I have just pre-ordered the HO Berkshire 2-8-4 Pere Marquette so that I can start to build my kids a ‘polar express’ train. My question is, what passenger cars are available that would make for a reasonably close (doesn’t need to be exact) setup?
Thanks
Scott
Your doing the same thing Im going to do.
Since I am on a budget I was going to use IHC heavyweight coaches with an open platform obs on the end. Your going to need 4 coaches and the obs. If you want to go over the top, the latest Walthers Offerings should do the trick.
Since my need for a budget I was also going to purchase a secondhand Rivorossi 2-8-4 as well. Still havn;t found the right combonation of red and green to paint the cars yet. But Its a Green Main body with a Red Window strip with white “POLAR EXPRESS” lettering Justified Centered On the lower side panels of the car.
Let me know how your project turns out.
James
Are you sure it’s green, James? I own the Lionel O guage Polar Express set, and the cars are more grayish with a dark apple red stripe, atleast to me. A suitible substitute for the cars in HO would be the Walthers 4 axle heavyweight coaches. The Polar Express cars are odd in looking like regular heavyweights, but have 4 axle trucks. I’m almost possitive the Walthers cars will work fine.
You guys have good taste in modeling the Pol Ex! I plan to get one of the new P2K Berkshire’s with sound (if they ever come out) and renumber it for Pere Marquette #1225, which was the locomotive used for the movie. I chased this locomotive last December and it was unlike anything I’d ever done before. Steam rules!!![:D]
My basis for modeling the train is taken directly from watching the movie itself. I have not seen the Lionel offering and thus have not worried about comparing colors with that. What I am seeing is green could be partly based on personal biased. Old Pullman style cars like that are typically pullman/olive green. As well as green has traditionally been one of the colors used to symbolise Christmas. While traditional Pullman/Olive green is definatly not the right color for the Polar Express Cars, I think painting the car with a “Beret” green color with the apple red window sash would come out looking very good and pretty close to what is shown in the movie.
I to had considered the P2k Berkshire. However I can not afford the $275 I have seen for it, and I can find fixer upper Rivorossi Berks on Ebay in the $50-$75 range. Even though steam is long gone in the era I model, Some things like the Polar Express just have to be modeled.
James.
Most any heavywieght passenger cars should look good repainted, but their is one feature that will be difficult to reproduce. In the book, movie and on Lionel’s set the observation car has an open platform with a boattail or rounded shape. I wouldn’t quibble over using a regular platform observation, but the boattail surtainly sets the Polar Express apart.
Just one of the compromises we would have to make.
James
The Lionel Polar Express passenger cars are colored “teal”, which is light blue with a hint of green.
As I reacalled from the original Christ Van Alsburg book, the cars were pretty much dead ringers for EL streamline smooth-side coaches. The engine was also a Heavy USRA-ish 4-8-2. Never saw the movie, I’m guessing then changed out the Mountain for a Berkshire and turned the cars from gray and maroon to green and maroon? Cheers! ~METRO
Thanks for all your help. Yeah I broke down and pre-ordered the P2K with DCC and sound - #1235 - so hopefully it will be easy to change it over to #1225…
Will have to keep searching for the passenger cars…
Thanks!
The cars depicted in Van Allsburg’s book were almost exactly E-L smoothsides. Incidentally, there was no observation car in the book. The last car in the train was just another coach.
The Erie Lackawana comes pretty close.
As we all know, HO is the most widely modeled “size” in model railroading.
And Lionel has offered HO model trains in the past… as recent as 3 years ago (SP Challenger).
There have been rumors of an HO Polar Express in the near future.
So… will there? Or, won’t there? Would you purchase one?
Okay, I know I am being ana! about this, but unless I was modelling an excursion train, I would not buy any 2-8-4 Berk for passenger use. It bugs me that Hollywood does crap like this. Why they couldn’t do just a little bit of research… why they wouldn’t WANT to do a little bit of research and get it right, escapes me.
Oh come on Virginian, " Its just a Holiday Movie!!!" Kevin
I already have the Polar Express for my grandsons! (OK, watch the purists blow up at this!) I have a Walthers gray HW UP diner with a WS hobo & campfire on the roof & kids inside, followed by a Bachmann HW coach & HW Obs with kids inside and Santa on the platform, now get this, pulled by my UP Challenger!! OK, let it rip!! I don’t care if it’s the real thing or not - the kids love it!! (and so do I!!)[:D]
By the early reviews, go ahead & use Athearn’s UP N Challenger. It may be the best Nscale steamer, period. When you take in the level of detail, the ability to run either on DC or DCC, plus sound, it takes Nscale steam to a new level. Too bad the only passenger cars Athearn has to go with it would be a combo of both Overton & Overland ex-MDC cars. It’s gonna look very cool on Ntrak layouts pulling 40+ reefers!
You could use the excuse that the Clinchfield borrowed the engine for it’s annual Santa Claus Train. It’s the same one Patty Loveless sings about on her Christmas CD, “BlueGrass, White Snow”.
Ivanhen–
GO FOR IT! It’s a charming, wonderful fantasy for kids of all ages, anyway (the book, not the movie, which I didn’t care for at all). As far as I’m concerned, the Polar Express exists as you WANT it to exist. Mine would probably be a Rio Grande 1800 4-8-4, and maybe a couple of Budd domes mixed in with the Pullmans.
Oh–hey–the 1950 ROYAL GORGE!
Dang, I’ve got one on my layout, ALREADY!
Tom
As a follow-up - “we” have put about 20 or so deer along the tracks at one place to represent the caribou on the tracks, and mirrors alongside another section so the Polar Express can go skidding on the ice!! A childs imagination is precious!![angel]
Ivanhen: great idea re: the caribou and ice over the tracks.
I am getting back into model rr again after a 32 yr hiatus. 
I have an almost 4 yr old that made me play PolEx all holiday long. We even went to the 3D IMAX of the movie.
I too am interested in getting an HO scale PolEx up in running for 2K7 Holiday season (I guess that’s RIGHT AFTER Oct 31st as marketing timelines go)
So what do you guys suggest for a 2-8-4 to get DCC? I know some posts recommended staying away from locos older than 5 or so years, so does that mean some of the Rivossi’s I’ve seen on eBay aren’t worth the DCC? I just got a DCC Bachmann set from Hobby Lobby (still boxed) for almost dirt cheap and want to go with that. The P2K looks pretty pricey, found a DCC ready one for $200.00 for engine and tender brand new. Any thoughts? My skill level: complete newbie with some experience at melting old tycho tracks.
They chose berkshire #1225 because 1. It’s from Michigan, where the author of the book is from 2. The number is the same as the date of Christmas. Sure brought 1225 some fame!
