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 Posted - November 14 2007 : 10:21:32 PM
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I remember one of these cropped up on the forum a long while back, but I can't find the topic. I was fascinated but didn't really pursue one too hard.
As luck would have it, a dirt-cheap lot with a Tyco car I needed, included one in the box! So here's a look at what was state-of-the-art in, um, 1972?
The watermelon car is an interesting little bugger. Some quick research seems to indicate these were used around the turn of the last century, and probably a little longer.
My wife tells me that before refrigeration, melons would have needed to be vented in shipment to prevent the buildup of gas which would cause the fruit to rot. So there's a clever design using two doors. A traditional wooden door was used to seal the car like normal, but the tracks were extended to allow an extra, metal, vented door to be used as necessary. So a loaded car would then provide some sort of ventilation. According to the detailing, slatted vents were also present on the ends of the car.
AHM touted these as a revolution, and the "finest model railroad cars ever produced". A bold claim, but in the early 70's, excluding craftsman kits, it may have been true... let's see what you got:
- Metal PR25 wheels
- separately-applied brake gear and rigging
- sprung trucks (which oddly enough, are not "live")
- separately applied rungs
- "professional weathering" and grafitti
Most of those features were indeed pretty state-of-the art back then, especially the rungs. The rungs are interesting for their design - not individually applied, but rather cleverly cast as one "ladder" style piece, inset into the wooden car sides. It's a design that would not have worked on a steel-sided car.
Unfortunately, the weathering is a huge let-down. I don't know about you, but soot isn't green where I come from. Neither is dirt, or rust. In fact, the weathering looks more as if there were blankets of moss growing down the sides of the car. And it takes an odd appearance when applied heavily atop open doors.
Still, it's a nice model of an interesting prototype.
Does anyone else have any of the other AHM golden cars? (Carl?) I would love to know just how well (or not) these were received back in the day. I guess they weren't too popular, but was that a matter of prototype choice, or were there better models out there?
Edited by - GoingInCirclez on October 31 2008 3:51:07 PM
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Posted - November 15 2007 : 01:21:14 AM
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GIC,
While I don't have any Golden Cars,I have seen them in a old AHM catalog from the 70's.
I don't believe they were very popular for the simple fact that most modelers like to weather their own rolling stock.
And being an AHM product were probably viewed as just toys.
Lionel in the late 70's made a line of weathered refrigerator cars that were a total flop.
Lionel collectors shunned those cars because they weren't shiny,and didn't look new.(I personally like 'em)
I'll keep my eye out for other AHM Golden Cars.
Carl T.
President of the Cape James Terminal RR.
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Posted - November 17 2007 : 8:39:42 PM
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Hi GIC. I do remember the melon cars. Back then they were kind of interesting. They made a few different cars and there were also Palace stock cars in the series. I have a melon car somewhere, I think it was an ACL. I found the cars listed in a 1975 AHM catalog. Before AHM, the watermelon car was made in wood car kits by Central Valley, Ambroid, and Red Ball. Carl
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Posted - November 17 2007 : 11:10:18 PM
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I didn't know there were two Carls here.
Hello Carl!
Carl T.
President of the Cape James Terminal RR.
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 Posted - November 18 2007 : 01:40:09 AM
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Hah! So I wasn't confused! Thank you Carl... AND Carl! [:P]
Actually, I think I have that same AHM catalog, but I couldn't tell what year it was? No date anywhere (good one AHM). Only clue was the Pocher Automobiles... I figured they didn't have those at the same time as Tyco.
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Posted - November 18 2007 : 10:28:36 AM
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quote:Hah! So I wasn't confused! Thank you Carl... AND Carl! [:P]
Actually, I think I have that same AHM catalog, but I couldn't tell what year it was? No date anywhere (good one AHM). Only clue was the Pocher Automobiles... I figured they didn't have those at the same time as Tyco.
Originally posted by GoingInCirclez - November 18 2007 : 12:40:09 AM
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AHM Catalogs of the '70s tended to never include well placed dates on them. Believe AHM did this on purpose, it allowed them to keep the same catalog around for multiple years. Usually, a price list was included with the catalog and it would provide a date on it.
Tony Cook
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Posted - November 18 2007 : 8:57:23 PM
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Hi Guys. I saw this. This must be the First Watermelon Car.
I wonder if it's real. [:D]
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Posted - October 31 2008 : 09:48:27 AM
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The ventilated box car. Sometimes called the Graffiti car. AHM released this car, and a old time stock car weathered with graffiti on them. I think the car was a Roco. I have it somewhere. Also this car was remade by Con-Cor. I have two. One a N&W labled OT produce box car. Two a ATSF labled HO old time box car. Tho the cars are the same, they were not labled the same. I have a stock car of the Graffiti series that is a Union Pacific car, again I think made by Roco. On both of the cars photoed all weathering, and graffiti were factory done. I'll later post photos of the con-cor cars. Here is something. On the con-cor cars the cars are made in the USA. Both are labled US on the bottom. This is a rare thing for the 1990s.
frank
toptrain
" It's a Heck of a Day " !!!
Edited by - toptrain on October 31 2008 3:53:45 PM
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Posted - October 31 2008 : 1:02:41 PM
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not completely related, but the Kentucky record weighing watermelon is 251 pounds
http://www.bigpumpkins.com/WeighoffResultsGPC.aspx?c=W&y=2008
268 is the world record. :)
http://www.giantwatermelons.com/
Oh and GIC, peeecteeeeerrrrrs please :)
~anna
-----------------------------------
Edited by - mix3d3m0ti0n5 on October 31 2008 1:03:14 PM
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Posted - October 31 2008 : 3:56:13 PM
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Here are the US made Con-Cor old time Ventilated box car. If you notice the con cor cars have no grafitti.
frank
toptrain
" It's a Heck of a Day " !!!
Edited by - toptrain on December 08 2010 09:26:50 AM
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Posted - October 31 2008 : 7:03:28 PM
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I never knew such a line of cars existed, and I used to go through all of those AHM ads in the 70's. Maybe I was too focused on the locos. 
So the truck springs are just decorative? That's kind of silly. 
GIC, you said the weathering is green? It's definitely overdone, but it looks charcoal colored in the photos. They're nicer looking cars than the AHM standard line. I also prefer the old-time chalk graffiti to the tagging on modern cars.
The Tyco Depot
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Posted - November 01 2008 : 06:27:13 AM
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Hi all,
actually I doubt that the original golden cars have been made by Roco. The style and also the coupler spring look a lot more like Liliput/Vienna. Only Liliput and Piko used those wire springs for their couplers. Nevertheless, Im looking fur such cars, as well as the Liliput/Life Like Cl. 38 Steamer....
Piko in former Eastern Germany never made US-style models, even though they had some odd looking European models in the 60s decorated for US railroads.
Cheers,
Martin
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Posted - November 01 2008 : 6:58:06 PM
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quote:
Only Liliput and Piko used those wire springs for their couplers.
Originally posted by martin67-November 01 2008: 06:27:13 AM
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If I'm not mistaken, those C springs were a Rivarossi development, which were then used by Tempo (Mehano) when they started making the C-Liner under Rivarossi license in the early 60's. Rivarossi locos and rolling stock had them for years, and I'm embarrassed think of how many expletives I've uttered when they inevitably launched across the room while I was trying to change them, or they pierced my fingertips, or failed to give the coupler any spring action at all no matter how tight I made them.  There were some pretty odd spring designs in the early years of the hornhooks, but everybody finally settled on the simple plastic tail spring, except Rivarossi. More costly from a manufacturing and labor standpoint, too.
Rivarossi made a lot of the AHM rolling stock in the 60's, and they had nickel-silver wheels. I always wondered who took over their manufacture in Austria if it wasn't Roco.
The Tyco Depot
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Posted - November 02 2008 : 12:56:35 AM
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quote:| GIC, you said the weathering is green? It's definitely overdone, but it looks charcoal colored in the photos. Originally posted by NickelPlate759-October 31 2008: 7:03:28 PM
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Huh, I never noticed that in the photos before. But I can assure you in person, the weathering is green! Even my wife compared it to a Camo or Forest green. Completely ridiculous. But now that you point it out it does look kinda more grayish in the photos. Weird.
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Posted - November 28 2008 : 07:40:53 AM
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Hello,
these cars (watermelon and palace stock) are definately not Roco. I talked to some experts and was told that these models sometimes show up in original Liliput boxes.
Still Im doing some research about the PS-1 box cars and reefers sold by AHM. Apparently, the ones with ladders are Roco, the ones without are Liliput. Ill come up with some details in a seperate thread during the weekend after taking pictures....
Cheers,
Martin
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Posted - December 08 2010 : 09:37:54 AM
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Hello, frank here:
* While Martin gets everything together, These watermellon cars were also made in wood kits by a few manufactures. I think Ambroid was one of them. Here is a built up wood car.
frank
toptrain
" It's a Heck of a Day " !!!
Edited by - toptrain on December 08 2010 09:58:56 AM
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Posted - December 08 2020 : 10:24:15 PM
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quote:Hi Guys. I saw this. This must be the First Watermelon Car.
I wonder if it's real. [:D]
Originally posted by VintageHOÂ -Â November 18 2007Â :Â 8:57:23 PM
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Use any fruits to improvise.
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Posted - December 09 2020 : 08:51:20 AM
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LOL, that would be a great idea for a parody video.
"Let your light so shine before men, that they may see your good works, and glorify your Father which is in Heaven." - Matthew 5:16
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Posted - December 09 2020 : 09:48:53 AM
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