K-Line RPO Interior Upgrade

Norton posted:

K-Line made both this 15" car and a 21" RPO. They differ only in length. Height and width are the same. Same with their 18" cars but no RPOs in 18".

Pete

I'd be very interested in that 21" RPO if only just to see how it was made. I think that generally K-Line (and Lionel) did not alter the lengths of the metal frames on their aluminum 21" cars - they used the same length frames as for 18" cars and the extra body length over the frame was compensated for by lengthening the plastic vestibule/end cap assemblies at each end.

Anyway a 21" RPO would provide lots of room for interior details. I have an 18" aluminum Lionel Shasta Daylight RPO car that is very nicely detailed inside, including mail sacks. It's an all plastic interior of course but the attention to detail it represents is not duplicated in any of Lionel's current offerings.

scale rail posted:

When I did a video for the Golden Gate Railroad Museum they had just finished their RPO. They got some of the old timers that worked in these cars. They called the little boxes that the mail was sorted in, pigeon holes. Here a few shots of their car. Don

Hi Don,

Luckily, Golden Gate Railway Museum has saved the 5901 RPO and posted color photos online because all the other UP photos of this set of cars I found were in black & white.  A.C.F. made 3 sister cars (5900, 5901 & 5902) that match this exact floor plan and you are correct.  Out of that group of 3 cars only the 5901 has its original RPO interior intact today. 

According to UtahRails.net here’s the current status of those 3 Union Pacific RPO cars:

1. UP 5900 was renumbered to UP 903682 in 1973; stored at Seymour, Nebraska; moved to Cheyenne, Wyoming, as on-ground storage shed.
2. UP 5901 was renumbered to UP 903683 in 1973; sold to private individual; moved for preservation to Golden Gate Railroad Museum, San Francisco, California.
3. UP 5902 was renumbered to UP 903684 in 1973; sold to Ringling Bros., in 1989, used as parts source; traded to MARC (Maryland Railroad Commuter) for parts in May 1992; refurbished and painted as MARC 199, located at Camden Yards, used as on-track storage.

Hancock52 posted:

Norton posted:

K-Line made both this 15" car and a 21" RPO. They differ only in length. Height and width are the same. Same with their 18" cars but no RPOs in 18".

Pete

I'd be very interested in that 21" RPO if only just to see how it was made.I think that generally K-Line (and Lionel) did not alter the lengths of the metal frames on their aluminum 21" cars - they used the same length frames as for 18" cars and the extra body length over the frame was compensated for by lengthening the plastic vestibule/end cap assemblies at each end.

Wouldn't using the 18" car frame for 21" cars then place the trucks in the wrong location on the car?

BobbyD posted:

Hancock52 posted:

I'd be very interested in that 21" RPO if only just to see how it was made.I think that generally K-Line (and Lionel) did not alter the lengths of the metal frames on their aluminum 21" cars - they used the same length frames as for 18" cars and the extra body length over the frame was compensated for by lengthening the plastic vestibule/end cap assemblies at each end.

Wouldn't using the 18" car frame for 21" cars then place the trucks in the wrong location on the car?

Of course it would. Not sure where that idea came from. AFAIK K-Line was the only manufacturer to use the same extrusion for their 15, 18, and 21" cars. The frame length and location of the trucks and wheel wells are different.

Pete

I did deliberately say the length of the frame and not where the truck mounting holes were placed in it. I've compared a number of K-Line and Lionel models, got replacement metal frames for the latter and found that they were identical in length as between 21" and 18" aluminum body models.