Lobaugh Freight Cars

[R.K. Maroon]

Lobaugh made more than one style of a 3-dome tank car. It appears that the two Rufus has are the same basic model. Note the center dome is taller than the outside domes:





These seem to more-or-less match the Magnolia tank car, shown in the 1938 catalog (and every one that came after):



Not sure what they mean by "1/4 or 17/64 inch scale". I would think it is one or the other. And also note that the car in the photo is hand-lettered, as sold.

Jim

[bob turner]

They were trying to appeal to both scale purchasers. Lobaugh stuff is often slightly oversize for 1/4" scale, although only the prewar switcher was noticeable.

[E7]

And I actually have few Lobaugh cars...but here are 2 of the tank cars......

Rufus,

They are particularly handsome cars, and paint and decaling is first rate!

[bob turner]

I agree.

Here is an aluminum and wood cattle car



My track board needs new rails - somehow I never quite get the trucks settled down on this one.

[J. S. Bach]

...snip... My track board needs new rails - somehow I never quite get the trucks settled down on this one.

I need a whole new everything:

[bob turner]

I'll play. My BMW armature - all it really needed was a drop of oil on the bronze bearings, but no - a new motor and installation came to a grand. Hence this preservation:

[bob turner]

Back to Lobaugh - cannot get these colors any more:

[R.K. Maroon]

Here again for reference is the Shell tank car:



Here it is, new in the 1940 catalog:



It appears the model in the photo is hand-lettered, even though the ad copy states that decalcomanias are used.

Cool car, Bob -- factory finished pre-war models are rare. Most manufacturers offered this service, but you just don't see that many. $14.75 was a lot of money for a time in which everybody still knew the lyrics to "Brother, Can You Spare a Dime?'

Jim

[bob turner]

Mobilgas is definitely factory, and one side only. Magnolia may not be, although the decals and paint are very, very old. Magnolia is a postwar model, since no rivets on tank ends.

[R.K. Maroon]

Bob, that Mobilgas car really stands out compared to the one with the Walthers decals. I would be interested in knowing the history of the two lettering schemes relative to the prototype.

[bob turner]

I know nothing. The Lobaugh kits have white decals without the black outline.

A google search is no help. I wonder why; the more obscure Chateau Martin tanks have bazillions of pictures, and lots of descriptive material.

[R.K. Maroon]

Here again is Martin's pickle tank car:



It's not in the 1938 catalog but is in the 1940. I have a 1939 somewhere but it's hiding. At any rate, here it is in the 1940:



To my eyes the hatches look different between the two. This is undoubtedly a cool and unique car, but I am wondering if it's not like the J&L tank car, which never ventured far off of one route. I say this because I prefer to run trains (when I do) that are reasonably close to prototypical. So I am thinking there might not be much of a chance that this would appear west of the Mississippi or south of the Mason-Dixon. What say the experts? Heck, what say the non-experts?

Jim

[robert.]

You would think they used the cars as rolling storage. Pack um full of Kirbies and brine. roll um out. wait awhile and push um back for canning.

[bob turner]

One of these is Lobaugh. One is hand-lettered. I forget which is which, although I could go look - they are currently together in a 14 car train of oldies.

[J. S. Bach]

Love the brickwork on the building behind the tanker.