Hello,
I was wondering if anyone has information on the prototype for the Athearn-Tyco-Lionel Autoloader? Like a lot of modelers I have the Lionel version from my childhood, which holds 4 cars. Is this due to the shorter than scale length of the typical Lionel freight car or was the capacity of the prototype limited to 4 cars?
I also have a Tyco version, which holds 6 cars. I read in a book about the history of Athearn that Lionel requested the Autoloader be built when Athearn was supplying their HO line. Is this the same model that Athearn now carries with modern paint schemes?
Any links to photos or information of the original or comments would be appreciated. I believe the prototype was build by Evans and very few were built.
Jim
If it’s the auto loader from the fities, I believe only the NYC had them, and I’m not sure how many they had, but it may have been only one.
I am relying on my memory here but the story as I recall it was that auto loader mechanisms were inside boxcars to maximize the number of automobiles that could be hauled and that the auto loader that Athearn and Lionel etc sell is based on a version that more or less did away with the sides and roof. It was not as I recall a fixed double deck car but had hinged decks that could be lowered or raised.
Dave Nelson
Evans built the autoloaders for inside boxcars, in '54 they tried them out on flatcars, the NYC tried them, but using the 50 foot flat car they were to short. later longer flats were incorporated to auto carriers. That’s what the Atearn cars are loosely based on.It had hinged decks, but rairoads found out fixed height unloading was faster. Basically the car didn’t work out.
I was able to find this PDF file about the boxcars, which you refer to. Look under “General History”. No mention about the open type however. http://www.enter.net/~eaneubauer/ephsample.pdf
Jim
I got my information from RPI web site.