I am a bit confused here. On the Lionel red Arrow set there was a 3 pack #6-25635 and a separate sale diner. In the 3pack, you received:
Was there any coaches? Was Lionel hoping you would buy the 3 pack commuter set and add it to the Red Arrow? Did Real Railroads in the Heavyweight era mix up 4 trucked coaches with Six Wheeled Pullmans for long distance trains? Thanks for all your imput.
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Lionel did not make any coaches for the Red Arrow set. The only cars they made are what you listed (combine, sleeper, observation 3-pack and separate non-StationSounds diner). Initially the set was made for the Lionel Railroader Club before it was put in the catalog. I'm guessing the catalog appearance was due to poor LRRC sales or over-production. Being a LRRC set initially could also explain why the train only had four cars instead of the longer consist that Lionel tends to catalog normally. I doubt their intent was for the buyer to purchase the commuter set as add-ons considering those cars were cataloged back in 2005 and the Red Arrow came out in 2012.
I don't specifically know the answer to your other question though. I would guess that the real railroads probably mixed them at some point or another. I know when I run my Red Arrow set, I have mixed in Premier heavyweight baggage and RPO cars, the heavyweight baggage and coach from the Lionel Lindbergh set (which have 4-wheel trucks), and several other pieces of head-end equipment (R50b reefers, express boxcars, etc.). At one point I even considered finding the Lionel 3-pack and add-on of the PRR heavyweight "commuter" cars (with 4-wheel trucks) to add to it but I have yet to find a set where they weren't trying to get some astronomical price.
I did some research on the Red Arrow a while back and I believe the train was an all Pullman overnight express prior to WW2, and mostly Pullman with some coaches after WW2. All PRR heavyweight cars prior to about 1947 had no stripes, but when they started ordering new lightweight coaches in the 3-stripe scheme they started a repaint program for the HWs to also be in the 3-stripe scheme. It took awhile before all the HWs were repainted.
Lionel's Red Arrow set and commuter coach set represent the older, no stripe paint scheme. Also, the cars in the commuter set are suppose to represent PRR's P70 coach, a very numerous coach type with 4-wheel trucks.
I think Lionel's three coach set would be a good fit for the Red Arrow set if you are modeling mid 40s into early 50s. To bad Lionel didn't make an add on Pullman for the Red Arrow set to balance out the consist.
Thank you capilot. I was thinking p70's myself. I have the 3rd rail brass ones but was considering the commuter cars. I wonder if I could swap out the 4 wheeled lonel truck with the six wheeled trucks?
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