Lionel or MTH Hiawatha Baggage Car?

baltimoretrainworksOGR Forum Member SUPPORTING MEMBERDIGITAL SUBSCRIBER

While checking out Ebay I was looking at some of the Hiawatha offerings and came across 2 sets that piqued my interest. I always liked the Pridlines set because of the extra baggage car but have heard bad things about the sets mechanics so when I saw the following I was curious did Lionel or MTH ever offer one for the sets they've issued:

EBAY 1

I think this might be a Pridelines baggage in this set because I don't see Lionel on the side.

EBAY 2

This one the catalog page shows a baggage for an Archives set but not in the traditional orange/gray livery. Did they ever make it and did it only come in the Archive colors?

It looks like MTH made one but can't tell if they ever made one in the orange color.

Anyone ever see one?

Jerry

12/7/136:06 PM

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Southwest HiawathaOGR Forum Member

MTH did make a baggage car to go with the Hiawatha. It's a Lionel Corp. Tinplate item, listed on page 15 of the 2010 tinplate catalog. Product number is 11-80009. There is no picture of the orange version, only a picture of the red, white, and blue. I've seen a couple on eBay. According to the MTH web site, several dealers still have them from 2010. It looks like that was a new item in 2010; I don't see a listing for it with the previous (2001) MTH repro Hiawatha.

I strongly suspect you are right that the baggage car in the first eBay auction is a Pride Lines item.

12/7/136:45 PM

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zhyachtsOGR Forum Member

As delivered the MTH Hiawatha baggage has to be the second car with a coach between it and the engine. Pretty dumb! You have to disassemble both cars and switch bodies to make it right.

12/8/131:46 AM

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Southwest HiawathaOGR Forum Member

True - but with the articulated train, MTH is in a bind for how to configure an add-on baggage car. If they ship it out equipped to go in front, then one of the coaches has to be removed from the consist. Or, they could set up the baggage car as a stand-alone car with two trucks and a rear coupler or drawbar instead of a vestibule, but then you don't have a fully articulated train any more. As goofy as MTH's solution sounds, it's the one I'd prefer if I were buying the add-on car. It's easy enough to swap the necessary parts to put the baggage car in front - I've had those cars apart several times, there's nothing to it.

Originally Posted by zhyachts:

As delivered the MTH Hiawatha baggage has to be the second car with a coach between it and the engine. Pretty dumb! You have to disassemble both cars and switch bodies to make it right.

12/8/132:10 AM

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Southwest HiawathaOGR Forum Member

Nice work. I like it.

12/10/133:43 PM

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