Been looking on the web trying to figure out how long some of the passenger cars are. I model in n scale. Have been looking at two different car sets, both from Kato, and finally found an artical about the Morning Daylight real cars at 77’ and some change. I could handle this length on what I’m building. The other set is the City of LA, UP. Doe’s anyone know the length of these cars and perhaps what couplers are on them? I have nothing to go by here in Alaska except this pc and you fine people.
Thanks for any help. Scookam
PS. I guess I’ll look for matching dcc equiped locos someday as I’ve not been able to find anything in that regard, as a package.
Although this is an N scale question on passengers cars, I model in HO scale where passenger cars are normally in the 85’ range, but there are also “shorty” cars in the 70’ range and even 60’ range.
Our N scale PRR 's are about the 6.5 inches long, if not longer. We use the 12+"R curves for them.
Yes there are shorty cars {IF you can find them} in N scale…they are like the HO scale Old fashioned ones. We have some of those too…AND the “tourist RR cars” as well, which are “shorties”. We aquired both our N scale Old Fashioned shorties and Tourist shorites at the Strasburg Model Railroad shop in Strasburg, PA at the Strasburg Railroad. I think, without digging them out, they are Rio Grande &Western?
Thanks Guy’s. So I reckon my 14" radius curves will be ok? 6.5" is pretty long though when I look at all the curved tunnel portals I have on the lower to upper deck helix. Might have to do a little more widening in these areas. I really really want to order one of these Kato sets so I can go ahead on the final foam carving. My longest rig is an sd-60 at 71 ft. and this is what I have used as a gauge until now.
So I ask for opinions. Which one of these sets has longer cars and which one is cooler looking.
Hmm…I went hunting for our N scale Kato PRR passenger cars…they are packed away until after TG when they should come out to play on the under the table top Christmas Tree Layout.
But, Like all good things packed away, they are not in the “easy to find just now” category. SOmewhere around here are others as well. [PRR passenger cars unknown length but 6inches give/take is about right}.
What we had was the Kato PRR passenger/commuter set package to go with the PRR GG1{Tuscan Red} they came out with last year in like March. {good thing I ordered the loco in March for My Other Half when MOH mentioned it as a fav, as it was no longer available by Christmas} and then with gift money we bought the extention passenger car kit- which I looked for online. It is 1} no longer available {so good thing we ordered it after Christmas last year} and so 2} it doesn’t tell me how long they are and 3} I don’t think the length was in the description anyway.
The cars will run on the 12+"R radius, which I bought for the GG1 to negotiate Over the 11.75"r max we HAD on the layout. We have no tunnels or obstacles close to the tracks for it to run into to.
Some Heavyweight Passenger cars now available online are listed at 83 scale feet long, longer than your 71footer loco-that might present you a problem:
the only thing I can tell you to get an accurate idea is to either A} ask for anybody who has the specific passenger cars you wish to get to give you accurate measurements and cut out a piece of paper to represent them B} Buy them anyway and test them, return if necessary- be sure to read return policy carefully C} Select the “coolest looking” ones to you so you will be happy if they require some layout modifications to operate D} select the ones that list the length {or someone w
As you never know what length cars you eventually will have, make a template car at a maximum length. It’s quite simple, cut a piece of styrene to the known standard width and a maximum 90 or 95 foot length, (don’t forget car carriers, 85 foot box cars and the long TTX flats in case you ever get any of them). Then install a set of trucks. To measure your clearances for the inner part of the curve, hold a pencil or marker at the middle of the template, roll the template car while marking the roadbed, for the outside clearance, hold the pencil at the far ouside corner of the template, roll and mark the outside roadbed and voila, you’ll have the needed clearances marked. I always build to maximum clearances to plan for any possible future situations, this goes for height clearnces as well, I use car carriers and double stack packs as gauges for these measurements as they are taller and longer than passenger cars.