Lets See Space and Missile Cars

Charlie,

I have the same Lionel motorized unit and I bought and installed another coupler to its front end.

I forgot the part number, but it's the same as on the rear, which will fit and function properly.

I contacted Jeff Kane, of "The Train Tender" in upstate New York, for the part.

RJL

RJL,

  Do you have any photo's of this front couplere installed on the engine? I have been wanting to do this on mine. I love the space and military stuff Lionel did in the 60's.

          Mel

Not from the 60's but.......

My 3665 Minuteman car.

Purchased at a train show while I was a Minuteman Missile Crew Commander!

I'm sorry Mel, I don't have any photos, but it is self centering and non operable, which is similar to the rear coupler. 

Jeff Kane, Proprietor of "The Train Tender" in upstate N.Y., will send an installation, instruction sheet, if you ask him to, along with the part.

Ralph-RJL

Great Military rolling stock, everyone.

RJL

Heres an old Revell Honest John in crates on a Lionel 027 flatcar. The missile came in a truck & flatbed trailer model kit.

    Ed

Part of my layout is "Liberty AFB - Home of the Missile Railcars"

Notice the Security Forces walking post between the tracks!

I'll probably catch **** from the Explosives Safety Officer if that target car is still armed! 

Fantastic Military items.

Thank you,

RJL

Another Missile launching car, the Lionel 6650 with homemade missile.  I have several more but you keep yours coming to add to the collection.

Charlie 

The nice thing about a military base on your layout is there are so many detail items you can include to add interest. 

For example, in the photos I posted earlier, I removed the Lionel pennant (put it back in the box) on the LED-illuminated flag pole and added an Air Force flag under the US flag.  If you look at the Quonset hut, you'll see where I put a couple of little "flower plots" outside the door to dress it up a bit (like some young enlisted person would be told to do on a base beautification detail!) (Been there, done that during my time in the Air Force.) I stole the "flower plot" idea from the Gomer Pyle show; they had the same thing outside their Quonset hut.

Here's another one -- anti-terrorism vehicular "jacks" just like you see at so many base gates.  Get your ID cards out, folks, for the sentry.

Most of those jacks at real base gates are crudely fabricated out of scrap pieces of iron.  They are definitely not a piece of finely made ironwork--they designed to stop vehicles!  Since I couldn't find any metal jacks in the dollar stores, I used some plastic ones and cut the "round ball" knobs off them.

One idea I had a few weeks ago was to use one of the Lionel gantry cranes to raise and lower missiles out of the missile railcars, but I'm not sure yet how to make all that work right.  It would certainly be an interesting use of that accessory!

Lionel 44 US Army missle launch set from 2002 on the top shelf, missles can be launched by TMCC which is really neat.

I think they hit a home run with that Missle launch set from 2002. Not only can it be controlled with TMCC, us conventional guys can control it too.

3509 Satellite Launching Car can launch a Satellite into space without a rocket in Lionelville!

Another reason we love Lionelville.

Charlie

Below is my 6470, Expolding car or target car as I call it.

This car gets my vote as the most touchy, delegate, temperamental and frustrating car ever made. 

I find it hard to assemble without filing apart. And it often falls apart when being pulled around or flies apart when the mouse trap exploding features just goes off on it own.

Then to top it all, the car often will not explode when hit with a missile.

That silver spot on the roof is the lock pin or finish nail head that serves as the safety to keep the mouse trap from prematurely springing on its own.

It is easy to break off the little protruding arms on the car sides that hold the car  together.  I have had to make several new arms on my two cars.

What has your experience been with this touchy car?

Charlie

"Combat, nuclear combat.  Toe-to-toe with the Russkies!"

(Sorry, couldn't resist the opportunity to use this photo.) 

Good to know we can blow the crap out of any other scale that threatens us!

I have a Minuteman car and Mercury capsule launch car.  Love 'em.

George

Here is my vintage Orbitor set.  Got this off the bay last year for half of what a new china one cost:

Updated a classic:

Samplingman

That Orbitor set is neat.  Those pictures give me more space and missile cars to put on my list to get at train shows.

I was not aware they made such a set.  Give Lionel credit for trying to stay up to date and modern and get the kids eyes and money.

Charlie

If you can find one, the Algozzini book is the most comprehensive look at the space and military era:

http://train-station.com/cgi-b....html/SID=2628257456

I have been intending to post some pictures and finally got around to it.  I have most of my Lionel Space and Missile/military cars under the layout right now but someday I will display them in the train room.  Right now, I have a 4 x 8 layout that I can run two "space" trains on upstairs in the guest room.  What you see is about half of my collection.  Sorry for the dusty look on the trains..most we up on open shelves for years and I need to dust them off!!  Hope you enjoy...

Alan

Wow, that's a great looking collection! I see you leave the plunger down on the rocket launch car.  That always makes me nervous, mine likes to pop while going around the track and it derails everything. Can you tell me more about that Saturn V looking rocket in the background?  Is that vintage or modern?

Hi James....

The Saturn rocket came in a box of toys that had a 1963 Lionel Military set (not pictured) included in that box.  I believe the rocket is most likely from the mid to late sixties but could be newer.  The mercury capsule car is all original, nothing broken and was presented to me by Santa when I was just a little tike!  I prevent the plunger from popping up by slipping a homemade tube over the end of the plunger the length of the shaft so that it prevents the plunger from moving back and forth.

From what I understand, there are some rare examples in these pictures.  The copter with the colorless blades is original and the small flat with tank is original.

Thanks,

Alan

Thanks Alan.  That's a great idea for the plunger.  I think I have just the capsule part of tha Saturn V.  I remember playing with it back in the early 70s.  There are no markings on it and I've always wondered what it was from.

Good thread. It reminded me just before I moved I came across this set. It's a one year only Sears set of space cars with a 223 Santa Fe A-B unit. The 223 was only made for this set. It even has the transformer and track. I'm going to sell it. Don't think it will work on a scale layout. Don

Here are mine, old and new.

Peter

This is my set. Don

Don, if you decide to sell your set, what will be your platform, ebay? Thanks.

Samplingman,

  Can you tell me where you got the mercury capsules on the mercury capsule car?

          Mel

Hello Mel -  

They are from the Hot Wheels John Glenn Action Pack.  They are from about 10 years ago, but are readily available on the 'Bay for about 10 bucks or less.  You need two since they only come with one capsule.  I had them hanging in my toy room for years until I got my orbitor set and confirmed they are a perfect fit for the carrying car.  The only modification is that you have to drill a hole in the soft plastic top of the capsule.

Boy, Leaventracks has us all beat with that great collection of space / missile gear.

Here is picture of my missile firing car, # 6544,  that I thought would have been posted before this as I believe they are more common than the missile firing engine (unless I missed seeing it here)

How about a 3349 Turbo-missile car? Another way to get a different car to spring a missile or satellite into the air. 

I guess that is what this one is but there is no number on the car.

Keep them missiles coming, if not I have a few more spacey, missile types left to post.

Charlie

Charlie...take another look at my pics...I think you will see the #6544....

Alan

A USA Space Shuttle mounted on a flat car is really spacey.  Too bad is now history.  I hope our missiles are not history being replaced by radio controlled drones.

Charlie

Some plastic golf tees for missiles except one on right.  It is homemade.

Charlie, well done on the homemade missiles!

Is the brakeman doing "Duck and Cover???"

Rusty