OK I am still trying to find the stuff I need to make my son a Polar Express in HO scale. So far I found the engine by Bachmann. I just re watched the movie again to see what I needed for the cars. There are 5 cars, 4 coaches which are all the same and the observation car.
Do any of you know what the prototype for these cars are? And who if anyone makes them or something close. I am guessing I could use some Bachmann coaches but what for the observation? They are heavyweights, the coaches dont seem to be anything special and the observation car has a round end with a porch and a single red light on the roof.
The Polar Express coaches look like “generic” clerestory roof heavyweights. The observation car looks like a coach with an observation platform. You could use Athearn clerestory roof heavyweights as a “good enough” stand in.
Yea I am not going for all the details here just enough so my son can see what train it is. I tried my Heavy mountain 4-8-2 Bachmann Spectrum loco on his track tonight and I found I need to adress a gauge issue with the pilot truck. I dont think that I am going to give him that engine for his Polar express I think I am going to drop the Franklin and get the Standard line engine.
I have been looking on Evil bay for some Bachmann coaches and they are cheap enough I think I am going to use them. I can modify an observation car to have a red LED on the roof and he can just live with the porch not being exactly the same.
I don’t know what radius curves you have, but the Athearn cars are shorter, actually proportioned more like those in the movie, and are also very afordable. You can find them RTR or in easy to assemble kits.
Three Athearn coaches and an observation behind a Berkshire would certainly be a good stand in for the Polar Express.