific SP style caboose above.

Union Pacific N5c Caboose with Union Pacific Homemade Vanderbilt coal tender.

My two new Union Pacific Cabooses showing out.  These should liven up the layout.  It is hard to keep your eyes off bright yellow cabooses.

I am fixed up with colorful Union Pacific Cabooses now to make my Union Pacific engines happy.

Charlie

I posted this earlier today in my "Another O27 Creation" thread, but thought that it would also be appropriate here.

You may recall that in the past I made several "stretched" cabooses, each from two Lionel SP type cabooses.

MOW caboose made from the leftover SP caboose body parts:

@Choo Choo Charlie posted:

Homemade N5c Union Pacific Caboose

Next I wanted to make a colorful port hole window N5c Union Pacific caboose.  I found this picture of a MTH N5c Union Pacific caboose on the internet.

Here is a Lionel 9168 Union Pacific N5c caboose shell I have had for years and is one my more colorful cabooses.  This one has a, homemade by me, extended SP caboose metal base with SP caboose end plates with steps and added light and pickups.  Lets see if I can beat it.

I found a good shape Lionel N5c shell without the metal base.  I had several spare SP type metal bases but they are about an inch too short for the N5c shells.  I cut the metal base in half and added one more inch in length by adding a piece of 1/8 inch Masonite to joint it, to lengthen it.  I glued it together with E6000 glue and added a Christmas tree mini 12 v light and socket with pigtails.  I also made a light pick up, as above for the SP style UP caboose, and added two trucks with couplings.

I had to make plastic end floor plates and steps as the shell of a N5c caboose shell does not have them like the SP shell has.

The shell was painted with the Model Master Insignia yellow paint and Testor's Red paint.  Painting was a chore with all the masking and hand painted junction of the yellow and red.

I had to cut out some of the side rail to allow a Union Pacific logo to go on the side.

The Lionel N5c shell has a translucent plastic window liner installed.  Wow, that is a handsome N5c caboose  probably a tie with the Union Pacific SP style caboose above.

Union Pacific N5c Caboose with Union Pacific Homemade Vanderbilt coal tender.

My two new Union Pacific Cabooses showing out.  These should liven up the layout.  It is hard to keep your eyes off bright yellow cabooses.

I am fixed up with colorful Union Pacific Cabooses now to make my Union Pacific engines happy.

Charlie

Fantastic work, Charlie. You know how much I like custom cabeese!

@coach joe posted:

I don't remember if I've posted this before.Out of a K-line Club freebie Santa Fe work caboose I made this Alaska RR transfer caboose.  I removed the tool boxes, shifted the cabin from the end to the center, added handrails I had found at a LHS, I had to hand bend the corners, stripped the ATSF markings and added HO decals.  Didn't think to add wood real decking but tried painting the decking with Testor's "WOOD" color enamel.  Either the plastic wasn't clean enough or just didn't like the enamel, you can see where the coverage is a little thin.

Love it CoachJoe.

Thanks for sharing

That flat came out great Lee, thanks for sharing,

@Lionelski posted:

That flat came out great Lee, thanks for sharing,

Thanks for the complement. I have some more to make

@lee drennen posted:

Thanks for the complement John. I have some more to make

Dang Choo Choo,

        You are a man of my own heart.  That UP 3063 is tremendous.

        You took an inexpensive car, did some very inexpensive things, and created a super nice car.

         The silver roof really makes it.

        I'll post a picture of my original, stupendously ugly, 1970s Lionel NW-2, that I modified it for about $6.00

Mannyrock

Okay,

Here's what you can do with a bad looking loco, for about $6.00 in paint.

As mentioned by me before, last year I got a 1970-ish Lionel NW-2 8010 SF Switcher, at a flea market, for about $15.00.   It runs very well, even better when I lubed it.  But, it has got to be the worst looking color scheme I have ever seen.  The body was molded translucent blue-purple plastic,  and the side front  "headlights" were cherry colored glob lanterns, sticking out of the front like carnival bulbs.  Here is a stock picture (don't worry, no copyright notices):

So I bought a can of Kryon soft-gloss Honey color paint at Walmart for $5.00, covered the two large decals with tape, and spray painted it. Then I pulled off the plastic glob front lights and drilled out the square holes so they are round, and put a bit of black and silver on the grill and sides.  I also took off the front coupler, to give it a shorter look.

Here is what it looks like now:

I guess maybe I ruined the "resale value" of this engine, but it looks alot better to me.   I don't use it for switching, just hauling.

Thanks for looking.

Mannyrock

I like it!   Still that postwar look to me...remember it's your railroad...  well i guess it is 70 ish like you said, not postwar..Still like it

Jeff

Thanks Postwarman,

It has a lightly used Pullmor motor in it.

Mannyrock

Great job Mannyrock.

Fun, ain't it?

Love your work Paul.

Tinplate is forever!

Nice work, I like the silver accent work, Mannyrock!

Repeats from posts of yore...

Modified/redeco Lionel 624 switcher...

...w/companion Lionel 6517 bashed transfer 'boose...

...and a scratchbuilt Covid project...

The only thing 'bashed' (3 times!) regarding this car was my attempt to put it into the wrong category...because of the dreaded...

so they say.

.

.

.

KD

(This one will probably get 'moderated', too.)

Poof!

KD, outstanding work caboose and speeder transport car.

KD,

Would you please share with us the name of the company that makes the little 1/48 engineer you put in the cab of the first loco?  Is it a Woodland Scenics figure?

Thx,

Mannyrock

@Mannyrock posted:

KD,

Would you please share with us the name of the company that makes the little 1/48 engineer you put in the cab of the first loco?  Is it a Woodland Scenics figure?

Thx,

Mannyrock

Manny...

Yes, it's a WS guy...surgically modified!

Believe me, to get him to fit in nearly zero space between the cab wall and motor housing, he's not the man he once was!!  The (imaginary) screaming in agony and pain, the (imaginary) blood-letting, the (imaginary) sight of dismembered limbs...  Meatball surgery, indeed.  MASH 4077th would've given a thumbs-up!

I'll say one thing, though, SP probably never had a more handsome, dapper dude at the window and hand on the throttle of an NW2!

Sometimes you gotta do whatcha gotta do.   Right?

@dkdkrd posted:

Manny...

Yes, it's a WS guy...surgically modified!

Believe me, to get him to fit in nearly zero space between the cab wall and motor housing, he's not the man he once was!!  The (imaginary) screaming in agony and pain, the (imaginary) blood-letting, the (imaginary) sight of dismembered limbs...  Meatball surgery, indeed.  MASH 4077th would've given a thumbs-up!

I'll say one thing, though, SP probably never had a more handsome, dapper dude at the window and hand on the throttle of an NW2!

Sometimes you gotta do whatcha gotta do.   Right?

KD, Beauuuuutifullllll!!! (Guess what just arrived, frozen solid at the front door. I have it thawing out in the packaging, might not be ready for a before photo for Front End Friday) Wow, I think your work is Spot On! Wish I had skilz "if wishes were fishes Id have a bucketful". Great Engineer..... I want one too! excellent, thanks for the share. My Wife sayz he looks quite like a stud, she would date him

@dkdkrd posted:

THAT is some excellent work on your Lionel switcher! Just goes to show you how fabulous Lionel's switcher can look with a bit of artistic effort! All of your items in your post were superb.

Well done!

Andre

Hey Guys,

I notice that alot of these newly painted engines have a silver roof.  They look great because they make the roof a focal point, rather than blah surface to ignore.

Do any real switchers have  silver painted roofs?  Either in the original paint schemes or as some type of  maintenance grade rust protector ?   

Thanks,

Mannyrock

Joe, Manny, Frank, Andre...thanks for the compliments.

As I explained in the earlier post (probably 2+ years ago by now) re the SP pieces, the genesis was a derelict (cosmetically speaking...chassis perfectly good, as is typical of these Lionel pieces) 624 C&O switcher.  Never occurred to me to take a 'before' picture, but we've all probably seen these treasures after decades of enjoyment (playing, as it were).  I'm not an SP fan.  I did a search at the time of Microscale's O scale decals for this type of loco, hoping to avoid competing with any of Lionel's multiple releases/flag versions.  Tiger stripes seemed like a reasonable choice (especially when over a basic black paint!).  The transfer caboose was, again, born of a derelict 3517...and left over tiger stripes from the Microscale NW2 decal set!  Found prototype photos to further support the effort.  It's the old 'making lemonade from lemons' thing.  The loco also has LED lighting, window glazing, a WBB sound board/speaker (for which I'd pay dearly to have a 'keep-alive' modification done during the E-unit cycling!), and (after these photos were taken) windshield wipers.

KD (a.k.a. - Lucas Gudinov)

KD

Great engine and cabooses.  Homemade car modifications really add to the repetitious manufacturers gear.  Homemade making helps survive the virus stay at home blues.  Re-posts are always welcome as many may have missed something great on the voluptuous past posts.

Charlie

Awesome work guys. I did some kitbash in the early 1970's. Lionel stuff was scarce & so was the money...we had just bought our first home. I built model cars till 1972 and then got into trains with the arrival of 2 sons 16 months apart. The hunt was on for trains and we built our first layout on the rug. Trains did something besides sit on the shelf.. So this project began as a direlect Lionel 2046, not running, broken front casting, no tender. I wanted to "detail it out", create a different body style of sorts, and get it running. I looked at a 1/4 scale Indiana Harbor Belt "for parts" and thought- OK this is it. Fast forward 46 years. I am still having too much fun. It still runs. I took it for a spin on the layout just before typing this email- pulled 26 cars on level-all hooked to the "scale" rear tender coupler. Long live Lionel Postwar!

I combined 3 different lionel cabooses to create this White Pass EV caboose.

@Tom M posted:

I combined 3 different lionel cabooses to create this White Pass EV caboose.

Looks great Tom.

I'm going to take this as a challenge and create something by combining 4 different cabooses!