I have been purchasing several of the Rapido “Super Continental Line” of passenger cars circa 1955 and was wondering how many types of the following three passengers cars would be seen in a typical consist. (I can only handle 4 or 5 cars on my current layout). I assume most cars would be of the passenger lightweight coach design.
(I’ve got two lightweight coaches now and was considering a 3rd and possibly adding a cafe-bar lounge car last).
Lightweight coach
Sleeper
Cafe-bar
There is no “typical”, that would depend totally on the purpose of the train. A local wouldn’t have any sleepers and possibly no cafe-bars. Some Transcons like the SuperChief were 100% sleepers with no coaches, while the El Capitan had no sleepers. Generally a train with a sleeper would also have a real diner not just a cafe car.
BUT, for your world, I would say:
If you model the 50’s, you may want to inlcude baggage or RPO to handle mail if your train is running something other than strictly local. Especially if your train originates in a larger city, it would be bringing mail out to the rest of the country.
Rick
I agree with these choices with a few exceptions, Most of my knowledge is in ATSF 1950-1970 so keep that in mind:
It’s pretty rare to see a passenger train without a baggage car before the early 60s. Even the “out in the middle of nowhere” trains carried the mail. If you are modeling late 60s or later the baggage cars were less popular.
Where there is a sleeper there was usually a dormitory car for the crew.
Commuter trains could also be an option if you are modeling a city. This would be all coach, no baggage.
Some longer distance trains that were too small to justify a bar/lounge or dining car would make longer stops at a station with a restaurant for the passengers to eat.
If you are modeling the 50’s you can mix up the heavyweight and lightweight cars. Only the top few trains were all lightweight. By the mid 60’s, most heavyweights were retired.
I’ll take a number 2 to go thank-you [:)] That’s what I was thinking. I am NOT modeling the 50’s 60’s. This is an excursion train that will be passing through my layout circa 1995 (All modelers license used here).
Rapido does not offer a baggage car in this line yet. You only get those 3 choices I mentioned in my earlier post.
You said you want a short train. There were lots and lots of those in the 1950’s. They commonly privided connecting service with long distance trains. It’s okay to have one or two sleepers because those cars would be switched to the long distance trains at major junctions. A car for mail and express can be included along with one or two coaches. Rapido cars are great cars. You can get by with another brand of baggage or mail cars pending any that may be offered by Rapido.
Have fun!
Driline, you mention 4 to 5 cars, but I didn’t see if you are thinking long or short hall (commuter, connecting, cross state, interstate…) and so I’m just wondering what you have in mind.
As far as I know, I have to agree with Texas Zepher here, there is no typical. Even a big & famous “name train” would change the number of cars and how the were assembled regarding the ridership demand.
On the other hand, I think Texas Zepher, RedGray and Heartland have all really put it together for you with a good suggested mix…And heavyweights and lightweights too, would / could / were, mixed also.
Have fun.
I’d go with 2 Coaches & 1 Cafe/bar. You may run 1 sleeper if you wish.
This suggests some kind of connector run. The sleeper may be picked up at a connector junction from a long distance train. The cars would be pulled by a FP7 or passenger GP unit. In steam days, a Pacific would look nice pulling this short train.
You could think of GTW trains that connected Durand with Detroit but may have carried a sleeper from Chicago. Having 2 coaches/1 Cafe is what many Midwest Corridor Amtrak trains are like. As a day train, you could swap a 3rd coach for the sleeper.
For a train of this type, any baggage/RPO could be a heavyweight design. Run an extra baggage for heavy holiday mail!
GENERAL RULES:
Overnight runs had Diners, Pullman sleepers, and baggage cars.
Daytime runs were predominately coaches.
Mail contracts (RPO’s) were by contract and also RR Express cars for 4th class freight.
Tavern cars were income producers - then & now- largely for PM travelers.
Dome cars were primarily 50’s creations to attract passengers for the ‘extra fare’ trains.
Eample: The ‘SUPER CHIEF’ was an extra fare, all sleeper, dome/ diner/ tavern combo, with baggage & RPO, with enough sleepers on the same 39 3/4 hr schedule.
Ditto for the all-coach El Capitan.
If it is an excursion train forget about the sleeper. Everyone I’ve ridden had coaches and a snack car which was a converted baggage car that sold snacks and souveniers. I did ride one that was a two day trip but we stayed at a hotel overnight and returned the next day.
Over the past twenty years or so MR has done numerous Pike Sized Passenger Trains features and I am quite sure that they have covered just exactly what you need. You, however, did not mention a specific prototype in your post so I am going to guess that you’re interested in a generic consist for your 4 or 5 cars.
Here’s my choice:
For a loke I would choose an E-unit although Alco A-units look so nice operating alone - one of these new FP7s could also be considered here; your train should have a head end car, most probably a baggage/mail; following that would be a couple of coaches; next would be some kind of a food/beverage car - perhaps even a full diner which could/would double as a lounge car (this is a perfect place for one of those square-ended observation conversions which were designed for mid-train service on The Broadway and other trains; a sleeper would carry the markers.
There is a consist of one loke trailed by five cars.
I remember a feature of a day train which was:
Loke-Baggage/Mail-Coach-Coach-Diner; there was a blurb accompanying this consist which explained that if there was no sleeper in a (short) consist then the diner almost always carried the markers because it simplified switching.
All you need is another coach and an RPO, this should give you the option of any short consist you’re looking for.