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I was weak while at York in April.

I picked up the Wabash Fallen Flags passenger set MOB which I was looking for.   I also picked up a new 783 Grey Hudson, the Conrail Electric, and a BN diesel.

Also got a  J L Cowen set.  I need the sprung trucks off the cars.  Probably get the engine repainted since it has a die-cast tender.

Hi all, great MPC pictures.  Here is one I posted on "Front End Friday" but thought I would post it here as well.  This is the MPC engine that (may have) been part of the start of entire electronic era.  In 1973 it hosted the "electronic sound of steam" and headed the "Blue Streak" freight set.  This engine is of the "Columbia" type and Lionel (MPC) used this type engine in various color schemes and numbers in numerous offerings.  It proved to be a reliable runner with a light load at modest power, especially since MPC did NOT revive the troublesome "Scout" motor but instead gave this Columbia a good solid spur gear motor. Anyway here is the Lionel (MPC) #8303  Jersey Central 2-4-2 Columbia locomotive.

Lionel 8303 JC blue loco front quarterLionel 8303 JC blue loco side

Best wishes all

Don

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Last edited by Don McErlean

Two more MPC additions that I picked up at the EDTCA York meet.IMG_0197

That Gold Metal Flour was one of the first cars I bought when I got into O gauge years ago , so it's a keeper for me. Alway liked the slogan: "Eventually Gold Metal Flour....Why Not Now?" Plus grew up in the Minneapolis area, the home base of Gold Metal, so there's the sentimental thing.

https://www.goldmedalflour.com/our-story/

(To the right is the famous arch bridge across the Mississippi seen in many photos and posters of Great Northern and CNW passenger trains - now a hike & bike path.)

Last edited by breezinup

Old Josh Cowen may have targeted kids with toys, but, under MPC, his namesake company began taking note of adult collectors at least 49 years ago.  Billboard beer reefers joined the line in 1973 to be followed by stronger spirits through 1986.  The ones pictured here recently rolled out of their stored boxes and pushed some MPC boxcars off the display shelves to make room for themselves.

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These are great cars Bill - colorful and light enough to make a neat long train. I have done so with my 16 liquor cars and single beer car.

After looking at your collection I see that beer cars may be on my future train show hunt list!

There were a ton of MPC's tobacco/cigarette cars at the Kutztown show yesterday - colorful but I had no desire for them - WHAT was MPC thinking?  I wonder if the tobacco companies paid them?

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Last edited by Lionelski
@aussteve posted:

For me that is one of the perks of running trains.  The buzz of the e-unit, the smell of smoke pellets, the clickity clack of the tubular joints and lobster claw couplers.

If I wanted quiet I would go to the library.

aussteve,

If I could give your comment above 10 likes, I would. Throw in a whiff of ozone and the growl of double open frame motors in PW F3's for good measure.

Exactly how I feel.

@rjsmithindy posted:

Nice engine Mike!  I have a soft spot for this engine as my first HO train set as a kid was Bachmann’s version.  I put together a video as I was able to recreate the set in Lionel 3 rail.  Enjoy your purchase!

Thanks! It’s a neat engine.  I’m impressed with how well it runs too.  I had a Chessie GP20 a few years ago and sold it along with some other stuff; I wish I hadn’t.  It was a good runner as well.  MPC gets knocked a lot and I know they had some turds, but then who hasn’t?  Plenty of good looking and nice running products from that era.

I’ll have to get photos of the rest of my MPC stuff soon.

Finally!  My Father's Day present arrived:  the last MPC T&P car I needed:  the bright yellow 9463.

9463

This means that my MPC MoPac/T&P train is complete:

MoPacTrain1MoPacTrain2

Three locos is a lot of power for a relatively short train, but those beefs in the stockcar need to make it to the yard before the crew violates the 28-hour-rule!  Highball!

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Hi, I have seen this topic on the sidebar, but never opened it.  I started out in HO in the late '60s and didn't switch to O gauge until 10 years ago.  I bought a lot of used, but newer scale engines and cars.  As time passed and I rolled into retirement, I started selling some of my scale engines and cars.  I am starting to envision the day when I can't handle detailed engines without breaking details, or want to have less money in trains.  If that happens, I'll be in the market for some MPC trains.  So while they didn't appeal to me 10 years ago, I'll tag along here to see what everyone has.

@Mark Boyce posted:

Hi, I have seen this topic on the sidebar, but never opened it.  I started out in HO in the late '60s and didn't switch to O gauge until 10 years ago.  I bought a lot of used, but newer scale engines and cars.  As time passed and I rolled into retirement, I started selling some of my scale engines and cars.  I am starting to envision the day when I can't handle detailed engines without breaking details, or want to have less money in trains.  If that happens, I'll be in the market for some MPC trains.  So while they didn't appeal to me 10 years ago, I'll tag along here to see what everyone has.

Mark they are great products and run great you should think about picking up a piece or two. The rolling stock is super nice and rolls real smooth currently MPC rolling stock is 90% of what is currently on the layout with the exception of passenger cars.

@RJT posted:

Mark they are great products and run great you should think about picking up a piece or two. The rolling stock is super nice and rolls real smooth currently MPC rolling stock is 90% of what is currently on the layout with the exception of passenger cars.

Thank you Rick for the reply!  Yes, with my fingers aching and the cost of everything going up, I think you are right I should pick up a piece or two, or three, or four, or......

Last edited by Mark Boyce

Got home from work this afternoon and decided to do some work on my Mpc 1776. Took the shell off and moved a wire that had not been tucked in properly the last time l had worked on it. Dusted it off need to replace a missing screw on the front. Might paint the screws that hold the shell on white to blend them into the shell than be black. I know its not how it came but thought about it while cleaning it.0704221434b_HDR

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@Tommy_F posted:

While repainting the basement recently I commandeered a wall in our game room to show off some of my favorites.  EB5CB4BE-5A8B-4FD8-993B-B28E350D5797

Amazing collection, Tommy!!! In the 70’, in the heyday of MPC, I was living in Brooklyn off Ave. M when Trainworld opened next to the Ave. M subway station. My best memory of that store (they have since moved over to Macdonald Ave.) was walls of shelves like yours, almost up to the ceiling, full of colorful MPC trains… who needed a catalog!!! Trainworld was the first store I knew of who did set breakups. Being in college at the time, I usually couldn’t afford the complete sets, but I could usually pick up an interesting car - like the FARR series… I purchased one car from each set except for the passenger set. As Bob Hope said, “thanks for the memories”!!!

Last edited by Apples55

Well MPC fans I have something today that I hope will interest you.  I had been generously given along with some other trains my brother in law's boyhood Lionel's.  Included in that group was the # 2559 Baltimore and Ohio (unpowered) RDC.  He told me he used to pretend it was the dining car on his passenger train.  Well I recently was able to acquire, for a very modest price, an MPC Baltimore and Ohio RDC the # 8764 and I decided to put them together.  So here is MPC helping out a classic Lionel around the layout.

Here is an interesting fact, the #2559 is from 1957 and the MPC # 8764 is from 20 years later, 1977.  Here they are together.  Candidly except for minor variations in the lettering and of course the number, I could not detect any change at all in the basic casting of the car or its construction including the "people" strip on the windows.  

Lionel B&O RDC cars side

Here is a little video, showing them moving about my layout.

Hope you enjoyed this MPC excursion from more traditional locomotive + cars type trains.

Best wishes

Don

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Last edited by Don McErlean

This thread seems to have gone rather quiet lately, so perhaps I may be permitted add a small offering:  Last May I posted some photos of my MPC beer and "favorite spirits" reefers. At the time--and for the preceding four decades--I thought I had the complete MPC series, so you may imagine my distress at just now discovering that I was missing the first four spirits reefers.  Oh, the horror!  Fortuitously, I found an on-line auction seller offering two of them at quite rational prices, mainly because the boxes were, as she put it, "rough."  (I'd have described the boxes as catastrophically mauled, but the cars themselves appeared to be in like new condition.)  Her prices being really too good to pass up, I cringed a bit over the boxes but made the purchase, and now, nearly 40 years after they were made, the Cutty Sark and Dewar's reefers have new homes in the train room.  Oh yes, there is one downside.  Since the display shelves were already absolutely packed, a few MPC boxcars had to be given their marching orders and are hoping to find other train rooms with more track and display space, but c'est la guerre.

DSCF0421 Cutty Sark and Dewar's

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Bill - which 2 are you still missing?

9828 J&B and 9830 Johnnie Walker Red.  There are several on eBay but at much higher prices that I can afford.  (There is a 9830 at a reasonable price but it's listed by a well-known reseller from whom I have bought before, only to receive two out of three cars broken or otherwise not as described so that's a seller I'll not deal with any longer.)

I've been downsizing. This meant I had to cut down on my MPC stuff. But, it was quality stuff at good prices. I am keeping a few pieces I really love. I will never understand the disdain for that era of Lionel. Early stuff might be a little rough but it was no worse than the late era Postwar that Lionel was pumping out. The late era MPC also helped set the stage for the early era of the newly independent Lionel. So many folks go on about how great the Kughn era was. I won't say it wasn't but it really owes much to what came before it. In my opinion the 80's and 90's both represent a golden era for conventional controlled traditional sized trains before the big Scale push sidelined most of that.

@jim sutter The geep is from 72! My dad had one just like it. Lots of great memories, that's why I got this one! I added lights to the dummy unit. I really like the B&O F3. I did put a postwar magnatraction power truck on it though. Kinda cheating. Lol.

@RamblerDon- I really enjoy your YouTube reviews of the mpc sets you have. Amongst the other videos! Thank you for those. I find myself having to pace myself on the mpc purchases. Lots to have at great prices. Mpc era is no different than any other era Lionel produced. Prewar, postwar, LTI all had their great products. But they also had some clunkers as well. I can't really comment on LLC era. I only run conventional engines.

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A while back I found some pictures of a layout my dad built when I was a kid.  The photo album was dated January 1980.  Here are a few of the pics:



B7607B80-A24B-4F34-B3A0-2AD14FB4F47DC913392E-C6F7-4ECD-BD78-A0F211BF5228E600028A-EB1C-416A-89E6-CD7439B8345BCE7EBE8B-CBA5-4B5A-8D9B-885164DA92DC

Now here are those same engines and cars in 2023.  Other than the Chessie U-Boat losing a piece of its number they’re all looking pretty good 43 years later.  That GG-1 has some miles on it:

2F90B53F-445D-4B61-A823-9555D6B264BAC427A7AC-AB2B-487C-82DE-DCD86CD8823CC0131D94-B016-47DD-A4D6-139E6C8A0866BC394806-9D05-44E6-9DFB-68ED382CFA31

This hobby has a way of sticking with someone for a looooonnng time. . .

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Honestly, MPC is not my favorite era or equipment. However, I have some MPC beer reefers that are pretty nice; the graphics are good, but I wish the train cars had metal, instead of plastic, trucks and couplers. I do appreciate the reasonable prices of MPC trains.

Arnold,

Those plastic trucks and couplers are annoying but can be replaced with metal versions. I wouldn't let that stop you from enjoying some really nice equipment with bargain prices.

@Donnie Kennedy

I think everyone has good and bad products. I try not to get hung up on the brand. I have Joy Line, Marx, K Line, Lionel, MTH and so much more from all eras. That isn't even getting into my Flyer stuff or the other scales I like.

I did recently for the 1st time preorder new product from Lionel. I'm very stubborn about sticking with conventional but I'm trying to ease myself into the current times. I've dabbled a bit into DCS and Lionchief and had no issues at all. I say give the new stuff a little try. Some of those silly features are kind of fun!

I will always love tinplate and the occasional wind up train but I can appreciate efforts to make bells swing and whistles smoke on a train fancier than my daily driver.

No matter what you collect just run it. They are toys after all, not dust collectors for shelves!

@RamblerDon- completely agree. I've had Williams, K-line, Marx (super fun stuff), and MTH. Even dabbled with some PS1 and PS2 engines with the z4000. Really fun, good quality products! I just get drawn back to the old school stuff I can fix and enjoy working on. Probably just the memories they bring back as well! Whatever it is you have, enjoy running it and have fun! PXL_20221209_011810962PXL_20221209_011819910PXL_20221209_011824802

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Donnie, The Southern Crescent Limited engine looks great!  I have a couple of the Crescent Limited cars and a few other MPC cars.

I bought my first train back in 1968 or ‘69 just before MPC.  I didn’t have enough money for a Lionel set, so I got an HO set and stayed with HO until my eyes made seeing the smaller trains harder.  If I had started out a few years later, I may have gone with MPC.

I switched to O gauge in 2012, and started out with MTH.  I love the lights,  sounds, and speed control of those.  Nowadays, I like plane boxcar red, black or oxide red hoppers so the bright colors of a lot of MPC.  I would have been attracted to them when I was growing up.  There are scads of nice MPC engines and cars out there.

Donnie, yours is a bittersweet post to see. I also had the Southern Crescent and thought it one of the most beautiful of MPC locomotives. Unhappily, although she ran beautifully on tubular track, she rocked, rolled and bucked like a bronco on my layout's Atlas-O track, so I regretfully sold her.  Now her Crescent passenger cars are pulled by a Rail King Crescent that runs smoothly and has great sound but lacks the beauty of the MPC model.

Although I don't believe it quite equals the beauty of the Crescent, the Chessie Steam Special is one of my wife's favorites of the MPC era (the other being the Blue Comet).   By the way, I've slightly modified the passenger cars by attaching fine wires with micro-connectors that link the lighting from car to car throughout the entire train.  The result:  absolutely no flickering lights.  Looks great running in the dark.

Chessie BerkChessie Cars 1Chessie Cars 2

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Last edited by Bill of the Paha Sapa Lines RR
@jim sutter posted:

Coach Joe,

Do have the complete set that your hopper came in? The name of the set was the Empire Express Set? I believe it came out in 1976.

You're right. The no. 9266 Southern Big John hopper was part of that Empire Express set. This was a very desirable set in that time (and still is a great set). Headed up by a Hudson, it included some very sought-after cars, among them (besides the Big John hopper) the no. 9772 Great Northern boxcar (a nice remake of the Postwar car) , no. 9159 Sunoco chrome tank car, and the no. 9174 "Back to the Future" green NYC bay window caboose.

I still have the 9772 and the 9266 hopper. I actually saw a real Southern Big John hopper a number of years ago in a railyard while railfanning a little. Thought it was a pretty good find. One reason I've kept the hopper.

Just for your knowledge here on the OGR Forum, while visiting one of my favorite hobby shops, The Roundhouse in Louisville Kentucky today, I saw a beautiful MPC Chessie Steam passenger train in the original box. I think it’s for sale.
I go to this store because it’s a Legacy repair store and the owners are great folks. Kevin is the owner, Tom used to be. This is a beautiful Steam train. Happy Railroading Everyone

While I have “rehomed” a number of my MPC engines/cars to fellow forumites, some I have kept on display for nostalgic reasons…

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While the gray 785 was really from the early Kughn era, it is the first cousin of the MPC 783 (which is also up on that wall somewhere!!!). MPC made some wonderful stuff!!!

P.S. I have become addicted to those 15” aluminum passenger cars!!!

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Here's MPC/Lionel's #6-8206 NYC Hudson from 1972 pulling a mixed consist of MPC and post war cars. Except for replacing the crumbling insulation under the sound board and the traction tire, this engine has been problem free and runs like new. This was the largest steam locomotive offered by Lionel that year and was described as "giant" in the '72 catalog.

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I have that Empire State Express set. I bought it sight unseen and didn't know it was a mint still sealed box!

I gladly opened it and found it to be a real gem of a set. My few gripes are that it doesn't have a whistle in the tender and they didn't use 6 wheel trucks on the tender either.

Some very lucky kids got those sets back then and I hope they got to learn the love of toy trains from them.

Jim - here's a close up of the MPC NYC bay window caboose from my earlier post that you commented on. I substituted a new chassis with die cast trucks due to some issues with the OEM plastic trucks.

I love these bay window cabooses - like a lot of MPC they're not exactly to scale but feature a well-executed paint scheme and "selectively compressed" features.

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@Don Winslow - Don, thanks for the comment on the caboose. Same to you, that Virginian really stands out.

@jim sutter - Hey Jim,  I'm with Don Winslow and would invite you open a store in Waco, Tx ...I could be your "stock boy".  I'm only 78 have the arthritis but no walker so I could still get the stuff on the shelves!  I'm willing to work for a discount on MPC!!

Best wishes everyone!  Happy Railroading

Don

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