Lionel scale sized cars

yes they are awesome. To bad that Aluminum pricing went through the roof and I doubt it that you will see these cars again anytime soon. I like my Conrail one.

Curtis1983 posted:

Last week I received a Lionel ACF centerflow 4650 covered hopper. This car has been 2 railed already. It was originally decorated in the Western Pacific paint scheme. The car is perfect!

It weighs almost as much as the prototype due it's being made of aluminum. Everything is etched. The roof walks and end platforms are etched/see through and made of brass or aluminum the end ladders are metal. The brake wheel is metal as well as the brake chain. I will bet more these when they appear on Ebay.

Lionel did a 5 star grade AAA job on these. I'm amazed in a very good way.

 They shouldn't be that much heavier than a 16" aluminum passenger car. Maybe a lot of die cast parts attached?

prrhorseshoecurve posted:

yes they are awesome. To bad that Aluminum pricing went through the roof and I doubt it that you will see these cars again anytime soon. I like my Conrail one.

Write them. Aluminum was about $1,500 per metric ton in 2003, about $2,000 now. With $54 PS-1 box cars now listing at $80, they'd list for $95? High yes, though unlike me many don't seem to flinch as prices climb. Are these former K-Line cars? If so, maybe they lost the use of the dies?

I buy-up aluminum passenger cars as I believe these are the "next" collectable and not likely not be made in the future. It's a guess on my part, they were beautiful but expensive to manufacture and decorate (often) with a lot of rejects and waste. I reading between the lines, aluminum toy trains are lovely, collectable but also much easier and cheaper to produce at a sellable cost out of plastic. 

I now have two Lionel scale sized ACF centerflow covered hoppers. The second hopper is the NYC 5700 cf hopper with four bays. I'm working on two railing this as well as the Lionel 57' mechanical reefer. The hard part is cutting styrene sheet to make shims for the Kadee coupler pockets. The scale sized acf centerflows have a small screw at both ends of the car that can be removed so a Kadee coupler can be installed. Bad news is the coupler height would be too high without the shims attached.

The good news about the trucks is, Atlas 100 ton RB trucks will fit perfectly. I plan to still use Lionel's own trucks but I have to cut off the truck mounted coupler with a Dremel tool and then order 36" diameter wheels from NWSL.

Lastly, I believe the 57' mech reefers use 100 ton trucks. I'll have to order again from NWSL. Lionel's two rail conversion kits aren't helping me at all with only 70 ton RB trucks.

Curtis1983 posted:

The good news about the trucks is, Atlas 100 ton RB trucks will fit perfectly. I plan to still use Lionel's own trucks but I have to cut off the truck mounted coupler with a Dremel tool and then order 36" diameter wheels from NWSL.

Want to swap for a set of Lionel's new Thumbtack trucks? They say it'll save you from all that cutting!!

I prefer to cut the current Lionel trucks because of the working springs. The "thumbtack trucks" have springs like the Atlas O 100 ton trucks but the springs are there for appearance only.

The "hidden uncoupling tab trucks" have springs that actually work when you press down on the car.

Curtis1983 posted:

I prefer to cut the current Lionel trucks because of the working springs. The "thumbtack trucks" have springs like the Atlas O 100 ton trucks but the springs are there for appearance only.

The "hidden uncoupling tab trucks" have springs that actually work when you press down on the car.

Isn't that why we're forced into these un-sprung thumbtack trucks? For 2 Railers? And you don't want them either?