Model Train Journal

If you ever wondered about all those MU kits listed in the Walther's catalog way back when (understandable since outside of the MP-54 and CSS&SB cars they're fairly rare in my experience) here's an obscure #4709 IC coach. Albeit too green, pennsy mu trucks, crooked cab windows sans sprung end gates, horribly mangled side roof edge and some purely fictional roof tanks, it does have the roof headlights, platform-only doors(no vestibule wells) of the prototype. Ideally this would be semi-permanently coupled to a matching un-powered trailer too.
A different pricing approach here too with bidding instead of a buy-it-now, my guess is the power truck has something to do with the number of bids so far,

https://www.ebay.com/i/392853369133

Was watching that for a while until I figured out that there was just too much work needed......and then that power truck that looks a lot like what used to be found under those IMP Japanese boxcabs.

I'd be lying if I said I had no interest either, but I'm kind of awash in cheap basket cases like this already, recently aggravated with an acquisition of a pair of similar Walthers LI MP54's. Crude-Funky-Fun. For me EMU's are interesting but problematic to model anyway as they ideally should be built in...well....multiple?

De Bruin wrote:I'd be lying if I said I had no interest either, but I'm kind of awash in cheap basket cases like this already, recently aggravated with an acquisition of a pair of similar Walthers LI MP54's. Crude-Funky-Fun.

Yes. I just completed re-powering one of these cars and have at least 2 more to do that are keepers. Got another box of them after that and those I'm not altogether sure their fate as those are some of the Armstrong cars that I got to complete that need some real effort vs. simple restoration.

https://www.ebay.com/itm/2-Rail-O-Scale ... 2743915556
Haven't got a clue....but there is 1.372 cars here. Don't recognize the power brick. Horrible condition sides.

Rufus T. Firefly wrote: Yes. I just completed re-powering one of these cars and have at least 2 more to do that are keepers. Got another box of them after that and those I'm not altogether sure their fate as those are some of the Armstrong cars that I got to complete that need some real effort vs. simple restoration.

"Armstrong Cars"...? mmmmm please elaborate, a photo example maybe?

De Bruin wrote:

Rufus T. Firefly wrote: Yes. I just completed re-powering one of these cars and have at least 2 more to do that are keepers. Got another box of them after that and those I'm not altogether sure their fate as those are some of the Armstrong cars that I got to complete that need some real effort vs. simple restoration.

"Armstrong Cars"...? mmmmm please elaborate, a photo example maybe?

In the near future,

I'll see about a photo directly to you of the one box when I get some time.

ScaleCraft wrote:https://www.ebay.com/itm/2-Rail-O-Scale-Lot-No-32-Passenger-Car-Pieces-Motorized-Unit/352743915556
Haven't got a clue....but there is 1.372 cars here. Don't recognize the power brick. Horrible condition sides.

Another 2//3 rail messterpiece..... Sides are actually the only interesting parts and grossly overpriced.

and half the vertical mullions are gone on one car side.....

ScaleCraft wrote:and half the vertical mullions are gone on one car side.....

Sadly true.

Shocking confession, recently caved on another Trainz weird Walthers MU listing when the price became digestible. I could blame it on SC Dave or Jim, but really just have a real weakness for this stuff again due to lasting radiation from that damn 1970 catalog with all the MU listing’s ………....I digress.

Most recently a three car set of MP-54-ish MU’s, set appeared assembled unusually well and (why I bit) the under-body shot (vague, distant photos of the set in the listing trying to minimize a missing car end) appeared to have something more than this usual Walthers IMP-like power truck on one of the LI cars, which are noisy but functional if a tad jerky in running.


Two of the three cars had power trucks with the kind of plating I associate with the old Wagner DC-60 or Q-Car, once that sunk in I did the BIN after price dropped a second time, reasoning it was low enough I could turn them over and get my money back on the trucks alone if the set really stunk. The set is keeper though, and with a bonus I hoped for but didn’t expect they’re insulated for two rail which was a significant add-on to the cost from either Wagner or Q-Carnicelli back then.

Above with the raised bolster and below without.

In direct comparison trucks do not look quite like my other Wagners or Q's and have strange tiny micro engravings on the bottom of the sideframes I cannot read, so I thought I’d ask the Traction Brain Trust here (Rufus, JS, Phil etc) if you can confirm/recognize?

Drives do look like earlier Wagner; no idea about the sideframes - could be a a cudgeled together marriage of convenience.

It could be an early Wagner. Somewhere I have a very early Wagner truck that he identified (via a phone call with a description) as being built soon after he started. One had the number "47" stamped on the frame and the other "48". The gear cover though does not look familiar. A photo of the underside might help. TIA

Any good general references you guys would recommend for this stuff (not that I need another vice). I've always thought this stuff was fascinating, but I don't know diddly about it, and I ain't talking about Bo!

E7 wrote:Any good general references you guys would recommend for this stuff ..........

Other than old Wagner and Q-Car catalogs, and cross checking stuff against what's up on the shelf, not really.

Somewhere I have an old Current Line catalog which is where the Wagner line ended up -- between the 2 you cover the majority of parts and drives.

Most Wagner and Q-Car stuff is marked. Most drives are not insulated; overhead wire for power. I've made a practice of just buying any insulated drives that I would come across over the years at shows. They are uncommon.

I just did some repair work on a Q-Car drive with 2 Magic Carpet drives in it; a rare soldering iron event........ Those drives apparently stopped being available with the sale of NWSL or even somewhat before that event. Nice under the floor drive for traction motors that simply do not have the luxury of cutting holes in the floor. While I periodically think that I should have bought more of these, I probably have enough to last me through all of the projects I have lined up for the next decade.