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What tinplate would you like to see Lionel Corporation Trains make in 2014 and 2015? 

 

Personally, I'm hoping for a tinplate Standard Gauge Milwaukee Road steeple cab similar in appearance to Overland Models' O gauge brass version, or for an LCT version of Liberty Lines' Standard Gauge NYC 600e but in a Milwaukee Road Baltic paint scheme.

 

Bob

 

 

Milwaukee Road Steeple Cab by Overland Models

Liberty Lines 600e

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  • Milwaukee Road Steeple Cab by Overland Models
  • Liberty Lines 600e
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Now there's a couple of interesting ideas. A steeple cab switcher would be something new that continues in the spirit of the old-time tinplate. The 600E would actually be easy, since the tooling for the 4-6-4 frame and tender chassis already exists. The underpinnings for the Lionel Hiawatha and Commodore Vanderbilt from 10-12 years ago would be perfect. 

 

I like both ideas, but I'd settle for some new beer reefers. Make the Robin Hood car in 0 gauge (it's already been made in Standard). How about Sam Adams? I bet they would license the trademark for a toy train. 

Originally Posted by Southwest Hiawatha:
.....I'd settle for some new beer reefers..... 

Great idea!  My MTH Standard Gauge 200 series Schlitz Beer box car is one of my favorites and more Standard Gauge beer cars would be wonderful if they included other old time Milwaukee beers such as Miller High Life, Pabst Blue Ribbon, and Blatz Old Heidelberg beers.  I hope to create a Standard Gauge version of the Milwaukee Road's famous "Beer Line" on my SGMA modules! 

 

Bob

O Gauge Trolleys, Trolleys Trolleys. For 10 years asking but nothing

How about an O Gauge State Set in TT Brown or Green. If not How about a #256 TT Brown Electric with matching 710 TT brown passenger cars. Or an O Gauge Black Diamond Set or Am Fler blue presendential set. or any other standard gauge set made into O gauge.

Larry S

Originally Posted by Chris Lonero:

O Gauge trolley, Leland monorail, and a O gauge American flyer set freight/Passenger. All with PS-3.

And if they rerun the Leland Detroit monorail, put a can motor in the "traditional" version" and redesign the gear train with proper bearings. The motor in the first run was a copy of the original, which unfortunately isn't very reliable.

I said it before and I'll say it again... a Polar Express tinplate set.

 

Imagine how well the Polar Express color scheme, with its glossy paint, would look on a tinplate set.  Furthermore, a tinplate Polar Express would expand and/or extend the brand life of the 10 yr. old Polar Express Movie licensing model.  Since tinplate is mostly whimsy based, tooling costs would probably be little to none by using existing product models for the engine and cars.

 

Come on Lionel, MTH and Warner Bros. work together on this project.  Make a train and some money!

Originally Posted by ratpak
...Aquarium car...

Great idea!  I'd love to see MTH produce a Standard Gauge version of the original "Aquarium" cars, i.e., the heavyweight "fish" cars used in the 1910's and 1920's by several state hatcheries to transport their live fish fry from the hatchery to lakes and rivers around the state.  The three Wisconsin Fish Commission BADGER fish cars are good examples.  MTH could create these with minimal new tooling.  Ideally an operating version could be produced that incorporates an opening center door and a device which pushes the fish fry filled milk cans onto either a loading dock or into the bed of a fish delivery pickup truck.  See photos below.

 

Bob

 

 

Wisconsin Fish Commission Badger #2

WFC Badger Fish Car offloading fish fry to trucks.

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  • Wisconsin Fish Commission Badger #2
  • WFC Badger fish car offloading milk cans filled with fish fry into trucks.
Last edited by navy.seal

I like where that's going as well. Like most folks, I'd like to own and run something I have never seen before as opposed to updated color schemes of the same old stuff.

 

On a less complicated note - what about a 500 series work caboose? - haven't seen one of these in awhile. Would be nice to have one for my standard gauge crane. Maybe they could build a hybrid and have it smoke? That'd be something different.

 

Or a RINGLING BROTHERS circus train in that super high gloss being pulled by something like a fully decorated 385E? That would be bright and fun. They could spin off some NEW tin accessories - animal ramps, ticket booths, decorated light poles etc.



Originally Posted by Sunrise Special:

John,

Some great ideas.  I'm all for the circus theme. Perhaps 200 series flat w/cages? a human cannonball car? I need more "fun" cars for this beauty.

 

ecric

Sunrise,

 

I agree completely that more 200 series circus cars are needed, particularly circus flat cars with colorful circus wagons like the one I put together in the picture below. 

 

Bob Nelson

 

200 series flat car with circus wagon

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  • 200 series flat car with circus wagon
Originally Posted by Sunrise Special:

There have been many great ideas posted on this and previous threads.  The last catalog was in my opinion really out in left field.  

 

Sunrise

My feelings exactly.

 

In talking to a few dealers during the last year or so, the latest LCT catalog has been considered a real bust. As in, orders were generally down.  No buzz.

 

I’d be on the circus train bandwagon, too. Sounds like a cool idea.

I would like to see an O gauge Baby Blue Comet set painted red.  Would go great with my existing Baby Blue Comet sets. 

 

Combines potential high customer appeal and interest with no tooling costs.  Win, Win for us and for MTH and Lionel.

 

Guess you could not call it the Red Comet because there is another O gauge tinplate set with that name, how about the Meteor Limited?

 

Doesn't matter what you call it, it would be a great looking set that people would want to buy. You could also save production costs by not bothering to produce a "traditional" version.  They don't sell that well anyway according to the dealers I have talked with about this.

 

Ed Boyle

 

 

I agree
 
Originally Posted by Larry S.:

O Gauge Trolleys, Trolleys Trolleys. For 10 years asking but nothing

How about an O Gauge State Set in TT Brown or Green. If not How about a #256 TT Brown Electric with matching 710 TT brown passenger cars. Or an O Gauge Black Diamond Set or Am Fler blue presendential set. or any other standard gauge set made into O gauge.

Larry S

 

I would also love to see MTH/LCT offer for sale in their next catalog some Standard Gauge tinplate versions of several classic O gauge operating cars and accessories. 

 

For example, I'd instantly buy a Standard Gauge-sized version of the American Flyer 751 Log Loader if it were designed to operate with a tinplate 200 series version of the Lionel #3461 Operating Log Unloader Car.  

 

 

American Flyer 751 Log Loader

 

Lionel O Gauge #3461 Operating Log Unloader Car

 

I also would buy instantly a Standard Gauge 200 series tinplate version of the classic Lionel Automatic Milk Car Reefer and platform.  Make mine a Golden Gurnsey Dairy, Milwaukee version please!

 

Lionel Operating Milk Car & Platform

 

Of course, a Standard Gauge-sized tinplate version of the classic Lionel Operating Cattle Loader designed to work with a tinplate 200 series Operating Stock Car would also be on my top 10 list of must haves!

 

 

Lionel Automatic Load & Unload Cattle Car & Coral

 

I realize the size of the current market for Standard Gauge products probably won't support the tooling costs, but I'm just hoping that MTH/LCT will become more innovative in their next catalog, ideally by offering for sale some new and exciting Standard Gauge "operating" tinplate cars and accessories rather than just more repaints.

 

Bob 

 

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Images (4)
  • American Flyer 751 Log Loader
  • Lionel O Gauge #3461 Operating Log Unloader Car
  • Lionel Operating Milk Car & Platform
  • Lionel Automatic Load & Unload Cattle Car & Coral

Jennifer,

 

Like your idea about a new production run of 156 station platforms.  However, they would have to made of phenolic plastic to look "correct",  and the paint would have to be more thickly applied than current manufacturing standards for making toy trains.

 

Otherwise the new 156 platforms just would not look right.  The thick, shiny paint on the originals is part of their charm.

 

Ed Boyle

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OGR Publishing, Inc., 1310 Eastside Centre Ct, Suite 6, Mountain Home, AR 72653
800-980-OGRR (6477)
www.ogaugerr.com

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