A.C. Gilbert #650

heavyweight

coach

2

16

New York, New Haven & Hartford (NH)

650

A.C. Gilbert

650

AF

1946

plastic

painted & lettered

hi-rail

AF

yes

view page

Replacement Steps

These cars were produced through 1953. They went through several generations of changes during their seven-year run. In the photo are examples of an unlighted green, and a 1946 lighted red car with silver lettering. In 1946 some materials were still in short supply, such as light assemblies, so Gilbert was forced to manufacture certain passenger cars and cabooses that were planned to be lighted as unlighted items. The box these items came in typically had the part number stamped on the end flap followed by "NL" indicating "no light" (e.g. "650NL"). Since the green passenger cars were offered as part of the lower priced sets, many of these cars came without lights, as was the case for some of the 1946 cabooses. The other issue with nearly all of the 1946 plastic cars is that they warp as can be seen in the photo. The warping was because of the new acetate plastic used at that time which was unstable. Gilbert tried to compensate or solve the warping issue by changing the frame material on the #650 cars thus creating several variations. In 1947, the red coaches were given diecast frames. Starting in 1948, the green coaches were also given the diecast frames. Starting in 1949, Gilbert also used sheet metal frames on some of the coaches of both colors.