Wish they would remake the Merchandise Car

Hi FlaglerSystem.

The 3454 Merchandise car is a great operating car even though they are 60+ years old.  Why do you say the prices of them are out of sight?  What type of price would allow you to buy one?  If you're interested in one, email me.  I think that you will be surprised.

Bob

I think the merchandise cars were made obsolete by the milk cars.

Lionel would probably have to make all new tooling for the mechanism.

I don't think we'll see that unless they decide to bring back the scale one.

There will be New Merchandise car with new tooling in the Berkshire set in Lionel's Catalog 2011 Vol 2 Pages 46-47 to be released later this year.

I don't think we'll see that unless they decide to bring back the scale one.

Isn't the scale car part of the CC 726 Freight Set:

Features

Interesting, I will look at that Berkshire set.  I will send an email to the other gentleman too.  Thanks!

How do you email someone on here?

Whats wrong with the MTH Operating Reefer Cars.  They do the same things plus they have the frosty air illusion when the door opens.  Plus the doors close automatically and they have a nice ramp the packages unload on.

The mechanisms in the scale sized 3854 and smaller 3454 are the same.  I have samples of each in my PRR collection.

It will be interesting to see how Lionel remakes the mechanism in the new car coming out.  I'm quite sure it won't be all metal.

The older car throws out 6 crates, one with each button push, and then closes the door with the last crate thrown.

Depending on the voltage applied to the control track the crates can be gently 'thrown' out, or, more often the case, flung far and wide.  I guess cases of "Baby Ruth" bars can take some punishment.  The crates can even be flung about inside the car during operation.  I thought I was losing crates around the layout but I found 11 in the car when I investigated.  Hobo treats I guess.

It will also be interesting to see if the new scale sized car coming out will have four sliding shoes (two per truck) that were present on the Postwar car.  That could be tough on those that use other than Lionel switches on their layouts.

Here is a video that I made of my 3454 Merchandise Car.  Mine did not come with boxes so I made my own wood cubes.  As a gag, I added "This Side Up" and "Fragile" signs on the boxes.  Getting the boxes to come out just right takes some thought and fine control of the transformer.  Here's how I operate mine.

1.  18 volts -open door/unload box 1

2.  10 volts - unload boxes 2 - 5.

3.  16 volts - unload box 6/close door.

Great video David!  Did you build the platform?

David!  Your video was the one I saw.  Great work, BTW.

I was curious about the platform, too.  Did you build it or was it a kit?

Also, didn't know MTH had a car like that.

"How do you email someone on here? "

You look over on the right side of the page and click on "extended profile". You should see an email adress if the member left one.

Rob

Yeah just go on MTH's site and lookup Operating Reefer.  They have made several over the years in different road names.  They have smoke units in them that make the illusions of cold air coming out when the door opens.  I buy the Premier scale ones, but they make them in RailKing line too.  They have made them in different beer names too.  They have a video, although its super poor quality.

Looking forward to this set.  But I want to see one before I buy.

Simple:  They're not Lionel.

TM showed in Lionel Nation Part 6 that the Merchandise Car was originally numbered 3814 in 1939, and it came with the box style couplers. The 3854 and 3454 came in 1946 with standard knuckle couplers. The 3454 seems to be the most erratic performer of the 3, as seen in many layout videos TM has done over the years (E.G. Great Toy Train Layouts of America Part 4). The boxes did seem to jam or get stuck inside the car. Probably because of that Lionel was not exactly eager to reissue one of these cars.

Yeah they work, HAHA

I would like to see Lionel make one out of the scale 57' reefer like the cars in the ice cold express. I'll take one from MTH in the same size car also. The old one are mostly junk, not to scale and too expensive.