Zinc rot and K-line trains....Not bad news

Jini5,

You are not alone when it comes to missing K-line.  I believe the fascination with Menards, to some extent, is that they are filling that gap.   K-line had great products and were innovative.

It's a shame that they were involved in a scandal that cost them the company.

Happy to hear you don't have any issues with your diecast hoppers.

I've mentioned before how blown away I was with these beautiful die cast hoppers. I also have a few examples from Lionel and Atlas: the Atlas is maybe just a little finer in its details, but the coal loads of the K Line are vastly superior.

Out of the (7) K Lines I have, one had a bad truck; the rest seem to be fine. 🙂

Mark in Oregon

I also have 7 K-Line die-cast hoppers 2 bay and 4 bay. Really nice looking cars and all in perfect condition - and all were bought "used".  About half had never been opened. I suppose the coal loads look good because they used real coal.  Their die cast intermodals are also very nice.  I have become a big fan of their rolling stock since I got back into O Scale 3 years ago. I suppose accumulating 25 different pieces must say I've been happy with their products.

I’ve only seen like 2 rotted trucks on my vast k-line collection.  They were on lower end set cars.  No more than any other manufacturer I would assume.

As I mentioned in another thread, the problem I am having with K-Line trucks is on early Chinese trucks.  I have been buying sets and now have about 40.  This would be the 1991 to maybe 1996 era.

By the time K-Line started making the higher end die cast product perhaps the zinc rot problem was solved.

I've had it happen to the frame of a Heavy Hauler semitrailer (Conrail), and one truck (chrome TCA boxcar). I have a few diecast KL hoppers, gondolas, spine and doublestack cars. Not aware of any issues with those.

---PCJ