Lionel Product Notes

Locomotives

3-bay Cylindrical Hopper

The first run (2012) of these cars were Lionel's attempt at making "scale" cars. Unfortunately, most of the scale wheels were out-of-gauge. To fix that, simply twist and pull on the wheels for each axle to spread them wider, or push them back in if you went too far. Use the NASG standards gauge to verify them. The second run (2020) of these cars were only sold with "hi-rail" wheels.

Another issue with the first run of these cars (2012) was that the body set too high on the trucks. Benn Central Shops makes replacement bolsters for these to fix that issue.

Jim Kindraka reports that these cars came in two weight capacities in the real world, namely 140,000lbs and 200,000lbs. These would require 70-ton or 100-ton trucks, respectively. The 70-ton trucks had a 5'8" wheelbase and used 33" wheels, while the 100-ton trucks had a 5'10" wheelbase and used 36" wheels. Lionel's model represents those that came out in the in-between period, so it is the modeler's option to choose the appropriate truck. Both are available in S-scale.