Hi Folks,
I recently retired, and got back in the hobby (HO scale) after about a 10 year hiatus. I’m in great shape for locomotives, and I recently converted a beautiful brass Overland NYC T-2 motor to DCC. As we speak, it is happily pulling a string of exceedingly crappy NYC passenger cars.
Who makes really nice passenger cars these days? I only need a few, so don’t mind spending a fair amount for them. I model NYC (and Rutland), early 1900’s to 1950’s.
Thanks much,
Steve
Many people are happy with the Walthers cars, many with the Spectrums. These are ready to roll cars. I am particular to Branchline cars that need assembled, which can be trying at times with all the small fragile parts but I do love the challenge, and it allows for individual weathering of the components before assembly. Branchline does have RTR cars as well. All of these can be found on E-bay for reasonable costs MOST of the time. Sometimes they are priced at MSRP, and after shipping/handling charges it is only benificial for a car that you really want and cannot find otherwise. If you have a hobby store close by, they should have the Walthers flyer even if they do not stock the cars. It’s a good place to start to see the different roadnames and styles.
My passenger car fleet has some Athearn heavyweights, which are quite good looking and not too short. Then I have some all wood Northeastern coach kits, fun to build, and some IHC streamliners. The IHC’s are better after installing metal wheels, ballast, interiors and interior lighting, and some paint. The nicest (and most expensive) car I have is a Walther’s streamlined sleeper.
Since your era covers both heavyweight (all the way thru 1950) and lightwieght (1940s), what are you looking for? Are you looking for plasitc, brass or both. Are you looking for RTR or cars that may require some work? Sorry for all the questions but it helps to narrow the focus. Branchline and Walthers both make good looking heavywieghts. Walthers also has the 20th Century Limited cars but not sure they were used in the service that a T-2 would be used in.
There are other companies that have parts to make more accurate cars like http://www.nkpcarco.com/ and http://www.brasscarsides.com/.
Ricky
Thanks guys,
I really enjoy building craftsman kits; I’ll take a look at Branchline. I also have some Athern and IHC cars, I should consider upgrading them as you described.
Walther’s cars seem nice but I’ve read mixed reviews. I guess that’s always the case.
Any more ideas/suggestions are solicited!
Steve
Rapido Trains coaches are definitely some of the best out there (the interior and underbody detail is unmatched!), all with installed interior lighting. If you’re looking for lightweight coaches (so later in the time period you mentioned), they have done several for NYC and have more on the way. According to their master product listing, Rapido has done a lightweight coach, a duplex sleeper, a café-bar-lounge, a 10-5 sleeper, a baggage car, a buffet-parlour, a 6-6-4 sleeper, as well as a steam generator car, all decorated for NYC (two-tone grey). Their website here will show their upcoming products, and you can check with various hobby shops (and eBay if you want) for their past offerings. I have several of their other cars, and they are fantastic.
Walthers’ cars are alright too (I have 9 of their Budd cars, which I’m very happy with), although they need quite a bit of work if you want the interior to look right, do not have lighting installed, lack most underbody detail, and have limited other details. Still, they beat ConCor, IHC, etc. cars by a mile any day. I hear Branchline’s products are supposed to be great too, albeit with some work. Some of the old Rivarossi heavy-weights are okay as well.
MTH should be releasing 2 NYC streamlined passenger sets this year. Judging by the Daylight passenger cars that are coming out they should be very respectable in all aspects. From the passenger service fan, as yours truly, I would say they have one feature that puts them untouchable by any of the offering on the market today - track powered constant lighting. They are the first company to finally put the capacitor in a passenger car so it doesn’t flicker. Lighting is essential to the passenger car if you want to populate it with people and objects. To me, populated passenger cars, pulled by a nice streamlined diesel or steamer, are the best part of railroading - real or modeled [:D]
Thanks Ricky,
I enjoy building and tweaking, but I’m happy to purchase nice RTR. And I could be tempted to purchase an occasional brass model, too. I have the MTH Dreyfus Hudson, I’ll be anxious to see what their 20th Century car set looks like when it comes out. I also have a BLI J1 Hudson, a “lightning stripe” RS-3, Proto 2000 E7, etc. etc. Quite a mix.
I have a few of Sweetland’s NYC books; I’ll need to study them to get a better focus on what’s prototypically correct (although I’m hardly a purist).
I’ll check your links!
Thanks,
Steve
We need some information from you. What is the minimum radius curve that you will be running these cars over? Most of the prototypical passenger cars, because of their length, have trouble on tight turns. 18-inch curves are impossible, and 22-inch curves are marginal for most of them.
I personally have 18-inch curves to deal with space restrictions. I have a set of Rivarossi cars, which are shorter models but still very nice. They have body-mounted couplers, but they are mounted on swing brackets which lets the cars negotiate the tighter curves without derailing.
Excellent point. 24 inch minimum.
Thanks,
Steve
If you don’t mind working on cars, the Walthers passenger cars are a good start. You do have to check a few things on them, like truck clearance at the skirting, coupler height, and wheel gauge. You also have to install grab irons yourself, though they’ve recently announced that future runs will have grabs installed. Oh, and I’d definitely replace the diaphragms with the ones made for Walthers cars by American Limited Models. Walthers’ diaphragms are okay, but they’re way too stiff. ALM’s are much more flexible. Also plan on spending a bit of time painting the interiors if you want nicely detailed cars…they come cast in tan plastic.
I’ve spent a good deal of time working on my passenger cars, and I think it was well worth the effort.
Arjay, would you mind posting a link or a number for the American Limited diaphragm that fits Walthers streamlined. I know that AL diaphragms are nicer looking, but now sure if they are direct replacement and how good is their clearances - Walthers diaphragms touch on straight track which kicks realism up a notch for me.
Don’t look at me, I don’t like passenger cars anymore. I was just at the train museum and walked through CBQ 1269 and UP dome/diner 8003. I almost had to turn to make it through the hallways. I barely fit, one shoulder touching one wall the other shoulder touching the other wall. I was glad when I got into the CBQ car areas that weren’t rooms/roomettes, I actually fit lol.
You may have to look hard for IHC cars as they went out of business last fall [xx(]; I know the interior kits for common styles of interior have virtually disappaered. [|(] Search the internet and larger stores as well as used equipment tables at train shows. Con-Cor cars are similar in quality to IHC.
Steve… Since you’re a NYC fan and have the Dreyfus Hudson, I’d opt for the NYC cars from MTH …they’re ready to go out of the package, have capacitor-controlled flicker-free lighting already installed, and for the cost, have the best interior/exterior detail of anything out there.
PLUS: the paint will perfectly match the locomotive.
The MTH 2010 #2 Catalog lists these cars and shows some photos of upcoming releases…these are due out later this summer.
I’ve already received my first of the SP Daylight cars and they do not disappoint!
Here are a few URL links to get you the the NYC cars :
http://www.mthtrains.com/content/80-60021 5-Car Passenger Set (1938)Car Numbers/Names:
RPO Car - Dormitory-Lounge Coach - Diner Car - 17 Roomette Sleeper Car - Observation - Product Number: 80-60021 M.S.R.P. $ 329.95
http://www.mthtrains.com/content/80-60022 4-4-2 Sleeper Passenger Car-New York Central(1938)
Car Name: TBA Product Number: 80-60022 M.S.R.P. $ 69.95
http://www.mthtrains.com/content/80-60017 5-Car Passenger Set (1940) Car Numbers/Names:
RPO Car - 5017 - Dormitory-Lounge Coach - Century Lounge - Diner Ca
I haven’t used the ones for Walthers cars yet, but I’m betting that they’re set up the way the rest of their diaphragms are, in which case they’ll touch like the Walthers ones without the huge amount of pressure that the Walthers have. Here’s their web page on diaphragms:
http://www.americanlimitedmodels.com/diaphragms.htm
They have two different versions…one to fit ACF/Pullman cars, and one to fit Budd cars.
I have the recently released Concor MP54’s and love them. They come with interior lighting installed.
Steve, I’ve read just about every thread covering the Walthers passenger cars. IMHO, these cars are a good cut-above the streamlined IHC and Athearn passenger cars. I have a small fleet of Walthers Budds and Pullman Standard cars and have been very happy with them. As recommended by experienced modelers, it’s always best to check and test each car before putting it into service…just like the prototype railroads.
[A] Check wheels, and wheel gauges. With the car upside down, roll the wheels and make certain no axles are bent.
[B] Install Kadee couplers (longer shanks if your curves are smaller than 24")
[C ] Check the coupler height.
[D] Loosen the truck screws on one side only, remove the axles and lubricate the journals. I very strongly recommend Moly-Magic over Labelle hands down. Very durable, won’t ooze out and since it contains graphite, it enhances electrical current pickup for lighting kits.
Long time modeler CMarchand recommends checking the top of each screw for burrs. File smooth if any are found.
E. Check that the contact springs under the body are not a
Anyone have pictures of American Limited on the recent Walthers streamlined cars? I’m not sure how they actually attached and work in operation. AL website has a few picture samples, but they are small and I’m not sure if they show Walthers recent streamlined cars.
Walthers diaphragms attach to the body via tabs and touch opposing diaphragm by pressure of the plastic springs. If AL models look better and stay touched I have no problems spending time to assemble ans install them.
Also I see they diaphragms for F7 Althearn units, what about Walthers Proto 2000?
I am not as qualified as some others here are as to say which passenger is “The best” But I can say without hesitation don’t fall in to the trap that many of us have by buying lower end or just plain cheap cars such as IHC had made for years and spending money on them for things like metal wheels sets, and interior kits and then body mounted couplers and adding weight etc. To only wind up with a mediocre car in the end. I’ll support my argument with this example. I completed laying 12 feet of mainline track that runs around the outside perimeter of the new yard I am building on the layout. Well I’ve gotten into this habit of double and triple checking my track work before I call it done. Using tack laying gauges and of course my trusty NMRA gauge. My final test before running a locomotive on it has been to run one of my heavy weight passenger cars by it self on the new track. Well I pulled out an IHC heavy weight just because it was the closets one with in reach put it on the tracks and gave it a little push with my finger. Ran ok til it got to one point and I just didn’t like the way it was negotiating the curve so I got the tools back out and checked everything perfect so what was the problem. I thought for a bit and walked over and reached for a Proto 100 ton hopper ran through like a dream, so I picked up a Spectrum and an Athearn heavy weight and both sailed down the section of newly laid track and around the bend like a dream couldn’t have asked for any better performance. So my conclusion was/is it was the car maybe a wheel out of gauge etc. did a full check on it the next morning and everything was well with in NMRA specs. Weight, wheels you name it. So I guess it’s just the poor workmanship and or inferior design of the cheaper car compared to that of the higher end cars that is the difference. Just to avoid any other possible conclusions I tried a Rapid passenger car and a brass Overland Models passenger car and it was smooth as silk. Wish I could say with out hesitation that X is the best car