The graphic that I find:
http://www.trainweb.org/mccann/trains28.htm
of the Soo Line LAKER on that site is almost exclusively heavyweight, with the exception of what appears to be a Pennsy lightweight on the end. Not what I call streamlined.
Ed
ATSF Guy:
Of course we all have our own favorites, and I do respect your preferences. However, I question your choice of the Manhattan Limited as a PRR representative (#12 on your list). For one thing, the eastbound consist was different from the westbound, so which one do we choose? Yes, several cars were the same, but 3 modernized 12-1 sleepers were operated eastbound only. Similarly, mail storage cars were operated in both directions, but 3 BM70 baggage mail cars and one M70 mail car were operated eastbound only. Iâd like to see those head end cars and modernized sleepers on the market, but maybe the Manhattan Limited isnât the best vehicle.
In addition, the train handled P70GSR, P70KR, and P85BR coaches, a diner, and a âColonialâ 3BR-1DR-Buffet car in both directions. These would also require new tooling. B60 baggage cars, X29 express cars, and 10-5 sleepers are the only Manhattan Limited cars that are or have been available from Walthers. The additional cars would be nice additions to the hobby shop shelves, but Iâm not convinced that Walthers or any other supplier would be willing to invest in that much new tooling for a train that wasnât so famous.
In my earlier post, I mistakenly mentioned the General in place of the Liberty Limited. I corrected that with an edit 3/12/16. I suggested this train, plus the Spirit of St. Louis and the Cincinnati Limited, because new tooling would be needed for only a couple cars. This would also make it possible to represent trains on both the PRRâs Chicago line and St. Louis line, for those who want to be geographically specific.
Tom
(edited with correction 3/12/16)
ACY
Sorry about the PRR trains, I didnât know the Manhattan Limited had a low appeal or some of itâs coaches and diner cars would require new molds to make up a complete protypical train.
Santa Fe is my Road, but I research other railroads and thier streamliners as well.
That Roundhouse Site is great for reference if you want to see what different streamliners looked like during that particular decade.
On another forum, I saw a thread titled âWhere to find HO Scale Southern Passenger Carsâ.
Is the âCrescent Limitedâ a popular streamliner?
The SOO never owned any streamlined passenger cars but did have one or two streamlined baggage cars. As Ed has mentioned, those Gif images are all six axle heavy weights with the exception of the last car. A Pennsilvania car on the end of the Laker does not seem plausable. A CP car would have been more believable.
Take it with a grain of salt as those are GIF images and not actual photographs.
Soo Line Jim
The Soo Line had an overnight passenger train called the âWinnipegerâ. It ran from 1928-1967.
Type in Soo Line âWinnipegerâ on Google if you donât believe me.
The SOO certainly had a train called the Winnipeger.
But it wasnât a streamliner.
The SOO only had two streamlined cars: #10 and #11. They were baggage cars. They got them in 1963 and retired them in 1967.
You canât make much of a streamlined train out of baggage cars. Even if you run both of them together.
Ed
I shouldnât have added the Soo Line âLakerâ to my list. 7j43k is right, Itâs not a streamliner, but a heavyweight train with just one PRR car on the tail. And with those Geeps on the head-end, it looks like 2 freight locomotives pulling 11 plain express cars with that only Pullman sleeper trailing.
Mabye I should have selected the DRGW âRoyal Gorgeâ as number 12 on that list
The website I used for reference may just be GIF Images, but you have to admit it shows off colorful trains, passenger cars, and locomotives in a creative and imaginitive way. [:)]
1 Like
I agree, itâs a fun site, though not one to be take too seriously.
Ed
When I first discovered the site, some of the trains had wierd names, one is called âDirigoâ, another is âCranberryâ, âTippecanoeâ, and one SPS train was called âStreamlinerâ. [(-D]
I later looked up all four trains and it made sense after that.
A suggest.
Take a look at OK Engines & Streamliners Web-Site (A.K.A. Herkimer).
Reasonably priced kits and they DO CUSTOM CAR SIDES.
Proudly Made in the United States of America!
Run Eight
Cool site, however I could not find a âproduct listâ, ordering button, or any photo gallery of completed models.
Also the models appear to look somewhat smaller than walthers cars
I know there are ACL, FEC, GM&O, L&N, SAL, SOU modelers out there who are longing for a manufacturer to release a streamliner with passenger cars from one of those roads to run on thier layout.
Someday it will happen.
The problem is not what you want or âneedâ it is, for 99% of the passenger modelers/historians the fact that they donât know what they are looking at or for. This is not at all meant to be derogative, it is simply fact. A freight modeler knows a Viking from a Murphy roof. You start talking about roofs, trucks, end and such to those interested in passenger topics and their eyes start rolling. Be interested enough to speak intelligently about the subject such that manufacturers (and those that influence same) will listen.
Go to RPM meets and prior to the meets ask for topics related to your interest. OTW, we will continue to see passenger trains and equipment relegated to rolling scenery with no true hope of influencing manufacturers.
There are knowledgeable presenters who need input - and interested audiences. Most passenger topics get (the same) 10 people (or less!). Send in topics. Attend clinics! Find out WHY certain cars havenât been made or certain regions seem to be underrepresented. Find out WHY the cars some want are NOT what you think they are (most IC âtail carsâ (sic) were HW rebuilds - not lightweights). Find out the difference between streamstyled, streamlined, modernized, betterments, lightweights, etc. Find out why the old Riv HW donât âmatchâ current offerings (and why NERS parts donât always work) Donât be turned off by corrections or explanations - or donât complain about the lack of âyourâ interest or needs.
For instance - the number 1 car needs for the 1912 to 1969 era is a Common Standard 60â baggage/mail storage car - SC&F has come out with some resin kits. But these cars were everywhere on most roads. There are photos of SP cars in Boston, New York, Baltimore, Washington, Richmond, Jacksonville, New Orleans, Atlanta, etc.
I know this is an old post, but I didnât see anybody answer this question directly.
Thatâs a good question. They donât. Each manufacturer is different, but it comes down to perceived demand. But most of the time theyâll explore the possibility by looking online, talking to customers at shows, and from historical societies.
Passenger cars are more expensive to manufacture than a freight car. Even if youâre doing simplified underframes and no interior, itâs a larger car, and has windows. But nowadays people expect an interior, and a decent amount of detail under the car too.
There are an enormous number of passenger car prototypes, but few of those are used across multiple roads. Which means that instead of selling to the entire modeling community for the appropriate era, youâve limited yourself to modelers of a couple of roads, if not a single road. They do run for a long time, so you can cover a number of eras and different paint schemes which is a plus.
Each manufacturer has their own quantity minimums, but letâs say you need to sell 2,000 units to break even. Thatâs a lot of cars to sell to a small number of modelers on spec.
And thatâs the ultimate problem, the manufacturer has to pay out all of the money first, in the hopes that theyâll sell enough to get their money back. If they donât, they may be in significant financial trouble. Tooling for a passenger car can run upwards of $100,000+. You may also be paying development costs (R&D, CAD, etc.). Then you have to pay for the production run. Maybe anothe
Me? Oh, they probably make them in HO, but what I remember is the sheer size of these things.
I had a GG-1 and a few coaches in Lionel O scale when I was a kid. I still see a coach now and then at a train show, and I always stop to admire it. There was just something awe inspiring about them.
Iâve acquired a non-prototypical consist of streamliners, which gives me some of that same happiness, but they will never match the Lionels.
So I guess weâll never see an HO Scale Southern Crescent or Hummningbird then?
Really itâs too bad, The manufacturers could release a few nich roadnames alongside the standard tired fare that way sales wonât be affected too much.
These niche roads give my collection some texture and delay the repetition. I also like to see the unusal/homebuilt cabooses each road had.
Perhaps freight cars sell better than passenger cars?
I really want the Branchline Undecorated Heavywieght Observation and Baggage cars that were never made. An RPO would be nice too. I know they will never exist, and that fact saddens me.
.
Other than that, I am happy. One of the endless advantages to freelancing is that I always have a model available that exactly matches what my prototype used.
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-Kevin
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DL&W âBoontonâ coaches and combines. They are currently used on the Arcade and Attica Railroad. Funero and Camerlengo once offered them, but for the past 13 years they have been âin the works.â
I am surprised a mass produced NYC heavyweight baggage car didnât follow the PRR B70 baggage Walthers made (thank you Walthers!) Not data to support this, but its got to be one of the most common baggage cars. Harriman would probably be next. Mail and Express trains are neat - and you can probably mix a few foreign road cars to add variety.
Bethlehem Car Works sells the NYC baggage car you may be thinking of.The baggage car is kit #1230 and the RPO is #1240. The kit has brass sides and no trucks or couplers, but they would be 4 axle type. Once saw the baggage car as a ready to run item but they made very few of them. Would love it if Walthers sold them as plastic ready to run. They would sell very nicely!
Amen â could really use some Lackawanna Boonton commuter coaches to go with my F-M Trainmasters