who seems to have the best Pennsy passenger cars in HO? Please no brass but a good looking set to go with my Pennsylvania engines like my T1.
“Best” is in the eye of the beholder. AHM/Rivarossi used to carry a number of PRR Broadway Limited cars that were actual Pennsy prototypes, not just smooth side cars with tuscan red paint. They are nice looking and are still seen at swap meets (in fact if I ever get my rear in gear I have, shall we say, intimate knowledge of some that will be sold at swap meets or an MR classified ad). The Walthers Broadway cars probably show up at swap meets too. BLI itself has a variety of P70 coaches.
I seem to recall that some of the trains the T1 handled were very “head end” oriented night trains. So maybe it is not just passenger cars you should be looking for.
Dave Nelson
Centrailia Car Shops make the P85B 48 seat coaches which is a PRR exclusive car. It is a smoothside coach and comes in two paint schemes and they are beautiful cars.
I would not count on the BLI P70 coaches anytime soon considering their past history on delivering models. Walther’s has also announced the P70 coaches also. Botchman also makes a P70 series of cars but they are not well regarded due to a number of errors.
Rick J
To see what has been available in HO, go to the Walthers web site and search under the categories “passenger cars”, and “HO”, and use PRR as your search term. Be sure to search for “all” and check the box for “discontinued items”. A great many Pennsy passenger cars have been produced, but most are out of stock/discontinued. Walthers has a PRR express reefer and a B60 baggage car, both of which are excellent models and currently available. MTH currently offers PRR heavyweight cars in sets. They are very pretty, but pricey. The 70’ baggage car and the parlor-observation cars are models of PRR prototypes, and that road had many, many 12-1 sleepers. For head-end equipment, don’t overlook X29 boxcars, of which hundreds were used in express service. Walthers and Red Caboose have offered X29 express boxcars. Other responses covered additional PRR cars that may not show up in a search on the Walthers site.
Better yet go to keystone crossings web sit and you will find every car made and how close it is to the prototype As well as what modifications are needed. It will be in the passenger file section.
Riverossi produced a lot of PRR livery passenger equipment that shows up at train shows at modest prices. They usually need to have their “pie cutter” wheels replaced and more weight added as they are very light out of the box. They have talgo style couplers with very long tongues that should be replaced with body mounted Kaydees. Athern Blue Box passenger cars are overall smaller than the Riverossi’s and need less work. They have a streamlined set in PRR tuscan which is incorrect but if you paint them silver while leaving the name band the original color and put some small keystone decals on them they make a nice Congressional/Senator train at a reasonable price. Diaphrams and Kaydee’s can be added for extra pizazz.
P70 kits from Alco Models show up on ebay occasionally.
P70 kits usually have extremely warped roofs and trucks that roll about as good as a brick. Both bli and walthers have announced several variations with input from the prrt&hs. Serious PRR modelers are breathing into paper bags to get over their excitement.
Adding to the happiness, Walthers has announced a re-issue of the Broadway Limited.
One change from the original offering is the Modern tail sign on the observation, a 5 double bedroom, buffet lounge, and a different version of the BM70 baggage mail, as well as E8s done in the single stripe paint scheme.