THREE FOR THE ROAD
Ten years ago O gauge operators had limited choices: compete with collectors for the nicer used trains, or buy new trains that often lacked in variety and quality. Today's operators can choose from at least six manufacturers of locomotives and rolling stock, along with dozens of companies offering various accessory products. Many of us have more choices than hobby money!
On a recent trip back to the states I managed to pick up three of the latest rolling stock offerings: a D&RGW 'Cookie Box' boxcar from newcomer Industrial Rail, and from K-Line, a C&O double door boxcar and PRR depressed center car.
The Boxcars
Let's compare the Industrial Rail and K-Line boxcars along with a Lionel Bangor and Aroostock 6464 boxcar from 1996, and see what we come up with:
The basic bodies on all three are almost identical. The Lionel and IR car have molded in ladders, the ladders on the K-Line car are separately added metal parts. The IR car has molded in steps on each corner that the other two do not have.
Doors
Each are slightly different, the Lionel and K-Line are held on with metal runners, the IR car has a plastic runner on the top. All are securely attached.
Brake Wheel
Lionel and K-Line's are metal, IR's is plastic. I tugged slightly on each: the Lionel brake wheel came off in my hand, the others held tight.
The Lionel and K-Line floors are sheet metal, the IR is thick plastic. The IR cars plastic floor has molded in detail while the K-Line car has plastic detail secured to the underside of the metal floor.
Trucks
Both the Lionel and K-Line cars have the familiar cast, sprung trucks. Lionel's car has the plastic coupler armature while K-Line and IR both use an all metal armature. The IR car's trucks are similar to MTH's Railking trucks, they have springs, but are not actually 'sprung'. Like the MTH truck they also have brake shoe detail cast in. The couplers on all three operate properly, and activate over an uncoupling track. After a couple of passes over an energized uncoupling track, the 'tacks' on the Lionel trucks had to be superglued back in.
Decoration
The Lionel cars paint scheme is more complex than the others, so a direct comparison isn't exactly fair. All three do have sharp, well applied decoration. One interesting note are the built dates: the Lionel and K-Line are dated with the year they were made, the IR car is dated 7-50.
Overall Impressions.
If I had to rate these three and pick a winner based on overall cost, quality, and detailing, the K-Line car comes out on top. For plain value, the IR car is the best -the quality is there, and it's the lowest cost car of the three (less than $25 most places). The Lionel car is good, but had the only problems of the three, and was also the most expensive.
This is a nicely done car that caught my eye. At around 11.5", it's longer than the 6461 type Lionel transformer cars, and has that 'oversized load' look without being as big (or as expensive) as the Lionel 6418 16 wheel flat. The transformer load is different than what we are all used to seeing on Lionel's cars, and they are nicely detailed. The car has one plastic brake wheel and brake stand. The trucks are cast sprung trucks with metal coupler armatures, they are screwed directly to the underside of the car. The car does ride a little high, but could possibly be lowered. There are no steps on the ends of the car, probably to allow for coupler swing. Lettering on the car is simple Pennsy and a little on the large side, but it's well applied. Hidden on the underside of the car directly under the transformers is a large cast metal weight screwed to the underside of the car - it gives the car needed weight. The only catch to this car were the couplers - straight from the box they were incredibly stiff, and would not close with several of my cars no matter how hard I shoved them together. I contacted K-Line and they suggested using WD-40 to loosen up the couplers, and it worked. The couplers are still a little stiff, but work better.
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Overall
I had given up on K-Line, the prices and variety were great, but their couplers were poor at best. About three years ago I saw one of their first "revamped" boxcars with the added details and all-metal trucks, but I still owned those older cars with the finicky couplers. I'm glad I tried K-Line again. Newcomer Industrial Rail has made a great entrance into the hobby, and I look forward to picking up a few more of their cars.
