lionel 18806 sd18 info

The NH SD18 was cataloged in 1989. I believe it uses the same chassis as the U36C and SD-9 with one vertical can motor. I have a Chessie U36C and I believe the trucks are metal.

I think they may be plastic, there was a CSX SD that came in a high end starter set around the same time and it had plastic trucks. There was also an Alaska SD cataloged around the same time with metal trucks and a pullmor, but it was made with a can motor. Not sure if the Alaska had metal trucks.

After looking at the parts diagram on Lionel's website, and numerous pictures on the net, I agree with Ed that they are probably plastic.

The single motor truck has a substantial weight above it, and it has no less than 3 traction tyres, all of which indicate a rather low heavy metal content in the construction.

Lionel 18808, ACL SD-18, which I bought in the early/mid 1990's, has plastic trucks.

Jim

I remember being disappointed when Lionel came out with the plastic trucked SD18.  Earlier in the MPC era there was a Milwaukee Road SD18 offered that I had wanted as a kid.  The LTI versions were a let down.  Then in 1996 the MTH SD9s came along and it was a whole new ballgame. 

I dug out the C & IM SD-9 loco from 1992 (actually a Sears item) and it also has plastic trucks. Even though it was marketed at collectors with a display case, its pretty much a traditional line engine.

Thank you all for your reactions!

It might sound silly, but for me a Lionel engine (postwar or later) should have that metal chassis and diecast trucks. I was thinking about buying the New Haven SD18, as I like the looks of that engine. The prototype: are these engines actually GP's, modernised? It looks if the high part behind the cab has been cut of and replaced. It gives the engine almost a bulldozer-like look, sturdy and able to handle dozens of boxcars.

regards, Kieffer (new be and from Europe, I don't hope I bother you with 'naive' questions)

Kieffer

It might sound silly, but for me a Lionel engine (postwar or later) should have that metal chassis and diecast trucks.

Many people agree with you.  Lionel's plastic trucked diesels have tiny can motors and were intended to be lower priced locomotives.  Their lighter weight and plastic feel prompted a lot of people to simply regard them as cheep or sub-standard.

The prototype: are these engines actually GP's, modernised?

No, they are not. Have a look at what a model of an SD9 looks like.  An SD18 should look very similar.

EMD introduced the SD series of locomotives in 1952 with the SD7.  SD stands for Special Duty.  The SD7 took the 1500 horse power engine and generator of the GP7 and placed them on a longer frame with three axle trucks.  The General Purpose GP7 has a shorter frame and two axle trucks like all the members of the GP family.  The SD series was intended for special situations where either lighter axle loadings were required than were  possible with a GP or greater weight was needed than could be accommodated on a shorter GP chassis.  Early SD series locomotives were used on lightly built American branch lines, in commuter or local passenger operations where they could carry more water and fuel for a train heating boiler than a GP or they were ballasted to a higher weight for high adhesion as heavy duty yard switchers or mountain helpers.

The SD7 was quickly followed by the 1750 HP SD9.  Both the SD7 and SD9 had supercharged 567 series V-16 engines.  The 567 engine was named for its displacement in cubic inches.  567 cubic inches equals about 9.3 liters per cylinder or 149 liters for a 16 cylinder engine.  In 1959 EMD began to offer both supercharged and higher horse power turbocharged models.  The SD18 had the 1800 HP supercharged engine and the SD24 had the more powerful 2400 HP turboed version.  Both the SD18 and SD24 were low production models offered for a few years.  THe best known SD18 user was probably the DM&IR who used them on heavy iron ore trains for decades.  When EMD introduced the SD38, SD40 and SD45 with the new 645 series engine in 1966 the SD series became the standard locomotives for mainline American trains. 

You can get a good overview of EMD locomotive models on Wikipedia.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/EMD_SD7

When making the SD18 Lionel simply took their GP chassis, put three axle trucks under them and placed a short fuel tank between the longer trucks.  The only SDs built on a short frame were the SD39Ls built for use by the Milwaukee Road on some very lightly built branch lines and for export. 

When MTH entered the O gauge market with scale diesels in the 1990s they began offering GP9s, SD9s and GP20s.  They introduced an SD24 model in 2001.  All have diecast trucks and twin flywheel equipped can motors of larger size and better quality than are used in plastic trucked Lionel locomotives.  One of MTHs advertising slogans from the time was "Quality in the tradition you remember."  Many people agreed with that and also appreciated the better pulling and detail offered by the MTH diesels at a very competitive price.  Because the detail level is not quite as high as todays premier Diesels the MTH SD9, GP9 and GP20 models introduced in the 90s as premier models are now offered in the MTH Railking line and are very good values for full featured scale sized models.  The MTH Protosound 2 electronics also work on 50 Hertz power.

Thank you Ted, for your profound info.

Recently I found out on the net that the Lionel 8071 SD has diecast trucks and a Pullmor motor. It's a Virginian, I like that colouring though the New Haven (plastic trucked..) has that nice NH logo. It's one of the reasons I started to appreciate US rail more and more: that bright paintwork, and that optimistic texting...European railroads simply don't promote their service like "Rides like a feather" or "The route of the rockets".

Talking about the Virginian..the Lionel Rectifier remake, I read somewhere that their motoring isn't that good quality like the older postwar item? And the casting, does Lionel still use the original moulds? Every now and then some model kit makers like Revell or Airfix bring out some nostalgic early products, I wonder how long these injection moulds last.

regards, Kieffer

Kieffer

It is nice to hear that you enjoy American railroading.  The 1930s, 40s and 50s were full of new technology and styling and railroad advertising made the most of it to attract the traveling public and shippers alike.  The work of the General Motors Art and Color section added to the pizzazz of the era too.

The Lionel Corporation exited the train business in 1969.  The right to the Lionel name have passed through several changes of ownership since then but, with a few notable exceptions the old Lionel tooling was used to produce most lionel trains for several decades.  When new manufacturers like MTH and Atlas invested in new tooling in the 1990s they came out with trains with better detail, better decoration and more modern drive trains than the Lionel products made off of old tooling.  Very few trains in the Lionel catalog today come off of tools predating 2000.

I have the Lionel trains I received for Christmas in the 70s as well as some 1930s and 40s vintage Lionel originals.  They still find a place under the Christmas tree.  However, the trains made since the 1990s, either "traditional sized" or scale are so much better detailed, more accurately decorated and the locomotives run so much better that they are what I run almost exclusively except at the holidays. 

If you are interested in a Rectifier take at look at MTH.  They make both a smaller Railking version as well as a full scale Premier model. 

Like the SD18 the Lionel rectifier was built in the short GP9 chassis and used the incorrect 2 axle GP trucks.  The MTH rectifiers have three axle trucks like the prototype. 

Take a look at the MTH product locator and see what has been made.  The real rectifiers worked on many railroads and MTH has made models for all of them.

http://www.mthtrains.com/searc...ectric+Locomotive%22

Williams makes a rectifier too if you are looking for a strictly conventional locomotive.  Williams uses good quality can motors (much better than those used in plastic trucked Lionel locomotives) and they will run smoothly with less current draw than a Lionel locomotive with an old style three pole open frame motor.