I’m looking for full length prototypical passenger cars that are nicely detailed, ran in 1930-1960, and can run around a 22" radius curve.
I’ve ruled out walthers heavyweights, I’ve heard good things about the streamliners.
And you don’t need to point out that the cars will look un-prototypical and strange on those curves. I know this.
“I’m looking for full length prototypical passenger cars that are nicely detailed, ran in 1930-1960, and can run around a 22” radius curve."
Do you are serious? “Full length” and “nicely detailed” - at least on the undersides - and good running on curves that small is a sharp contradiction. Build the cars yourself…
“And you don’t need to point out that the cars will look un-prototypical and strange on those curves. I know this.”
Then why the h… do you want cars that long?
I think the more recent AHM models, that have the Kadee type coupler already installed, or some of the Spectrum line, are going to come as close as you’ll get to both reasonably detailed and running around a 22" radius. I have the AHM UP lightweights and some Southern RR Spectrum heavyweights and both will run on one of my passing tracks, which has a 22" radius. You may have to replace the wheelsets on the AHM cars and do a little fiddling with the swinging couplers on the Spectrum cars but both run reliably on my track. The one caveat is this is a passing track so the train never exceeds about 40 prototype mph. I suspect that you’ll have to limit speed to something in that range for reliable operation. I did mistakenly have the turnout lined for the passing siding one day when the train of six Spectrum cars was travelling at about a prototype 70 mph and the results weren’t pretty. [:)]
Ouch… I know the feeling.
I want the prototype length becuase the “Shorty” cars just don’t look right… I think the athearns are ok, but I do want the full length ones.
EDIT: And one last thing- I don’t think I could build them myself if I tried… I don’t have the time to build anymore now that school is back.
The streamlined Rivorossi cars with coupler mounted trucks may fit your bill nicely. They show up on ebay quite a bit. IMHO, they look pretty good once you detail them. I have a batch that I bought back in the early 1990s. I installed P2K metal wheels and Kadee couplers. I also filled the pockets in the floor with “BB” gun pellets and glued them in place with Elmers. They roll quite nicely and can take 24" radius curves.
Body mounting couplers is the better way to go. Kadee makes a coupler box that allows for wider swiveling. If you take this route, you may have to use longer shank couplers for the tighter curves, but for the interm you could get by with the Talgos.
I like the Rivorossis, but stopped buying them once the Walthers streamliners hit the market a few years ago.
I have Walthers, Rivarossi & IHC ‘full’ length passenger cars.
All have worked on 22" radius curves with no problems with the factory installed couplers.
If you want ‘nicely’ detailed, go with Walthers.
Gordon
I recently purchased a set of the new coaches by Rapido. The roadnames are somewhat limited at the moment but they keep adding new ones. Check them out and you will not be disappointed.
I’m looking into rapido and walthers- although I’ve heard the walthers HW observation hates 22"s.
It hates curves in general.
You cant have your cake and eat it too…
Bottom line, 22" radius and 80+foot “scale” cars dont mix. You have 3 choices here…
Widen your curves (your limiting factor) to atleast 28" Radius for these cars…OR…
Buy semi-good passenger cars (IHC, Rivarossi) as they are designed for such curves (but have a non-scale 20 feet between cars to allow for tight curves)…OR…
Get some shorty or Athearn cars that will look decent after some detailing.
You cannot change the laws of Physics…Walther’s and Rapido cars will NOT operate reliably on 22" radius curves.
David B
Do you know from experiance? I have 2 friends that I talked to, one has a Walthers streamliner coach that does fine and the other has a heavyweight coach that does fine, apparently the observation won’t work with 22"s though.
I am a bit limited with curves, ye old 4x8 is the problem. I doubt I could widen it.
The heavyweight coach tracks fine around 22, but the observation won’t take 24.
The issue isn’t the car negotiaing the curves, but rather passenger trains are usually pulled by a locomotive of some kind and have mulitple passenger cars. Walther’s cars are designed so that the diaphrams are just touching when the cars are coupled (same as Rapido)…hence the issue around curves. Then moment the second car hits the curve, then you have a bind. The IHC and Rivarossi cars are designed with huge spaces between them, hence allowing them to go around the curves.
I do speak from experience as I have Walther’s Heavys, Buds, Streamliners, Rapidos, Heavyweight Rivarossis and even a few Athearns. Many, many years of experience with these as I have built a few passenger-themed layouts in the past.
David B
I have installed a close coupling on an IHC diner and placed it next to a walthers coach ina consist so diaphragms were touching(IHC has a non working on.) and it did go around yoshi’s 22" curves without a problem so I think that walthers COACHES will be fine.
I know they wont be as I have some. The IHC diner’s trucks are bolstered off-center, unlike the Walther’s, to allow for the tighter curves. There is a difference between operating diaphrams and the fake ones that IHC has. There is a reason they dont work.
In terms of you installing ‘close coupling’, where does the knuckle sit in relation to the non-working diaphram on the IHC car? If you have the diaphrams touching on straight trackage, then they should squeeze together on curves. I think you have the knuckle actually set beyond the diaphram on the IHC car. For close coupling, only 1/2 of the coupler should be beyond the diaphram (hence allowing the other knuckle to couple).
David
Hoople. Take it from a real old timer with 6 layouts and over 60 years of model railroading fun.
Design the layout FIRST, then the benchwork. Set your specs, Minimum Radius (30 inches) Turnouts ( No 6 Main, No. 4 yards, Track spacing ( 2 inches), Ruling grade (2 percent), etc.
You can set your own standards, but these have always worked for me. Keep in mind, you have to plan the trackwork to accomodate the engines and rolling stock, not the other way around.
If you don’t have room for a 6 x 10 at least, do some begging.
Listen to this. This is exactly what I did and now I run my Walthers heavyweights with pride. I use 36" curves and # 8 turnouts since I wanted passenger equipment to run as good as possible. Design your layout so that it accomodates what you need, not the other way around, you will only be disappointed.
Magnus
Well first off, blame MR for making the plan.
Second, I’m sharing the room with my brother and sister. There’s not a whole lot of space in the room left. If I did ask, mom would bring out the “How big of a layout does a 13 year old need? I know, a million square feet.”
I might be able to get 5’ wide, but that’d probably be it.
5’ will buy you 28" radius. Those cars would be happy on 28’ Radius…but dont go any smaller.
David B
I was thinking 26" radius becuase I want to add a second track at my station-One is plain old boring. I think I could even squeze a 27" radius guy in there.