My O-27 Collection of Industrial Rail cars

[Anonymous]

Here is a list of the cars i my Industrial Rail Collection.

INDUSTRIAL RAIL IR P/N ROAD NAME CAR NUMBER
Trolleys
14003 City Transport na
Hand Car
10000 na na

Single Door Boxcars
1001 NYC Pacemaker 174479 174530 174545
1003 BN 199250 199323 199325
1006 Rio Grande 61003 61019
1007 BNSF 730742 730752
1008 NYC Systems 180190 180195
1010 ATSF 17907

Reefers
2002 UP
2003 UP/SP

Work Caboose
1704 ATSF 5334

Hoppers
4001 Virginian 23332 23348 23350
4002 Rio Grande 16416 16500 16505
4003 NYC Systems 868001 868062 868074
Tank Cars
6007 BNSF 85407
6009 Domino Sugar 1709
6011 Gulf 5890

Flat Cars
w/ Car 7001 N&W 2725
w/ Pipe 7004 UP 42162
w/ Wood 7005 ATSF 92889
w/ Stakes 7503 ATSF 92992

Ore Cars
8100 Tuscan Red na
8101 Black na

Double Doorbox Cars
1105 ATSF 141702

Covered Hoppers
4102 ATSF na
4103 NYC Systems 892019 892020
Caboose
1501 ATSF 999970
1502 BN 10855

Gondolas
5005 ATSF 166593 166605

[brianel027]

George, I'm with you. Although you only listed the cars you have, the reason you have them is the same reason I have many also... the Industrial Rail cars were first rate quality at a good price in a traditional non-scale size and with a wide variety of roadnames and changing road numbers to boot.

The caboose was the only real clinker in the line up, being just a little out of proportion too small to look right even with traditionally sized trains.

Everyone thinks metal equals quality. The door guides on the IR cars are plastic BUT they are well done. I much prefer the look of the IR double door box cars without the black metal door guides like others. The bases on the IR cars are plastic like many low end Lionel cars, yet it is a thicker plastic that locks into the shell in 4 places unlike the Lionel cars.

Plus only IR has made traditionally sized box cars in BNSF and NS. No one else has done that... only Williams and their box cars are a tad big for my taste. Not too big to not have a few, but too big to want to have more.

I was looking forward to more relases from IR and I hope the company that bought their tools and dies reads this. I'd love to see those IR cars in CSX, CP Rail, CPR, Conrail, Norfolk Southern and BNSF... all roadnames being mostly overlooked by the other companies as far as traditionally sized trains are concerned. And everytime someone makes a Conrail box car, it ends up being BLUE! Funny since Conrail only had one blue box car, but thousands in various shades of brown and tuscan and even in Penn Central green.

In fact, the only reason K-Line made Train-19 and MTH made Rugged Rails is because of the Industrial Rail cars. And notice how both companies have let these lines slowly fade after Industrial Rail vanished. Well, at least K-Line still adds one or two cars to the Train-19 line (which will probably soon be the Train-24 line... what a dumb name). MTH has let Rugged Rails completely languish with not one new offering outside of the cars that come in train sets that are in this size range.

To give credit where credit is due, at least Lionel has expanded their $24.95 starter car line up, if they would only offer a current roadname once in a while.

[Anonymous]

Agreed. I always wanted one or two more of thier trolleys because the price was right and they don't look too silly on my o-27 track.

[Anonymous]

All,
Earlier this year in this forum I read that Costco, of all retailers, was going to carry O-27 trains based on the IDM dies. There was speculation about who would provide the motive power. If it turns out to be true all I can say is, good by Sam Clue hello Costco! The Industrial Rail cars are fun to collect too, I have made up a list of the cars I have, or want, that I keep in my wallet for train shows or when I'm on the road for work and visit a new train or hobby store. Shopping on Ebay I've found many cars from $10 to $20.

[cbq9911a]

The covered hopper was "off" as an O scale car. I retrucked it with S scale trucks and it fits in perfectly with my Flyer cars.

[Buckeye Riveter]

I think my set of Pacemaker Boxcars by Industrial Rail are great. I have been buying them on EBAY for about $10-$12 per car. A great deal!

[wrmcclellan]

My favorite IR item is the powered handcar. This is the best proportioned (scale sized men) and best operating handcar of any out there.

I run this little guy on the display layout chasing it with a TMCC operated train (track voltage about 16-17 volts). Kids and adults love it!

I also have a small collection of IR boxcars and stock cars. Wi***hey were still in business as these cars have great graphics, paint, and price.

Regards,
Roy

[spankybird]

Two of my favorite IR items is there trolley


and there work car, which I painted with the guidance of Highrailjon.





tom

[brianel027]

Yes, I've heard about Costco obtaining the IR molds so we will see what happens.

And yes, the covered hopper was a little small (by scale standards) but really looks nice on a smaller 027 layout. And it doesn't look nearly as undersized as did the IR "SP" stype caboose.

If Costco doesn't add any new tooling, I do hope they will continue to offer a variety of roadnames in changing number - especially the modern roadnames that are so ignored by everyone else in this particular size of train car.

I wi***hat when IR had tooled up their original box car, they had opted to go with an outside braced box car minus roofwalk in the same size as their other box car. It would have been nice not to have a repeat of what is already available. But I still prefer the quality of the IR box cars and especially the double door one.

You always read about this top-line item, that top-line item... scale hoppers, scale milk cars... all that is fine too. But I suspect there are many operators who run these Industrial Rail cars (in quantity too) who don't necessarily write about it here.

Spanky, one day I'll get to post a photo of my Nofolk Southern Crane Car work caboose made from up from the same style IR car but with Marx, Lionel and K-Line parts.

[Anonymous]

I just got one today, I like Industrial very well.

It is a CSX caboose and I am looking for a pic on line but may have to take one myself.

[FJ and G]

I think IR went out of business; I used to buy their stuff b/c it was inexpensive. I think they invented the term "affordable"

[Jumijo]

The IR cars are well done, good lookers. They were also priced very affordably. I bought a set of 3 hoppers new for $19.95. They tended to derail quite easily until I opened up the couplers with a dremel tool. That was my only negative thing to say about them. The are very nice looking freight cars.

Jim