Full length scale aluminum extrusions were available from Kasiner and CRC, both smooth side and with Pullman style corrugations. It is possible that these were Kasiner extrusions, packaged with better ends.
More recently, Clark Benson got Lionel to extrude some aluminum bodies, but they all had those horrible letterboards about midway up from the floor to the windows, making them unusable for a scale model railroad. Had he (or Lionel) chosen the baggage car extrusion, he would have captured the O Scale Budd carbody business.
Then Haynes Mac Daniel had three fairly accurate Budd extrusions done. For years, if you wanted Budd cars in 80' lengths, Mac Shops was the only game in town. And for a very short period of time it looked like we were going to get reasonably accurate Daylight extrusions, but that fizzled. I captured about ten of those.
Now, if you want aluminum extrusions, K-Line and Sunset produce finished cars that are light-years ahead of the 1950s stuff. At $75/car, I stocked up on K-Line, and am still pleased with them. Had I waited, Sunset would be my cars of choice.
