York News! PRR GLa Hoppers, PRR 2D-F8 trucks, USRA Hoppers, and 86' Auto Parts Hi-Cubes! Lionel Hopper projects including the PRR GLa

At York, Lionel was making a big deal about how they're able to faithfully do 3 different types of hoppers including the PRR GLa.  I did not ask them if they were planning to just repaint the PRR GLa into other paint schemes, but maybe someone else did.  If you read on of the posters I'm about to attach, they did say he USRA hoppers were within 12" of the GLa.

They did not have 3D-printed mockups at the show.

Also of interest...Lionel is investing in tooling for the correct truck under the GLa, the PRR 2D-F8 truck.

Can't read them as is?  Click em for higher resolution.

And perhaps just as important to the 1960s and onward modelers - 86' auto parts boxcars!  Lionel had 3D-printed mock ups of the 4-door and 8-door 86' boxcars.  They will include kadee coupler pad mounting as shown (I should have asked them did they ensure that the kadee will be at the right height...).  For the 3R guys, they developed a nifty coupler adjusting mechanics that attach to the car.  The car also looks like it will sit at the right height with the Lionel trucks.  The underbody details and door appliances will be separately applied.  The stirrups had broken off the sample they had there, but the details were 3D printed too (not brass).

UPDATE:  The nifty adjusting piece will also allow for a scale coupler attachment to allow guys with kadees to also take advantage of running the scale couplers.

I didn't take a scale ruler out to these, but they look like a winner.  If you see a problem, better tell Lionel now!

 

  

stirrups were broken off model

The above parts are not brass on the mock up, thus the damage.

 truck height looked right.