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.