Model Train Journal

https://www.ebay.com/itm/Lionel-O-Weste ... 3794495384

Repaint of late chassis/shell. ALL Postwar WP F units had horizontal motors. This one is at least one vertical.
All had porthole lenses...this ifs factory blanked.

Powered A units had horn...and battery cover...this does not.
They came ONLY as an A-A set, so this is half.

They were screen top...this one is louvers.
Had nose grabs...this one is blank.
Had applied cab ladders...this one, they're cast in.
Originals silver top and bottom, light orange nose and stripe down portholes.
This one, dark orange bottom, silver side screens, black top.
Originals had truck sideframe ladders...this one does not.
Originals mounted shell with three screws....two in back...this one has rivets to hold much later clip, and one screw in front.

Photo of original units: https://www.tandem-associates.com/lione ... _ident.gif
VERY new Lionel re-issues had black roof over engine bay.

Trainz call it C-6. Can't be any C grading, as it's repainted on a totally wrong era donor.

Good laugh for today.

Just about as honest as a Fiero with a Ferrari fibreglas kit body and Ferrari badges.

At least ell us "later Lionel F3 repaint", and maybe "not really a 2345".

But you KNOW some newbie will look up a 2345 and see what they go for and figure the clowns at Trainz didn't know what they had.

Sure, it will sell. Someone will brag to their buddies about "winning" it, and then we'll hear "it's worth what it sold for".

Later F unit, what, nice $70? Repaint cuts it in half? Single motor (and we don't know) even less.

Actual value 25-30?
By the time you figure shipping, near to 150.

They'll cut the price in a couple of weeks..125?

Search as I might, the only color scheme similar to that is an H0 model.

Missing nose grills and filled portholes date the shell to 70's MPC (yes I know they filled the portholes in the 50's but MPC removed the nose grills). The chassis, 70's MPC fitted with postwar vertical motor truck out back and dummy A truck up front (probably late postwar because I see what looks like sintered iron wheels)

Overall. 100% parts engine with a nice custom paint of the late WP scheme. If Trainz knew anything about postwar and MPC which they obviously don't, that's what they would call it to be. Price? Not bad if you want the late WP scheme and it runs well. Otherwise, calling it a 2345 and grading it by factory original standards is pure stupidity.

jlong wrote:Overall. 100% parts engine with a nice custom paint of the late WP scheme. If Trainz knew anything about postwar and MPC which they obviously don't, that's what they would call it to be. Price? Not bad if you want the late WP scheme and it runs well. Otherwise, calling it a 2345 and grading it by factory original standards is pure stupidity.

Sort of along the lines of my thinking. To advertise as a 2345 when it obviously (to us) isn't, well, that tends to be somewhat fraudulent.

Since none of it is right, era, shell, motor, color, it's actually an R-2, no matter how nice it is:

" Fair—A non-professional restoration:
Color, texture and finish clearly different from the original. Other items, such as non-authentic wiring are also evident."

I would rate the paint beyond fair. Parting lines, stripes and lettering are sharp. Looks professionally silk screened and you would pay someone what Trains is charging to silk screen a shell like that. TCA restored standards assume restored to factory specs so it's hard to put an R factor on it.

No doubt looks good.
I suppose it's how you read the standard.
Color alone kills it, as it isn't even close. Masking is totally different.
Remember, neither one of us started the grading on this piece.

"Trainz call it C-6."

It ain't.
If they are advertising as a 2345 WP, then they have stepped in it, and if they want to grade it, the closest is an R-2.