I have a K-line Porter, an Atlas Bobber caboose but sold an Atlas scale ore hopper several years ago. I could always get a Lionel or other brand ore hopper. I see at the hobby shop short log cars by I think K-line. What else out there is short and stubby?, and cute will work too.
BUCKEYE [(-D][(-D]
Doesn’t RMT [or RTM] make short passenger cars? Check out their “stubby” line. Get them all lined up and send us photos. That would make a great photo.
There is the Plymouth switcher (K-Line) and something called the ‘Egg Liner’ by Astro-Craft Trains.
I forgot the manufacturer(s) name, but they make Bam and Beep diesel engines, or something like that.
Ralph
First off Boyd, are we talking precise scale proportions or just generally close to scale? Or traditional or 027? You mention the K-Line Porter which is small but also pretty close to scale outside of the coupler size (if you are using the normal 3-rail couplers on the Porter).
The K-Line S-2 switcher isn’t short and stubby like the Porter or K-Line Yard Switcher, but it is shorter than scale but with a reasonable appearance to the real thing. The Lionel Industrial Switcher, made during the mid-1990’s (though there are DC only versions made during the MPC years of Lionel) is another choice. The Kickapoo cars made by Lionel in the early 1970’s are short and stubby: they are very toyish, being unpainted but are affordable candidates for repainting and adding detail to. I bought loads of these cars years ago at YORK for like $1.00 each, which I repaint and make improvements to.
There are also lots of smaller 027 cars, which are smaller and some might call cute. Lionel and K-Line have made those. Lionel MPC also made several small steam engines, which though they are plastic bodies, and sometimes DC operation, you can easily make improvements to those items including adding a circuit board in the tender for normal 3-rail AC operation. I personally like the look of the Lionel MPC 8500 type steamer, which came in several starter sets in the mid 1970’s. I have a couple, and when you add weight to them, they can pull more than a dozen mixed vintage cars with ease.
Many of the RMT (Ready Made Toys) items have been delayed for years. The BEEF engine and PEEP passenger cars look like they are going to be nice items, but are delayed again until sometime 2010. But the BEEP is available in every imagainable road name, and the BUDDY self-propelled RDC passenger car is also available on on sale on the RMT website in a variety of road names.
Atlas now makes the former Industrial Rail shorty ore gondolas and the short
The company that Chief and Train-o are talking about is Ready Made Trains (formerly Ready Made Toys) Usually refered to as RMT, Here is their web address.
They have MANY “Short and Stubby” items in their catalog that may interest you. Look at the “Beep”, an extremely shortened EMD GP diesel, the “Beef” an extremely shortened EMD “F” unit, The “Peeps” are extremely short Heavy weight passenger cars, they also have ore cars, rather short depressed center flat cars and a short RDC known as the “Buddy”
I have several “Beeps” and have been very Happy with them. I have heard Good things about the Buddy, but have never had or run one. I am looking forward to the Beefs and Peeps actually getting released, but just looking at their website, they have been delayed yet again, and the prices have gone up again as well.
MTH has made some Skeleton Log cars that are Short and Stubby, that I have 4 sets of, and really like, they also did a lot of Bobber Cabooses that are really nice as well.
The also mentioned K Line Plymouth diesel switchers are nice units too.
Doug