Hi all,
Can anyone recommend passenger cars that will navigate an 18" radius realistically? I’m thinking 50-60 ft cars would do it. None of the catalogs give the length of passenger cars.
Tom
I am using Spectrum heavy weights and once I put shelf couplers on them they work fine. The prototype people think they look funny, but I like them. I also have some Athern shorter cars, but the detail is not as good, and they don’t run any better.
The Athearn cars are shorties specifically designed to go around 18" curves. Rivarossi made a set of shorties (box of 4 for $99) based on a CNW prototype a few years ago, but don’t confuse these with their normal cars. Their normal cars are full length and will go around 18" curves because of the pivoting hooks but they look really stupid. And then there are the ummm MDC/Roundhouse 50’ and 34’ old fashion passenger cars that would work. I don’t know if Horizon has re-released these or not.
I think Model Power makes some shorties but I wouldn’t recommend those to my enemies.
Right now the industry trend is to make scale length passenger cars that have a hard time on 24" radius curves.
Realistically?
Trolley cars. They are the only prototype ones designed to around that sharp of curves.
Dave H.
Or subways. The Walthers / Life-Like set works fine on 18-inch. The new green set comes with installed end gates. They look a lot like the ones I got from Images Replicas, and those barely clear 18" curves with the same gates on the adjacent car. I don’t think they’d work on 15’s with the end gates, though.
I picked up an athern passenger car. I measured it and it was 70’. It went around the 18’ radius fine. Ther didn’t seem to be a tremendous overhang. I have a bridge coming out of a curve. I had to remove some of the struts because the front edge of the car clipped them. Now it works fine. Thanks all for the info
Tom
You didn’t really say whether you were interested in heavyweights or streamliner/lightweights; I don’t think I have ever heard of any shorty heavyweights - unless, of course, they were shorties such as 60 and 70 foot head-end cars in the first place - but several manufacturers of streamliner/lightweights have put out shorties. Athearn is one of these; another is Herkimer who manufactures their flute sided cars in 60 and 80 foot lengths. They have been around since Custer was a cadet and are marketed under the brand name of OK Streamliners. Herkimer Tool and Die runs frequent advertisements in the more popular hobby press periodicals and, at one time, Walthers handled them.
Well not all passenger cars (especially heavyweights) were 80’ long. The Walthers / Rivarossi 60’ heavyweights are all based on real cars - many railroads used 60’ RPO and Baggage cars, and their coach and combine are based on “Utility” cars used by C&NW. A downside with the model is they use body-mounted couplers, so even as short as they are, they might have trouble with 18"R curves in HO.
IIRC, Athearn’s RPO is 63’ and Baggage car is 67’, and their Coach is 70’ - all correct for the ATSF prototypes they’re based on. Their Diner, Pullman sleeper and Observation cars are 70’ shortened versions of prototype 80’ long cars. They use truck-mounted couplers and should go around 18" curves with no problem.
MDC/Roundhouse made 60’ Harriman round-roof cars, I believe some were based on actual 60’ cars and some were shortened. They are good cars with truck-mounted couplers, the removeable roofs make it easy to detail the interiors.
Rivarossi cars are harder to find now, but are all built full size (as far as I know) but are made with truck mounted couplers; I know they can go around a 22"R curve (even the 80’ ones) and I think can do 18"R too…but won’t look very good doing it!!
For streamlined/lightweights, Athearn’s 70’ cars are used by many people, not sure but I’ve heard the detailing is a little convoluted (part Budd, part P-S I guess) but they can result in a nice looking train. Con-Cor makes 72’ and full length cars in a variety of styles and paintschemes, but they have been cutting back their production and it might be a little harder to find them.
Hey Everyone-thanks for all the input. Today I boughtthe athern cars and thet work very well.
Tom