Lionel HO

I am a huge fan of the 1975-76 American Freedom Train and I stumbled across a Lionel HO 4449 in AFT red/white/blue in a hobby shop in the early 80s. My folks got it for me and I still have it today...

The Lionel 0114 Engine House is hard to find unbroken and yours looks great.

Thanks for posting it.

Pat

HO has certainly come a long way in recent years.  When we had our retail hobby shop back in the late 1980s/early 1990s we tried carrying some HO at the insistence of several clients/friends. I stocked up on some of the starter sets (Bachman- LifeLike) around Christmas but soon discarded that concept due to parents buying them for young kids who weren't able to enjoy them due to the poor quality and small size.  Later we would recommend 3 rail O or G as we learned some of the different aspects of the hobby.

It was funny that customers would often ask for a discount on our good stock of Athern engines and rolling stock when an F3 or Alco PA or a Geep only retailed for $25, but what really made me laugh was asking for a discount on a freight car that retailed for a mere $3!

Did you know that Bachmann Trains produced these for Lionel?

 Actually Kader produced them for Lionel, along with the GP-30 and others. When Lionel dumped the HO line in '78 the tooling was sold to Bachmann, but still produced by Kader.

That HO GS-4 was available in three paint schemes. I had all three. When my older son got into HO, I let him pick one to use (they were NOS). When we saw the quality, I sold the remaining two.

At one time I had a very large collection of Lionel HO. I collected Lionel HO fron 1957-1966. I helped with the Greenberg Price Guide to Lionel HO. Many items from my collection are pictured in the guide. I had many rare items Factory mistakes. Lettering on one side. or not at all. Sold it all. When I want to see it I open the book.

Here's and ad from March 1976 for the GS4:

Rusty

This is my card

A year or two ago, I bought a #0045 Gateman (H0) to use with my "0" trains. A bit small, but closer to scale than the #045. I had the MTH and K-Line "0" versions, but prefer the abrupt action of the Lionels - it seems to go better with the Postwar trains.

Didn't know about the Kader/Bachmann connection. I know the TYCO operating cars from the 60's worked with the Lionel actuating platform. I always figured Frank Pettit had something to do with that after he left Lionel.

Interesting new forum.

Have card, will travel. (To train meets I'll bet!)

I too had a near complete Lionel HO collection in the 80's. Sold it all also. In 1989 Lionel had a Promo contest for their new Rail Scope train. I used my Lionel HO trains for the contest and won Grand Prize with my Lionel HO train layout.

Did you know that Hornby bought the 0319 Helicopter tooling and you can still buy the operating helicopter car in England!

I was truly in awe upon seeing the first (2010 vintage) Lionel Vision Line UP Genset. Talk about a list of operating features and a price tag to match. It required 52" curves (Wow!)? Things sure have changed over the years.

Chuck,

While I've never closely examined one, I believe the Hornby helicopter is a knock-off. I can confirm that the 0319 Helicopter tooling was still with Lionel -- I personally had a look at all the tools when we were preparing to reissue the 3619.

TRW

Almost all of my Lionel HO Collection has been boxed up for a decade now.  Though I have been tossing around the idea of making a portable Lionel HO layout to take to a few of the larger show.  I have done something similar for Lionel OO.

We had a Lionel Giraffe car running on an HO layout with large radius curves.

The HO version used magnets that attracted a curved metal plate on 18" radius curves. They were too small a radius for this layout.  We found some old steel HO rail and added to the center of the track to get the Giraffe to dip.

When visitors saw the "third rail" in the center they would ask if we changing to Lionel and of course the answer was "Yes."

Another memory:  My friend with the large HO layout found an HO, exploding box car frame.

The sides and roof were missing.  He is rebuilding it into a stock car...flying cows and all.