CNW gondola by K-Line. Interesting with the large "Pride" lettering on the sides. I've never seen another like it, although I'm sure they're out there. The second is a Lionel 16-wheel diecast flatcar (from a MPC era set). I kitbashed the Cat engine (also diecast) for the load, and painted the "wood" decking with textured paint in a brown color to simulate wood. Last was adding lettering for UP (the original car was unlettered). With a diecast flatcar and 4 diecast trucks and the diecast Cat engine, this has some weight to it!

Attached are cars l did for my "veggie" branch to serve a mildly bashed Menards pickle  producer.

Dan VM, i was so interested in the Alien Containment Car (ACC) that I didn't notice the Contemporary Resort on your layout.

I've got one of those sitting on the bottom shelf of my storage racks and a Monorail to go with it.  Being limited to a 4'x8' layout I'll be rotating scenery regularly but I don't know if I have enough room for the Resort to ever make an appearance.

breezinup

I would enjoy seeing a full picture of that rainbow colored tank car in your first picture of the Pride car.

Below is a homemade Lionel style Large rocket, which can take a homemade Mercury Capsule on its tip.  Charlie

Here's a Lionel #606 observation car from the Macy Special, and a Lionel #2531 observation car with the "Silver Bluff" plate on it instead of "Silver Dawn," a factory error.

Hardly super rare, but a recent find at the local historical society rummage sale (which has been getting to be a good place to find cars at good prices!) is certainly unusual. A US Mail operating boxcar (I think IRL there would be classed as "storage mail" cars?) from the 1970s MPC era under General Mills. Still works! It came with the original box, too. Only issue thus far has been with the couplers occasionally, randomly opening for no reason, I suspect the springs are worn-out and at some point I'll probably have to swap out the trucks...

The combine is of course an Milwaukee Road RPO, also from the MPC era, so now I can run a "fast mail" when the mood strikes!

@AGHRMatt posted:

I've had this one for years. SD60M Demonstrator -- one of two custom painted by Jeff Sohn. Part of my collection of Demonstrators, though there are several I missed out on.

OK so which ones did you miss out on?

here are some of my unique items:

@prrhorseshoecurve posted:

OK so which ones did you miss out on?

FT, F3, F7, E8, SD80M, SD90M, GP35. I'm sure there were others.

Here is a Lionel NAHX 9250 Reynolds Alumina covered hopper car with modern customized center filling doors.

Charlie

I got this a while back and I just liked it because it was different - 6 domes with each one labeled,  A vent pipe for each one and none of them are broken.  All the decals show some yellowing in the clear sections  of the decal but at least they are all there. It came without a box so I find it amazing nothing is broken.

@Bill Sherry - Bill I am a tank car fan and I have never seen this tanker before.  Is it a custom job?  If not, who made it!

Thanks

Don

Don,   I check into it and post what I find.

Don,   I found the HO version of it right off but the picture looks more like the one I have. That one sold for $450 - interesting. 

https://brasstrains.com/Classi...k-Car-6609-Pro-Paint

@Bill Sherry -  Wow Bill, at $450 it is no wonder that I don't have it!!   Its interesting the only multi-dome I have seen commonly is the ROMA Wine car and I think it only has 4 -5 domes.  Thank you for your effort, I appreciate it.

Best Regards

Don

Here is a post on 6 dome tank cars, with a couple O gauge and it is from your favorite train forum.

https://ogrforum.com/topic/6-dome-tankcar

Charlie

@Choo Choo Charlie- Thanks Charlie, I read the post, some interesting cars for sure.

Don

Two samples from my (unusual and unique) pastel train project which is inspired by Roy Lichtenstein and current cinema releases (Barbie and Oppenheimer).

Here is a homemade Lionel style Aquarium car.  I purchased the Lionel back ground at a train show and added fish made from plastic sheet and colored by Sharpies.  The fish are hung from the roof with clear mono fishing line and the car has homemade center rail pickup and lighted interior.

Charlie

Here is a Lionel BREX 19823 Burlington Refrigerator Express car.  It is special as it works with the Lionel Icing Station operating accessory and  receives the large blocks of clear plastic Ice.

Charlie

Back in the late 1980's after moving to Chicago for work, the late Richard Sherry befriended me. He was a very well-known and busy painter of LIONEL and IVES tinplate (mostly restorations) and LIONEL F-3s in liveries never offered by LIONEL (e.g. Rock Island, GM&O, CB&Q among others). He got me interested in painting, and every Wednesday night was train night for 5-10 train buddies in his unfinished Chicago row house where his wife would serve popcorn in a huge bowl and we took turns bringing soft drinks. Wonderful.

At the time, my first paint project was this Burlington F-2 based on a LIONEL PW F-3 AB single motor unit --- probably a 2242.

Simple paint job -- basically all-white and no masking.

Body work included installing brass F-2 number boards, enlarging and adding a third porthole to each shell for scale portholes; adding high fan shrouds on the roofs of both A and B units; and, a second headlight.

It's yellowed with age and new decals are on hand if a repaint is undertaken.

If you do a search for Burlington EMD F-2 images, there's a good chance you'll find a prototype that looks a lot like this one.

NOTE: I've posted about this project before but wanted to add some newer photos.

@das boot posted:

Two samples from my (unusual and unique) pastel train project which is inspired by Roy Lichtenstein and current cinema releases (Barbie and Oppenheimer).

True artistry! Do I take it you make your own decals?

Pete

@Norton posted:

True artistry! Do I take it you make your own decals?

Pete

Not at this moment but decal making in the near future is a real possibility for me. It would be like opening "pandora's box" at Christmas.

Thanks much for the compliment!

Junker 815 tank car repainted for Mobil.

I got this and then took a while to track down who made it.  Best I found it was a Bev Bel O gage kit,  Havent' found another.

Here is another fun and active space themed car, the Lionel 3519 Satellite Launching car.

Charlie

This has probably never been attempted before.  I bought a disaster Ajin brass drover caboose for "a song" and converted it to 3-rail.  It is still somewhat of a disaster, but I like it.

Cowboy Slim Chance is pulling on his boots (which were demanded to be left out on the platform) while his boss wearing a duster coat is catching some fresh air before delivering their cattle to Emporia, KS.

@Rob Leese posted:

This has probably never been attempted before.  I bought a disaster Ajin brass drover caboose for "a song" and converted it to 3-rail.  It is still somewhat of a disaster, but I like it...

Cowboy Slim Chance is pulling on his boots (which were demanded to be left out on the platform) while his boss wearing a duster coat is catching some fresh air before delivering their cattle to Emporia, KS.

I'd hardly call it a disaster. I like what you did here.

They're actually pretty rare nowadays. I have one (also picked up for a song), plus the converted baggage version (also picked up for a song). I've been trying to get hold of some interior pictures so I can make up interiors for each.

My drover car is [still] unpainted. I finally got hold of the paint mix to get the color right. It's close to the "Q" color Atlas did on the PS4427 cars. Both f mine are 2-rail and will remain so since they tracked well on hi-rail track.

Here are a couple of unique items:

This is a Weaver REA car.  Notice the fine print on the lower right: Return to Agent Mt. Lakes, NJ

When I lived in NJ, the Train Station in Mt. Lakes was my primary train store.  Don Shaw was a big Lackawanna fan.  I don't know for sure, but I suspect this item was made for the Train Station.

Up next is a K-Line covered hopper from the TCA Atlantic Division.  It salutes Chester County, PA.  I lived in Kennett Square, PA for about 12 years.  Kennett Square is the heart of mushroom country in Chester County.

From the movie Unstoppable, a model of one of the coil cars pulled by AWVR #1206 before their pursuit of the runaway #777.

@TM Terry posted:

From the movie Unstoppable, a model of one of the coil cars pulled by AWVR #1206 before their pursuit of the runaway #777.

Did you make that one yourself?

@coach joe posted:

Did you make that one yourself?

I had it custom painted along with:

AWVR #1206

And the last car on the train that got destroyed by AWVR #777

@TM Terry posted:

I had it custom painted along with:

AWVR #1206

This paint job AND paint scheme are outstanding.  Great work !

LCAC 1991

Another action car:  The Lionel 3349 Turbo Missile Launching Car that all the space car fans need to have.

Charlie

These six cars were made by Weaver.

@Jim M Sr

Nice work !

and, oh how I miss Earl Weaver.

Don, CAPPilot, Coach Joe, Chessie1971, Mark, Jim M Sr. and Bill thank you.

@Jim M Sr posted:

Great work Jim! You nailed that open window Strasburg car. 👍

Pete