Help identifying a possible PW fake

[statistician]

Hey guys,
Has anyone else come across any 2356 Southern F3s that look factory painted in PW Lionel paint schemes AND numbering but have incorrect shell characteristic for the PW 2356?

What stikes me as odd about my shells are:
1). the MPC style horns
2). lack of separately-applied body-mounted cab ladders (these have the molded on MPC type just beneath the door with no ladder mounting holes)
3). filled in portholes (MPC style)

They look factory painted, and the paint/lettering is exactly the same as all PW 2356, but the shell characteristics are wrong. I've seen shells like these on eBay every once in a while, so it's not just my set (meaning they're not custom).

Does anyone remember if MPC remade the 2356 Southern shells in PW paint schemes/lettering? Or are these really PW Lionel with shell variations?

[tschmidt]

Sorry I can't help you but I am looking forward to seeing what answers you get.

TomS

[1688torpedo]

Hello Statistician! & [#welcome] to the forum. It sounds like the Shells you've got are possibly a custom paint job based on the postwar versions using MPC Shells. There are plenty of folks who do this type of work and this could be the case with yours & They were painted this way & put out to market. So to speak. I doubt you have anything rare here. Other than a Custom paint job by someone else.Take Care.

[dwiemer]

Stat,
I know I have mentioned them several times in the past few weeks, but the guys at the train station ( www.TheTrain-Station.com) are the best I know of for information on any and all such things. I know they have some videos out on how to identify fakes and many other titles. You may want to check them out, they are a great bunch.
Regards,
Dennis

[Chris F]

MPC made Southern F3's - 8557 (powered A), 8567 (dummy A), and 8661 (dummy B) - 1975-1977. However, the stripe was white, not gray, the shells had the MPC numbers, and the A-units had "Crescent Limited" in gold on each side of the nose. The A-units also had only one louver between the portholes, unlike the 2356, which had four (like other PW F3's). "SOUTHERN" was printed between the portholes, rather than just above the stripe.

MPC shells are dated by the number of louvers and the presence/abscence of horizontal ridges low on the sides. How do your shells look?

[statistician]

Thanks for all the help everyone. Wish I could post a pic of these. There are no known variations for the 2356, so I suppose these have to be custom painted on MPC shells. Chris - I checked the louvers and the horizontal ridges, and they're MPC not PW. Thanks for the advice on this, I never noticed that.

Post War Lionel is way before my time, thanks for the help!