The last few years, when I get a catalog, I look for modern-era freight cars with current marks on them. But the only thing is they only have “Lionel Lines” or some other non-prototype line for the car decor. I wi***hey could make the models they had 10-12 years ago, with the REAL reporting marks of today’s lines and preceding lines such as Family Lines for CSX.
Now you know why I switched to HO scale railroading.
There are other manufacturers, Lionel isn’t the only thing out there in three rail O scale. I’m in HO/HOn3, so don’t know the O scale market, but have seen some really nice equipment, including articulated auto racks. (with prototype reporting marks)
I get every Lionel catalog. You may want to take another look at the catalogs from the last couple years. All the major three rail manufactures including Lionel are making a combination of semi-scale and o-scale. Between the variety currently offered by Lionel , MTH, K-Line, and Weaver, there are more scale sized, prototypically marked cars available right now than ever before. By my own opinion, more than the market can really absorb. As for the semi scale still manufactured by Lionel, K-Line and MTH, many of us enjoy them also. I like the current mix.
Tim Pignatari