I was weak while at York in April.
I picked up the Wabash Fallen Flags passenger set MOB which I was looking for. I also picked up a new 783 Grey Hudson, the Conrail Electric, and a BN diesel.
Also got a J L Cowen set. I need the sprung trucks off the cars. Probably get the engine repainted since it has a die-cast tender.
Hi all, great MPC pictures. Here is one I posted on "Front End Friday" but thought I would post it here as well. This is the MPC engine that (may have) been part of the start of entire electronic era. In 1973 it hosted the "electronic sound of steam" and headed the "Blue Streak" freight set. This engine is of the "Columbia" type and Lionel (MPC) used this type engine in various color schemes and numbers in numerous offerings. It proved to be a reliable runner with a light load at modest power, especially since MPC did NOT revive the troublesome "Scout" motor but instead gave this Columbia a good solid spur gear motor. Anyway here is the Lionel (MPC) #8303 Jersey Central 2-4-2 Columbia locomotive.
Best wishes all
Don
@Don Winslow posted:Speaking of MPC, does anybody else enjoy collecting these "Mint" cars? Here's MPC's "Denver Mint" version - lots of fun and comments from visitors!
I do Don, here are most of mine:
John - I'm humbled. Your beautiful collection dwarfs mine - really nice!
I'm also fond of MPC's steam power. Here's one of their earliest offerings - still a great runner...
Two more MPC additions that I picked up at the EDTCA York meet.
Cheers to us for keeping Lionel in business.
DL - love those "Toy Fair" boxcars, I have a few but not the ones you showed. I think they are cool!
Best Wishes
Don
An MPC era observation car brings up the rear of today's "Limited"...
@Mike McCutcheon posted:Two more MPC additions that I picked up at the EDTCA York meet.
That Gold Metal Flour was one of the first cars I bought when I got into O gauge years ago , so it's a keeper for me. Alway liked the slogan: "Eventually Gold Metal Flour....Why Not Now?" Plus grew up in the Minneapolis area, the home base of Gold Metal, so there's the sentimental thing.
https://www.goldmedalflour.com/our-story/
(To the right is the famous arch bridge across the Mississippi seen in many photos and posters of Great Northern and CNW passenger trains - now a hike & bike path.)
Picked up these two beauties recently.
Old Josh Cowen may have targeted kids with toys, but, under MPC, his namesake company began taking note of adult collectors at least 49 years ago. Billboard beer reefers joined the line in 1973 to be followed by stronger spirits through 1986. The ones pictured here recently rolled out of their stored boxes and pushed some MPC boxcars off the display shelves to make room for themselves.
These are great cars Bill - colorful and light enough to make a neat long train. I have done so with my 16 liquor cars and single beer car.
After looking at your collection I see that beer cars may be on my future train show hunt list!
There were a ton of MPC's tobacco/cigarette cars at the Kutztown show yesterday - colorful but I had no desire for them - WHAT was MPC thinking? I wonder if the tobacco companies paid them?
@Don Winslow posted:An MPC era observation car brings up the rear of today's "Limited"...
Love it, Don. My first set of passenger cars - looked great behind my first engine, a PW 637 steamer with a Pennsy tender (still have all of them). Nice cars… horrible couplers!!!
When I started Pull out the MPC, I had no idea it would get this big. Thank you everyone who put pictures of your trains here for us to enjoy.
Harold
@HSD68 posted:When I started Pull out the MPC, I had no idea it would get this big. Thank you everyone who put pictures of your trains here for us to enjoy.
Harold
Glad you did. Brings back fond memories. Thanks.
Picked this up a couple weeks ago, the Bicentennial U36B. Was still new in the box, I lubed the gears and axle bearings, and adjusted the armature set-screw. Runs great, buzzing E-unit and all lol.
@mlavender480 posted:Runs great, buzzing E-unit and all lol.
Thats a nice looking engine. It is staggering how much new/mint MPC is routinely available.
For me that is one of the perks of running trains. The buzz of the e-unit, the smell of smoke pellets, the clickity clack of the tubular joints and lobster claw couplers.
If I wanted quiet I would go to the library.
Nice engine Mike! I have a soft spot for this engine as my first HO train set as a kid was Bachmann’s version. I put together a video as I was able to recreate the set in Lionel 3 rail. Enjoy your purchase!
@aussteve posted:For me that is one of the perks of running trains. The buzz of the e-unit, the smell of smoke pellets, the clickity clack of the tubular joints and lobster claw couplers.
If I wanted quiet I would go to the library.
aussteve,
If I could give your comment above 10 likes, I would. Throw in a whiff of ozone and the growl of double open frame motors in PW F3's for good measure.
Exactly how I feel.
@rjsmithindy posted:Nice engine Mike! I have a soft spot for this engine as my first HO train set as a kid was Bachmann’s version. I put together a video as I was able to recreate the set in Lionel 3 rail. Enjoy your purchase!
Thanks! It’s a neat engine. I’m impressed with how well it runs too. I had a Chessie GP20 a few years ago and sold it along with some other stuff; I wish I hadn’t. It was a good runner as well. MPC gets knocked a lot and I know they had some turds, but then who hasn’t? Plenty of good looking and nice running products from that era.
I’ll have to get photos of the rest of my MPC stuff soon.
Finally! My Father's Day present arrived: the last MPC T&P car I needed: the bright yellow 9463.
This means that my MPC MoPac/T&P train is complete:
Three locos is a lot of power for a relatively short train, but those beefs in the stockcar need to make it to the yard before the crew violates the 28-hour-rule! Highball!
Love those blue GP's.
Hi, I have seen this topic on the sidebar, but never opened it. I started out in HO in the late '60s and didn't switch to O gauge until 10 years ago. I bought a lot of used, but newer scale engines and cars. As time passed and I rolled into retirement, I started selling some of my scale engines and cars. I am starting to envision the day when I can't handle detailed engines without breaking details, or want to have less money in trains. If that happens, I'll be in the market for some MPC trains. So while they didn't appeal to me 10 years ago, I'll tag along here to see what everyone has.
@Mark Boyce posted:Hi, I have seen this topic on the sidebar, but never opened it. I started out in HO in the late '60s and didn't switch to O gauge until 10 years ago. I bought a lot of used, but newer scale engines and cars. As time passed and I rolled into retirement, I started selling some of my scale engines and cars. I am starting to envision the day when I can't handle detailed engines without breaking details, or want to have less money in trains. If that happens, I'll be in the market for some MPC trains. So while they didn't appeal to me 10 years ago, I'll tag along here to see what everyone has.
Mark they are great products and run great you should think about picking up a piece or two. The rolling stock is super nice and rolls real smooth currently MPC rolling stock is 90% of what is currently on the layout with the exception of passenger cars.
@RJT posted:Mark they are great products and run great you should think about picking up a piece or two. The rolling stock is super nice and rolls real smooth currently MPC rolling stock is 90% of what is currently on the layout with the exception of passenger cars.
Thank you Rick for the reply! Yes, with my fingers aching and the cost of everything going up, I think you are right I should pick up a piece or two, or three, or four, or......
Very nice Illinois Central collection ....
I just bought a rough looking Train Master shell .... itll be repainted into Illinois Central black/green diamond scheme ..
Just need to find a chasis for her ...
@Rich Wiemann posted:Let’s not forget about these…..The Trainmaster’s
Beauties and Beasts , all in one ..
While repainting the basement recently I commandeered a wall in our game room to show off some of my favorites. 
Two classics, the Bicentennial set (still need to pick up the engine) and the Mickey Mouse Express:
MPC Diesels? Yeah I like ‘em:
Well I don't have any trains today, but I thought that MPC fans might enjoy this little trinket I picked up at the TCA convention...yes for FREE (and worth every nickel 
) Enjoy.
Best Wishes
Don
I really liked the MPC Era, however have very few MPC products, however I do have one, the Preamble diesel, new, on the shelf, ran lightly, it’s conventional. Great thread, beautiful pictures. Happy Railroading Everyone 
Got home from work this afternoon and decided to do some work on my Mpc 1776. Took the shell off and moved a wire that had not been tucked in properly the last time l had worked on it. Dusted it off need to replace a missing screw on the front. Might paint the screws that hold the shell on white to blend them into the shell than be black. I know its not how it came but thought about it while cleaning it.
An MPC Hudson leaves the yard limits with a heavy manifest under the watchful eye of the Yardmaster.
@Tommy_F posted:While repainting the basement recently I commandeered a wall in our game room to show off some of my favorites.
Amazing collection, Tommy!!! In the 70’, in the heyday of MPC, I was living in Brooklyn off Ave. M when Trainworld opened next to the Ave. M subway station. My best memory of that store (they have since moved over to Macdonald Ave.) was walls of shelves like yours, almost up to the ceiling, full of colorful MPC trains… who needed a catalog!!! Trainworld was the first store I knew of who did set breakups. Being in college at the time, I usually couldn’t afford the complete sets, but I could usually pick up an interesting car - like the FARR series… I purchased one car from each set except for the passenger set. As Bob Hope said, “thanks for the memories”!!!
Well MPC fans I have something today that I hope will interest you. I had been generously given along with some other trains my brother in law's boyhood Lionel's. Included in that group was the # 2559 Baltimore and Ohio (unpowered) RDC. He told me he used to pretend it was the dining car on his passenger train. Well I recently was able to acquire, for a very modest price, an MPC Baltimore and Ohio RDC the # 8764 and I decided to put them together. So here is MPC helping out a classic Lionel around the layout.
Here is an interesting fact, the #2559 is from 1957 and the MPC # 8764 is from 20 years later, 1977. Here they are together. Candidly except for minor variations in the lettering and of course the number, I could not detect any change at all in the basic casting of the car or its construction including the "people" strip on the windows.
Here is a little video, showing them moving about my layout.
Hope you enjoyed this MPC excursion from more traditional locomotive + cars type trains.
Best wishes
Don
Wow, Don! I can't tell the difference!!
I got this CP Vulcan Switcher earlier this week for $60 at one of those consignment collectible stores. It was the best price I've ever seen for this one, and it appears to be in like-new condition too.
This thread seems to have gone rather quiet lately, so perhaps I may be permitted add a small offering: Last May I posted some photos of my MPC beer and "favorite spirits" reefers. At the time--and for the preceding four decades--I thought I had the complete MPC series, so you may imagine my distress at just now discovering that I was missing the first four spirits reefers. Oh, the horror! Fortuitously, I found an on-line auction seller offering two of them at quite rational prices, mainly because the boxes were, as she put it, "rough." (I'd have described the boxes as catastrophically mauled, but the cars themselves appeared to be in like new condition.) Her prices being really too good to pass up, I cringed a bit over the boxes but made the purchase, and now, nearly 40 years after they were made, the Cutty Sark and Dewar's reefers have new homes in the train room. Oh yes, there is one downside. Since the display shelves were already absolutely packed, a few MPC boxcars had to be given their marching orders and are hoping to find other train rooms with more track and display space, but c'est la guerre.
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