Mail Call! Railway Post Office, commonly abbreviated as RPO has rolled in!

ModelRailroadForums.com is a free Model Railroad Discussion Forum and photo gallery. We cover all scales and sizes of model railroads. Online since 2002, it's one of the oldest and largest model railroad forums on the web. Whether you're a master model railroader or just getting started, you'll find something of interest here.


Alcomotive said:
So include your picture and tell us about it and even give your review or reasons for obtaining the item or items ;)
Click to expand...

I was out scouring all the web sites for something that I don't even remember now, but ran across the new BLI Winter passenger set (blue with snowflakes). I have the matching locomotive so I decided to pre-order. While doing that I came across the set from two years ago. I have the locomotive in this scheme so I bought these as well.

These are Broadway Limited Pennsy cars in a 5 car set repainted for fantasy. I am disappointed that the coach cars have trucks that are 2 axle rather than 3. It might be prototypical for PRR, but I think heavyweight cars just look wrong without big feet. No people inside so I will have to do that. I hate lighted cars that don't have people. It is like it is emphasizing the shortfall - "Hey, look at me I'm empty!". Also going to try to figure out if I can get some garland either on the lettering strip or under the windows.

It says they will negotiate 18" curves, but I am skeptical. I did notice that there is an extra set of couplers with long shanks. I assume one has to switch to those to make the 18" possible.

They come in a beautiful big box. Unfortunately the one I got has a dent / fold (?) in it.

I am trying to figure out how to incorporate them into the Christmas Forest this year, but all the ideas so far have not been good.

20250905_104050[1].jpg

20250905_103549[1].jpg
 
Last edited:
Lionel North Pole Central LionChief GP38 #1224 - SKU: 2034210
www.lionel.com

North Pole Central #1224 LionChief GP38

Manufacturer of model trains and accessories in O and standard gauges.
www.lionel.com www.lionel.com
1757349653669.jpeg

I bought this because I am a sucker for all things Christmas. I ordered it back in August of 2020. I only recently rediscovered it in my attic, still in the unopen opened shipping box. For many years I ran a Life-Like Chessie/B&O GP38 under my Christmas tree. When I saw this Lionel Christmas GP38 I had to have it!

I have yet to run it, but it is heavy, especially for a LionChief locomotive. It has dual motors and a metal frame. I expect it will be a good puller; not all LionChief locomotives are. I provided a link to the Lionel product page if anyone is interested in knowing more.
 


Alcomotive said:
So include your picture and tell us about it and even give your review or reasons for obtaining the item or items
Click to expand...
What - This is a Broadway Limited #9111 combine painted for Santa Fe.
Picture - below. Nice paint job with clean crisp and prototypical lettering, except the "2" in the number seems to be skying a bit.
About it - Comes with Kadee couplers, and has the interior lighted, but no marker lamps. Lighting can be turned on and off with touch on the roof in the right spot. No buttons. I believe this is really the Pennsy combine, just painted for Santa Fe. Cost $80.
About the prototype - As Santa Fe refreshed its passenger fleet, it rebuilt many of the cars into these "cabbage". Cabbage is for coach, caboose, and baggage. They were used on Mixed Trains all across the system. They were painted the mineral brown color to match the caboose fleet rather than the Pullman green of the rest of the heavy weight passenger fleet.
Reason for obtaining - I am primarily a Santa Fe modeler. I love the "mixed train daily" and have been trying to get a good cabbage cars for years. I have built them from Bachmann combines, AHM coaches, and Walther's cars, all of which are a giant pain for some reason or another. When I first saw this one I got really excited thinking someone has FINALLY produced a model of one. Not! With a few modifications, it will work for a stand in at public displays, but I will have to hide it when the Santa Fe people come over or hide my face in shame.
A few of the picky details - Besides being 4 feet too long....
1. Color is wrong. This car is mineral red, not mineral brown. Trucks should be black or left over silver from the original car.
2. Wrong number of windows in the baggage door, the coach section, and bathrooms positioned wrong. So of course the interior seating is wrong.
**3. Car does not have the signature "I" beam running along the bottom side.
4. Frame is not fish belly, and has lots of equipment mounted to the bottom that is not on a cabbage.
**5. Car should have a vestibule on both ends, and the stirrups under the baggage door are wrong.
6. Roof has a "rail phone"? antenna, and not proper vent pipes.
Conclusion is that it will probably be harder to kitbash this into a proper cabbage than it is to do a Bachmann.

20250908_182827[1].jpg



P.S. edit.
Upon closer examination the "rail" along the top of the car is not a railphone antenna but rather conduit for electrical ceiling lighting. Still not prototypical for a cabbage, but closer than a railphone would have been.
 
Last edited:
Alcomotive said:
include your picture and tell us about it and even give your review or reasons for obtaining the item or items
Click to expand...
What - Depressed Center Flat Car
Picture - below
About it - This is a Class One Model Works car. It is from their 2nd run of the depressed center flats. Detail and paint are wonderful. The deck pattern and style is unique to the prototype. It is Kadee coupler equipped. I haven't weighed it, but it feels heavy, especially for a flat car. It rolls, well sort of. Will have to investigate and possible ream the bearings. Cost $80.
Reason - They have been tempting me with this car for a long time, and I had no depressed center car in the entire fleet. I was also wondering if they were a real company or not.
20250909_123833[1].jpg
 
Last edited:
Alcomotive said:
include your picture and tell us about it and even give your review or reasons for obtaining the item or items
Click to expand...
What - Peaked Roof Caboose
About it - Another Class One Model Works car. The roof is two flat pieces that meet in the center at an angle. It comes with Kadee couplers and these do roll very well. Detail is amazing and prototypical. They are lighted that can be turned on or off with a wand. Paint job is the best. Cost approximately $150 each.
About the prototype - As caboose became aged the Santa Fe rebuilt them in their company shops. As Santa Fe people know the yellow cupola indicates it is not a road caboose but only to be used on internal yard trains and branch service.
Reasons for purchase - While they made many variations of this caboose, the mineral brown ones all came with a "stainless" steel roof walk. While I am certain it is prototypical, I never saw one while living 50+ years along the Santa Fe rails. I thought I could get one and paint them, but last thing I need is another paint project, and if I am paying this much for a car I don't want to have to do anything to it. Enter the black roof. I have seen bunches of Santa Fe caboose with black roof. Also the roof walk is black. BUT I still don't need any internal yard caboose. But wait, there is one more feature. In those little black squares, in the exquisite printing, there is a destination for BLT (where they were built). One is the abbreviation of WC, the other says WEST WICHITA. Can't not get a model of a car built less than 10 miles from the current home.

And blankety blank, despite washing my hands before unboxing them I still got finger prints on them.

20250909_160036[1].jpg

20250909_170541[1].jpg
 


Iron Horseman said:
What - Peaked Roof Caboose
About it - Another Class One Model Works car. The roof is two flat pieces that meet in the center at an angle. It comes with Kadee couplers and these do roll very well. Detail is amazing and prototypical. They are lighted that can be turned on or off with a wand. Paint job is the best. Cost approximately $150 each.
About the prototype - As caboose became aged the Santa Fe rebuilt them in their company shops. As Santa Fe people know the yellow cupola indicates it is not a road caboose but only to be used on internal yard trains and branch service.
Reasons for purchase - While they made many variations of this caboose, the mineral brown ones all came with a "stainless" steel roof walk. While I am certain it is prototypical, I never saw one while living 50+ years along the Santa Fe rails. I thought I could get one and paint them, but last thing I need is another paint project, and if I am paying this much for a car I don't want to have to do anything to it. Enter the black roof. I have seen bunches of Santa Fe caboose with black roof. Also the roof walk is black. BUT I still don't need any internal yard caboose. But wait, there is one more feature. In those little black squares, in the exquisite printing, there is a destination for BLT (where they were built). One is the abbreviation of WC, the other says WEST WICHITA. Can't not get a model of a car built less than 10 miles from the current home.

And blankety blank, despite washing my hands before unboxing them I still got finger prints on them.

View attachment 237812
View attachment 237813
Click to expand...
Turns out the finger print is not mine. It is in the paint. I have requested a return / replacement.
 
This arrived a few days ago.

Lionel Night Before Christmas Illuminated Boxcar SKU: 2228140
1757912932035.jpeg

As @Iron Horseman pointed out in the coffee shop the trucks are ugly. Fortunately, when it arrived, the trucks were different from in this photo which came from Lionel's Website. The photo may have been taken of a prototype, and they noticed the trucks are ugly. They are still silver; I'd prefer it if they had been black.

Regardless, this is special to me. I used to read the book "The Night Before Christmas" to my grandson every Christmas Eve. It brings back happy memories.
 
Bruette said:
This arrived a few days ago.

Lionel Night Before Christmas Illuminated Boxcar SKU: 2228140
View attachment 238767
As @Iron Horseman pointed out in the coffee shop the trucks are ugly. Fortunately, when it arrived, the trucks were different from in this photo which came from Lionel's Website. The photo may have been taken of a prototype, and they noticed the trucks are ugly. They are still silver; I'd prefer it if they had been black.

Regardless, this is special to me. I used to read the book "The Night Before Christmas" to my grandson every Christmas Eve. It brings back happy memories.
Click to expand...

Some of the best graffiti I've seen! 😁
 
But wait, there's more, this just in!

Uncatalogued 2016 Lionel Employee Christmas Boxcar SKU: 6-83960 (photo from eBay)
1758292246275.jpeg

I recently bought this on eBay. I made an offer and to my surprise it was accepted! As you see it features a GG1 with Christmas decorations, I had to make an offer. It arrived yesterday; I have yet to take it out of its box.
 
Bruette said:
But wait, there's more, this just in!

Uncatalogued 2016 Lionel Employee Christmas Boxcar SKU: 6-83960 (photo from eBay)
View attachment 239589
I recently bought this on eBay. I made an offer and to my surprise it was accepted! As you see it features a GG1 with Christmas decorations, I had to make an offer. It arrived yesterday; I have yet to take it out of its box.
Click to expand...
Any idea why it is uncatalogued? As they are making more and more one-off personalized things, do you suppose someone made it for a racing company?
 
Iron Horseman said:
Any idea why it is uncatalogued? As they are making more and more one-off personalized things, do you suppose someone made it for a racing company?
Click to expand...
Each year Lionel makes and gives away unique Christmas Boxcars only meant for their employees. Which is the reason they are uncatalogued.

in late 2010, Lionel entered a joint venture with NASCAR Team Properties to produce licensed diecast vehicles.

Lionel Racing is the official diecast producer for NASCAR, offering:
  • 1:64 and 1:24 scale cars from current and legendary drivers
  • Special editions like race wins, elite finishes, holiday releases, and many others.
They make all sorts of collectables. Like the 12 Days of Diecast - Advent Calendar. A seasonal favorite packed with surprises. They even have a collector's club, RCCA, which provides access to exclusive releases and early pre-orders.
 


You must log in or register to reply here.




Affiliate Disclosure: We may receive a commision from some of the links and ads shown on this website (Learn More Here)

Back
Top