Question about Walthers new Solarium car

Model Railroader Prototype information for the modeler
1

Hi,

Just a quick question: Was the solarium car represented by the new Walthers offering ever used by the PRR? That’s all.

Thanks much in advance.

Weasel

2

In the book “Pennsylvania Railroad Passenger trains, cars & consists Volume I” there is a pic of a solarium on pg.29. The car,was a 1cmpt,1 drawing rm, solarium lounge originally built in 1927 for the Colorado Limited. The car was named “Denver” on the PRR and only ran until Sept. 1952.

3

PRR #8544 “Echo Canyon” (plan 3975F) appears to match the Walthers car. It apparently went to PRR at the end of 1948. There was at least one other car to match “Echo Canyon”. Not all plan 3975 cars match the Walthers car. For example, “Texas Plains” (plan 3975G) has a different window configuration.

The above info is from page 48 of “Pennsylvania Parlor Cars” by Robert A. Liljestrand and David R. Sweetland.

I’m sure there’s lots to know about this upcoming solarium car–won’t it be fun to find it out. But, yes, PRR did have this car.

Ed