Older reproduction Lionel F3 cabs

C.W.,

I was able to find some of the ads. They were included in some of their full page ads in "Model Railroader" magazine. They were placed in among the new Lionel items. The first one I saw was in Jan 1980, but there could have been earlier ones I did not have. They appeared through that year and into 1981. They were gone by around the Dec 1981 issue.

No indication of who was doing the work on the cabs. Various original cabs were also listed for sale from month to month.

 Jan 1980:

A few months later:

Jim

Excellent topic, C.W.

Thanks, Al, for finding those ads.

Has anyone done a listing/matrix of F3 road names and cab changes made by Lionel in the postwar F3's? 

Carl

Carl,

There is a chart of postwar F3 feature changes (both shells and chassis) in one of the editions of the Greenberg guides. I'll have to go hunting for it.

Found it - it's on page 36 of the 1991 copyright Greenberg Guide, Volume I, Motive Power and Rolling Stock. It's the one with the photo of the red Minneapolis and St. Louis GP9 on the cover. It's the most complete chart I've found.

Obviously I can't scan and post it due to copyrights.

Jim

Jim:

THANK YOU!

I no longer have any 1970's - 1980's MR or RMC. Whatever I had went out due to space considerations. I saved some ads, but none were from Train World.

The reason I think the shells go back to the mid-1970's was the offering of a custom painted Preamble Express "B" unit.

You're welcome, C.W.

My magazine collection is spotty through the 1970s so I'm not sure when they first appeared for sale. I wonder if any of the recent owners of TW has any interest in things historical, and might have some more info - maybe even one or two of the old cabs?

Jim

I think the Train World was owned by Peter Bianco in the 1970's. I am not certain when they purchased Train Land in Lynbrook. Isn't Train Land and Train World still owned by the Bianco family?

I took a quick look at their site, didn't see an "about us" link.

Could they have been done by Len Carparelli?

Bill

I think that's where I got a Preamble A&B , but later sold them

 at a train meet in the "'80's. I never knew who painted them, and when asked

was told by "a custom painter

They were gray shells, and I don't believe they were LIONEL.

THey didn't fit exactly right,,too long, I remember, still attached by 2 screws.

WHO has my PREAMBLES NOW,,,,,,,,,,I wonder?????????????

MY mark is inside those shells.

THe above is free info.

Rod

I forgot to mention above , I'd like to buy them back for what I

got for them  $50.   frames, trucks, and electronic horn,

They were run a lot in my "covered wagon days---80's

Rod

hello guys and gals...........

Are preproduction F-3 "A" "B" shells still can be found unpainted ?  I sure like to buy ABA unpainted shells but not knowing where to get them.  Does anyone still make custom "numbered" number boards ?

the woman who still loves the S.F.5011,2678,2003,200

Tiffany

I have a set of NYCs, the painting is really good. Only thing that detracts from that is they decaled the nose, it is way too thick.

I found a few o E(vil)bay (scroll down the page:

http://www.ebay.com/bhp/lionel-f3-shells

quote:

They were gray shells, and I don't believe they were LIONEL.

The Lionel parts department released a lot of unpainted shells in the 1970's. I know there were FM's and EP-5's. I'd have to go through my service station papers to see whether they sold F3 shells. The EP-5 shells were grey.

I have a couple vacuum plated F3 shells that were done by Andy Kriswalus. He told me they were Lionel shells.

Just before Mizell Trains in Westminster, Co. closed, we had oodles of F-3 A and B gray undecorated shells from Lionel MPC. We sold them for 12.00 each.

 The shells that Train World and Madison Hardware sold were painted by L&L Screen Printing of Rutherford New Jersey. Len Carparelli the owner.

  I believed they were painted on surplus Lionel shells.

  I bought a pair of Canadian Pacific shells and they fit perfect. 

Update:

While I have gaps in my Lionel Service Station paper, here is a quote from the September 1971 Service Station Bulletin:

Listed also are the unpainted #2300-4X F3 diesel bodies which I have been asked to run again -- please note that they do appear on the enclosed survey.

(Lionel sent out surveys to determine which parts their service stations would like to see run. If there were sufficient orders, the parts would be run.)

quote:

I think that's where I got a Preamble A&B , but later sold them

 at a train meet in the "'80's. I never knew who painted them, and when asked

was told by "a custom painter

Your "A" unit was probably a Lionel 8568 Preamble Express. I don't think they were reproduced. The "B" units were done post-factory.
I got my Preamble Express from Mays Department Store. They had advertised an outstanding sale on 8551 Pennsylvania EP-5, but only had a few per store. At my local store, they brought out cartons of the Preamble Express locomotives for those who missed out on the 8551.

If you got the "A" shell separately, it might have been from a Lionel engine that was broken down for parts. Some Lionel dealers did that.

I got shut out at that Mays Department store sale at the Glen Oaks' Queens location.

 Those EP-5's were only 29.95. I just couldn't get there fast enough on my paper route bike.

quote:

I got shut out at that Mays Department store sale at the Glen Oaks' Queens location. Those EP-5's were only 29.95. I just couldn't get there fast enough on my paper route bike.

My brother and I were at the Massapequa store. There was a small group of people waiting for the store to open. When the doors were unlocked, people literally ran to the basement toy department to get one. My brother and I were lucky and each got one. Some guy grabbed a carton of them and was threatened by a fellow customer. Then the Preambles came out. I got one of those too. My brother passed on that.

Today many people scoff at those engines and call them junk. To us, they were great engines. I don't have the ones I purchased that day, but I eventually repurchased mint examples of each one.

CW,

I believe they were painted by Ed Kramer and his brother in NJ who also painted and silk screened for Madison Hardware. I believe they are still around in the hobby somewhere.

I have been going through a box of old magazines that I found in my attic. In the September 1974 issue of Model Railroader, there is a classified ad from Peter Bianco offering reproduction F3 and FM shells. (page 92)

quote:

Now you can dress up your valuable diesel engines that are scratched, etc. with my brand new, professionally painted F3 bodies or shells. These are factory-fresh shells, no rejects or seconds, completely trimmed and decaled, including the windshields, headlites, number boards, horns, and riveted-on mounting brackets. These shells are complete, ready to be mounted on your own chassis. Following road names are available: Milwaukee Road, Canadian Pacific, Great Northern, New Haven, Baltimore and Ohio, Western Pacific, The Southern, Rio Grande, Wabash. Special sale A units $15.95 each, and B units $13.95 each. Also limited quantity of Fairbanks Morse Virginians, Lackawannas, Jersey Centrals, painted, lettered and decaled, but untrimmed. Super sale: $19.95. Please add $1 per cab for shipping, handling, and insurance costs

There is a second ad from Mr. Bianco offering Gold "plated" Chessie F3 cabs, fully trimmed for $19.95 each plus shipping.

I thought the gold plated F3 cabs were done by Andy Kriswalus. I know that Mr Kriswalus was responsible for some gold plated F3 cabs that were marked with Christmas greetings. (I forget the exact text)

I bought two Santa Fe shells from Trainworld in the early 90s for what I think was $50 each. They were slightly damaged but were the last ones they had. I don't know if they were part of the same lot mentioned in the ads at the top of this interesting thread.  I still have them and see they have no markings indicating who might have made or painted them. 

For those of us "oldies"  ( remaining in this hobby) who have an interest in the "history" of our trains ( including post 1969 MPC. etc.) , these discussions are absolutely outstanding !! Thanks folks, turtle7

When I got back into trains as an adult in 1989 I immediately gravitated to the LIonel F3s that I had always coveted as a boy. We had American Flyer and at that age I didn't appreciate the PA diesels at all having never seen a 'real' one. To me, the F3 was the one to have.

I 'collected' as many F3 cabs and repainted units as I came across back then. Was able to have many of the original 23** series sets that were counterfeit. We had gray ones and sometimes black ones. Eventually, I came across Steve Latta and 'Nostalgia Train Works' in CA. They painted quite a few of these shells for us.