OK Streamliner Passenger Cars

[gunkhead]

I realize that this is digging up an old thread, but I do have some information to share from my own research into the OK Streamliners cars (I happen to own a shorty dome car that I picked up secondhand, hence my interest. In fact, I stumbled across this thread on a search)

The detailed die-cast ends are not a new development by the revival of the line, they actually do date back to its original production days. I've seen several vintage ones on eBay with the die-cast ends as well as the sheet metal ends (which are what mine has. They originally came with crude seams and doorframes on them in the form of a piece of low-grade rubber). I'm not sure which end type is older, or whether it's a variation between the Kasiner and Herkimer years, but both end types do date back to when the line was on hobby shop shelves.

And Carl, those trucks are identical to the ones on my vintage example. So they're either the same old tooling or a reproduction of it. You're right that the originals did not come with operating, whisker-sprung knuckle couplers, though - they came with horn-hook couplers.

 

Something that puzzles me, though, is Carl's statement that his 22" radius curves rule out the use of 80' cars. Athearn's 72' passenger cars can traverse 18" radius curves, so why would 22" radius curves present a barrier to 80-footers?

[Trainman440]

gunkhead

 

Something that puzzles me, though, is Carl's statement that his 22" radius curves rule out the use of 80' cars. Athearn's 72' passenger cars can traverse 18" radius curves, so why would 22" radius curves present a barrier to 80-footers?

 

 

Dosen't really matter how long the passenger car is(I've made some Branchline Pullman heavyweights be able to right 18" radius curves, when the original was a min. of 24" radius.) What matters more is how much the trucks(wheel sets) can swivel. If they can swivel 180' degrees, then they can ride on practically any radius curve. But I think the OP's cars have limited truck swivel, hence the 22" radius. 

[Trainman2005]

Ive recently come across 3 OK cars at an antique store, paid 40 bucks for them plus a Life-Like Obs. would send pics, but am not on my phone atm.

Thanks, Trainman05/MatthewB.

[robert sylvester]

If it is alright to up date, I have some pictures of my O.K. Metal passenger cars, even with a recent purchase of a whole consist I bought from Ebay, only $15.00 per car.

I think they look pretty good. I will add Precision Scale diaphragms:

as shown here.

I use rubber cement to put them on my passenger cars.

My new ones are in the foreground, my older cars are in the back ground.

These older O.K. cars in the front have the plastic diaphragms, my new coaches will have the Precision Scale bellows type diaphragms put on, as shown here.

I hand painted two brass F units that are on the head end of the passenger consist.

Robert Sylvester

Newberry-Columbia Line, SC

[Eilif]

I didn't know they were OK's (but thanks to this thread I know now!) but I got 3 in a lot but sold to a friend last year.  I kind of wish I still had them, but I REALLY don't need another passenger project.