These are over 50 years old. They are corrugated aluminum bodies with metal bases as well. The ends and vestibules are gray plastic. They have frosted windows, and no interior detail. They’re lit with a single incandescent bulb.
I can’t find any manufacturer’s info at all on them. I’ve got a coach in addition to the coach/baggage car pictured. I’d love to round out the set with an observation car and a dome car.
They look like OK Streamliners. They are still making these things and are available through Walthers. My hobby shop has a whole stack of 'em. They would be great for a younger modeler. Seem pretty tough.
For more information than is in the Walthers catalogue, the Web site for the OK Engine Company is:
http://okengines.com/products.shtml
Too modern for my taste.
Bob
NMRA Life 0543
Hello MisterBeasley. What scale are they, and do - or did they have a road name ?.
Tracklayer
Sorry, I did forget to include dimensions. They are HO, and the car body (not counting couplers or vestibules) is about 10 1/4 inches long. They did have some Santa Fe decals on them, but they were flaking off and were probably not put on at the factory.
I got these in a yard-sale box-o-trains about 40 years ago, so I have no idea where they’ve been.
And yes, to confirm csmith9474’s observation, they are rugged enough for young modellers. Thanks for the complement - most people don’t refer to me as “young.” [(-D]
I would, however, watch out for the furniture. I think these cars could inflict significant damage on a mahogany veneer if wielded as a club. Good thing I don’t have one of those “club cars.”
They’re Mantua’s models. They made a whole line of streamlined passenger cars that had extruded aluminum bodies, then the windows and doors were punched out, and the ends were a simple plastic casting. The floor is a sheet of aluminum, and by your picture, is lighted.
They go for a pretty good price on Ebay, so adding the two others can cost some bucks.
‘OK" -fomerly Herkimer- extruded aluminum bodies, stamped end’s, plastic foil doors. came in 80’ or 60’ car lrngth’s
ON 2nd thought:
Mantua exruded aluminum bodies - plastic car end’s and doors. KEY: 72’ length. Originally came with Mantua ‘hoop’ type coupler’s. Can’t tell from your picture.
The Mantua trucks had brass wheels on one side and plastic on the other.
72-foot is about right, if I compare it to a 40-foot boxcar. The couplers that were on there were horn-hook, but the draft gear was very narrow and may have been designed to accomodate the old hoops. I have a number of other passenger cars from the same lot that are still equipped with hoops. I’ve swapped off one coupler on each end, and I just put them together in the middle. (It’s an easy conversion - no height problems - but my Kadee stash is running low and I’m conserving while converting.)
The trucks are indeed brass/plastic wheelsets, as Don has described. I guess the MR Detective Agency has solved another one. Thanks.
And now, off to E-bay…