K Line "The Streamliners" Passenger Cars (13 1/2 in? 15 in?): what do you think of them?

@Redshirt214 posted:

Hello all! I've been window shopping online and looking at older models of passenger cars and ran across some real beauties: K Line Streamliners... I do have some questions though I haven't been able to resolve about them that I thought maybe longtime owner might be able to clear up...

So firstly I have seen them described as 13 1/2" and 15" online... but how long are they, actually? They seem to be more towards the former than the latter given the size relative to the Alco FAs that K Line made (of which I have two pairs!).

Secondly, I'd love to know when these set were produced... seems like maybe mid 1990s? Also, how heavy are these cars? K Line did specify the Alco FA as motive power, but it also specified the latter production double set that could be MU'd... and I have just the standard FAs from the early 1990s to curious how they'd handle them. Because of space reasons on my layout I'm really only looking for a pair of cars, probably the RPO and a coach or baggage car.

Love to hear your thoughts on these cars... they seem really nice, and I'd love to see what the interiors look like since they are supposed to have "full furnished" ones.

The K-line cars are 13.5", great for small layouts with tight curves.  I have a few sets of them and they do have full interiors.

Here's a few pix of my Greenport Scoot cars. Passengers were added by the previous owner. The 3-car set was powered by a MP-15 with a PA dummy in tow. Seated people are BEEP figures with below the knee amputations. The figures are big for the scale of the cars but I'm fine with how they look.

Bob

@Redshirt214

I have some of them and like them. The body is 12 1/2”, across the couplers is 13 1/2”. Weight, according to my wife’s kitchen scale is 14.4 ounces. I have run 8 car trains of them behind a Lionel 2343 with no problem, and also behind a Menards FP7. RMT also made some matching cars that included seats inside and are even nicer, I have two of those.

I like these. I have the 8-car Pennsy Fleet of Modernism set along with a matching reefer. Great looking train. I've tried to find the B&O versions but they're like mining for gold.

I have the PRR Fleet of Modernism, SP/RI Golden State, and MP Eagle sets.  The cars are similar to the postwar Lionel 2400 small streamliners (and MPC/LTI remakes) but have higher quality trucks and illumination.

I have the K line scale Pennsy business car 120 ... an observation car from the Fleet of Modernism.  The exterior and interior looks superb!   The lighting is great IMO.   I've had this car since around 2006/7 and have had no problems with it.   IMHO the Kline scale passenger cars are a superior model ... with the exception of 3rd Rail products of course.  

I have eleven Southern Pacific/Rock Island cars from the "collectors club" era and love them. I pull them with the K line Pacific (southern pacific) and a Lionel Rock Island FA AA from conventional classics. You couldn't beat K line quality.

If you are looking for excellent quality and detailed short passenger cars for a smaller layout, you can't do better than the 13-1/2" K-Line Streamliners.  They are not considered highly collectible currently which means the prices are very favorable, the detail is good, and they came is so many road names.  If I weren't the 1:48 scale passenger car snob that I am, I'd easily have a fleet of these. 

The 15" cars typically were the same aluminum extrusions used for the 21" and 18" K-Line cars cut to a shorter length.  As a result, they have scale cross section and appear a little more massive on a layout.  While they have a scale height compared to scale locomotives, I personally think the 13-1/2" cars look more realistic based on the proportions.  Some of the smaller K-Line locomotives like the FAs and a majority of postwar Lionel style steam locomotives or the 027 diesels would pair with them very favorably.

That is an incredibly helpful review Jonathan.