Lionel C&O George Washington Train Diesel era

While this is now in the Lionel forum, what are you looking for in the diesel era George Washington?  Lionel produced 21" C&O fluted cars based on Budd prototypes but I don't recall them offering a C&O E8.  Other manufacturers have.  Many photos of this train later in life still had the heavyweight baggage in the consist.

@Former Member posted:

Did Lionel ever produce the GW train in the diesel/streamlined era?  I would like to bookend this train on the layout  to replicate a vintage print that shows both the steam/diesel versions of this famous train.

Thanks

While the GW had specific cars lettered for the GW in the heavyweight era, there was no lettering distinction between GW and other named passenger trains in the lightweight era. There was no GW drumhead on the end of the train. Just by looking at the 1950's GW there was no way to tell which train it was except maybe by the type and number of cars in the consist.

Lionel has produced only one set of scale, streamlined cars in the C&O tri color scheme and they did a poor job of that. The Lionel cars are based on a Budd prototype whereas the C&O cars are Pullman Standard. Lionel painted the trucks and ends silver and they are supposed to be blue. Also Lionel painted the roof black and it should be blue. Pretty obvious they did no research and just made something up. If you can use 16" cars, look for MTH Railking C&O streamlined  cars. Even though they are not scale and for some reason didn't paint the doors correctly, they look far better than what Lionel did.

Ken

Sorry I don't post many attachments as is fairly obvious.  I share this as it is what started my interest in doing the 'bookends' of this train.  As Ken notes there is no drumhead on the streamline observation car.

In particular I liked this print because of the consists with the named cars at the top and bottom.  

Not being a student of trains will someone identify the type of diesel at the top left please?  

Thanks and again apologies as I am 'new' here after a substantial absence and did not realize this should have been posted in the General Lionel topics.

OK...just to clear things up.  We moved this to the proper forum.  It is not a 3-rail scale topic per the definition as posted in that forum.  No need for anyone's dander to get ruffled.  Back to the topic on hand ...

@Former Member posted:

Not being a student of trains will someone identify the type of diesel at the top left please?  

Diesel is an EMD E8. Steamer looks to be an F-19 Pacific.

Thanks for the diesel identification.  Ditto on the steamer.

The illustration has a number of mistakes:

• The diesel is an EMD E8A. Both Lionel and MTH made these in past years. MTH also made a non scale Railking version. The illustration is wrong in that the lower stripe on the engine should be gray not yellow.
• The streamlined observation should be 5 double bedroom/buffet/lounge/observation. No manufacturer has produced a scale version of this car. MTH made a Railking version that's pretty good except for being a shortened 60 ft model of an 85 ft car. The illustration shows vestibule doors on the observation end which is just so wrong.
• The heavyweight observation is kind of unique in that the observation platform was there for cosmetic reasons only as it's only 18" deep and therefore has no passenger steps under the platform. No manufacturer has made a correct version of this car in O (they have in HO brass).
• The steam loco is an F19 Pacific which Lionel listed in its latest catalog. I have an earlier release of this engine and it is actually very accurate.

As far as building an entire consist goes:

Streamliners - MTH did the 60 ft Railking versions which I think are pretty good for short cars. They have the correct car names and except for not painting the yellow and silver stripes on the doors they look good. MTH made 18" versions using their generic series of passenger cars. I already stated what I think of the Lionel cars.

Heavyweights - Best you can do here is assemble a set of generic cars, but only the Lionel cars carry the George Washington letterhead.

Ken