I’m looking for a set of passenger cars for my Southern E6 and the only ones I can find that are within my price range is Bachmans set of four. They are the heavyweights in a dark green. Can anyone tell me the time period these were used and if this color was used through out the Southern Railway system.
Thanks for your help.
Jarrell
Southern used those dark green cars right up into the 70’s. Most of the new ‘modern’ cars were corrugated stainless steel equipment with black lettering.
Jim Bernier
Ahhh… [:D] Thanks Jim, thats just what I wanted to know!
JaRRell
Jarrell,
Most passenger trains were a hodgepodge of car types and colors. Contrary to the advertising photos, most streamliners were NOT a solid block of one type of scheme! The best road at keeping their trains “almost” matching was the IC; they leased dome cars for three months out of the year and painted them into IC colors, and then painted them back when the lease was up. Even so, the IC couldn’t keep plain dark green baggage cars and NYC express cars out of their consists!
So what, I hear you ask. So…don’t sweat trying to find all matching cars. If you want an earlier period train to pull with your E6, add dark green front end cars, matching coaches, and a dark green or pool service gray Pullman. If you want to depict a newer (1960s) train, add a dark green baggage, matching coach, streamlined silver coach, matching Pullman, and a painted streamlined car. There are lots of Southern resources online; start checking out the passenger train photos for reference and ideas.
The real problem with the Bachman Spectrum cars is they are all PRR prototype cars and are not found on any other railroad. If you can look for old AHM (Rivarossi) heaveyweights in the same schemes although many of the prototypes are other railroads.
A good way to get the cars that are correct is use the Brass Car sides that can be used on AHM cars and ECW core kits.
Rick
HAVE YOU CHECKED E-BAY? THERE IS A SET OF 6 IHC CARS FOR $49.95 BEING AUCTIONED AT THIS MOMENT. I BELIEVE THEY ARE THE CONSIST OF THE TENNESSEAN. SIMULATED ALUMINUM.
Didn’t Branchline do a run of Southern streamlined sets. I can’t remember which train it was but looked to be a great set.
Yes but they are not the same as the new Branchline cars, they look like old IHC or Con-Cor cars.
Bob DeWoody
I was wondering about that. It was a five car set (I think). I saw it an eBay last month and almost picked it up just for the heck of it, but I figured a Southern modeler could appreciate it more than I would. From what I understand the cars in the set were prototypical. I just wished I could remember the train name.
I was thinking of the Seaboard Silver Meteor set from Branchline. My mistake. I was still curious about the quality of the Branchline lightweight cars, though. Sorry 'bout that. Right geography, wrong railroad.
I appreciate the extra input in this thread. I don’t think I’m going to worry too much about all the cars matching. I’ll probably go for the solid green ones.
Thanks,
JaRRell