By the by - I had zinc pest in some of my childhood models, stored in a box for 50 years. They were ancient Varney HO box cars, and kind of cute. So I took a die cast underframe, straightened it, and sent it to my friend Bob Stevenson, of Stevenson Preservation Lines. He did just what I suggested for you - he made a mold and cast me some replacements.
The photo below is one of the rejects - the floor is really thin, and you can see the metal did not flow. Still, it is a thing of great beauty, replacing a twisted and crumbling die cast part. I re-equipped half my fleet with these. I would not hesitate to do the same with GG1 trucks, although I suspect Lionel now would be motivated to do it . . .
