Poultry car is a Turkey

The poultry cars running at night was the best part of that operating car, don't see much use of a non lighted poultry car.

That seems very strange? No pick up rollers on the trucks either? Just wondering if someone screwed up at the factory?

I have to admit I know nothing about the prototype for this, so here I go with a silly question:

 

Why should a poultry car be lighted?  I mean, cabooses are lit because we understand that humans inhabited them.  Why would chickens need a light?

Yes Martin I think as silly questions go you nailed it!!  LOL. I think it's like the passenger film in the early passenger car where people would say.."look at the people inside" same thing but with chickens!

The original postwar poultry cars, 3434 operating and 6434 non-operating poultry cars were illuminated, I believe they each had two bulbs.

The car has been reissued a number of times in the Modern era, I don't know the characteristics of those cars.
Out of curiosity, I looked up the car that is the subject of this thread. The catalog does not say it is illuminated.

To keep them warm???

 

Ken

Yep..those chicken coops ( or at least many of them) were illuminated at night,,no time off from egg laying. No coffee breaks either.

Poultry in transit:

 

 

And poultry car plans excerpted from the January 1893 issue of The Railroad Car Journal: 

 

 

Bob

If this is the 6-26495 Poultry car you might want to go read the catalog description, it clearly says in the description "Non-operating version" and doesn't mention lights at all,  so I wouldn't expect any lights.

 

No harm, no fowl 

 

The Pennsy version was only $20 more in 2011 and it operates and is illuminated.

 

BTW, don’t hens lay better with light? 

 

Bill (a city boy)

The "Non-operating version" as in No Sweeper not no lights.  It seems as though

the Thanksgiving Non-operating poultry car does come with lights.

for some additional parts

you could light it yourself

I guess now you know it cost $10.00 to light up a car. I am not saying its right or wrong that they did this, but I wouldn't be surprised that it didn't have the same features as the T-Day car because.

 

1) Cheaper than the other car.

2) No roller pickup was shown in the illustration.

 

They were probably trying to make a price point and I guess the light was it. Now if they said it had a light and they pulled it, it would have been different

 

I believe any O gauge car that has illumination is a plus, especially when running with the lights out or at night.  Illuminated cars seem to draw the interest of young and old alike when operating on a layout or around the Christmas tree.

 

I would upgrade the car with pick-up truck and led light and beware of item descriptions in catalogs no mater which manufacturer it is from.

 

To Martin, illuminated cars and other cars that may have an animated function while operating are for entertainment purposes of the operator and viewers. 

 

TEX

Steve

Where's Farmer Bill when you need him?

If the light bulbs were Halogen, they could be used to keep the chickens warm when it is cold outside.

 

Andrew

I just bought a USMC bunk car(6-5727) at auction and there is no USMC on it anywhere except on the box label!!    I figure it's the stealth version.  Maybe the poultry car is destined for a secret military base and you can't have lights to give away it's location.  

You may be right.  When I was in the Army there were some who resembled Poultry parts.

The lighting allows the chickens to read "O gauge RAIL-ROADING" to ease their fears as they travel to their final destination.

I have a feeling that Lionel is not long for this world.

"I just received the C&NW Poultry car (Lionel) and I was disappointed to find that  it was not Illuminated."

 

Looks like the yolk's on you...

 

Mark

You are right about the Chickens reading O gauge Railroading in the Poultry Cars.

 

They even send e mails to our Editor which usually start, "HELP! I AM TRAPPED IN...."

Boy, those are tough e mails to get and we no longer forward them to Kentucky Fried Chicken or CFA.

 

And you thought you had it tough with an unlighted car

 

Ed Boyle

 

 

Ooooooh, Mark......that was a good one!!  

That's one shell of a joke!

Greg

I love the car but agree at least you could of added a roller and lights. As the saying goes C'mon man!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Do you know why chicken coops have two doors?

 

 

 

Because of they had four doors they would be chicken sedans!

 

Stuart

 

 

Why not?

 

The OP apparently does not have the worldly experience of shopping the toy train bazaars (suq) of our times. Isn't that how the rest of us develop all the toy train wisdom upon which we then pontificate right here... 

To get to the other side.  And, really, isn't it about time we stopped questioning chickens' motives?

I would imagine the car would have had kerosene heaters and an attendant. Maybe a couple of kerosene lanterns. So it may have looked illuminated a little.

Thanks Greg...some are good others are eggsellent!

Mark

A gallant attempt to try to inject some genuinely useful information into this thread, an effort which unfortunately appears to be wasted on this crowd.

Bob

 

If the catalog said non-operating, I think that sums it up.

Don't blame Lionel cause you didn't read the description.

We all agree it would have been a nicer car with lights. So add them.

 

You haven't ever heard Lionel call their illuminated passenger cars as "operating" do you?  I recall that Lionel has always called their cars that had interior lighting as illuminated, not operating. 

 

Cars that would be classified as operating would have some mechanical animation to them, like the ducking brakeman car, the poultry car (with the sweeper guy) and the milk car with the milkman that moves (throws) the milk canisters out the door.

 

 

 

I have a feeling that Lionel is not long for this world.

 

LOL, that won't happen, maybe new owners someday if Guggenheim Capitol Management decides its time to drop them from their portfolios.

Companies able to please everyone are as rare as hens teeth.

 

(and hatched I a chick with a 60w bulb in a box as a kid)

 

Eggzactly, John!