Alumimum and die-cast differences

[FJ and G]

I've seen a lot of posts reg. plastic vs. heavy metal but can't recall this topic. If reported on, apologies.

I was flipping thru a K-Line catalog and eye-balling the die-cast coal hoppers (4-bay open variety). Then, I flipped the page and noticed that the closed hoppers were made out of aluminum.

Hmmmm, I thought to myself.

Why would one variety of car be made from diecast and the other from alumnimum. Must be a reason? Passenger cars, btw, are made from alumimum.

One other metal to throw into this mix would be enamel. Mostly Gauge 1 stuff.

Not being a metallurgist or chemist, I will take some wild guesses at the properties. You may grade me:

Diecast (and baked enamel) vs. aluminum

1. Cost: aluminum cheaper

2. Weight: aluminum lighter

3. UV damage: none for either

4. rust damage if humid: none for either

5. Durability (drop test): since diecast is heavier, likelier for a detailed part to break off

6. Dentability: aluminum easier to dent

7. Looks: same

dave v

[lionelsoni]

Dave, what you call "diecast" is zinc. Both aluminum and zinc can be diecast; but you see diecast aluminum only in modern models. The aluminum passenger cars of the Lionel 2500 type are extruded aluminum. Zinc has the problem that the slightest contamination with lead causes the metal eventually to disintegrate. You can see my whining about this with respect to K Line by searching for postings by me containing the word "zinc".

What you are calling "enamel" is painted (enameled) tin-plated steel. It was the usual way of making toy trains before WWII and, in addition to reproductions, is used again today with great success by ETS in Prague.

[FJ and G]

Thanks Bob. Terms are a bit tricky in toy trains:

Switch=turnout
Diecast=zinc
Diecast=aluminum
Aluminum=extruded aluminum
Plastic=ABS or Bakelite
Enamel=tin-plated steel

?

Tinplate track=aluminum

[lionelsoni]

Tinplate track is, like tinplate rolling stock, tin-plated steel. The steel is what makes magnetraction work.

[brianel027]

I must say Bob (lionelsoni), everytime I read something you are commenting on in regards to trains, I learn something. You are a man who really knows your stuff on our hobby.

In regards to your tricky terms in toy trains list Dave, you have inspired some humor in me. So here goes, just for a laugh. And laughs are far and few these days. Good thing no one in Washington has thought about taxing laughter... we full and part time comedians would be in serious trouble.

Lionel = American made quality
Lionel = Chinese made quality
Quality = As long as it is profitable
A sucker is born everyday = Greendale Train Set @ $600
027 = Bleech! Kid's trains... arrrgh!
Railking = Semi scale
Railking = Full scale
TMCC = The Union Army
DCS = The Confederate Army
YORK = Gettysburg
Two yealy catalogs = Too many trains being made
One yearly catalog = That company must be having money troubles
Original MARX = Toys trains for the working class
Early K-Line = No respect from the scale crowd
Recent K-Line = No respect from the toy train crowd
Happy customer = "Wow, it worked as it was suppose to right out of the box!"
Unhappy customer = "I returned the loco months ago and you don't know where it is?"
Lawsuits = Appeals
Appeals = Happy lawyers
Happy lawyers = "Hmmmm, this can't be too darn good for the rest of us!"
A good laugh = Finding humor in the sad but painful truth.

[cnw1995]

Very funny, brianel! I'm sure someone will add similar definitions for things like 'scale' or 'highrail' being the only true and most manly ways to play in our hobby. ;)

[Anonymous]

Some years ago (almost 10 now), while working for Moody's in NYC, a co worker showed me an essay written by some modern day Italian philospher (forget his name) who was comparing the Macintosh OS to PC/Windows.

Basically, he said that the Macintosh was like Catholicism and PC/Windows was like Protestantism. With the Mac, as in the Catholic church, there is one accepted way of doing things, everything is very regimented and is controlled by the Church heirarchy. With PC/Windows, on the other hand, you mix & match & there is no one single right way. There is no single central authority declaring the "right way."

To a limited extent, the DCS vs. TMCC question is similar. In the DCS world, there is one central authority dictating how DCS works & what it does (and you can get it only from them), while there are several sources for TMCC locomotives.

Yes, this analogy breaks down now that Lionel has stopped licensing TMCC to new manufacturers, but there's nothing stopping you from putting TMCC into any locomotive made, if you want to. And it's not an apples to apples comparison. But I think you see my point.

And if you do see my point, please tell it to come home because I miss it! [:D][:p]

Tony

[Anonymous]

On a serious note, I think the term "Diecast" refers to the method of manufacture, and not to the material from which the item is made.

"Extruded aluminum" is a material whose method of manufacture is referred to in its name.

I don't know why a manufacturer would pick aluminum over the zinc alloys used in traditional "diecast" toy trains.

Tony

Tony