Engine for SP Daylight consist

What time frame/era are you trying to show?

1) If you want Southern Pacific steam, then any one of the Daylight 4-8-4 class models would be perfect.

2) If you want early diesel era, the SP EMD E7 or Also PA (both painted in red & orange Daylight colors) models would look good.

3) If you want later diesel era, then SD EMD E8/E9 models, or even later would be EMD SDP45 units.

Last year I bought a set of  the Lionel aluminum passenger cars to match my MTH RailKing Imperial GS-4, and boy does that consist look good!  

MTH has made scale SP GS2s and GS4s with PS2 and 3 and lettered to match the era of the cars you have. They should be able to handle all of the cars you have.

Pete

Great advice. Thanks. I have 072 curves. How many cars?

GJP posted:

Great advice. Thanks. I have 072 curves. How many cars?

For what it's worth, I have the full 11 car Golden Gate Depot set of correct, scale length SP daylight passenger train, which includes the 3-section articulated dinner, and 3 articulated 2-section chair cars, and any of my various SP Daylight steam locomotive models handles the train with ease. The cars are all aluminum with full interiors, and either the Sunset/3rd Rail GS-4, or the MTH GS-4, or the Lionel GS-4 look great hauling the train.

I have the MTH Imperial 484 Daylight and it would look good pulling the cat around! Have fun with your trains!

HOT WATER - love the GGD 21" cars except the thumb tack design - I had to rubber band them all.  GGD made 16 unique cars, but I got 2 extra 2 car sets and Jeff from Atlanta and GGD each made 2 cars sets of unique number plates.  From what I read the 18 car train was the normal large train but if needed the max was 20 cars - which is what I have.  I am pulling the cars with the latest MTH GS4.

Hot Water posted:

What time frame/era are you trying to show?

1) If you want Southern Pacific steam, then any one of the Daylight 4-8-4 class models would be perfect.

2) If you want early diesel era, the SP EMD E7 or Also PA (both painted in red & orange Daylight colors) models would look good.

3) If you want later diesel era, then SD EMD E8/E9 models, or even later would be EMD SDP45 units.

And, in the grey and red era, the power was often F7A's, FP7's, and F7B's.  For your era -- with the cars in Daylight paint -- the Coast Daylight was a sacred cow, only running with what Hot Water listed.  But the San Joaquin Daylight sometimes used Black Widow FP7's, F7A's and F7B's.

For a shorter train, I like the Lionel Daylight Atlantic that pulled the San Joaquin Daylight in the 40's.  I have 14 K-line 21" cars with different names and numbers.  To pull that length of train, I'm currently using an older MTH AC-6 Cab Forward with Proto-1 since it has the weight to pull that many cars.  I think a 4-8-4 GS series would be the ideal steam locomotive for it.  Someday I'll pick one up when I can afford one.

Since you're dealing with a ceiling layout, you may not need to be as particular about color-matching the locomotive with cars.  It's strictly a personal decision. 

Anyway, I've found the Lionel steam locomotives have the brightest Daylight red/orange coloring.  Whereas the MTH and K-Line locomotives have a darker shade of red, and the orange takes on more of a golden amber tone.  To me it's very noticeable, but on a ceiling layout this may be moot.  Just an FYI...

David

One of my favorites is the FP7 Black Widwos

But this ain't bad either

This ain't bad either 

Minimum radius 72"

Most every hatch works 

14 cars total all with ball bearing trucks..