Who made these fine steam locos for Lionel back in the 90's and where?
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Most of them were produced by Samhongsa and the Fine Art pieces shared between a few builders such as Ace P.M.
I read once that Kohs made the engines, and Fine Art Models made the cars.
Same family Gary and George Kohs.
The Dreyfus Hudson and the streamlined PRR K4 were products of George and Gary Kohs. The company was known as Fine Art Models but also as Marketing Corporation of America. The matching passenger cars were also sponsored by them. All of this was in conjunction with Richard Kughn at Lionel. Samhongsa had nothing to do with these pieces. At the time he was working exclusively in the three rail train production for Mike Wolf. The NYC Dreyfus and possibly the PRR K4 were available in two and three rail versions/.
I have the 2-rail Dreyfuss Hudson. Fantastic detail!!! 500 hundred were made. There were 1500 made of the 3-rail version with somewhat less detail.
The 3-rail NYC Dreyfuss Hudson was limited to a production of 750 units. Item# 6-18027 and 6-18029 with roller base# 6-23001
The 2-rail NYC Dreyfuss Hudson was limited to a production of 500 units. Item# 6-18026 with roller base# 6-23000
The 2-rail PRR K-4 Pacific was limited to a production of 300 units. Item# 6-18028 with roller base.
The roller base may be the same as the 2-rail Hudson. I am not sure about that fact.
FWIW the Williams Masterpiece Dreyfuss appears to be identical to the Lionel 3 rail engine but with different electronics.
Pete
The Fine Arts/Smithsonian 20th Century Limited and Broadway Limited passenger cars shared components and tooling - unfortunately incorrectly for the Broadway. While Pullman Standard produced both prototype trains in 1938 (they debuted on the same day!) there were differences in window arrangement. One difference relates to the observation car floor plan. To offer views of the Hudson river running westbound in the late afternoon the NYC ordered their cars with the rooms on the left and the aisle on the right. On the PRR management had the aisle & room placement flipped so that their premium passengers had a view of the countryside unobstructed by trains running in the opposite direction. The floor plan difference noticeably impacts window arrangement. The NYC models are correct - the PRR ones not so.. IMO the worst car in the Fine Arts Broadway set from a prototype modelling perspective is the lounge. It is totally wrong in window arrangement - merely the NYC car in PRR paint and lettering.
Smithsonian/Fine Arts never offered a diner for their 38 Broadway apparently as it would have entailed significant additional tooling. The inaugural 38 Broadway diners were heavyweights modernized in the PRR's shops while the 20th's diners were new cars built by Pullman.
PRR shortcomings aside, the models were beautifully made (and very heavy).
Ed Rappe
I hesitate to contradict Eric Lindgren's near encyclopedic knowledge of all things O scale, but I don't think Samhongsa built the LSC Dreyfuss Hudsons. I have owned one since new, along with nine of the matching 20th Century cars. The only builder's marks on mine are cast into the locomotive's gearbox and read S. J. Models - Korea.
On a different note, the bellows on almost all of the diaphragms on my cars have deteriorated (read disintegrated) over the years and I'm in need of a material to make replacements with. The Lionel Smithsonian Lifetime Warranty is worthless, so I'd welcome any suggestions other owners or people familiar with these cars may have.
@Os3r posted:I hesitate to contradict Eric Lindgren's near encyclopedic knowledge of all things O scale, but I don't think Samhongsa built the LSC Dreyfuss Hudsons. I have owned one since new, along with nine of the matching 20th Century cars. The only builder's marks on mine are cast into the locomotive's gearbox and read S. J. Models - Korea.
On a different note, the bellows on almost all of the diaphragms on my cars have deteriorated (read disintegrated) over the years and I'm in need of a material to make replacements with. The Lionel Smithsonian Lifetime Warranty is worthless, so I'd welcome any suggestions other owners or people familiar with these cars may have.
SJ = Sun Jin who built many models for George Kohs. George's brother, the late Gary Kohs brought in models under the name "Fine Arts Imports" and was the importer of the Smithsonian locos and cars offered by Lionel.
Simon
There was also a beautiful German BR50 2-10-0 that was part of this collection, little known and uncataloged. Lionel 18031
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Wow that BR50 is beautiful!
@triplex posted:The Dreyfus Hudson and the streamlined PRR K4 were products of George and Gary Kohs. The company was known as Fine Art Models but also as Marketing Corporation of America. The matching passenger cars were also sponsored by them. All of this was in conjunction with Richard Kughn at Lionel. Samhongsa had nothing to do with these pieces. At the time he was working exclusively in the three rail train production for Mike Wolf. The NYC Dreyfus and possibly the PRR K4 were available in two and three rail versions/.
Sorry but All of these models were in 2 rail only. NO 3 rail. I would have paid dearly for the PRR K4 and matching cars in 3 rail.
Definitely true, for everything but the Hudson.
2-Rail: 6-18026 (c.1992)
3-Rail: 6-18027 (c.1993)
Both come up on the online auction sites fairly often.
Mike
The BR-50 in the photo is missing lettering under the windows, or unless its a "censored" version of the Reichsbahn model. There were two versions of the German BR-50:
6-18031 Bundesbahn
6-18035 Reichsbahn
Also was a French version 6-18036, which is all black.
