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Bobby Cox posted:

Is there a source for purchasing die cast or brass O gage scale box cars? Not kits, painted and ready to roll?

"2-rail" cars (the cars are not 2-rail - cars are "no-rail"; the trucks are the deciding factor) can be equipped with 3-rail trucks. Sometimes the 2-rail trucks can have hi-rail (3-rail) wheel sets inserted; easy or hard, depending. 3RO trucks are readily available on eBay and at train shows here and there. The change can be dead simple to moderately involved, depending on: the truck style/bolster; car design/bolster; removal of frame-mounted coupler pockets and some lower body detail to allow the coupler to swing. Bolsters matter: high/deep truck/car bolsters can have your hopper or whatever showing a silly high-pockets look. I have converted several brass cars to hi-rail.

You mentioned die-cast - all the major brands do/have offered die-cast (not Atlas?) 3RO rolling stock. Look on eBay; usually there are several. I think that K-Line (of course) did more than anybody. The prices are usually average - some people do not like die-cast rolling stock. I do.

Bobby Cox posted:

Why is it that some people don’t like die cast rolling stock, too heavy? Is it that you can run longer trains with plastic cars due to the entire train being lighter? Do heavy/long trains actually wear out these modern Lionel Legacy type locos quicker if they are run a lot?

It's all about the weight. More weight means less cars you can pull. Any engine will wear out faster when pulling a heavier load,  not just legacy engines. I have the coal hauler freight set from years ago in tmcc. It came with a dual motor diesel and 4 all diecast 3 bay hoppers. Lionel then sold a separate 3 pack and single hopper to add to the set. In total, 8 3-bay diecast hoppers. It's a heavy train. The wheels on the diesel can slip when starting because of the weight. While diecast cars look really nice, it does limit how many you can pull. Now, a diecast steam engine can pull this load much easier cause it has more traction. If you use an engine that has plastic gears, you run the risk of stripping a gear if you pull too much weight. I like diecast freight cars but I am carefully on how many I put on a train. In contrast, my son put a gg1 on the track with 40 plastic boxcars. It pulled it without any strain.

I like the look, feel, and heft of diecast rolling stock. It also tracks better due to the weight. It will cost more and you can't pull as much which limits it's appeal.

 

Hot Water posted:
Bobby Cox posted:

Is there a source for purchasing die cast or brass O gage scale box cars? Not kits, painted and ready to roll?

From experience, such brass boxcars were/are only 2-Rail O Scale, and are pretty expensive, especially those already painted & lettered. Thus, check the various brass dealers handling 2-Rail O Scale equipment, and have your checkbook ready. 

Other option is to attend the March Meet and see what's on the tables there - usually a good range of quality and cost from one end of the spectrum to the other.

In ready-to-run form, K-Line did produce a diecast boxcar briefly, as well as diecast gondolas and coal hoppers, plus aluminum centerflow hoppers and tank cars.

Atlas produced a fishbelly hopper.

Lionel did a run of ore cars in diecast in the 1990s.

MTH had diecast gondolas, woodside cabooses and woodside reefers (why they chose wood-based prototypes for a metal model is beyond my comprehension).

All are past production and very limited. No one currently makes any. Frankly, they were never good sellers. But I bought a few.

Bobby Cox posted:

Why is it that some people don’t like die cast rolling stock, too heavy?

No, for me it was/is the molded in/on details, like grab-irons, door hardware, hand brake components, etc..

Is it that you can run longer trains with plastic cars due to the entire train being lighter?

No, as most good model railroaders add the proper amount of weight inside the car, in order to meet NMRA weight standards for O-Scale cars.

Do heavy/long trains actually wear out these modern Lionel Legacy type locos quicker if they are run a lot?

Anything is possible.

 

In the 1930's, cast aluminum car kits were available. Some continued into the 1950's and 60''s by All Nation and Walthers.

Their last cast aluminum kits included cabooses (C&O (AN) and PRR Walthers) and flat cars. Two sizes of depressed center cars: 12 wheel by Walters and an  8 wheel AN along with a straight side 45' flat. 

Here are photos of cast aluminum cars I have built either from scrounged parts, kits or rehabilitated 'junkers' found underneath tables at train shows.  While not super-detailed to modern desires, they still can be made to look good. They can become creditable models that are rugged enough for a lot of operation and a long life.

Yes, two of these cars are fairly heavy. The T&P stock car castings are thicker than those of the C&O boxcar. The Walthers flat models a heavy prototype and is very hefty.  But cars like this did not run high speed in long trains of the same equipment, like hoppers.

The LV hopper is surprisingly light for a cast aluminum car. But the castings are rathe thin. It is a USRA 55 ton rib-side twin hopper. It matches the modern plastic USRA 2 bay hopper so well, an Intermountain coal load fits perfectly in its 84 YO body.

Other metal cars of the past include Rail Craft which in the 1940's sold built up cars and kits made of tinplated steel (tin cans?).

The P&LE panel side hopper of 1939-1946 was made to 17/64" scale, an early effort to have 1 1/2" O gauge track be closer to scale for the trains running on it.  These tend to be light-weight cars and benefit from added weight and a load. 

S. Islander

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Images (5)
  • 127: Scale Model Railways 1937, with 5 aluminum castings. Scarch built floor and detailed udnerframe. Weighs 14 oz.
  • 188b: Scale Craft 1936, kit OF-134, rebuilt from a 'junker' nd ruidson original trucks  Weight 15 oz.
  • 163XBC: Scale Craft kit 1938, Kit K-1375-B. Has detailed wood floor and underbody., weight 19 oz.
  • 187: Walthers 1940-1960's Kit number 5403. It is equipped with Preision Scale brass 6-wheel Buckeye trucks, wt. 24oz.
  • 107: Rail Craft 1946, tinplated steel RC built-up, with added details 10 oz. Weight and coal load added to get 14 oz.
Last edited by S. Islander

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