Old time passenger cars

Model Railroader General Discussion (Model Railroader)
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Hello all. Im looking for a couple of old time pass. cars. I am planning on running a scenic passenger tour on my layout. Walthers seems to be out of everything. I will need something for 18 in. radius. I want to pull a couple of cars with an O6O if you guys think it will pull a couple of 2% grades. Ant other places I can look or maybe Walthers has something I can use for the tight radius. Thanks for any ideas. Dave

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Scale?

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Sorry guys its HO scale.

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I got my Overton and Overland kits from,

PF&S Railway Co.

560 lone road

Pasco, Wa. 99301

509 266 4384

He has a lot of old stock and many road names from which to choose.

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How old? There’s heavy weight Pullmans and there’s old time Wild West stuff.

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I want something that will negotiate 18 in radius. I prefer something that is sort of open air maybe. thanks Dave

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Dave, that is exactly what I am wanting to do. I am in the process of buying a set of four cars from another member of these forums. They are in kit form and I will try my hand at putting them together and painting them. Good luck with your search, let me know how it turnes out. Mike

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You should checkout the Durango & Silverton RR website they sell HO versions of some of there trains passenger cars in the gift shop. Not sure who makes them but they are really nice looking car’s [:)]

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Roundhouse sells all sorts of passenger cars that are old time and might be exactly what you are looking for. The are part of Athearn (Horizon) - Nevin

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I guess it depends (as someone mentioned) how old you think “old time” is. If it’s a modern-day tourist line, it would be using old heavyweight cars like Athearn’s ATSF style cars, or maybe the MDC/Athearn 60’ Harriman cars. Both types of cars will work fine on 18" curves, but the MDC cars would look a little better being shorter.

MDC’s 50’ Pullman cars would be good for an “old west” themed tourist line, or maybe an early tourist line set in the 1930’s-1940’s.

Keep in mind before recent insurance “issues” many tourist lines and fantrip operators had open cars like gondolas (or even flatcars) fitted with chairs for people to ride in. Even Great Northen had an “observation car” made from a gondola car and used it for trains going thru scenic areas like the Rockies. CP had something similar, but I think it had a roof.

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For 18’ radius, these MDC (now Horizon) cars should fill the bill:

Any of these cars are available with either the regular clerestory roof, as on the baggage/mail car and the combine, or with the older duck-bill style as on the coach. These cars are all about 56’ long. Mine are in work train service, hence the drab paint scheme. They were replaced in passenger service by cars like these, which are also from MDC. At 80’, they’re not very suitable for 18" radii:

Wayne

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This guy has an assortment of the shorter Overton car kits. Call him. I have dealt with a few times. He probably can put together a matching pair. It is a little difficult to find the shorter ones. I like and run the shorter ones. The Roundhouse/MDC old time Overland 50 foot cars “might” be a little long for the radius you want. Caboose Hobbies has a set of the 50 footers but four to a set. All they have right now is Southern Pacific.

http://www.caboosehobbies.com/catalog/advanced_search_result.php?scales_name=HO+Scale&roadnames_name=&categories_id=126&inc_subcat=1&manufacturers_id=567&keyword2=&sku=&osCsid=74a093f7efaa84ebf5be9180c9734e6f&maxrow=50&x=19&y=6

http://www.jaystrains.com/HO-HOn3/Rolling%20Stock/HO%20Rolling%20Stock/hors-st1.htm

MB Klein has the Roundhouse 50 footers, one a piece, for a good price.

http://www.modeltrainstuff.com/category_s/401.htm

Rich

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.Thanks everyone for all your help. You havent let me down yet. Ill keep you posted on what I came up with. Thanks Dave

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Check these out:

http://www.modelpower.com/index.asp?PageAction=VIEWCATS&Category=112

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Bachman makes the oldest passenger cars I know of, John Bull, dawn of railroading era.

Second oldest are Mantuas, 1860 ~34 foot curved roof truss rod era in the Walther’s catalog but maybe not readily available.

Next oldest would be the MDC and the Model Power clerestory roof “OT” cars, both circa 1880-1890. The MPs are nice but have gauge problems with the axels. The MDCs are 34 footers, the Model Powers about 42 scale feet.

MDC also makes a very nice set of 50’ Overtons that my gut says are newer yet, say 1900-1910.

Many manufacturers make the 1920-1930 heavyweights, including but not limited to Athearn (BB) and Rivarossi. Both are shorter than prototype, the Rivvies run 60’ and call the Athearn’s 65 feet, give or take. The Rivarossi’s are flat beautiful models, with interiors, and if my guess is correct, can be picked up here and there at clearance, around $19 per set, while list was around $120.

All the above run on our 18 inch curves, but the Athearns are just a fuzz long to make it through one tunnel. They overhang just a little bit too much.

All the above (with the exception of the Bachmans, we don’t run them that old) were somewhat difficult to obtain. Out of production, some were found in back corners of distribution warehouses by searching, some were ordered limited supply from Walthers, some bought at train shows, etc. I think the MDC 50’ Overtons are a recent run, but a limited run too, because they aren’t exactly falling off trees.

Keep an eye on Cherry Creek Hobbies, Jay’s trains in Florida, and shows, and don’t wait around when you find what you want. They seem to be getting scarcer with time.