Lionel 814 boxcar restored

Here it is, a shining restored 814 Lionel boxcar, finally finished. It involved an intensive cleaning procedure. First thick layers of brown and black children paint were removed with hot water. Then the spot-rusted yellow paint was removed by boiling it a little longer and then the bare metal was sanded to remove years of steady corrosion. Then the nickel and brass items were cleaned and polished. Here the black grime was so thick that we could not call it patina any longer.
Well, I am happy to show the result and I hooked up to Merkur 9406 closed goods wagon (as we would like to name a boxcar) to compare both models

Red Merkur 9406 boxcar and yellow Lionel 814 boxcar

The Lionel 814 is prewar and it has nickel and brass shining details. It is produced from tin-plate and although this is a more rugged pre-war Lionel car (in comparison to the 650 and 1680 series), it still feels flimsy in comparison to the Merkur boxcar. The Merkur wagon is contemporary and is less shiny but it is made from much thicker steel plate. It feels and handles like a true railroad carriage. The paint is heavy duty power-coated with silk screen printed details. In case of an accident, I would reckon the Lionel car ends up being dented and the Merkur car just leaves a crater in your flooring and survives unscratched.

Freight train composed of Lionel and Merkur cars

Line up of Lionel and Merkur trains