Painted gang car figures?

[Anonymous]

Here is what I've seen regarding figures for the 50:

Original Figures:

      A.) Figures from 1954-59 on cars with the U-shaped bumper bracket are molded in either a medium flat shade of blue or olive green.  Early units have two olive green stationary figures with a blue rotating figure, while later cars have the opposite. 

Both stationary figures as well as the rotating figure have painted hands/face, although the paint flakes off of many olive green rotating figures.  Also, all figures from 1954-60 are molded with overalls as part of their uniform.

       B.) From 1960-64 the bumper bracket changed to an L-shape.  The stationary figures are molded in a flat shade of medium blue, while the rotating figure is molded in a medium flat shade of olive green.  All have painted hands/face, but the mold changed slightly later during this time frame.  On the late figures of this type, the overalls were eliminated, and all figures were molded with just a plain shirt.

Reproduction Figures:

       A.) Most repro figures on the market are identical to Original Type A, but both the stationary figures and rotating figures are available in either a darker blue or olive green per the buyer's choice.  Both colors have a glossier finish than Original Type A.  All have painted hands/face, but the paint has a very slight pink tint to it.

       B.  Some lower quality reproductions are molded in either blue or olive green, but both colors are much lighter than either type of original figure and Reproduction Type A.  These figures are not as readily available as Reproduction Type A.

Hope this helps.  I'll try to post pictures if I can get to my drawer of 50s.

 

[KRM]

That is a good question. I am not sure. I have a 1960 #50 Gang Car with the original men and they have painted faces and hands.

 Here is some more information. It seems they should be painted but can't be sure seeing that RT's are not. I have seen a lot of replacements that are not painted.

http://www.tandem-associates.com/lionel/lionel_trains_50_gang_car.htm

http://www.postwarlionel.com/cgi-bin/postwar?ITEM=50

[rtraincollector]

Not all have been painted from what I have seen I have ( I bellieve original man that rotates on a #50 and hes not painted

[arkady]

Were the hands and faces of the rubber figures on the #50 Lionel Gang Car always painted, throughout its long production run?  I recently acquired a 1954 Gang Car (the one with the centered horn), and although the figures look original, their hands and faces are not painted.  If this is correct for 1954, I'll let them alone.  But if it means the figures are replacements, I'll put a bit of paint on them myself.

Thanx in advance.