Relatively early MPC could be hit-or-miss with details, especially for units that weren't destined to be in the "collector" line. This pair of "bluebonnet" Alcos was meant to emulate D&H's ex-Santa Fe PAs in the same scheme. MPC fell a bit short, though, on the color scheme and left the pilot in blue and the trucks and stamped frame in black. And as always, the distinctive Alco grill around the headlight was just a raised pattern in the plastic.

So, after a bit of paintwork later, the FAs make a passable impression of D&H PAs, complete with hand-painted chrome "eyebrow" trim. I fond these used, at a train meet, and the horn was broken off -- which was no problem since it could be easily substituted with the nicer chrome chime horn part used on other Lionel diesels. Sharp eyes might notice the wiring going back to the "B" unit -- it's carrying power for a light bulb to light up the portholes (which were glazed with clear plastic on both units) and to power the MPC-era electronic horn that I added inside.

"I'm pretty sure Lee articulated that build."

Yes, it is articulated, and it requires all of 72 inch curves to run - won't run on anything less.

@Will posted:

I had to make a trip to Google because I always assumed that slugs had no cab. I see some did. Is it because they were converted road units?

Will, BN had these built from BN SD7/9's.  The cab was for the crew to be away from the noise in the powered "Mother" engine.

My cab is off of a Kline MP15 and BN used a cab more like a rebuilt IC SW1400.

          Running Both Lionel and Marx Cars on a Layout

These little modifications are big deal if you want to run both Lionel and Marx trains and cars and want to mix them up.

First to run Lionel and Marx cars behind a coal tenders will allow any brand steam locomotive with a coal tender to pull any brand cars.  Adding an Lionel coupling to a Marx truck with a Marx coupling on a coal tender is the best way to do this.  Many folks take a car and change out one truck or coupling of the other brand but this requires that car to operated on all the trains you make up.

Here is how to modify a Marx coal tender by adding a Lionel coupling.

I don't think if posted these on page 1/2.   hopefully none are repeats.

the little crane is far more stable than you might think. Scrap or tounge depressors, tin can roof, copper or brass tube, alumium channel boom and a broken zipper pull for a hook. It sits on one metal truck with bolster coupler, and an plate style electro-coupler is on the axles giving two couplers to one truck +added weight to counterbalance the boom. Behind it is a flipped florescent lamp shade for a girder bridge I never finished painting, etc.. If you ever stood under a metal bridge with a train overhead, you might imagine waht this sounds like.  I used to fish under one (DTI too), so it stays .

toy tender with new trucks

I got an atomic Kusan reactor car and put it behind a steamer for instant steam, I painted a taker for water, and wanted something in between them to pump, process etc.. The red bulb is a lit fishing bobber, GI joe scuba tanks, and an oddball Lego assembly (not yet painted & attached wood gauge section, and some brass plumbing fittings/valve.A mine engine, on hold.

Some stainless packaging wire , popsicle stick and scrap roof, staple ladder, and lionel trucks under a toy bobber .

This one melted. I repaired the motor and bashed it into a shortie. Lots of extra weight on one end. a 1x1x2¼ ingot cut and gound to a frame width T  bottom, slides in like an e unit, an the T top cross a tall pilot beam.

Happened to think that I have some pictures of one of my repaints from a long time ago. It's an MTH Rail King SW8 that I painted for the Katy. This engine was sold-off well over a decade ago.

Andre

Here’s a old Atlas O gondola I painted and re decaled in Nickel Plate Road I also added some Scale City tie downs

Retro B&W.

Did this about 20 - maybe 15 - years ago. NYC 0-8-8-0 hump switcher. RK 2-8-8-2, AHM tender w/scratch built frame, cylinders enlarged, details added/deleted (the dome is shaped lead). Old Train America Studios TMCC w/Railsounds. (I sent it to Train America - after customization, before final painting -  who installed it for me - I was just starting out in this "upgrade kit" experience.)

Crude - I could do a bit better now - and that original RK-width pilot has to be replaced with a 1:48 one. It really needs cruise control - runs well enough but won't creep like a big 0-8-8-0 switcher should. No ERR Cruise Commander at the time. Working front E'coupler. I love it, but I need to attend to the upgrading. "One day".

The RK 2-8-8-2 approximated the size of the NYC 0-8-8-0 prototype. The RK 2-8-8-2's are great project fodder. I've done 3, and I have one left "in inventory". They got kinda cheap some years back.

Previously posted K-line baggage kitbash of large door. I hope do better next time I try. 

Adriatic - there is something so wonderful about this kitbash that I can't describe. If your inclined to sell it - I'd be very pleased to give it a good home. Thanks for sharing.

Paul

Here's my Beep

Here’s a old Atlas O that I Painted and decaled last night I just need to add the Kadee Couplers

A couple of gondolas I modified from O-27 to scale width.  Basically I took 2 gons and cut them lengthwise and spliced the halves together.  Added diecast trucks,  weighted them, then painted the shells.  I made decals for my home steel mill company on Microsoft Word. Then a heavy dose of weathering. 

@third rail posted:

A couple of gondolas I modified from O-27 to scale width.  Basically I took 2 gons and cut them lengthwise and spliced the halves together.  Added diecast trucks,  weighted them, then painted the shells.  I made decals for my home steel mill company on Microsoft Word. Then a heavy dose of weathering. 

Looks like the real thing Bill,  super job.

How did you print white decals? I WANT your printer.

@Lionelski posted:

Looks like the real thing Bill,  super job.

How did you print white decals? I WANT your printer.

 

I used Testors white decal film . Just made a word pdf, determined the size I wanted and used either railroad Roman or gothic fonts in black color

 Then using the edit button I changed the settings to outline and also filled in the spaces between the letters with black.

I made sure the letters were spaced so that they would fit in between the ribs on the car sides. 

Everything is done on a standard HP inkjet printer.

I have done several QA&P “fantasy cars” in the past. This boxcar is the genuine article. It started as a Lionel ACL car. The color was correct with only the lettering needing to be removed. The decals are from K4. 

Robert: Well done. Very nice looking boxcar. Wood sided cars have a lot of charm.

Bill: That gon is great. I can only imagine trying to cut one in half by length and splicing. What a challenge. Have you done a lot of kitbashing? Your tips would be valuable. 

This MTH Rugged Rails, O-27, Madison Passenger Coach conversion is not yet finished but in process.

Here are 2 prototype photos of the coach I am trying to emulate.

Now that my uncle is successfully through his cancer surgery, I should have a bit more time to continue work on this car. I have 2 more to complete when this one is finished.

@third rail posted:

I used Testors white decal film . Just made a word pdf, determined the size I wanted and used either railroad Roman or gothic fonts in black color

 Then using the edit button I changed the settings to outline and also filled in the spaces between the letters with black.

I made sure the letters were spaced so that they would fit in between the ribs on the car sides. 

Everything is done on a standard HP inkjet printer.

Thanks for the tips Bill, I'm filing this away for the next time I need white lettering on a black car.

Stay creative!

Outstanding work Randy.

@Randy Harrison posted:

This MTH Rugged Rails, O-27, Madison Passenger Coach conversion is not yet finished but in process.

Now that my uncle is successfully through his cancer surgery, I should have a bit more time to continue work on this car. I have 2 more to complete when this one is finished.

@Lionelski posted:

Thanks for the tips Bill, I'm filing this away for the next time I need white lettering on a black car.

Stay creative!

Just remember to use decal fixative or setting spray on them. I used several coats to prevent the ink from running or smearing.  Paint your car or whatever with gloss paint, then an additional coat of Testors Gloss Coat.  The glossy finish prevents air from being trapped under the decals making a hazy finish. After all the decals have dried thoroughly then you can hit it with Dullcoat. 

Just because I'm selling some Great Northern Railway rolling stock does not mean that I no longer like that railway.  One of the cars I'm selling is a GN caboose from the 1980's, just because it does not have the PostWar "look" that I like:

My solution was to print some decals and paint a PostWar Porthole style caboose into one that is more to my liking:

@pennsynut posted:

Bill: That gon is great. I can only imagine trying to cut one in half by length and splicing. What a challenge. Have you done a lot of kitbashing? Your tips would be valuable. 

Thanks for the compliment.  I used a band saw to cut the 2 gondolas.  The O-27 cars have 2 longitudinal spines running down the middle.  If you measure from one side of the car,  the second spine is 5 scale feet away.  Cut the car leaving both spines intact.  You will then have 2 parts 5 feet wide, sand the spines smooth and glue the 2 cars together.  

The toughest part was drilling a new hole to attach the diecast trucks.  I used a 6x32 threaded insert epoxied to the car floor. A piece of things styrene covers the screw head. 

@third rail posted:

Thanks for the compliment.  I used a band saw to cut the 2 gondolas.  The O-27 cars have 2 longitudinal spines running down the middle.  If you measure from one side of the car,  the second spine is 5 scale feet away.  Cut the car leaving both spines intact.  You will then have 2 parts 5 feet wide, sand the spines smooth and glue the 2 cars together.  

The toughest part was drilling a new hole to attach the diecast trucks.  I used a 6x32 threaded insert epoxied to the car floor. A piece of things styrene covers the screw head. 

Thin styrene.  I hate spell check. 

Early gonzo bashing effort. (2000 or so?)

Louisville and Nashville K-5 4-6-2.

Brass Samhongsa (Williams) Heavy Pacific; 1930's Lobaugh cast brass tender; almost correct. Tender re-trucked; scratch built "stream styling" on loco. Brass skyline casing hammered into shape over a wooden buck. L&N had 3 Pacifics like/similar to this. One an ex-3-cylinder. Headlight shroud turned on a lathe from clear plastic rod and painted black except at the end. The whole thing is a "lens" . Lighted.

Old installation of TA Studios TMCC and Railsounds. One of my first; no ERR at the time.

(The yard it is in has been almost completely re-done scenickly this year, part of an on-going layout rejuvenation.) 

D500

Super job on that stream lining.  Great looking locomotive.  Very interesting how you turned the headlight.

Charlie

Homemade depressed cntr flat for the battery box to light the Dept 56 Conductor.

Homemade flats for some Halloween accessories.

Fantastic and creative Doug.

Love 'em

John. I like that GN caboose turned out nice. Lots of nice stuff lately keep posting those Custom works. 

These are some O scale AHM I’ve been working on.  The Lackawanna I painted/decaled last year with Tichy Train Group decals today I put a new floor in it and added some Lionel sprung trucks which I drilled out all the ones I have and removed that pin/ button.  Next was a Union Pacific car I used some old left over Microscale decals I had I also made a new floor for that. I’ll be adding some On the carriage detail like crossmembershon the carriage detail to these and some stirrups. 

A kitbash project with weathering I made from a Marx 490 train set that arrived damaged on Ebay. I am currently reselling this for anyone who is interested. Constructive criticism is welcome.

@lee drennen posted:

John. I like that GN caboose turned out nice. Lots of nice stuff lately keep posting those Custom works. 

Thanks Lee

Here’s a old Lionel Piggyback trailer I painted and decaled last night. I used Revell wheels and some HO decals 

Building a Lionel 6407 Flat Car with an Improved Rocket

Lionel took a red unpainted flat car, with no number but the word LIONEL on the sides, classified as 6407 and mounted a gray cradle from a boat carrying car and bought a No, 529 rocket missile pencil sharpener from Sterling Plastics for a dollar or so.  The rocket has blue plastic Mercury capsule with pencil sharpener at its tip.  Lionel mounted the rocket to the flat car with elastic bands. 

Picture of Lionel 6407 from Internet.

This car was made only in 1963 and is the rarest car in the space and military category.  The original 6407 flat car with the original rocket missile has sold for hundreds of dollars as most are found with missing or broken rockets.  The Lionel 6407 flat cars, with reproduction rockets, sell for less than $50.

The Lionel 6407 with the white oversized rocket always attracted my attention.  I got more interested when I found out the rocket had a Mercury capsule on top of since I recently built a Lionel 6413 Mercury Capsule transporting car, which was the first post on this topic on page one.  The Lionel 6407 would fit into my space train very well.  Then I found out how rare and hard to find they are so I decided to build one.  I had a new red flat car body minus the trucks but I had some Lionel trucks as well. 

All that was needed was to make the Rocket using a card board mailing tube.  I reinforced the mailing tube with Popsicle sticks.  Fins for the rocket were from balsa wood.  

Bottom of rocket and rocket engine nozzle

A transition section between the rocket body and the Mercury capsule was made from balsa wood and painted blue latter. 

I spray painted the rocket white and painted the fins red.  Red plastic colored tape was used to add designs on the rocket body and black press on USA letters were added. 

I improved the Lionel's plastic toy pencil sharpener rocket by making mine support a Mercury capsule on it's tip.  The Mercury Capsule is one I made for my homemade Lionel 6413 Mercury Capsule transporting car, written up on OGR forum in a prior topic.  A false bottom was added to one of my Mercury Capsules to allow it to be stuck on to the blue transition piece with double sided tape. 

The Mercury Capsule is show on the rocket tip in photo below.

The rocket can be transported with or without the Mercury capsule attached.  Real rockets would not be transported with the Mercury capsule attached.        

Picture below with recently built a Lionel 6413 Mercury Capsule transporting car

Cradles for the rocket to be held on the flat car were made from hard balsa wood, shell lined with Popsicle sticks, 1/8 inch dowel pieces and painted grey.  A total of three cradles were made with two for other flat cars.

Pictures of Rocket Train

The white rocket is a Lego toy.

I like my fat rocket and flat car and it shows out well. 

Perhaps I will letter it FAT BOY !

Charlie

Tank cars with new paint.    I only remember that one was silver and the other one was yellow and purple originally.

Here is a Lionel Atlantic that I added detail parts and a new coal load to, painted for the Pennsy and weathered about 15 years ago. This was a great and affordable offering from Lionel back in the early 2000s. ( originally lettered AT&SF 1491). I think is it close to scale.

Great thread that shows how much creativity is out there! Amazing!

Here's a series of Gilbert cars.   First, a double done tank car, which Gilbert never made.  I did this one by cutting up a couple of junk tank cars, and painting the resulting car like it would have been in 1946.  I gave it a plausible, unused Gilbert number.  No way it could be confused with a prototype since I included a more modern "built" date:

Then a 52' in scale lengthgondola made in a similar manner using junk bodies.    Again, assigned a plausible Gilbert number that was never used:

A double door boxcar similar to automobile transport cars.  Gilbert never made these:

Finally, a combine to match Gilbert's Silver Bullet train:

Here’s a before and after pic of those Lionel post war piggy’s I’m Custom building 

Well, I didn't make it myself, but I did paint it and add the marker lights. "Home decorating" is getting much harder these days with the lack of O scale decal availability. Had to print these myself...

@jhz563 posted:

How many forum members know this feeling  !!?!!   😉

@Arnold D. Cribari posted:

I really admire you folks who, after spending good money for a model, have the guts and skill to modify it to make it unique or otherwise more interesting. My fear is that if I tried to do that, I would just turn it into a piece of junk.

Hey Arnold ,  "  one man's junk is another man's treasure. "

Don't keep yourself from having a little fun  .   Once you start an idea with step A , figure out what step B might work and then when that is done go to step C and when that is done ......................🤔🤓

This forum post has really opened my mind to possibilities for the layout. 🙃

It's only September ......but........

@Arnold D. Cribari posted:

I wanted more cars for my WILLIAMS GG1 girl's Freight Set so I found a seller of PINK flat cars on ebay.

made several additions for my girls set.

1. Log car with Williams Trucks Lionel stakes and K-line logs

2. Wheel car with Williams Trucks and Lionel parts

3. Trailer car with Williams Trucks with white Lionel vans and a metal Lionel frame to hold them.

4. Williams triple dome tank car with custom Lilac paint and water slide decals

5. Williams Stock car with custom Lilac paint and Western Pacific decals. 

6. Lionel depressed center flat with transformer pastel.

Undecorated Atlas PS-1 boxcars became QA&P proto-lance cars.

Custom Williams brass NYC hudson.

Custom Lionel Alco PAs.

Homemade Lionel 6805 Atomic Energy Disposal Car

I have made a homemade Lionel 6805 Atomic Energy Disposal car,  a red flat car with flashing light radioactive canisters.  This was a easy job but I had to make a homemade electrical pickup.  I stared with two flashing light canisters purchased at a train show.  I had a spare red flat car body and two trucks.  Two track pieces of O27 track were used also.  The two pieces of track rail were glued to the flat car body with E6000 glue after soldering a piece of wire to each.

An electrical pick up was made for one of the plastic O gauge trucks.  My method using a piece of thin brass shim to make an electrical pick up was used.  I have made over 10 of this hard to find pick ups for my train collection.

The pickup proved to be too wide and shorted out on the Remote Control track sections.  I had to narrow it down.

Picture of outside rail pickup, simply wires wound loosely around the axles

Picture of newly build car with my Lionel 16666 Toxic Waste Canister car.  The canisters on the 16666 car are not removable.

Charlie

I painted these for my rainbow train. I waited years for MTH to make these in RailKing size but gave up and painted a couple of junk cars. I know there not supposed to be ribbed but they will work for me. The paint came out well and I used Testors dull coat to hide the decals.

Ok. I’ll bite. What is a “rainbow train?”

@CoolHand

The consists of passenger trains assembled by Burlington Northern (pre-Amtrak) with a mixture of cars from the 3 "Hill Lines" roads...or the even greater variety of cars assembled for Amtrak trains were often referred to as "rainbow consists".  Passenger trains from that era in the early 1970's were quite interesting.

Search this post.

in the beginning : AMTRAK

Homemade Transfer Caboose    12-23-2020

Merry Christmas and Happy New Year to All

Transfer cabooses are smaller and cheaper than road cabooses and not as good looking as say a Porthole N5C caboose.  They are usually made from flatcars with a cab attached, to provide minimal shelter, and railings to keep workers from falling off.  I was not aware of them until recently viewed in some later Lionel catalogs.

I have been in a build and fix caboose stage lately, with more to come.

I made the Transfer caboose cab from a junker Southern Pacific caboose by cutting it up with a band saw and hand X-acto saw.  See crack in the center section.

I glued the end of the SP caboose to the other end to make a cab.  I added support along the bottom of the flat car deck to my cheap flat car that was missing the wire bottom reinforcing.

I made the hand rails from solid 16 gauge copper wire which is about 1/16th of inch in diameter.  Solid copper wire is strong enough for this job and easy to solder and form in homemade jig shown below.

End of car railing in jig below

Flat car top side railing in jig below

1/8th inch plastic pieces were glued below the spots for the hand rails to add support and 1/16th inch holes were drilled to hold the rails in place without glue.  I painted the hand rails yellow so they would stand out better and for safety.

I had an old set of Rock Island decals.  They dissipated in water and I had to spray the decal sheets with a couple of coats of clear spray can paint to hold them together before applying.  I had three larger spaces between side flat car supports and added three letters, R I L which stand for Rock Island Lines, a common name for The Rock Island Rail Road.  I added a ladder made from N scale track ties.

New Rock Island Transfer caboose with Rock Island Homemade 6 wheel Vanderbilt Coal Tender

I plan to add a small, short smoke stack on the roof of the transfer caboose.  I have a 12 volt mini Christmas tree light bulb and socket with pig tails installed in the cab and plan to make a track pickup for one truck from brass shim stock as I have done for a dozen or so homemade cars.

I think the Rock Island Transfer caboose has turned out well.  Lionel did not make a Transfer caboose for the postwar era but has produced and sold several in the last 20 years.

Charlie

nice....

Very nice Choo Choo Charlie.

So far I've made 14 custom cabooses to match my Post-War diesels, but none like this. Thanks for the tutorial pics, I might just go to my junk box to see if I have the makin's for one like yours

Lionelski

Custom paint jobs on cabooses to match Locomotive was the start of my car modification addiction.  I then started customizing a few of those black coal tenders.  These are two easy ways to get started and fun too.  It helped that later on I purchased a box of junk coal tenders and one of junk cabooses, mostly shells, from a local big collector that was selling out his trains.  I also got a couple boxes of track, and one box of junk switches, all for $5 a box if I remember correctly.  He had free to the public on Saturday mornings, a large train layout in a commercial building he owned and later had 3 or 4 garage sales at his house.  He died a year or so later.

Charlie

Outside temps have stopped me from adding to my sawdust collection and turned my attention to upgrading my rolling stock.  My searchlight car didn't quite make sense without a fuel supply.  I also created a muffler and painted dials and indicator lights o to the control panel.  Simple, but a start.

C V

I love the search light car with the new muffler and fuel tank.  That search light car has 6 wheels trucks so it can handle the added weight of the fuel tank too.

Charlie

Homemade Bobber Caboose

Happy  New Year to you and yours.

I recently built a homemade transfer caboose and posted on it.  Caboose time is still in full play here, with cold winter days keeping me in, so here is another caboose project with few more coming soon to your favorite train forum.

I have a cheap Lionel Rock Island 8078 Bobber caboose that works well with a Lionel General 4-4-0 locomotive freight train.  Lionel even has recently reissued this Bobber caboose in several more railroad names and is sold with more expensive sets.

I have three General locomotives and coal tenders and would like to have a second Bobber caboose.  I also have several Lionel SP type caboose shells, many in poor condition, so it is time to make a second Bobber caboose.

I picked a caboose shell with a good cupola section and front and back roof overhangs.  I then cut the caboose to use the short end with cupola and cut the roof overhang end from the other end and glued the two together.  I made a base from 1/8 inch Masonite and made brackets to hold train wheels axles.  I used four wheels from old Marx metal wheel trucks and made two axles from a heavy coat hanger wire.  A Lionel coupling was added to one end of the car.  Hand rails were made from 16 ga solid cooper wire with a jig.

The area below the end platforms was strengthen and the hand rails were installed.  The car was painted with spray paint, silver on the ends and roof and yellow on the sides to be a Rio Grande Railroad Bobber caboose.

A small smoke stack was added to the roof and old Rio Grande decals were over sprayed with clear paint to ensure they held together when wetted.  They were then applied to the car sides and over coated with Matte clear spray paint.

Picture below with the Lionel  8087 Bobber caboose

This was fun little easy project.   I now have two Bobber cabooses to allow running two General freight trains.

Charlie

Great little project.

Coach Joe    Thanks for the kind comment.

I might paint the rear and forward platforms and steps silver like the Lionel Rio Grande SP caboose which I copied.  I am working on painting an old SP caboose to Rio Grand silver and yellow.  Most of my SP cabooses are brown or dark red and I need a few more colorful cabooses.

Charlie

Would this count? 

https://ogrforum.ogaugerr.com/...hted-tubular-lockons

Mitch

Mitch

Thanks for response and question.

Amended answer

Your modified lockons are not engines or cars.  I would suggest you post in the topic below:

Let us see your Scratch Built, Homemade or Kitbashed Layout Buildings or Accessories you have Built

https://ogrforum.ogaugerr.com/...8#149239177033470108

Charlie

3rd rail y6b converted to a y6a. Home etched parts. Complete scratch built smokebox and feedwater piping  I have a thread on it here  

I  don't do any modifications to engines, just trying to keep them running is enough, but I'm working on taking a number of Lionel's bobber cabooses and turning them into ingot buggies. The work is still in progress but looks  promising.

I still need to add sides, ends , a floor ,and some means of coupling cars together.  Might go for Kadees or a link and pin. They'll be pulled by my 0-6-0 tank engine.

Verrrrry Interesting! Looks great and you fit Mitch's "Scrounge" and KitBash profile so that you have inspired me to bash and paint a couple of cabooses (sp?) in the scrounge box so that they might run as DMIR Thanks for the share.   (One must start simply...)

First off, Choo Choo Charlie, I really like your custom bobber caboose, even more I think, than the as is MPC era version. Though I am very thankful for the new tooling that was done during the MPC years.

I was going through some old train magazines and I never really never noticed or paid attention to it before. There's another train magazine with the motto "Model Railroading is Fun." Not "scale" or "prototypical," but FUN. So I guess that makes me a bona fide model railroader, because this project was fun. And the car is FUN to operate.

It started off as a junk flat car that came from under the table at a train show. By the holes in the car, it was most likely an lower cost unnumbered helicopter launch car. Though whatever it had been made as, those parts were now missing save for the flat car itself. I figured I would fill in the holes and use it as a normal flat car. Then I got this idea.

So I masked the car and painted the underside black to help reduce the translucent appearance of the unpainted red molded plastic. Then I added the maintenance/searchlight car part, albeit now modified to take a DC motor. Since I have the option of running my layout on DC current, this is no big deal. There's a switch between Porky Pig and Marvin the Martian that turns on or off the motor. Track power determines the speed which the turbo propeller launches. If I give it full throttle, that propeller is going to really fly and slam into the ceiling. For optimal operation, far less than full throttle is more than sufficient. Of course, obviously the direction switch for the track power needs to be the correct polarity for the turbo blade to actually launch upward.

Brianel027

Great job on that turbo launching car.  I like it that higher train speed (voltage) will launch it.  What did you use for the turbo flying thing?

You are really into painting and modifying cars and do excellent decal and painting work.  I am mostly living off a couple of old decal sets which limits me to Rio Grande, Rock Island and Santa Fe.  I need to get some more decal sets as I do not laser print them (I only have a HP toner Laserjet printer as I got tired of ink jet printers).

Charlie

Just finished a two-weekend project, converting an MPC covered hopper into a Toronto Hamilton & Buffalo slab-side hopper. One weekend to sand the sides down and fashion new ribs out of plastruct and sides from sheet styrene, painted during the week, and decaled the second weekend. Flat clear coat was applied last night. Third photo shows the slab-side construction. The postwar 4-bay hoppers look good lengthwise and heightwise with scale equipment, but are noticeably narrow - the slab-side construction effectively makes the hopper wider, so it now fits in well with my scale consists. Last photo shows it next to a custom 50' boxcar I also recently finished.

Decals are from Highball Graphics.

~C.Vigs

Very nice job on the hopper C

I just finished a project I’ve planned to do for a while. I am a fan of the Lone Ranger, and the Lionel Lone Ranger Sheriff and Outlaw car gave me an idea. The figures are way out of scale and I was able to find O gauge-sized cowboy figures on a western gaming website, Knuckleduster Miniatures.

I had to make one small modification and that was to drill and tap for a small screw to attach the figures and trim the base of the figures to better fit inside the car.

Next, I painted the figures.

The car was then reassembled.

It was a fun project and I’m glad I was able to finish it. Here’s a short video of the car running around my layout being pulled by the Lionel Lone Ranger 4-4-0.

Rob:

That turned out very nice. I like the authenic painting too. Very Cool!

C- awesome job on the TH&B hopper- one of my favorite roads!
Rob-  cool Lone Ranger modifications! Hi - ho silver!    JohnA

Where's Tonto?

Rob

Great job on the Lone Ranger getting best of the bad guy, LR was always my favorite cowboy on the radio.

CVigs  Another great job on the  box car full of decals.  I have trouble putting one or two on a car.

Charlie

@C.Vigs

That is GREAT modeling work on your hopper. I have used Highball Graphics for custom decals. They provide superb decals with a quick turnaround time. Their customer service is second to none.

On my current caboose effort I have painted two more colorful Rio Grande cabooses.  I really like the Rio Grande silver and yellow color scheme for cabooses since I have several black and brown Penn cabooses.

First I painted the previously made Rio Grande bobber caboose steps and platform silver as it was black.  Then I made a Rio Grande work caboose.  Both are shown below.

I used a regular Lionel work caboose without tool boxes or a search light.

The Rio Grande work caboose is shown below with the Lionel Tie ejector.  A work caboose is needed to hold a load of ties to feed the Tie ejector.

Another repainted caboose is a Lionel SP style one as a Rio Grande Lionel 6-9166, mine shown below.  I added a D&RGW decal where the Lionel has some other Rio Grande symbol.  I got three cabooses from one and a half sets of Rio Grande box car HO decals.  I made smoke stacks for all three Rio Grande cabooses from plastic sprues left over from plastic model kits.

I made some wooden tool boxes to glue under the caboose and used E6000 glue.  A homemade light pickup was made and installed and windows were cut from plastic milk containers and also glued on with E6000.

Charlie

Here's my 0-6-0T - Modified.

Southern Appalachian ran on the Yancey County Railway in Burnsville NC not quite 3 years 1968, 1969, 1970.  BEDT 15 was the sole power.

I modified an 0-6-0T by lengthening the saddle tank, adding tank steps, generator, air compressor, changing headlight, handrails and fuel tank to oil.

Not perfect, but close(er).  I plant to transplant this body onto one of the new engines that has command control.

I filled in 2 windows with Bondo  to create space on a caboose for my Baby Ruth vintage logo. It's all part of my Baby Ruth Factory and truck theme.

Nice...It's always fun to make something from nothing and have it turn out GOOOOD!

D

Here is a Lionel 8510, 0-4-0 switcher sold by Sears I have had a long while.

It has an ugly front and no coupling on the front, making it a lousy switcher.

I decided to add a front end and working coupling like my better 0-4-0 switcher, a Lionel 8516.

I drew up a sketch and used a spare operating coupling I had, and some sheet metal and balsa wood scraps.  I assembled it with J B Weld metal filled epoxy glue.

I soldered in the bottom brace.

J B Weld metal filled epoxy setting up with rubber bands holding in position

The hand rail was made from a piece of wire.  Whole unit was painted with semi gloss back paint.

Now this is much more handsome

Now I have two great 0-4-0 switchers with operating front couplers.  The old 0-4-0 needs a paint job now

Charlie

Nice job!

Gene

Thanks for the complement.  This was a fun project making the switcher much more fun to operate too.

Charlie

Nicely done Charlie!

Here’s a Lionel O27 Piggyback Flatcar I upgraded and made some homemade hitches

I've posted these on another thread but since I bashed the loads I'll put them here also.A transformer load for the C9 well car to replace the wire spools it came with.  And a homemade submarine car.

Some re-lettering I did so that I would have some switchers that could handle duties for several different roads that could converge in their area.

I wanted a Penn Central Diesel so I painted decaled and flat coated a Williams FM. Not prototypical but it matches a caboose I already have. The florescent lights made it look more blue than green the color looks correct in person.

The roster continues to grow.  564 finally got steam generator equipment.  Flared spark arrestors are still eluding me.

546 and 569 still need 3-chime horns  

I don't remember if I've posted this before.Out of a K-line Club freebie Santa Fe work caboose I made this Alaska RR transfer caboose.  I removed the tool boxes, shifted the cabin from the end to the center, added handrails I had found at a LHS, I had to hand bend the corners, stripped the ATSF markings and added HO decals.  Didn't think to add wood real decking but tried painting the decking with Testor's "WOOD" color enamel.  Either the plastic wasn't clean enough or just didn't like the enamel, you can see where the coverage is a little thin.

Homemade N5c Union Pacific Caboose

Next I wanted to make a colorful port hole window N5c Union Pacific caboose.  I found this picture of a MTH N5c Union Pacific caboose on the internet.

Here is a Lionel 9168 Union Pacific N5c caboose shell I have had for years and is one my more colorful cabooses.  This one has a, homemade by me, extended SP caboose metal base with SP caboose end plates with steps and added light and pickups.  Lets see if I can beat it.

I found a good shape Lionel N5c shell without the metal base.  I had several spare SP type metal bases but they are about an inch too short for the N5c shells.  I cut the metal base in half and added one more inch in length by adding a piece of 1/8 inch Masonite to joint it, to lengthen it.  I glued it together with E6000 glue and added a Christmas tree mini 12 v light and socket with pigtails.  I also made a light pick up, as above for the SP style UP caboose, and added two trucks with couplings.

I had to make plastic end floor plates and steps as the shell of a N5c caboose shell does not have them like the SP shell has.

The shell was painted with the Model Master Insignia yellow paint and Testor's Red paint.  Painting was a chore with all the masking and hand painted junction of the yellow and red.

I had to cut out some of the side rail to allow a Union Pacific logo to go on the side.

The Lionel N5c shell has a translucent plastic window liner installed.  Wow, that is a handsome N5c caboose  probably a tie with the Union Pacific SP style caboose above.

Union Pacific N5c Caboose with Union Pacific Homemade Vanderbilt coal tender.

My two new Union Pacific Cabooses showing out.  These should liven up the layout.  It is hard to keep your eyes off bright yellow cabooses.

I am fixed up with colorful Union Pacific Cabooses now to make my Union Pacific engines happy.

Charlie

I posted this earlier today in my "Another O27 Creation" thread, but thought that it would also be appropriate here.

You may recall that in the past I made several "stretched" cabooses, each from two Lionel SP type cabooses.

MOW caboose made from the leftover SP caboose body parts:

@Choo Choo Charlie posted:

Homemade N5c Union Pacific Caboose

Next I wanted to make a colorful port hole window N5c Union Pacific caboose.  I found this picture of a MTH N5c Union Pacific caboose on the internet.

Here is a Lionel 9168 Union Pacific N5c caboose shell I have had for years and is one my more colorful cabooses.  This one has a, homemade by me, extended SP caboose metal base with SP caboose end plates with steps and added light and pickups.  Lets see if I can beat it.

I found a good shape Lionel N5c shell without the metal base.  I had several spare SP type metal bases but they are about an inch too short for the N5c shells.  I cut the metal base in half and added one more inch in length by adding a piece of 1/8 inch Masonite to joint it, to lengthen it.  I glued it together with E6000 glue and added a Christmas tree mini 12 v light and socket with pigtails.  I also made a light pick up, as above for the SP style UP caboose, and added two trucks with couplings.

I had to make plastic end floor plates and steps as the shell of a N5c caboose shell does not have them like the SP shell has.

The shell was painted with the Model Master Insignia yellow paint and Testor's Red paint.  Painting was a chore with all the masking and hand painted junction of the yellow and red.

I had to cut out some of the side rail to allow a Union Pacific logo to go on the side.

The Lionel N5c shell has a translucent plastic window liner installed.  Wow, that is a handsome N5c caboose  probably a tie with the Union Pacific SP style caboose above.

Union Pacific N5c Caboose with Union Pacific Homemade Vanderbilt coal tender.

My two new Union Pacific Cabooses showing out.  These should liven up the layout.  It is hard to keep your eyes off bright yellow cabooses.

I am fixed up with colorful Union Pacific Cabooses now to make my Union Pacific engines happy.

Charlie

Fantastic work, Charlie. You know how much I like custom cabeese!

@coach joe posted:

I don't remember if I've posted this before.Out of a K-line Club freebie Santa Fe work caboose I made this Alaska RR transfer caboose.  I removed the tool boxes, shifted the cabin from the end to the center, added handrails I had found at a LHS, I had to hand bend the corners, stripped the ATSF markings and added HO decals.  Didn't think to add wood real decking but tried painting the decking with Testor's "WOOD" color enamel.  Either the plastic wasn't clean enough or just didn't like the enamel, you can see where the coverage is a little thin.

Love it CoachJoe.

Thanks for sharing

That flat came out great Lee, thanks for sharing,

@Lionelski posted:

That flat came out great Lee, thanks for sharing,

Thanks for the complement. I have some more to make

@lee drennen posted:

Thanks for the complement John. I have some more to make