Re-discovering the MPC "Standard O" Cars

You have made a wise decision and some great choices.

I seem to recall -- bear in mind I am going from memory here -- that it was possible to swap Lionel bodies onto Pola frames/trucks [ = AHM 2 rail ] and vice versa, thus extending the range of rolling stock for either way.  Pola did flats -- didn't Lionel use that mold too, as I recall ?

 

Best, SZ

 

Edited to add:  A quick search of the forum turned up some past posts on the topic, one of which included a listing [ which may not be complete ] of the Lionel cars, including a flat.

I'm a big fan of Lionel's USA made "Standard-O" cars. I have a quite a few of the ones offered in sets only to run behind the SD40-2's that Lionel is pulling out now, like the Conrail, Chessie and Burlington Northern set cars.

 

They are very inexpensive today, and I always get good deals on them. They are very trouble-free, and easy to disassemble for repair.

 

Yes, they don't compare to the intricate, minute details on the cars coming out of Lionel today, but I don't care honestly. They still look great behind the scale engines I buy today.

They did make a standard "O" flatcar. in 1976 they made the 9823 Santa Fe flatcar. It came with stakes and a simulated crate load.

 

I started buying the Standard "O" cars when they were introduced, but the cars came out too quickly for me to buy the whole series. Usually train money was better spend elsewhere.

My favorite was the jade green #9826 Pittsburgh and Lake Erie box car.

I loved that jade green P&LE car so much...I traveled all the way to Erie, PA from Youngstown, OH (wow...big trip!) to purchase a couple of them...I think for $40 each...from Fred Sipple.  I am sure I still have them somewhere...but, they might be worth $25 now...and you can't buy a decent O scale car for $40.  I believe that was 1985 when I was drawn head-long into this hobby.

I have this as well, and many others of that series, great cars, good value. Fred

the Rutland boxcar is my favorite.

How about some photos?  I'm not familiar with what's being discussed here.

And the trucks were such that the 40' cars could run on O-27 track and switches!

 

But at the time they came out, they did look "odd" with the O-27 type cars MPC produced.  But they do look well with the stuff Weaver has put out.

Actually, the ATSF flatcar is one of the harder cars in this series to find.  Back in the day, it and the UP boxcar were easily the most expensive cars of the lot. I have no idea what they are going for today.

 

BTW Jim, that P&LE car comes in 2 variations. One run has a slightly flatter paint than the other.

 

Chris

LVHR

I am really enjoying my seven (old-new stock) USA made Lionel standard O reefers and boxcars from the 1973-1976 period along with my USA made Lionel 6907 1:48 low cupola caboose. 

I have a few of these cars.  

 

Always buy them when the price is right.

 

Glad to know others enjoy them also.

I have several of these cars. I was hoping that somebody at Lionel would make all of the original Standard O Scale freight cars in the Canadian National and Soo Line paint schemes.

 

Andrew

Photos???? Plez!!

The hard ones were from the Boston and Albany set including an IC reefer or boxcar, maybe 6232, don't know, never bought it, bought MTH instead.

I've always had a liking for the Standard O series from the 70's and 80's.

I've been able to find them in the $15-20 range.

 

I've always had a liking for the Standard O series from the 70's and 80's.

I've been able to find them in the $15-20 range.

 

 These are some factory -vs- weathered

Got them all, and I still enjoy them.....

Always thought the 9823 Santa Fe standard O flat was interesting with the crate load

which is a shortened version of the crates on the animated gondola.

 

 

Some catalog photos of the first cars from 1973-1976 time frame.

 

 

The 6-9823 Santa Fe flatcars with stakes and crates indeed were scarce at one time but increasingly available today.  16 have been listed on eBay in the past six weeks.  I paid $49.95 for a MIB car in 2005 and $19.99 for a New car in 2006, but one with a $14 starting bid went unclaimed on eBay yesterday.  The seller listed it as New but displayed a photograph of the actual item for sale with the stakes in place.  Anyone who knows the flatcar well is aware the stakes in MIB or New condition are attached to a sprue.  One such car went for $18.95 in an eBay auction with one bidder on December 23.




What, me worry?

There was a time in the eighties and nineties when the Santa Fe flat car went for $100.00 or better.