Pull out the MPC!

@JC642 - The JLC Hudson and caboose is another favorite of mine. Here are the 5 boxcars as shown in the 1980 catalog. There was also the sixth car, JLC "The Man" later in the year.

@Jeffery Boat posted:

These are all great shots of the MPC era. Does anyone have a 6-8307 Southern Pacific Daylight that they would like to share. This is number one in my bucket list.

Keep those trains running!

Jeff

Here is my "set" Jeff. My favorite modern era train.

I had the aluminum cars but thought that the Heavyweight (Madison) cars looked better with the steamer so I sold the aluminum cars and bought these.

I run it with the extra coach shown. I also run the "Mint" car behind the tender, ahead of the passenger cars

@ed h posted:

@JC642 - The JLC Hudson and caboose is another favorite of mine. Here are the 5 boxcars as shown in the 1980 catalog. There was also the sixth car, JLC "The Man" later in the year.

I also have this complete set (including the Hudson and extra car as noted). It fits right in with my postwar accumulation

These are basically just like the Post War 682 locomotives. My 6200 has a Railsounds II tender behind it. I have the original sound of steam tender. But I found a brand new body years ago, and it fit right on the railsounds tender. The frame is the same as the 2046W whistle tenders. It's a very nice little set.

breezinup - In 1948 when the turbine (#671) was offered for sale with the new PRR 12 wheel tender those tenders had rear marker lights - a piece of clear plastic painted red for the center light and left clear for the side lights.  The light bracket was a simple light bulb assembly inside the tender.

@ed h posted:

Lots of great other sets from the mid 1970s to early 1980s.

I love this MPC thread. This is a gem.

@brr posted:

View from my desk.

I’d like this view from my desk. Thank you for sharing!

Here are some early high end MPC sets, all from the 1971 to 1973 time frame.

Who can remember this guy?

@JC642 posted:

Who can remember this guy?

The 1980 JC Penney Silver Shadow.

ed h posted:

Here are some early high end MPC sets, all from the 1971 to 1973 time frame.

Did this IC GP9 start long hood forward?

Was L&N 1970 'Big Emma' a JC Penny engine or regular production?

@EMD posted:

Was L&N 1970 'Big Emma' a JC Penny engine or regular production?

JC Penney, 1986

Here is the FARR Turbine on the test track. I am now on the hunt for the matching freight cars.

Was 1973 the year Lionel introduced the MPC baby madison passenger cars?  This ad from 1973 states "...totally new passenger cars detailed to perfection..."

Were the Milwaukee Road baby madison passenger cars the first road name for the new baby madison cars?

It would be interesting to know some more history around the development of the MPC baby madison passenger cars, and who or whom from Lionel worked on the new tooling for those passenger cars?  It must be very rewarding for the person or team that worked on that tooling (assuming they are still alive!) to know that tooling is still being used today to make the polar express baby madison passenger cars.

@Joe_pgh posted:

Was 1973 the year Lionel introduced the MPC baby madison passenger cars?

Yes, they were rudimentary, a roller on one truck and an axle wiper on the other for the lights, with body mounted non-operating dummy couplers, and anachronistic wood-beam trucks.

The earliest ones were even more difficult to open to change bulbs, as there were tabs molded as part of the roof casting that snapped into slots in the floor of the car body casting. They have to be cut off with a hobby knife to access the interior.

If memory serves correctly, no. It had the standard 3 position E-unit. But there was nothing to prevent you from running it long hood forward.

Chris

LVHR

You are mentioning some of my favorite engines (Silver Shadow, Turbine #6200, my FARR#3 GN Berk and a few others)...But my question is in regards to those Baby Madison's, I simply cannot get the roof off to change bulbs.  I have seen the YouTube video where the guy picks it up, places his fingers in just the right spots and lifts it off.  Short of bringing it to my chiropractor (who can squeeze holes into Sheetrock) to lend a hand, I am stuck.  BTW, I run the Norfolk and Southern Babies with the Joshua Cohen loco - Engine, Tender and Cars are all the same dark maroon color with bright gold lettering.  Sharp looking set.  Back on target - is their a better way to lift off the roofs or do I have to cut the tabs?

@Chuck242 posted:

- is their a better way to lift off the roofs or do I have to cut the tabs?

If the windows/walls part of the roof casting extends down and snaps into slots in the floor of the car, they have to be cut off with a hobby knife.

You cant have MPC without the L.A.S.E.R. train.  Only caboose I have with a glow in the dark machine gun on top not to mention radioactive waste.  For the stove perhaps.

@Chuck242 posted:

You are mentioning some of my favorite engines (Silver Shadow, Turbine #6200, my FARR#3 GN Berk and a few others)...But my question is in regards to those Baby Madison's, I simply cannot get the roof off to change bulbs.  I have seen the YouTube video where the guy picks it up, places his fingers in just the right spots and lifts it off.  Short of bringing it to my chiropractor (who can squeeze holes into Sheetrock) to lend a hand, I am stuck.  BTW, I run the Norfolk and Southern Babies with the Joshua Cohen loco - Engine, Tender and Cars are all the same dark maroon color with bright gold lettering.  Sharp looking set.  Back on target - is their a better way to lift off the roofs or do I have to cut the tabs?

Hi Chuck.  Some information you may find helpful on removing MPC baby madison passenger car roofs is here:

https://ogrforum.com/...dison-passenger-cars

ed h, Thanks for the reply

Here is the Laser TV commerical:

https://youtu.be/NhURhaIRdqI

@Chuck242 posted:

You are mentioning some of my favorite engines (Silver Shadow, Turbine #6200, my FARR#3 GN Berk and a few others)...But my question is in regards to those Baby Madison's, I simply cannot get the roof off to change bulbs.  I have seen the YouTube video where the guy picks it up, places his fingers in just the right spots and lifts it off.  Short of bringing it to my chiropractor (who can squeeze holes into Sheetrock) to lend a hand, I am stuck.  BTW, I run the Norfolk and Southern Babies with the Joshua Cohen loco - Engine, Tender and Cars are all the same dark maroon color with bright gold lettering.  Sharp looking set.  Back on target - is their a better way to lift off the roofs or do I have to cut the tabs?

Not sure if its the same but my PE Madison coaches have 4 windows that are tabs that hold the top on. The tabs are part of the window insert.

I have 4 sharpened ice cream sticks that fit into the window openings. Hold the car body and press down until the roof pops free.

This PRR coach is the same. This is a MPC car.

@Lionelski posted:

Here is my "set" Jeff. My favorite modern era train.

I had the aluminum cars but thought that the Heavyweight (Madison) cars looked better with the steamer so I sold the aluminum cars and bought these.

I run it with the extra coach shown. I also run the "Mint" car behind the tender, ahead of the passenger cars

I agree those Madisons do look better.

Thanks for sharing.

Jeff

This car drove fans nuts.

@Lionelski posted:

Here is my "set" Jeff. My favorite modern era train.

I had the aluminum cars but thought that the Heavyweight (Madison) cars looked better with the steamer so I sold the aluminum cars and bought these.

I run it with the extra coach shown. I also run the "Mint" car behind the tender, ahead of the passenger cars

If those are LTI madison cars, they are painted bakelite, not ABS plastic.

SP never ran streamlined cars so heavyweights are more correct..   

@Joe_pgh posted:

Was 1973 the year Lionel introduced the MPC baby madison passenger cars?  This ad from 1973 states "...totally new passenger cars detailed to perfection..."

Were the Milwaukee Road baby madison passenger cars the first road name for the new baby madison cars?

It would be interesting to know some more history around the development of the MPC baby madison passenger cars, and who or whom from Lionel worked on the new tooling for those passenger cars?  It must be very rewarding for the person or team that worked on that tooling (assuming they are still alive!) to know that tooling is still being used today to make the polar express baby madison passenger cars.

In the TM Book, Lionel Volume 5: The Archives, there is a photo of a wood mock up for the passenger car that was introduced in 1973. Also in the TM Book, Volume 4: 1970-1980, there is some background info regarding the design of these passenger cars.  The 1973 Advance catalog, which is black and white, has a photo with mockups in it.

I believe the wooden mockup of the passenger car came up for sale in part of the Lionel Archives auctions. At the time I saved a copy of the photo.

It was my intention to finally get back to working on the layout today... I even went down yesterday to collect all the stuff I would need to get back to work. Then I read today’s collection of MPC catalog posts and the memories came flooding back. The best laid plans of mice and men!!! So my day was spent digging through some of the storage bins in the basement to find some cars from those catalogs. And I found I have a lot more MPC than I remembered!!!

My one MPC complete set is the Maple Leaf Limited. I have always loved the CP paint scheme.

The Maple Leaf Limited contains one of my all time favorite cars, the British Columbia tank car - a very sharp paint scheme.

I was in school for a good part of the 70’s, and a good part of that time, I was working part-time as a teller for Chase Manhattan to pay for college, so money for trains was a bit thin, but fortunately, MPC was somewhat affordable. I really liked the FARR series, but couldn’t afford the complete sets, so I tried to get at least one car from each set...

FARR 1 & 2

FARR 3 & 4

While I am now looked upon as a NYC fan, I have always been a Pennsy fan too, so for FARR 5 I had to get all the cars!!!

In digging into my collection, I found two other cars, one of which I had completely forgotten I had (can you believe that???). I commented on a recent thread how much I wanted one of the B&LE boxcars with the Savings Bond logo and it was already on my roster!!! And another British Columbia entry.

One major project on my to do list is to update my inventory... long overdue!!!

Beautiful! Thank you for sharing!!

My favorite diesel, both model train and real train.  MPC Era Lionel GP7.

@Apples55 posted:

It was my intention to finally get back to working on the layout today... I even went down yesterday to collect all the stuff I would need to get back to work. Then I read today’s collection of MPC catalog posts and the memories came flooding back. The best laid plans of mice and men!!! So my day was spent digging through some of the storage bins in the basement to find some cars from those catalogs. And I found I have a lot more MPC than I remembered!!!

One major project on my to do list is to update my inventory... long overdue!!!

So now you have resorted to shopping in your own basement too????

Nice collection of MPC.

Poster from 52 years ago (1970) that started it all.  I remember when the catalog arrived.

@RSJB18 posted:

So now you have resorted to shopping in your own basement too????

Nice collection of MPC.

Thanks, Bob. It’s the best store in the neighborhood... nearby, doesn’t charge tax or shipping, and you can’t beat the prices

@JC642 posted:

Poster from 52 years ago (1970) that started it all.  I remember when the catalog arrived.

There is an alternate/advance 1970 catalog, that off the top my head doesn't have the poster. Just 8 pages, front cover shown below.

Over 30 years now and this mirror is still hanging on my basement wall. Time flies

Many thanks to RSJB18 for taking the time to share a few photos which will allow me to remove the top of the Baby Madisons.  I could not squeeze the car to release the tabs, but now I have my own custom tool set....two sharpened pop-sickle sticks.  Simple is better - thank you RSJB18.  OGRR team saves the day again!

@Apples55 posted:

Thanks, Bob. It’s the best store in the neighborhood... nearby, doesn’t charge tax or shipping, and you can’t beat the prices

And you can go shopping in your underwear and not get strange looks 👍👍

@Chuck242 posted:

Many thanks to RSJB18 for taking the time to share a few photos which will allow me to remove the top of the Baby Madisons.  I could not squeeze the car to release the tabs, but now I have my own custom tool set....two sharpened pop-sickle sticks.  Simple is better - thank you RSJB18.  OGRR team saves the day again!

My pleasure. I faced the same struggle several years ago. Happy to share the knowledge when I can.

This forum is the best.

Bob

This thread has me pulling out the trains from my childhood, these are some of my favorite’s from the MPC era, the Southern GP7’s (8774 & 8758) and U36B’s (8955 & 8956) all units are powered.  The MPC era was great, colorful engines, rolling stock and passenger cars, if wasn’t for MPC there wouldn’t be today’s Lionel.  I have switched most of my 9200, 9400 & 9700 series boxcars to die-cast sprung trucks and with two powered units pull 12 to 15 cars easily.

I have the turn of the century weathered reefers (5700 to 5707) and the Chicago & Alton Hudson and baby Madison cars on the layout now and Postwar Celebration Girl’s Set with some extra cars.

George

@RSJB18 posted:

And you can go shopping in your underwear and not get strange looks 👍👍

Bob

Not advisable in the winter, Bob. My basement is in-ground, but isn’t conditioned space, so it is app. 58 - 62 degrees unless I turn on the auxiliary electrical heaters.

One of the most remarkable aspects about MPC is how good a lot of this stuff looks despite its age.  Bright colors, little rust, no fading—not bad for products made as toys a half century ago.

Here are three of my favorites from the ‘70s:

First is the 8022 Santa Fe AA in blue and yellow, an uncatalogued special sold through JC Penney in 1971.  Note the molded rednumber boards, translucent windows, and the backwards “8” stamping in the number. . .

Up next is the 8460 MKT switcher from ‘74-‘75.  This engine was an odd duck— it was only available separately, but unlike the other separate sale switchers with 3-position e-units and operating couplers, the 8460 has a 2-position e-unit and fixed couplers, which is probably a reason it is not seen often today.  They have gray plastic bodies and show scratches easily, but I lucked into this pristine example on eBay a while back. . .

Last up is the Union Pacific U36B pair from ‘75.  The powered unit isn’t hard to find, but the dummy (8573) is scarce, and this one has an electronic horn. . .