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

I think (opinion only) you should change the heading to something with "Scratchbuilt or Kitbashed cars "

"resurrected junk,rebuilds,etc"

coach joe posted:

Lee according to another thread Lionel put those air tanks on only 3 switchers, this Alaska 8154, it's predecessor, Alaska 614, and orange tanks on a DT&I switcher.  they do give this switcher a different look.

Good job on the flat.  i knew I wasn't the only one using HO decals on O equipment.

Okay Joe, Lee, and whoever else, the new guy needs some help, Lionel put air tanks on top of three Alaska switchers. What for? And did actual Alaska switchers have them?

I think they done that to engines for more room for bigger fuel tanks I'm not sure 

Vincent Massi posted:

Okay Joe, Lee, and whoever else, the new guy needs some help, Lionel put air tanks on top of three Alaska switchers. What for? And did actual Alaska switchers have them?

A) IIRC, to keep the air tanks heated with engine heat.  

B) Yes, they did. 

Mitch 

Thank you, Mitch.

Just checking in on this site to see if anyone has modified a Lionel Legacy scale Southern Railway Ps-4 Pacific by replacing the 2 wheel trailing truck with a 4 wheel truck to convert this from a Pacific to a Hudson. If so, I would be interested in knowing the details.

Thanks,

RAY

This Christmas I found a 6-21955 Rio Grande passenger set under the tree. This set comes with a powered F3 A and a dummy A. I rebuilt the dummy as a powered A using the set shell and front truck. I also used an on-hand MPC single-motor F3 frame (was black so I rattle-canned it silver), a TMCC electronic E unit, and a GP power truck and motor. I also used a GP silver colored power truck frame from which I cut the pilot and steps. If you look closely the gap between the engine and first car is wider than normal because of the long GP coupler shank. Some day I'll pick up a proper silver F3 rear power truck frame to address that fault. Meanwhile I added an excellent running Rio Grande F3 to the Plywood Empire Route's  iron horse stable.

Lew

              BTW, the pic on the wall is of the prototype Royal Gorge c.1962.

             That day power was a pair of PA-1s.

            Dad took that pic from the Dome.

Here is a car I made inspired by the LGB Cement Mixer Car.

The first two photos show the actual car that was and is possibly still on display at the Toy Train Museum in Lancaster, P.A.

The third photo is the final result, made from a variety of Lionel and mixed parts.

The last of the three D&RGW ski/business cars. This one began life as a N&W Powhattan I got from Ebay. Window configurations changed and side door added.

Terry

John T that's one crazy build.  You've got a one of kind MOW car.

Terry nice work on changes the windows.

Here’s a old AHM Boxcar I converted into a 3 rail. There was a little Dremel work involved  I used Lionel trucks with the bolster made in the truck. It was a fun project that lasted maybe 1hr.

Lew, 

I have to admit that the Rio Grande of the fifties would provide a lot more passenger modeling possibilities. I like the looks of that Royal Gorge car.

Terry

Pan Am Railways?

Yes, indeed. It is a holding company for some railroads in New England and New York. The New England railroads were hurt by the fact that manufacturers had fled the NE, so freight traffic had decreased. Add in the fact that most hauls were only  for short distances. The new holding company struggled along, adding a bad reputation as it went, so it bought the name and logo of the defunct Pan Am Airlines, which it has no connection with.

Yup. If you click the pic of the grille bar and enlarge it you can see napkins with the old Pan Am Airways logo on them.

It may look like a tear down for service, but this actually all parts from the bins. The motor is a brand new OEM unit I’ve had for years. I have locked the reverse unit in reverse. This will be the back end of a ABA with both A’s being powered. Total of 4 traction tires. I also added a wire between the front and rear trucks for better continuity.

Steve

From an MPC D&H 9400 box car; custom done by my brother as a 70th birthday present.

Happy Birthday, Coal Cracker! And that is a beautiful boxcar.

I finally got around to making a Vanderbilt tender.  The Vanderbilt tenders have a cylinder shaped water tank which was lighter and cheaper to build that a rectangular shape water tank that had to have more internal bracing and more rivets and time and material to make.  I used a junk Lionel New York Central coal tender, a hard shell mailing tube, the bottom of a hair spray can,  a piece of junk metal roofing and some popsicle sticks.  All junk stuff, all free or slight cost for the junk coal tender, and paint and decals I had.

I cut up an old coal tender that is shown below.   I cut the angle at the coal pile with a band saw and the bottom cuts with Dremel saw blade and Xacto razor saw.  Note the crack in the section cut out in the LI  NES letters, thusly earning the title 'junk coal tender'.

Coal tender section, frame from sheet metal, and Vanderbilt water tank from mailing tube and hair spay bottom  (dia. 2 1/8 inch, a bottom of a Pam cooking spray can will also fit my mailing tube) with decking from popsicle sticks.  I added internal wood braces and bottom sticks to popsicle the mail tube.  I had to cut about 1/16 inch from bottom of tube make smaller diameter to fit in between top of coal pile and bottom frame.

Assembled ready for painting with Krylon semi gloss black paint.  I added a back up light.

Pictured with new to me Lionel 3435 engine from the old Marx 333 mold

I have enough material to make another Vanderbilt tender but with a longer body better for use with longer 2020 and 2046 engines.

Charlie

One of these is OEM and one is bashed from parts on-hand.

5521 is OEM and I assembled 5524 using the shell from the dummy A unit that came with 5521.

Lew

Lionel 3472 and 6472 reefers......

These are my only two custom thingies. Weaver flatcar with MTH trucks and K line crane with Lionel trucks 

Choo Choo Charlie posted:

I finally got around to making a Vanderbilt tender.  I used a junk Lionel New Central coal tender, a hard shell mailing tube, the bottom of a hair spray can,  a piece of junk metal roofing and some pop sickle sticks.  All junk stuff, all free or slight cost for the junk coal tender, and paint and decals I had.

Cut up old coal tender, I cut the angle at the coal pile with a band saw and the bottom cuts with Dremel saw blade and Xacto razor saw.

 

Coal tender section, frame from sheet metal, and Vanderbilt water tank from mailing tube and hair spay bottom with decking from pop sickle sticks.  I added internal wood braces and bottom pop sickle sticks to the mail tube.  I had to cut about 1/16 inch from bottom of tube make smaller diameter to fit in between top of coal pile and bottom frame.

 

Assembled ready for painting with Krylon semi gloss black paint

 

 

Pictured with new to me Lionel 3435 engine from old Marx 333 mold

I have enough material to make another Vanderbilt tender but with a longer body better for use with longer 2020 and 2046 engines.

Charlie

Charlie that turned out great!

Charlie I agree with Dave.  Fine job.

Super detailed K-Line Hudson. Scale pilot and head light, scale engine or pilot truck with correct brakes. Reworked  baker valve gear, added correct piping detail and some other stuff. Forgot to bell back on. Duh!

Choo Choo Charlie posted:

I finally got around to making a Vanderbilt tender.  I used a junk Lionel New York Central coal tender, a hard shell mailing tube, the bottom of a hair spray can,  a piece of junk metal roofing and some pop sickle sticks.  All junk stuff, all free or slight cost for the junk coal tender, and paint and decals I had.

Cut up old coal tender, I cut the angle at the coal pile with a band saw and the bottom cuts with Dremel saw blade and Xacto razor saw.

 

Coal tender section, frame from sheet metal, and Vanderbilt water tank from mailing tube and hair spay bottom with decking from pop sickle sticks.  I added internal wood braces and bottom pop sickle sticks to the mail tube.  I had to cut about 1/16 inch from bottom of tube make smaller diameter to fit in between top of coal pile and bottom frame.

 

Assembled ready for painting with Krylon semi gloss black paint.  I added a back up light.

 

 

Pictured with new to me Lionel 3435 engine from old Marx 333 mold

I have enough material to make another Vanderbilt tender but with a longer body better for use with longer 2020 and 2046 engines.

Charlie

 Now that’s some good scratch Charlie!

 I’ve been working on some all nations cars here is the latest one I have almost complete I also cut down some Lionel Trucks to lower it 

 Here’s some that’s on the workbench 

Just a quick bash, this one:

I substituted MTH trucks on this old Standard O gondola. This has the effect of lowering the car making it's appearance more prototypical.

I have standardized on this style MTH truck. Notice the hole in the car floor just above the bottom axle. That is the original truck mounting hole because Lionel built these cars with that odd off-center truck pivot. So I drilled new holes in order that the trucks and coupler knuckles are correctly positioned.

Lew

Here’s a MTH Railking I repaint. It was Union Pacific  thought I would make it more Proto typical and awesome one of my favorite railroads 

Lee nice work on the All Nations kit and that Hudson looks much better now that it's wearing the right road name.

These are 2 old AHM Boxcars I re paint and decaled 

You have to be old to remember these being shipped to power plants around the country.

Paul very ingenious load.  Where did you get tubes in this day and age?

tubes are pretty easily found in antique shops. 

Then there was the order to the Tesla plant, he always thought that DC was the better way to go.

choochoopaul posted:

Then there was the order to the Tesla plant, he always thought that DC was the better way to go.

Paul, that is a fine example of what you can do with a flatcar and a little imagination.

scale rail posted:

Thanks Charlie, they are fun to build. It made me feel like I was in the 1950's again. I love building kits but there are so few of them anymore. LaBelle is one of the last. I have a small stack of them now, but not a lot of time. Don

Really Cool! You got me motivated. I just ordered 2 kits from LaBelle. 

Any recommendations on brand of glue and paint would be appreciated. 

Thanks,

Jeff

choochoopaul posted:

Then there was the order to the Tesla plant, he always thought that DC was the better way to go.

One high voltage rectifier and two horizontal output tubes. Nice. I'm an old TV man, too.

choochoopaul posted:

Then there was the order to the Tesla plant, he always thought that DC was the better way to go.

I hate to pick nits, but Nikola Tesla was a firm proponent of alternating current.  It was Thomas Edison who believed in direct current.  In any case, the cars are VERY cool!  Got to find some small enough for S use!

Jerry Poniatowski                                                     Historic Presenter, The Henry Ford Museum          Dearborn, Michigan