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@Sitka - nothing like a caboose race especially in a tunnel!  I wonder if the conductor's in those tail end car were cheering their locomotive driver on for more speed. @MELGAR- great looking extended vision caboose.

So for me today, I have something absolutely outrageous!  This Lionel caboose is so far from scale/reality as to be unbelievable but here it is, just for fun on this hot (expected to hit 106 in Waco today) Tuesday. The Lionel "L.A.S.E.R. " train caboose, complete with anti-aircraft guns, radioactive material and a chrome finish.  This entire fantasy train, which I purchased because of its reasonably accurate model of a cruise missile (on which I worked as an Air Force engineer in the 80's), has this most outrageous caboose.  So anyway I thought I would celebrate T.E.T. with a "bang"!

Lionel Laser Train - full train from rear

Best wishes for a continued great week.  Stay cool if at all possible, this high heat is dangerous

Don

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  • Lionel Laser Train - full train from rear

Well T.E.T. fans, I expect you have heard about Marx's surprise in 1948 when Unique Art's Toys came out with an 0 gauge train set.  Marx was completely upstaged and rushed into production a competitive line ready by the 1949 season, what collectors now refer to as his 7" line.  This line was never really extensive and has few variations except in the caboose.  He made 8 different 7" cabooses, the 3 pictured below plus B&O, Nickel Plate, ATSF, Monon  and Mickey Mouse. So today I thought I might show you 3 of the 8 (I don't have the Mickey Mouse - too expensive).  Note that as well as the 4 wheel variety shown below he also made the NYC and the B&O in both 4 and 8 wheel versions and the  ATSF was an 8 wheel version only.

Well here is the 7" trio that I have for today, KSC, NYC, and SP.  These 7" cars were always lithographed tinplate but came with both Tab/slot and plastic knuckle couplers at various times and to match other rolling stock in a set.

Marx 7 inch caboose array side viewMarx 7 inch caboose array front quarterMarx 7 inch caboose array rear quarter

Best Wishes

Don

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  • Marx 7 inch caboose array side view
  • Marx 7 inch caboose array front quarter
  • Marx 7 inch caboose array rear quarter

Well hello T.E.T. fans, this week I am going to continue my showing of some Marx trains, but this one needs a bit of an explanation.  Marx after the war, in about 1945, realized the potential of plastic both in terms of molded detail and reduced production cost.  It took him a few years to convert his factories from metal to plastic but in 1952 the first plastic cars began to appear, and would be the majority of the line up until the company ceased production in the 1970's (although some tinplate did remain until the end - the 6" cars dating from 1935 being the best example).  He made 3 lines of cars, usually referred to as 4-wheel (lightweight), 8-wheel, and deluxe 8-wheel (this last term is a hobby term, Marx never used the word deluxe).  Each line contains some cars which for specific reasons, mostly unknown, are more scarce than the others.  Today I have one of those.  The reasons for such scarcity are lost to history, likely its because a given configuration was put out for a regional purpose, at a large customer's request (Sears / Allstate being the prime example of this) or simply  because production was stopped early.

  In the lightweight or 4-wheel area the KCS red plastic caboose is a scarcity, the car itself does not give rise to this as the mold, in many colors, was used for a wide variety of cabooses from many railroads, no its the stamping for the KCS railroad that makes this gal unique.  This red, KCS stamped 4-wheel caboose from 1958 is one of the most scarce of the 4-wheel line.

So here you go, a Marx "tail end" for this Tuesday, the #969  red / white stamped, KCS 4-wheel caboose.

Marx 4 wheel KCS caboose sideMarx 4 wheel KCS caboose coupler endMarx 4 wheel KCS caboose railing end

Best wishes to you all, hope your week is progressing well.

Don

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  • Marx 4 wheel KCS caboose side
  • Marx 4 wheel KCS caboose coupler end
  • Marx 4 wheel KCS caboose railing end

Lionel - too bright - like a mobile surgical suite!


IMG_5793

If you can get to the led, apply one or more thin coats of diluted CraftSmart water-based bright white acrylic paint to dim it without changing the color, though it does "warm" it somewhat. You can add coats to "dial in" the intensity you want. You can also easily remove this paint if desired since it does not bond to or craze the plastic led body. I do this with cab lighting in locomotives.

I didn't realize I hadn't checked in for so long.  I went all the way to the top of the page and had not seen any of the posts before.

We could always trust Patrick, and now Paul, to come up with some unique perspectives on tail ends.



IMG_2368

Some pretty sweet cabooses on display here.  IMHO K-Line knocked it out of the park with their extended vision and bay window versions, a long way from their original Kusan caboose.

MELGAR4_2023_0723_24_READING_94105_10X5

Mel, I've got three of those BNSF extended vision cabooses.  One will be tail end of a BNSF train, maybe inter-modal, the other two, a great eBay deal are destined to become Great Northern cabooses as soon as I can figure out how to cover the BNSF logo with Rocky decals.

I love the Aero-Train graphic on this guy.

Mark, how about never seen?  By me at least.

Don it's always nice to see your Marx contributions.

@Bill Swatos posted:

Can we see? Pleeeese

Bill here are two quick snaps.  Going to try to do better in next few days.

MTH billed this car as "Georgia (Inauguration Car) copying Obama's ride to DC for his swearing in.

436B1935-8301-43B3-9F80-F8A5CB934AB1

But MTH screwed up by adding the Presidential seal drumhead on the rear.  No sworn in President was actually on board  at this/that time.  I am going to try and remove this drumhead sometime.

83964049-D8F1-4E1F-8059-C69F6E7DAB77

Lookup the history of the Georgia 300.  It has been used by several famous people including some Presidents.

Ron

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  • 436B1935-8301-43B3-9F80-F8A5CB934AB1
  • 83964049-D8F1-4E1F-8059-C69F6E7DAB77
Last edited by PRRronbh
@coach joe posted:

I didn't realize I hadn't checked in for so long.  I went all the way to the top of the page and had not seen any of the posts before.

We could always trust Patrick, and now Paul, to come up with some unique perspectives on tail ends.



IMG_2368

Some pretty sweet cabooses on display here.  IMHO K-Line knocked it out of the park with their extended vision and bay window versions, a long way from their original Kusan caboose.

MELGAR4_2023_0723_24_READING_94105_10X5

Mel, I've got three of those BNSF extended vision cabooses.  One will be tail end of a BNSF train, maybe inter-modal, the other two, a great eBay deal are destined to become Great Northern cabooses as soon as I can figure out how to cover the BNSF logo with Rocky decals.

I love the Aero-Train graphic on this guy.

Mark, how about never seen?  By me at least.

Don it's always nice to see your Marx contributions.

Coach - the above PRR caboose is from a Lionel PRR 4 car freight set, 6-21751. Set also contains a reefer with die cast frame, TOFC and 3 bay ACF covered hopper. It is such an unremarkable plain jane caboose that I added the Keystone decal, given to me by Chuck Sartor. Grahamstrains.com has crisp pictures of this set’s components.

Last edited by Mark V. Spadaro

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