Best Lionel passenger cars for 773 Hudson.

NO contest: The original Lionel "Madison" cars! Maybe you could also find a Lionel repro observation to match the three original coaches. The Lionel Trains, Inc repro four-car Madison set from 1990-91 are made with heavy plastic like the originals, and would also be a good choice. The Madison cars, though not scale, would create a more postwar "look"! Whatever you choose, ENJOY your 773!  :-)

Tinplate Art posted:

NO contest: The original Lionel "Madison" cars! Maybe you could also find a Lionel repro observation to match the three original coaches. The Lionel Trains, Inc repro four-car Madison set from 1990-91 are made with heavy plastic like the originals.

Except these are lettered "Lionel Lines" vs NYC. NYC cars have been done countless times both streamline and heavyweight, 18" and 15".

Google "Lionel New York Central passenger cars" and take your pick.

Pete

Tinplate Art posted:

NO contest: The original Lionel "Madison" cars! Maybe you could also find a Lionel repro observation to match the three original coaches. The Lionel Trains, Inc repro four-car Madison set from 1990-91 are made with heavy plastic like the originals.

I beg to differ.

Why would someone run undersized cars behind a scale sized Hudson? Just because Lionel did it, doesn't mean everyone has to do the same thing.

K-Line made some nice brown scale NYC heavyweights to go behind their scale Hudson.

It comes down to a matter of personal choice. I have run the Lionel two-tone gray 18" heavyweights behind my VL Hudson, but the Madison cars did not look bad either. It's ALL good!  :-)

RoyBoy posted:

Tinplate Art posted:

NO contest: The original Lionel "Madison" cars! Maybe you could also find a Lionel repro observation to match the three original coaches. The Lionel Trains, Inc repro four-car Madison set from 1990-91 are made with heavy plastic like the originals.

I beg to differ.

Why would someone run undersized cars behind a scale sized Hudson? Just because Lionel did it, doesn't mean everyone has to do the same thing.

K-Line made some nice brown scale NYC heavyweights to go behind their scale Hudson.

Aren't some of the original Lionel Madisons big enough? (Not the Babys)

Are you sure you're not thinking of the stubby Pullman cars?

RoyBoy posted:

Tinplate Art posted:

NO contest: The original Lionel "Madison" cars! Maybe you could also find a Lionel repro observation to match the three original coaches. The Lionel Trains, Inc repro four-car Madison set from 1990-91 are made with heavy plastic like the originals.

I beg to differ.

Why would someone run undersized cars behind a scale sized Hudson? Just because Lionel did it, doesn't mean everyone has to do the same thing.

K-Line made some nice brown scale NYC heavyweights to go behind their scale Hudson.

X2, I run the K-Line Pacemaker set behind my old 700E.

Bogie

Thanks for all your input.  I do have some nice O-scale MTH freight cars that will go nicely with the 773, but perhaps I'm too nostalgic in wanting to stay with Lionel.  I just remember seeing the 1950 Lionel catolog with the 773 pulling those Madison cars and looking mighty purdy!   🤓

They STILL look mighty purdy to me as well!

  I run Williams 72' scale Madison behind my 773. I perfer the Delaware & Hudson cars . The NYC  did pull the D&H cars .

If you want a nostalgic look in modern material, Legends of Lionel 4 car madison set 6-19074.

If you want NYC scale heavyweights in Pullman livery with silhouettes in the windows . Lionel 6-19060.

If you want NYC , Pullman livery scale heavyweights with interiors and passenger figures,  "The 20th Century Limited". Lionel 6-25713

Each of these three are great. From a price point I listed from low end to high.

I'm not  recommending anything in the grey/lightening strike livery.

Also, Mth makes several nice NYC sets including one in the Big4 cream and brown livery.

Passenger cars behind a 773??

ANY & ALL passenger cars look good running behind a 773.  It's that beautiful of a loc.

justakid posted:

If you want a nostalgic look in modern material, Legends of Lionel 4 car madison set 6-19074.

If you want NYC scale heavyweights in Pullman livery with silhouettes in the windows . Lionel 6-19060.

If you want NYC , Pullman livery scale heavyweights with interiors and passenger figures,  "The 20th Century Limited". Lionel 6-25713

Each of these three are great. From a price point I listed from low end to high.

I'm not  recommending anything in the grey/lightening strike livery.

Also, Mth makes several nice NYC sets including one in the Big4 cream and brown livery.

I think that 20th Century Set was sold with the F3s with the bolts. 

Its not that obvious - and still looks sharp with the steamer...I've run this combo myself.

But - that set only has 4 wheel trucks.

Roving Sign posted:

justakid posted:

If you want a nostalgic look in modern material, Legends of Lionel 4 car madison set 6-19074.

If you want NYC scale heavyweights in Pullman livery with silhouettes in the windows . Lionel 6-19060.

If you want NYC , Pullman livery scale heavyweights with interiors and passenger figures,  "The 20th Century Limited". Lionel 6-25713

Each of these three are great. From a price point I listed from low end to high.

I'm not  recommending anything in the grey/lightening strike livery.

Also, Mth makes several nice NYC sets including one in the Big4 cream and brown livery.

I think that 20th Century Set was sold with the F3s with the bolts. 

Its not that obvious - and still looks sharp with the steamer...I've run this combo myself.

But - that set only has 4 wheel trucks.

Lionel did two sets of 18" Green heavyweights for the 20th Century. Nice cars. They also did a set of 15" cars painted for the '38 20th Century. The 773 with its Pullmor motor is best suited for 5 18" cars. Any more and it starts to struggle.

Pete

Really, almost anything looks good behind an awesome 773! By the way, is yours a 1950 model?

Are the 18" green heavy weights Madison or Pullman?  Do they come as a set?

My 773 is the Century Club model that was made I think in 2000.  It is new and unrun.  

Moonboy posted:

Are the 18" green heavy weights Madison or Pullman?  Do them come as a set?

Madison is a made up name for heavyweights based on the early maroon heavyweights Lionel made in the pre war and post war era. Pullman made both heavyweight and streamline cars.

The Green 20" Century heavyweights are lettered for NYC and Pullman just like the prototype. In general sleepers and observation cars were Pullman. Baggage cars and diners lettered for the parent road, in this case NYC.

Pete

Roving Sign posted:

 

RoyBoy posted:

Tinplate Art posted:

NO contest: The original Lionel "Madison" cars! Maybe you could also find a Lionel repro observation to match the three original coaches. The Lionel Trains, Inc repro four-car Madison set from 1990-91 are made with heavy plastic like the originals.

I beg to differ.

Why would someone run undersized cars behind a scale sized Hudson? Just because Lionel did it, doesn't mean everyone has to do the same thing.

K-Line made some nice brown scale NYC heavyweights to go behind their scale Hudson.

Aren't some of the original Lionel Madisons big enough? (Not the Babys)

Are you sure you're not thinking of the stubby Pullman cars?

The original Madisons were not O-scale; they were more the size of the nice upper-level RailKing heavyweights, I do believe. There should be plenty of scale heavyweights from various sources available.

The loco is full O-scale in size, if not blessed with the 700E's detail.

Lionel made a nice Baby Madison set in Canadian Pacific, 6-81745, with six wheel trucks.  Does Lionel have something similar to this only in 18" and NYC?  And remember, I want cars that will run on 056 track or smaller.

Baby Madison's are 12" cars.

Grzybowski's 

www.grzyboskitrains.com/lionel-baby-madison-12-cars

1 (570)451-1700 
1 (570) 451-1726

has 2 sets online in stock

Pullman baby madison 7 cars stock#81749 $xxx.xx(last set)

NYC grey/white baby madison 7 car set stock#81754/59/60  $xxx.xx

The Lionel pre/post war heavyweight cars that later came to be known as Madison cars are not full sized. They are fairly nicely proportioned, but they are shorter, narrower, and not as tall as scale 72' cars.

The MTH RailKing heavyweight cars are taller and wider than Lionel "Madison" cars, but are not as long. They are selectively compressed and that compression ratio is different than the Lionel cars.

And I am not talking about the "baby Madison" cars that came out in the MPC era. They are different altogether than either the earlier Lionel pre/postwar cars or the RailKing cars.

Only one answer.....Don

TINPLATE ART, The original Madison cars were Bakelite. That is what you should have behind the 1950 773.

Here's an option, the K Line 28th Anniversary set. They have NYC lettering, but are also named "Madison" "Manhattan" "Irvington" and "Sager Place" like the postwar Lionel cars. These cars are 18-inch, but have the swing-up steps so They will take 31-inch curves. Here they are running behind my 90th anniversary 700e, but they would look equally good behind a 773. 

Wow, thats a beautiful set!  How much does a set of those cars typically cost?  Those are just what I was looking for, but was hoping to find them in Lionel, the same as my engine.

Lionel made a similar set, 18-inch, but with Lionel Lines instead of NYC. The Lionel set had a 6th car marked "Hillside," which I think has station sounds. Both the Lionel and K Line sets are fairly difficult to find, but they do turn up. I think I paid $350 for this set last year. 

John 

BlueComet400 posted:

Lionel made a similar set, 18-inch, but with Lionel Lines instead of NYC. The Lionel set had a 6th car marked "Hillside," which I think has station sounds. Both the Lionel and K Line sets are fairly difficult to find, but they do turn up. .... 

If you're thinking of the cars that came with Lionel's re-issue of their 50th Anniversay set #6-31705 back in the early 2000's decade, that's the set of cars I'd recommend.   And they bridge the gap between post-war nostalgia (with Lionel Lines livery and NJ car names) along with more modern "scale" features like detailed interiors WITH passengers.  A real nice set offered by Lionel in a very different era from today.

$350 for all 6 cars would be a bargain price, because the StationSounds diner alone often goes for more than $225 and is extremely difficult to find.  But paired with a 773, this set of cars would give you a first-class train.

David

If you’re interested in a 4 car set of the Madison cars made in1990 shoot me an e-mail using the address in my profile. I have a new in boxes set for sale. 

Mike

I think the 6 car set from the Lionel 50th Anniversary set 6-31705 is exactly what I'm looking for.  There are a few sets currently listed on EBay, but they include the 5344 engine and tender.  I'm thinking that there isn't much difference between that 5344 engine and my Century Club 773.

I really appreciate the help and excellent advice all of you have given me.  If any of you know where I can find just the 6 cars from the Lionel 50th Anniversary set please let me know.

David

Moonboy posted:

I think the 6 car set from the Lionel 50th Anniversary set 6-31705 is exactly what I'm looking for.  ....

Excellent choice!    Just be aware that the actual #31705 boxed set only includes the 5 cars.  The StationSounds diner was an add-on car, available separately and produced in fewer quantities than the sets... which is why it's tougher to find one.

David

Moonboy posted:

I think the 6 car set from the Lionel 50th Anniversary set 6-31705 is exactly what I'm looking for.  There are a few sets currently listed on EBay, but they include the 5344 engine and tender.  I'm thinking that there isn't much difference between that 5344 engine and my Century Club 773.

I really appreciate the help and excellent advice all of you have given me.  If any of you know where I can find just the 6 cars from the Lionel 50th Anniversary set please let me know.

David

The engine that originally came with that set should be cab number 5433, a J3a Hudson vs your J1e. Night and day between the detail and drive system. 5433 has a Pittman can motor and Odyssey speed control.

You would better off if you bought the set and sold one of your Hudsons. Like David says finding all 6 cars without the engine will not be easy.

Pete

Awww, good advice...thanks again.

I run the Aluminum Black and Gray NYC aluminum Pullaman car set 9595-9598 plus the diner sleeper and baggage car behind a scale 1990's Hudson. While not scale I've have yet to find one visitor who can spot this as not true scale

Not passenger, but a train of Pacemaker LCL boxcars would be nice.

FYI: When LTC re-released the 1990-91 Madison set, it was made of a heavy plastic material to emulate the heavier Bakelite of the originals. Kind of a nice touch by Mr. Kughn.

Do you remember the Lionel numbers of those 1990-91 heavy plastic Madison cars?

Moonboy posted:

Do you remember the Lionel numbers of those 1990-91 heavy plastic Madison cars?

The first 4 cars were 6-19015 thru 6-19018.  Then a baggage car (6-19011) was delivered separately (within a year or so) in fewer numbers, so it tends to carry a premium if you can find it.  This series of Madison cars is closer to 15" in length and definitely a cut out of Lionel's postwar era (i.e., with passenger silhouette windows), whereas the other cars I mentioned from the 50th Anniversary set are 18" cars with detailed interiors.

David

I agree with David on the use of 50th Anniversary set cars. To me being able to see the passengers on the inside of the cars makes all the difference in the world instead of seeing silhouettes on the windows. I purchased those cars for my Vision line Hudson to pull. After a short time I wound purchasing the whole 50th Anniversary set. At one time I was trying to decide if I wanted to purchase Lionel's Union Pacific Anniversary Passenger set from 2003. I really liked the set but I decided against it because of the silhouettes on the windows.

It sure is a beautiful set.  I hope I can find the entire set including the 6th car.