I recently received a box full of old rolling stock with the ususal 70’s - 90’s starter kit cars. There was also an aluminum dome car that is; not painted, set up for (but not completed) an interior light, not marked at all by Manufacturer. My brother-in-law told me that he doesn’t think aluminum cars were manufactured past the early 60’s, which would make this car a gem. It certainly isn’t built like any other car I have. Anyone have any info to share…or maybe a publication that would help me identify this car?
These are Mantua Streamliners. As you said, they are from the late 50’s, maybe early 60’s. The end doors and vestibules are a spongy, rubbery gray plastic on these. This particular one on eBay has a Buy It Now price of $19.95, plus another $8 for “shipping.” I bought a couple of similar ones a couple of years back for about $10 a piece. So, some may call them “a real gem,” but beauty is in the eye of the beholder. In truth, these aren’t great models, and their value is probably more sentimental than actual.
It’s similiar. There are no spongy end doors. I agree with your Gem comment about it being in the eye of the beholder. I meant it more for the age, then the value. I may post a pic when I get home tonight.
Both Mantua/Tyco and OK Herkimer made extruded metal passenger cars. The OK Herkimer cars were originally made by Kasiner, and picked up by Herkimer Tool on the mid 50’s. They may be still available. There were pretty generic, and the dome was a heat shrink plastic part. They were available in full length and 60’ ‘shorty’ cars.
The Mantua/Tyco cars were patterned after Budd cars, but were only 72’ long and of a generic window pattern. The dome was an injection molded plastic part. They were later converted to all plastic molding. IIRC, the new ‘Mantua’ released the metal cars again for a while in the 90’s.
